April 17, 2021 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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4 April 17, 2021 Sports OU women’s basketball: Why Jennie Baranczyk left home to become Oklahoma’s next head coach Joe Buettner, The Norman OU's NCAA Tournament ap- potential of the women that can primarily of seven players last missed the postseason for the "Our goal is to win champion- Transcript pearances, each one of its Final come to this program and the season and all of whom can third consecutive season. ships and to compete for cham- Four trips and guided the Soon- impact that they can make. And return next season if they so Baranczyk has a long path to pionships," Baranczyk said. Seated on the floor she will ers to their first and only NCAA to me, all possibility came out." choose. get the program back to where "Oklahoma has the pedigree, soon grace as Oklahoma's wom- championship game apperance She inherits a gritty group, The group went 12-12, lost Coale had it, but she expects and we have the opportunity to en's basketball coach, Jennie in 2002. one Coale expressed how much in the Big 12 tournament quar- nothing less of the program do some really special things in Baranczyk had her husband and Baranczyk has held one head she cherished, that consisted terfinals to Oklahoma State and she's be entrusted with. this building." three children by her side and coaching job before, spending parents behind her. nine seasons at Drake, where The 39-year-old coach wouldn't have it any other way, nor does she expect her family she won three Missouri Val- ley Conference regular season championships and was named Thunder vs. Jazz: Five takeaways to be far from her as she em- the league's coach of the year in barks on the next chapter of her coaching career. "You'll see a lot of my fam- 2017 and '18. Drake isn't far from where Ba- ranczyk was raised. The former from OKC’s loss at Utah ily here, whether you'd like it Iowa Hawkeyes standout at- or not," Baranczyk said. "And tended school in the surround- Joe Mussatto, The Oklaho- Dort finished with a as little as seven points after the lane Tuesday night and whether they're in your seat or ing area and came back to her man career-high 42 points in the Dort was fouled on a 3-point- infiltrated the Thunder's inte- not, or whether they're running home state after spending eight Thunder's loss. He collected er with 30 seconds left. rior defense. around the arena." years away from it, cutting her The Thunder built a seven rebounds, four steals The Thunder outscored Bogdanovic only made one Family isn't something Ba- teeth as an assistant coach for 17-point lead in the first quar- and three assists. the Jazz 27-18 in the fourth 3-pointer, but he led the Jazz ranczyk takes lightly. The coach, Kansas State, Marquette and ter at Utah behind a scoring Dort shot 16-of-31 overall quarter. with 23 points. Bogdanovic who turned Drake into a Mis- Colorado. spree from Luguentz Dort. and 7-of-11 from 3-point The scoring performance was 10-of-10 from the free souri Valley Conference power, How Castiglione was able to In just his second game range. was an outlier for Dort, who back after missing seven He became the sixth player averages 12.6 points per throw line. values the people around her sell Baranczyk on leaving home Thunder forward Isaiah games with a concussion, the in Thunder history to score 40 game. and wants her players to not just to coach the Sooners came down defensive-minded Dort had points in a game, joining Kev- The defense wasn't. Roby was back in the starting love playing the game but love to the people she saw herself the hottest hand on offense. in Durant, Russell Westbrook, Dort drew three offensive lineup after missing the last playing it with each other. wanting to be around. Dort scored 18 points in James Harden, Paul George fouls against the Jazz, who four games while in concus- It was a positive impression "[I] fell in love with the peo- the first quarter. The Jazz and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. struggled to legally screen sion protocol. she left at Lloyd Noble Center, ple," Baranczyk said. "I'm from scored 22. Here are four other take- him. Josh Hall also returned where she was introduced as OU Des Moines, and it was hard Dort shot 7-of-10 from the aways from the game: Dort's assignment Tuesday from concussion protocol. women's basketball's ninth head to leave Des Moines. I grew up field and 4-of-4 from 3-point Dort subbed out with 4:41 night was Donovan Mitchell. Aleksej Pokusevski was out basketball coach by athletics di- there. I grew up as a coach there. range in the opening frame. It left in the fourth quarter. After a slow start, Mitchell Tuesday with right arm sore- rector Joe Castiglione and uni- But then I saw ... it's Oklahoma. was the highest-scoring quar- Utah led 101-86, and it looked got going. He scored 22 points ness. Gilgeous-Alexander and versity president Joseph Harroz "It's this incredible opportu- ter of the sophomore's career. like Dort's night was done on 7-of-16 shooting. Mike Muscala remained out. But Dort cooled off just with 35 points to his name. Bojan Bogdanovic is a 39% on Tuesday. nity, and you look at those ban- Gabriel Deck has yet to for a bit, as did the Thunder's But Dort checked back in 3-point shooter who attempts She follows in the footsteps ners, and you watch the women chances of holding off the two minutes later, and the more than six 3-pointers per join the team. of Sherri Coale, who held the that have come through this first-place Jazz. Utah pulled Thunder kept pushing on a game. The Jazz played without job since 1996 and retired from program, and you watch the away in the third quarter and 12-0 run. That's the scouting report rotational players Joe Ingles, coaching after 25 seasons. Coale women that are in this program, held on in the fourth quarter The Thunder cut what had against him. Jordan Clarkson and Royce is responsible for all but two of and then you think about the for a 106-96 win. been a 25-point Jazz lead to But Bogdanovic slashed O'Neale. Thunder unsure when Gabriel Deck will join team: ‘There’s no guarantee when that’ll be’ Joe Mussatto, The Oklaho- ready to play. “When I was a kid and played to Spain. son. ternational player on the Thun- man “Some of that’s unpredict- with my brother Joaquin, I “Competing is a high priority By signing Deck, the Thunder der’s roster, joining Luguentz able because you’re kind of at dreamed of the NBA,” Deck for us, and playing as a team and moved closer to the salary cap Dort (Canada), Shai Gilgeous- Gabriel Deck wasn’t with the the mercy of other people that wrote Tuesday in a translated playing together is a high prior- minimum. A team’s payroll must Thunder on Tuesday night in are outside of our NBA jurisdic- tweet. “It was something very ity,” Daigneault said. “And he is be at least 90% of the cap with- Alexander (Canada), Jaylen Utah, but the 26-year-old for- tion,” Daigneault said before the far away. Today I will have the a player that from a reputation out incurring a penalty. Hoard (France), Al Horford (Do- ward appeared on the team’s Thunder’s game at the Jazz. possibility to be there.” standpoint speaks for itself. “We’re excited about the play- minican Republic), Theo Male- roster for the first time since “I don’t know exactly. We’d Real Madrid announced Those two things are certainly er,” Daigneault said. “Our front signing a multi-year contract like to get him here as soon as Deck’s departure on Tuesday. top of mind with him.” office and our scouting staff don (France), Svi Mykhailiuk Monday. possible, obviously, but we’re on “Real Madrid would like to Deck filled the roster spot really like him. He’s obviously (Ukraine) and Aleksej Pokusevs- Deck, who will wear No. 6 for other peoples’ timetables. We’re thank him for his exemplary that opened after the Thunder played at a high level for a num- ki (Serbia). the Thunder, is expected to join gonna do the best we can to get conduct and professionalism waived veteran forward Darius ber of years and he’s a multi-po- “You learn that diversity is the team once he clears the im- him here, but there’s no guaran- throughout his time playing in Miller last week. sitional, pretty versatile player migration process. From Colonia tee when that’ll be.” our jersey, winning one League, Terms of Deck’s deal were not from everything I understand. a strength through being on a Dora, Argentina, Deck has spent Deck averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 one Copa del Rey and three disclosed by the team, but he “We can’t wait to get him in team with such different back- the past three seasons playing rebounds and 1.1 assists in 31 Spanish Supercups,” the club signed a four-year, $14.5 million the fold, get to know him a little grounds,” Daigneault said. “Ev- for Real Madrid in Spain. EuroLeague games this season. said in a statement. contract, according to multiple bit, learn his game and see how erybody has their own path Thunder coach Mark He shot 49% overall and 41% Deck played two seasons with reports. The final three seasons he can help us this year and Daigneault said he doesn’t know from 3-point range. He’s a ca- San Lorenzo de Almagro in his are reportedly non-guaranteed. moving forward.” and can offer who they are from when Deck will arrive and be reer 36% 3-point shooter. native Argentina before moving He’ll make $3.9 million this sea- Deck becomes the eighth in- their own experiences.” Jennie Baranczyk restores Oklahoma-Iowa women’s basketball heritage Berry Tramel, The Oklaho- to cross the midcourt line. Iowa ers to three Final Fours and 19 Oklahoma program that some from LA to New York to every- to be defense the whole time?’” man dropped 6-on-6 in 1993, Okla- straight NCAA Tournaments. people term a blueblood. They where in between.” But Oklahoma’s different NORMAN — Jennie Baranc- homa two years later. The hard part will be recruit- know from the banners you see Baranczyk said all the right zyk fell in love with basketball Baranczyk missed the half- ing — and retaining — players here, the Final Four appearanc- things, saying she wanted geo- geography lifts it a step above by tagging along her to older sis- court game by a few years; she who can compete against Baylor es, the consistent championship graphic diversity on her staff — Iowa. Bigger state. Right next ter’s practices at St. Pius grade graduated from Dowling Catho- instead of Missouri State. performance, the way women which hopefully means an assis- to a huge state. Oklahoma pro- school in Des Moines, Iowa. lic in West Des Moines in 2000, That was Coale’s downfall. The have succeeded in our program.” tant or three with strong Texas Des Moines then had no played at the University of Iowa Sooner talent level fell, some of So all the talk that every ties. And she also dropped a vides access to all kinds of big- youth basketball for girls, so and began a coaching career that the elite players transferred, coach talks — Baranczyk, Porter hint when talking about the ger, faster, stronger players. The Baranczyk — then Jennie Lillis eventually landed at her home- and OU was no match for Kim Moser, Coale before her retire- 6-on-6 heritage that Oklahoma kind of players Baylor has used — joined the boys teams at the town Drake. Mulkey’s Bears. In the past 11 ment, Lon Kruger, doesn’t mat- and Iowa share. to dominate the Big 12. YMCA. “When you’re part of a team, seasons, the Sooners are 1-20 ter who — is relevant and right, The 6-on-6 style emphasized “I loved every second of it,” you get to work together for against Baylor, winning only but it means nothing if you’re fundamentals, and there’s still a “That’s what I’m really excited Baranczyk said. “I love basket- something great,” Baranczyk with a 2015 upset. overpowered on the talent end. remnant of that in this part of about, to put that together,” Ba- ball. There’s nothing better than said from a Lloyd Noble Center So when Baranczyk talks And OU, by its standards, hasn’t the country, though those rules ranczyk said. being part of a team.” podium. “We did that when I about winning championships, had the talent it had when Phy- have been gone more than a Now Baranczyk has joined a played at Iowa, and we did that a road that went through Nor- lesha Whaley and Stacey Dales quarter century. Baranczyk said Baranczyk knows the score. new team. The unique basket- at Drake, and we’re going to do man back in Coale’s glory days and the Paris twins and Danielle she implements some old drills She’s no longer in the Missouri ball history shared by the states that here.” and now goes through Waco, Robinson wore crimson. from 6-on-6 days in her daily Valley. She’s in the Big 12. of Oklahoma and Iowa crossed Baranczyk won the press con- that means recruiting better “At Oklahoma, you can attract practices. again Tuesday, when Baranczyk ference. But coaches almost al- players. players from all over the coun- “Every day, we work on some “A beast of a league,” Baranc- was introduced as OU’s women’s ways win the press conference; And when Castiglione talks try,” Baranczyk said. intuitive-play drills,” Baranczyk zyk said. “But our goal is to win coach, succeeding icon Sherri Joe Castiglione wasn’t going to about OU being a destination “Starting with in-state re- said. “I want them to continue championships and to compete Coale, who retired after 25 sea- hire a dud. program, that means recruiting cruits. There’s a lot of talent here to be basketball players. One of sons at the Sooner helm. So that was the easy part for better players. in Oklahoma. That’s what we the things we do is a version of for championships. Oklahoma Iowa and Oklahoma were the Baranczyk. The hard part will “When we got onto this want to be able to do first. Ob- 6-on-6. Lot of questions when has the pedigree.” last two states to play the anti- be restoring the luster to an search, we found how people viously, we’ll be able to expand you first start. ‘What do you Now it just needs the kind of quated 6-on-6 high school ver- OU program that stagnated in really thought about the Okla- as well. With my background, mean you can’t cross halfcourt? sion of the game — two sets the final four seasons under homa program,” Castiglione we’ve been able to recruit all What do you mean you can’t do ballplayers OU had when Coale of 3-on-3, with no one allowed Coale, who had taken the Soon- said. “They see the University of over the country. Anywhere this? What do you mean I have was riding high.