December 18, 2021 Issue, Page 4 of 12

Page Text

4 December 18, 2021 Sports Stoops explains bowl prep schedule and who’ll be coaching it Clay Horning, The Norman Sooners, who are in finals of their time ... just to get and flying to San Antonio, said Southern Cal as a member of working on a game plan,” he Transcript week, have conducted just out there and throw the ball Stoops, “to start our Alamo Lincoln Riley’s new staff there, said. “They want to finish this one practice under Stoops’ around” and then the follow- Bowl events and whatever we will return to OU for bowl with a win and help our players Brent Venables met with the leadership to date, though the ing day, Friday, conduct a prac- need to do, so that’s kind of the game preparations and coordi- get an opportunity to win.” media on Wednesday to dis- interim head coach, who will tice along the lines of a Mon- schedule.” nate the Sooner defense. Other coaching tidbits: Ty cuss the recruiting process and run OU’s sideline at the Alamo Odom’s not the only Sooner day practice during a game —Coaching assignments: Darlington, who played center the 13 players to have signed Bowl Dec. 29 in San Antonio, assistant on the way out that’s week, and follow with practices Stoops said Cale Gundy, who’s at OU, and who Stoops said has their national letters of intent delivered the rest of the Soon- returning for the Alamo Bowl. on Saturday, Sunday and Mon- set to remain on staff despite “been in coach Riley’s room ev- to play football for Oklahoma. Stoops thanked defensive as- ers’ schedule. day, after which players will get coaching changes at the top, Also, Bob Stoops came on sistants Calvin Thibodeaux and ery day for the last two years” Stoops said the team would a few days off for the holidays will call the offense at the Ala- afterward and delivered a fair Jamar Cain, as well, for their will coach quarterbacks at the be practicing this morning, before returning to practice on mo Bowl and that Brian Odom, amount of news himself. willingness to return for bowl Alamo Bowl; Ryan Dougherty, Here’s a rundown: just to “stretch their legs out Christmas Eve morning, Dec. who will not remain on staff, preparation. a grad assistant, will be elevat- —Practice schedule: The and not occupy too much 24, before getting on a plan who had been recruiting for “They’ve been in the office ed to special teams coordina- tor; offensive analyst Conner McQueen will move into an Signing day tells us more about Venables than who’ll be playing for him on-the-field role with the of- fense. —Stoops coaching Stoops: Wondering why Sooner re- Clay Horning, The Norman ing day, arriving Feb. 2, and it’s The things that we value, they cruiting on the docket, given And given his old Kansas Transcript just the first day of the final value as well.” the his first class has room to ceiver Drake Stoops didn’t take State pedigree and his confi- signing period, extending to Talk like that is more than grow. the field in each of OU’s last dence in identifying terrific Is it possible Brent Venables’ April 1. platitude, as Venables made You could see it as he told two regular-season games? football players, Venables can’t magnetic authenticity and per- It’s a long way of saying Ven- clear when addressing the the story of OU discovering His father cleared that up on wait to find homes for a player sonal sense of honor might be ables’ first recruiting class re- name, image and likeness Jeremy Beal, way back when. Wednesday. or two or three the rest of the worth one more loss each sea- mains incomplete. Still, what earnings now available to col- Beal was not highly recruit- “He’s had a groin injury the ed, didn’t have great “measur- world missed. son? he put together by Wednesday lege athletes. last two weeks, but he’s recov- You know, his palatability afternoon — 13 signees and “Typically, with the right ables,” as prospect prognosti- Actually, there was one oth- ered from it,” Bob Stoops said. so great, his enthusiasm so in- two hard commitments Okla- guys, that’s not one of the cators like to say, but Venables er intriguing thing to come “He had a great day out there fectious, could the Sooner Na- homa’s getting credit for — is first, second or third things and Bob Stoops believed in from Venables on Wednesday. [at practice]. [Caught] some of tion stomach each 13-0, 12-1 being forecast as the nation’s that’s discussed,” he said. “If him upon seeing him play, He expressed his disappoint- Caleb’s great throws the other and 11-2 season becoming, 10th best recruiting class by that’s one of the first or second faith that eventually paid off ment upon learning some of day. He’s back at full speed.” instead, a 12-1, 11-2 or 10-3 247Sports, giving the new things, you have to be cautious in Beal being named Big 12 Clemson’s commits left the “Caleb,” of course, is quarter- season? Sooner coach the No. 2 class in moving forward.” defensive player of the year in Tigers upon his departure for Yeah, probably not. the Big 12 (to Texas), the No. It’s a very different message 2010. back Caleb Williams, who thus OU. far remains with the team and Good thing, then, less than 5 Class in a future 16-team than the one Ole Miss coach “That’s [the type of] guy “I even spoke to a few guys,” was part of the one practice couple of weeks into his tenure SEC (to Texas A&M, Alabama, Lane Kiffin offered Monday, that, just within the last cou- that “we have free agency in ple of weeks [of the recruiting he said, “after they decommit- Stoops conducted. as Oklahoma’s new skipper, Georgia and Texas) and in a Venables continues to offer race between two programs, college football and the kids go process] that are there if we are ted just to say, ‘Hey, you need —Stoops on recruiting: signs there’s more to him than itself and Southern Cal, the to where they’re going to pay willing to be patient and find to rethink this.’” Stoops said he enjoyed getting being a coach you want to root top class by miles and miles, the most.” them,” Venables said. “That’s Can you imagine? back into the homes of pros- for. for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are Venables isn’t blind to the one reason I’m excited. They’re He didn’t try swinging them pects on the recruiting trail, Wednesday wasn’t the na- sitting 79th. new landscape, yet he under- there. Some of them we’ve al- to Norman. Venables tried tell- but that doesn’t mean he loves tional signing day, more like a Perhaps more promising is stands the name of the game ready identified.” ing them their first decision everything about the process. national signing day, because Venables has put together the is balance, something a former So, yeah, Venables can play may have been the right one. “Do I miss all the travel? No. these days players seem to first portion of his first class Sooner quarterback may only the star system well enough. Come on, you could handle So there’s give and take,” he fall out of the transfer por- while sticking to his recruiting be beginning to understand He can get the guys everybody an extra loss each year to have said. “I love it once I’m there, tal like rain and, beyond that, world view. in Columbia, South Carolina, wants and proved it, managing “Just feel terrific, again, having failed in Norman. a top-10 class with 13 signees a guy like that be your coach, getting to know people, their Wednesday was just the first day of an early singing period about as much as anything Yet, maybe a more telling and two commitments, while right? backgrounds, their history. It’s that concludes Friday and else, the type of people they takeaway from Wednesday every program ranked higher Don’t worry about it. great, and selling Oklahoma’s there’s still the old signing day, are,” he said. “They fit ... our was the clear glee with which features between 17 and 27 It’s probably worth another easy. It was great to be able to which used to be the only sign- philosophy, our locker room. Venables views remaining re- signees and commitments. win (or two). do it there for a week.” The Graham Jam Certified Loser Boys: Thunder's Wacky Week Marked by Drake Appearance, Historic Loss By Graham Dudley My friend and I were chatting when he looked game. That left the Thunder without SGA, get punched, and you taste your across the court and said: "Is that Drake?" Giddey, Favors or Williams for the contest. own blood, it doesn't feel great." We were sitting in the lower bowl at Paycom Even so, the result was still shocking. Muscala, the Thunder's oldest Center, perhaps 20 rows behind the Thunder The Grizzlies jumped out big early and never player, was quick to accept partial bench, and I followed his gaze across the floor to slowed down, outplaying Oklahoma City in all responsibility for the fiasco. "We an ostentatiously dressed man sitting courtside. phases to put the game out of reach early. After didn't fight, obviously," Muscala It sure looked like Drake. And soon the arena one quarter, OKC trailed by 15; at halftime the said. "You'd rather go out fighting. scoreboard zoomed in and confirmed that the Memphis lead was 36. You'd rather go out putting your famous Canadian rapper was, in fact, taking in And the Grizzlies scored even more points in best foot forward and playing the game. the second half, ultimately defeating the Thunder together, and I need to do a better It wasn't obvious why he would be. After all, by 73 points — which, as it turns out, was the job as a veteran on this team to be a that Wednesday-night matchup between the largest margin of victory in NBA history. model of that, to instill that. So that's Thunder and Rockets featured two of the After the game, Thunder head coach Mark something that I need to improve league's youngest teams, rebuilding ballclubs Daigneault was quick to point out that Oklahoma on." with losing records. City had been playing respectably before Oklahoma City sure had plenty of Oklahoma City led the game through three Thursday's result, despite its record. time to think about its historic drub- Drake stands courtside during a game at the quarters; in the fourth, though, a late Houston "This isn't indicative of who our team is, how bing, as the Thunder were off all Paycom Center on Wednesday, Dec. 1. (Photo: surge put them over the top and handed OKC its we've competed all season, from training camp weekend before returning to the Scotty Maxwell) seventh straight loss, marring a 39-point night all the way through the games," Daigneault told court Monday night. Fortunately, from Drake's fellow countryman Shai Gilgeous- the media. "So it's important, I think, to keep that their landing was soft: OKC faced deficit to snap its losing streak with a 114-103 Alexander and sending us home disappointed. in mind internally, for us." the Pistons in Detroit, owners of the league's victory. Gilgeous-Alexander notched 30 points The Thunder had been undermanned during Daigneault said the result was just part of "the worst record at 4-18. and 13 assists, while Lu Dort had 28 points of his the game, losing Josh Giddey and Derrick Favors highs and lows of competition." For three quarters, it looked as though Detroit own as Oklahoma City put the bitter taste of to illness while Mike Muscala and Kenrich "Competition comes with great joy, and also would extend the Thunder losing streak. Despite Thursday's loss behind them. Williams were also out. comes with grief and frustration and anger. And its season-long struggles from distance, Detroit They'll look to carry on the momentum with a The situation got more dire the following when you step in that ring, that's what you was hitting 3s at a dizzying clip and keeping Wednesday-night matchup in Drake's hometown night, however, when OKC traveled to Memphis expose yourself to, is all of those things. It's what OKC at arm's length. of Toronto. Who knows? Maybe he'll catch and learned that SGA would be unavailable after makes it such a fulfilling experience, and that's But Oklahoma City exploded for 42 points in some more Thunder basketball, with a different sustaining a concussion during the Rockets why the joy feels so good — because when you the fourth quarter, overcoming an 18-point result.