Rapid reaction: OU stunned 70-67 by conference doormat TCU

By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater

Oklahoma fell 70-67 to TCU in a shocker on Saturday. Here’s some rapid reaction:

Turning point

OU did its best Kansas impression. And I mean that in the worst way possible. Earlier this season, TCU shocked the college hoops world, sprinting out to an early lead and holding on late for a wild upset of Kansas. On Saturday, to a slightly less but still extremely surprising degree, the Horned Frogs did it again. TCU jumped on OU from the tip, leading 15-7 after the first media timeout and 44-22 at halftime. By the time OU righted the ship, pressing late and going on a 20-3 second-half run, it was too late. The sluggish start proved costly in this brutal loss.

It was over when…

…Sam Grooms’ late three-point attempt clanged off the rim (a familiar sight for the Sooners on this day) and OU’s frantic comeback fell short. It was an impressive rally after a disastrous start, but OU’s inability to hit an outside shot eventually doomed them. As a team, the Sooners went 0-of-16 from three, including several airballs. Steven Pledger went 0/4, Je’Lon Hornbeak went 0/4 and Buddy Hield went 0/5.

What it means?

Ugly loss for the Sooners. No way around that. But the doomsday folks, who speculated this would knock OU out of the tournament, are misinformed. The Sooners should still feel comfortably in, even if they fell to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. I’d even call them a lock. Because if you look at the current bubble teams, which include Baylor, Boise State and others, OU has a far better résumé than every one. The TCU loss will hurt drop OU in seeding, as it should, but it’s not the end of the world.