Sooner boomers: Oklahoma got beat badly by Iowa State from beyond the arc

Iowa State forward Georges Niang (31) tries to work around Oklahoma forward Romero Osby (24) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Justin Hayworth

If Oklahoma wanted to put a gold star next to that victory over Baylor last week, then they’re probably going to want to hide some of the final results of Monday’s game against Iowa State.

-For being a reserve, Andrew Fitzgerald has been proving himself as a tough post player. He held his own against Jeff Withey at Kansas – grabbing eight boards in 12 minutes while Withey grabbed nine in 34. Then against Iowa State, Fitzgerald led the team off the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds, five of which were offensive. He also had one turnover, one assist and one steal.

• -Sam Grooms got the start at point guard. It’s his first start of this season. When I talked with Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger on Sunday, I asked him if he wouldn’t give typical starter Je’lon Hornbeak the nod because of the technical foul he got against Kansas State. (When Romero Osby got a technical foul, Kruger’s punishment was sitting him from the start against Arkansas). Kruger’s response was “not necessarily. Roe’s case was totally different.” Regardless, Hornbeak didn’t spend the majority of Sunday’s practice at point guard and looked like he would be more of a wing for the game. The freshman stood on the sidelines, gnawing on his fingernails, as he watched Grooms run the offense.
• The Sooners came into Hilton Coliseum where the Cyclones held a 19-game winning streak. It’s the seventh-longest active streak in the NCAA. Oklahoma helped make push it to 20.
• Did you see Steven Pledger’s turnaround jumper off of a rebound early in the game? The Sooners need more shots like that from him.
• Oklahoma let ISU shoot freely from the beyond the arc. Not that it’s just an Oklahoma problem. The ‘Clones are the best team from three-point range in the conference. Yet it was an Oklahoma problem in the first half. ISU shot 8-of-16 three-pointers. Right there is the difference in the score. OU came out and defended the arc better after halftime, allowing ISU to go only 3-for-11 in the second. In games that Oklahoma hasn’t guarded the arc well, they have lost. (i.e. Arkansas, Kansas State the first time)
• There was a rare moment in which the cameras caught Lon Kruger full out yelling. That’s when red flags should have gone up for Sooners fans. Kruger seemed to be yelling at Hornbeak. Oklahoma’s head coach does not yell unless a player has done something really, really wrong.
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