Tough schedule gives Sooners chance to grow fan base

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Scott Wright
Published: June 30, 2008

NORMAN — Last year, the Oklahoma Sooners got into the NCAA Tournament because they won enough games. But they got a No. 6 seed — at least in good part — because they won enough games against one of the toughest schedules in the country.
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The latter part of that equation looks to be repeated in 2008-09. It's just up to the Sooners to win the games.

This season's schedule is looking like it will be challenging for the team and entertaining for the fans. With the eventual relocation of the NBA's SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, such scheduling practices should be continued in Norman.

But for now, the Sooners need to worry about growing their fan base regardless of what happens with the Sonics. That's what next season's schedule seems to be doing.

The Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series comes to Norman with the return game from USC. No O.J. Mayo, but the Trojans will still put a top-25 team on the court.

The Sooners face Arkansas in Fayetteville for the second game in a four-year deal and will help break in Tulsa's new Bank of Oklahoma Center, facing the Golden Hurricane in December.

And there's more mid-major excitement to be had. Coach Jeff Capel meets his former team, Virginia Commonwealth, in the All-College Classic at the Ford Center.

And it has been rumored that Davidson — and All-American Stephen Curry, famous for the Cinderella run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in March — could be coming to Norman in November as part of the NIT Season Tip-off (James Madison and New Mexico State have been mentioned as other opponents).

Like it did last year with the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, OU is locked in to host the first two rounds of the NIT Season Tip-off, with the winner of the four-team bracket heading to New York to play in Madison Square Garden.

And with an opponent like Davidson in the mix, the Norman regional should be far more exciting — no offense, East Central — than last year's Coaches vs. Cancer field.

In the Big 12 season, a rebuilding Kansas team must visit Lloyd Noble Center, where it barely hung on against the Sooners in 2007 despite having a far more talented squad than it will bring this time. OU will have road trips to Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State.

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Related Topics: Basketball, Sports, College Basketball, College Athletics, NCAA Basketball Tournament


Comments

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Soners should get a lot of pub and exposure this year due to the Grif-dog. Now, Capel needs to work on getting his next big-man superstar.
francisco, socal - Jul 1, 2008 7:17 PM
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Zach, since you live in Perkins, I am betting that you are an OSU fan. So, that would explain why you don't know what you are talking about. Some of you people think that scheduling is as easy as just picking out who you want to play. You forget that the other team has to agree to it. I can tell you one thing, with the team OU has coming back, there aren't alot of teams like Duke, Forida, or UConn wanting to come to Norman. Some of these games were scheduled before last season. So, there's not a whole lot Capel can do about Beasley, or Mayo going pro. Maybe you don't find the schedule too exciting because either you aren't even an OU fan or because no matter who they play you don't go to the games anyway.
Jacob, Oklahoma City - Jun 30, 2008 9:41 PM
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Outside of Davidson, USC, and Kansas (and you forgot to mention Texas by the way), I don't see ANY of those games as being overly exciting. Arkansas may be good, but most will only watch that game to see if Verdigris all-stater Rotnie Clarke plays and how well he plays. LAST season was good with OU facing Memphis, a BETTER USC team, Michael Beasley in Norman, Texas, Gonzaga, and so on. This year's schedule with those teams aren't all too exciting. Maybe scheduling a Washington State or UCLA or a Duke or Flordia or Ohio State or UConn (like years past) or maybe even Villanova again to see Reynolds back in Norman. Sampson may have made mistakes, but the schedules were always more exciting.
Zach, Perkins - Jun 30, 2008 4:37 PM
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excellent...
Ed Lova, Oklahoma City - Jun 30, 2008 10:00 AM
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