Tonight is the kind of night that helped Lloyd Noble Center gain its reputation. It wasn’t just Wayman Tisdale or Billy Tubbs’ run-and-gun squads that helped Oklahoma’s home court become nationally renowned.
It was because big games were played there.
Few have been bigger than the one at 8 tonight between No. 6 Oklahoma (15-1, 1-0 Big 12) and No. 7 Texas (12-3, 1-0).
“This is a game that everyone is excited about,” OU’s Blake Griffin said. “This is what we want.”
The Sooners and Longhorns can get together for a game of bridge and it’s going to bring out some emotion and, most likely, hostility.
But this year’s first edition of Red River Rivalry showcases two teams battling for supremacy in the Big 12 Conference. Even though it’s early January, NCAA Tournament seedings could be decided on the outcome.
It’s been a while since Lloyd Noble Center was the site for something with those kinds of ramifications. You have to go all the way back to 2003 when the Longhorns, then ranked No. 3, stunned No. 5 OU and ruined Hollis Price’s and Quannas White’s Senior Day.
It was the third and final “top 10 meeting” of Kelvin Sampson’s tenure. OU whipped Kansas, 77-71, in battle between the fifth- and sixth-ranked teams in 2003. As part of the Sooners’ Final Four season in 2002 OU, ranked No. 6, topped then No. 9 Oklahoma State 58-53.
Those games ran the list of meetings between top 10 teams to 10 at Lloyd Noble Center. It’s those games that form the core of OU’s basketball tradition.
The back-to-back victories over Missouri and Kansas when both were ranked No. 1 in 1990. The victory over then-No. 1 Arizona in 1989. Also, there was the epic showdown between Tisdale’s Sooners and Mark Price’s Georgia Tech squad in 1985.
Those games all had one thing in common.
A rabid crowd and an electric atmosphere.
They’ve been rare for the last several years. OU’s only hosted four top 10 teams since. The Sooners were only ranked for one of those games.
OU coach Jeff Capel didn’t go the Bob Stoops’ route and needle fans like he did before the football game against Texas Tech. He hopes they’ll take it upon themselves to be a force without provocation.
“It’s very critical. I hope we can have a good crowd,” he said. “I think our guys have earned it and I hope people will come out an support it.”
A few tickets remain, but they shouldn’t last long. This will be one of the biggest games in the conference this season and it’s fitting it will tip-off the Big 12 portion of ESPN’s “Big Monday” telecasts.
The winner will receive a huge leg up in the conference race. The Sooners will be trying to get off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2002. Oddly enough, that was the last time OU reached the Final Four.
Road crowds are greeting the Sooners with that kind of intensity. You couldn’t hear a pig squeal at Arkansas. Saturday’s game at Kansas State was deafening until OU put it away.
The Sooners have seen an arena’s excessive energy fuel an opponent. Tonight they’d like to see if it can drain one, too.
“You look around college basketball and you see how atmosphere has helped some teams,” Capel said. “I know it helped Arkansas to have that kind of environment. I know Kansas State was a great environment to play in. I know it’s given us a boost when we’ve had it at times this year. I just hope we can have it Monday night.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
A top 10 history
March 8, 2003
No. 5 OU vs. No. 4 Texas
Outcome: Texas 76, OU 71
Feb. 23, 2003
No. 5 OU vs. No. 6 Kansas
Outcome: OU 77, Kansas 71
Jan. 30, 2002
No. 6 OU vs. No. 9 Oklahoma St.
Outcome: OU 58, OSU 53
Feb. 25, 1990
No. 10 OU vs. No. 1 Missouri
Outcome: OU 107, Missouri 90
Feb. 27, 1990
No. 5 OU vs. No. 1 Kansas
Outcome: OU 100, Kansas 78
Feb. 9, 1989
No. 5 OU vs. No. 3 Missouri
Outcome: OU 112, Mssouri 105
Feb. 12, 1989
No. 5 OU vs. No. 1 Arizona
Outcome: OU 82, Arizona 80
Feb. 24, 1986
No. 10 OU vs. No. 3 Kansas
Outcome: Kansas 87, OU 80
March 3, 1985
No. 6 OU vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech
Outcome: OU 87, Ga. Tech 80
March 3, 1984
No. 6 OU vs. No. 7 UNLV
Outcome: OU 78, UNLV 70
OU Sports
It's a really big game
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