Coale to Coach America’s Best

I think the USA women’s basketball future is in the right hands, with the announcement of the University of Oklahoma’s Sherri Coale as new coach of the team as they prepare for the World University Games this summer in Russia. If my daughter had played hoops at this level, I would have loved her to play for Coale, and I can’t think of a higher compliment.

See the press release below or find more on their website at soonersports.com.

NORMAN, Okla. – University of Oklahoma head women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale will lead Team USA at the 2013 Women’s World University Games this summer in Kazan, Russia, USA Basketball announced Tuesday.

It is Coale’s first head coaching assignment with USA Basketball. Coale served as an assistant for the 2001 bronze-medal winning Junior World Championship Team and as a USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee member from 2005 to 2008.

“It was an absolute honor to serve USA Basketball as both an assistant coach and a selection committee member,” Coale said. “Representing our country via this sport that I love is the ultimate opportunity–an opportunity that I don’t take lightly and one that I am humbled to accept.”

Coale will be assisted by Brian Giorgis, head coach of Marist College, and Coquese Washington, head coach at Penn State. The staff was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

“In addition to the experience of coaching some of our country’s finest collegiate athletes,” Coale added. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside of Brian and Coquese. I have great respect for each of these coaches, not only for the programs they have built on their respective campuses, but also for their ambassadorship of our game. I look forward to learning from them and working with them to make this an amazing experience for the student athletes we will lead into international competition.”

Organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and held every other year, the World University Games is a multi-sport competition open to men and women who are between the ages of 17 and 24 (born Jan. 1, 1989 through Dec. 31, 1995). USA Basketball considers athletes with remaining collegiate eligibility only. The 2013 World University Games will be played July 8-15.

Including the USA and host Russia a total of 16 nations will compete in the 2013 World University Games women’s basketball competition, which also will feature teams from Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Mongolia, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan and Ukraine.

“Obviously all three coaches have been successful,” Jim Foster, Ohio State head coach and chair of the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee, said. “Sherri has had international experience, and Coquese has had the opportunity to serve on a committee for USA Basketball. It’s a staff where their strengths complement each other.”

USA Basketball women’s teams have participated in 16 prior World University Games and collected a record eight gold medals, six silvers and one bronze medal. Further, since 1973, the first year the USA women competed in the WUGs, the United States has compiled a 95-15 record.

Team USA posted a 6-0 record en route to a gold medal in the 2011 World University Games.

Trials to select the 12-member team will take place May 16-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., and approximately 35 players will be invited by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee. A final training camp will resume at the USOTC June 25.

Chaired by Foster, the 2013-16 USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb, California head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and Central Florida head coach Joi Williams, as well as athlete representative Kara Lawson, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist who has been a part of nine USA Basketball teams.

USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.

USA teams are the current men’s and women’s champions in the Olympics, men’s and women’s FIBA World Championships; women’s FIBA U19 World Champions; men’s and women’s FIBA U17 World Champions; and the men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas champions; as well as winners of the women’s FIBA 3X3 World Championship and 3×3 U18 World Championship.

Brace the snow, watch OU Women vs Baylor for free

The University of Oklahoma may be closed down for studies due to inclement weather, but the game – at least for now – will go on at Lloyd Noble Center tonight (Monday, February 25, 2013.)The OU women are hosting the defending national champs and the NCAA Player of the Year from Baylor in a key Big 12 matchup.

They’re letting anyone who can make it in for free; hopefully only those who live within a snow walk of the game will brave expected bad road conditions. Baylor was obviously already in town, and since it’s a nationally televised game (ESPN2) the game goes on.

They’re also giving away free hats to the first thousand folks in attendance.  I’ll be home watching it and hoping everyone gets in and out safely tonight, as central Oklahoma tries to avoid the brunt of a huge winter storm that is hammering the western part of the state and the Texas panhandle.

The bummer is this week’s taping of SoonerSports Pad is off. We have a terrific package done by student Michael Runyan profiling Morgan Hook, the team’s starting point guard. I guess we will run it next week!

Here’s the story from sooner sports.com

NORMAN, Okla. – Due to expected inclement weather, admission to Monday’s women’s basketball game between Oklahoma and Baylor, tipping off at 6 p.m., at Lloyd Noble Center will be free. Here are details on the game:

FREE ADMISSION
All fans will be admitted free of charge (doors open at 4:30 p.m.). However, season ticket holders and other fans who purchased tickets for the game in advance will have first right to occupy their reserved seat locations. If you already have tickets, please bring those with you for access to that seat location.

For those without tickets, all seats not occupied by the season ticket holder or by fans who purchased tickets in advance will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

PARKING
Parking lots on all sides of Lloyd Noble Center are expected to be open.

FREE HATS FOR FIRST 1,000
Monday’s promotion of Coach Coale-designed hats given to the first 1,000 fans through doors will continue as scheduled. The hat is also available for purchase on OU’s official online store.

Final: OU 73-67 Sooners Men’s Hoops Vs Texas

(Updated at end of game)
Senior forward Romero Osby scored a career high 29 points to go with 8 rebounds to lead Oklahoma to a 73-67 win over Big 12 rival Texas, giving the Longhorns (8-10) an 0-6 mark for the first time in their Big 12 history. The Sooners improved to 13-4 and 4-1 with their 6th win in seven games.
Junior Amath M’Baye threw down three spectacular dunks via the lob and finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Freshman Buddy Hield was also in double figures with 12 points, as Oklahoma shot 48 percent from the field against the nation’s number two FG% defense.

The Longhorns narrowed a double digit second half deficit to four points when Cameron Ridley’s three made it 69-65 with 1:00 to play. before the Sooners closed out the win. Oklahoma next plays Saturday at Kansas.

Sheldon McClellan came off the bench to score 25 to lead the Longhorns, who host Texas Tech Saturday night, January 26th.

(Updated 10:22 pm)
M’Baye’s electrifying leaping ability led to at least three lob slams, including one from Sam Grooms on the break to give Oklahoma a 63-55 lead at 4:20. With Osby taking a breather, Texas threatened to close the gap before Hield’s strong left side baseline bucket gave Oklahoma an 11 pt lead with 3:05 to play.

Updated 10:14 pm
OU 59-52 6:43 remaining)
The Sooners finally hit a couple of threes, one each for Osby and freshman Jelon Hornbeak to keep the surging Longhorns at a distance. Texas’ biggest weapon is the sneaky scorer Sheldon McClellan, who leads them off the bench. He had 21 of his team’s first 52 points.

(Updated 10:07 pm)
Osby’s two free throws at 9:31 in game equals his career high at OU with 24 pts.

(Updated A 10:04 pm) As the Longhorns’ young big men wore down, Oklahoma’s most reliable scorer up front began to go to school. Senior Romero Osby set his sights on his career high of 24 points, scoring 22 in the first 28:00 to help OU push their lead to 12 at 50-38 with 11:14 to play.
(Updated 9:55 pm OU 45-36)
One of the most spectacular plays of the game came when the Sooners defense allowed them to run. Veteran floor leader Steven Pledger partially blocked a Longhorn attempt, ran with. The loose ball and found a soaring, streaking M’Baye for a slam that gave the Sooners their biggest lead at 9 pts.
(Updated at 9:50 pm with OU leading 38-34)
Texas defense limited the Sooners perimeter attempts. Averaging more than 15trey tries a game, OU was 0-3 in first 24 minutes. Their fewest three point attempts in a game this year came in a one point win at Oral Roberts (2 of 10).

(Updated at 9:40 start of second half)
Big stat from first half? Texas’ bench out scores OU’s 20-2 in the first half.

(First Half updated at 9:29 pm) Buddy Hield’s early lob to Amath M’Baye brought the “Cheer Like A Champion” t-shirt wearing crowd to their feet early, as Oklahoma (12-4, 3-1)built an early lead. But the game never got rolling until the Longhorns (8-9, 0-4) tried to muscle up on OU.

Neither team has enough size to say they can go “big”, but Texas tried with three freshmen wide bodies, 6-9 Cameron Ridley, 6-10 Prince Ibeh and 6-9 freshman Conner Lammert They overcame an 8-4 deficit with a 9-2 run to take a 13-10 lead midway through the first half.

What Texas is best at is denial. They led the NCAA in 3 pt fg% defense coming into the game and were second in overall fg% defense (.345), which works best when you don’t allow second shots, which they accomplished until the closing minutes of the half.

Once OU got into an offensive rhythm, they weren’t missing their first shots, thanks mainly to the inside work of leading scorer Romero Osby. He had 14 points at half on 5 of 8 shooting as the Sooners took a 30-26 lead to the break.

Sooners down UT Arlington

OU held off UT-Arlington 63-59 in Arlington’s new arena. Freshman Buddy Hield’s 17 points led the Sooners who are 2-0.

OU Women Drop Home Opener vs UCLA Bruins

The visiting UCLA Bruins used a size advantage and aggressive defensive approach to hold off a late Sooners charge at home for an 86-80 win in Norman. The Sooners had claimed victories in their previous 14 home openers.

UCLA (2-0) opened up an eighteen point lead midway through the second half before OU (1-1) narrowed the game to a single point in the final minute before UCLA held on for the win. The Sooners made just 19 of 31 free throws.

Aaryn Ellenberg moved into second place in school history for career threes by nailing her first two three pointers of the game as she scored 20 1st half points, but UCLA limited her chances in the second half. Ellenberg finished with seven three pointers and 24 points to lead four Sooners in double figures. Whitney Hand picked up the scoring slack in the second half for OU with 16 of her 19 points.

UCLA out scored OU 46-24 in the paint, with four players in double figures, including Alyssia Brewer with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

The Sooners were dominated on the offensive boards 56-34 as the visiting Bruins pulled down 24 offensive rebounds. UCLA entered the game unranked nationally while OU came in at number 11 in the AP poll.

The Sooners and Bruins met for just the 4th time in the history of the two storied women’s programs. The series is now even at two wins each. Oklahoma plays next at home against St. Louis University while UCLA prepares for upcoming games versus Notre Dame and Princeton.

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Expectations Getting “Big” For Kruger’s Sooners

Sooner  basketball getting attention in Kruger’s second season at the University of Oklahoma. For the first time since Blake Griffin’s days the Sooners will be featured on ESPN’s “Big Monday”. Below is the press release from sooner sports.com. You may also link to the story here.

NORMAN, Okla. — The Big 12 Conference has announced its men’s basketball schedule for ESPN’s Big Monday platform for the 2013 season, and for the first time in three years Oklahoma will make an appearance.

The Sooners’ Jan. 21 home contest versus Texas will be televised by ESPN as the second game of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day doubleheader. The 8:30 p.m. CT OU-Texas game will be preceded by a 4:30 p.m. matchup between Oklahoma State and Baylor.

The last season Oklahoma participated in an ESPN Big Monday contest was 2009-10. OU made three appearances that year.

The full composite Big 12 schedule, including games on CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, Big 12 Network and ESPN’s College GameDay, will be released in the coming weeks.

The Big 12 has been ranked among the top three conferences in RPI each of the past five seasons — the only league that can make that claim. In addition, the Big 12 boasts the nation’s best winning percentage in NCAA Tournament competition over the past five years.

2013 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Schedule On ESPN’s Big Monday
Date	Teams	Time (CT)
Jan. 14	Baylor at Kansas	8 p.m.
Jan. 21	Oklahoma State at Baylor	4:30 p.m.
	Texas at Oklahoma	8:30 p.m.
Jan. 28	Kansas at West Virginia	8 p.m.
Feb. 4	Texas at West Virginia	8 p.m.
Feb. 11	Kansas State at Kansas	8 p.m.
Feb. 18	West Virginia at Kansas State	8 p.m.
Feb. 25	Kansas at Iowa State	8 p.m.
March 4	Baylor at Texas	8 p.m.

Good Week To Be A Sports Fan in OK

You know by now the Thunder took care of business at home in game three against the Spurs. You also may know the OU Softball squad won their first game at the Women’s College World Series at Hall of Fame Stadium (they play again Friday night). And the baseball team begins play in their regional tomorrow afternoon. Oh, by the way, the local Triple-A baseball team – top affiliate of the Houston Astros – continues to roll as well. Here’s today’s Redhawks press release below:

Wes Musick went six strong innings for his first Triple-A win and Brett Wallace homered for the second straight night as the Oklahoma City RedHawks (31-23) triumphed over the Nashville Sounds (20-33) 4-1 before 3,547 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Thursday night.

The win was the eighth straight at home for the RedHawks as well as their eighth straight over Nashville. The Albuquerque Isotopes also lost to New Orleans, putting the RedHawks in sole possession of first place in the American Southern Division.

The Sounds scored early in the first on an RBI groundout by Sean Halton, but it would be the only time they got on the board.

The RedHawks tied the game in their first at-bat via an RBI triple from Fernando Martinez.

Three more runs followed in the third. A wild pitch by Mark Rogers scored Scott Moore to break the tie.

With a runner on and two out, Wallace homered into the RedHawks bullpen for the second straight night to put the RedHawks ahead 4-1.

Neither team really even threatened to score for the rest of the game. Each team put a runner in scoring just twice for the remainder of the night.

Pitching in his first home game since joining the RedHawks, Musick (1-1) allowed just one run over six strong innings. The lefty scattered seven hits and added four strikeouts without issuing a walk. He held the Sounds to an 0-for-5 mark with runners in scoring position. Of his 85 pitches, 60 were strikes.

Rogers (1-3) lost for the second time this season against the RedHawks after allowing four runs and six hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The RedHawks will look for a sweep of the Sounds in the series finale Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Join the RedHawks as they honor Carletta Miller as part of the INTEGRIS Health Home Run For Life series after the third inning. There will also be post-game fireworks presented by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Oklahoma Falls In Big 12

Oklahoma falls 62-53 to Texas A&M in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball.

OU plays Baylor Tough But Can’t Buy A 3

Li fallls to Baylor 70-69
From notes:
Oklahoma led 34-31 at halftime but went 0-for-12 from 3-point range on the day, marking the first time it went without a 3-point make since Dec. 23, 1996, at Memphis (span of 511 games).
The Sooners lost despite holding Baylor to .389 field goal shooting and outrebounding the Bears 37-36.

Sooners Defense Swarms Texas A&M

The Lady Sooners held 14th ranked Texas A&M to 29 percent shooting from the field , snapping a 6 game losing streak to the Aggies 64-55 in Norman.
The win moves OU into a second place tie with the Aggies in the Big 12.

For more info visit Soonersports.com