Sooners start hot

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer - 11/4/2009


NORMAN — When is beating the University of British Columbia 93-53, as Oklahoma did Tuesday night, a statement game? When it's your first time out without Blake Griffin.

"Before the game I talked to the team and let them know this is a statement game for us," said Willie Warren, OU's preseason All-American. "Everybody was going to wonder how this team would fare without Blake. I feel like we answered a lot of questions."

Can the Sooners still score without Griffin's 23 points per game? Looks like it. Warren scored a game-high 23, mostly off the drive. And while he wasn't hitting from the outside, everyone else was. OU went 13-of-23 behind the 3-point line.

Do the Sooners still have talent to complement Warren? Most definitely. Veteran guards Tony Crocker and Cade Davis combined for 18 points and five steals. And how about the debut of OU's four freshmen (a fifth, Putnam City's Kyle Hardrick, sat out with a knee injury)?

"I thought they were great," Capel said.

New point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin scored 12 points off 4-of-6 3-point shooting. New big man Tiny Gallon contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.

"When we got these guys in, I knew what they were bringing to the table," Warren said of the Sooners' two McDonald's All-American freshmen. "It was guys like Pledger and 'Fitz' that I really wanted to see when the lights were on, and they both stepped up."

Steven Pledger shook off a nervous start to make 4-of-6 3-pointers and score 14 points. Andrew Fitzgerald added 10 points as the most active player in OU's revamped frontcourt. All four made rookie mistakes.

"Tommy had some careless turnovers," Capel said. "Tiny has to rebound better and needs to be more of a post presence for us. Drew did some good things, but he didn't execute some things right."

"We did some things we need to work on," Crocker said, "but overall we did pretty well."

OU men set time for opener: OU's season will tip off at 1 p.m. on Nov. 14 against Mount St. Mary's, which is picked to win the Northeast Conference and features preseason player of the year Jeremy Goode.



Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com




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