For the first time since “The Big Easy” was teamed up with Stacy King and Ricky Grace the Sooners will be one of the favorites to cut down the nets in just under a month. A couple of last second wins to close out the Big-12 season send the Sooners into the conference tournament with a 27-4 record and a number one seed. However the Sooners have their eyes on a bigger prize, a VIP ticket to the Big Dance in the form of a top seed. Over the past three years the advantage of staying close to home has made all of the difference to the regional winners and with all of the parity this season it may be essential. The 09’ squad is constructed to accomplish what the 88’ team could not, take down the nets. All due respect to Tisdale and his crew, and if they played Easy D and the Jayhawks ten times they would have won 8, but they didn’t on the night that mattered because they did not have the superior presence in the paint. This team does. Griffin will be able to enforce his will (with the possible exception of UCONN) against any school they might face, freeing up the rest of the team to get open looks. More importantly when a bucket down the stretch could ice the game, the Sooners have a place to get it….just as long as they don’t send him to the line. How far do you think the Sooners can go? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms.

2008-09 Roster

No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Class Hometown (Last School) 1 Ryan Wright 6-9 234 Forward JR Mississauga, Ontario (UCLA) 3 T.J. Franklin 5-11 161 Guard FR Fort Worth, TX (North Crowley HS) 5 Tony Crocker 6-6 206 Guard JR San Antonio, TX (The Patterson School [NC]) 11 Omar Leary 5-11 173 Guard SR Portland, OR (Northeastern [Colo.] JC) 12 Juan Pattillo 6-6 216 Forward JR Las Vegas, NV (College of Southern Idaho) 13 Willie Warren 6-4 207 Guard FR Fort Worth, TX (North Crowley HS) 20 Austin Johnson 6-3 176 Guard SR Amarillo, TX (Palo Duro HS) 21 Orlando Allen 6-11 267 Center SO Cincinnati, OH (Paris [TX] JC) 23 Blake Griffin 6-10 251 Forward SO Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma Christian School) 32 Taylor Griffin 6-7 238 Forward SR Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma Christian School) 34 Cade Davis 6-5 208 Guard SO Elk City, OK (Elk City HS) 41 Ray Willis 6-6 172 Guard FR Atlanta, GA (Westlake HS) 45 Beau Gerber 6-8 228 Forward JR Winfield, KS (Winfield HS)

2008-2009 SCHEDULE ( Click on an event for complete event information )

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
11/05/08	vs. Panhandle State (Exhib.)	Norman	W, 90-43
11/08/08	vs. Cameron (Exhib.)	Norman	W, 94-39
11/14/08	vs. American	Norman	W, 83-54
NIT Season Tip-Off Norman Regional
11/17/08	vs. Mississippi Valley State	Norman	W, 94-53
11/18/08	Davidson	Norman	W, 82-78
11/22/08	vs. Gardner-Webb	Norman	W, 80-76
11/26/08	vs. UAB	New York, N.Y.	W, 77-67
NIT Season Tip-Off
11/28/08	vs. Purdue	New York, N.Y.	W, 87-82 (OT)
Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
12/04/08	vs. USC	Norman	W, 73-72
12/07/08	at Tulsa	Tulsa, Okla.	W, 69-44
12/10/08	vs. Maine	Norman	W, 78-52
12/13/08	vs. Utah	Norman	W, 70-52
All-College Classic
12/20/08	vs. VCU	Oklahoma City, Okla.	W, 81-70
12/22/08	at Rice	Houston, Texas	W, 70-58
12/30/08	at Arkansas	Fayetteville, Ark.	L, 96-88
01/03/09	vs. Coppin State	Norman	W, 93-62
01/05/09	vs. Maryland Eastern Shore	Norman	W, 100-64
01/10/09	at Kansas State	Manhattan, Kan.	W, 61-53
01/12/09	vs. Texas	Norman	W, 78-63
01/17/09	at Texas A&M	College Station, Texas	W, 69-63
01/21/09	vs. Nebraska	Norman	W, 72-61
01/24/09	vs. Baylor	Norman	W, 95-76
01/26/09	at Oklahoma State	Stillwater, Okla.	W, 89-81
01/31/09	at Iowa State	Ames, Iowa	W, 78-68
02/04/09	vs. Texas A&M	Norman	W, 77-71
02/07/09	vs. Colorado	Norman	W, 77-72
02/11/09	at Baylor	Waco, Texas	W, 78-63
02/14/09	vs. Texas Tech	Norman	W, 95-74
02/21/09	at Texas	Austin, Texas	L, 73-68
02/23/09	vs. Kansas	Norman	L, 87-78
02/28/09	at Texas Tech	Lubbock, Texas	W, 78-63
03/04/09	at Missouri	Columbia, Mo.	L, 73-64
03/07/09	vs. Oklahoma State	Norman	W, 82-78
Big 12 Championship
03/12/09	Quarterfinals	Oklahoma City, Okla.	6:00 p.m. CT
03/13/09	Semifinals	Oklahoma City, Okla.	TBA
03/14/09	Final	Oklahoma City, Okla.	TBA