Kansas vs Oklahoma: Player Ratings to the Theme of Doors
Apparently it is too tough to compete in football with the likes of traditional powerhouses like Kansas and newcomer Arizona, so Oklahoma has chosen to take their “talents” to the SEC. Bye, Felicia. And while Billy Tubbs was the last OU basketball coach to win at Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas is on a significant winning streak against the Sooners, I’ll miss Oklahoma. From Buddy Hield, Trae Young, and Blake Griffin on the hardwood to their football defense parting like the Red Sea for Eric Vann in 1997, we’ve had some great memories with the boys in crimson and cream. But alas, they’re leaving, so let’s get one last jab in, shall we? The theme is doors, but first, the criteria (skip using the table of contents if you so desire):
5 Stars: Out of this world performance. This is a hard to achieve rating and is only reserved for the most impressive or impressionable performances.
4.5 Stars: Very strong performance, packed the stat sheet, provided undeniable intangibles.
4 Stars: A strong performance that falls just short of the standards above.
3.5 Stars: Above average performance, perhaps stands out in one category or one aspect of the game.
3 Stars: Average performance. Also could be a very strong game in one aspect but a very poor game in another such as 15 points but seven turnovers. Could also be that the player played, did their job, but didn't do much spectacularly.
2 Stars: Below average performance, or we simply have higher expectations for the player on this particular night.
1 Star: Rare, but if a player has a stinker in all aspects.
Memorial No Star: Named after former KU walk-on Chris Teahan and is awarded to the player(s) who didn't have enough playing time to contribute or whose performance isn't worthy of a rating for another reason.
5 Stars: The doors of a DeLorean
Sure, the gullwing door is impractical but holy cow does it look cool. In the immortal words of Doc Emmett Brown, “The way I see it, if you're gonna make a time machine out of a car, why not do it with some style?”
No one was a five star in this one.
4.5 Stars: Swinging Doors
Bye, Sooners. Don’t let one hit you on the way out.
The bounce back game from Hunter Dickinson didn’t disappoint. After a flat out bad game against Tech, Dickinson scored 20 and grabbed 16 rebounds. Still missing that sweet short jumper and three point touch of late, Dickinson more than made up for it with a dominant game next to the basket. With OU depleted down low, big Hunter took full advantage.
4 Stars: Vault Doors
Maybe I’m weird, but I’m partial to those really heavy looking vault doors that you used to see at banks. The ones with the big combo wheel that you have to turn in order to get in. Yeah, it’s either those or the safe cracker wall in The Price is Right. I was always fascinated by that as a kid.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Dajuan Harris hoisted up twelve shots (I can’t believe it either) making only four, his statline of 11 points and eight assists would’ve been a half star higher. He had zero turnovers in 37 minutes.
Johnny Furphy scored 15 and added nine rebounds in a very solid game for Kansas. He was three of five from long distance and added three steals to his stat line. If Kansas can get this type of performance from the freshman, they’ll be a tough out in March.
3.5 Stars: The Doors
You either love the Doors or you hate them, and those types of categories usually end up as the three star, but this legendary rock band fronted by Jim Morrison deserves a bit more respect than that.
It was good to have Kevin McCullar back. He was quite rusty offensively (four of fourteen from the field) but his rebounding presence is so important to the Jayhawks. He snatched eight in this one and finished with ten points.
3 Stars: Regular doors
Hey, we need these! They can also hit you on the way out, so watch your backside, OU.
KJ Adams’ field goal woes continued through half time but he kicked it into gear in the second stanza. He finished with nine points but filled the rest of the scoresheet up with four boards, two assists, and two steals.
2 Stars: Trapdoors
Do these really exist anywhere outside of playhouses and Scooby-Doo episodes?
No one was a two star.
1 Star: Garage
We never had an automatic garage door at our house when I was young, and I’m still bitter about it. Were you one of those kids that had to get out of the car and open the garage door for your parents every time you came home? I was. Boy that was great when it was pouring rain or sleeting or snowing. Everyone else was bone dry except for your friendly player ratings writer. Yeah, I’m still bitter.
No one was a one-star.
Chris Teahan Memorial No Star:
The Bench.
Jamari McDowell had the only bench points in this one with a first half putback, while Nick Timberlake had an assist and Parker Braun snatched a rebound. Elmarko Jackson committed one turnover in four minutes.
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