COLUMN: Oklahoma Takes First Step to 'Prove Them Wrong' With Impressive NIT Win

NORMAN — It’s way too early to know for sure. But Oklahoma absolutely looked the part of an NCAA Tournament team on Tuesday night.

The Sooners — No. 2 on the cut line, according to the NCAA Selection Committee — routed Missouri State 89-72 inside Lloyd Noble Center.

In building an 18-point lead in the middle stages of the second half, Porter Moser’s squad distinguished themselves from the Bears with efficient offense, scorching perimeter shooting and utterly destructive defense.

Just the kind of things basketball fans will see over the next three weekends as March Madness rolls on.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The only thing, of course, is that this wasn’t the NCAA Tournament. It was the NIT — college basketball’s consolation prize. It was the Sooners’ first home NIT win since 2004, but it was an NIT win.

Moser described the team as heartbroken, the scene in the team room on Selection Sunday as “a gut punch.” Such is life on the bubble. The key is how soon the team can bounce back — and in Oklahoma’s case, it took about two days.

The Sooners (19-15) drew a No. 1 seed in the NIT, because of course they did. They’re most likely the best team in the 32-team field. Dayton (the first time on the committee’s rejection list) has an argument. So does Texas A&M, who took out half the SEC in their conference tournament.

Tanner Groves

Porter Moser

C.J. Noland

The bottom line Tuesday night — against an impressive Missouri State squad, an experienced, well-coached squad that just oozes offensive talent — was that the Sooners had broken free from the shackles of Big 12 oppression.

Missouri State is solid. They went 23-10 this year and finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference. But solid as the Bears are, they’re not the Baylor Bears. They’re not Kansas, or Texas Tech, or Texas, or Iowa State, or TCU, or — you get the picture.

Moser — who coached a decade in the Missouri Valley, saw the Bears every year and even has a player-coach and coach-coach relationship with Missouri State’s Dana Ford — said OU doesn’t see Missouri State’s style of defense in the Big 12.

“It’s just different,” Moser said. “They went to a matchup zone, and then after about 15 seconds, they matched up man. We just don’t see a lot of that. You’re running your zone offense, and then it’s man.”

But it’s more than just structure.

“The size of the bodies,” Moser said. “I mean, I think (Gaige) Prim is really strong. (Isiaih) Mosley’s a high-level guard. Sometimes the things you see in the Big 12, there’s like, nine of ‘em, you know, at that level.”

Ford lauded OU’s superior depth.

“As that game wore on,” Ford said, “they started to kick it into a higher gear.”

Porter Moser

Umoja Gibson

Ethan Chargois

Isiaih Mosley, Jordan Goldwire

There’s no denying that, when it comes to winning and losing games this season, Oklahoma left plenty of meat on the bone. Losses to Butler, Utah State, Oklahoma State and TCU were almost inexplicable stumbles. Other games, like Texas in Norman in overtime, or Kansas in Norman, or Texas Tech in Kansas City, could have been difference-makers in OU’s postseason fate.

The Sooners made this bed, and now they’re lying in it.

But like Moser said Monday, the Sooners have one of two ways they can go. They can be mad at the selection committee for leaving them out of the NCAA’s field of 68, or they can rise up and prove them wrong.

“We regrouped yesterday, Monday, and we just talked about it. We talked about life lessons. That’s what character is,” Moser said.

“If we don’t (respond), then it’s confirmation that the committee can say, ‘Oh we made the right decision.’ Let’s prove ‘em wrong.”

Up next is a game — time and date still TBA, but it will be in Norman, probably Sunday — against St. Bonaventure, who beat Colorado later Tuesday night.

Moser said the reward of a good NIT run — win three games and it’s off to the NIT Final Four — is a trip to New York City and a game (or two) in The Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden. Maybe even a tournament trophy.

“It’s a life lesson for how you can react when you get knocked own. I thought they played hard, they played spirited, and they played a great game.

“We know the opponents are gonna be tough, but (the first game after the disappointment) was the hardest, in my opinion, under the circumstances, to get ‘em going. And now that I see how they’ve responded, let’s go back to work.”

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!

Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.