Oklahoma's epic slide...

[GooooMarquette]

After starting 14-2 with some impressive wins, OU has gone 2-9 since January 16.

At first I thought perhaps they lost a key player to injury or their schedule was overwhelmingly backloaded, but neither seem to be the case. They were 5-1 against top 25 teams when they were at 14-2, and are 1-3 during their 2-9 slide. So a mega-slump without a noticeable bump in opponent strength.

If the slide continues, could a onetime lock become a bubble team? Their RPI is still a solid 34 and they don't have any horrific losses, but you'd think they'd probably want to win another couple of games to stay clearly on the inside.

[Tugg Speedman]

But they have Trae Young!

Could it be the hype is affecting their play?  Throw the ball to Trae and stand around and what him do his thing?

[MerrittsMustache]

During the 2-9 stretch, Young is shooting 38% (while still taking 20 FGA/gm) and averaging 6 TOs per game.

He's turned a strong team into a one-man show and opposing teams have figured out how to slow down the production of that one man.

[GooooMarquette]

But they have Trae Young!

Could it be the hype is affecting their play?  Throw the ball to Trae and stand around and what him do his thing?

I wondered about that too.  He has always been a pretty high volume, low percentage shooter with great assist numbers, and while there is typical game to game variability, I really don't see a dramatic shift in his stats one way or the other as the season goes on.  Maybe you're right - maybe it's the other guys just standing around more.

[GGGG]

Not to mention the B12 is a really good conference this year.  They are beating each other up quite a bit in conference play.  Right now Bracket Matrix has West Virginia as a 4 or 5 seed.  That is a team no 1 seed is going to want to play in the S16.

[JWags85]

I wondered about that too.  He has always been a pretty high volume, low percentage shooter with great assist numbers, and while there is typical game to game variability, I really don't see a dramatic shift in his stats one way or the other as the season goes on.  Maybe you're right - maybe it's the other guys just standing around more.

There is just some natural regression too.  You have their other good freshman, Manek, who was playing VERY well, with multiple 20 points games in some of their big wins, but who has slowed down considerably.  But again, he was a fringe top 100 guy, but was shooting the lights out on their run, now hes not.  It will happen, freshmen will be freshmen.

I also think Trae Young is probably getting a bit tired too.  Between the pressure and rigors of a first full season, plus the insane media attention, it happens.  He's a fantastic player, but he's not some freakish athlete in an prototype NBA body, its some strain.

[GooooMarquette]

Not to mention the B12 is a really good conference this year.  They are beating each other up quite a bit in conference play.  Right now Bracket Matrix has West Virginia as a 4 or 5 seed.  That is a team no 1 seed is going to want to play in the S16.

No question, and at first I thought that might be it...but while their overall SOS has improved, they actually played more top 50 RPI teams before their slide (7, with a 5-2 record) than they have since it started (6, with a 2-4 record).

[Spotcheck Billy]

I think it's the other teams have scouted him and defend accordingly.

[wadesworld]

During the 2-9 stretch, Young is shooting 38% (while still taking 20 FGA/gm) and averaging 6 TOs per game.

He's turned a strong team into a one-man show and opposing teams have figured out how to slow down the production of that one man.

He has always been a one man show, and the only reason they were ever a "strong team" is because of Trae.  They were an 11-20 team last year that graduated their (by far) best player.

And just for reference, Andrew Rowsey is shooting 37.3% from the field in Big East play while still shooting almost 15 shots per game.

[#UnleashSean]

Maybe the espn notifications will stop being sent everytime trae scores a basket.

[MU82]

I think it's the other teams have scouted him and defend accordingly.

I haven't watched a lot of Okie games but I've seen quite a few of the SC highlights and yes, Young is now being defended as if he were the best player in college basketball.

[GooooMarquette]

I haven't watched a lot of Okie games but I've seen quite a few of the SC highlights and yes, Young is now being defended as if he were the best player in college basketball.

Teams hadn't figured that out about five or six games into the season, when he was averaging about 29 and 9, including 43 and 7 against Oregon?