Daily Bullets (May 13)

Not Quite Murderer’s Row

Tramel made it to the “2011 = 2017” party. A hair late but glad to have him.

The schedule offers one small difference in 2011 and 2017. Quality of opponent is similar — Tulsa in both years, coming off 10-win seasons, plus Arizona (’11) and Pitt (’17) — but the Pittsburgh game is on Heinz Field’s riverbanks. That could be dicey.

However, the Big 12 doesn’t seem quite as imposing as it did in 2011, either in teams or quarterbacks, when Texas A&M had Ryan Tannehill, Baylor had Robert Griffin III, Kansas State had Collin Klein, OU had Landry Jones and Texas Tech had Seth Doege. [NewsOK]

A terrific article worth your time. Porter mentioned the same point about Pitt yesterday and also that it’s not as easy to trust this team. OU’s probably better than that Landry Jones-2011 team but I’m not sure anyone else is close to what they were then.

From the Heart

As the collegiate tennis post-season embarks, a really neat story about the OSU tennis program and it’s “Boone Pickens” emerged.

The Greenwoods rarely miss a home match. When the OSU women fell to Stanford in the NCAA championships in Tulsa last year, Michael was photographed hugging Adamovic in a tearful embrace. While walking through the tennis complex just this week, Anne bumped into teammate Lena Ruppert. Anne asked, “How are your finals?” The Greenwoods, both age 62, don’t have children of their own.

“We kind of look at them like our sons and daughters,” Michael said. [NewsOK]

In the midst of Nevin Shapiro’s and “bag men”, these are the fun stories in college sports. Impacting the lives of student athletes in all the right ways: providing better facilities and through encouraging, appropriate relationships.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Pokes dropped game one to Baylor 9-3 last night….Big Ten commissioner is racking up an eight digit bonus for performance….Jawun Evans interviewed with the Orlando Magic (who desperately needs a PG)….A handful of Pokes are reporting to rookie camps….Texas has their eye on another grad transfer QB (what’s the saying: “if you have three you don’t have one”?)

This is pretty good. That mental feeling of being done is just immense.

Walking out of that last final like… #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/N9NO1DFC40

— Oklahoma State (@OSUAthletics) May 12, 2017

Cowboy Tennis won in the first round yesterday, take on Illinois at 3 p.m. today:

Final score from Stillwater. #okstate sweeps UMKC and improves to 4-0 in the first round of #NCAATennis under Jay Udwadia! pic.twitter.com/eym2L5kMNB

— OSU Cowboy Tennis (@CowboyTennis) May 12, 2017

And Cowgirl Softball pulled the upset on No. 2 seeded Baylor then smoked Iowa State. To the Big 12 Finals!

Bedlam!

Tomorrow, it's @OU_Softball and @CowgirlSB for the #Big12SB title.

And it's gonna be straight ??? pic.twitter.com/Bb9624t4Iy

— Big 12 Digital (@Big12DN) May 13, 2017

What You Missed on PFB

• Porter talks conference moves and basketball leaders in yesterday’s mailbag
• Where the 2018 football recruiting class lines up positionally against the Big 12
• The climb of Yurcich from calling plays in rural Pennsylvania to the Power Five
• What’s former Cowboy baseballer Jordy Mercer up to now?
• Watch 2017 blue chip recruit Tylan Wallace fly to second place in the triple jump

Other Stuff I’m Reading

I’ve heard Scott Brooks talk about living with Charles Barkley before, just hilarious….Fun story on a thriving junior college baseball program in rural Oklahoma ….The difference between “wanting” and “liking”