Norman, OK – Trae Young tied his career-high with 43 points this afternoon, and the Sooners needed every one of them to take down the Horned Frogs of TCU 102-97 in overtime. Young had a stat-filled game, shooting 15-of-27 from the field, and logging eleven rebounds with seven assists.
The Sooners came out firing, taking an eleven point lead early in the contest. They had their foot on the gas pushing the pace, but TCU called a well timed time-out and went on 10-0 run cutting the lead to one. Oklahoma took a two point lead into halftime, due to eighteen points from Brady Manek. The freshman was red hot from deep, only missing two shots in the first half.
TCU’s ability to maintain its pace with the Sooners was due in large part to Vladimir Brodziansky. The senior forward scored twenty-one points on 7-of-11 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He ran the floor well today, and showed some promising athletic ability at 6-11. He also shot 2-of-3 from three with a smooth stroke when he was left open. While he has only attempted twenty-eight threes on the season, he is knocking them down at a 43 percent clip.
Trae Young
Kenrich Williams played 40 minutes for the Frogs, but only scored twelve points. He had nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks as well. I hoped to see a bit more on the offensive end from the senior, as he struggled to create space on defenders. His presence on defense and the glass is what made him a factor this afternoon. Whenever either team missed a field goal, Williams was fighting for the ball. Even when he didn’t grab the rebound himself, he did an excellent job of eliminating his opponent and clearing out a path for his teammates.
The contest was tied at 89 at the end of regulation, but when TCU struggled to hit their shots, Young delivered the dagger. One player today had minimal impact on the box score, but a huge impact on the game; Christian James. The Sooner junior only logged seven points and two rebounds, but he kept the Frogs’ Williams quiet on the offense end which played a large difference in the outcome. Oklahoma improves to 14-2 on the season.
Upcoming games this week: TCU will host Iowa State, Oklahoma at Kansas State.
This article was written by Derek Murray, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter. We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout certification program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
