Making waves on and off the court, this season of OU Men's Basketball has been one for the books. From devastating losses to the closest of wins, our hearts may never recover from some of the unbelievable plays and greatest finishes in OU's history. With four senior starters returning to our 2016 season, we knew this year would be a remarkable one.
So, as critics and experts mulled over our expected performance,
we remained vigilant believers in our team. And when OU had an AP and Coaches Poll preseason ranking of 8th, (the highest since the end of our 2008-09 season), we knew that this was it.
Yet, the road to victory has not been without its challenges.
Let's look back on this 2016 season and re-live some of the best of times....and some of the worst of times, as told by our favorite sitcom celebrities: the cast of New Girl.
January 2: Iowa State
Beating Iowa State to ring in the New Year just makes ya wanna dance.
(W, 87-83)
January 4: Kansas
Nothing has ever been so devastating as a triple overtime and a three-point loss in the legendary Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The morning after had us all questioning the future. (L, 109-106)
January 9: Kansas State
Coming back from a hard loss to win it all at home had the fans rallying once again behind our beloved Sooners. Faith restored. (W, 86-76)
January 13: Oklahoma State
Our dearest little brother had us losing our minds after a nail-biting fight to finish with a road win. (W, 74-72)
January 16: West Virginia
Expecting a tough game against WVU, the Boom Squad put on their most distracting faces to aid the Sooners in another rollercoaster win. (W, 70-68)
January 18: Iowa State
Losing home court advantage caused us to lose our grip on our small winning streak, breaking the hearts of Sooner fans everywhere. (L, 82-77)
January 23: Baylor
Jump Around. (W, 82-72)
January 26: Texas Tech
We came in like a wrecking ball. (W, 91-67)
January 30: LSU
With a bucket by Cousins to secure the win, OU began Big 12 play as number one. It feels good to be on top. (W, 77-75)
February 2: TCU
Holding strong against TCU, Sooners continued their winning streak and their fan base began to grow like a wildfire. (W, 95-72).
February 6: Kansas State
The top feels good... until you fall. (L, 80-69).
February 8: Texas
This game = legendary. The largest student turnout OU Basketball has probably ever seen, the stadium was in an uproar to the very last Buddy Bucket, securing the win against our Red River Rivals. (W, 63-60)
February 13: Kansas
With the fire marshall turning spectators away, the Lloyd Noble reached capacity with this much-anticipated rematch. As OU fell short again, our hearts broke with a sadness no Netflix and chill could repair. (L, 76-72)
February 17: Texas Tech
Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. (L, 65-63)
February 20: West Virginia
Favored to lose at West Virginia, Buddy and the boys shocked the Big 12 once again with a huge victory in Morgantown. (W, 76-62)
February 24: Oklahoma State
Finally back in our own territory, Ryan Spangler buried the Cowboys somewhere beneath his career high. (W, 71-49)
February 27: Texas
Sooner Fans. Shocked. Angered. Crushed. (L, 76-63)
March 1: Baylor
An amazing start to the game had OU leading by 20 at halftime... yet, in a mere five minutes, the Sooners lost their 26 point lead, causing a scramble to the finish. There never was such an awkward, messy game, nor has winning ever been more of a relief. (W, 73-71)
March 5: TCU
Ending the season just as we started it with a win over the horned frogs.
(W, 75-67)
So, what to expect as we head into March Madness?
Hopefully, more Buddy Buckets
and less Sooner Sadness.
Boomer Sooner forever.
