Thursday, February 25, 2016

New Dolphins HC Plans to Utilize Kenny Stills This Season

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Sounds like new Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase plans to utilize former Oklahoma wide receiver Kenny Stills after having a disappointing season in 2015.

Stills, under former Dolphins' head coach Joe Philbin and interim coach Dan Campbell, had career lows in receptions (27) and yards (440) last season.

Softball: Erin Miller Among 30 Finalist For Senior CLASS Award

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Oklahoma outfielder Erin Miller has been chosen as one of 30 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in college softball.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

Judge Rules Surveillance Video of Joe Mixon Incident Will Remain Sealed

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Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman ruled the video involving University of Oklahoma football player Joe Mixon was not a court record and stays in the custody of the City of Norman.

Through open records requests, Norman Police showed the video to several members of the media in September 2014.

An appeals court ruled the video is considered public record and must be released on Monday.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

MBB: Four Sooners Named to Academic All-Big 12 Team

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University of Oklahoma men's basketball seniors C.J. Cole, Ryan Spangler, Buddy Hield and Austin Mankin were each named to the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Team on Wednesday, the conference office announced.

The Academic All-Big 12 honors were the second consecutive for Hield and Spangler. Cole and Spangler were named to the 14-player first team (includes student-athletes who have recorded a 3.20 or better GPA), while Hield and Mankin were two of 10 players named to the second team (3.00 to 3.19 GPA).

Softball: Paige Parker Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week

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For the first time this season and eighth time in her career, Oklahoma sophomore Paige Parker has been named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.

Parker’s latest honor comes after she was dominant in two starts at New Mexico State during the Troy Cox Classic last weekend. She won both starts in complete game efforts as she gave up just one run in 11.0 innings while striking out 15 batters and allowing just one walk.

Attorney: Lawsuit Won't Disrupt Stadium Renovation Project

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An attorney for the University of Oklahoma said a new lawsuit over the stadium's renovation project will not disrupt the 2016 football season.

"Given the subject matter of the suit — i.e. terrazzo flooring installation — there should be no interruption or delay in the stadium's completion because this installation is not slated to take place prior to the 2016 season and will occur later in the project's timeline," the attorney, Anil Gollahalli, said. "Unfortunately, given the complexity of the work undertaken in large construction projects, disputes sometimes arise and need to be addressed."

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Sherri Coale Unhappy After Loss to No. 4 Baylor

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Oklahoma women's basketball coach and former high school English teacher Sherri Coale found plenty of adjectives to describe her team's performance in Monday's 78-70 loss to No. 4 Baylor, and almost none of them were positive.

Coale's squad missed a stunning 19 layups in the defeat and went scoreless for the first three minutes of both halves.

Report: Former Sooner Calvin Thibodeaux Named OU Defensive Line Coach

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Calvin Thibodeaux, a former All-Big 12 defensive end at Oklahoma, is returning to Norman to coach Sooner defensive linemen, sources confirmed to The Oklahoman. He interviewed for the job Monday in Norman.

He spent the last season coaching Kansas defensive linemen and before that, coached Tulsa defensive tackles for three seasons.

Man Who Killed Adrian Peterson's Son Appeals Conviction to South Dakota Supreme Court

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Lawyers for a man sentenced to life in prison without parole in the death of a 2-year-old child are appealing his conviction to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Joseph Patterson’s lawyer, Ellery Grey, filed an appeal last month following his sentence on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and aggravated battery.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Thursday, February 18, 2016

OU Spring Football to Begin March 5

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University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops announced Wednesday that the Sooners will begin spring practice on Saturday, March 5. Stoops also said that Oklahoma’s Pro Day will be conducted Wednesday, March 9.

Kickoff for the 2016 OU Spring Game presented by U.S. Fleet Tracking is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Two Sooners on Golden Spike Awards Watch List

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Two University of Oklahoma baseball team players were named to the Golden Spikes Awards watch list as announced by USA Baseball on Tuesday afternoon. Junior right-handed pitcher Alec Hansen and junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse were each recognized on the 50-player watch list entering the season. For Neuse, he is one of six players on the list to appear for the second year in a row.

Kevin Durant-Blake Griffin Trade Rumor

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Could former Sooner Blake Griffin be dealt to Oklahoma City Thunder?

ESPN's Zach Lowe brings up the possible scenario of a sign-and-trade which would send Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant to Los Angeles in exchange for Blake Griffin in the off-season.

From ESPN.com:

Conflicting noise is spouting from Clipperville, but the smart money is on L.A. waiting until the summer to really get busy on the Griffin front. Doc Rivers wants to give this core one last postseason shot, and the Clips need Griffin just in case Kevin Durant picks them, triggering a Griffin-for-Durant sign-and-trade.

But the Griffin noise is real. He's no longer untouchable. The Clips are listening, even right now, and they've rarely listened before. If they get wind over the next four days that they're out of the Durant sweepstakes, they could accelerate the Griffin trade timetable. It would take a monster offer to pry him away before the draft, but the ground is trembling.
NBA trade deadline is tomorrow, February 18th, at 3 p.m.

UPDATE: NBA trade deadline passed with Blake Griffin remaining with LA Clippers.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

University of Oklahoma Faces Another Lawsuit Over Stadium Construction Bids

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The University of Oklahoma is facing another lawsuit concerning Oklahoma Memorial Stadium expansion project. Oklahoma-based Terrazzo USA and Associates is accusing the school of an unfair bidding process.

From OKCFOX.com

Terrazzo USA and Associates filed the suit in Cleveland County and is asking for a halt to construction while legal proceedings continue.

Terrazzo claims the university made the bidding process "such that only one" bidder could possibly get the project by requiring companies to be a member of the National Terrazzo and Mosiac Association.

"Accordingly, the bidding process for the project at issue was a sham," the lawsuit reads.

In October 2015, Haas Metal Engineering Inc. (HME), of Topeka, KS., filed a lawsuit against University of Oklahoma alleging the school violated title 61, section 117 of Oklahoma's Public Competitive Bidding Act. HME later dropped their suit against the school.

More Stadium News:
Visitor Sections Being Moved at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

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Monday, February 15, 2016

Report: Clippers Offering Blake Griffin to Denver Nuggets

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Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly shopping around former Sooner Blake Griffin ahead of the February 18th NBA trade deadline.

Chris Broussard of ESPN reported on Monday on Mike and Mike in Morning, "the Clippers called the Nuggets and offered Blake Griffin & Lance Stephenson for Jokic, Will Barton, Gallanari & Faried."

OU President David Boren Supports Cincinnati's Effort to Join Big 12

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Now that Cincinnati is in the American Athletic Conference, outside of the auto-bid structure for a New Year's Six Bowl and away from all of the big money that comes with power conferences, the Bearcats are looking to make the move up.

The obvious destination has been the Big 12, which only has 10 members. Big 12 leaders have gone on record that they want to add teams, and one powerful Big 12 member seems to be in Cincinnati's corner.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Buddy Hield Named to Late Season Top 20 List for Wooden Award

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The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Thursday that Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield is included on its Late Season Top 20 list for the 2016 John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s®. The Wooden Award Trophy is bestowed annually upon the nation’s best male player and female player who has proven to their respective universities that they are making progress toward graduation while maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Clippers Suspend Blake Griffin 4 Games for Punching Team Employee

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Former Oklahoma great Blake Griffin was suspended four games without pay on Tuesday for punching a team staff member, and the Los Angeles Clipperswill dock the star forward's pay for an additional game because he broke his shooting hand.

In all, Griffin will lose $859,442 from his season salary of $18,907,725.

Monday, February 8, 2016

College GameDay Coming to Norman to Showcase OU vs KU

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ESPN College GameDay Covered by State Farm will make its second-ever visit to Norman, Okla., to showcase the No. 1 Oklahoma versus No. 7 Kansas men’s basketball matchup on Saturday, Feb. 13, inside Lloyd Noble Center. The one-hour morning show begins at 10 a.m. CT on ESPN, followed by an afternoon edition leading into the game telecast starting at 1 p.m. CT.

Friday, February 5, 2016

OU Baseball Fourth in Big 12 Coaches Poll

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The University of Oklahoma baseball team placed fourth in the Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll as announced by the conference office on Thursday morning. The Sooners received 45 points on their way to their highest position since being the league’s preseason favorite in 2013.

Last season, Oklahoma went 34-27 overall and finished third in the Big 12 with a 13-11 conference record, including series wins at Texas, Kansas State and West Virginia as well as home series wins over Texas Tech and Kansas.

Ty Darlington Accepts Bobby Bowden Fellowship of Christian Athletes Award

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Ty Darlington is going to need a bigger mantel.

For the third time in three months, the former Oklahoma football center was bestowed a national honor Tuesday when he received the 2015 Bobby Bowden Award, presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, during a lunch ceremony in downtown Oklahoma City that featured the award's namesake.

Already the recipient of the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy as the nation's most outstanding football scholar-athlete, and the Wuerffel Trophy, which is college football's premier award for community service, Darlington claimed the Bowden Award as the Football Bowl Subdivision player "who epitomizes a student-athlete." The Bowden Award winner "must conduct himself as a faith model in the classroom, on the field, on campus and in the community, and must carry at least a 3.0 GPA."

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Graduate Assistant Chip Viney Named Special Teams Quality Control Coach

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Oklahoma defensive graduate assistant coach Courtney “Chip” Viney will stay with the program as a special teams quality control coach, Bob Stoops announced Wednesday.

Viney had been a graduate assistant the last three years, and his time as a GA had run out, as he recently graduated with a master’s degree.

W Gymnastics: OU Trio Sweeps Weekly Big 12 Honors

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Following an impressive showing at the Metroplex Challenge last weekend, three members of the No. 2 Oklahoma women's gymnastics team have swept the Big 12 weekly awards, the conference announced Tuesday.

Junior Chayse Capps picked up the Gymnast of the Week award, while junior McKenzie Wofford was named the Event Specialist of the Week and freshman Nicole Lehrmann earned Newcomer of the Week accolades.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

University of Oklahoma Athletics Sets GPA Record, Ties Another

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The 2015 fall semester was, yet again, a record-setting one for University of Oklahoma student-athletes in the classroom.

The Sooners set an OU Athletics Department standard by achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better for the eighth straight semester. The department's 3.06 cumulative GPA also tied the fall 2013 and fall 2014 marks as the highest in recorded school history.

It Appears Oklahoma's Top-Rated Prospect Tramonda Moore Will Sign With OSU Cowboys

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The state of Oklahoma's top-rated recruit Tramanda Moore, who has offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama and other schools, appears he'll be heading to Oklahoma State University.

However, it's being reported by The Oklahoman, Moore has academic problems and will likely attend a junior college before joining the Oklahoma State program.

Tramonda Moore — a 6-foot-5, 350-pound, offensive lineman from John Marshall High School — made his decision public on Twitter. He wrote, "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my family, coaches and friends for the guidance and encouragement. The recruitment process has been an amazing and humbling experience. I thank "GOD" for allowing me to have this incredible opportunity. I would also like to thank the many universities and college coaches who have invested time and energy with me through this recruitment process. After a long , hard and thought out decision I have decided to continue my academic & athletic career as an Oklahoma State Cowboy!"
(H/T) The Oklahoman


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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Buddy Hield Named Finalist for Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award

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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield is one of 10 watch list finalists for the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its second year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.

4-Star DE Mark Jackson Flips From Texas A&M to Oklahoma

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Defensive end Mark Jackson will flip his commitment from Texas A&M to Oklahoma, the senior said on Monday afternoon.

Jackson, who is one of San Antonio’s top recruits, took an official visit to Oklahoma over weekend, just before Wednesday’s National Signing Day. Wednesday is the first day recruits can sign a national letter of intent. Until then, verbal commitments are non-binding.

WBB: OU's Peyton Little Named Big 12 Player of the Week

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University of Oklahoma redshirt junior guard Peyton Little was selected the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for her performances last week against West Virginia and Iowa State, the league office announced Monday.

Little averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. She finished 13-of-25 (.520) from the field and was 6-of-11 (.545) from behind the arc in OU’s two victories last week. The honor marks Little’s first Big 12 Player of the Week award in her career.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Former Sooner De'Mond Parker Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges

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Former University of Oklahoma and NFL running back DeMond Keith Parker pleaded guilty Wednesday in Tulsa federal court to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Parker, who will be sentenced May 2, faces a prison term ranging from 10 years to life.

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