Tramel's ScissorTales: With OU softball juggernaut in town, OSU 'thinking it’s just another weekend'
OSU softball finds itself in a quandary this weekend – and not just because the Cowgirls are 2-7 over the last 19 days, after starting the season 39-3.
The Cowgirls’ dilemma? Bedlam. And I don’t mean just the Godzillian Sooners, who are making the case for softball’s greatest team ever. I mean Bedlam, the rivalry.
“You can’t make it out to be bigger than kind of like what it is already,” said Kiley Naomi, in her fifth season as the OSU shortstop and about to play her third Stillwater Bedlam Series. “Going in thinking it’s just another weekend and we’re playing softball is kind of what our mindset is going to be.”
Good luck with that. The construction around the ballpark let the Cowgirls know something is different. Bleachers have been added behind the right-field wall, and stadium capacity will be 1,600, not counting the festival beyond the left-field party deck, complete with giant video screen.
The Sooners are headed to the Southeastern Conference after next season, so who knows when OU will make another softball appearance in Stillwater? Bedlam will bring a buzz.
More: Oklahoma State softball's Kenny Gajewski tells team 'buckle up' for Bedlam showdown vs. OU
“I’m really excited,” said OSU pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl. “I think we’re going to have a lot of amazing fans out there this weekend. I know they’re definitely going to bring that energy we need.
“I think it’s really awesome to have that deck out in right field. I’m really excited, because I think we gain a lot of energy from our fans, for sure.”
The Sooners are 45-1 and two-time defending NCAA champions. But OSU beat OU in the Big 12 Tournament championship game a year ago, and the Cowgirls reached the Women’s College World Series semifinals in 2022, and OSU spent the bulk of this season ranked No. 2 nationally.
So this rivalry is more than just in-state bad blood. It’s in-state mixed with best-in-the-land, though the Cowgirls’ recent slide is duly noted.
In other words, not like Alabama-Auburn. Kilfoyl transferred to OSU from Bama, and you’d naturally think Alabama-Auburn would be a bitter feud in any sport. Maybe softball wouldn’t be at the Iron Bowl level of football, but Alabama has been a national power on the diamond and Auburn has been very good, too, with two WCWS trips in the last decade.
But no.
“Honestly, I would say Auburn wasn’t like our biggest games, either, because it was always at the beginning of the year,” Kilfoyl said. “I’d say our biggest games were against Florida, because there’s always been a rivalry there. Those games were always at the end of the season.
“Everyone’s best ball usually comes out then, it’s just so much fun, the fans get crazy, everyone starts performing to their best. It’s just a lot of fun, and it’s great softball for sure.”
Hopefully that describes Bedlam 2023. OSU’s best softball has not come down the stretch of this season, but it needs to, for the sake of the Cowgirls’ post-season hopes and the fans who will flood Cowgirl Stadium.
More: Will Bedlam softball continue after OU moves to SEC? Both coaches are for it, but it's complicated
Thunder report card: Ousmane Dieng
Sam Presti thought enough of Ousmane Dieng as a prospect to swap picks with the Knickerbockers last June and toss in two lottery-protected first-round picks, just to move up and get Dieng at No. 11 in the NBA Draft.
Was it worth it? Too early to tell. We continue our series of Thunder individual report cards, today with Dieng, a 6-foot-9 forward from France.
Rebounding: C. A 6-foot-9, athletic forward ought to have a better rebound rate than 9.9 (percentage of rebounds he grabbed while on the court). Dieng outrebounded only guards among the Thunder roster, unless you count 6-foot-6 wing Andrew Wiggins.
Feel: B. Dieng, like a lot of young Europeans, seemed to have a good feel for the game. How to pass. When to pass. When to attack. When to not. Dieng is a good passer; his 10.7 assist rate tied for seventh on the team, and Dieng’s turnover rate of 12.0 (percentage of Dieng possession-ending plays that resulted in a turnover) was better than fellow rookies Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams.
Fit: B. Dieng did not have a defined role. Some nights he was called on, some nights not. He missed a good chunk of the season with injuries. When Dieng did play (39 games), his assignments varied. But he didn’t seem out of place, and playing Dieng didn’t hurt the cause. The Thunder outscored opponents by 3.9 points per 100 possessions with Dieng on the court; without Dieng, the Thunder outscored foes by 0.7 points per 100 possessions. So that net rating of plus-3.2 was one of the better figures on the roster.
Physicality: B. Slender, 19-year-old rookies usually have to pay their dues. But Dieng seemed to hold up well. He was second on the squad in shooting percentage from the restricted area (.789 from 0-3 feet, trailing only Dario Saric). Dieng’s 17 dunks ranked eighth on the team. And Dieng didn’t get pushed around too much on defense – with Dieng as the primary defender, opponents made just 53% of their shots from less than six feet.
Shooting: D. The Thunder knew Dieng would be a project shooter. His confidence never wavered, and to his credit, Dieng didn’t take a bunch of contested shots. But he made just 29.1% of his wide-open 3-point shots (defined as defenders being at least six feet away). Dieng shot 26.5% from deep (26 of 98). About what Josh Giddey shot as a rookie. Giddey improved dramatically. Perhaps Dieng will, too.
More: 'Being more efficient' is an offseason priority for OKC Thunder's Lu Dort
KU basketball rides high with Hunter Dickinson
Big 12 football is very much a mystery in the transition season with 14 teams, including OU and Texas. Big 12 basketball is not a mystery. Here comes Kansas.
Hunter Dickinson, the prize of the off-season transfer portal, has declared for KU. He’ll transfer from Michigan, bringing talent and clout in a 7-foot-1 frame that should help make the Jayhawks the preseason favorite next college basketball season.
The Jayhawks were 2022 NCAA champions and were a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament but were upset by Arkansas in the second round.
KU has lost Big 12 player of the year Jalen Wilson and sharpshooter Gradey Dick to the NBA Draft process, but Dickinson soothes those defections.
In three Michigan seasons, Dickson started 89 of 94 games, averaging 17.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. He shot 57 percent from the field.
Kansas returns point guard Dajuan Harris — Bill Self always makes hay with a veteran point guard — plus center K.J. Adams, who most analysts say will fit well with Dickinson. And while wing Kevin McCullar has declared for the NBA Draft, he retains the option of returning.
Kansas also got transfer Nicolas Timberlake of Towson (41.6% from 3-point range) and signed 5-star guard recruit Elmarko Jackson. Plus, 5-star recruit Mackenzie Mgbako decommitted from Duke and is visiting Kansas this weekend.
But the prize is Dickinson. A veteran, skilled big man who figures to keep Kansas atop the Big 12 and perhaps return the Jayhawks to the national championship.
More: Breaking down OU men's basketball's scholarship count and remaining transfer needs
Mailbag: Farewell to a Hall of Fame reader
Reader Mike Barrett started emailing me awhile back. His habit was sending me three or four tidbits at a time that he found fascinating. And they usually were.
Like this: “Did you see the stat that ESPN ran on the OU softball game? UCLA, the only team to three-peat, in 1988-90, hit 25 home runs total. OU, 2021, ‘22 and two thirds of ‘23, has hit 383!”
And “doppelgängers, Mark Daigneault and a young John Smith.”
I ran a few of his items in ScissorTales, and I always enjoyed Barrett’s correspondence. Then I received an email Thursday from his son, Scott Barrett.
“I’m Michael Barrett’s son, Scott Barrett. I just wanted to reach out and let you know of his passing. Linked below is his obituary and funeral arrangements. Whether I was working in Los Angeles or London, he was always enthusiastic about relaying the correspondence you two had. I was glad he had someone smart to discuss sports and history with while I was away. I hope this email finds you well. Hope our Sooners and Thunder can make us all proud these next seasons.”
What a gut punch. I never met Michael Barrett, but we indeed had great correspondence. You never stop to ponder the truth that some day, a particular reader won’t be there anymore, just like some day, neither will I.
I enjoyed learning more about Michael Barrett through his obituary. He was 73 and lived in Shawnee. Born and raised in McLoud. Drafted into the U.S. Navy at age 18, he served two years during the Vietnam War on the U.S.S. Guadeloupe. He earned associates degrees in history and psychology from Rose State College.
Barrett was self-employed before going to work at Tinker Air Force Base. The obit says Barrett was “an outstanding storyteller, joke-teller and fact-teller, with a vast range of passions, including films, biographies, histories, old Hollywood lore, antiques, art, music, architecture, landscaping, politics and sports of all kinds.”
Barrett met Faye Culwell and her son, Jeff, in May 1982. Mike and Faye married on June 25, 1987, and a baby boy, Scott, came along two years later.
“Mike and Faye remained flirty, fun-loving, and devoted to one another throughout the years,” the obit said. “Their eldest son, Jeff Culwell, resides in Harrah, with his wife Tamara and daughter Mya. He works at Tinker in electrical aviation. Their youngest son, Scott Barrett, resides in Los Angeles and works as an Associate Producer for Apple TV. Mike was incredibly proud of them both. He instilled in them the values of empathy, honesty and decency, which he carried with him throughout his life. He will be remembered for his kind heart, exceptional storytelling, sharp mind and wonderful sense of humor.”
As a tribute to Michael Barrett, I thought I would share a best-of from his regular dispatches to me:
“Isaiah Joe (33), Josh Giddey (31), Santa Clara (Williams, 31), second trio of teammates in NBA history all age 23 or younger to score 30 points or more in the same game. The other trio to accomplish this feat? Durant, Harden, Westbrook, 2012.
“You remember Fred Mertz (William Frawley) on the ‘I Love Lucy Show’? He was born in 1887.
“I’ll put the over/under at two percent that the next general manager of the Thunder will be better than Sam Presti.
“Chris Beard to Ole Miss, after two months (of exile). I hope down the road we don’t look back on 2024 as the year OU seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
“Old saying I’ve always liked. When a man with money meets a man with experience, the man with experience gets the money, the man with money gets an experience.
“OU hasn’t won back-to-back games in the Big 12 Tournament in 20 years, yet still sits third in total tourney championships behind Kansas and Iowa State.
“Worst three losses on Owen Field? ‘71 Game of the Century, ‘57 Notre Dame, 2001 Bedlam? Best win, 2000 Nebraska, then what?
“George Carlin -- think how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
“Pete Maravich was born with a missing left coronary artery, his right coronary artery grossly enlarged to compensate, found at his autopsy. LSU never made the NCAA tournament during his career there. Coach Dale Brown charted every shot Maravich scored, concluded that if there had been a 3-point line, he would have averaged 12 threes a game and 57 points a game.
“Two Texas high school QBs starting the Super Bowl (in 2023). The last Texas high school QB to reach Canton was Y.A. Tittle.
“Top four active scorers: LeBron, Durant, Harden, Westbrook.
“Another favorite quote, Samuel Clemens -- ‘Winning an argument is easy, knowing the argument is the hard part.’
“Nobody had ever averaged 30 points a game until Wilt in ‘59-60. He averaged 50.4 in ‘61-62. It’s interesting that 30 has been the magic number for 75 years. Wilt did it seven times. Jerry West three times. Kareem twice. Jordan six times. Kobe twice. Durant once. Russ once. Harden twice. Curry once. LeBron zero.
“Buddy Hield, seventh player to play 500 games without playing in a playoff game.
"You ever notice, there’s never an Old Timers Day for boxers?”
Mike Barrett routinely made me smile and made me think. Funny, that’s what I was supposed to do for him. I never met Mike Barrett, but I’m going to miss him.
More: Tramel's ScissorTales: Big 12 games in Mexico would be a bold strategy from Brett Yormark
The List: Fired NBA champions
The Milwaukee Bucks fired coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday, 22 months after he led Milwaukee to the NBA championship. He joins recent NBA title-winning coaches Frank Vogel and Nick Nurse on the firing line. The Warriors’ Steve Kerr is the NBA’s only championship-winning coach since 2014 still on the job.
Here are the fastest firings in NBA history of title-winning coaches:
1. Phil Jackson, Bulls, one week: Jackson’s relationship with Chicago general manager Jerry Krause had grown toxic; Krause vowed to get rid of Jackson, but truthfully, Jackson seemed glad to go.
2. Alex Hannum, Hawks, a week or two: The day after Hannum coached the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA title, the rift between Hannum and Hawks owner Ben Lerner hit the St. Louis papers. Contract negotiations were contentious, Lerner wrote a resignation letter for Hannum, then Hannum denied he had agreed to it. It was a mess, but Hannum never coached the Hawks again.
3. Larry Brown, Pistons, 13 months: Brown coached Detroit to the 2004 NBA title, but he never stayed anywhere long, often wearing out his welcome. Including with the Pistons.
4. Al Cervi, Nationals, 17 months: Cervi coached the Syracuse Nationals (the forerunner of the 76ers) to the 1955 NBA title, but when Syracuse started 4-8 in 1956-57, Cervi was out.
5. Paul Westhead, Lakers, 18 months: Westhead took over for the injured Jack McKinney (bicycle crash) and coached the Lakers to the title in 1980, Magic Johnson’s rookie season. But Westhead and Magic clashed, and Westhead didn’t last long.
6. Frank Vogel, Lakers, 18 months: Vogel’s 2020 Lakers won the title, but coaching the Lakers comes without job security.
7. Tommy Heinsohn, Celtics, 19 months: Heinsohn, a Celtics icon as a player, coached Boston to the 1976 title was out after a rough start to the 1977-78 season. Red Auerbach wasn’t easy to work for.
8. Mike Budenholzer, Bucks, 22 months: Milwaukee’s 50-year championship drought ended in 2021, but now Budenholzer’s Bucks’ tenure has ended.
9. Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers, 28 months: Cleveland won in 2016, but losing LeBron James to the Lakers in summer 2018 meant the end for Lue.
10. Nick Nurse, Raptors, four years: Toronto won the 2019 title, but things seemed tense all this season.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bedlam softball 'just another weekend' for Oklahoma State Cowgirls
