Oklahoma
Jaylin Williams Is Already A Key Piece For The Oklahoma City Thunder
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 24: Jaylin Williams #6 of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder is seen through the … [+]
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Regardless of not being within the prime 25 in any main statistical class, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams was maybe the stand-out participant of the 2022/23 G-League Showcase Cup.
Seasons within the G-League are at the moment divided into what is basically three components – the opening Showcase Cup, the primary common season, after which the postseason. The Showcase Cup is basically a mini-league, with groups splitting into 4 divisions (referred to as “pods” for no matter purpose) and taking part in an 18-game schedule, earlier than a single-game elimination event to finish it.
In that Cup, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, the Oklahoma Metropolis Blue, featured the assigned Williams 11 instances. And in these video games, plus one common season look to this point, he averaged 14.7 factors, 8.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.
Extra spectacular nonetheless have been the effectivity metrics on which he did this. Williams shot 62.7% from the sphere, together with 36.0% from three-point vary on two makes an attempt per sport, and added 72.7% capturing from the free throw line for a staggering .755 true capturing proportion. For a focal offensive participant to attain that effectively is eye-catching; for such an vital playmaker to additionally common that many assists alongside solely 2.3 turnovers per sport is doubly so. Particularly contemplating these have been among the first skilled basketball video games of his profession.
The previous tense is used above as a result of, in fact, Williams is not with the Blue. Even after solely twelve video games, it was clear he had outgrown it.
Since being recalled for the final time on twenty eighth December, he has as a substitute been with the massive league crew, and his season splits inform an identical story there too. In 21.5 minutes of 12 February video games, Williams has averaged 7.9 factors, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per sport on a fair 50.0% capturing, flanked by a mighty 51.7% from three-point vary, from the place he has shot extra frequently than two-point vary.
Suffice it to say that already, in solely the primary three months of his professional profession, he has proven a whole lot of weapons, and tantalising versatility.
Drafted thirty fourth within the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arkansas, Williams has an innate bundle of fingers, contact, timing, positioning, consciousness, endurance and decision-making that’s extremely superior in a 20-year-old. He’ll display, can roll, passes off of these rolls, and appears to have an innate chemistry with opposing ball-handlers even when he has by no means performed with them earlier than. And it additionally seems he can shoot from vary.
What prevented Williams from being a first-round expertise was an absence of top-tier athleticism, mixed with not being the strongest or most bodily of gamers, resulting in questions on the place he would play defensively. That, and the truth that for all his dribble hand-off mastery, superior handles for his top and fixed movement out on the perimeter, he couldn’t (and wouldn’t) frequently shoot from there.
The latter of those, although, appears to already be getting remedied. And as for the defensive prognosis, the nice fingers and consciousness come into play there, too.
A lot because the Thunder proceed to languish close to the cellar of the NBA – third-last within the concertina of a Western Convention regardless of solely simply having a below-.500 report – they don’t determine to be there for for much longer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already ascended to the All-Star tier, dragging his crew up with him, and triple-double machine Josh Giddey shouldn’t be far behind him. The seasons of stockpiling younger gamers and belongings has led to the creation of a powerful core of gamers who’re rising collectively, and with Chet Holmgren set to return subsequent season, the Thunder could possibly be primed for a giant leap ahead.
In the event that they do certainly make one, then Jaylin Williams might be part of it, not a passenger. He has performed his approach into the rotation in brief order, by no means appears to have a nasty sport, and has a bundle of abilities that aren’t straightforward to search out on the massive man spots. Maybe he by no means might be a plus-NBA defender in his profession. However then, since when has everybody needed to be?
A month ago, it was fair to turn and look away from Oklahoma State baseball.
The Cowboys looked nothing like themselves. Losses piled up. The offense struggled. The pitching was worse.
Sitting below .500, the belief was that OSU would miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time under coach Josh Holliday.
My, how things can change.
There are few teams hotter than the Pokes entering conference tournament week. They’re coming off a three-game sweep of Arizona State. They’ve won 9 of 10 games.
OSU is suddenly back in the NCAA Tournament picture, too.
The Cowboys enter the Big 12 Tournament at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday as the No. 7 seed. They’ll face Baylor at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.
Here is what to know about OSU entering the postseason:
Oklahoma State baseball resume
- Record: 27-22 (15-12 Big 12, 7th)
- RPI: 45th (through May 18 games)
- Projected seed: USA TODAY: No. 3 seed in Chapel Hill Regional (last four in); D1Baseball: No. 3 seed in Corvallis Regional
- Notable: The Cowboys’ mid-season struggles and cancellation of several Big 12 games can be overlooked in part to a tough schedule. OSU’s strength of schedule ranks No. 11 in the country, according to D1Baseball.com’s RPI.
OSU baseball Big 12 Tournament preview
Never count out the Cowboys in this tournament.
The format is different — an increase to 12 teams and a change to single elimination — but the talent is just the same under Holliday.
The Cowboys get a boost by opening with Baylor, a team they took two of three from and nearly swept on the road less than two weeks ago.
But this is no easy field. Eight teams are ranked in the top 50 RPI and all 12 are in the top 90.
Should the Cowboys win, they face No. 2-seeded Kansas. The Jayhawks swept OSU in late March, signaling the downturn of OSU’s season. Another win could mean a date with No. 3 TCU.
Though that appears daunting, the Cowboys have won this tournament four times, including last season.
Why Oklahoma State baseball can make a run in NCAA Tournament
First, the Cowboys have to get in.
Though projections are favorable — Baseball America and D1Baseball.com both have OSU in as of Tuesday — a win or two in Arlington will go a long way to make them feel safe.
But get in and the Cowboys face significantly less pressure than the past three seasons. There will be no home regional, which OSU has lost each year at O’Brate Stadium since 2022.
Getting away from Stillwater could be a positive.
Plus, it helps that OSU has a bona fide ace in left-hander Harrison Bodendorf, who leads the league with 10 wins and is tied for second with a 2.43 ERA.
Mario Pesca and Hunter Watkins have also become reliable starters in the rotation.
And don’t forget about the Cowboys’ offense that can overwhelm opponents.
Slugger Nolan Schubart is third in the conference with 17 home runs after a slow start. Colin Brueggemann is not far behind with 14. And Brayden Smith has become a lightning bolt for the Cowboys’ lineup.
OSU has outscored its opponents 80-27 over the last 10 games.
Why OSU baseball can’t make a run in NCAA Tournament
Even though getting away from O’Brate Stadium might make some OSU fans who remember the past all too well feel a little better, it shouldn’t.
OSU is 18-12 at home and 5-12 in true road games.
That’s far from ideal.
So, which bullpen will show up? The one that has been rock solid in the final month or the one that was a total disaster in March?
Legendary pitching coach Rob Walton has worked his magic turning the staff around before he enters retirement. But things can turn in an instant for any college pitcher.
And though the Cowboys can slug, there are issues with the lineup. Schubart and Brueggemann are prone to strikeouts. And facing a team with strong lefties can neutralize the duo.
3 scariest SEC baseball teams to face in the 2025 conference tournament
The Montgomery Advertiser’s Adam Cole breaks down why Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are the toughest teams to play in the 2025 SEC baseball tournament.
Kentucky baseball is set to begin postseason play this afternoon against Oklahoma.
The 13th-seeded Wildcats (29-23, 13-17 SEC) will face the 12th-seeded Sooners (33-19, 14-16) in the first round of the SEC Tournament at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama.
Kentucky will attempt to replicate its magical postseason last year, when it reached the College World Series.
This is the fourth time the Wildcats are playing the Sooners this season; Kentucky won the previous three matchups.
Here’s what you need to know about Kentucky’s first game in the SEC Tournament, including bracket, schedule, seeding and more:
- Date: Tuesday, May 20
- Time: 2 p.m.
- Texas (42-11)
- Arkansas (43-12)
- LSU (42-13)
- Vanderbilt (39-16)
- Georgia (42-14)
- Auburn (38-17)
- Ole Miss (37-18)
- Tennessee (41-15)
- Alabama (40-15)
- Florida (37-19)
- Mississippi State (34-20)
- Oklahoma (33-19)
- Kentucky (29-23)
- Texas A&M (28-25)
- South Carolina (28-28)
- Missouri (16-38)
All times Eastern.
First round: Tuesday, May 20
- Game 1: No. 9 seed Alabama vs. No. 16 seed Missouri | 10:30 a.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 2: No. 12 seed Oklahoma vs. No. 13 seed Kentucky | 2 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 3: No. 10 seed Florida vs. No. 15 seed South Carolina | 5:30 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 4: No. 11 seed Mississippi State vs. No. 14 seed Texas A&M | 9 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
Second round: Wednesday, May 21
- Game 5: No. 8 seed Tennessee vs. Game 1 winner | 10:30 a.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 6: No. 5 seed Georgia vs. Game 2 winner | 2 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 7: No. 7 seed Ole Miss vs. Game 3 winner | 5:30 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 8: No. 6 seed Auburn vs. Game 4 winner | 9 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 22
- Game 9: No. 1 seed Texas vs. Game 5 winner | 4 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 10: No. 4 seed Vanderbilt vs. Game 6 winner | 7 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 23
- Game 11: No. 2 seed Arkansas vs. Game 7 winner | 4 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 12: No. 3 seed LSU vs. Game 8 winner | 7 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
Semifinals: Saturday, May 24
- Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 1 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
- Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 4:30 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
Championship: Sunday, May 25
- Game 15: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.
An Oklahoma State Softball Player has issued a statement following a season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament.
After falling to Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional final, Oklahoma State’s starting pitcher Ruby Meylan, has issued a statement.
“Cowgirl Nation, I want to thank you for everything,” Meylan said. “You have taken me in from day one. When I first arrived in Stillwater, I was broken; day by day, this place has healed me.”
Meylan came to Oklahoma State after spending two seasons at the University of Washington. She played a critical role in the Huskies’ run to the 2023 Women’s College World Series. Meylan went 27-17 with a 2.31 ERA, She added 343 strikeouts in 303.2 innings pitched across 76 appearances.
With the Cowgirls in 2025, Meylen cemented herself as the No.1 pitcher. She finished the season with a 21-10 overall record and a 1.81 ERA. Meylan pitched in 209 innings allowing 66 runs on 152 hits. She had 238 strikeouts and held her opponents to a .201 batting average.
” I can’t thank God enough for allowing this program to be his plan for me,” Meylan said. “This season has been challenging in so many ways, but every challenge has been worth it.”
” I wouldn’t change a single thing; I am so blessed to have gone to war with this group of girls and coaches, ” she went to to say.
Oklahoma State wrapped up yet another impressive season finishing with a 35-20 overall record., but according to Meylan there is much more her and the Cowgirls want to accomplish,
“For the rest of my life, I promise to give Stillwater, Oklahoma State University, and Cowgirl softball everything I have. left in me, ” Meylan said.
“We have some unfinished business.”
More News: 2025 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament: Bracket, Schedule & Updates
More News: Auburn Softball Player Hits Transfer Portal Just Hours After Team’s Elimination
More News: Liberty Softball Makes History, Upsets No. 1 Texas A&M in NCAA Regional
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