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Jaylin Williams Is Already A Key Piece For The Oklahoma City Thunder

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Jaylin Williams Is Already A Key Piece For The Oklahoma City Thunder


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.

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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.

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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.

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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?



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Oklahoma State’s Star WR Might be Most Difficult to Replace

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Oklahoma State’s Star WR Might be Most Difficult to Replace


Oklahoma State has plenty of talent to replace next season, but no one will be more difficult to replace than its star receiver.

Over the past few years, no one has embodied the OSU program better than Brennan Presley. Since he stepped on the field for the first time in 2020, he has been a symbol of consistency for the Pokes.

Although he has played significant roles on a couple of OSU teams that made the Big 12 Championship, he had no issues staying focused throughout the three-win campaign in 2024. In a season where it was easy to find the negatives in just about everything the Cowboys did, Presley remained a bright spot. Entering the season on the Biletnikoff watch list, Presley finished his final collegiate season with 90 catches for 767 yards and seven touchdowns. 

The reason Presley will be so difficult to replace is not only because of his impressive numbers each season but also because of how consistent he has been at putting those numbers up.

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His consistency led to him breaking the Cowboys’ all-time receptions record in 2024, becoming the first player to cross the 300-catch mark in an OSU uniform by ending his career with 315. 

Without Presley out there to be a reliable target next season, there will be some growing pains for whoever suits up under center. Along with always being available for a pass, Presley could be used in a variety of ways.

While it wasn’t his best ability, Presley was also occasionally used as a rusher throughout his career. He ended his OSU tenure with 30 rush attempts for 160 yards and six touchdowns, with most of his carries used as a wrinkle near the goal line.

Of course, the five-year Cowboy was well-known for his ability to return on special teams. His most notable was a kickoff return touchdown in Bedlam in 2021, and 1,667 kick and punt return yards helped him break 5,000 career all-purpose yards.

Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

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Oklahoma 8-year-old girl missing, father dead after SUV crash in Texas flood

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Oklahoma 8-year-old girl missing, father dead after SUV crash in Texas flood


An 8-year-old Oklahoma girl is still missing in Texas after floodwaters carried away the family SUV on Christmas Eve.

According to local reports in Sherman, Texas, the SUV ran off the road into a drainage ditch before succumbing to the flood. The Sherman Police Department said six people were inside the vehicle when it crashed.

Four family members were rescued. CBS News reported that the missing girl’s father, Will Robinson, did not survive. Robinson was a coach for the Durant High School Lady Lions basketball team.

By the afternoon of Christmas Day, searchers had covered seven miles of creek in the area without success.

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“We are shifting our focus into the county, targeting some possible locations where we have not looked to as yet,” the department wrote on Facebook Wednesday. “Our search will continue until dark today, then we will resume searching again (Thursday) before daylight.”



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Oklahoma 111-65 Omaha (Dec 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

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Oklahoma 111-65 Omaha (Dec 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN


NORMAN, Okla. — — Raegan Beers matched a career high with 28 points, and No. 10 Oklahoma rolled past Omaha 111-65 on Sunday.

Beers, a 6-foot-4 center, made 11 of 13 field goals and grabbed nine rebounds to help Oklahoma win its fifth straight since an overtime loss to Duke.

Skylar Vann had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Kiersten Johnson added 12 points for the Sooners (11-1). Oklahoma scored at least 100 points for the third time this season after entering the day ranked fourth nationally with 90.7 points per game.

Ja Harvey scored 21 points and Cora Olsen added 15 for Omaha. The Mavericks (8-5) had won seven straight since a 79-77 loss to Wisconsin, but gave up a season-high point total against the Sooners.

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Oklahoma led 52-34 at halftime, with Beers producing 15 points and six rebounds.

The Sooners exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 35-25 to take an 87-59 lead. It matched the most points Oklahoma has scored in a quarter this season. The Sooners made 14 field goals and five 3-pointers in the period.

Takeaways

Omaha: Aside from Harvey, none of the Mavericks could get going. Harvey made 8 of 14 field goals while the rest of the team made 15 of 52.

Oklahoma: The Sooners continued to bully opponents in the paint and beat them with pace. They outrebounded the Mavericks 57-33 and forced 20 turnovers.

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Key moment

Oklahoma set the tone from the beginning by scoring the game’s first eight points. The Sooners led 26-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Key stat

Omaha made just 2 of 21 3-pointers while Oklahoma made 13 of 35.

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Omaha hosts North Dakota on Jan. 2. Oklahoma hosts New Mexico State on Dec. 29.

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Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball



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