EDMOND —
There are players that Oklahoma’s coaching staff will never try to hold back when it comes to attempting something bold. Any time Amath M’Baye feels like testing the limits of athletic ability, no one on the Sooners’ bench is going to put up a stop sign.
“When he’s aggressive, we are a better team,” teammate Romero Osby said.
The Sooners (13-5, 4-2 Big 12) need M’Baye to play that way when they face Baylor (14-5, 5-1) at 6 tonight at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. And that’s the direction the junior forward has been moving since conference play began earlier this month.
Over the last six games, M’Baye is averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds. They’re respectable numbers, but talk to anyone around OU’s program and the feeling is something great is on the verge of emerging. However, it’s a matter of getting M’Baye’s confidence level to expand.
There’s pressure that comes with being the Big 12 Conference’s newcomer of the year, which he was named back in November. It means everyone is expecting a difference-making player to take the court every single day.
Those expectations didn’t just come from fans, coaches or teammates. M’Baye holds them as well. When he struggled in the middle of December, the 6-foot-9 forward was asking himself why. Every time he got the ball he was thinking more than reacting. There was no confidence to lean on.
“He works so hard and he’s so conscientious, he burdens himself with doing everything great all the time, and it just wasn’t happening for him,” OU coach Lon Kruger said. “I think the best thing about him is he just kept working at it and plugging away. He’s got himself back around.”
There have been periods where M’Baye has been that explosive player everyone around him sees daily. In last Saturday’s loss at Kansas. M’Baye only scored 12 points, but he was never passive.
One of the most memorable plays that afternoon was M’Baye’s attempted dunk over Kansas center Jeff Withey. M’Baye was called for a charge, but teammates were fine with the boldness of what he was attempting.
“I saw a picture of it and both he and Withey were both way above the rim. I was like, ‘If he can get a couple of those down, people are gonna be scared of him,’” Osby said. “It’s good to see that aggression and him attacking the rim like that.”
Tonight’s his next chance to show what he really can do. The Bears are a long and athletic team. There are ways to beat them, but M’Baye gives OU the opportunity to fight fire with fire.
They need more of that boldness to materialize in big moments. Those around him believe it’s right around the corner. M’Baye has the same opinion.
“I’m just feeling good with this team, this offense and this coaching staff,” he said. “I try to do as much extra work as I can to feel more comfortable every day. The coaching staff has been great. They helped me through it. They were watching film with me in the morning and talking to me during practice. My teammates have done a great job of finding me where I’m comfortable to score. I’m definitely feeling better in the offense.”
Sports
OU to face Baylor
- Sports
-
-
Blake Shelton brings relief concert to Oklahoma City
Blake Shelton has organized and will headline the telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” on May 29, to take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill also will perform. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly.
The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It also will air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis. -
OCU’s Wright playing for Moore
Drew Wright’s heart will be with her hometown of Moore when her Oklahoma City University softball team competes in the NAIA Championships this week. Edmond Santa Fe graduate Kayley Humann, an OCU outfielder, is one of Wright’s teammates.
Wright and the fourth-ranked Stars (50-13) opened national-tournament play against fifth-ranked Cal State San Marcos Friday at South Commons Softball Complex.
The senior third baseman said it was difficult to leave Oklahoma City on Tuesday after a destructive tornado leveled several city blocks of Moore and south Oklahoma City on Monday.
Fortunately, Wright’s family is safe from the tornado that has been hailed as the most severe to hit the area. -
Bronchos win 2 straight at NCAA Division II World Series
Kaylee Brunson and Kacie Edwards keyed an 11-hit attack that carried Central Oklahoma to a 7-1 romp over Molloy in the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship Finals in Salem, VA. Friday afternoon at the Moyer Sports Complex.
Brunson and Edwards had three hits apiece and both drove in runs during a big five-run, sixth-inning outburst that turned a precarious 2-0 lead into a comfortable 7-0 cushion as UCO coasted into Sunday’s winner’s bracket finals. -
Area camps start May 28
Girls hoop camp kicks off Tuesday
The three head varsity girls basketball coaches (Dandy Peeler, Edmond Memorial; Karlie Free, Edmond North; Paul Bass, Edmond Santa Fe) of Edmond Schools will be hosting a youth basketball camp for girls entering kindergarten-ninth grades at Edmond Memorial High School May 28-31.
The younger kids, entering grades kindergarten-4th, will run from 9 a.m.-noon. The camp will focus on basic fundamentals of the game including shooting, passing, ball handling as well as defensive and offensive skills.
Girls entering grades 5-9 will be in the afternoon camp from 1-4 p.m. The camp will focus on offensive and defensive fundamental skills along with sharpening individual skills through station work and competitive contests.
Cost is $115. Contact Dandy Peeler at 250-4377 for more information. -
Still time to register for UCO's Endeavor Games
Registration is open online for athletes and volunteers for the 2013 University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games, June 6-9, the nation’s largest multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities.
Athletes of all ages or sporting experience are invited to register for the event. Community members are also encouraged to register to volunteer with more than 300 volunteer opportunities available.
Similar to the summer Paralympic Games, athletes may register for multiple adaptive sports, which include cycling, indoor archery, outdoor archery, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, shooting, table tennis, track and field, wheelchair basketball, and, for the first time at the UCO Endeavor Games, paratriathlon. The paratriathlon will be limited to athletes over the age of 16 with previous paratriathlon experience. -
UCO opens World Series with a victory
Kalynn Schrock dominated in the pitching circle and Kaylee Brunson came through with a tie-breaking triple to lift Central Oklahoma past fourth-ranked Armstrong Atlantic 5-2 in Salem, Va. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Championship Finals.
It was the sixth straight postseason win for the No. 19-ranked Bronchos, who improved to 48-11 and moved into today’s 3 p.m. semifinal game against either defending national champion Valdosta State or Malloy.
Schrock gave up just two hits and no walks while striking out 15 — including 10 of the final 12 batters she faced — in improving to 31-6 on the season and 6-0 in the postseason. -
Edmond Santa Fe's Taylor heading to Central Florida
Danielle Taylor, fresh off a Central District Youth Rowing Championship victory on the Oklahoma River at the start of the month, followed up the success by signing a letter of intent in rowing with Central Florida at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Though Santa Fe does not offer rowing as a team sport, Taylor competes for OKC Riversport on the Junior Crew which competes on the Oklahoma River.
Taylor missed her junior season due to an injury, but Coach Brian Ebke knew the Santa Fe athlete would be raring to go her senior season.
“She’s an extremely hard worker,” Ebke lauded. “Her work ethic is impeccable.” -
Bronchos hit final match play spot in first round
Dillon Rust got off to a blazing start and ended up shooting a one-under-par 70 to lead Central Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships in Hershey, Pa. Tuesday.
Rust birdied four of his first five holes en route to his under-par round and the Bronchos ended up with a 300 on the day, giving them a 36-hole total of 597. The 300 leaves UCO eighth in the 20-team field heading into final round of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to match play that will determine the national champion. -
Area players earn All-State honors on the diamond
Three area baseball players were selected to the All-State Team this week.
Right-handed pitcher Holden Lyons from Edmond North, made the team after posting a perfect 7-0 mark with an ultra-low 1.29 earned run average.
Deer Creek’s Cole Lindley made it as an outfielder and Oklahoma Christian’s Austin Brooks landed on the list in the designated hitter’s spot.
The threesome will compete on the Large West squad on July 30 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. -
Tennis camps offered in Edmond
Edmond Raquet Club is offering a pair of tennis camps beginning May 28.
For ages 5-8, a camp is offered from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for ages 7-15 a tennis camp is available from 6-6:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both camps run from May 28-June 13 and cost is $99 per camp.
A camp session for ages 8-16 will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:25 a.m. May 29-June 12 for the identical cost.
For more information concerning these camps and others, call 341-4241. - More Sports Headlines
-
Blake Shelton brings relief concert to Oklahoma City
