Bracketology 2021: Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia Tech among big winners
By Joey Loose
Oklahoma
Though not the deepest it’s ever been, the Big 12 remains one of college basketball’s best and most competitive conferences. With a few exceptions on the bottom of the league, this is still a league that can be won by nearly any team. The way Baylor has played this season has almost certainly made them the favorite, but the role of second-best Big 12 team is certainly still up for grabs.
As we mentioned last week, Oklahoma needed another great week and they really pulled through yet again. A week after knocking off Kansas, they secured a pair of top 10 victories that will go a long way to boosting their resume. The Sooners got 23 points from Austin Reaves, who starred in an upset win over a shorthanded #5 Texas squad earlier in the week. Then, the Sooners knocked off #9 Alabama on Saturday without Reaves in the lineup, with De’Vion Harmon’s 18 points leading the way.
The Sooners are now 11-4, with an impressive 6-3 mark in Big 12 play. Even more impressive is their five-game winning streak includes three straight over top 10 programs. Oklahoma is peaking at the right time and is handling everything thrown at them. They haven’t lost since a close road battle at Kansas nearly a month ago.
Two straight weeks have passed in which Oklahoma was clear winners, though it’ll once again take their full effort next week. They jumpstart the week with a road trip to a tough Texas Tech squad that beat them in Norman back in December. Even if the Sooners don’t come out on top, they’ve already shown these last few weeks that they are for real, especially when they can knock off a top 10 team without their leading scorer.