Something I've Never Seen Before

Heckuva game between Texas and Oklahoma tonight. Blake Griffin being knocked out of the game early with an apparent concussion was undoubtedly the key to the Longhorns' win, but it was fun to watch freshman Willie Warren step up in his place and go toe-to-toe down the stretch with Texas' A.J. Abrams. (Though as individual performances from Saturday go, both Warren and Abrams were outdone by Maryland's Greivis Vasquez, who put up 35/11/10 in Maryland's stunning overtime win over North Carolina.)

So, anyway, the thing I've never seen before. Warren is having a fantastic season; along with Memphis' Tyreke Evans, he's one of the favorites for national freshman of the year honors. But he's received some deserved criticism from those who think he, to put it politely, is a bit impetuous with his shot selection. To put it impolitely, he's a chucker.

With his Sooners up two and about five-and-a-half minutes remaining, Warren committed a turnover and appeared to injure his ankle (it turned out to be a leg cramp). Texas rushed upcourt and missed a layup while Warren hobbled around, never crossing midcourt. Oklahoma now having numbers, the Sooners embarked on a break of their own, and Warren, still around the three-point line, called for the ball, caught it and went up for a deep three, almost in the same motion. This was pure heat check, and as the ball dropped through the net for his sixth three-pointer and 25th, 26th, and 27th points of the night, Warren landed on his non-injured leg while signaling for a timeout so he could get treatment.

You gotta love his confidence and his fight, but there's gotta be a better shot available than a deep three from a guy with a bum wheel.