September 22, 2024

Tramel: Laker cult hero Alex Caruso has come a long ways since OKC Blue days

Jerami Grant #JeramiGrant

Danuel House was on that team. He’s become well known for sharpshooting with the Houston Rockets, though he also made dubious news for sneaking a female into his hotel room inside the Orlando bubble during the Western Conference semifinals. House was booted from the playoffs.

Also on that team was center Tyler Davis, who eventually signed with the Thunder and played one game with OKC, on Nov. 28, 2018. He got one rebound.

A&M’s Jalen Jones also made the NBA, playing in 32 games the previous two seasons, with the Pelicans, Mavericks or Cavaliers.

Four NBA players on one team is no big deal for Kentucky or Duke. But for Texas A&M? That OU team that made the Final Four had just Buddy Hield as an eventual NBA player.

In the West Regional semifinals in Anaheim, Calif., Caruso had eight points on 4-of-8 shooting, with five assists and one turnover. Davis did the most damage, with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. House made four of 13 shots and scored 10 points. Jones had 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Hield had a subpar game for the Sooners, scoring 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. That was Jordan Woodard’s big game, 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Isaiah Cousins had a poor game, 1-of-8 shooting with two points, but Christian James had 12 points, Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Lattin 10 each, and that trio combined to make 13 of 25 shots.

Only the keenest of scouts could watch that game and sCee four NBA players on the Aggies and one on the Sooners.

A&M led 13-6 after five minutes, then scored 13 points the rest of the first half, and OU zipped to a 45-26 lead. The Aggies never challenged.

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