NORMAN — The kid from small-town Oklahoma stole the show.
Junior Cade Davis, the guitar-pickin’, country-talkin’, Stetson-wearin’ swingman from Elk City, put a clamp on Arkansas sharpshooter Rotnei Clarke. Which is how the OU basketball team blasted the Razorbacks 67-47 on Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
"I’m exhausted,” Davis said.
Think how Clarke must feel. He ran ragged all night, trying to ditch Davis and find an open shot, but they were rare.
Clarke, the Verdigris flash who is one of the greatest players in Oklahoma high school history, entered the game averaging 26.7 points and shooting 57.4 percent from 3-point range.
But Clarke managed just 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He made just one of six 3-pointers.
"We knew we always had to have a guy on him,” Sooner coach Jeff Capel said. "We knew we had to have a guy with urgency to guard him.”
Capel figured it came down to Davis or Willie Warren, Clarke’s former AAU teammate and former close friend before a spat.
Capel chose Davis. Capel chose correctly.
"To guard him, you have to be tough,” Capel said. "Not just physically, but mentally. You have to be incredibly disciplined.”
That was Davis. You guard Clarke by gluing yourself to him.
Davis shadowed Clarke relentlessly, never giving the Razorback sophomore breathing room. Davis often turned his back to the ball and/or the basket. Anything to keep Clarke smothered.
"Straight denial,” Davis called it. Don’t let Clarke catch the ball. Chase him all over the floor. Don’t go under screens. Don’t get screened.
Such pressure will wear out a defender. But it also can wear out the shooter, too, and if the rest of the defense plays tough and can guard basically 4-on-4, it works wonders.
Capel called it OU’s best defense of year, which admittedly isn’t saying much.
"Certainly all the problems aren’t fixed,” Capel said. "Cade, primarily, was tremendous. He had great help from the rest of the guys.”
When Capel entered the post-game locker room, he was surprised to hear his players talking about their defense.
"They were proud of their performance,” Capel said. "On the bench, the guys said, ‘they average 86 and they’ve scored 47.’ That’s a step for us, just knowing they average 86.”
Clarke, who grew up an OU fan and is named for former Sooner fullback Rotnei Anderson, admitted this homecoming was a special game for him.
But the Sooner defense ruined it.
Late in the game, Clarke had eight points and nary a 3-pointer.
Capel told Davis, "Don’t let him get 10 points.” On Arkansas’ next possession, Clarke tossed in his only 3-pointer, from way past the line.
"Jinxed myself,” Capel said.
No matter. It remained a fabulous defensive effort. Davis also chipped in 11 points and three steals.
Maybe it was an Oklahoma pride thing. Davis, a year older than Clarke, is like most every other high school player in the state from recent years. They played in the shadow of Clarke and Pawnee’s Keiton Page, now at Oklahoma State. Clarke and Page staged a state scoring-record derby.
Clarke, who scored 51 points against Alcorn State earlier this season, is proving he’s the real deal.
But for one night, Davis was the star. Davis played 38 minutes, and when Capel subbed him out in the final minute, the Lloyd Noble crowd gave Davis a much-deserved ovation.
A defensive star was born.
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