The March to Madness

Backboard No Match for Tiny Gallon

Oklahoma freshman Keith "Tiny" Gallon breaks a backboard during an alley-oop attempt in the Sooners' game against Gonzaga on Dec. 31.

Sooner or Later, Griffin Will Beat You

Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.

When he first arrived in Norman, Blake Griffin called Wayman Tisdale and asked permission if he could wear Tisdale's No. 23, which already hangs in the rafters at Lloyd Noble Center. Tisdale gave him a nod and said, "Just make me proud."

Griffin has more than lived up to that promise as the sophomore forward is posting beastly numbers this season and has single-handedly made the Oklahoma Sooners relevant again.

Tisdale was sitting courtside to watch Griffin and his sixth-ranked Sooners defeat USC, 73-72, Thursday night as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. Tisdale told the national TV audience what Sooner Nation already knows.