Published: December 29, 2007 01:11 am            

Griffin has played through frustration

Sooners meet West Virginia today

Blake Griffin has shoulders about as broad as the lane he patrols on the basketball court. They’re so big the freshman forward doesn’t mind trying to put the weight of the world on them.

Through 12 games and about five times as many practices, he’s tried to do that each and every day.

“Blake is a perfectionist,” OU coach Jeff Capel said. “He wants to be really good and I think sometimes he feels like he’s letting people down.”

Griffin has experienced the dose of reality every freshman feels when he starts playing big-time college basketball. Handling success is easy for most. They’re accustomed to being the best player on the floor and performing like it on a daily basis. But adjusting to the fact opponents have great athletes, too, and dealing with that frustration, isn’t learned overnight.

Griffin has gone through the valleys as well as the peaks this season.

OU’s last game, a 72-68 victory over Gonzaga in the All-College Classic, was one of his best performances of the season. He scored 15 points and was huge in the paint with 14 rebounds and two blocked shots.

But the most surprising thing is the effort came after OU assistant coach Mark Cline and Capel had a heart-to-heart sit down with Griffin a few days earlier.

The talks, Cline’s verbal and Capel’s in the form of a letter, had nothing to do with Griffin’s effort, attitude or intensity.

“I thought Blake wasn’t having fun,” Capel said. “He looked like he was carrying a heavy burden.”

Griffin laughs about the discussions now. He said it was never a case of not having fun playing. His expectations, however, are unrelenting.

“When you’re not playing as well as you can, it’s not as fun,” Griffin said. “It’s definitely not fun to lose like we did against Stephen F. Austin.

“That’s what I was down about. It’s frustrating to play poorly and lose.”

That Dec. 8 loss to Stephen F. Austin was OU’s low point in a season that’s still several games shy of its midway point. But it exemplified the burden Griffin carries. He didn’t play well and the Sooners lost.

Griffin’s averaging 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. But in the Sooners’ three losses to No. 2 Memphis, USC and Stephen F. Austin, he’s averaged just 7.3 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Reasons varied for the dip in production. The Tigers and Trojans double- and triple-teamed Griffin every time he touched the ball. Foul trouble limited him to 24 minutes against Stephen F. Austin. The one common trait was his frustration, which was easily noticed in all three games.

Teammates, though, noticed a difference beginning with OU’s Dec. 15 victory over Arkansas.

“When he gets fouled, he gets frustrated, but his frustration level has gone down,” center Longar Longar said. “That’s really good for us when he’s able to really keep his head in it.”

Griffin will experience more frustration at 5 today when OU (9-3) faces No. 23 West Virginia at the Charleston (W.V.) Civic Center.

The Mountaineers (10-1) will send a wide assortment of bodies at him every second he’s out on the court. They’ll bump him, grab him, do their best to frustrate him.

Griffin expects it. The only thing he has to learn to do is to feed off the environment. Today’s game is another big one in the Sooners’ non-conference schedule.

Win a big game away from its home floor and OU will put another huge feather in its cap toward the goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

The Sooners have stepped up their game. But Griffin sees another opportunity against West Virginia.

“It’s just that in these big games I need to step up, too,” he said.

Griffin has broad shoulders and even broad expectations for what he can do on the court. The load my be heavy, but he isn’t about to drop it.

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com

        

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