Bullets: Marcus Smart takes the reins in Boston

Football

Des Roland: “I felt something going into overtime. It felt like a spirit hit me … I just talked to my mom, ‘We need this one. We need this victory right now.'” (NewsOK)

Why does Tim Tebow hate the SEC? (CBS)

Love this post about Van Malone and his cornerbacks. Ashton Lampkin told him they understand why he’s leaving. Pretty cool. (Tulsa World)

Good rundown here of the JUCO help OSU got earlier this week. (PFB)

A successful bowl record would cement national perception of the strength and depth of the Big 12 while setting the conference up for a run at the playoff next season. Meh, I think it kind of its what it is at this point. (ESPN)

Agree with this — let’s not crown Melvin Gordon if he rushes for 2,628 yards in 14 games when Barry did it in 11. (Tulsa World)

Only Kansas signed more JUCO guys at semester among Big 12 teams. (ESPN)

Shots fired from TCU’s AD: “It took some schools 16 years to win a Big 12 championship. We did it in three.” (Fox SW)

On Jim Harbaugh going back to Michigan: If I make Bob Stoops or Mike Gundy mad, I don’t really care. If I make one of my sister-in-laws or one of my brothers mad, I care. (NewsOK)

Speaking of Harbaugh, this Matthew McConaughey-dubbed video is incredible. (Yahoo)

NationalChamps.net is really good at predicting which teams will be ranked in the preseason top 10 of the AP Top 25 the following season. You’ll be surprised at No. 1. OSU not ranked. (National Champs)

Emmanuel Ogbah grabbed Big 12 defensive lineman of the year honors but (Ofa) Hautau played a key role in OSU’s defensive line.

His 28 tackles including 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks don’t speak to the value he brought to the table in the interior of the Pokes’ defense. (ESPN)

Oh just a 270-lb. fella doing a 55-inch box jump. (Yahoo)

Judge Stephen Kistler denied Wickline’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit against him at the Payne County Courthouse. (O’Colly)

Hoops

Good scouting report of Maryland here by John Helsley. (NewsOK)

To add to that…according to KenPom here are the two best wins for both squads (Maryland is No. 30, OSU No. 18).

OSU: Memphis (No. 74) and Tulsa (No. 89)
Maryland: Iowa State (No. 19) and Arizona St. (No. 73)

Another chapter ends, but the book keeps growing. And Lauren Hill remains the most amazing story in college hoops. (CBS)

Ford: “I’m surprised with our record, but I think we’re about where I thought we would be at this point.” (Tulsa World)

I stayed up a lot longer than I should have to watch Thunder-Warriors last night and I would have stayed up for the whole thing if not for KD’s injury. He and Steph were trading haymakers. (Daily Thunder)

OSU women moved to 9-1 last night. (NewsOK)

So Rondo to my Mavs[1. Not really my Mavs.] which means Marcus Smart gets the reins? (Deadspin)

His shot selection can be cringe-inducing, and as a rookie he may be the best defender on the roster.

But the Celtics also wouldn’t have had the confidence to trade Rajon Rondo to Dallas last night if they didn’t believe Marcus Smart is the right player to lead them into the future. (Boston Herald)

Here’s Forte talking about the Maryland game.

This is awesome. Don’t say Travis Ford never tried.

More stuff I’m reading

1966 photos from a NYC subway in full color. Awesome. (Gizmodo)

I’m much more focused on building that tribe of core followers that care about what I do then having ten thousand, one hundred thousand, or one million people that kind of like the cool shirt today, and then they totally forget about it tomorrow.  (99U)

I’m glad somebody did this: 2014 in outrage….because it’s the Internet. (Slate)

Winners of the National Geographic photo contest. (Atlantic)

Wait, Oklahoma is suing Colorado for legalizing marijuana?! (Vox)

On Twitter implementing more algorithms: Those who do do a tremendous amount of work curating their own timelines and followings, which is a lot of work and something most people aren’t prepared to do or really know how to do. Via DeShazo (Inc)

The real question of Serial: It was something more banal, more universal: How do we make decisions, particularly decisions about whom to trust? If you’re done with the show read this. (Vox)

Wowza.