Vegas Play of the Day: Cal-State Bakersfield vs. Oklahoma

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, March 18, 2016 | 2 a.m.

We've reset the Play of the Day with fresh bankrolls and turned it into a yearly competition. Our three sports writers have re-started with $10,000 bankrolls to continue using on odds from the South Point.

Oklahoma minus-14.5 vs. Cal-State Bakersfield $550 to win $500: Cal-State Bakersfield players are simply happy to be at the NCAA Tournament. And the joy is more than being part of the school’s first tournament-qualifying team.

The plane they traveled to Oklahoma City on for today’s first round game was forced to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas, giving players another obstacle in accomplishing the impossible of beating second-seeded Oklahoma.

Oklahoma already had a distinct advantage of playing a virtual home game because Oklahoma City is located 20 miles away from its campus in Norman. Tough break, Cal-State Bakersfield.

While Cal-State Bakersfield surrenders just 63.2 points per game to rank 14th nationally out of more than 300 teams, they’ll have a hard time containing Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, a projected NBA Lottery pick who has been one of the nation’s best players this season. He can score from all over the court and is unlike any player Bakersfield has faced this season in the Western Athletic Conference.

Oklahoma will surely going on an extended run sometime in the first half. That’s when Cal-State Bakersfield won’t have any answers, slowing backing down with the satisfaction of being the best team in school history. Even if it loses, they’ll still be considered a success.

Current Standings (as of July 1): Brewer (41-32, $12,620), Bern (28-35, $6,065), Keefer (34-48-2, $4,992)

Lifetime standings: 2014-15 Champion 2014-15 Champion Bern (107-109-1), Brewer (110-119-2), Keefer (118-130-4)

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21