Long time Oklahoma Sooner hoop fans will never forget head coach Billy Tubbs' 1988 squad. What fans remember, probably as much or more than the team coming within one win of the national championship, was their run and gun style of play. "Billy-Ball." It was fun.
The lethargic 45 second shot clock the NCAA introduced in 1985 did not exist for Tubbs' Sooners. Oklahoma's offensive attack was a relentless non-stop track meet, and their pressing man-to-man defense was specifically designed to keep the party going the entire 40 minutes. Mookie Blaylock, the point guard/spear point, nabbed 150 steals that season, 13 in a single game, both stats set NCAA records that still stand today.