Sooners prefer best bowl, best matchup

Trying to forge through the lazy days of summer while counting down to kickoff? Here a few questions - and answers - to ponder:

Did OU sense any potential downside to playing Oregon in last year’s Holiday Bowl, knowing the Ducks would be waiting in Week 3 of this season?
Bob Stoops doesn’t dodge matchups. We now know that there was some back-room wrangling by bowl matchmakers to get the Sooners out of San Diego and into a game against a name opponent, namely Michigan, in the Alamo Bowl.

Neither Stoops nor OU athletic director Joe Castiglione were involved in those discussions. But Stoops eventually put an end to such talk, preferring the Holiday Bowl and its third slot in the Big 12 pecking order to the Alamo Bowl at No. 4.

“That’s not us,” Stoops said recently. “I want to play in the very best bowl we can play in against the best teams we can play. The upside is much greater.

“Joe whole-heartedly agreed. We want to be picked where we’re supposed to be picked, and let’s go play. The guys played well, and we won a good football game.”

What’s the latest outlook for incoming freshman Jermaine Gresham?
Already, Gresham is suggesting that he should never be counted out.

The buzz among recruiting analysts last winter was that 1.) Gresham’s knee injury was a major concern; and 2.) he was more likely headed to Northeastern A&M Junior College than Norman, due to academic issues.

Well, Gresham is at OU, quite qualified and quite healthy after December surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.

He’s running well and commanding attention in offseason workouts, showing off the skills that made him the nation’s No. 1 tight end prospect.

So don’t count Gresham out of competition at tight end, where he caught 70 passes for 1,205 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall for Ardmore High.

Considering OU’s deliberate approach to recruiting this summer, what’s the biggest news so far?
The commitment from Enid’s Austin Box, the nation’s No. 1 safety prospect according to Scout.com, is significant.

But Texas prospect Desmond Jackson, ranked No. 18 at safety but expected to switch to cornerback, broke the hearts of several defensive coordinators in the region who believe he’ll be ready to step in and make an impact from Day 1.

Is Courtney Paris the greatest recruit in the history of OU women’s hoops?
The case is mounting, on a number of levels. Paris was obviously a fantastic on-court addition, carrying the Sooners to a superb season as a true freshman last year. But it’s apparent her gifts will keep on giving.

Other top players want to take the court alongside her, because she’s a great player and seemingly a great teammate.

Courtney and her sister, Ashley, played key roles in attracting OU’s latest commitment, Ohio standout Carlee Roethlisberger. The Paris twins were a factor in the Sooners getting national recruits Amanda Thompson and Abi Olajuwon last year, the keys in a No. 11 class ranking by Scout.com. And more potential future stars are watching what’s going on in Norman.

Stefanie Gilbreath, a guard from Katy, Texas, and Vicki Baugh, a 6-foot-4 forward from Sacramento, Calif., are two top-10 recruits in the country considering OU.