Sooner04
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DISCLAIMER: These thoughts are not from a professional. They are from an unabashed Sooner BBall fanatic whose glasses are tinted heavily crimson. I’m not a coach, I’m not an analyst, I’m just a fan who used to write and misses the task. My knowledge of the X’s and O’s of the sport is tenuous at best. My predictions often prove folly. I once fell hard for Ray Willis. But I do love my Sooners hoopsters, often much too much. Feel free to critique but, please, be gentle.
Good evening, Sooner Basketball! I’ve missed you. I’ve missed meaningful games in March, games on Monday night and road wins too, but, more than anything, I’ve just missed you. If we’re lucky we’ll get back to what we once were as a program someday, but right now it’s just nice to have you back.
Tonight, at least in theory, was the first baby step toward closing a cavernous schism left behind by scandals past. We’d heard from the NCAA, and the penalty was a slap on the wrist. We knew we’d be without our best shooter, but only for a game. We’d hired a program builder with Sweet 16s stretching nearly from coast to coast. And then we observe a mighty squad from Pocatello, Idaho, stroll into the Lloyd Noble Center and punch us right in the mouth.
The putrid, pungent odor that festers like a smoldering buffalo turd on a Wichita Mountain morning left by Jeff Capel and his band of goobers still lingers over the program. The Idaho States of the world should never come to Norman and look like the better basketball team, but such is life. The improvement will be slow, the grade of the climb will be miniscule and the mistakes will be many, but if you remove the cloak of dread from your face you’ll begin to see the improvement has already begun. Players who were nothing more than carbon blobs in years past emerge from the bench and provide sparks. Adjustments are made, game plans are altered and guys start finding different ways to contribute.
Be-bopping through the first half while hitting one out of five shots against a decent zone defense is a sure fire way to get a one-way ticket out of town on tomorrow morning’s Heartland Flyer. Cameron Clark looked completely out of sorts. Andrew Fitzgerald had as many points and rebounds in the first half as I did: zip. These guys were both double-figure scorers last year, and to get Washington General-type production out of them would surely spell disaster. But that’s when the silver linings showed up. Calvin Newell, no longer hamstrung by running the point, hit several long-distance shots to stretch the defense. Romero Osby, playing his first game since the Nixon Administration, crashed the boards and kept the ball moving from the inside back out. What this team lacks in talent they make up in depth. I see them as nine deep, ten if you count Barry Honore, whose five minutes of production tonight proved absolutely vital in winning the game.
You’d like to walk in a game like this and have no worries, but that simply isn’t going to be the case for a long time. This was a dogfight for 39 minutes, but it was fun just the same. Maybe someday we can worry once more about whether we’ll win games 90-50 and if the walk-ons will get a bucket or two. But, for now, let’s just learn the lessons that each game provides. Move that ball, move your feet, and rebound like your heart depended on it. 1-0 kicks the crap out of 0-1, regardless of whether you’re playing Idaho State, Indiana State or Iowa State.
SCORING BREAKDOWN:
1st – 12 [Fighting soldiers from the sky,]
2nd – 19 [fearless men who jump and die.]
3rd – 21 [Men who mean just what they say]
4th – 26 [the brave men of the Green Beret.]
SCORING LEADERS:
Calvin Newell: 19
Romero Osby: 17
Carl Blair: 12
Sam Grooms: 11
REBOUNDING LEADERS:
Romero Osby: 10 (Dub-Dub in his debut!)
Tyler Neal: 7
Carl Blair: 6
Sam Grooms: 6
PLUSES:
1. Lon Kruger: I challenge anyone out there to find me a single complaint about Lon Kruger since his arrival in Norman. The way he’s reached out to the fans who make up the base and the players who hoisted all those banners has been remarkably refreshing.
2. Romero Osby: Ro is now 47 years old. He was outside the Dakota when John Lennon was shot. For a guy who guarded Detlef Schrempt the last time he played a meaningful game I figured he was sure to come out and press-press-press. Instead he posted a very tidy 17 points on a mere nine shots. He added 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. There was a lot of traffic in the middle tonight, and to navigate it with only a pair of turnovers showed remarkable restraint and composure. Great game!
3. Calvin Newell: Guys who lack a conscience can be useful when adversity arrives. No one else was making plays early, so Cal decided the moment was his. Down ten points was rough, but we’d have been down by far more without his first-half bombs.
4. The Crowd: What they lacked in numbers they made up for in decibels. A very involved lot.
5. Barry Honore: A fitting spot here at #5 for Mr. Honore because his five minutes got us over the hump. It sounds goofy to say, I know, but I thought they were vital. He had a bucket and a couple of blocks, and it seemed to energize the entire building.
6. Veterans Day: Go thank a veteran for his or her service. Better yet, go thank 15 of 'em.
MINUSES:
1. Calvin Newell’s T: Just a stupid play. To borrow a comment from my buddy in the seat next to me, “you’re in a dogfight with Idaho State and you pull THAT?!”
2. Cameron Clark: He’s a lot better than this, but tonight was bad. 1-10 from the field, 0-2 from the line…yikes! We need 12 from Cameron every night, not zip one game and then 25 the next. Consistency lacked in his game last year, and one night into to 2011 those who paint with a broad brush will say it’s the story of his life again.
3. Andrew Fitzgerald: Our point guards out-rebounded him 12-1. You won’t need an abacus to tally up those final figures. He out-rebounded George Mikan tonight, but just barely.
I don’t like that we struggle so to defeat teams that, in theory, we’re a heck of a lot more talented than, but I’m afraid that’s going to be the story for a good, long while. I’ve got to remind myself that this is a completely different style of team, learning a whole new way of thinking while trying to mesh with a new coaching staff who has DONE this before. I challenge each of you to keep your blood pressure in check and search hard for positives because they’re there. Keep an eye out for improvement every night, because it’s happening right there in front of us. We’re all going to grow together in this deal because it’s a new era. Billy Tubbs isn’t walking through that door (unless he’s doing color).
1-0. Onward and upward.
Thank you for your time.
Good evening, Sooner Basketball! I’ve missed you. I’ve missed meaningful games in March, games on Monday night and road wins too, but, more than anything, I’ve just missed you. If we’re lucky we’ll get back to what we once were as a program someday, but right now it’s just nice to have you back.
Tonight, at least in theory, was the first baby step toward closing a cavernous schism left behind by scandals past. We’d heard from the NCAA, and the penalty was a slap on the wrist. We knew we’d be without our best shooter, but only for a game. We’d hired a program builder with Sweet 16s stretching nearly from coast to coast. And then we observe a mighty squad from Pocatello, Idaho, stroll into the Lloyd Noble Center and punch us right in the mouth.
The putrid, pungent odor that festers like a smoldering buffalo turd on a Wichita Mountain morning left by Jeff Capel and his band of goobers still lingers over the program. The Idaho States of the world should never come to Norman and look like the better basketball team, but such is life. The improvement will be slow, the grade of the climb will be miniscule and the mistakes will be many, but if you remove the cloak of dread from your face you’ll begin to see the improvement has already begun. Players who were nothing more than carbon blobs in years past emerge from the bench and provide sparks. Adjustments are made, game plans are altered and guys start finding different ways to contribute.
Be-bopping through the first half while hitting one out of five shots against a decent zone defense is a sure fire way to get a one-way ticket out of town on tomorrow morning’s Heartland Flyer. Cameron Clark looked completely out of sorts. Andrew Fitzgerald had as many points and rebounds in the first half as I did: zip. These guys were both double-figure scorers last year, and to get Washington General-type production out of them would surely spell disaster. But that’s when the silver linings showed up. Calvin Newell, no longer hamstrung by running the point, hit several long-distance shots to stretch the defense. Romero Osby, playing his first game since the Nixon Administration, crashed the boards and kept the ball moving from the inside back out. What this team lacks in talent they make up in depth. I see them as nine deep, ten if you count Barry Honore, whose five minutes of production tonight proved absolutely vital in winning the game.
You’d like to walk in a game like this and have no worries, but that simply isn’t going to be the case for a long time. This was a dogfight for 39 minutes, but it was fun just the same. Maybe someday we can worry once more about whether we’ll win games 90-50 and if the walk-ons will get a bucket or two. But, for now, let’s just learn the lessons that each game provides. Move that ball, move your feet, and rebound like your heart depended on it. 1-0 kicks the crap out of 0-1, regardless of whether you’re playing Idaho State, Indiana State or Iowa State.
SCORING BREAKDOWN:
1st – 12 [Fighting soldiers from the sky,]
2nd – 19 [fearless men who jump and die.]
3rd – 21 [Men who mean just what they say]
4th – 26 [the brave men of the Green Beret.]
SCORING LEADERS:
Calvin Newell: 19
Romero Osby: 17
Carl Blair: 12
Sam Grooms: 11
REBOUNDING LEADERS:
Romero Osby: 10 (Dub-Dub in his debut!)
Tyler Neal: 7
Carl Blair: 6
Sam Grooms: 6
PLUSES:
1. Lon Kruger: I challenge anyone out there to find me a single complaint about Lon Kruger since his arrival in Norman. The way he’s reached out to the fans who make up the base and the players who hoisted all those banners has been remarkably refreshing.
2. Romero Osby: Ro is now 47 years old. He was outside the Dakota when John Lennon was shot. For a guy who guarded Detlef Schrempt the last time he played a meaningful game I figured he was sure to come out and press-press-press. Instead he posted a very tidy 17 points on a mere nine shots. He added 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. There was a lot of traffic in the middle tonight, and to navigate it with only a pair of turnovers showed remarkable restraint and composure. Great game!
3. Calvin Newell: Guys who lack a conscience can be useful when adversity arrives. No one else was making plays early, so Cal decided the moment was his. Down ten points was rough, but we’d have been down by far more without his first-half bombs.
4. The Crowd: What they lacked in numbers they made up for in decibels. A very involved lot.
5. Barry Honore: A fitting spot here at #5 for Mr. Honore because his five minutes got us over the hump. It sounds goofy to say, I know, but I thought they were vital. He had a bucket and a couple of blocks, and it seemed to energize the entire building.
6. Veterans Day: Go thank a veteran for his or her service. Better yet, go thank 15 of 'em.
MINUSES:
1. Calvin Newell’s T: Just a stupid play. To borrow a comment from my buddy in the seat next to me, “you’re in a dogfight with Idaho State and you pull THAT?!”
2. Cameron Clark: He’s a lot better than this, but tonight was bad. 1-10 from the field, 0-2 from the line…yikes! We need 12 from Cameron every night, not zip one game and then 25 the next. Consistency lacked in his game last year, and one night into to 2011 those who paint with a broad brush will say it’s the story of his life again.
3. Andrew Fitzgerald: Our point guards out-rebounded him 12-1. You won’t need an abacus to tally up those final figures. He out-rebounded George Mikan tonight, but just barely.
I don’t like that we struggle so to defeat teams that, in theory, we’re a heck of a lot more talented than, but I’m afraid that’s going to be the story for a good, long while. I’ve got to remind myself that this is a completely different style of team, learning a whole new way of thinking while trying to mesh with a new coaching staff who has DONE this before. I challenge each of you to keep your blood pressure in check and search hard for positives because they’re there. Keep an eye out for improvement every night, because it’s happening right there in front of us. We’re all going to grow together in this deal because it’s a new era. Billy Tubbs isn’t walking through that door (unless he’s doing color).
1-0. Onward and upward.
Thank you for your time.
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