5-1

[Krugerfan52]

ha! true

 

[WTSooner]

Didn't last year's team start like 9-1 or something?

It shouldn't take an OSU fan to point this out to our fan base. But he is exactly right. I think we're defending better than last year's team, but I don't think we're anywhere near as good on offense.

 

[MNsooner]

If ORU played the same schedule as us this offseason I think they would be 4-2. 5-1 playing complete garbage teams isnt anything to brag about.

Only two decents teams we have played are gonzaga and WVU. We went 1-1 which isnt bad....

No ORU wouldn't be. They played UTEP and lost. They probably would have lost at least 2 in the Old Spice and I guess they would have tied themselves(?). At this point they have one or two wins. That isn't because we've played a rough schedule, but more because ORU is not good.

 

[skyvue]

It shouldn't take an OSU fan to point this out to our fan base. But he is exactly right. I think we're defending better than last year's team, but I don't think we're anywhere near as good on offense.

Plenty of us didn't need an oswho fan to point it out, but aside from three games at a neutral site tourney both years, those are two very different seasons.

Our first seven non-tourney games last year were at home (well, one was in OKC).

Only four of our first seven non-tourney games this year are at home or in OKC (and only one to date). I think we'd have handled ORU better at home. I think we'd have beaten UTA more handily at home. And I'd like our chances a lot better against Arkansas if we were playing them in Norman.

It's tough enough to be breaking in all these new players. That we're breaking them in almost entirely on the road makes it that much tougher.

It's definitely tough to watch our offense struggling, but I suspect Coach Kruger feels that the depth the freshmen (and the rusty M'Baye) will bring to conference play will be worth the growing pains we're going through in the early going.

I hope and trust he's correct.

 

[KBaden145]

Didn't last year's team start like 9-1 or something?

This start to the schedule is tougher. Last years team was awful on the road and probably loses at UTA and at ORU and to WVU in Orlando.

 

[Bk2X]

Right now, Kruger is taking an experience team and making them young. These freshmen seem to be the focus of our squad and its making us look bad. The minutes that Hornbeak, Hield, and Cousins are getting is hurting this team and its going to keep us out of the ncaa tournament. And if we don't make it this season..you can be damn sure were not going to make it next season either.

The prob is, our returning experience is not significantly better than our new guys.

We know what we are going to get with the returning guys. These games are crucial to the development of the youngsters prior to conference play. I like the way Kruger is doing it so far just need the shots to fall...

 

[Dr Sleep]

No ORU wouldn't be. They played UTEP and lost. They probably would have lost at least 2 in the Old Spice and I guess they would have tied themselves(?). At this point they have one or two wins. That isn't because we've played a rough schedule, but more because ORU is not good.

No, ORU would not tie themselves unless they played themselves on a neutral floor. So if ORU was playing OU's schedule then the ORU-ORU game would be a road game, and ORU has a very good home court advantage. So that game would be a loss. I bet the visiting ORU team would have a lot of fans there though since they wouldn't have to travel.

 

[campbest]

Right now, Kruger is taking an experience team and making them young. These freshmen seem to be the focus of our squad and its making us look bad. The minutes that Hornbeak, Hield, and Cousins are getting is hurting this team and its going to keep us out of the ncaa tournament. And if we don't make it this season..you can be damn sure were not going to make it next season either.

This is comical, would love to hear how at this juncture.

 

[MsProudSooner]

5-1 is great...but it really means nothing. We've won 5 games against terrible opponents(winning 4 of them by 7 pts or less) and our only loss was to a good team but we loss by a few pts short of 30. All we've proven is that we can barely beat below average competition and we can get our butts beat by good competition.

Right now, Kruger is taking an experience team and making them young. These freshmen seem to be the focus of our squad and its making us look bad. The minutes that Hornbeak, Hield, and Cousins are getting is hurting this team and its going to keep us out of the ncaa tournament. And if we don't make it this season..you can be damn sure were not going to make it next season either.

We've won all the games we should have won and lost the game we didn't have a prayer of winning.

The only way that Hornbeak, Hield and Cousins are going to be good enough to help the team during the conference season is for them to get plenty of experience in the OOC season. The only way this team gets used to the new combinations of players is for them to play together in real games during the OOC season. This is what gives us a better chance at making it to post-season play and this is what Kruger is trying to accomplish. Growing pains are always painful. The fact that they are able to get experience and still win the games we should win is a good thing.

 

[bgrch1350]

Don't forget...the lineup that Kruger played last year beat ORU 73-59

Romero Osby, F 21 3-4 0-1 1-2 4 7 0 0 2 1 5 7
Andrew Fitzgerald, F 31 8-17 0-0 0-0 1 3 0 1 1 1 3 16
Steven Pledger, G 31 6-11 0-2 5-5 1 3 3 2 0 2 1 17
Cameron Clark, G 30 5-8 2-2 4-6 1 8 2 0 0 2 2 16
Sam Grooms, G 29 0-3 0-1 2-2 0 4 5 2 0 4 2 2
BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Carl Blair, G 13 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 3 0 0 2 1 2
Tyler Neal, F 19 1-1 1-1 2-2 0 3 1 2 0 2 1 5
C.J. Washington, F 17 3-4 0-0 2-2 3 6 1 0 0 0 2 8

 

[skyvue]

Don't forget...the lineup that Kruger played last year beat ORU 73-59

Yes, and by season's end, they were totally spent, due to lack of depth, and unable to hold a lead. That won't happen this year, and it'll be because our young guys are getting game experience right now. We might not always hold our leads in conference play, but it won't be because of a lack of depth.

Also? Last year's win over ORU was at home.

 

[AdaSooner]

Yes, and by season's end, they were totally spent, due to lack of depth, and unable to hold a lead. That won't happen this year, and it'll be because our young guys are getting game experience right now. We might not always hold our leads in conference play, but it won't be because of a lack of depth.

Also? Last year's win over ORU was at home.

Exactly! Quality depth goes beyond filling roster space. None of the back ups on last year's team would see an increase in minutes, and some wouldn't play at all, except at garbage time. Neal and Arent should be proof of that, although Tyler might be playing more if he could defend a post position. Blair lost his spot in the rotation last year. Why would anyone believe that he would move ahead of the three freshmen? Washington would be just ahead of Arent in this year's rotation.

The talent level this season is considrably better than last year. As you correctly stated, Kruger is getting them ready for the tougher (and arguably more important) portion of our schedule. Is he making a mistake by not starting more experienced players like Grooms, Fitz and Clark? That's something I have wondered about myself. But if Drew and Cam play like they did against ORU, it's easy to see why they're coming off of the bench.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Yes, and by season's end, they were totally spent, due to lack of depth, and unable to hold a lead. That won't happen this year, and it'll be because our young guys are getting game experience right now. We might not always hold our leads in conference play, but it won't be because of a lack of depth.

Also? Last year's win over ORU was at home.

And ORU had won 24 straight games at home prior to last night.

 

[ben]

Don't you guys get it? We shouldn't give our future more minutes because we have no chance if we give them meaningful experience before conference play...especially next year.

I've heard some dumb things slung around OU message boards this fall, but that takes the cake.

Comparing scores in any sport at any time is FAIL.

 

[bgrch1350]

Yes, and by season's end, they were totally spent, due to lack of depth, and unable to hold a lead. That won't happen this year, and it'll be because our young guys are getting game experience right now. We might not always hold our leads in conference play, but it won't be because of a lack of depth.

Also? Last year's win over ORU was at home.

And this game was AT ORU...your acting like their home court advantage threatened us. Like there wasn't a bunch of our fans there.

Our lack of depth and inability to keep leads had to do with our bench play...not the play of our starters. And now he's taking 3 starters and putting them on the bench and replacing them with 2 young players...making our starting 5 not as good. He could have made our bench much stronger by adding M'Baye, Hield, Hornbeak but instead he has weakened our lineups. If playing on the road at ORU was tough...this is going to be a very long season.

 

[skyvue]

And this game was AT ORU...your acting like their home court advantage threatened us.

You're aware they'd won 24 in a row at home, yes? So either they're a pretty good team (or have been the last couple of years, anyway) or home court means something. One or the other has to be true.

And I'm all for Coach Kruger getting the young players all the time he can give them. We're going to need them in conference play, and we need them to be as experienced and salty as possible. The veteran players should be able to deliver, whether they start or come off the bench.

 

[StatGeek]

And this game was AT ORU...your acting like their home court advantage threatened us. Like there wasn't a bunch of our fans there.

Our lack of depth and inability to keep leads had to do with our bench play...not the play of our starters. And now he's taking 3 starters and putting them on the bench and replacing them with 2 young players...making our starting 5 not as good. He could have made our bench much stronger by adding M'Baye, Hield, Hornbeak but instead he has weakened our lineups. If playing on the road at ORU was tough...this is going to be a very long season.

ORU had a decided home court advantage, acting otherwise just shows that you:

A. Didn't attend the game or
B. Didn't watch the game or
C. Are clueless

 

[luckyc1423]

ORU had a decided home court advantage, acting otherwise just shows that you:

A. Didn't attend the game or
B. Didn't watch the game or
C. Are clueless

All I can think is "boy we are so lucky that we won because ORU has won 24 straight at home" haha

In all honestly, I do not know this, out of the 24 how many were tough opponents like an OU? I believe home court advantage means something when you play similiar talent but if you are playing a team much more talented then it means less.

 

[bgrch1350]

ORU had a decided home court advantage, acting otherwise just shows that you:

A. Didn't attend the game or
B. Didn't watch the game or
C. Are clueless

If you think ORU home court advantage was tough...can't wait til we go on the road in the big 12.

 

[bgrch1350]

You're aware they'd won 24 in a row at home, yes? So either they're a pretty good team (or have been the last couple of years, anyway) or home court means something. One or the other has to be true.

And I'm all for Coach Kruger getting the young players all the time he can give them. We're going to need them in conference play, and we need them to be as experienced and salty as possible. The veteran players should be able to deliver, whether they start or come off the bench.

Are aware that OU is the toughest team that ORU played during their streak.