A couple of thoughts that are really bugging me

[SoonerfanTU]

Common you guys is this a history class? Let's talk about the situation at hand. We need someone in the middle that can give fear to anyone driving in the lane against us even if it took 5 fouls to do so. That's person is Orlando. Capel is concentrating too much with playing pretty. We need to play ugly like Sampson's team.

I'm not against playing Big O some more, but I haven't seen ANYTHING that makes me think he'd be better than Wright. He is slower, and has trouble getting down the court.

And while I'd love to have a true center that can intimidate, outside of Brown I can't think of anybody since King that I'd put in that category. We aren't missing one player to be a good defensive team. The entire team, the chemistry, the communication, the trust, the know-how, it just isn't there.

 

[playmakr]

It's only a mistake because you're speaking in terms of hindsight.

No, I said it then.

The OUInsider board had posters jumping for joy when he committed. Many of those same posters had seen him play and was raving that he'd be a McDonald's All-American. I don't remember reading a single post about him being a "project" until last year.

Okay let me re-phrase. Anyone that had seen him play that knew what they were talking about. OUinsider board, lol.

Also, I remember conversations with plenty of people that saw him as a major, major project.

 

[outest]

I'm not against playing Big O some more, but I haven't seen ANYTHING that makes me think he'd be better than Wright. He is slower, and has trouble getting down the court.

And while I'd love to have a true center that can intimidate, outside of Brown I can't think of anybody since King that I'd put in that category. We aren't missing one player to be a good defensive team. The entire team, the chemistry, the communication, the trust, the know-how, it just isn't there.

You mean Bookout, Stone, and Edjuardo not intimidating. I would dare one of you trying to drive to the basket with one of those guys in the middle.

 

[thebigabd]

Re: I can't believe Willie had 26

i think he had half of those in the first 5 minutes.
he was scoring well at first.
then he started settling for the 3, and things went downhill from there.

a few of those three's were wide open, and the other few were horrible "jacks"... I was glad to see Fran call him out for taking shots like that.

 

[seniorsooner]

Well he said "true center". But that's kind of a subjective thing in college.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

You mean Bookout, Stone, and Edjuardo not intimidating. I would dare one of you trying to drive to the basket with one of those guys in the middle.

I just don't think of those guys in that light.

I went to check the career block stats, and had forgotten how good Hump and Taj both were in that regards. Hump moreso, probably.

That said, here are a few guys that had more career blocks than Stone or Bookout:

Hump
Taj
Taylor Griffin
Blake Griffin
Ryan Minor
James Mayden
Ryan Minor
Austin Johnson
Johnnie Gilbert

 

[seniorsooner]

Sorry, but lol at renzi stone ever being "intimidating". That's not a knock on him, I'm just saying intimidation is not what he brought to the table as a player.

 

[Guitardeth]

I just don't think of those guys in that light.

I went to check the career block stats, and had forgotten how good Hump and Taj both were in that regards. Hump moreso, probably.

That said, here are a few guys that had more career blocks than Stone or Bookout:

Hump
Taj
Taylor Griffin
Blake Griffin
Ryan Minor
James Mayden
Ryan Minor
Austin Johnson
Johnnie Gilbert

You got minor in there twice.

He got a twin with the same name.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

You got minor in there twice.

He got a twin with the same name.

He was good.

His is the only OU bball jersey I've ever owned.

 

[outest]

I just don't think of those guys in that light.

I went to check the career block stats, and had forgotten how good Hump and Taj both were in that regards. Hump moreso, probably.

That said, here are a few guys that had more career blocks than Stone or Bookout:

Hump
Taj
Taylor Griffin
Blake Griffin
Ryan Minor
James Mayden
Ryan Minor
Austin Johnson
Johnnie Gilbert

Common it's not just block. Stone and Bookout big wide body clogged up space preventing guys from driving deep under the buckets. Had anyone of you played inside against guys with big wide body? Can you move them an inch and get closer to the basket? or when you drove to the basket and there's a big wide body preventing you from doing so? Or do you want to drive around Tony Crocker?

 

[MercedeSooner]

Ok you know whats worse ? We STILL dont have any big men on tap to come in next year. I really dont understand why Capel didnt go after bigger bodies earlier in the process. He isnt stupid and knows a lot more basketball then any of us and we all knew that Wright is at best a backup and Allen is a project.

The thing that bothers me the most about this team is I sit here watching these games and wonder what the hell are they doing in practice ? Still no semblance of these young guys understanding even the worst basics of team defense and we still play loose as hell. I know we ll get better as the season goes on but I really think its a case of the inmates running the asylum and it all starts with Willie. At this juncture in his career he just isnt a leader and its hard to imagine if he ever will be. Having him be your best player just is not conducive to team winning basketball right now.

Why the hell does it take being down by 15 before our guys decide theyre gonna attempt to play defense and bring intensity ? I mean seriously ?

 

[Seymore Cox]

Re: I can't believe Willie had 26

He got off to the hot start (OU was still losing during that great start), and then I barely noticed him after that. Well, I guess I noticed when he was taking really bad shots and missing wide open three's. He went 3-10 from back there tonight, and a few of those were pretty open. I cringed when that one three hit nothing but the backboard. He didnt get to the line much, so I really cant think of where the 26 came from but I guess you don't pay much attention to a few baskets here and there when you are down 17 the whole second half.

His statline doesn't matter. He could have had 40. When you don't buy into taking care of the ball, setting the tempo of the game, DEFENDING the perimeter, adn making sure the team get's the best possible senario each possession, you can score a 100 and you still have not succeeded.