Sooner04
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DISCLAIMER: This is just for the sake of conversation. My family usually goes ape when I first bring this up, but just here me out. It's just for conversation during a slow BBall news cycle.
OK, onward.
I was chatting with my cousin one day after another OU BBall win and we covered a range of topics. We threw a few theories up against the wall to see what would stick. Little of this and a little of that.
Anyhow, one of my final talking points nearly got me killed. He came around to see my side of the story, but he still didn't necessarily agree with me. But here it is: Is Hollis Price the most overrated player in the history of OU Basketball?
Now, another disclaimer. I'm a huge Hollis Price fan. I'm not sure we've ever had a better ambassador for our program than Hollis. If your daughter brought him home, you'd be begging HIM to marry HER. I was in school at the same time as Hollis, and all the stories you heard about him were true. He was that nice. He was that sincere. He was just one hell of a dude.
But I think he's overrated.
Here's why. A lot of times when I see lists of all-time OU this or that I invariably see Hollis as one of the all-time 2-Guards. Let me set one thing straight. If OU ever set up a HOF for basketball, I don't think Hollis Price goes in. HOF induction is for the best of the best: the great. I think Hollis Price belongs in the Hall of the Very, Very Good, but I don't think he belongs with our greats.
Another disclaimer. I watched A LOT of Hollis Price at OU.
The three free throws against Missouri in 2000.
The first half from the Gods against Arizona in 2002.
The shooting clinic in Ames in 2003.
The shot against Tech in 2003.
I saw all of that, but here's why I think he was overrated. In today's world, a world over-saturated with media, we get what just happened shoved down our throats constantly. How many times did we see LeBron's shot from Game 2 against Orlando? I bet I saw it 50 times in the 24 hours following the shot. I think that's why so many people list Hollis on these all-time OU teams. I think he gets credit for being the best player on the best team of the last 20 years at OU (and I'm not sure that's accurate because the 2002 team became a juggernaut when the light went on for Ace McGhee in late December).
Hollis was marvelous at what he did well. He was a good spot-up shooter. Either he or Ryan Minor can shoot my crunch time free throws whenever they want. Money. But Hollis was undersized, and when he couldn't make up for that fact with his speed he struggled.
In 2003, Hollis should've been THE MAN. Ace was gone and it was Price's team. The buck stopped with him. Problem was, that 2003 team was offensively inept. You had a senior at PG (Quannas), but they couldn't score nor could they create. To be a great player at OU you can't be the star on a team that fails to score more than 50 points in a game four times. They failed to crack 65 in regulation 12 different times.
I submit to you now the guy I feel is the most underrated Sooner ever: Tim McCalister. You never hear about T-Mac anymore, but here's what he did compared to Hollis Price.
Points - 2,275 (454 more than Hollis)
Rebounds - 529 (165 more than Hollis)
Assists - 628 (166 more than Hollis)
Turnovers - 237 (33 less than Hollis)
Steals - 319 (95 more than Hollis)
Big 8/12 Championships - 2 (2 more than Hollis)
Big 8/12 Tournament Championships - 1 (2 less than Hollis)
NCAA Wins - 6 (2 less than Hollis)
I think T-Mac was a better player on a lesser team. Remember that T-Mac put up these points and averages playing his first three seasons without a shot clock or three-point line. The guy was a great player and he's never talked about any more.
To put Hollis on the list of all-time greats is no crime. Far from it, I just think to put him on there is to overrate him. He was a very, very good player, but I think T-Mac was better. T-Mac out averaged Hollis in points, rebounds and assists in every comparative season of their careers at OU.
We've had some studs come through at the 2-Guard position. Nate Erdmann, Lester Lane, John McCullough, Raymond "The Juice" Whitley, David Little, Brent Price, Ryan Minor and Corey Brewer. All of those guys were really, REALLY good. More often than not, though, when I see fans make up an all-time list I see Hollis Price at 2-Guard. He was really good, but not that good.
And that's why I think he's the most overrated player in the history of OU Basketball.
Like I said, it's just a conversation starter on a slow day. Don't shoot me. :OUbball-logo:
OK, onward.
I was chatting with my cousin one day after another OU BBall win and we covered a range of topics. We threw a few theories up against the wall to see what would stick. Little of this and a little of that.
Anyhow, one of my final talking points nearly got me killed. He came around to see my side of the story, but he still didn't necessarily agree with me. But here it is: Is Hollis Price the most overrated player in the history of OU Basketball?
Now, another disclaimer. I'm a huge Hollis Price fan. I'm not sure we've ever had a better ambassador for our program than Hollis. If your daughter brought him home, you'd be begging HIM to marry HER. I was in school at the same time as Hollis, and all the stories you heard about him were true. He was that nice. He was that sincere. He was just one hell of a dude.
But I think he's overrated.
Here's why. A lot of times when I see lists of all-time OU this or that I invariably see Hollis as one of the all-time 2-Guards. Let me set one thing straight. If OU ever set up a HOF for basketball, I don't think Hollis Price goes in. HOF induction is for the best of the best: the great. I think Hollis Price belongs in the Hall of the Very, Very Good, but I don't think he belongs with our greats.
Another disclaimer. I watched A LOT of Hollis Price at OU.
The three free throws against Missouri in 2000.
The first half from the Gods against Arizona in 2002.
The shooting clinic in Ames in 2003.
The shot against Tech in 2003.
I saw all of that, but here's why I think he was overrated. In today's world, a world over-saturated with media, we get what just happened shoved down our throats constantly. How many times did we see LeBron's shot from Game 2 against Orlando? I bet I saw it 50 times in the 24 hours following the shot. I think that's why so many people list Hollis on these all-time OU teams. I think he gets credit for being the best player on the best team of the last 20 years at OU (and I'm not sure that's accurate because the 2002 team became a juggernaut when the light went on for Ace McGhee in late December).
Hollis was marvelous at what he did well. He was a good spot-up shooter. Either he or Ryan Minor can shoot my crunch time free throws whenever they want. Money. But Hollis was undersized, and when he couldn't make up for that fact with his speed he struggled.
In 2003, Hollis should've been THE MAN. Ace was gone and it was Price's team. The buck stopped with him. Problem was, that 2003 team was offensively inept. You had a senior at PG (Quannas), but they couldn't score nor could they create. To be a great player at OU you can't be the star on a team that fails to score more than 50 points in a game four times. They failed to crack 65 in regulation 12 different times.
I submit to you now the guy I feel is the most underrated Sooner ever: Tim McCalister. You never hear about T-Mac anymore, but here's what he did compared to Hollis Price.
Points - 2,275 (454 more than Hollis)
Rebounds - 529 (165 more than Hollis)
Assists - 628 (166 more than Hollis)
Turnovers - 237 (33 less than Hollis)
Steals - 319 (95 more than Hollis)
Big 8/12 Championships - 2 (2 more than Hollis)
Big 8/12 Tournament Championships - 1 (2 less than Hollis)
NCAA Wins - 6 (2 less than Hollis)
I think T-Mac was a better player on a lesser team. Remember that T-Mac put up these points and averages playing his first three seasons without a shot clock or three-point line. The guy was a great player and he's never talked about any more.
To put Hollis on the list of all-time greats is no crime. Far from it, I just think to put him on there is to overrate him. He was a very, very good player, but I think T-Mac was better. T-Mac out averaged Hollis in points, rebounds and assists in every comparative season of their careers at OU.
We've had some studs come through at the 2-Guard position. Nate Erdmann, Lester Lane, John McCullough, Raymond "The Juice" Whitley, David Little, Brent Price, Ryan Minor and Corey Brewer. All of those guys were really, REALLY good. More often than not, though, when I see fans make up an all-time list I see Hollis Price at 2-Guard. He was really good, but not that good.
And that's why I think he's the most overrated player in the history of OU Basketball.
Like I said, it's just a conversation starter on a slow day. Don't shoot me. :OUbball-logo:
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