The Sappy Stuff
I'm 37 years old now (yikes). I was in Norman from 1996-2001 (yes, the five year plan-- getting a 1.0 GPA your first semester of sophomore year will extend things a bit). Let me tell you about one of the worst days of my life. After graduation, I had only a small amount of time before I packed my stuff and moved to Tulsa to start a "real" job. My Dad and father-in-law came to help me move. I woke up that morning with a feeling of utter dread. I was not excited about my next step. I was just so sad that the college "step" was over. I loved everything my time in Norman. I remember that day vividly. I remember looking around and feeling like I was already an outsider. Felt like I was being evicted. Like a stowaway on a cruise ship who got to party and gamble and eat in the fancy restaurant for five years until the captain finally caught me. This is really cheesy, but I actually remember looking in my rear view mirror on I-35 as Norman faded behind me and thinking "I can never go back." Not literally of course. I've been back probably over 100 times since. But I was right. You can never go back. When it's over, it's over. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. My Dad and father in law helped me unload my stuff in Tulsa, said their goodbyes and that was that. I looked around my apartment and wanted to vomit. I'd never felt that way before.
Tonight, when the game ended, I saw in Tashawn Thomas' face how I felt that day. I read it in James Fraschilla's quote. Five minutes earlier you are fighting for a rebound and still dreaming of making the Final Four and extending your career. And then... Boom! Over. Forever. The very, very lucky few get to keep playing games. But for the vast majority, when it's over, that's it. I imagine it is even more dramatic and pronounced for an athlete than it was for me. They've been doing this specific thing their entire lives. Working for it. Studying it. Dreaming about reaching certain goals or milestones. And then its all just gone. As fans/alumni you live vicariously through the players (and even the students). Love going to games because for a couple of hours I get to catch a glimpse of it again. Even if I feel like an outsider looking in, I still enjoy it. I don't know any of these guys and I don't know what it's like to be a D1 athlete (or an athlete in general I suppose). But I do know what it's like to be 18. I do know it feels like everything will last forever. And I know what it's like to be 22 and realize "well, damn, it doesn't." And whenver a basketball season ends, I try and look at the seniors and/or guys that might be leaving and see if I see it in their faces. I usually do. The father the team makes it, it becomes both more rewarding and more painful to let it go.
So, I was bummed tonight. I never thought this was a Final Four team, but as this bracket unfolded I started to think "why not?" And that's the trouble with dreams-- sometimes it really sucks when you wake up.
And that would be my advice to Buddy.. We aren't talking about a lottery pick here. We likely aren't talking about a first round pick. The money he could earn next year will almost certainly be available to him the season after that. And that's why I'd implore him to not give that last season up. Because no matter what, no matter how much you make, you can never get it back. It is forever in the rear view mirror.
X's and O's
I give the season an A-. It was a B/B+ heading into the tourney and the Sweet 16 banner they earned bumps it up. Very good year. I'd stop short of calling it great or exceptional because they dropped some games they should have won and kept making some mistakes that should have been corrected. But all in all, while not always pretty, they got the job done. Proud of the team and very pleased and content with what Lon is doing in Norman.
Team was short on top end talent and not very deep. LK got the most out of them. Thought he could have used the bench more than he did, but not a lot of options there.... Cousins had a great year and a rough tourney.... Hield had a great year and mildly disappointing tourney....Thomas had a mildy disappointing year and a great tourney.... Spangler faded down the stretch again... Woodard did the opposite, played his best late... Lattin showed flashes.... Booker is very limited, as is Walker.
I know we have some bigs that should come available next year... We will need them. Buddy holds the key. If he returns, I think they will enter the year with very high hopes as a battle tested veteran team. If he leaves, I see a gaping hole that will be extremely hard to fill. I'll likely view next season as a mini-rebuild, focusing on getting the younger guys and newcomers some experience. If he does come back, the Woodard-Cousins-Hield-Lattin-Spangler fivesome should be really good assuming Lattin makes strides in the off-season. If you add a legitimate bench to that starting five, then we will probably be better than we were this year.. Which means Final Four goals aren't ridiculous.
Like I said, this was a ramble. Hope it made sense to some of you.
I'm 37 years old now (yikes). I was in Norman from 1996-2001 (yes, the five year plan-- getting a 1.0 GPA your first semester of sophomore year will extend things a bit). Let me tell you about one of the worst days of my life. After graduation, I had only a small amount of time before I packed my stuff and moved to Tulsa to start a "real" job. My Dad and father-in-law came to help me move. I woke up that morning with a feeling of utter dread. I was not excited about my next step. I was just so sad that the college "step" was over. I loved everything my time in Norman. I remember that day vividly. I remember looking around and feeling like I was already an outsider. Felt like I was being evicted. Like a stowaway on a cruise ship who got to party and gamble and eat in the fancy restaurant for five years until the captain finally caught me. This is really cheesy, but I actually remember looking in my rear view mirror on I-35 as Norman faded behind me and thinking "I can never go back." Not literally of course. I've been back probably over 100 times since. But I was right. You can never go back. When it's over, it's over. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. My Dad and father in law helped me unload my stuff in Tulsa, said their goodbyes and that was that. I looked around my apartment and wanted to vomit. I'd never felt that way before.
Tonight, when the game ended, I saw in Tashawn Thomas' face how I felt that day. I read it in James Fraschilla's quote. Five minutes earlier you are fighting for a rebound and still dreaming of making the Final Four and extending your career. And then... Boom! Over. Forever. The very, very lucky few get to keep playing games. But for the vast majority, when it's over, that's it. I imagine it is even more dramatic and pronounced for an athlete than it was for me. They've been doing this specific thing their entire lives. Working for it. Studying it. Dreaming about reaching certain goals or milestones. And then its all just gone. As fans/alumni you live vicariously through the players (and even the students). Love going to games because for a couple of hours I get to catch a glimpse of it again. Even if I feel like an outsider looking in, I still enjoy it. I don't know any of these guys and I don't know what it's like to be a D1 athlete (or an athlete in general I suppose). But I do know what it's like to be 18. I do know it feels like everything will last forever. And I know what it's like to be 22 and realize "well, damn, it doesn't." And whenver a basketball season ends, I try and look at the seniors and/or guys that might be leaving and see if I see it in their faces. I usually do. The father the team makes it, it becomes both more rewarding and more painful to let it go.
So, I was bummed tonight. I never thought this was a Final Four team, but as this bracket unfolded I started to think "why not?" And that's the trouble with dreams-- sometimes it really sucks when you wake up.
And that would be my advice to Buddy.. We aren't talking about a lottery pick here. We likely aren't talking about a first round pick. The money he could earn next year will almost certainly be available to him the season after that. And that's why I'd implore him to not give that last season up. Because no matter what, no matter how much you make, you can never get it back. It is forever in the rear view mirror.
X's and O's
I give the season an A-. It was a B/B+ heading into the tourney and the Sweet 16 banner they earned bumps it up. Very good year. I'd stop short of calling it great or exceptional because they dropped some games they should have won and kept making some mistakes that should have been corrected. But all in all, while not always pretty, they got the job done. Proud of the team and very pleased and content with what Lon is doing in Norman.
Team was short on top end talent and not very deep. LK got the most out of them. Thought he could have used the bench more than he did, but not a lot of options there.... Cousins had a great year and a rough tourney.... Hield had a great year and mildly disappointing tourney....Thomas had a mildy disappointing year and a great tourney.... Spangler faded down the stretch again... Woodard did the opposite, played his best late... Lattin showed flashes.... Booker is very limited, as is Walker.
I know we have some bigs that should come available next year... We will need them. Buddy holds the key. If he returns, I think they will enter the year with very high hopes as a battle tested veteran team. If he leaves, I see a gaping hole that will be extremely hard to fill. I'll likely view next season as a mini-rebuild, focusing on getting the younger guys and newcomers some experience. If he does come back, the Woodard-Cousins-Hield-Lattin-Spangler fivesome should be really good assuming Lattin makes strides in the off-season. If you add a legitimate bench to that starting five, then we will probably be better than we were this year.. Which means Final Four goals aren't ridiculous.
Like I said, this was a ramble. Hope it made sense to some of you.
