Sooner04
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During the dreadful 1981 campaign, a campaign so horrid it featured home losses to both Lamar AND Ohio Northern, Billy Tubbs came up with one of the greatest quotes I've ever had the privilege of running across. He told those who were busy hammering us to get their licks in quick, because things would be changing soon.
"This year we're going to run and shoot," Tubbs said. "But next year, we're going to run and score."
And so it began in 1982, the High Tides and Green Grass of OU Basketball. From 1982 through 2009 we were one of the top 15 Basketball programs in the country. Don't think so? Check this out.
23 NCAA Appearances
8 Sweet Sixteens
5 Elite Eights
2 Final Fours
1 National Championship Game appearance (barf)
But those days appear to be long gone. I've lived my life as an optimist. How else to keep one from killing one's self when one roots for the Padres, Vikings and Supersonics. But as I peer deeper into the statistics that back up the record of Jeff Capel's tenure here at Oklahoma I see nothing but darkness. An abyss. In its eyes I see nothing, no sign of love behind the tears. Good players who don't stick around, bad players who drain their team, recruits who don't show....it's a level of attrition I simply didn't think was possible. It's so bad that we find ourselves in year 5 of this experiment with as little depth as any Oklahoma team in recent memory.
But enough about that. How about some statistical evidence. I'll begin with one I posted the other night and then fill you in on others.
1. This is the fourth time in his tenure here that Jeff Capel has had a losing streak of five or more games. Before he arrived, our last five-game losing streak was in 1991 when we lost six in a row during one conference stretch.
2. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, the lowest scoring OU team in that stretch was the decimated 2004 team of Kelvin Sampson (68 ppg). It was one of only two OU teams since 1982 to average less than 70 points a game. In Jeff Capel's four full seasons here we've already averaged less than 70 points twice. 2011 will most likely be the third.
3. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished in the top half of the conference standings 21 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished in the bottom half of the Big 12 twice in his four full seasons. This team will be his third time to place in the bottom half of the pack.
4. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU two losing conference slates: a 5-9 in 1991 and a 6-8 finish in 1994. Jeff Capel has finished below .500 in two of his four full seasons at Oklahoma. This team will be his third to finish below .500 in the Big 12 Conference.
5. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished ranked in the final poll 14 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished a season at Oklahoma ranked only once, in 2009.
6. Last season was the first Oklahoma team to be outscored over the balance of a year since the 1981 team mentioned above. The 2011 team will be the second in a row to meet that grisly fate.
7. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won the conference tournament on six different occasions ('85, '88, '90, '01, '02, '03). Jeff Capel's record in the Big 12 Tournament as head coach at Oklahoma is 2-4, with only one appearance in the semifinals.
8. Over the last two seasons, OU Basketball has won 25 games total. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won 25 games or more in a season 11 times.
9. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU was 31-22 against O-State, 30-24 against Missouri, 25-10 against Texas and 20-30 against Kansas. Jeff Capel's record against those same teams? 6-5 against O-State, 2-3 against Missouri, 2-9 against Texas and 0-5 against Kansas.
The slide to mediocrity has been swift but, make no mistake, it is complete. It is total. We have marched quietly into the night. The greatness of OU Basketball has gone out, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Capel may get one more year, or he may get canned tomorrow. I do not know his fate, but I'll go to the Lloyd Noble Center either way because I love OU Basketball. I'll go because that's what I do, but I will not lie to you. I hate this. I hate resigning myself to losses. I hate walking into a home conference game with nothing on the line.
In closing, let me say this: I stopped at nine stats for a reason, and that is because nine is more than likely the number of consecutive losses we'll end our regular season with in 2011. If that happens, it will be the second consecutive season we accomplished that putrid feat too.
Thank you for your time.
"This year we're going to run and shoot," Tubbs said. "But next year, we're going to run and score."
And so it began in 1982, the High Tides and Green Grass of OU Basketball. From 1982 through 2009 we were one of the top 15 Basketball programs in the country. Don't think so? Check this out.
23 NCAA Appearances
8 Sweet Sixteens
5 Elite Eights
2 Final Fours
1 National Championship Game appearance (barf)
But those days appear to be long gone. I've lived my life as an optimist. How else to keep one from killing one's self when one roots for the Padres, Vikings and Supersonics. But as I peer deeper into the statistics that back up the record of Jeff Capel's tenure here at Oklahoma I see nothing but darkness. An abyss. In its eyes I see nothing, no sign of love behind the tears. Good players who don't stick around, bad players who drain their team, recruits who don't show....it's a level of attrition I simply didn't think was possible. It's so bad that we find ourselves in year 5 of this experiment with as little depth as any Oklahoma team in recent memory.
But enough about that. How about some statistical evidence. I'll begin with one I posted the other night and then fill you in on others.
1. This is the fourth time in his tenure here that Jeff Capel has had a losing streak of five or more games. Before he arrived, our last five-game losing streak was in 1991 when we lost six in a row during one conference stretch.
2. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, the lowest scoring OU team in that stretch was the decimated 2004 team of Kelvin Sampson (68 ppg). It was one of only two OU teams since 1982 to average less than 70 points a game. In Jeff Capel's four full seasons here we've already averaged less than 70 points twice. 2011 will most likely be the third.
3. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished in the top half of the conference standings 21 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished in the bottom half of the Big 12 twice in his four full seasons. This team will be his third time to place in the bottom half of the pack.
4. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU two losing conference slates: a 5-9 in 1991 and a 6-8 finish in 1994. Jeff Capel has finished below .500 in two of his four full seasons at Oklahoma. This team will be his third to finish below .500 in the Big 12 Conference.
5. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished ranked in the final poll 14 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished a season at Oklahoma ranked only once, in 2009.
6. Last season was the first Oklahoma team to be outscored over the balance of a year since the 1981 team mentioned above. The 2011 team will be the second in a row to meet that grisly fate.
7. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won the conference tournament on six different occasions ('85, '88, '90, '01, '02, '03). Jeff Capel's record in the Big 12 Tournament as head coach at Oklahoma is 2-4, with only one appearance in the semifinals.
8. Over the last two seasons, OU Basketball has won 25 games total. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won 25 games or more in a season 11 times.
9. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU was 31-22 against O-State, 30-24 against Missouri, 25-10 against Texas and 20-30 against Kansas. Jeff Capel's record against those same teams? 6-5 against O-State, 2-3 against Missouri, 2-9 against Texas and 0-5 against Kansas.
The slide to mediocrity has been swift but, make no mistake, it is complete. It is total. We have marched quietly into the night. The greatness of OU Basketball has gone out, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Capel may get one more year, or he may get canned tomorrow. I do not know his fate, but I'll go to the Lloyd Noble Center either way because I love OU Basketball. I'll go because that's what I do, but I will not lie to you. I hate this. I hate resigning myself to losses. I hate walking into a home conference game with nothing on the line.
In closing, let me say this: I stopped at nine stats for a reason, and that is because nine is more than likely the number of consecutive losses we'll end our regular season with in 2011. If that happens, it will be the second consecutive season we accomplished that putrid feat too.
Thank you for your time.
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