Anyone Miss AJ?

[DenverSooner]

A lot of you were pretty hard on AJ over the years. Anyone miss him now?

 

[sybarite]

I don't remember ever having a negative word to say about AJ.

 

[Krugerfan52]

Every time we turn the ball over and give up a layup or fastbreak three I miss not only Austin Johnson but Omar Leary as well.

As much greif as they took for being slow they sure did take care of the ball.

 

[ben]

depth at PG is our biggest problem. With two seniors last year, Johnson and Leary, we now have a frosh who of course will someday be great but isn't ready to fill in the big shoes of AJ but ALSO it is clearly evident that Willie cannot play point. Watching him play PG is painful.

 

[Gutter]

I have missed every upperclassman who played PG the year after they left -- Because it usually means a young guy who makes a lot of mistakes is replacing him.

It is the natural order of things...

 

[BanjoCharley]

The truth. +1

 

[DenverSooner]

That is obviously true, but AJ was one of those players that had a large contingency of fans give him zero respect. Another guy like that was Renzi Stone.

Honestly, I wish OU was playing so well no one missed AJ. TMG has looked really good at times so I have very high hopes for him. He just needs to learn it is more important to not make mistakes than it is to make great plays.

As to the rest of the team they just need to play defense. Crocker, Wright and Davis need to light a fire under these freshman and get them to play harder defense. All OU basketball fans should understand that tough defense wins games. Sampson proved that for 12 years. When Tubbs was at his best his teams were awesome at the press forcing turnovers and bad shots. Good teams in virtually every sport starts with a strong defense.

 

[12th Street Baller]

I was sitting here hoping for the Sooners to make some steals and get a few fast break buckets and remembered how often AJ would just reach up and snag a pass from the point. TMG has not impressed me much and is too short to guard the perimeter shot well. Combine that with the fact that his t/o-assist ratio stinks and you have a mediocre at best PG.

Yes I miss AJ a lot.

 

[campbest]

I necessarily don't miss AJ or Leary, just miss having an experienced player at the point.

 

[Boomer Sooner]

I miss Blake

 

[Sawyer]

I have missed every upperclassman who played PG the year after they left -- Because it usually means a young guy who makes a lot of mistakes is replacing him.

It is the natural order of things...

IMO it should be every coach's goal to sign a quality point guard AT LEAST every other year, if not in every class. The worst thing to watch as a fan is an inexperienced point guard trying to run a team at the college level for the first time. When you've always got 3+ guys on your roster who are capable of playing the point, you've always got someone ready to step in for the future, and a lot of those guys are more than capable of playing the 2, as well, so it's not like they're sitting on the bench while they wait their turn.

 

[SoonerinNC]

I think TMG will be OK.

I was one of AJ's biggest defenders but his health problems probably had the guy playing at 70-80% most of the time. In spite of that he had some great games but was not a big factor in others.

It showed up mostly in games like Louisville in 08 and North Carolina in 09. He just wasn't physically able to match up.

I think TMG will maintain better health and will match up better athleticly.

 

[SoonersRule]

NO!!!

 

[SoonerfanTU]

YES!!!!!

And I'll tell you why, and I said the last few years that this was one of the things he did as well as anybody. Currently, we can't get into an offense, and run a set. That starts with the pg, and TMG simply isn't strong at that right now. Replacing TMG with AJ would help alot, right now. Now, I fully expect TMG to turn into a darn good pg in time, but right now, he really isn't the pg that some thought he'd be. And some of that is supporting cast.

 

[Seymore Cox]

A lot of you were pretty hard on AJ over the years. Anyone miss him now?

where
A Muthereffin Men. I remember a post last season after the UNC game where a few posters were like good riddance, but the poise, leadership, and clutch play of that kid were something I always admired. He wasn't the most talented kid, but a catalyst on offense and defense.

 

[DenverSooner]

YES!!!!!

And I'll tell you why, and I said the last few years that this was one of the things he did as well as anybody. Currently, we can't get into an offense, and run a set. That starts with the pg, and TMG simply isn't strong at that right now. Replacing TMG with AJ would help alot, right now. Now, I fully expect TMG to turn into a darn good pg in time, but right now, he really isn't the pg that some thought he'd be. And some of that is supporting cast.

I think TMG will be a much better player than AJ but OU fans were not fair to AJ.

 

[Cheno]

No. Not from a on the court playing standpoint.
He was a good kid and represented OU well so yes from that standpoint.