Best most consistent period of HS recruiting ever?

[atlantasooner]

Obviously OU has landed the odd Burger Game kid. And Capel added 3 Burger Game kids in 2 years without adding much else.
But overall, is this 4 year run the best HS recruiting performance by OU in a long time? I mean Lon's consistently adding talent year over year. He loses a kid like Milton, he gets James.
All low 4 star, high 3 star kids. All with high upsides. Program pieces.
Either from big time bball academies and/or who play on very talented AAU teams.
Sure he's still adding the occasional transfer JUCO or Div 1.
But these kids are the foundation of why OU is always going to be competitive
under Lon.
2012- Buddy, Cousins, Hornbeak
2013- Woodward, Booker
2014 - Buford, Lattin, McNeace
2015 - Odomes, James

 

[sperry]

This is the best collection of HS talent at OU since Billy was here.

 

[pnkranger]

We are one top tier player away from being a contender in my mind. I'm talking top 20 type talent.

 

[campbest]

There is a very solid foundation of 4 year players to build around. Next step is to get one elite player every couple years, that's what will put OU over the top.

 

[coolm]

he's done an outstanding job in the area that I thought would be his weakness. OU is NOT an easy sell so it says a lot that he makes acquisitions like this.

 

[CoachTalk]

We are one top tier player away from being a contender in my mind. I'm talking top 20 type talent.

We are a thomas waiver away from being a contender.

 

[ouboomer]

this is the best recipe Oklahoma can have over some of the blue bloods of college basketball is developing veteran teams and catch a couple of the bigger programs with a younger teams or when they have a big roster turnover like Kentucky will have next year.

the next couple of years are set up on paper to be teams that can make late runs in March, very exciting times after the gloom of basketball from 2009-12.

 

[DenverSooner]

You left off Spangler. I know he was a transfer but he had four years to play three.

I sure hope OU gets Thomas this year.

 

[sdcloud9]

I agree.

LK and staff are getting quality people with high upsides.

I hope he can start getting the occasional elite kid to put this program over the top.

 

[AdaSooner]

Obviously OU has landed the odd Burger Game kid. And Capel added 3 Burger Game kids in 2 years without adding much else.
But overall, is this 4 year run the best HS recruiting performance by OU in a long time? I mean Lon's consistently adding talent year over year. He loses a kid like Milton, he gets James.
All low 4 star, high 3 star kids. All with high upsides. Program pieces.
Either from big time bball academies and/or who play on very talented AAU teams.
Sure he's still adding the occasional transfer JUCO or Div 1.
But these kids are the foundation of why OU is always going to be competitive
under Lon.
2012- Buddy, Cousins, Hornbeak
2013- Woodward, Booker
2014 - Buford, Lattin, McNeace
2015 - Odomes, James

Spot on observation about the players LK and his staff are bringing in. This may be the most athletic collection of high school players I have seen at OU in more than a decade. Additionally, all of the guards and wings except Jordan are at least 6' 4", yet they have enough foot speed to defend at a high level. I'm definitely happy with the direction our program is headed now.

Pnkranger and campbest are right, though. We're an occasional elite player from being a legit contender for a NC someday. That's not to say we can't compete for a Big 12 title and make a deep run in the NCAA tourney with the players we're getting now. But, one top tier player could be the difference in a deep run and a shot at a national championship.

 

[atlantasooner]

Ada,
Yeah lots of good comments to my post.
I wonder if
Hield could be that elite player
I think Lattin also has that kind of ceiling.

 

[BoomSoon]

Agree with comments on being one Top Tier guy away from elite. We need to boost our attendance. Fans can actually help to impact this. Tough sell for the big boys when all they are seeing is big crowds at other places. Hope attendance keeps growing this year.

 

[jerry]

We have to start winning some games in March. Top recruits follow that. Even if they only stay 2 years they want to go to the elite 8 or think that they can.

 

[CobraKai]

I think Hield and Thomas (if cleared) can lead us pretty deep. I agree that LK's recruiting has been outstanding given the product he has to sell. Plus, he is a great coach. These classes remind me of the types of classes Kelvin got later in his career. Not many top 20 type guys, but tons of top 100 type guys that weren't one and done type players. I haven't been this excited in a long time.

 

[KBaden145]

I don't know if it is the best stretch of HS recruiting we've had. I do think it is the most concerted effort by a head basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma to build a solid base of HS talent since I've been watching. That goes back to the early 80's. This is the best way to build and sustain programs of OUs ilk; very good HS talent who, for the most part, will be around for 4 years.


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[SoonerinNC]

When I saw Hield, Hornbeak and Cousins in the early practices I thought "I really like these guys". More than I expected from the recruiting press had given them credit for.

Then last year I knew what we had in Woodard because I had seen several of his high school games on the internet. But Booker had no publicity coming in and again he was unquestionably a guy who could shoot but also rebound and play defense well above my expectations.

Then from the highlight strips that was posted on this site yesterday you have to have great expectations on these guys. Some of the plays by the big fella were just awesome. Particularly on defense.

Also in the one practice I saw on the net the new big guys are getting a lot of Kruger attention. They are getting pushed around quite a bit by Thomas but both have a pretty good touch on the ball from 10-15 feet plus plenty of length.

Clearly Kruger consistently recruits guys who can play the game he wants to coach. And most appear to be better than their press clippings.

 

[SoonerSpock]

he's done an outstanding job in the area that I thought would be his weakness. OU is NOT an easy sell so it says a lot that he makes acquisitions like this.

Very true. OU is fortunate to have Lon. We could have the coach like at the state school to the north who can consistently sign a few very ranked kids but is still looking to develop a real basketball team. Now is Lon can start getting a couple of highly touted kids like Ford signs we will get our program elevated to the level established by Billy and Kelvin.

 

[DenverSooner]

What I like is he is building a complete team of high school kids that seem to want to be college basketball players.