Blake Griffin, Capel, and lastyear.

[ben]

Let me preface this by saying that the best coaching Capel has done during his tenure at OU is convincing Blake Griffin (and Warren) to come here. I will give him credit for that always. Thank you Jeff for at least giving us the pleasure of seeing a monster dominate people at Lloyd Noble and almost get us to the final four with some pretty good role-players.

But here is my point, just for arguments sake: Say Blake Griffin went off to Duke or Michigan State. With extremely well coached teams like those....I honestly think that either of those teams could have gone undefeated and won the NCAA tourney with ease.

Blake Griffin has proven that he is a freak. I thought, when he finally left for the Clippers, "Oh yea he'll be great, a Carlos Boozer type player, I hope he pans out and averages double figures in at least rebounding"...

but he is shaping up, barring injury, to be one of the greatest to have ever played the game. Sure he's a second-year guy, has a lot of years left that he needs to work hard and prove himself on a winning team....but from what I'm seeing, it's just a shame we didn't have a coach that demanded tough defense and discipline.

Finally, last year should be all the proof you need to realize that Capel is not very good at head coaching. Three all-americans....and we said "well, attitude problems and headcases"...but come on, you honestly think that a Tom Izzo or even a Travis Ford would have acquired a 13-18 record with those guys, despite their "problems"?

Before lastyear, I always supported Capel, and I don't want to call him a terrible coach. He has always been a gentleman to the press and I think he does care and feel horrible for what has happened. But, he's done a horrific coaching job outside of bringing a future NBA superstar here.

With that said, I hope this team gets on a winning track and takes out gardner-webb. I might be beating a dead horse with this topic, and if that's the case, forgive me. I just need the catharsis of writing this, because I care deeply for OU basketball. I like it more than OU football, and I love OU football. I can't even enjoy other college basketball games because it makes me think of how there is no hope of us of reaching any post-season. I forgive Capel for being a bad coach, but I won't forgive Joe Castiglione if he allows our PROUD program to lay waste over the next few years.

 

[blankenship4]

Well stated, couldnt agree more. Even as a poke, Blake is my favorite player to watch in the nba. unreal talent

 

[thebigabd]

good post.

 

[bgrch1350]

Griffin is a Great Player, no doubt about it. And I love what he is doing in the NBA, but that is 2 years removed from OU. And no credit is being given to Capel for how Taylor and Longar develop under Capel or even Blake. Blake wasn't even 1 of the top 25 players in the country his freshman year...Maybe not even top 50 in the country. And people weren't picking him as the preseason MVP his sophmore year.

 

[NormanPride]

Joe C is the real villain here. There is no excuse for this performance year after year.

 

[ben]

Sorry, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but I don't think a great athletic director is someone who does tremendous things for the historically-sound football program and lets another program with a great recent history completely collapse like a house of cards.

 

[NormanPride]

Sorry, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but I don't think a great athletic director is someone who does tremendous things for the historically-sound football program and lets another program with a great recent history completely collapse like a house of cards.

Not sarcastic at all. Joe has been great for football and WBB, but terrible for MBB. Do I think he should be fired? Absolutely not. Our athletic budget is in the black and we are great in a number of other sports. I just think that he needs to try just as hard on MBB as he does on everything else.

 

[OUhoops11]

Should Rick Barnes be fired because he didn't win the national championship with Kevin Durant? After all, Durant has won a scoring title in the NBA and is by all accounts a top 5player overall.


Calipari couldn't win a title with four first round draft picks last year. Should he be fired?


Tubbs never won a title with Wayman Tisdale. Should he have been fired?

 

[thebigabd]

Should Rick Barnes be fired because he didn't win the national championship with Kevin Durant? After all, Durant has won a scoring title in the NBA and is by all accounts a top 5player overall.


Calipari couldn't win a title with four first round draft picks last year. Should he be fired?


Tubbs never won a title with Wayman Tisdale. Should he have been fired?

I like how we compare Jeff Capel to literally anyone... I have seen comparisons to Roy Williams, Mike Anderson, Rick Barnes, John Calipari, and now Billy Tubbs.

Does anyone actually think you can compare Capel to those guys?

I say this with all seriousness... take a look at Quin Snyders tenure at Mizzou and you will find the best comparison for Capel. Both duke guys, both have elite 8's, both have had their programs investigated for recruiting violations, both very young head coaches, etc.

Of course, Quin's worst season at Mizzou was 16 wins. Capel has had 16 win season and a 13 win season, and probably wont get to 13 wins this year. So, Capel will have 2 seasons worse than Quin Snyders and one that was equally bad at 16 wins.

Food for thought.

 

[ben]

Should Rick Barnes be fired because he didn't win the national championship with Kevin Durant? After all, Durant has won a scoring title in the NBA and is by all accounts a top 5player overall.


Calipari couldn't win a title with four first round draft picks last year. Should he be fired?


Tubbs never won a title with Wayman Tisdale. Should he have been fired?

good point. Rick Barnes and Calipari always choke with top five classes and OU should have won a damn title with Tisdale.

 

[Sooner04]

Billy's only crime with Tisdale was not making a Final Four. Should've beaten Memphis State in Dallas, but hell, that Memphis State team probably had a higher payroll than last year's Memphis Grizzlies.

But there was nobody beating Georgetown in '84 or '85. I hate Georgetown, but that Villanova loss was a fluke. A downright fluke. 78% shooting and only win by two? FLUKE!

But Billy should've made a Final Four with Wayman. What was the name of that dude who lit us up in '84? Roosevelt.....

 

[Big Old Booger]

Billy's only crime with Tisdale was not making a Final Four. Should've beaten Memphis State in Dallas, but hell, that Memphis State team probably had a higher payroll than last year's Memphis Grizzlies.

But there was nobody beating Georgetown in '84 or '85. I hate Georgetown, but that Villanova loss was a fluke. A downright fluke. 78% shooting and only win by two? FLUKE!

But Billy should've made a Final Four with Wayman. What was the name of that dude who lit us up in '84? Roosevelt.....

Roosevelt Chapman, from Dayton.

That 84 team was done before the Big 8 tournament, which is probably the only valid criticism one could find with Tubbs coaching. His teams seemed to fizzle out before the tournament and played their best basketball in late January or early February (84, 89, 90, 92).

 

[scrybe]

I like how we compare Jeff Capel to literally anyone... I have seen comparisons to Roy Williams, Mike Anderson, Rick Barnes, John Calipari, and now Billy Tubbs.

Does anyone actually think you can compare Capel to those guys?

I say this with all seriousness... take a look at Quin Snyders tenure at Mizzou and you will find the best comparison for Capel. Both duke guys, both have elite 8's, both have had their programs investigated for recruiting violations, both very young head coaches, etc.

Of course, Quin's worst season at Mizzou was 16 wins. Capel has had 16 win season and a 13 win season, and probably wont get to 13 wins this year. So, Capel will have 2 seasons worse than Quin Snyders and one that was equally bad at 16 wins.

Food for thought.

.

 

[Sooner04]

Again, the needless hate for bigabd. Boggles my mind. One of the mysteries of the universe.

 

[Mac]

.

+1

 

[thebigabd]

.

You clearly arent a fan of facts, stats, and other things most consider irrefutable. Thats fine, you dont need to be.

 

[bgrch1350]

Should Rick Barnes be fired because he didn't win the national championship with Kevin Durant? After all, Durant has won a scoring title in the NBA and is by all accounts a top 5player overall.


Calipari couldn't win a title with four first round draft picks last year. Should he be fired?


Tubbs never won a title with Wayman Tisdale. Should he have been fired?

Good points.

Last years team had a domino effect into this years team. We lost too many guys. We just lost too many players from last years team. Crocker, Allen, TMG, Warren, Willis, and Wright. This team just needs to develop. I'm excited about next year. Too many freshmen this season to have a good season. Next year this board will be singing a different toon.

 

[seniorsooner]

Question: when have Rick Barnes and John Calipari coached teams to a 13-18 record and then followed it up with a worse record the next season?

The big problem I have with Capel is just how bad these teams are. A "rebuilding year" shouldn't mean you win 10 games and are the worst team in the conference. That is simply inexcusable.

Regardless I would certainly hope that the most ardent Capel supporters agree that he must make the tournament next year or be fired. Anything less is unacceptable.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Good points.

Last years team had a domino effect into this years team. We lost too many guys. We just lost too many players from last years team. Crocker, Allen, TMG, Warren, Willis, and Wright. This team just needs to develop. I'm excited about next year. Too many freshmen this season to have a good season. Next year this board will be singing a different toon.

Dude...what are you smoking? Next years team will be as bad if not worse than this year. The recruiting class he signed last year was horrible as most of these guys couldn't start for 10 teams in the big 12. Of the guys he has set to come in next year aren't any better. Their is no Wayman or BG in that class and that's the level of player needed to accomplish what you are predicting.

 

[bgrch1350]

Dude...what are you smoking? Next years team will be as bad if not worse than this year. The recruiting class he signed last year was horrible as most of these guys couldn't start for 10 teams in the big 12. Of the guys he has set to come in next year aren't any better. Their is no Wayman or BG in that class and that's the level of player needed to accomplish what you are predicting.

what are you smoking. We return all but one guy. We are bringing in...so far...The #3 juco player in the country, a transfer who should be our best player after sitting out a year, a RS freshman who can shoot the ball well. And not to mention that we have 2 scholarships still available.

Just because they can't start on anyones team this year does not mean they can't start for teams next year.

Fitzgerald made huge improvements from year 1 to year 2. I expect even bigger improvements in year 3.

I expect Pledger, Neal, Clark, Newell, and Washington to make huge improvements as well.

But I guess players don't improve over a year BOOGER.