By itself, not a terrible loss...

[pnkranger]

...but when you put it alongside five other games that have ended EXACTLY the same way, it is a disturbing trend.

Creighton - 2 point loss
Washington - 2 point loss
KSU - 3 point OT loss
KU - 7 point loss (two point lead with 2 minutes left)
Baylor - 11 point loss (tie game with three minutes left)

We absolutely do not know how to win a close game. It's become psychological with these guys.

 

[WTSooner]

3-4 in the Big 12. That is not good. I know we've played some tough games early, but there were a lot of posters that thought this team might not lose 7 game all regular season, and might only lose 4-5 in the Big 12.

Just underwhelming. Not what we thought we were. Can't bash the football team then sit back and be happy with this. Just about everybody expected this squad to be better than it has been. Too up and down. No consistently.

 

[Dcox]

...but when you put it alongside five other games that have ended EXACTLY the same way, it is a disturbing trend.

Creighton - 2 point loss
Washington - 2 point loss
KSU - 3 point OT loss
KU - 7 point loss (two point lead with 2 minutes left)
Baylor - 11 point loss (tie game with three minutes left)

We absolutely do not know how to win a close game. It's become psychological with these guys.

Doesn't that start with the extremely nice gentlemen sitting on the bench? And is this the best we can expect from Lon?

 

[1390]

Agreed...it's becoming mental and more of a "what's going to happen this time" kind of mindset

 

[pnkranger]

Doesn't that start with the extremely nice gentlemen sitting on the bench? And is this the best we can expect from Lon?

In terms of post-season play ... this has been Lon's worst stop of his entire career. So, I do believe that we can expect more. Just not this year.

The loss of M'Baye and the loss of Buford were blows. But the bottom line is that we lack the depth and the pride and the composure and the IQ to be a top 25 team.

 

[WTSooner]

Doesn't that start with the extremely nice gentlemen sitting on the bench? And is this the best we can expect from Lon?

I like Lon, and I'm glad that he is at OU.

That said, there is a reason Lon has only reached the Sweet 16 or past that 3 times in 29 years of D1 coaching (4 of those with Pan American).

This is Lon's ceiling. This is the kind of team he builds. Good, solid teams. Teams that will place 3-5 in good conferences. Teams that will make the Dance most years. Teams that might even win a game in the Dance most years. But that's about it, save some luck or a transcendent player.

And I'm not really complaining about that. It is what it is at this point. But it's a little frustrating.

 

[OUHoops]

I like Lon, and I'm glad that he is at OU.

That said, there is a reason Lon has only reached the Sweet 16 or past that 3 times in 29 years of D1 coaching (4 of those with Pan American).

This is Lon's ceiling. This is the kind of team he builds. Good, solid teams. Teams that will place 3-5 in good conferences. Teams that will make the Dance most years. Teams that might even win a game in the Dance most years. But that's about it, save some luck or a transcendent player.

And I'm not really complaining about that. It is what it is at this point. But it's a little frustrating.

Agreed. And this probably won't go over well, but at this point the bolded part is all I really care about anymore. Just be relevant enough to make the dance.

 

[Escape Goat]

Im tired of this. Enough already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pnkranger]

4-12 in last 16 games decided by 11 points or less. 0 wins in post-season. I LOVE Lon Kruger as a person and a coach, but he's getting paid entirely too much for this level of performance.

 

[SoopaSooner]

Agreed. And this probably won't go over well, but at this point the bolded part is all I really care about anymore. Just be relevant enough to make the dance.

Yep. That doesn't go over well for me. I don't expect Final Fours but OU basketball should have bigger goals than just making the tournament with 67 other teams.

 

[MercedeSooner]

My main gripe probably has to do with the style of ball we play which is really hard to like. Living and dying by the 3 with no semblance of a half court offense or inside game and no toughness on D is just a bad, bad recipe.

We will turn it around and the way things work 2 wins in March can turn a throw up season into a success (such is the nature of the tourney) but it's really unsettling how we just aren't improving as a team and the same flaws that were there 2 years ago are as evident as ever.

 

[sdcloud9]

I like Lon, and I'm glad that he is at OU.

That said, there is a reason Lon has only reached the Sweet 16 or past that 3 times in 29 years of D1 coaching (4 of those with Pan American).

This is Lon's ceiling. This is the kind of team he builds. Good, solid teams. Teams that will place 3-5 in good conferences. Teams that will make the Dance most years. Teams that might even win a game in the Dance most years. But that's about it, save some luck or a transcendent player.

And I'm not really complaining about that. It is what it is at this point. But it's a little frustrating.

Terrific post.

They call us fans for a reason because we always think this year will be different but I just don't see it...These kids are upperclassman and have not gotten over the hump yet.

I would love to come back and eat crow (and hope I have to).

 

[MsProudSooner]

At this point, this team lacks confidence and toughness. Did they grow overconfident after the Texas game? Coaches can only do so much. At what point do players become responsible for their own play, individually and as a unit?

 

[sdcloud9]

At this point, this team lacks confidence and toughness. Did they grow overconfident after the Texas game? Coaches can only do so much. At what point do players become responsible for their own play, individually and as a unit?

I agree.

Coaches place players in a position to succeed, players must do the rest.

 

[bocabull]

Aren't we really just playing to our talent level? If you take the OU off those jerseys we're not more talented than Baylor, or Kansas State, or West Virginia, or Washington and definitely not Kansas or Wisconsin.

I really don't think there is a lesson to learn or it's reasonable to have an expectation our players are going to improve more than their players in the future.

We just need to enjoy the season and hope we get hot at the right time and go on a little run in March. Next season will be more of the same. Maybe in a couple years we can take a step forward when Pritchard shows up. He's by far the best talent Kruger has landed.

The bottom line is unless you have some Kansas caliber horses you are never going to field a Kansas caliber team. I think ESPN hypes us up a little because Fran's boy is on our team too and he's such a nice guy.

 

[WTSooner]

The bottom line is unless you have some Kansas caliber horses you are never going to field a Kansas caliber team.

Tell that to the 2002 and 2003 (I think those years are right) teams.

They were every bit as good as Kansas, and definitely better in 2002 IMO. The talent, ON PAPER, for those two OU teams isn't much different then what we have this year. Heck, next year's OU team may have more top 100 players than that 2002 or 2003 team.

 

[Dcox]

Aren't we really just playing to our talent level? If you take the OU off those jerseys we're not more talented than Baylor, or Kansas State, or West Virginia, or Washington and definitely not Kansas or Wisconsin.

I really don't think there is a lesson to learn or it's reasonable to have an expectation our players are going to improve more than their players in the future.

We just need to enjoy the season and hope we get hot at the right time and go on a little run in March. Next season will be more of the same. Maybe in a couple years we can take a step forward when Pritchard shows up. He's by far the best talent Kruger has landed.

The bottom line is unless you have some Kansas caliber horses you are never going to field a Kansas caliber team. I think ESPN hypes us up a little because Fran's boy is on our team too and he's such a nice guy.

So the talent we have "that Lon recruited" you think Lon has done a good with talent he has to work with? It's hard to enjoy the season when you blow a 20 point lead to a 9-11 Creighton team. Well lets hope we get hot and make the tournament and be happy.

 

[bocabull]

Tell that to the 2002 and 2003 (I think those years are right) teams.

They were every bit as good as Kansas, and definitely better in 2002 IMO. The talent, ON PAPER, for those two OU teams isn't much different then what we have this year. Heck, next year's OU team may have more top 100 players than that 2002 or 2003 team.

WT, Hollis Price, Ebi Ere & Ace McGhee were drastically higher rated recruits than anybody on our current roster.

Barring the Creighton game our guys are performing as they should. Maybe a little overachieving considering there's note a single top 75 recruit among them.

 

[pnkranger]

If we had beat Creighton and KSU (i.e., splitting our close losses), we're 14-5 and 4-3 in the Big 12 with an "easier" run of big 12 games coming up. Basketball is a game of close margins.

 

[cvangild]

WT, Hollis Price, Ebi Ere & Ace McGhee were drastically higher rated recruits than anybody on our current roster.

Barring the Creighton game our guys are performing as they should. Maybe a little overachieving considering there's note a single top 75 recruit among them.

The EXPECTATIONS came from the team we had last year that won 23 games or whatever the heck it was, with a 6'6 wing playing the 4 spot. All the starters return except we replace the 4 spot with a 6'8 PF who averaged a double/double. They ARE NOT playing to their potential, so give that crap a rest. I'm just frustrated as the rest of you, and sick and tired of losing these kind of games. It's like we have the worst luck or something, or a dark cloud hanging over us. Other teams just seem to not miss in the last few minutes of a game and we can't hit phuckin $hit. Not a good combination to have.