Calvin Newell 17 in 17

[htownSOONER]

Can this guy fill it up consistently, even in a pick game 17 pts in 17 minutes is impressive. My only beef is give him more minutes if he can score like that.

 

[AdaSooner]

No question Newell had a great game. He proved that he can score with the ball in his hands. I'm excited about what he could become with a lot of hard work on the other things point guards do to be good team leaders. The question is can he run the offense, limit turnovers as he did in last night and put his teammates in a position to score? While I applaud his performance in last night's game, one assist in 17 minutes is not a good game for a point guard.

If there was a way to blend Calvin's ability to score off the dribble, his quick feet on defense and his outside shooting with Carl's court vision and passing skills, we'd have one heck of a point guard.

 

[Big Old Booger]

No question Newell had a great game. He proved that he can score with the ball in his hands. I'm excited about what he could become with a lot of hard work on the other things point guards do to be good team leaders. The question is can he run the offense, limit turnovers as he did in last night and put his teammates in a position to score? While I applaud his performance in last night's game, one assist in 17 minutes is not a good game for a point guard.

If there was a way to blend Calvin's ability to score off the dribble, his quick feet on defense and his outside shooting with Carl's court vision and passing skills, we'd have one heck of a point guard.

You just described Quannas White, IMO. Blair kind of reminds me of Quannas from a physical perspective as they are built about the same.

 

[AdaSooner]

Good comparison, BOB. Even their size is about the same.

The only real differences I see is that Calvin may be a little quicker, while Quannas was more physical. White was also older and more experienced when he came to OU, thus his PG skills were more refined. But if Newell turns into another "Q" in the next year or two, I will be one happy OU fan!

 

[seniorsooner]

Quannas White was a tremendous clutch shooter.

 

[cowboysooner]

I agree with the comparison to Q, but disagree with whoever said Q showed up more refined. Q was fat and couldn't have started for a class 2A high school team when he showed up at OU. We recruited him to get Price. However, he completely changed his body and game while he was here and made himself into the best point we have ever had in my opinion.

Q's transformation is why I think you can't get in a hurry to jump ship on players. Freshman become sophmores, juco's get their feet under them and learn how hard they have to work, etc.

I agree this years team looks bad, but the guys are almost all new and I see some potential in most, particularly in Newell, Neal and Clark. I think the transfers and Juco guys will be better next year as well, this has been generally the pattern for 20 years. We tend to get one average and one good year out of the jucos. If that happens with this group and the freshman I just mentioned improve, we could make a good jump next year. Osby and Goff are wild cardsand I just haven't seen enough of them to assess them or form an opinion. IN any event, we will have a little size next year that we don't have this year, a little more athletisim we don't have this year, and hopefully we will be a little better at the point (blair or Newell).

I have cursed at the TV enough this year to understand's everyone's frustration but I still think there is reason to believe Jeff can turn it around by next year.

 

[seniorsooner]

made himself into the best point we have ever had in my opinion.

Better than Mookie?

 

[cowboysooner]

I don't characterize Mookie as a point. I have always thought of him as a off guard. But, if you throw him in the mix, then Q moves down. Mookie was better. In fact, Mookie is the best perimeter player to ever wear an OU uniform in my book.

 

[AdaSooner]

I agree with the comparison to Q, but disagree with whoever said Q showed up more refined.

cowboysooner, I didn't say Qunannas showed up more refined. I definitely agree that he was a better-conditioned player in his second season. In comparing him to Newell, I said "his PG skills were more refined" when he arrived at OU. Quannas averaged 4.7 assists and only 1.9 turnovers in 36 games his first year at OU. I stand by my statement that he was better prepared to play the point than Newell in his first season.

As I said, Quannas had an advantage over Newell in that he was older and more experienced. He also played the point at Midland Community College. Give Calvin another year or two to develop his PG skills and adjust to the college game, and I think he has a chance to be a really good player. The tools are there. He just needs more experience.