Can this team play better?

[Oliver Hardy]

They can shoot better from the field more consistently. You can always rebound better and have less turnovers (particularly turnovers if your name is OU). The last couple of games have been pretty sharp from the field, but it was rough earlier. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, however.

As I've mentioned previously, this team is playing at a level I haven't seen since 2002.

Play can always be better, but this sure ain't bad. Can we sustain it this level of play for another humpteen games, probably not. We are going to have a bad night sometime. Let's hope it comes against Kansas or Tech when we've got some leeway room.

I still think this may be the greatest turnaround in OU history if it is maintained. We don't have a D-Rob or Paris girl or a Thompson on this team. We have some who may become that, but not yet.

 

[scrybe]

I still think this may be the greatest turnaround in OU history if it is maintained. We don't have a D-Rob or Paris girl or a Thompson on this team. We have some who may become that, but not yet.

Frankly, Oliver, I believe we have three, possibly four players who have a chance to be more productive/have a bigger impact than two of the three former players you mentioned.

Before someone asks: Gioya, Maddie, Gabbi, Peyton.

 

[sybarite]

Frankly, Oliver, I believe we have three, possibly four players who have a chance to be more productive/have a bigger impact than two of the three former players you mentioned.

Before someone asks: Gioya, Maddie, Gabbi, Peyton.

As individuals or as a group? I think this may be the best group or most productive first unit that has ever been at OU if they continue to develop. Of course, they do need a post to be a part of this, even if the post did nothing but rebound. But, I would agree that they, by the nature of their talents, tend to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts, which has not always been the case.

 

[SoonerNorm]

This team has really played well over the last 5-6 games. Our man to man defense has been very good, rebounding has been good, until the last game, shooters are shooting very high petcentages, free throws are dropping, Kaylon has played the best basketball if her career, and we have gotten good play from the bench. Turnovers are at 15 or below. I've said I doubt we will see us play this well over any 5 game stretch the rest of the year. You have no idea how much I hope I'm wrong. But, I know how difficult it is for a team to hit on all cylinders the way this team has lately.

 

[Oblivion]

This team has really played well over the last 5-6 games. Our man to man defense has been very good, rebounding has been good, until the last game, shooters are shooting very high petcentages, free throws are dropping, Kaylon has played the best basketball if her career, and we have gotten good play from the bench. Turnovers are at 15 or below. I've said I doubt we will see us play this well over any 5 game stretch the rest of the year. You have no idea how much I hope I'm wrong. But, I know how difficult it is for a team to hit on all cylinders the way this team has lately.

I believe we are just playing consistence at the right time! We will be hard to stop if everyone continues to bring there A game!!! My opinion...

 

[scrybe]

As individuals or as a group? I think this may be the best group or most productive first unit that has ever been at OU if they continue to develop. Of course, they do need a post to be a part of this, even if the post did nothing but rebound. But, I would agree that they, by the nature of their talents, tend to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts, which has not always been the case.

Syb: I was referring to Oliver's statement that we do not yet have a D-Rob, Thompson or a Paris on this team, but that some of our current players might become that good at some point. I assumed he was talking in terms of the impact/production each of those former players had on the success of the team.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I believe we are just playing consistence at the right time! We will be hard to stop if everyone continues to bring there A game!!! My opinion...

I agree with you. However, the only team I believe that has been that consistent this year is UCONN. They bring it every game (excluding the Stanford game early). Since then, no one has made them break a sweat. We normally are lucky if two players are hitting on all cylinders in a game. Next game it might be two different players who carry the team. You would have to go back a few years to find this kind of production on both ends of the court from as many players as we have right now who are playing well. Sherri must be pinching herself right now. I sure am.

 

[scrybe]

:ez-laugh::ez-laugh: Not sure if I'd advise you to be pinching Sherri, Norm.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Not to get this going in the wrong direction, but I think pinching Sherri might be worth getting knocked out by her.

On another note, Scrybe, you understood my meaning perfectly. We have players who seem to have an upside that could be has productive as the twins, D-Rob, Thompson or Hand.

These girls are so young and inexperienced at the D-1 level, I just cannot see them not making big jumps in productivity during their later years at OU.

This bunch, playing like they are right now, has a chance to be great. Will they? I don't know. They could go the other way, just as our senior-laden team did last year, just as easily. I'm betting they don't, though.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Not to get this going in the wrong direction, but I think pinching Sherri might be worth getting knocked out by her.

On another note, Scrybe, you understood my meaning perfectly. We have players who seem to have an upside that could be has productive as the twins, D-Rob, Thompson or Hand.

These girls are so young and inexperienced at the D-1 level, I just cannot see them making big jumps in productivity during their later years at OU.

This bunch, playing like they are right now, has a chance to be great. Will they? I don't know. They could go the other way, as our senior-laden team did last year, just as easily. I'm betting they don't, though.

 

[sybarite]

I think it would be obvious that we have no four-year All-Americans on the team as was Courtney. That is different from being exactly what is needed to generate a title. Courtney with this team would be ahead of UConn, easily. This team has what the Courtney years lacked.

Since the apparent question is whether we have someone who is that great as an individual at some point in their career, I have always thought that Maddie (at least prior to her injury) had the mentality and tools to be as good as any player who has ever lived. I don't think she is even close to touching the surface of her abilities. She is probably the fastest player on the team when she gets moving, and she is 6-2. Her hands and arms seem to be everywhere. Maddie is going to have Stacy King disease. Stacy could do things that the officials didn't believe, like block Danny Manning's shots without fouling. So, they called fouls on what had to have happened rather than what had happened. Maddie will get some of those calls. Early this year, I didn't think Maddie would make it back. She looked stiff and uncertain. Right now, I think she is taking step after step to make it back. By March, we could be looking at someone that changes the entire level of this team.

I think Gabbi and Gioya have quite a bit of room to grow. Gabbi has the mindset. I think Gioya took some time to convince herself that she was this good. I'm not totally certain that she knows how good she can be, even yet. Gabbi has more of an aggressive mindset and seems to be making progress more rapidly. She is another that I think could be at the level of an All-American by her sophomore year---as a point guard. I want to see if she becomes more of a traditional point, or if a bit of Kelsey Plum emerges.

The other person that interests me in this regard is LaNesia. She has a great upside, but I'm not sure that she will see it this year.

I see Peyton a bit differently. I think she will be better because she will work at it. But, she will outsmart the game rather than out-athlete it. I'm not sure that she is a great athlete, but she could well be the winner on IQ.

I want to see a bit more of Vivi and McKenna. Vivi, especially, seems to have some very unique athletic ability. Courtney's athleticism was always undervalued because she looked like she couldn't move rapidly. She could. She had tremendous agility and hands. Vivi seems to have some of that. She is just so green that it is revealed in pieces rather than as a tour de force the way that Courtney was revealed. Some of Vivi's blocks have been the type you just don't expect a freshman to do. Occasionally, she shows that she can move, and she just had ACL repair.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Syb, what I was saying was...oh, never mind. Can't wait to see us tomorrow on the court.