Capel built this team - thanks coach.

[StatGeek]

It doesn't take a Blake Griffin to turn a program around. The greatest recruiters understand their plan/style of play, and they find players to fit that. Many times they are not considered stars. LK could bring in 2 guards next yr, and 1 or 2 posts the following year, and things should be turned.

Heck, people are already predicting a Dance Invitation based on watching a Wyoming transfer practice, and 2 high school kids who have never played on a college court. That is how quickly it can turn around in today's sports.

LK may not be known as a Calipari type recruiter, but you don't earn the rep he has, without being able to identify and land the type of players you need. How long did it take him to turn his other programs around??

• Didn't win at Pan American until year 4 went from 7 wins to 20.
• Won every year at K-State best team was 2nd year (25-9).
• Increased win total at Florida from 11 to 19 in 2nd year, but best team was year 4 (29-8 Final Four).
• Won every year at Illinois but his best team was 2nd year 23-10.
• Won every year at UNLV but didn't get it rolling until year 3 (17 wins in both year 1&2, 30 wins year 3).

 

[jmizzy4ou]

• Didn't win at Pan American until year 4 went from 7 wins to 20.
• Won every year at K-State best team was 2nd year (25-9).
• Increased win total at Florida from 11 to 19 in 2nd year, but best team was year 4 (29-8 Final Four).
• Won every year at Illinois but his best team was 2nd year 23-10.
• Won every year at UNLV but didn't get it rolling until year 3 (17 wins in both year 1&2, 30 wins year 3).

Good stuff Statgeek. Looking at those programs, the era it occurred in, and the current state of the Big 12, I believe it could/should occur in 2 yrs average, more if things go bad, earlier if things go great.

Thanks for sharing the info.

 

[Sawyer]

It doesn't take a Blake Griffin to turn a program around. The greatest recruiters understand their plan/style of play, and they find players to fit that. Many times they are not considered stars. LK could bring in 2 guards next yr, and 1 or 2 posts the following year, and things should be turned.

Heck, people are already predicting a Dance Invitation based on watching a Wyoming transfer practice, and 2 high school kids who have never played on a college court. That is how quickly it can turn around in today's sports.

LK may not be known as a Calipari type recruiter, but you don't earn the rep he has, without being able to identify and land the type of players you need. How long did it take him to turn his other programs around??

Guess it depends on what you mean by turning things around.

OU should have a good shot at the tournament next year, but in 2013 you'll have M'Baye, Clark, Neal, Hield, Hornbeak and whatever Kruger signs to finish 2012 and in 2013. That's a very young team, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see OU miss the tournament that year. A lot will depend on how good M'Baye really is.

Looking at Kruger's career track record, it's difficult to really predict how long it should take him to turn things around at OU. He peaked in year two at ksu. It was year four at Florida (his only good year there). At Illinois he took over a good program and pretty much maintained it without improving anything. At UNLV, things took off three years in.

IMO, Kruger's job at OU isn't really to get the program to an elite level so much as it is to rebuild a solid foundation for whoever takes over after he retires. He's essentially there to clean up Capel's mess. I'd predict 20-23 wins next year, maybe a bit below that in 2013-14, then a consistent 20-23 wins until he retires from OU, putting you in great shape for whoever his successor is.

 

[61sooner]

Why do so many of the posters on this thread keep referring to Newell?
He's gone. Were those posts before he left?

 

[Big Old Booger]

Kruger's pedigree doesn't (as far as I know) include being a stud recruiter. He's not a coach I would expect to sign the types of guys who can turn a program around overnight.

[insert subtle jab about OU being a "true power" here]

He was the first Illinois coach to sign the Illinois POY 3 years in a row, so he can recruit the good players but Oklahoma doesn't produce the level of talent that is produced in Illinois. He is also pretty good at finding players that others may not think are much of a talent (Mitch Richmond).

 

[Big Old Booger]

Why do so many of the posters on this thread keep referring to Newell?
He's gone. Were those posts before he left?

Yes, that is correct. Look at the dates of the posts. I think this thread was started right after the tourney in Anaheim when Newell played really well.

 

[bgrch1350]

Guess it depends on what you mean by turning things around.

OU should have a good shot at the tournament next year, but in 2013 you'll have M'Baye, Clark, Neal, Hield, Hornbeak and whatever Kruger signs to finish 2012 and in 2013. That's a very young team, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see OU miss the tournament that year. A lot will depend on how good M'Baye really is.

Were going to need more than that. I'm not expecting to much from Hield and Hornbeak in year 1. Calvin Newell may have been really good this season but last season he didn't contribute that much as a freshman. And to expect more from Hield and Hornbeak when their nothing but 3 star recruits(except on Rivals who hasn't updated their rankings yet) is nothing to get excited about. This teams downfall is the fact that we have 0 pts coming off the bench and only 1 guard that can put the ball in the whole on a consistent basis.

MBaye's a nice addition but I'm not ready to put my hopes in to Fitzgerald and Osby's backup. And the ones who think that he's going to play the 3 are greatly exaggerating. He shot 16% beyond the arc at Wyoming.

All I know is, we just lost to Texas Tech who has a horrible team and we have the 3rd worst recruiting class in the big 12 right now...to only be ahead of Texas Tech and TCU...which is sad b/c if Mizzou and aTm were still in the big 12 we would only be ahead of TT.

Kruger needs to get it together and get a solid recruit that will be a solid contributor next season to go along with Pledger, Fitz and Osby or its going to be a very long time til we see the ncaa tournament again.