Capel making all the right moves.

[bocabull]

The OU basketball program is not free falling. It was free falling when he took it over. He did a masterful job in his first 3 years of getting it back on track.

In his 4th year he hit a small bump in the road due to a lack of talented upperclassmen, too many inexperienced or over recruited underclassmen, magnified by some chemistry issues between the most talent underclassmen and devastated by mono and a season ending injury to by far the best player on the team.

Now imagine Capel was not heading into his 5th year, imagine he was a newly hired head coach. Every move would be applauded. Ray Willis and Big O are not good enough to contribute to a winning team in the Big XII, so they are gone. TMG, did not want to be a student athlete, he is gone. Tiny Gallon might have been involved with a financial advisor and an assistant coach might be implicated. An investigation ensues and the assistant coach is gone and Tiny's status is up in the air.

Meanwhile, Capel has some nice recruits coming in and has his head down working on a couple more to fill the gaps. Exactly what he should be doing and based on his past performance, OU will be right in the thick of the Big XII title chase sooner rather than later.

 

[p230]

Big O are not good enough to contribute to a winning team in the Big XII, so they are gone.

Big O gone?? Did I miss something?

 

[WishforOU]

:clap:clap:clap I hope we get some more bigs.

 

[BanjoCharley]

And littles, we need a really solid little right now.

 

[bocabull]

Big O gone?? Did I miss something?

Sorry if that is wrong. Maybe it was just another spastic rumor. You like the one about Capel being AWOL, then Sittler admitting today that Capel emailed him back saying there was nothing to say at this time last week.

 

[NickZepp]

I'm not saying he's a horrible coach but anyone that thinks he's doing everything right needs to look at what his recruits have done. The players Kelvin already had here were a HUGE reason we were a Elite 8 team. The players that Capel has brought in haven't done much outside of the brother of Kelvin Sampson recruit.

 

[Cheno]

Meanwhile, Capel has some nice recruits coming in and has his head down working on a couple more to fill the gaps. Exactly what he should be doing and based on his past performance, OU will be right in the thick of the Big XII title chase sooner rather than later.

OU is farther now from the Big 12 title race than at any other point I can remember. To suggest the opposite is silly.

 

[bgrch1350]

I'm not saying he's a horrible coach but anyone that thinks he's doing everything right needs to look at what his recruits have done. The players Kelvin already had here were a HUGE reason we were a Elite 8 team. The players that Capel has brought in haven't done much outside of the brother of Kelvin Sampson recruit.

1) How many players did Sampson put in the NBA?
2) And what players of Kelvin were a huge reason? B. Griffin? Warren? Crocker? Pattillo? Davis? Leary? OH you just mean Johnson and T. Griffin. They were great role players...and your given them the HUGE reason we were successful award.

I take Capel over Sampson any day of the week. And the people who say Capel should thank Blake then Sampson should thank Price b/c I watched him lose in the first round year after year after year.

 

[FaithfulSooner]

I'll just say this. Taylor Griffin was going to leave if Sampson was still the coach. It's a fact. If Coach Capel doesn't come then you have no Taylor and therefore no Blake. Face the facts please. Also, Blake has stated repeatedly that he came to OU because of Coach Capel. BOOMER SOONER BABY!!!

 

[Sawyer]

The OU basketball program is not free falling. It was free falling when he took it over. He did a masterful job in his first 3 years of getting it back on track.

...

Now imagine Capel was not heading into his 5th year, imagine he was a newly hired head coach.

If, in a coach's 5th year, you need to imagine he's just been hired for things to make sense, then he definitely did not do a "masterful" job getting the program back on track. At this point he's cleaning up his own mess. The wounds to OU basketball are entirely self-inflicted.

That said, when the smoke all clears it may be true that he's made all the right moves to right the ship. It's tough to tell at this point exactly what is going on (especially for a non-OU fan). He's obviously a smart guy, though, and he's had some damn good mentors (his father and Coach K), but that's not always enough.

 

[Sooner79]

I'll just say this. Taylor Griffin was going to leave if Sampson was still the coach. It's a fact.

I'll just say this. Damian James and Scotty Reynolds were going to be Sooners if Sampson was still the coach. It's a fact. Oh, and both were four year players that would have been better under Sampson than they were under the coaches they ended up playing for.

 

[okcsooner83]

I don't care how many guys kelvin put in the nba or how many jeff does, just win games. Kelvin won and made the ncaa tourney consistently. I hope Jeff wins at OU but I don't like the current state of the program.

Cheno, agree with your points. OU will have trouble competing for a big 12 title next season. I wish I shared other posters' optimism but I don't see it. OU only won 13 games last season, what players has Capel signed that make people believe OU will be much better?

 

[yankeeDoodleSooner]

I'll just say this. Damian James and Scotty Reynolds were going to be Sooners if Sampson was still the coach. It's a fact. Oh, and both were four year players that would have been better under Sampson than they were under the coaches they ended up playing for.

Why is it so hard for some people to get? I like Capel and hope he is able to dig out and be successful at O.U., but this is his mess. These mistakes were ones that he made. The player issues caused by players that he brought in. The personnel issues caused by his assistant(s). The program is far worse off than when he was hired. At least Kelvin won conference championships and a high percentage of his games. I don't think most fans care if Kelvin put very many players in the NBA. We are not only missing depth at every position, but we don't even have a point guard, center, and possibly a player over 6'7"(depending on the Gallon investigation and Allen possibly transferring to U.C.O.). How many of our players would start for any other team in the conference? Quit making excuses for a coach that is getting paid very well to not screw up the program.

 

[NickZepp]

1) How many players did Sampson put in the NBA?
2) And what players of Kelvin were a huge reason? B. Griffin? Warren? Crocker? Pattillo? Davis? Leary? OH you just mean Johnson and T. Griffin. They were great role players...and your given them the HUGE reason we were successful award.

How many years did Kelvin Sampson not have us in a post season?

Taylor Griffin and Austin Johnson were both long and great defenders. Take them out of our team last year and we may not have made the NCAA Tournament.

 

[NickZepp]

Why is it so hard for some people to get? I like Capel and hope he is able to dig out and be successful at O.U., but this is his mess. These mistakes were ones that he made. The player issues caused by players that he brought in. The personnel issues caused by his assistant(s). The program is far worse off than when he was hired. At least Kelvin one conference championships and a high percentage of his games. I don't think most fans care if Kelvin put very many players in the NBA. We are not only missing depth at every position, but we don't even have a point guard, center, and possibly a player over 6'7"(depending on the Gallon investigation and Allen possibly transferring to U.C.O.). How many of our players would start for any other team in the conference? Quit making excuses for a coach that is getting paid very well to not screw up the program.

These points are on money. I think that's all I really wanted to point out. This isn't Kelvin's mess it's Jeff Capel's mess and he's put himself a MUCH tougher spot than Kelvin ever put him in.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Taylor Griffin and Austin Johnson were both long and great defenders. Take them out of our team last year and we may not have made the NCAA Tournament.

wow............
you give me 4 monkeys and ill bring blake and they'll get to the tourney

 

[ben]

wow............
you give me 4 monkeys and ill bring blake and they'll get to the tourney

actually, you won't.

 

[MichSooner]

The OU basketball program is not free falling. It was free falling when he took it over. He did a masterful job in his first 3 years of getting it back on track.

In his 4th year he hit a small bump in the road due to a lack of talented upperclassmen, too many inexperienced or over recruited underclassmen, magnified by some chemistry issues between the most talent underclassmen and devastated by mono and a season ending injury to by far the best player on the team.

Now imagine Capel was not heading into his 5th year, imagine he was a newly hired head coach. Every move would be applauded. Ray Willis and Big O are not good enough to contribute to a winning team in the Big XII, so they are gone. TMG, did not want to be a student athlete, he is gone. Tiny Gallon might have been involved with a financial advisor and an assistant coach might be implicated. An investigation ensues and the assistant coach is gone and Tiny's status is up in the air.

Meanwhile, Capel has some nice recruits coming in and has his head down working on a couple more to fill the gaps. Exactly what he should be doing and based on his past performance, OU will be right in the thick of the Big XII title chase sooner rather than later.

I sure hope your rosy, optomistic assessment is on target. The next few weeks and the type of players he brings in as the foundation for our future will go a long ways toward validating the optomism. He inherited a mess that occured with Kelvins departure and then in a few short years oversaw one huge mess of his own.

Don't know how this will turn out. One thing for sure, this has been damn interesting to say the least..............

 

[Shooterms]

wow............
you give me 4 monkeys and ill bring blake and they'll get to the tourney

This is just so not true.

Blake is amazing. Wayman was amazing. Michael Jordan was amazing. None of them could simply win without a supporting cast. Not trying to be confrontational, but to write off the contributions of those other players is just wrong and poorly informed. Blake, Wayman and MJ would agree.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

We should just hire Kelvin again...oh, wait, maybe not. Some of you goobers still think that he got fired or something.