Capel says he would recruit Willie, TMG and Tiny again

[Sooner23]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=12#10209

Capel: 'If I had the chance to recruit Warren, Tiny, TMG again, I would'
12/11/2010 8:18:26 AM

The combination of Willie Warren, Tiny Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin was toxic to the Oklahoma basketball program. They destroyed the chemistry and spirit on last year's 13-18 team, and their premature departures lay waste to the Sooners' talent base, explaining why this year's team will be lucky to finish with last year's record.

That, anyway, is a popular belief among those who follow OU.

Well, check out what coach Jeff Capel told the Arizona Daily Star prior to the Sooners' recent game at Arizona:

"Everyone wants to make these guys out like they are bad kids - Willie, Tommy and Tiny - but they're not. They made decisions. They made choices. It may not be something that you, me or other people agree with, but they're not bad kids because they made a choice. They made a choice that they thought was best for them...

"If I had the chance to recruit Tommy Mason-Griffin again, I'd recruit him. If I had the chance to recruit Tiny Gallon again, I'd recruit him. And Willie Warren. There was nothing when we recruited any of those guys that led us to believe they were bad."

-- Guerin Emig

 

[bocabull]

Good for Capel.

 

[blankenship4]

I would too if i was him...3 mcAAs

 

[SoonerDan74012]

That's Interesting.

 

[bgrch1350]

Good for him. Not throwing these kids under the bus.

This whole lockout scared a bunch of these kids...across the nation...into entering the draft last year.

I personally, am glad that he recruited these kids here. The problem was that our best players were all young. It would have helped if Crocker would have been the guy but it was Warren and when he went out w/ that injury...TMG and Gallon started to make it their team and when he got back...nobody wanted to relinquesh their roles.

 

[blankenship4]

Good for him. Not throwing these kids under the bus.

This whole lockout scared a bunch of these kids...across the nation...into entering the draft last year.

I personally, am glad that he recruited these kids here. The problem was that our best players were all young. It would have helped if Crocker would have been the guy but it was Warren and when he went out w/ that injury...TMG and Gallon started to make it their team and when he got back...nobody wanted to relinquesh their roles.

exactly

 

[inoref]

I may be looking at it wrong but two of those three didn't add much to the program and not sure if it isn't the cause of this year problems. Willie I say yes but I would pass on the others.

 

[stoops4pres]

I'm glad he publicly stated this; saying this as opposed to the opposite would have been worse since it would have thrown them under the bus.

But if he truly feels this way, I have to disagree... I'm glad he recruited Willie (he was an integral part of OU's Elite 8 success), but TMG and Tiny were disasters.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I'm glad he publicly stated this; saying this as opposed to the opposite would have been worse since it would have thrown them under the bus.

But if he truly feels this way, I have to disagree... I'm glad he recruited Willie (he was an integral part of OU's Elite 8 success), but TMG and Tiny were disasters.

I've seen worse kids then them recruited and become productive and a successful part of teams. Some of the responsibility needs to be on how the kids were coach/counseled.

 

[Big Old Booger]

This is capel being obstinate. He knows it was a mistake and could ultimately cost him his job.

 

[stoops4pres]

I've seen worse kids then them recruited and become productive and a successful part of teams. Some of the responsibility needs to be on how the kids were coach/counseled.

No doubt, it doesn't always strictly fall on the players.

But nevertheless, I don't know how much counseling/tutelage the staff could have further given them... After all things considered those specific two seemed like a lost cause to me.

 

[j2d2]

This surprises me. TMG was not capable of doing college work and was suprremely selfish. His antics soured the whole team including Tiny, who might very well have stayed as he said he would do if not for the miserable atmosphere on the team. I can still see the angry look on Tiny's face when, yet again for the 1000 time, TMG refused to throw him the ball when he was open. Why say anything at all. That kid shouldn't have fooled him that badly, but that can happen.

 

[seniorsooner]

Honestly I'm not sure why Capel is even still talking about this. He needs to just decline comment and say something like "we're not looking to the past, we're looking to the future."

 

[MsProudSooner]

Perhaps there was a question that wasn't asked: Would you handle them differently if you had it to do over?

 

[Seymore Cox]

Also, each kid had different situations. Tiny had NCAA issues, TMG didn't like academic life, and Willie had falling stock in the NBA draft.