Counting on freshmen

[SoonerNorm]

As everyone knows, we lose 3 starters. That's the bad news. The good news is, it gives opportunity for 3 other players to compete for starting jobs. I think Ortiz will be one who has a really good chance of starting. I would add Peyton or Maddie as well. I would say either Kaylon or Louis-Pierre will start at center. Will Sherri start 3 freshmen (including Maddie)? They may be talented freshmen but watching freshmen mature can sometimes be painful. That is why I doubt she will start 3 freshmen, rathing chosing to bring at least one off the bench. If so, my guess is that Maddie will be the one off the bench. That would also give Maddie time to gain confidence in her knees. My question about Peyton is, is she quick enough to penetrate? I know she can shoot but we need players who can shoot from the outside as well as dribble drive. I just have not watched her enough to know. That is why I really like Ortiz. She does both well.

We won't likely know the status of Louis-Pierre until later this summer or maybe this fall. Because of her injury and lack of experience, it seems likely she will come off the bench at least during the first part of the season. A lot depends on how much Kaylon improves.

Having talent is invaluable. But, so is experience. Even if Griffin and Morgan were not the most talented players Sherri has ever had, both were 4 year players and, when you add Aaryn, that's a lot of experience we won't have.

That brings us to the question, will we be better off next year? What I am about to say probably doesn't make sense but this is what I think. We might win more games but, I don't think we will actually be a better team. Losing Aaryn is going to be almost impossible to replace. I think Morgan's loss will be felt and even if Griffin had up and down games, losing her will diminish our depth. So, how can we win more games if we are not a better team? I don't know why we were as inconsistent as we were. Some of the loses (and the way we played) just made no sense. I think for most of the year we kept thinking, "okay, we are on the verge of turning this around and playing well". Obviously, that didn't happen and I don't think even Sherri knows why. I do think we will be more consistent, even with the freshmen mistakes that I anticipate will occur.

I don't have a clue how we will finish in the Big 12 (not sure what other teams have coming back) but I won't be surprised if we climb back into the top 25 in the country and make the Sweet Sixteen. That would be a great start to getting us back to being the type of team we have come to expect.

 

[womenssports]

There are so many question marks with this team that I have no clue what to expect. I do think it is a group with tremendous possibility but so many factors impact that. If Maddie is healthy, she will probably start. She isn't a freshman and has had a little experience with the difference in college play. Sharane will start. Beyond that, I have no predictions regarding OU. I do predict Baylor will win the conference again and beyond that.......no predictions. And I can accept being totally wrong. Hey, it will be difficult. :facepalm

EDIT: I am not predicting WHICH position Maddie or Sharane will play.

 

[MsProudSooner]

That brings us to the question, will we be better off next year?

On paper, you wouldn't think so. But, you can't account for chemistry on paper.

I may be alone in this point of view, but I don't think it's always an advantage to have several Seniors. They have 'been there and done that' and they aren't always as hungry as younger players. I love how it's all so new for younger players. Watching them grow into their roles is one of the reasons I enjoy college basketball more than the pros.

 

[SoonerNorm]

On paper, you wouldn't think so. But, you can't account for chemistry on paper.

I may be alone in this point of view, but I don't think it's always an advantage to have several Seniors. They have 'been there and done that' and they aren't always as hungry as younger players. I love how it's all so new for younger players. Watching them grow into their roles is one of the reasons I enjoy college basketball more than the pros.

Sherri commented today about how young we will be this fall and how much she is looking forward to coaching them. I think she just wants to put this season behind and start looking forward.

 

[DarthSooner]

I guess we will see. I'll have to wait and see in person how this new team will do. After this season I'm not banking our season on freshman, a transfer, and maddie coming off two years of injury. I'll continue to sit in my seats and cheer for them regardless but this season has turned me into a skeptic

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

As everyone knows, we lose 3 starters. That's the bad news. The good news is, it gives opportunity for 3 other players to compete for starting jobs. I think Ortiz will be one who has a really good chance of starting. I would add Peyton or Maddie as well. I would say either Kaylon or Louis-Pierre will start at center. Will Sherri start 3 freshmen (including Maddie)? They may be talented freshmen but watching freshmen mature can sometimes be painful. That is why I doubt she will start 3 freshmen .......

Having talent is invaluable. But, so is experience. Even if Griffin and Morgan were not the most talented players Sherri has ever had, both were 4 year players and, when you add Aaryn, that's a lot of experience we won't have.

I agree with most of what Norm is saying. I think some have forgotten how much excitement there was on here about last year's freshmen. And at times they delivered. However, they also cost us dearly at times. In fact some of their turnovers cost us the close games. We had 26 or 27 turnovers in that overtime game at Texas. It is almost impossible to have a championship team with mostly freshmen. I do hope at least one of this year’s freshmen (next year's sophomores) become creditable starters. We need that game time experience.

I predict the starters are Kay Kay (6’ 3”), Maddie Manning (6’2”), Nicole Kornet (6’1”), Sharane Campbell (5’10”), Peyton Little (5’11”) at the point. That gives us some decent height - and quite a bit of athleticism. And everyone of them has some (to lots) of experience at D-1 ball. First off the bench are Gioya Carter, T’Ona Edwards, & Gabbi Ortiz. Then let the other freshmen come on a bit slowly as they gain experience – and hopefully push out a starter if they are capable. Let them prove they deserve to start by putting in the work we must have all year. Plus it keeps the pressure off them – which it appeared to give Gioya & T’Ona problems at key times. As soon as they feel good about the health of Vionnese Pierre-Louis (6’4”) let her start getting some solid minutes.

I do hope we can have a solid 5 that plays together a lot. All the switching personnel gave no one the chance to really learn to play as part of a group. If you watch the teams still playing tonight, you don’t see constant in/out.

 

[sybarite]

I think it will be entertaining. Our expectations might not be quite as high since we don't have three three-year starters coming back. But, we actually would have started Maddie for the past two years had she been healthy. Gioya, Sharane, Kornet, and Kaylon have seen at least a couple of starts. If we were to play in the preseason NIT, I don't think we would get past the first round or two. But, I wouldn't be surprised at anything that this team did over the next couple of years.

A lot of good teams play freshmen these days, and some freshmen come in doing things that they didn't used to do. Whitney was pretty solid as a freshman. I really liked Maddie in those three games in Hawaii, and I was more excited about what I saw in those three games than I was about having other returning starters.

Somehow, I don't think we will be limited by Gabi. That may be a step up on day one, not that Morgan wasn't good. Ortiz is a true point, who may well be the best one and two next year in effect. She can score.

When we are tied with Louisville, Texas, Iowa State, Marist, DePaul, or West Virginia at the end of the game, I hope to find one person, maybe more, that can make at least a free throw. A simple free throw would have won four of those games. One of five would have beaten West Virginia. Just one. I want to look at Maddie, Peyton, Gabi, Gioya, Sharane, and maybe Vionese and find at least one person who wants the ball at the end of a close game, who will work to get off a decent shot, who will step up to make a steal. Just one.

 

[SoonerinNC]

Other than the stars like Courtney, DRob, Vegas, Etc. we don't have a good track record getting production from freshmen.

Ashley Paris and Olijawan did not contribute significantly until their senior year. Kornet is still trying to blend in. Lea Rush and Caton Hill contributed as frosh but they were also pretty special talents that we would love to have now. Maddie looked to be able to contribute but also appears to be a special talent. McFarland was up and down until the middle of her junior year but got injured just as she was beginning to perform.

Our freshman class this year struggled most of the year. In the crucial DePaul game where we had a great chance to win our freshmen contributed 36 minutes, 0-7 shooting 4 rebounds, 0 points, 1 assist, 5 turnovers. In the Texas loss in the conference tournament they played 24 minutes, 8 points, 2-7 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers.

We either had a weak freshman class or they just didn't develop as expected.