Defense under Kruger

[DenverSooner]

How many of Kruger’s s seasons has OU been a good defensive team?

We’re we goo the first year?

If I recall correctly defense has been the Achilles heel every year. Do I remember correctly?

I know the offense was really bad last year but I am not sure the defense was particularly good

 

[coolm]

waddaya think ... should we take him out back and beat the whey out of him?

 

[MsProudSooner]

I remember that the first thing I noticed the first year Lon was here was that we seemed to know what we were doing on defense. Were we a good defensive team? I don't know - but we were better than we had been the year before.

 

[stormspencer]

These are the Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency ratings under Kruger's tenure:
2012 - 90
2013 - 80
2014 - 82
2015 - 7
2016 - 17
2017 - 39
2018 - currently 107th

The only conclusion I have from the above stats is that we are really good defensively when we have at least one good on-ball defender (Cousins) and one really good defensive post presence (Spangler)....these two variables help our team defense tremendously. If we only have one or the other (or neither), we haven't been so good on defense...sans last year. Regarding last year, we struggled offensively and slowed the game down (compared to what we are used to)....and I think it helped our defense (statistically) at times.

 

[DenverSooner]

Is that an average of 60? I like Lon Kruger. I am a fan but is an average of 60 good enough for OU?

I wonder what KU and Duke have been over the last 7 years.

I personally believe team sports are all about defense.

 

[DenverSooner]

I remember that the first thing I noticed the first year Lon was here was that we seemed to know what we were doing on defense. Were we a good defensive team? I don't know - but we were better than we had been the year before.

Now that you say this, I recall that too but Capel lost complete control of his team to the point that a competent man looked incompetent

 

[DenverSooner]

Just for discussion purposes, let’s say Kruger is not a particularly strong defensive coach. If that is true, why wouldn’t he hire a great defensive assistant coach?

Another thought, what impact does tempo have on defensive rankings?

 

[sooner8]

Bingo!!!DenverS

 

[oudna]

Is that an average of 60? I like Lon Kruger. I am a fan but is an average of 60 good enough for OU?

I wonder what KU and Duke have been over the last 7 years.

I personally believe team sports are all about defense.

60 is probably good enough for OU. Been more offensive minded lately

Not sure what relevance KU and Duke have in the discussion

 

[perryj74]

Is that an average of 60? I like Lon Kruger. I am a fan but is an average of 60 good enough for OU?

I wonder what KU and Duke have been over the last 7 years.

I personally believe team sports are all about defense.

If this team was in the 60's we still be a top 4 seed instead of on the bubble.

 

[DenverSooner]

I reference Duke and KU because they are two of the best and most consistent programs over the last 30 years, maybe more. My guess is they have very good defensive stats. In fact I would hypothesize the defensive stats would be more consistent than the offense.

I don’t think having the 60th rank defense is good enough. I doubt a 60th or above ranked defense has ever made the great 8 much less than final four. I suspect very few 60th ranked defenses have made the Sweet 16

 

[AdaSooner]

Just for discussion purposes, let’s say Kruger is not a particularly strong defensive coach. If that is true, why wouldn’t he hire a great defensive assistant coach?

Another thought, what impact does tempo have on defensive rankings?

The simple fact that our defense has gotten progressively worse not better, is one of the reasons I have been hammering the assistants on this staff. Lon may run the practice sessions, but he’s not the hands-on guy when players are caught out of position or make a mistake. If he chooses to spend more time working on the offense, which is what I believe this team has been doing? Well, that’s on him.

There is not much evidence to suggest that defense has been all that important during practice. I have a feeling our coaches thought this team could continue to win by scoring a lot of points, a calculated risk when you rely on making shots from the perimeter.

It worked pretty well early on. Now, the staff may be wishing they had put more emphasis on defense from the start of the season, the way Sampson used to do. It was a well known fact that defense dominated Kelvin’s practice sessions, while very little time was spent on offense. Frankly, it showed in games, which is why he was criticized for his teams’ painfully low scores. His coaching style seems to have changed since then.

As for me, I will take good defense. Making shots from the perimeter and in transition may be fun to watch, but it’s also unreliable.

 

[DenverSooner]

If this team was in the 60's we still be a top 4 seed instead of on the bubble.

Maybe but I think they would lose second or third round of the tournament (notcountingpkay in games as a round)

 

[sperry]

Maybe but I think they would lose second or third round of the tournament (notcountingpkay in games as a round)

You've randomly come back to the board to create like 37 threads that are thinly veiled attempts to crap on the Kruger, Trae, and the team. It's getting really old.

 

[oudna]

I reference Duke and KU because they are two of the best and most consistent programs over the last 30 years, maybe more.

And not comparable in any fashion to OU.

 

[oudna]

I doubt a 60th or above ranked defense has ever made the great 8 much less than final four. I suspect very few 60th ranked defenses have made the Sweet 16

That’s ridiculous. There are 337 teams. Probably every season a team makes the Sweet 16 with a defense 60+.

 

[chuckb]

I reference Duke and KU because they are two of the best and most consistent programs over the last 30 years, maybe more. My guess is they have very good defensive stats. In fact I would hypothesize the defensive stats would be more consistent than the offense.

I don’t think having the 60th rank defense is good enough. I doubt a 60th or above ranked defense has ever made the great 8 much less than final four. I suspect very few 60th ranked defenses have made the Sweet 16

The only time Duke has been in the top 20 in defense since 2011 was in 2015. A couple of times they've been 86th.