Does this team have a true weakness?

[AdaSooner]

I recorded the OU-Villanova game and watched it again last night. Nova did not shoot well from the field, but OU's defense had a lot to do with that. Except for an occasional lapse in concentration, our defense was solid from start to finish.

It's no accident that our opponents so far this season have averaged 32% shooting from the field and 23% from three point range. We also hold a +11.5 advantage on the boards in the first six games. That's not bad when you consider the fact that three of those games were against highly thought of opponents that most of us were more than a little concerned about before the season got underway.

In answering the question I asked to start this thread, keep in mind that I'm not saying this team can't improve in some areas. For example, we need more quality minutes and scoring from our post players to keep Spangler from wearing out down the stretch. But, when you combine the defense we have played to this point of the season with our quality depth and a high-powered offense that seems to find a way to score in a lot of ways, I can't think of anything that I would call a glaring weakness on this team.

Agree or disagree?

 

[chuckb]

I don't think it's glaring, but I wouldn't call Spangler a true, low-post offensive threat. If we had a strong, low-post offensive threat, it would open the shooters up even more as well as the paint to penetration. If we had this threat, who could also be a defensive presence, we could be dominant.

Is that a weakness? I would say, yes, relative to our backcourt strength.

 

[pnkranger]

The ability to get a basket in the post when we need it. Keeping active bugs off the offensive glass.

 

[DenverSooner]

I also think a lack of low post scoring is the only weakness.

 

[Bobby_Hill]

In agreement with everyone else. There will be at least one or two games when the jump shot will not fall, it just happens. Having the ability to put the ball on the block and get a basket would help out.

 

[inoref]

Weakness I see so far is they depend on the outside shot way too much. That's okay when you're hitting them..not so much if not.

 

[sooner 1234]

We need legit big man. I think we can make it to the elite eight ( maybe final 4 ) on guard play alone but without a legit 6"10 difference maker I think it would take a miracle to make it much farther .

 

[Sooner-Bred]

We need legit big man. I think we can make it to the elite eight ( maybe final 4 ) on guard play alone but without a legit 6"10 difference maker I think it would take a miracle to make it much farther .

UCONN didn't have one in 2011 or 2014, they won it all with their backcourt alone.

Duke in 2010 didn't have a good big man either. They rode Bryan Zoubeck all the way to the title, and he was about half the big man that Spangler is

 

[usedtobe1]

....when you combine the defense we have played to this point of the season with our quality depth and a high-powered offense that seems to find a way to score in a lot of ways, I can't think of anything that I would call a glaring weakness on this team.

Agree or disagree?

I agree with you AdaSooner. We don't have a glaring weakness, but the center position is the one place where we can get a lot better. The good news is we have 3 good candidates in Lattin, Manyang, and McNeace. All 3 have their unique strengths and weaknesses, so they may help at various times.

I like that our "big 4" all seem to have made improvement over the off-season: Buddy, Isaiah, Jordan, and Ryan. Dinjyl has shocked me with how much he has improved particularly with his shooting. I just hope it carries over to B12 play as the competition gets tougher.

Rashard Odomes and Christian James have blown my expectations away. Both of these guys can really help this year and go on to be special over the next 3 years. Frank Booker who? Kameron McGusty better really be good if he is going to beat these guys out next year.

I also have hopes that Dante Buford puts it together soon.

What a deep bench we have now!

 

[DenverSooner]

UCONN didn't have one in 2011 or 2014, they won it all with their backcourt alone.

Duke in 2010 didn't have a good big man either. They rode Bryan Zoubeck all the way to the title, and he was about half the big man that Spangler is

As I recall things, Maryland didn't have much of an inside presence the year they won it all.

It certainly helps to have a great inside presence but I am not sure it is as important as guard play, especially when you have guys that can defend the post. OU has four of them on this team. By March those young guys are probably going to be pretty good.

 

[Sooner04]

Maryland had lots of inside presence. Lonny Baxter played in the NBA for a few years, and Chris Wilcox spent over a decade in the league.

College hoops is more of a guard's game than ever. Any matchup issues we have going forward will be offset most nights by the myriad of challenges we present to our opponents. All I see us lacking is a legitimate defender down low. A big body, not just somebody who tries to block every shot with athleticism. Somebody who can really bang.

I like our chances.

 

[coolm]

I would say they rely too much on outside shots BUT ...

if you go back and watch every shot OU took in the nova game there was all of ONE questionable shot in terms of shot selection - and no I dont count Spangler's 3 pt'er with the clock going out at 15:30 in the second half. This team has excellent shot selection. They move it around for the better but are not hesitant to take the ones in their wheelhouses. The 75 games together as starters really shows in their trust and quick movement in the offense.

all this to say they score easily and to me that negates the potential ill-effects of being so reliant on the jumper. I dont really see any weaknesses after that.

 

[AdaSooner]

I don't disagree entirely with those who say this team does not have a dominant inside presence. As I said early on, Spangler could use more help on the inside. But I haven't seen many post players this season, regardless of size, I would take in a trade for Ryan Spangler. He may not be a dominant player on defense, but he's a double-double machine on offense and on the boards. So, in a lot of ways, Ryan gives us that kind of player.

As usedtobe1 pointed out earlier, we also have three post players in Lattin, Manyang and McNeace who could easily fit the description of a dominant post defender before the season is over. What we have seen from them so far has been more by committee, and in brief spurts at that. But, the potential is definitely there. It's just a matter of when/or if the light will turn on in one or more of those three? If that happens, who knows how far this team could go in March?

 

[Larry72]

Areas that need improvement:

More Assists, We passed better against Nova ( Cousins Best Passing Game). I would like to see Assists > Half of the FGs

More Inside scoring from the bigs even though Spangler has improved a lot.

 

[opsooner]

My biggest concern isn't really a big concern. It is if/when we face a big who we cannot defend well and have to double or at least sag. There are not a lot of them in the country that worry me but there are a few. KU could give us trouble because they have both inside and outside capabilities.

 

[MisterF]

Post play. Both D and O.

 

[MNsooner]

We play really good defense, but sometimes we have issues with fouling. A lot of the times when we make a mistake on defense we foul trying to make up for it.

 

[OUradu]

Weren't these weaknesses some of the same as we said back in 2002? I.e. ace was undersized and while he was the best we had inside and was a good scorer, brown and the bench didn't add a lot of scoring inside. This backcourt plus the roles Lattin and Spangler play are reminding me a lot of 2002. As balanced a team as we've had since that squad ran to the final four.

 

[AdaSooner]

Weren't these weaknesses some of the same as we said back in 2002? I.e. ace was undersized and while he was the best we had inside and was a good scorer, brown and the bench didn't add a lot of scoring inside. This backcourt plus the roles Lattin and Spangler play are reminding me a lot of 2002. As balanced a team as we've had since that squad ran to the final four.

I like your analogy! If the results this season are also similar, I doubt if anyone will be saying too much about our "weakness" inside.

To be honest, I don't see the absence of a dominant big man as that big of a deal. Spangler gets the job done inside pretty darned well for a guy his size. Add Lattin and Manyang who continue to improve in every outing, with McNeace and Buford waiting in the wings, and I'd say we've got more post depth than most of the teams we'll face this season.

 

[OUradu]

I like your analogy! If the results this season are also similar, I doubt if anyone will be saying too much about our "weakness" inside.

To be honest, I don't see the absence of a dominant big man as that big of a deal. Spangler gets the job done inside pretty darned well for a guy his size. Add Lattin and Manyang who continue to improve in every outing, with McNeace and Buford waiting in the wings, and I'd say we've got more post depth than most of the teams we'll face this season.

I hope it's not just wishful thinking but this team has just looked a lot like that team to me. Spangler and McGee, both we said "for a guy his size"... Lattin and manyang can play the Jabari brown role not counting on a lot of scoring. Heild/Price...Woodard,Cousins/Ere,White...where's the selvy energy off the bench? I think this team may be deeper than that one, though.