Doolittle and McGusty

[152219]

McGusty looks like he has mentally checked out. Similar to how James looked at the end of last year.

 

[Jccouger]

Both Lack confidence.

When you lack confidence you want to get to the hole to get easy buckets and build your confidence back up.

Mcgusty is too small and unathletic to get to the rim easily. Doolittle lacks post size to post up and isn't a good enough ball handler to drive. This leads to them attacking the rim, but only getting 3/4 of the way there and then end up throwing up some awkward floater jumpshot that is off balance.

I don't see them breaking through the slump this year. Hope they don't let the lack of confidence cause them to transfer down to a less competitive conference before they can become better basketball players.

 

[ellissooner]

These 2 have been such a mystery to me this year. They vascillate from being too passive to trying to force things. Just haven't found their rhythm on this team. I cringe every time they touch the ball right now but I agree that Lon has got to keep putting them in the game and hope they remember how to play ball.

It has hurt Doolittle that he couldn't practice with the team the first semester.

 

[BCSooners]

Both Lack confidence.

When you lack confidence you want to get to the hole to get easy buckets and build your confidence back up.

Mcgusty is too small and unathletic to get to the rim easily. Doolittle lacks post size to post up and isn't a good enough ball handler to drive. This leads to them attacking the rim, but only getting 3/4 of the way there and then end up throwing up some awkward floater jumpshot that is off balance.

I don't see them breaking through the slump this year. Hope they don't let the lack of confidence cause them to transfer down to a less competitive conference before they can become better basketball players.

McGusty is an amazing finisher at the rim. He's just pouting and not playing hard. Someone said similar to James last year and I completely agree. He needs to suck it up and work out like crazy over the summer (like James) and he could come back to the all-league type player everyone was anticipating.

Doolittle is harder to figure out since he missed so much time. But it seems like Doolittle just hasn't been back long enough and is trying to fit in rather than just playing.

 

[soonerjunky]

RO has been very good lately. Feed him.

 

[sperry]

This was a lost year for McGusty. He doesn't fit with Trae at all. If he stays, he should be a much better fit next year.

Doolittle just looks lost. When you're a 6'6" post man, you have to be incredibly skilled, and he doesn't look the part right now. The fact that he's not shooting any jumpers is a killer though. That has to be a part of his game, he's not going to make a living driving or living inside. Same with a bunch of guys on this team.

 

[thebigabd]

These two guys have transfer written all over them. If true, it's a consequence of being 100% Trae Young for a year. As I've stated previously, this kinda thing isn't good for the rest of the team.

 

[AdaSooner]

McGusty looks like he has mentally checked out. Similar to how James looked at the end of last year.

True. There was also a lot of speculation that CJ might transfer. He used the off season to improve his conditioning and his game, and he is better for it.

Let’s hope McGusty and Doolittle do that, too. Better still, let’s hope they find their game again this season! That may be the key to any success we have in the post season.

 

[152219]

These two guys have transfer written all over them. If true, it's a consequence of being 100% Trae Young for a year. As I've stated previously, this kinda thing isn't good for the rest of the team.

Doolittle has no one to blame but himself for cheating and getting kicked out of school the fall semester. He has been out of sorts since the day he returned from his suspension. Blaming Young for Doolittle's play is beyond laughable.

McGusty is a ball dominant player that works best as a one on one player. He is a very talented player getting his own shot, but he doesn't create for others. Furthermore, his play doesn't mesh with Young's because he is an average at best outside shooter (shoots the ball way too flat to be consistent). McGusty is also a mediocre defender. Put it all together and his game doesn't fit with Young's. But, do you honestly think this team would be better off with McGusty as the ball dominant player and Young playing elsewhere?

 

[Maverick008]

These two guys have transfer written all over them. If true, it's a consequence of being 100% Trae Young for a year. As I've stated previously, this kinda thing isn't good for the rest of the team.

Why??? Because they are having a down year? It happens......

Because they don't get the ball enough??? Both of them get it numerous times a game with opportunities to make something happen and don't get it done.

A consequence of 100% young for a year? Well him being gone next year should solve that if that's really a problem even though you should want to help a guy like that or work to get better to become more of an option. MOST if not all teams gameplan for their best players. That won't change unless they go to a little school that really has no chance to do anything.

Also, I'm pretty sure Lon showed last night not only is he willing to take the ball out of Trae's hands, but that he'll do it for an extended period of time. Most of the game the ball came down the court in either RO or James' hands. Funny enough, one of the times when they turned it over right as it came across half court, the comment was "and that's why you want the ball in Young's hands most of the time." Young/Kruger get a lot of crap for him having the ball so much yet that is exactly what he was brought in for.

Saying going "100% young" isn't good for the team is odd in my opinion? So should they have not recruited him and gone with Shep and another "average to solid" recruit at point and had all of us 2nd guess why they didn't go after young?

Young's "problem" is he's the best PG and SG on the roster so the kid not only runs the offense but shoots the most as well, so the ball stays in his hands a lot more than normal. It's painfully obvious that when he doesn't have it, not much is created by anyone else on the team. RO has started to create a lot more for himself but not necessarily for others.

One thing that has been brought up by other posters is the lack of movement by this team. Honestly, that's on them as much as it is to draw up a play. When he drives, move. When he shoots, crash. Too many times guys stand and watch THE ENTIRE TIME until he gives the ball up. Go back and watch the last play from last night. Manek and James stand at the 3 point line at the top and on the wing and NEVER move until the final horn sounds as RO and Lattin are fighting for the ball inside. That's on them as players not just TY and Kruger. Make things happen for yourself when you can which is a lot of the time honestly.

Overall, the TEAM showed what they can do defensively in the 2nd half. And if they can put that effort together with a solid shooting night, they will be a tough out for anyone in any game. They need to play with more confidence as a team moving forward not just one or two guys.

Don't get me wrong, there are times that TY dribbles too much or shoots too much or shoots ill advised shots at the wrong times. But my question is, who doesn't go through phases like that? As he has said many times, he's still learning which we all forget at times. But other guys have to help by moving move as well in my opinion when the time calls for it.

 

[152219]

One thing that has been brought up by other posters is the lack of movement by this team. Honestly, that's on them as much as it is to draw up a play. When he drives, move. When he shoots, crash. Too many times guys stand and watch THE ENTIRE TIME until he gives the ball up. Go back and watch the last play from last night. Manek and James stand at the 3 point line at the top and on the wing and NEVER move until the final horn sounds as RO and Lattin are fighting for the ball inside. That's on them as players not just TY and Kruger. Make things happen for yourself when you can which is a lot of the time honestly.

.

Again that is the offense and for good reason. James and Manek are on the 3 point line because they are good 3 point shooters and it spreads out the floor. Young gets a high ball screen from Lattin/McNease and Young then has a number of options. He can play pick and roll with the big guy who set the screen (a ton of dunks for the big guys off this). Young can drive if the pick and roll isn't defended properly. Or if the wing defenders help, then that frees up Manek or James for a 3 point shot. The offense works because Young is excellent with the ball in his hands. Now, could Odomes shoot the ball better from the outside, which would improve the offense? Of course. Do I wish that the offense had one more piece of action, which would be the big man to then go down the lane after the pick and roll and then pop out and set a screen for a wing player to free them up? Yes, I think that would help, which is what the Golden State Warriors do. But, Manek and Young aren't being lazy. This team isn't running a motion offense like the ones run by teams coached by Bob Knight, Gary Williams, etc. This offense is much closer to what the NBA teams are running, but without as many actions.

 

[Maverick008]

Again that is the offense and for good reason. James and Manek are on the 3 point line because they are good 3 point shooters and it spreads out the floor. Young gets a high ball screen from Lattin/McNease and Young then has a number of options. He can play pick and roll with the big guy who set the screen (a ton of dunks for the big guys off this). Young can drive if the pick and roll isn't defended properly. Or if the wing defenders help, then that frees up Manek or James for a 3 point shot. The offense works because Young is excellent with the ball in his hands. Now, could Odomes shoot the ball better from the outside, which would improve the offense? Of course. Do I wish that the offense had one more piece of action, which would be the big man to then go down the lane after the pick and roll and then pop out and set a screen for a wing player to free them up? Yes, I think that would help, which is what the Golden State Warriors do. But, Manek and Young aren't being lazy. This team isn't running a motion offense like the ones run by teams coached by Bob Knight, Gary Williams, etc. This offense is much closer to what the NBA teams are running, but without as many actions.

I get that this is the "offense" they are running. I'm talking more about when that breaks down or specifically when the shot goes up or a guy drives. If you want to defend that Manek is at the top of the key and should be first back on D then fine but standing and watching as James and others do from the wing when the ball is passed or shot by Young is not "the offense". When Young passed to RO, James DIDN'T move from the spot on the wing at all. If you go back and watch it, IF he slides down to the baseline and calls for it, it's a much easier pass if RO sees him given he was under the basket when he caught it from TY. Angles are everything in this game and I'm not saying completely go from what the coach is telling them but to adjust on the fly when needed. When you are on the opposite side of the court and the ball is driven from the other wing, don't ALWAYS just stand there with your hands up. Cut to the paint to the open area and look for the ball. Slide down the to the baseline, as I noted already. Change it up and make it harder for your guy to guard and not allow him to help off the ball everytime because you never change. Those are the things I'm talking about

 

[AdaSooner]

These two guys have transfer written all over them. If true, it's a consequence of being 100% Trae Young for a year. As I've stated previously, this kinda thing isn't good for the rest of the team.

Bigabd, I’ll give you credit, you said exactly that.

To be fair, WichitaSooner, most people in this thread are defending the team and Trae Young.... I am personally entertained by watching him play, but the point I am trying to make is that Kruger sold out to get Young and the guy is here to do whatever he wants on a one year rental before leaving.

He's going to win you a lot of games, but this is not really a "team"... It's a one-man show. Calipari described it accurately. OU "is" Trae Young. The results have been good for the most part, but this "team" and its #332 defensive ranking really don't have a snowballs chance in hell at accomplishing much more than individual accolades for Trae Young.

That is, #332 ranked defense out of 350 teams....

They sold out to the Youngs fellas, hate to break it to you. Basically the worst defense in basketball, a one-man show on offense, and a complete break from anything we have seen in OU basketball history or in Lon Krugers career. The way he coaches this team isn't even close to being his normal approach, because it's all about Trae Young.....

By the way, I don’t agree that McGusty and Doolittle are candidates to transfer. Odomes was said to be a candidate to transfer at the end of his freshman season. The same was said about James’s last year. They’re both still here. I think McGusty and Doolittle will be too.

 

[thebigabd]

Why??? Because they are having a down year? It happens......

They are having a down year because Lon Kruger sold out to Trae Young. Again, not a single play gets run for anyone else. 100% of OU offense is created off Trae Young. Not a bad strategy, but its not without consequence either.

Because they don't get the ball enough??? Both of them get it numerous times a game with opportunities to make something happen and don't get it done.

I played on a team once where my opportunities came only when the primary people had to give up the ball or other circumstances that didn't involved planned involvement from me... I didn't play on that team the next year.

But, do you honestly think this team would be better off with McGusty as the ball dominant player and Young playing elsewhere?

I think McGusty would be better off from a developmental standpoint without Trae Young. The team wouldn't be as good, but that's also hard claim because we don't know who would have been here other than Trae.

Guys on TV made an interesting claim a few weeks ago... put up Trae Youngs numbers and they pointed out how odd they are for "high major" basketball. That typically guys that get the amount of shots that Trae does or have total control of the team are playing mid-major basketball. Wish I could find the clip, but it was pretty interesting... Basically shows that handing the entire team over to a single player is very odd for high major basketball.

Saying going "100% young" isn't good for the team is odd in my opinion? So should they have not recruited him and gone with Shep and another "average to solid" recruit at point and had all of us 2nd guess why they didn't go after young?

I have a feeling that if Tom Izzo, Kelvin Sampson, John Calipari, Billy Donovan, etc signed Trae Young that they would make use of his incredible talent but make him play within the team. Tom Izzo sends lots of guys to the NBA that don't look that great in college because they play team basketball... Calipari usually has so many guys of professional caliber that this isn't normal for his group either.

So sure, sign Trae Young. But incorporate him into the group and don't let him do whatever he wants out there.

 

[152219]

I get that this is the "offense" they are running. I'm talking more about when that breaks down or specifically when the shot goes up or a guy drives. If you want to defend that Manek is at the top of the key and should be first back on D then fine but standing and watching as James and others do from the wing when the ball is passed or shot by Young is not "the offense". When Young passed to RO, James DIDN'T move from the spot on the wing at all. If you go back and watch it, IF he slides down to the baseline and calls for it, it's a much easier pass if RO sees him given he was under the basket when he caught it from TY. Angles are everything in this game and I'm not saying completely go from what the coach is telling them but to adjust on the fly when needed. When you are on the opposite side of the court and the ball is driven from the other wing, don't ALWAYS just stand there with your hands up. Cut to the paint to the open area and look for the ball. Slide down the to the baseline, as I noted already. Change it up and make it harder for your guy to guard and not allow him to help off the ball everytime because you never change. Those are the things I'm talking about

That is obviously what Lon wants because James is almost always in his same position. I did see James have an excellent back cut last night but Lattin didn't pass him the ball.

I wish that Young and Manek played more pick and roll up top since Manek could pick and pop, which unfortunately Lattin/McNease cannot do. Well, the thought is that Lattin should be able to do this but he never developed that part of his game. The issue is what to do with Lattin/McNease in this action. I would put them in the short corner and if Young drove and their man left to help it should be an easy basket (if our big guys could catch the ball).

 

[Maverick008]

They are having a down year because Lon Kruger sold out to Trae Young. Again, not a single play gets run for anyone else. 100% of OU offense is created off Trae Young. Not a bad strategy, but its not without consequence either.

If you have gone to a practice and witnessed that not one play is drawn up for anyone else then I'll give it to you. Otherwise we will have to agree to disagree Also, you can't possibly believe that McGusty and Doolittle are having down years solely because of Trae Young??? I can give you a little bit about McGusty having issues offensively due to Young having the ball so much but not defensively. IF he were better defensively, he would have more minutes just because of that. And Doolittle didn't have a chance to work with young and the team until 2nd semester....that's not Young's fault at all.....

 

[152219]

And Doolittle didn't have a chance to work with young and the team until 2nd semester....that's not Young's fault at all.....

Yes, it is Young's fault that Doolittle cheated on his academic work. :eddie187_jpg_xs:

 

[inoref]

I kinda thought Doolittle would leave last year if anyone remembers, I recall being called out on that too. I dunno if he will or not for sure but he looks like a player not happy. Far as KM goes IMO he is even more likely to leave than Doolittle...again this is (IMO) I don't believe OU can handle both players leaving, there isn't enough talent coming in next year. Four key players gone off a team is never a good deal if it were to happen.

 

[TINY]

McGusty and Doolittle have sucked this year because of themselves and that’s it. Those guys should be much more efficient since no one on the other team is worried about them when Trae is on the court. Trae has made everyone else on the team better except for them. That’s on them, not Trae.

 

[schoonerdriver]

I think we need to run more offensive sets. This team has gotten into a bad habit of stopping and watching Trae. Zero movement without the ball when we don't run sets.

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