ESPN analyics guy Seth Walder isn't sold on the Sooners

[skyvue]

Other than TY OU isn't a very talented team..we all know that.

Oh, brother. Actually, no. No, we don't. Speak for your (relentlessly negative) self, please.

Is Trae the best player on the team? Yes, by far. But he's undeniably one of the top 2 or 3 best players in the country, so it's hard to name a team he wouldn't be the best player on (there are only one or two for which one could make even a somewhat sensible argument).

But no player is good to enough to do what OU has done with a bunch of scrubs. Your statement is nonsense.

And no one has said 11-7 couldn't happen. Of course it could. It could also happen to any of the other upper-tier teams in the conference.

 

[skyvue]

OU couldn't stop me defensively.

Have you attended a practice yet? Perhaps Coach Kruger would be willing to allow you to back up your ridiculous claim.

 

[DenverSooner]

Coach Beard at Techvthinks Odomes is excellent. Most knowledgeable people think Latin and McNease are a strong combo at center. Most people think James and McGusty are good players. Virtually every announcer has praised Manec.

Doolittle was probably the best on the team last year.

I don’t understand why OU fans would belittle OU players.

 

[stormspencer]

Rankings can vary:

https://www.masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm

Out of all 39 rankings, ESPiN's BPI rates OU the lowest.

This is what I alluded to in my earlier post. The ESPN BPI is far from the most respected advanced metric rating system.

The College Football BPI had Ohio State #1 for the majority of the season....even after losses to OU and Iowa. That tells me all I need to know about their inadequate metrics and/or metric parameters. ESPN should stick to broadcasting events and stay out of the metrics business.

 

[tooney]

I don't think anyone should belittle our players.....but I think Trae is the one person on the team that can't be replaced without a major dropoff. Our whole offense runs through him.....and all of our schemes depend on him being who he is.

 

[skyvue]

I don't think anyone should belittle our players.....but I think Trae is the one person on the team that can't be replaced without a major dropoff. Our whole offense runs through him.....and all of our schemes depend on him being who he is.

I don't think you'll get any argument about that. But that's a very different stance than the one presented above.

 

[AdaSooner]

Other than TY OU isn't a very talented team..we all know that. 11-7 in the big 12 isn't something that can't happen for this team. We all know OU will go as far as TY can take us. This is a year for OU to make a run with most of the blue bloods down a little.

Good grief! Just when I think you actually know something about basketball, you prove me wrong!

No one on this team is as good as Trae Young. That much is true. But, if you think he’s the only talented player on this team, you’re beyond help and a complete waste of my time.

Be honest! Where do you hang out when you’re not trolling this board?

 

[tooney]

I don't think you'll get any argument about that. But that's a very different stance than the one presented above.

Agreed.

Trae makes each player on our team better. Hell, if I was on his team, I'd be better.....:ez-laugh:

 

[DSMok1]

The article does make some valid points. The team has been pretty fortunate in close games.

I do think that it's possible that having such an elite score as Trae Young may make OU better than most in close games, but if you keep living on the edge, you're probably going to fall off eventually.

 

[skyvue]

The article does make some valid points. The team has been pretty fortunate in close games.

You've got to be fortunate in close games. Has KU not been fortunate in theirs (and they've had plenty of them)?

 

[inoref]

Oh, brother. Actually, no. No, we don't. Speak for your (relentlessly negative) self, please.

Is Trae the best player on the team? Yes, by far. But he's undeniably one of the top 2 or 3 best players in the country, so it's hard to name a team he wouldn't be the best player on (there are only one or two for which one could make even a somewhat sensible argument).

But no player is good to enough to do what OU has done with a bunch of scrubs. Your statement is nonsense.

And no one has said 11-7 couldn't happen. Of course it could. It could also happen to any of the other upper-tier teams in the conference.

I didn't call anyone a scrub

 

[OUSKINS]

The article is basically spot on; I’m not sure what the argument is. We have absolutely overachieved so far. TY is a phenom and we are riding him to great success. It is also pretty clearly unsustainable— at least at this current rate. I don’t think we have a bunch of scrubs around him, but we are definitely a one man team in the respect that we are a national threat with him and likely not even a tourney team without him.

We aren’t good defensively; we let it rip with the best player in the country and we outgun people. I think OU is probably about the 15th best team in the country because of TY. We’ve earned our top 5 ranking based on our accomplishments which I personally don’t think we can sustain. What we CAN is win enough games to stay as a top 4 seed. And that’s really good on its own. Then maybe TY gets super-hot in March and we drain three’s. That could take us very far.

 

[Stikboy]

The article is basically spot on; I’m not sure what the argument is. We have absolutely overachieved so far. TY is a phenom and we are riding him to great success. It is also pretty clearly unsustainable— at least at this current rate. I don’t think we have a bunch of scrubs around him, but we are definitely a one man team in the respect that we are a national threat with him and likely not even a tourney team without him.

We aren’t good defensively; we let it rip with the best player in the country and we outgun people. I think OU is probably about the 15th best team in the country because of TY. We’ve earned our top 5 ranking based on our accomplishments which I personally don’t think we can sustain. What we CAN is win enough games to stay as a top 4 seed. And that’s really good on its own. Then maybe TY gets super-hot in March and we drain three’s. That could take us very far.

Yep. Hopefully OU can get hot at the right time. I cringed when I saw the #4 ranking. OU like you said can have spectacular shows of scoring but isn't near physical enough or good enough defensively. And the supporting cast for our superstar are wildly inconsistent. After games like the K State game it makes you wonder what exactly expectations should be.

 

[Eielson]

I love this team, and it's a very good team. Being top 5 seems a little crazy to me, as I had far more confidence in Hollis, Blake, and Buddy's teams. I don't really see this as a Final 4 team, but it's Sweet 16 or bust.

 

[oudna]

The article does make some valid points. The team has been pretty fortunate in close games.

I do think that it's possible that having such an elite score as Trae Young may make OU better than most in close games, but if you keep living on the edge, you're probably going to fall off eventually.

Agree!

 

[sperry]

This team is fantastic. They laid their annual egg in Manhattan Kansas, and will proceed to continue to play at the top of best conference in college basketball.

We lost because Trae Young played maybe the worst game of basketball I've ever seen. Expecting a repeat of that doesn't seem like a particularly wise bet.

 

[WTSooner]

Most of the guys on this team went 11-20 last year without Young.

The potential is there, but those guys, without Young, are clearly missing something. You could definitely see it last year. And you can see it this year if you look hard enough.

 

[AdaSooner]

Most of the guys on this team went 11-20 last year without Young.

The potential is there, but those guys, without Young, are clearly missing something. You could definitely see it last year. And you can see it this year if you look hard enough.

Oh, the drop-off is there for everyone to see when Young is not on the floor, or he is not playing well,as was the case last night. The argument had little to do with the contents of the article. It started when Iroref implied (no said) this team had “no talent” beyond Trae Young. Despite how they played as a team last night, that is simply not true.

 

[chuckb]

Sooners are a one-man team, which puts staying power at risk
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...e-young-great-oklahoma-sooners-already-peaked

The article never calls OU a 1 man team and never even suggests that it is.

I'd say the concerns about the turnovers and poor defense make a good case that the team isn't all that efficient. When I read the article yesterday, I was hoping that the team is improving enough defensively to create a higher ceiling than the article suggests. Last night's abysmal performance gives some credence to the article, unfortunately.

One thing that bothers me is that the article was posted yesterday, well before last night's game, and surely some of the coaches and players had read it. Still, their performance last night didn't show that they wanted to prove the article wrong. That's a concern.

 

[inoref]

Oh, the drop-off is there for everyone to see when Young is not on the floor, or he is not playing well,as was the case last night. The argument had little to do with the contents of the article. It started when Iroref implied (no said) this team had “no talent” beyond Trae Young. Despite how they played as a team last night, that is simply not true.

I implied.. Other than TY OU isn't a very talented team (said) no once did I say no talent. I still stand by what I really said..If this will make some feel better how about this OU is TY and a bunch of avg players..better? Holly Cow