ESPN final 2014 top 100 ..

[WaymanFan]

Why does everyone say Stoops won't let the football players play. Perhaps Lon Kruger doesn't want them to play because it would be a distraction for a kid to join the team in January?

I've read Bob Stoops "on the record" policy about his players participation on the hoops team more than once. I'm paraphrasing, but it's not complicated: "I have no problem with one of our players being on the basketball team IF THEY'RE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY. I don't want them on the team, though, if they're ultimately going to be sitting on the bench during games."

 

[BoulderSooner]

I've read Bob Stoops "on the record" policy about his players participation on the hoops team more than once. I'm paraphrasing, but it's not complicated: "I have no problem with one of our players being on the basketball team IF THEY'RE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY. I don't want them on the team, though, if they're ultimately going to be sitting on the bench during games."

that is his "on the record" policy ..... but brandon jones was a starter as a frosh on the baseball team .. and was pretty much told that he wasn't committed to football .... he didn't start in football until he quit baseball ..

 

[WTSooner]

that is his "on the record" policy ..... but brandon jones was a starter as a frosh on the baseball team .. and was pretty much told that he wasn't committed to football .... he didn't start in football until he quit baseball ..

Exactly.

Curious to see how that affect Cody Thomas, who is listed as an OF for the baseball team, and is probably our 2nd string QB currently.

 

[CoachTalk]

Mead wouldve been a top 3 player in the state if he wouldve focused on basketball. Super athletic. Still a really good bball player, but not High D1.

 

[brettromar]

Jeff isn't a 1 sport type of kid. However if he did, he would have been a Major D1 prospect. Unfortunately for him basketball is a sport that requires a high skill level to play at the highest level. Working on it for 3 months a year and then just playing in the summer doesn't help with that.

He will be a big time talent in football if he can deal with the mental part of playing one sport and actually being in an offseason and work out program. The kid is very smart and sports are not his main focus, academics are.

 

[brettromar]

Might be LK's first "stud" at OU. Aside from a little post depth, that is about the only thing we are missing on paper. That stud guard that is the best player on the court most nights. I would LOVE to land Trier and Milton next year.

Last time I heard, about 2 weeks ago, Shake has several schools in mind, OU is not one of the top 2.

Lon and staff are working hard and I am hoping that being close to home and little brother and sister might pull at him later in the process.

 

[MI Sooner]

Not sure if he's better at evaluating talent, developing players, or both. The best way, imo, to disentangle player development from talent evaluation is too look at the guys they were after but didn't get and see how do.

It might just be that the recruiting services were right but that Kruger can take a guy (or the right guy) who is 150th best and make him 25th best.

 

[AdaSooner]

What I'm starting to appreciate in Coach Kruger is his ability to EVALUATE TALENT. His guys generally aren't that highly ranked, but I don't get the impression he gives a rat's behind. What was Buddy Hield's final rank? I'm guessing it was somewhere between 80 and 90. Adding up those who already bolted to the NBA, how many of these guys are better than Buddy? What about Jordan Woodard? Was he even top 100? I'm guessing he's one of the top 25-30 freshmen in America.

Finally, who on here would be surprised if two years from now, Mr. (oops, almost typed "David") Lattin is one of the top 20 or so sophomores in college basketball?

+1

I pay attention to the number of stars next to a players name, but I have never subscribed to the idea that where a player is ranked has much to do with how successful they'll be in college...that is, when you get past the top 30or so recruits in the rankings. That's because most of the recruiting gurus haven't seen the top 40 to 100 and above recruits play often enough, if at all, to determine with any degree of certainty where they should be ranked. The #54 recruit on one site may be ranked #94 or #104 on another. Ranking players is not an exact science by any means.

Think about how many times over the years we have seen players in the NCAA tourney and wonder "where the heck did they find that kid?" Nearly every mid-major and most major programs in the country have players on their roster those of us who follow recruiting religiously have never heard of. Where a kid is ranked does not include the intangibles like how big his heart is and does he have the work ethic to overcome any weakness he might have. There are others, but you get the idea.

To repeat WaymanFan's point above, our coaching staff seems to have a knack for seeing beyond a recruit's weaknesses and projecting how good he could be with a little coaching and hard work. They have to be. OU doesn't have the luxury of getting any player we want with the offer of a scholarship.

I continue to be impressed with the progress every player on our roster has made since last year. That's why I'm not the least bit worried about where Lattin and Buford are ranked, or if McNeace will prove himself worthy of a scholarship.

 

[BCSooners]

I wonder how many times no Oklahoma player was ranked in the top 100.