Every time I think about next year, two names pop into my head.

[thebigabd]

Romero Osby and Calvin Newell. I know everyone is excited about Osby, and he will probably be the pre-season newcomer of the year unless Chris Allen gets it for ISU.

But I think these guys represent a pretty big toughness and athletic upgrade.

I could be 100% wrong, but I think switching Calvin to full-time shooting guard (where he was a 30ppg scorer in high school) instead of making him a point guard will produce a totally different player.

I think he is tougher, quicker, and more athletic than Pledger, and that Pledger is more suited to be a scoring/shooting option off the bench.

What do you guys think? Am I overhyping Calvin's ability? Understimating Pledgers ability?

PG: Sam Grooms
SG: Calvin Newell
SF: Cameron Clark
PF: Andrew Fitz
PF: Romero Osby

Love it...

 

[WTSooner]

What do you guys think? Am I overhyping Calvin's ability? Understimating Pledgers ability?

PG: Sam Grooms
SG: Calvin Newell
SF: Cameron Clark
PF: Andrew Fitz
PF: Romero Osby

Love it...

Yes, I think you are over-hyping him. I think he'll be improved this year, but he doesn't really seem to me like a guy that will be able to get points playing off the ball. He isn't a shooter.

And in your lineup, there really isn't a good 3 point shooter in the bunch. Clark is average, but part of him being average is taking limited 3's. Newell is more of a driver, mid-range guy. And Grooms is another guy that isn't a great jump shooter. Shooting is still going to be our biggest weakness, and that is one of the reasons I'm okay with signing up Rotnei.

I really think that the SG spot is Pledger's to lose, based on is ability to put the ball in the basket. And while Newell is quicker, his small size doesn't really make him the ideal defender at SG either. I guess what I'm saying is, if Newell starts over Pledger at SG, I think it's b/c Pledger is playing very poorly, moreso then Newell winning the spot outright.

 

[garyeb2]

Please guys. No hard feelings. This is all for fun. Some of the 1st words out of Krugers mouth were, "I need to sign a point guard and a center." He did and they will start. Grooms, by all accounts is pretty good. Arent is big. Kruger likes big and offensive schemes that funnel around and thru conventional post players. All Arent has to be is competent and he is on the floor 30 minutes a game. Fitz,Blair, and Pledger are the "unquick" You could put a highlight reel together on any of them. But, they are slow afoot and weak defenders that were major contributors to the lousy results last season. Osby probably is pretty good. Any or all of the Newel,Neal, and Clark group could pop big between the fresh/soph years.

 

[WTSooner]

Please guys. No hard feelings. This is all for fun. Some of the 1st words out of Krugers mouth were, "I need to sign a point guard and a center." He did and they will start. Grooms, by all accounts is pretty good. Arent is big. Kruger likes big and offensive schemes that funnel around and thru conventional post players. All Arent has to be is competent and he is on the floor 30 minutes a game. Fitz,Blair, and Pledger are the "unquick" You could put a highlight reel together on any of them. But, they are slow afoot and weak defenders that were major contributors to the lousy results last season. Osby probably is pretty good. Any or all of the Newel,Neal, and Clark group could pop big between the fresh/soph years.

So your guess on the starting lineup is:

Grooms
Cam
Osby
Fitz
Arent

I just don't see it. That lineup isn't anywhere near athletic enough to guard teams in our league.

 

[garyeb2]

So your guess on the starting lineup is:

Grooms
Cam
Osby
Fitz
Arent

I just don't see it. That lineup isn't anywhere near athletic enough to guard teams in our league.

Your kidding? The book on Grooms is that he can guard three positions and he is quick.. Cam and Osby are likely the two most athletic guys we have. Arent's job would be to guard the other teams big,rebound, and score when it comes handy. I like Newell at the 2 and Fitz on the bench. There will be plenty of minutes to go around. Fitz, Neal, and Pledger will all get a fair share.

 

[perryj74]

Whatever the starting line-up ends up being the good news is there appears to be several players that can contribute quality minutes. That's never a bad thing.

 

[sperry]

Pledger scored 38 points in a big XII road game. Obviously, he is horribly inconsistent, but he has the ability to score the ball, something we are going to struggle to do next season. I didn't see anything out of Newell that made me think he's anything more than a role player.

 

[CoachTalk]

So your guess on the starting lineup is:

Grooms
Cam
Osby
Fitz
Arent

I just don't see it. That lineup isn't anywhere near athletic enough to guard teams in our league.

Cam isn't a 2 and osby isn't a 3. arent probably won't start If he is then we found a diamond in the rough.

 

[WTSooner]

Cam isn't a 2 and osby isn't a 3. arent probably won't start If he is then we found a diamond in the rough.

Oh, I agree. Was just trying to figure out what lineup he thought we'd put out there.

I'm nearly positive Pledger will start at SG, Cam will start at SF, and Osby will start at PF. Grooms and Blair will fight it out at PG, and Fitz and Arent at C.

 

[garyeb2]

Oh, I agree. Was just trying to figure out what lineup he thought we'd put out there.

I'm nearly positive Pledger will start at SG, Cam will start at SF, and Osby will start at PF. Grooms and Blair will fight it out at PG, and Fitz and Arent at C.

See, I said that this would be fun. Playing Peter Pan Gold Mine with starting line-ups always is. But, I'm finding it really hard to identify the reference point some of the posters are using for their opinions. I'll give you mine. The overwhelming consensus is that this will be Kruger's toughest rebuilding job. The reason is that Capel rounded up a bunch of mid-major talent to compete in a BCS conference. That mid-major talent includes but is not limited to Thompson (he started 6 games), Pledger,Blair,Wasington,Fitz, and probably Neal. Clark flashed alot of athletic ability from time to time and he was just a freshman. So, he deserves another look. And Newell, he was just a freshman and Capel had him out of his natural position. Another look for him too. Osby, Grooms, Arent, and anyone else Kruger thinks enough of to bring in will be better than any of that bunch that was on the floor last season. On one hand I kind of thought Capel should get Coach of the year for winning 5 conference game with that crew. What am I missing?

 

[sanguinetti]

i'm not sure that Osby is "probably" Newcomer of the Year just yet. would be great, but really? what do we know?

 

[j2d2]

I'm hoping that Kruger's penchant for and emphasis on defense will improve Fitz's and Pledger's play especially. In fact, good defensive play gets you wins when you are not the most talented team as Sampson taught us and we were a poor defensive team last year.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I think Newell has the talent to be a better overall player than Pledger. Maybe not a better outside shooter, though Pledger is very streaky, but a better defender (Pledger plays very little defense), a better passer, and a better scorer (able to get to the rim as well as shoot the J; Pledger can only shoot he has very little ability to take it to the rim).

I also think Newell plays with much more fire and intensity than Pledger ever has.

 

[sharp1]

I think Newell has the talent to be a better overall player than Pledger. Maybe not a better outside shooter, though Pledger is very streaky, but a better defender (Pledger plays very little defense), a better passer, and a better scorer (able to get to the rim as well as shoot the J; Pledger can only shoot he has very little ability to take it to the rim).

I also think Newell plays with much more fire and intensity than Pledger ever has.

You should ask the Iowa State, Colorado, Baylor....who would they least like to play against Newell or Pledger....lol

 

[dubyac]

i think we start the season with vets... pledger, fitz and cam... then newcomer grooms and osby... 2 guard 3 forward lineup... neal, blair, newell and probably arent get minutes off the bench... jmo...

 

[LoveDemSooners]

Pledger needs to be more consistent. Newell is a hard worker but I don't see him being a quality starter to be honest.

It's hard to even begin to guess what the starting line up should be.

Grooms/Blair/Fraschilla? lol
Pledger/Newell
Cam
Osby
Fitz/Arent

 

[Big Old Booger]

You should ask the Iowa State, Colorado, Baylor....who would they least like to play against Newell or Pledger....lol

What if I ask Mizzou, KU, KSU, OSU, Texas, aTm, Tech, etc.? LOL

 

[Sawyer]

i'm not sure that Osby is "probably" Newcomer of the Year just yet. would be great, but really? what do we know?

Chris Allen is the obvious choice for preseason newcomer of the year IMO. The guy was a starter/contributor on back to back final four teams. Osby was a bench player for an NIT team. Osby hype aside, Allen has an actual track record to go by and has to be the preseason pick.

By the end of the season? That one's definitely up for grabs. But the preseason selection isn't.

 

[thebigabd]

Chris Allen is the obvious choice for preseason newcomer of the year IMO. The guy was a starter/contributor on back to back final four teams. Osby was a bench player for an NIT team. Osby hype aside, Allen has an actual track record to go by and has to be the preseason pick.

By the end of the season? That one's definitely up for grabs. But the preseason selection isn't.

I agree with this... im buying into the Osby hype as an OU fan, but pre-season it has to be Chris Allen from ISU.

 

[Sawyer]

When do they vote on the pre-season awards?