Expectations for Tyler Neal

[WTSooner]

I honestly don't see him helping much going forward. He just doesn't have a position, and that really limits any upside he might have. Not quick enough to play the wing, and not big/physical enough to play the 4. At best, if he gets more consistent with his shot, he's a guy that could come in and help us match up, big or small, with a team, and maybe knock down a couple of 3's. Might be a good zone buster when the starters aren't getting it done.

 

[schoonerdriver]

What Neal needs is aggressiveness. When i watch him play he's just out there playing, he has no passion. Unless he finds that, he will be the player he is now for 4 years. If he does find it, and i think he will, he has the potential to be a really good player for OU.

This plus some toughness. Everytime I see him on the court, he looks as if he doesn't want to be out there. I wanted him to play more last year and was liking what I saw the first few OOC games. That quickly subsided (how many conference games before he hit his 1st 3 in conference?) as the season wore on.

Until he improves his aggressiveness and toughness, I have little to no expectations.

 

[AdaSooner]

I honestly don't see him helping much going forward. He just doesn't have a position, and that really limits any upside he might have. Not quick enough to play the wing, and not big/physical enough to play the 4. At best, if he gets more consistent with his shot, he's a guy that could come in and help us match up, big or small, with a team, and maybe knock down a couple of 3's. Might be a good zone buster when the starters aren't getting it done.

Agreed.

I like Tyler. I like his shooting stroke, too. That's why I said his best shot at continuing to play double digit minutes is to improve his stats from long distance to the point that his value to the team cannot be ignored.

I agree with others who say that he needs to develop a mean streak and be more aggressive. That still won't change the fact that he doesn't have the footspeed to hang with quicker threes, or the upper body strength to bang with fours inside. That's not his game anyway. Tyler is more of a finesse player who (as you said) could create mismatches on the perimeter if he was more of a threat to score.

He needs to practice in the off season until he can consistently shoot at least 7 or 8 points above his 33% average.

 

[sperry]

Tyler is athletic, which says to me that he can learn to play good defense. He's not physically incapable of matching up with players. He does some nice things on the court. I feel like he's good at getting to the right spot. He shot the ball well this year. If you throw out a couple bad games this season, he was a 40% 3pt shooter.


Cade Davis and Stephen Pledger both showed dramatic improvements from their sophomore to junior seasons. Let's hope Tyler and Cam do the same next year.

 

[kbsooner]

I wish he would become the next Dave Sieger

44 Dave Sieger Sr. F 6-5 207
Still holds the NCAA Tournament record for his seven 3-pointers made vs. KU in the national title game

 

[AdaSooner]

Tyler is athletic, which says to me that he can learn to play good defense. He's not physically incapable of matching up with players. He does some nice things on the court. I feel like he's good at getting to the right spot. He shot the ball well this year. If you throw out a couple bad games this season, he was a 40% 3pt shooter.

Cade Davis and Stephen Pledger both showed dramatic improvements from their sophomore to junior seasons. Let's hope Tyler and Cam do the same next year.

Look, I'm not trying to bash Tyler. I want to see him do well. But to say that he's a 40% three point shooter if you "throw out a couple of bad games" is just wrong. He went ofer from the field in 9 conference games alone this season, meaning he didn't hit a single shot from anywhere on the court in those games.

He did indeed have a few good games where he shot the ball quite well. As you said, he could improve considerably by his junior year next season, which is why I am not for giving up on him just yet.

Tyler is a good athlete who is not totally void of skills. But a few more games like the nine I referenced, and he will find himself on the bench keeping Kruger company.

 

[jerry]

Look, I'm not trying to bash Tyler. I want to see him do well. But to say that he's a 40% three point shooter if you "throw out a couple of bad games" is just wrong. He went ofer from the field in 9 conference games alone this season, meaning he didn't hit a single shot from anywhere on the court in those games.

He did indeed have a few good games where he shot the ball quite well. As you said, he could improve considerably by his junior year next season, which is why I am not for giving up on him just yet.

Tyler is a good athlete who is not totally void of skills. But a few more games like the nine I referenced, and he will find himself on the bench keeping Kruger company.

Neal will be a bench player his whole career.

 

[DenverSooner]

Neal will be a bench player his whole career.

Says the high school manager with glee in his voice.

 

[ArdmoreSooner]

I like Neal but I just hope he gets recruited over. That is what needs to happen if we are going to be a tournament team and sweet sixteen type program. I hope his senior season we just have better players.

 

[WTSooner]

I like Neal but I just hope he gets recruited over. That is what needs to happen if we are going to be a tournament team and sweet sixteen type program. I hope his senior season we just have better players.

Yep. Nothing against the kid, seems like a good guy, but he wouldn't have cracked the top 8-9 players on most of the solid OU teams of the past 15 years.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I wish he would become the next Dave Sieger

44 Dave Sieger Sr. F 6-5 207
Still holds the NCAA Tournament record for his seven 3-pointers made vs. KU in the national title game

Sieger was a lockdown defender in addition to being a deadly 3 point shooter. Neal could be lethal as a spot-up 3 point shooter, in a zonebuster role, but thus far I see nothing from him on the defensive end that tells me he will ever get to the type or level of player of Dave Sieger.

I will add if he became more aggressive, as some suggested earlier in the thread, his defense would improve. He seems to have the mentality of a kid who constantly thinks "I can't believe I'm on the floor with these athletes and I don't think I can keep up with them". He needs a big dose of confidence.

 

[schoonerdriver]

Tyler is athletic, which says to me that he can learn to play good defense. He's not physically incapable of matching up with players. He does some nice things on the court. I feel like he's good at getting to the right spot. He shot the ball well this year. If you throw out a couple bad games this season, he was a 40% 3pt shooter.


Cade Davis and Stephen Pledger both showed dramatic improvements from their sophomore to junior seasons. Let's hope Tyler and Cam do the same next year.

In 12 OOC games, he had 15 made 3pts. He made 1 3pt in the first TWELEVE conference games and only 8 in the entire conference season and tournament. You can't confuse him with a 40% 3pt shooter at this point.

 

[DenverSooner]

Some of you better hope Neal proves you wrong because OU is going to need him to be a very solid player the year after next.

 

[WTSooner]

Some of you better hope Neal proves you wrong because OU is going to need him to be a very solid player the year after next.

I doubt that. If so, LK has failed at recruiting (2012 and 2013), and we won't be a very good team.

 

[AdaSooner]

Some of you better hope Neal proves you wrong because OU is going to need him to be a very solid player the year after next.

I would love to be wrong about Tyler. Nothing would please me more. I just don't see him as a major contributor next season, unless he improves appreciably in the next few months. Not saying it can't happen. I am saying that he has a lot of work to do.

 

[DenverSooner]

I doubt that. If so, LK has failed at recruiting (2012 and 2013), and we won't be a very good team.

You don't think OU will need a significant contribution from Neal in two years? OU will return M'Baye, Clark and Neal as seniors plus Hield and Hornbeak as sophomores. OU is going to need all five of those guys to make significant contributions. Even if OU adds Stevie Clark and several other freshman, OU will still need the experienced players to contribute.