I can usually tell what “kind” of season we had by how I feel when it’s over. Tonight, I feel totally content. This has both a positive and negative connotation. The positive is that I think this team reached their ultimate ceiling this year. Couldn’t have asked for much more than 20 wins and second round of tourney. And they went out playing hard. They gave it all they had tonight. Played pretty smart too. Just couldn’t make shots or solve the riddle of the UVA defense (no shame in that). The negative spin is that I’m also not necessarily disappointed this season is over. I’m not lamenting missing out on the Sweet 16 or feeling any pain over the loss or the end of this senior class. This all just seems like a fitting end and for me as a fan, a perfectly satisfying one.
I won’t look back on this season with any particular fondness. There really weren’t any great moments or outstanding games. Most of our games were comfortable wins/losses. Only handful were close. Pretty much all year long we beat average to below average teams with ease and we struggled with above average to good teams. We had 2-3 games where we played REALLY, REALLY well (KU, Ole Miss) and we laid quite a few eggs as well.
The biggest black mark on the season would be the 1-9 record against the 5 teams in the conf that made the tourney. And some of those 9 losses were UGLY. My biggest criticism of this season would be that in a handful of those 9 losses we didn’t seem to compete at a very high level. Seemed content on a few occasions to take our butt-whipping without much push back. That aspect of the season was disappointing to me and the fact that we went 7-12 overall in B12 games (with yet another poor showing in conf tourney) is a negative.
The positive... well, it’s funny, but the biggest positive is the bottom line. You have process and results. Both matter to me. I wasn’t always pleased with the process part. But the results are hard to argue. 20 wins, easily into the Tournament, a blowout win in round one, a non-embarrassing showing against a #1 seed. Put that on paper before the year and I would have been thrilled. The eye test along the way may have been rough at times, but they got the job done.
The seniors (plus Freeman) gave it their all and all seem like really good dudes who represented the program with class. James really endured some ups and downs in his career. I’ll always remember his contributions as a freshmen in Anaheim in the regionals. He made some big shots in those games. Honestly, after that, I thought he was going to have a little bit more impactful career than he wound up having. But he was a solid player for us and he was a huge part of our hot start this year. Based on his size/skill I’m assuming this is going to be the end of the road for his basketball career— he was a solid Sooner. Man, I wish Odomes had better genes. That dude played his guts out every game. He was just woefully undersized for the role he played. He couldn’t shoot which is really tough when you also don’t have size and your not a PG. But he made the most out of what he did have— tons of heart from that guy. I’ll miss watching him. McNeace... you know, probably shouldn’t say much here. The injury was a tough blow for him this year. Like others I do question a little bit how much he loved playing basketball, but he also came off as a good teammate and likable guy. Most likely not a natural baller and more just a kid who sprouted late and sort of got thrust into the sport. That’s my take anyway. Didn’t wind up having much impact over his four years. I’ve heard he’s a smart kid, wish him the best. Freeman... honestly, he just isn’t a B12 player. Makes sense for him to move on. Hope he found his experience in Norman to be an enjoyable one. Had some nice moments this year in the non con. Reynolds/Calixte... it was a good fit because, let’s face it, we were desperate for bodies and they were desperate to play their final college seasons on a bigger stage. Really happy for both of them that they got to go to The Dance and experience a W there. I especially found Reynolds to be easy to root for— reminded me a bit of Odomes in that regard. Not a super shock that he was quite good in the non con and then sort of got eaten up in B12 play. He’s one of those guys that was maybe a little too good to be at Pacific, but probably not quite good enough to be in rotation for a Power 5 school. As a baseball fan I’ve seen that a lot over the years— the proverbial AAAA player. He certainly played hard and seemed like a good leader. Seems like it worked well for all parties there.
On paper some may look at OU losing five rotation players and assume the worst. But other than James, I really don’t think we are losing anything that isn’t easily replaceable in terms of on-floor production (again, I do think Odomes toughens and leadership will be missed).
Our three most gifted players on this year’s team are all back next year— I will assume all three return until we hear otherwise-/ isn’t there a rumor floating about at least one of them? Anyway, Doo, Manek, and Bienemy should all be back and will be big part of team next season. Do REALLY came on late this year. He was very tough and was probably the main reason we made a little push at the end. He’s undersized too, but he is skilled and hard-nosed. It’s sometimes hard to work the post to a guy that is probably generously 6’7, but he’s a pretty gifted scorer. He will be the lone senior in rotation next year and he will be a major factor. I’ve said many times Manek drives me crazy- and he does. My hope is that next year the team around him is more talented/dynamic and he is able to find more open space. He’s better when his confidence is up. We didn’t have a ton of guys other teams needed to guard this year and that made it tougher on him. Hoping things come easier for him next year. I love EB. He can have a GREAT career at OU. Wished he would have shot the ball more this year. I expect big things from him.
I don’t follow the minutia of recruiting quite as much as others do, so perhaps someone can chime in and clean some of this up for me. But as I see it, heading into next year...
Doo
Manek
EB
Returning guys who all project to start.
Then you add Reaves and Kuath, as guys currently in Norman who had to sit out last year.
Then the newcomers:
Harmon (freshmen)
Iwuakor (freshmen)
Hill (freshmen)
Merritt (JUCO)
Williams (JUCO)
Garang (will redshirt correct?)
So the three returnees, the two that sat out this year, and the 5 newcomers. That’s 10 guys right there and I assume our rotation will consist of those 10. I also assume Polla will be back and I suppose you could throw him in the mix as well.
Not a ton of size there. No one listed above 6’9. Also seems like an abundance of wing players. But talent is talent and it will be up to the staff to figure it out if all of these guys can play.
I’d say the #1 key is Harmon. He needs to be as-advertised and he needs to be a dynamic scorer/creator. We lacked a “wow” player this year— a guy that can make something from nothing and create offense. He needs to be that guy. I don’t know as much about Iwuakor and Hill, but I’d say one of them probably needs to be “good” right away while the other can be more developmental.
EB and Manek taking next step will also be big.
My hope is that next year we have a better/more dynamic team— even f the record isn’t that much better. I think we all knew this team was very limited in what they could accomplish. My goal next year would be to make the tournament again, but this time feel like we could really make some noise once we get there. I’d also REALLY like to get out of the B12 basement. Three years in a row in the bottom 4 is not good. We should be better than that.
For me this season was a solid B. I have some complaints, but they are also offset by being impressed by other things. Honestly, it was kind of a boring year and not one I’m entirely upset is over. But I do appreciate that the players probably maxed out their talents and over the last 3-4 weeks of the year they really played their hearts out and saved the season from derailing.
I’m sure it’s tough for the guys. None of the guys leaving are likely to have pro playing careers. This was it for them. And I’m sure that is painful to realize it’s over. I feel for them. As a proud Sooner, I hope they enjoyed their time in Norman and take pride in being part of the program/school. In a year that looked VERY shaky on paper before it started, they outdid most expectations and got to experience a win in the tourney. That’s cool and I hope lifelong memories for them.
As a fan, I’ll be ready for a team next year that hopefully has some “next level” talent. I think it’s a big year for Lon.
I won’t look back on this season with any particular fondness. There really weren’t any great moments or outstanding games. Most of our games were comfortable wins/losses. Only handful were close. Pretty much all year long we beat average to below average teams with ease and we struggled with above average to good teams. We had 2-3 games where we played REALLY, REALLY well (KU, Ole Miss) and we laid quite a few eggs as well.
The biggest black mark on the season would be the 1-9 record against the 5 teams in the conf that made the tourney. And some of those 9 losses were UGLY. My biggest criticism of this season would be that in a handful of those 9 losses we didn’t seem to compete at a very high level. Seemed content on a few occasions to take our butt-whipping without much push back. That aspect of the season was disappointing to me and the fact that we went 7-12 overall in B12 games (with yet another poor showing in conf tourney) is a negative.
The positive... well, it’s funny, but the biggest positive is the bottom line. You have process and results. Both matter to me. I wasn’t always pleased with the process part. But the results are hard to argue. 20 wins, easily into the Tournament, a blowout win in round one, a non-embarrassing showing against a #1 seed. Put that on paper before the year and I would have been thrilled. The eye test along the way may have been rough at times, but they got the job done.
The seniors (plus Freeman) gave it their all and all seem like really good dudes who represented the program with class. James really endured some ups and downs in his career. I’ll always remember his contributions as a freshmen in Anaheim in the regionals. He made some big shots in those games. Honestly, after that, I thought he was going to have a little bit more impactful career than he wound up having. But he was a solid player for us and he was a huge part of our hot start this year. Based on his size/skill I’m assuming this is going to be the end of the road for his basketball career— he was a solid Sooner. Man, I wish Odomes had better genes. That dude played his guts out every game. He was just woefully undersized for the role he played. He couldn’t shoot which is really tough when you also don’t have size and your not a PG. But he made the most out of what he did have— tons of heart from that guy. I’ll miss watching him. McNeace... you know, probably shouldn’t say much here. The injury was a tough blow for him this year. Like others I do question a little bit how much he loved playing basketball, but he also came off as a good teammate and likable guy. Most likely not a natural baller and more just a kid who sprouted late and sort of got thrust into the sport. That’s my take anyway. Didn’t wind up having much impact over his four years. I’ve heard he’s a smart kid, wish him the best. Freeman... honestly, he just isn’t a B12 player. Makes sense for him to move on. Hope he found his experience in Norman to be an enjoyable one. Had some nice moments this year in the non con. Reynolds/Calixte... it was a good fit because, let’s face it, we were desperate for bodies and they were desperate to play their final college seasons on a bigger stage. Really happy for both of them that they got to go to The Dance and experience a W there. I especially found Reynolds to be easy to root for— reminded me a bit of Odomes in that regard. Not a super shock that he was quite good in the non con and then sort of got eaten up in B12 play. He’s one of those guys that was maybe a little too good to be at Pacific, but probably not quite good enough to be in rotation for a Power 5 school. As a baseball fan I’ve seen that a lot over the years— the proverbial AAAA player. He certainly played hard and seemed like a good leader. Seems like it worked well for all parties there.
On paper some may look at OU losing five rotation players and assume the worst. But other than James, I really don’t think we are losing anything that isn’t easily replaceable in terms of on-floor production (again, I do think Odomes toughens and leadership will be missed).
Our three most gifted players on this year’s team are all back next year— I will assume all three return until we hear otherwise-/ isn’t there a rumor floating about at least one of them? Anyway, Doo, Manek, and Bienemy should all be back and will be big part of team next season. Do REALLY came on late this year. He was very tough and was probably the main reason we made a little push at the end. He’s undersized too, but he is skilled and hard-nosed. It’s sometimes hard to work the post to a guy that is probably generously 6’7, but he’s a pretty gifted scorer. He will be the lone senior in rotation next year and he will be a major factor. I’ve said many times Manek drives me crazy- and he does. My hope is that next year the team around him is more talented/dynamic and he is able to find more open space. He’s better when his confidence is up. We didn’t have a ton of guys other teams needed to guard this year and that made it tougher on him. Hoping things come easier for him next year. I love EB. He can have a GREAT career at OU. Wished he would have shot the ball more this year. I expect big things from him.
I don’t follow the minutia of recruiting quite as much as others do, so perhaps someone can chime in and clean some of this up for me. But as I see it, heading into next year...
Doo
Manek
EB
Returning guys who all project to start.
Then you add Reaves and Kuath, as guys currently in Norman who had to sit out last year.
Then the newcomers:
Harmon (freshmen)
Iwuakor (freshmen)
Hill (freshmen)
Merritt (JUCO)
Williams (JUCO)
Garang (will redshirt correct?)
So the three returnees, the two that sat out this year, and the 5 newcomers. That’s 10 guys right there and I assume our rotation will consist of those 10. I also assume Polla will be back and I suppose you could throw him in the mix as well.
Not a ton of size there. No one listed above 6’9. Also seems like an abundance of wing players. But talent is talent and it will be up to the staff to figure it out if all of these guys can play.
I’d say the #1 key is Harmon. He needs to be as-advertised and he needs to be a dynamic scorer/creator. We lacked a “wow” player this year— a guy that can make something from nothing and create offense. He needs to be that guy. I don’t know as much about Iwuakor and Hill, but I’d say one of them probably needs to be “good” right away while the other can be more developmental.
EB and Manek taking next step will also be big.
My hope is that next year we have a better/more dynamic team— even f the record isn’t that much better. I think we all knew this team was very limited in what they could accomplish. My goal next year would be to make the tournament again, but this time feel like we could really make some noise once we get there. I’d also REALLY like to get out of the B12 basement. Three years in a row in the bottom 4 is not good. We should be better than that.
For me this season was a solid B. I have some complaints, but they are also offset by being impressed by other things. Honestly, it was kind of a boring year and not one I’m entirely upset is over. But I do appreciate that the players probably maxed out their talents and over the last 3-4 weeks of the year they really played their hearts out and saved the season from derailing.
I’m sure it’s tough for the guys. None of the guys leaving are likely to have pro playing careers. This was it for them. And I’m sure that is painful to realize it’s over. I feel for them. As a proud Sooner, I hope they enjoyed their time in Norman and take pride in being part of the program/school. In a year that looked VERY shaky on paper before it started, they outdid most expectations and got to experience a win in the tourney. That’s cool and I hope lifelong memories for them.
As a fan, I’ll be ready for a team next year that hopefully has some “next level” talent. I think it’s a big year for Lon.
