First post this year

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jaymOU

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Used to post on the predecessor to this board and some on this board last year, but have been so disgusted with the early season I abstained from even coming here.

I see all the pro-Capel posters and the people who are eating crow, but are there really reasons to think significant improvement is coming? And what does "significant" mean to you?

I like what we have seen in Pledger and Fitz, while Clark and Blair shows some flashes. I hear about Osby and he sounds good as well.

But really, how good are these guys.

Pledger is the only player who projects as a real Big 12 player to me.

Fitz is too small and slow, Clark is not consistent, Blair has trouble with pressure defense. Osby, Goff and whoever else are unknowns.

Convince me. I want to be optomistic, but it's hard to believe Coach Capel can make a marked improvement next year. Marked, to me, would be at a minimum the NCAA tournament.
 
When you say Clark does not project as a real Big 12 player your entire statement goes out the window.

Coaches all around the league are saying he projects as an All Big XII player.
 
So you are saying Clark is All Big 12 next year. Really!
 
jaymOU said:
So you are saying Clark is All Big 12 next year. Really!
Click to expand...

Nah. I think what he's saying is that your first post of the year is pretty weak. Just comes off like you dont know what you're talking about.
 
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What Boca is saying is before Clark is done he will be an All Big 12 type, it might not be next year but the potential type of player he could be a JR and SR excites me.
 
I won't be surprised if Clark makes all big 12 next year. Actually I expect it. He shut down Burks, we are throwing half court alley oops to the guy, he has a great midrange game, hits clutch free throws.

Guy has it all.
 
Cameron Clark is going to be a fantastic Sooner. He's a true freshman and has played THE crucial minutes from day one. Heck, he was a key cog in an OT road win in which he played 44 minutes.

He's averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. So, basically, he's a 10/5 guy as a true freshman. What's even cooler is that he's got the fewest turnovers of anybody playing significant minutes.

He's a stud. No two ways about it. If I had one complaint, I'd like to see him hit the boards harder...but that said he grabbed some crucial ones down the stretch in Ames.
 
Sooner04 said:
Cameron Clark is going to be a fantastic Sooner. He's a true freshman and has played THE crucial minutes from day one. Heck, he was a key cog in an OT road win in which he played 44 minutes.

He's averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. So, basically, he's a 10/5 guy as a true freshman. What's even cooler is that he's got the fewest turnovers of anybody playing significant minutes.

He's a stud. No two ways about it. If I had one complaint, I'd like to see him hit the boards harder...but that said he grabbed some crucial ones down the stretch in Ames.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see him look to score more, but I can't complain about his performance. I'd say he's the best true frosh 3 we've had in a long time. I can't think of anyone better at the 3 as a true frosh in the past 30 years, but maybe I'm forgetting somebody.

Minor played the 3 but Clark has had a better frosh year than Minor did, but some of that was because Minor didn't play much. If Clark continues his progress to be better than Ryan Minor, then that's saying something.
 
Minor didn't play much early in the '93 season, but I remember him single-handedly carrying us to a victory over Michigan State in the first round of the NIT in Norman. If that wasn't Heathcoate's last year it was his next-to-last.

Would you call "Choo" Kennedy a 3? So many of our contributors at that position over the years have been JUCOs.
 
Sooner04 said:
Minor didn't play much early in the '93 season, but I remember him single-handedly carrying us to a victory over Michigan State in the first round of the NIT in Norman. If that wasn't Heathcoate's last year it was his next-to-last.

Would you call "Choo" Kennedy a 3? So many of our contributors at that position over the years have been JUCOs.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Almost all of them were jucos (Bowie, Henry, Jones, etc.). Sieger was a 4 year player, but he hardly played as a frosh.

Kennedy rotated at the 4 or 5 with DJ and Tisdale, when Wayman came out. Bowie was the 3 in 84 and 85, and I can't remember who played the 3 in 86, but Sieger played some in 87 before starting in 88.

Minor did have a big game vs MSU, but I seem to remember him doing more on defense and making plays rather than scoring that night, but maybe I'm wrong. That game was proof if he had played more, that team would have been much better.
 
frankly I was probably too hard on Clark and agree with what many have said here. That being said, Clark and Pledger are the only possible Big 12-type players. I think Pledger is a stretch to some degree, but I can see Clark if he improves be this kind of player.

Most of OU great teams had either a superstar - Tisdale or Blake or at least three all conference type players. Kelvin had some teams with one great scorer and role players, but those teams were limited - sometimes making great runs in the tournament, but with no real chance for a Final Four.

So can this group get to the tournament next year and then be prepared to a deeper run the following year?

That's the point of the initial post - should I get my hopes up?
 
I guess the reason I am a bit optimistic is that the guys we have now are improving and most of them have two years to play after this. I will reserve judment on Osbey adn Goff until we see them play 8-10 games next year. We need a stable group of good guys like Pledger and Clark to stay here and let us bring in other good players and bring them along. It is going to be a long process no matter who is coaching in my opinion. So hopefully steady improvement of the team will lead to better players who want to come and replace our juniors this year (Thompsons and TJ). This is going to have to be a steady climb. That being said I hope the improvement continues and some of the new guys pan out. I a few years guys like Blake may start to consider us again. Until then we are going to have to be strictly blue collar, four year type players.
 
jaymOU said:
frankly I was probably too hard on Clark and agree with what many have said here. That being said, Clark and Pledger are the only possible Big 12-type players. I think Pledger is a stretch to some degree, but I can see Clark if he improves be this kind of player.

Most of OU great teams had either a superstar - Tisdale or Blake or at least three all conference type players. Kelvin had some teams with one great scorer and role players, but those teams were limited - sometimes making great runs in the tournament, but with no real chance for a Final Four.

So can this group get to the tournament next year and then be prepared to a deeper run the following year?

That's the point of the initial post - should I get my hopes up?
Click to expand...

I would say the following teams at OU could be labeled "great":

85, 88, 90, 02, 03, and 08

The only one of those teams to have 3 great players was the 88 team. 90, 02, and 03 had zero players that played in the NBA. Only Tisdale from the 85 team played in the NBA. 08 had 1 superstar, and 2 really good players, but not great, IMO.

Can this group get to the tournament? I don't really know at this point. I would say no, at this point, but reserve the right to change my mind. However, I say that without any clue as to how good Osby and Goff will be and how much improved Clark, Pledger, Blair, and Fitz will be next year. If Pledger, Fitz, and Clark improve as much as they should, and Osby and Goff are as advertised, then I don't see why we can't finish in the top 6 of the league next year and compete for the NCAA.

I know this, I sure didn't expect to win 3 conference games this year and one of them to be at one of the toughest venues in the Big 12 (Ames). I can say that for sure. The excitement is starting to build for me...just hope we don't end the season on a long losing skid. What a downer that could be, but based on the past few games I don't think this will happen.
 
If Clark puts on a few pounds of muscle this offseason, and there's no reason why he shouldn't, he will be a force next year on both ends. He also needs to improve on taking the ball to the rim. Again, there's no reason why that can't happen.


He has all the tools.
 
04 touched on a great point about his turnovers, or lack thereof. I thought we might see a little bit of crocker in him where he puts the ball on the floor and tries to drive to the rim only to turn it over somehow. he doesn't give the defender a chance for a steal, mainly because of his incredible mid-range jumper. he's just a very smart player. even when he goes up over the back of a defender to try and snag a rebound, he does a great job of avoiding any contact as to not be called for over the back. just needs to calm down when he does put it on the deck, since he's been called for a few walks.

he's going to be a flat out stud.
 
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So the gist of your post is that we have won 3 straight conference games with a bunch of bums? Man, Capel must be a lot better coach than any of us thought.
 
jaymOU said:
frankly I was probably too hard on Clark and agree with what many have said here. That being said, Clark and Pledger are the only possible Big 12-type players. I think Pledger is a stretch to some degree, but I can see Clark if he improves be this kind of player.

Most of OU great teams had either a superstar - Tisdale or Blake or at least three all conference type players. Kelvin had some teams with one great scorer and role players, but those teams were limited - sometimes making great runs in the tournament, but with no real chance for a Final Four.

So can this group get to the tournament next year and then be prepared to a deeper run the following year?

That's the point of the initial post - should I get my hopes up?
Click to expand...

pledger just scored 38 in a big 12 game .. he is a big 12 player ... and fitz would be in the rotation on almost every team in the league
 
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