For those who claim Lon gets "out coached"

[thebigabd]

Coaches who beat Lon this year:

Bill Self (National Coach of the Year)
Bob Huggins (National Coach of the Year)
Tubby Smith (National Coach of the Year)
Steve Prohm (National Coach of the Year)
Bruce Weber

That's it this year... The KSU loss was bad, but that wouldn't be because Lon got out-coached... As for these other guys, they are pretty damn good and they are going to beat you now and then.

Bill Self may be the best coach in America, Bob Huggins isn't too far behind, Tubby Smith has won a national championship and has won nearly 600 games, Steve Prohm has won coach of the year and has nearly an 80% win percentage.

Lon is a good match for these guys, but when we say crap like getting out-coached, just remember these guys are legit coaches. They would tip their cap to Lon as well for coaching ability, but all of these guys are capable of putting a good game-plan and team together. No shame in it.

 

[Zimwillett]

Bob Huggins (National Coach of the Year)

I take your point, and agree, but Bob Huggins has not beaten Lon this season.

 

[BigTime]

Add Bo Ryan and Jay Wright to great coaches that Lon has dueled against this year.

 

[AdaSooner]

I take your point, and agree, but Bob Huggins has not beaten Lon this season.

I think what thebigabd is saying is that no one should be surprised if a Huggins coached team beats OU, because he's pretty darned good in his own right.

His point is a good one. There are no sure wins in the Big 12 this season, especially on the road. Coaching is one of the reasons for that.

 

[WTSooner]

Are you really going to claim "in game coaching" in LK's strong suit? It's not. And that is fine. He does everything else pretty darn well, and his recruiting is getting even better.

 

[OUFtball]

I always get a kick out of the crowd after a loss that says it was the coaches fault......A player shoots a 3 and it goes around the rim and then falls out...If it goes in, the coach is good..if it goes out....the coach was out coached by the other team's staff. With basketball....Sometimes the shots go in...sometimes they don't...

 

[thebigabd]

I think what thebigabd is saying is that no one should be surprised if a Huggins coached team beats OU, because he's pretty darned good in his own right.

His point is a good one. There are no sure wins in the Big 12 this season, especially on the road. Coaching is one of the reasons for that.

No, I mistakenly thought WVU beat OU at some point this year, was just going off the top of my head.

Thanks for jumping to the most positive conclusion for me, though.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

There has never been a coach born that has not been out-coached by their opponent's in-game coaching. The fellow on the other bench is also a professional coach with scholarship players that want to win.

Was Bob Huggins out-coached last Saturday? I don't think so. His team played hard and fought hard, yet they lost a big home game in front of a rowdy sold-out crowd.

Observation: Some may go back and review the OU-WVU game to verify this, but I noticed something different from Coach Kruger on Saturday. In the past, Lon has not been one to constantly "coach from his feet" by patrolling the sideline and standing on the court for much of the game. Watching the game on TV, it appeared that Lon was imitating Bruce Weber and Shaka Smart by being much more animated on-his-feet, rather than sitting down on the bench during play.

Did anyone else notice this? Maybe things look different on TV compared to being in the gym.

 

[Big Old Booger]

There has never been a coach born that has not been out-coached by their opponent's in-game coaching. The fellow on the other bench is also a professional coach with scholarship players that want to win.

Was Bob Huggins out-coached last Saturday? I don't think so. His team played hard and fought hard, yet they lost a big home game in front of a rowdy sold-out crowd.

Observation: Some may go back and review the OU-WVU game to verify this, but I noticed something different from Coach Kruger on Saturday. In the past, Lon has not been one to constantly "coach from his feet" by patrolling the sideline and standing on the court for much of the game. Watching the game on TV, it appeared that Lon was imitating Bruce Weber and Shaka Smart by being much more animated on-his-feet, rather than sitting down on the bench during play.

Did anyone else notice this? Maybe things look different on TV compared to being in the gym.

I've watched most every game this year (on TV) and it didn't seem different to me.

 

[AdaSooner]

Are you really going to claim "in game coaching" in LK's strong suit? It's not. And that is fine. He does everything else pretty darn well, and his recruiting is getting even better.

If Huggins is a good in game coach, you could easily make the case that Kruger out-coached him twice this season. That was especially true in Saturday's game where OU was obviously well prepared to beat WVU's full court press and Lattin continued to frustrate their bigs by playing inside more to defend the rim.

All coaches have strengths and weaknesses. Bench coaching may not be LK's greatest strength, but he makes up for it in other ways. In the final analysis it usually boils down to the players and how well they execute when the game is on the line. Case in point, Houston's loss to Temple on Saturday. Kelvin made all of the right moves to win that game. Unfortunately, he had no control over his players' mistakes and missed shots. Proof that even good in game coaches lose games they could easily have won.

 

[IndySooner]

There has never been a coach born that has not been out-coached by their opponent's in-game coaching. The fellow on the other bench is also a professional coach with scholarship players that want to win.

Was Bob Huggins out-coached last Saturday? I don't think so. His team played hard and fought hard, yet they lost a big home game in front of a rowdy sold-out crowd.

Observation: Some may go back and review the OU-WVU game to verify this, but I noticed something different from Coach Kruger on Saturday. In the past, Lon has not been one to constantly "coach from his feet" by patrolling the sideline and standing on the court for much of the game. Watching the game on TV, it appeared that Lon was imitating Bruce Weber and Shaka Smart by being much more animated on-his-feet, rather than sitting down on the bench during play.

Did anyone else notice this? Maybe things look different on TV compared to being in the gym.

I felt like he used more timeouts and was more animated. The entire team was more animated. It seemed as if maybe there were some meetings talking about the lack of fun they were having, and they all - players and coaches - responded.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I've watched most every game this year (on TV) and it didn't seem different to me.

I felt like he used more timeouts and was more animated. The entire team was more animated. It seemed as if maybe there were some meetings talking about the lack of fun they were having, and they all - players and coaches - responded.

Thanks. I'm probably off-base on this, but I will make a point to watch for this on Wednesday night. It is interesting if this is a new strategy.

 

[WTSooner]

If Huggins is a good in game coach, you could easily make the case that Kruger out-coached him twice this season. That was especially true in Saturday's game where OU was obviously well prepared to beat WVU's full court press and Lattin continued to frustrate their bigs by playing inside more to defend the rim.

All coaches have strengths and weaknesses. Bench coaching may not be LK's greatest strength, but he makes up for it in other ways. In the final analysis it usually boils down to the players and how well they execute when the game is on the line. Case in point, Houston's loss to Temple on Saturday. Kelvin made all of the right moves to win that game. Unfortunately, he had no control over his players' mistakes and missed shots. Proof that even good in game coaches lose games they could easily have won.

I'm not going to get into the individual games, and who out coached who.

I'm just stating that Lon isn't known as some great in game coach. That is what he is known for, and not what his reputation is. I don't think he is a bad in game coach, I just don't think he is a particularly good one. I'd put him somewhere between average and good. And that is simply the way he coaches. He prepares his team during the week and in the offseason, and turns them loose in the games. Not saying he does no coaching at all, but he pretty much lets them go. That is why you see limited offensive sets, limited time outs, etc. Especially with a senior laden team. He is letting them, for the most part, control the game.

 

[campbest]

Generally speaking, in-game coaching is HIGHLY overrated.

 

[IndySooner]

Generally speaking, in-game coaching is HIGHLY overrated.

100% agree. Most of in-game coaching is time management and player management. Frankly, the assistants handle most of that anyway.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I always get a kick out of the crowd after a loss that says it was the coaches fault......A player shoots a 3 and it goes around the rim and then falls out...If it goes in, the coach is good..if it goes out....the coach was out coached by the other team's staff. With basketball....Sometimes the shots go in...sometimes they don't...

*1

 

[AdaSooner]

Generally speaking, in-game coaching is HIGHLY overrated.

Agreed.

Coaches can prepare their players for an opponent in practice, film rooms and team meetings. They can also make adjustments during a game if the original plan isn't working as well as expected. But, in the end, it all comes down to player execution.

Coaches get blamed for more losses than they deserve, just as some coaches get more credit for a win. That's why player development and recruiting are at the top of my list. I think LK and his staff have done a great job with player development. Now, recruiting is proving to be a strength.

 

[scrybe]

Generally speaking, in-game coaching is HIGHLY overrated.

+2. It makes me chuckle when I read comments like: "Kruger isn't a great in-game coach." I wonder whose standards they're applying to that "factual" statement?

 

[sanguinetti]

i think Lon trusts the guys he puts on the floor. i think he believes that's basketball.

and i like it. nothing against Kelvin who i believe is a great basketball coach and lived in the same Norman neighborhood as my mom....and would wave at her passing by...and screwed OU and Indiana.....but i think Lon is more like Billy in that regard. he puts the guys he wants on the floor and let's them play the game of basketball.

if they had a good week of practice, maybe they earned some minutes. thinks they will contribute. he thinks Buddy can beat his guy or Isiah can dribble drive....ok. let's score more points than the other guy and get back on D.

 

[opsooner]

Are you saying he did get out-coached but it's OK because it was by good coaches?

I would have just been happy if we had blocked out and rebounded at crunch time in our losses like we did at WV. I figure we beat at least KU and TT if we do that. I don't know know how much of that is coaching except to stress it to the guys in the huddles over and over. It just looked to me like Lattin and Spangler had a different attitude on Saturday - and I liked it!!!!