Fran made an excellent point

[Seymore Cox]

Our guys play like they're at an AAU weekend shootout. WW doesnt value the ball at all. TMG overdribbles. Gallon shoots to many jumpers and doesn't contest shots or block out. Pledger floats around on the perimeter looking for shots. None of these guys has the concept of team or individual defense. We don't value each possession.

It's funny, because you look at a guy like Caracter, who I believe is originally from Texas, and I remember him being heralded as the next Shaq at 13, and being the number one ranked player by Rivals. He was Gallon, He was WW, he was the guy in Slam magazine and on NBADRAFT.net. The detour he took and the tribulations he went through seem eerily familiar to what our guys are going through now.

 

[DenverSooner]

Those sound like comments about the coach and that is very concerning to me.

 

[BigTime]

I disagree with you regarding Gallon and TMG. I think they are both playing about as well as any of us could have expected. Gallon does not take too many jumpshots. How many did he take tonight?

TMG doesn't over dribble anymore than any other pg whose teammates don't work to get open in the halfcourt sets. He is doing what he needs to do to give this team a chance. I am thought he played well tonight. And while he is getting schooled defensively, at least he is giving effort.

Tiny and TMG are not the problem with this team.

 

[thebigabd]

I disagree with you regarding Gallon and TMG. I think they are both playing about as well as any of us could have expected. Gallon does not take too many jumpshots. How many did he take tonight?

TMG doesn't over dribble anymore than any other pg whose teammates don't work to get open in the halfcourt sets. He is doing what he needs to do to give this team a chance. I am thought he played well tonight. And while he is getting schooled defensively, at least he is giving effort.

Tiny and TMG are not the problem with this team.

I agree with this... If anyone over dribbles, its Willie. In fact, he had 3 of his 5 turnovers tonight happen as a result of over dribbling.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I disagree with you regarding Gallon and TMG. I think they are both playing about as well as any of us could have expected. Gallon does not take too many jumpshots. How many did he take tonight?

TMG doesn't over dribble anymore than any other pg whose teammates don't work to get open in the halfcourt sets. He is doing what he needs to do to give this team a chance. I am thought he played well tonight. And while he is getting schooled defensively, at least he is giving effort.

Tiny and TMG are not the problem with this team.

No one is the sole problem, but I think their is an overall disregard for valuing the basketball. WW is the guiltiest and those guys follow suit. The play that really went to fran's point was when WW got beat up top. First, it wasn't good defense, but after he got beat, TMG was in position to slide over and take a charge. He half reached at the ball and left Tony out to dry. Tony was furious. Now that's inexperience, and not being in battles. utep had guys that have been in the battles. VCU had guys who have been in the battles. Yeah, I know we all want to defend these guys because they're talented, but they still have to come around to what needs to be done on the court. And their were times when they really gave effort, getting on the floor and saving balls in the second half, but even that seemed foreign to them. And I agree, it's not TmG and Gallon, It's down the line and it's starts with the All American. The only guys that I would exclude would be Cade and Tony.

 

[DenverSooner]

I never thought McD AA would be the problem at OU.

 

[BigTime]

I never thought McD AA would be the problem at OU.

Ryan Humphrey created problems in practice and didn't get along with Sampson. Just because someone is a burger boy doesn't mean that they are immune to causing problems.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I never thought McD AA would be the problem at OU.

They're not problems, they're green. They don't know. They don't know how to keep a guy in front of them. They don't know how to take a charge. They don't know how to reverse the ball. They don't know how to recognize defenses. They don't know who has the advantage and when. Gallon was too much for Caracter the whole game and he nor his teammates realized it at all.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Ryan Humphrey .

FT's! I remember him going to the line during clutch situations thinking oh crap

 

[SoonerNorm]

Virtually all of the problems I see are directly related to fundamentals and effort. For the most part, this bunch apparently never learned the game's basic fundamentals when they were young that great players possess and practice daily.

As far as effort, coaches shouldn't have to teach that. That should be ingrained in an athlete's soul. If I were Capel, I would tell they guys "I have started the players I thought gave us the best chance to win. I have been wrong on which 5 to put in the starting rotation because you starters obviously don't like starting and don't like being the stars on this team so here is what I will do from now on. I don't care if you can't make a basket, if you can convince me that you know how to do the little things right and bust your tail every second you are on the court, you are who I'm looking for to start the next game. I don't care what your last name is, I don't care if you were 5 stars coming out of high school or a walk-on, and I don't care if you haven't played a handful of minutes up until now, your chance of starting the next ballgame is as good as anyone else in this gym. You can solidify a starting position by how hard you practice, who well you defend, how well you block out, and how hard you hustle. If you guys who have been starting think this is too much to ask, you are free to leave right now."

 

[sooneronas]

Virtually all of the problems I see are directly related to fundamentals and effort. For the most part, this bunch apparently never learned the game's basic fundamentals when they were young that great players possess and practice daily.

As far as effort, coaches shouldn't have to teach that. That should be ingrained in an athlete's soul. If I were Capel, I would tell they guys "I have started the players I thought gave us the best chance to win. I have been wrong on which 5 to put in the starting rotation because you starters obviously don't like starting and don't like being the stars on this team so here is what I will do from now on. I don't care if you can't make a basket, if you can convince me that you know how to do the little things right and bust your tail every second you are on the court, you are who I'm looking for to start the next game. I don't care what your last name is, I don't care if you were 5 stars coming out of high school or a walk-on, and I don't care if you haven't played a handful of minutes up until now, your chance of starting the next ballgame is as good as anyone else in this gym. You can solidify a starting position by how hard you practice, who well you defend, how well you block out, and how hard you hustle. If you guys who have been starting think this is too much to ask, you are free to leave right now."

good post