Frank Booker Transferring

[okhoops918]

Re: Booker Transfering

Looking at ESPN, James is a 4 star #23 Small Forward 80 overall and Odomes is a 3 Star #31 Small forward 79 overall. Compared to Booker who was a 3 star #59 Shooting Guard 70 overall

The ratings don't mean a ton on ESPN. I believe 70 is the default if they've never had a espn scout come see them in person.

ESPN is one of the worse in rankings too. rivals and 247 are the best for bball

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Could be lots of activity in the off-season on the free agent market.

 

[colston15]

We have one to give now that Frank is gone, could be two or three depending on what Buddy and Cole decide to do.

Interesting. Didn't realize we were one short this year.

 

[AdaSooner]

Re: Booker Transfering

Bingo and he's the highest rated of the 3. People can poo-poo recruiting rankings all they want but on balance they prove to be very accurate. More so in baskeball than football.

No, they're not. That's usually true of the top fifty or so players. It's not true of those ranked in the top 60 plus. Think about the number of players you see every year in the NCAA tourney who you never heard of before, many of them signed by mid or low major schools. Every year I say to myself, "why didn't OU recruit that kid?" The answer is, most weren't recruited by any major D-1 school. The NBA is full of players we never heard of before for the same reason.

My point is, I pay attention to the high-profile recruits like Payton Pritchard, because I know it's highly likely he's the real deal. The three stars are another story. I have to trust our coaching staff to bring in the right mix of players that better fit their system.

 

[ChongoChingi]

Re: Booker Transfering

Is this a bad April fools joke? Is this because of the racist frat issues?

 

[colston15]

Re: Booker Transfering

Bingo and he's the highest rated of the 3. People can poo-poo recruiting rankings all they want but on balance they prove to be very accurate. More so in baskeball than football.

My point was that rankings aren't the only thing to consider. James' offer list is impressive. Odomes is pretty good, too. Neither are particularly highly rated.

 

[bgrch1350]

Re: Booker Transfering

Maybe a certain Woodard brother might want to transfer here

 

[Max Power]

Interesting. Didn't realize we were one short this year.

If Frank had stayed we would be full at 13, now that he is gone we are at 12

 

[CoachTalk]

Re: Booker Transfering

Maybe a certain Woodard brother might want to transfer here

lol and sit a year to play one...

 

[CoachTalk]

Interesting. Didn't realize we were one short this year.

Last year of probation.... Right? from capel thingy...

 

[DenverSooner]

Re: Booker Transfering

This is good news. Booker was always a marginal talent for a legit team which is why he was lightly recruited and low rated by the scouts. Odomes and James aren't rated much better but maybe they can overachieve. Hopefully this means Buford has been clearly better in practice. Frank never showed anything to justify more than his unranked 3 star recruiting ranking.

Of course its April fools day so it might not be true.

This is insane. Having a guy like Booker that produced in double figures in multiple Big XII games and an NCAA Tournament game coming off the bench is a huge. He will have more confidence next year and be a better player.

Very few teams have exceptionally talented kids coming off the bench. Perhaps KU, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Michigan State and a few others but most are like OU with really good basketball players and kids like Frank Booker coming off the bench.

There are about 4,500 kids playing D-1 basketball. With four years of eligibility there are at most 400 top 100 kids in that 4,500 group (this assumes no redshirts but very few top 100 kids redshirt). That is less than 9% and doesn't even account for the fact that several top 100 kids have left early.

Part of the reason Mid Majors upset power conference teams in the consistency in the rosters. They are not losing kids early to the NBA and often have role players perfectly content to be where they are.

 

[BCSooners]

I hope they prove to be better than him, long-term, but I am hesitant to believe that they will be better as freshmen than he would be as a junior. I'd love to be wrong about that, but it's a mistake, in my opinion, to expect good high school players to come in and excel right away in D1 play. Only the best of the best do that.

I'm very sorry to hear this news; I enjoy watching Frank play. I'm sorry that one of his primary memories of his time in Norman will be those SAE clowns singing that hateful song.

I understand the skepticism on both players, but here is my "who cares" reasoning.

Odomes- Kruger prefers athleticism and Odomes is far more athletic than Booker, we have enough shooting to allow Odomes to be a slasher for now. Only question is how quickly will he adjust to Big12 level.

Buford- Was pegged to be a starter before Thomas was cleared eligible. Highly regarded coming out of high school. Now he was pegged to start as a undersized 4 (Cam Clark) so can he be a wing? I believe this extra semester and upcoming summer to lift and transition to the perimeter will get him there. Especially since everything I've heard and read suggested that he's been working out as a guard the whole time.

Of course time will tell and I might be just telling myself this to make me feel better. Even though if someone was going to transfer I thought it would be Booker. I'm curious to see now if they'll pursue another wing (i.e. Jolly).

 

[DenverSooner]

Buford- Was pegged to be a starter before Thomas was cleared eligible. Highly regarded coming out of high school. Now he was pegged to start as a undersized 4 (Cam Clark) so can he be a wing? I believe this extra semester and upcoming summer to lift and transition to the perimeter will get him there. Especially since everything I've heard and read suggested that he's been working out as a guard the whole time.

I think some of you read too much into this working out as guard or forward thing for these guys that have a skill set that could be a 3 or 4 when they redshirt. In my opinion an intelligent coach would have them run drills with the group they perceive will work on their weaknesses the most. If you don't handle the ball all that well, work with the guards so their is more emphasis on ball handling. If you handle the ball well but are not physical enough, work with the forwards to learn to box out and be more physical in the paint. Once the redshirt season is over the guy can work at his true position as determined by the coach.

It is not like they won't get some work on their strengths too. The purpose of a redshirt year is to improve your skills.

 

[bgrch1350]

Re: Booker Transfering

lol and sit a year to play one...

He graduate with his brother

 

[thebigabd]

Re: Booker Transfering

Go out and find some Terrell Everett type to replace him.

 

[CoachTalk]

Re: Booker Transfering

He graduate with his brother

Jolly is just as good if not better and a 4 year player. I dont see it. James likes Tulsa.

 

[BCSooners]

I think some of you read too much into this working out as guard or forward thing for these guys that have a skill set that could be a 3 or 4 when they redshirt. In my opinion an intelligent coach would have them run drills with the group they perceive will work on their weaknesses the most. If you don't handle the ball all that well, work with the guards so their is more emphasis on ball handling. If you handle the ball well but are not physical enough, work with the forwards to learn to box out and be more physical in the paint. Once the redshirt season is over the guy can work at his true position as determined by the coach.

It is not like they won't get some work on their strengths too. The purpose of a redshirt year is to improve your skills.

And the fact that he was told they recruited him to play the wing.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Darn. Good luck Frank.

This is how good teams become better though, pretty clear the talent we are bringing may bring more to the table.

 

[bocabull]

Re: Booker Transfering

Osby, Clark & Hield have been the 3 highest recruits at OU under Kruger. They made all conference and have been the best 3 players.

Basketball recruiting rankings are extremely accurate up to the 80-100 area. There is an absolute correlation. Booker played exactly to his ranking. If we started 5 of him we win 15 games.

 

[stormspencer]

If he is playing double his minutes this year, then OU would be in a lot of trouble. Booker isn't going to drastically change as a player the next couple years, his ceiling is pretty evident.

Best of luck to him.

Exactly. It would be a fairly big concern if this team had to rely on Booker being more than a reserve next year.