Future of Moser

[Boom Soon]

Right, that guy apparently thinks Moser is too good for our program

Agreed.

Moser had it made at Loyola after making the Final Four. I bet he could’ve coached there forever. Similar to Kruger at OU. Would he have moved his family hours away to take a job coaching in the toughest conference if the program he took over did not give him the means to be successful? I don’t think so.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

First of all, Kelvin left because Indiana came calling and back then you didn’t turn down Indiana to stay at Oklahoma. Also NCAA violations were looming.

Second, I guess you watched the last few games and said “wow that’s a well-coached team! If the program was better OU would have won!”

Yes things have fallen further behind, but a portion of that lands squarely on the shoulders of the head coach. He’s not a good fit here in my opinion.

We looked like a well coached team for big chunks of games

There is a fine line between playing well and not playing well and for us it comes down to hitting open shots.

 

[WichitaSooner]

1. I agree that Moser is an overall good coach. Good coaches get to the Final Four. But he has proven he cannot consistently win at the Big 12 level, which is the good OU needs. I'm sure he could go back to the mid-major level and do really well. I'm not sure why it has to be either he's "good" or "bad." I feel like there is alot of grey area there.

2. I think OU was very close to making the tournament in 2022, but I think it's a stretch to say they "should" have been in. But I know that is a debate to be had.

3. I disagree. The team is playing really bad basketball right now. It could be anyone's fault but things are amiss. And it does not please me to say that. March is so much more fun when OU is in the tourney. IDC what seed.

4. The right guy could have OU dancing by year two. I firmly believe that with the transfer portal. I think OU's NIL for basketball is going to get better.

I think there certainly have been some guys who made it to the FF despite not being a good coach. One of the main reasons people love the tourney is how unpredictable it is and how any team has a chance to get hot and make a run. Over the span of a very long career, I’m not sure one great March run makes one a good coach. When you’ve been around that long, you should be able to put together a lot of winning seasons and sustained success.

 

[skyvue]

It's also possible that the FF was lightning in a bottle. The perfect players for Moser's system, the ideal tourney opponents thanks to some key upsets, fluke-ish luck. Those things happen. What frustrates me is not seeing growth from players. Either they transfer out (yes, I know it's a new day in college sports) or they stay but don't improve, which applies to both Oweh and Uzan. I haven't given up on either of those players, but it would be interesting, if Moser were to leave, to see if they progressed under the next guy. Maybe they would; maybe not. I don't pretend to know what would happen.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Came over here to take the temperature. I think I'll continue to not be here. Better for my health to talk to people who actually know college basketball.

1) Porter Moser is a good, well respected coach
2) OU should have been in the tourney in 2022 and to look past that is just to satisfy your own opinions
3) OU will be in the tourney this year
4) If OU gets rid of Moser (hint: they will not) it will be a complete rebuild from scratch again and we'll fall even further behind than we already are

If Moser leaves on his own, he's leaving for the same reasons Kelvin left 20 years ago. Things haven't changed in 20 years, in fact, they've fallen further behind.

Idk about porter, but you should def stick around tho on the board! Need good posters always

 

[hoopsaustin]

The fact that we were even close in year one was a mini-miracle.

But close doesnt mean anything right?

 

[WTSooner]

It's also possible that the FF was lightning in a bottle.

Replace "possible" with "probable" and I think you are onto something.

Not sure why most of our fans can't grasp that. Even between his two really good seasons at Loyola he had two 14 and 11 loss seasons.

 

[WTSooner]

If Moser and his staff can't develop a guy like Cooper enough that he can help the team this late in the season of his freshman season, he isn't the coach for OU.

OU isn't ever going to have a bunch of studs, or top 10 recruits. Lesser recruits can be developed over a few seasons, but a guy like Cooper, 65th nationally and a guy that was billed as certainly not being a project, our staff HAS to find a guy to get a kid like that on the floor. If the coaching/development isn't good enough to do that.....if the system is too complex, etc.....for whatever reason if it isn't happening, we can't be successful under that model.

 

[Seymore Cox]

If Moser and his staff can't develop a guy like Cooper enough that he can help the team this late in the season of his freshman season, he isn't the coach for OU.

OU isn't ever going to have a bunch of studs, or top 10 recruits. Lesser recruits can be developed over a few seasons, but a guy like Cooper, 65th nationally and a guy that was billed as certainly not being a project, our staff HAS to find a guy to get a kid like that on the floor. If the coaching/development isn't good enough to do that.....if the system is too complex, etc.....for whatever reason if it isn't happening, we can't be successful under that model.

Cooper isn’t his type of player. He just signed him because he was an instate guy.

 

[Seymore Cox]

My guy at the coaching firm is saying he’s hearing Bryce Drew at Grand Canyon and the guy that was at Ohio State are trying to get the DePaul job. Ohio State guy is being reached out to by DePaul. He has a 14 million dollar payout so he may just sit on that.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Cooper isn’t his type of player. He just signed him because he was an instate guy.

how is cooper NOT his type of player ??

 

[IndySooner]

But close doesnt mean anything right?

I disagree. I don't think anything is that black and white.

 

[WTSooner]

For me it's less about the results and more about what I'm seeing and how that projects to the future.

Too much chaos. Too much uncertainty. Too many issues that have been the same issues for 3 seasons now. Too much roster turnover. Not enough development. Not enough of a team that improves throughout the season and plays it's best ball down the stretch.

The end result of the season is likely to be within a range that is acceptable. It's just how we're going to get there and what the future looks like for me. Then you have the noise of Porter looking around? Even if he stays we all know he's been looking/talking. OU can't afford to have a coach that isn't 100% bought in.

 

[Seymore Cox]

how is cooper NOT his type of player ??

He’s wild and raw.

 

[BoulderSooner]

He’s wild and raw.

like Oweh was last year .. who now starts and plays a ton in year 2

 

[TSSR]

like Oweh was last year .. who now starts and plays a ton in year 2

And has gotten marginally better at best this year.

 

[TSSR]

Idk about porter, but you should def stick around tho on the board! Need good posters always

Na. He can stay gone. I get tired of the excuse makers at this point.

 

[TEvans4Three]

For me it's less about the results and more about what I'm seeing and how that projects to the future.

Too much chaos. Too much uncertainty. Too many issues that have been the same issues for 3 seasons now. Too much roster turnover. Not enough development. Not enough of a team that improves throughout the season and plays it's best ball down the stretch.

The end result of the season is likely to be within a range that is acceptable. It's just how we're going to get there and what the future looks like for me. Then you have the noise of Porter looking around? Even if he stays we all know he's been looking/talking. OU can't afford to have a coach that isn't 100% bought in.

Here is a gripe I have with some of our fanbase. (This is not to call you out at all btw, just an observation)

We are now in the NIL era. Moser gets praise for his HS recruiting, best recruits (ranking wise) OU has had consistently in YEARS...and we have a lot of people who want Moser to go and lose those recruits/roster. Saying, "Oh, well in the age of NIL, coaches can just turn it around in 2 years." Moser has done that, in one year, from last year to this with a mix of recruits in house and portalers.

Now, OU has to do it that way. He has developed Oweh a bit (even though he has tanked offensively), Los has gotten better from year 1 although he has his moments (not aggressive enough, turnovers, missing bunny hops).

But we, as a fanbase, cannot have our cake and eat it too. We either need to hope for development or a random G5 bigtime portal(er). We aren't going to be Jerome Tang and get one good year then sh*t the bed bc we got portal lucky. We also don't have near the NIL funneled to basketball to make that happen. (Yes, I remember the people saying Tang was better last year)

I know a lot of people are upset, understandable with the Kansas game even with a depleted roster...but get this, OU is barely a Top25 fringe basketball PROGRAM as a whole. They clearly don't care about the arena impacting the team, they don't care to dump money into bigger recruits (see Iswin), we just aren't near the top-15 anymore and are going to have to grind it out a bit. That is the reality. Regardless of how your feelings want this team to be. We have been in the Top-25 this year, deservingly or not.

That is not me giving up or accepting mediocrity, that is just what this program is right now. Until the President/AD put more focus into the basketball program, it is going to be a tough go unless we catch lightning in a bottle and fund it.

OU needs to bring fans to the arena -> OU needs to win to bring fans -> OU needs NIL to fund a good team to win games -> OU needs fans to come to the arena to fund NIL (the cycle of ick -- where a lot of people think roster doesn't matter)

That being said, is Moser that guy? Maybe, maybe not...but OU is not bringing in a coach who is proven in P5 like some want, the job is not that good anymore to get that. We need a flier on a G5 up and comer...just is what it is. (Grant McCasland was that for me, so we shall see)

 

[WTSooner]

That being said, is Moser that guy? Maybe, maybe not...but OU is not bringing in a coach who is proven in P5 like some want, the job is not that good anymore to get that. We need a flier on a G5 up and comer...just is what it is. (Grant McCasland was that for me, so we shall see)

Why does it have to be a flier? There have been a LOT of coaching hires the past several seasons, either guys from smaller schools or assistant coaches, or whatever, that have worked out. That day 1 you can see they are going to get the most out of the talent they have. That is my gripe with Moser. We can all sit here and argue about how much talent OU has or doesn't has, but does anybody think we're getting pretty much all out of them, out of this roster, that we can? I just don't.

But back to coaching hires.....there are plenty of guys we could get. The ISU coach is a pretty good example of that. Arizona went out and got a long-time Gonzaga assistant and he's tearing it up. Marquette went and got Smart who wasn't in the best spot for him to succeed, and he is now looking like the coach a lot of people thought he could be when he left VCU. Saint Mary's and SDS are very well coached teams. Not saying either coach is a good fit for OU (haven't thought about it), but just more examples of guys that are getting the most out of their talent, and are putting together consistent programs.

I like that OU runs a clean program, I really do. I probably appreciate that more than most. But there is nothing wrong with looking at some guys that haven't historically been squeaky clean. Guys that have "paid their dues."

OU is going to need a certain kind of coach to be successful long-term. Moser "appeared" to have a few of those qualities, but I never really believed in them. And culturally, I just don't think he's a fit. System-wise, I don't think he's a fit.

I'm not going to sit here and say I know exactly who we should hire or what the right answer is. I don't know. But I've been 100% spot on in jumping off the band-wagon of OU coaching hires post-Kelvin. With each one (Capel, Kruger, and now Moser) I've been one of if not the first to call for their jobs. I never liked the Moser hire. Still don't. The quicker we move on the quicker we can get somebody in here that can start coaching guys up and building a consistent program. You all want to chase a championship. I just want to get back to being a consistent, deserving, top 25 program. You mentioned we are barely that now. That's because of Capel, Kruger, and Moser. When Kelvin left we were easily a top 25 program, and were often mentioned as the best or second best program to never win a NC. I miss those days.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Here is a gripe I have with some of our fanbase. (This is not to call you out at all btw, just an observation)

We are now in the NIL era. Moser gets praise for his HS recruiting, best recruits (ranking wise) OU has had consistently in YEARS...and we have a lot of people who want Moser to go and lose those recruits/roster. Saying, "Oh, well in the age of NIL, coaches can just turn it around in 2 years." Moser has done that, in one year, from last year to this with a mix of recruits in house and portalers.

Now, OU has to do it that way. He has developed Oweh a bit (even though he has tanked offensively), Los has gotten better from year 1 although he has his moments (not aggressive enough, turnovers, missing bunny hops).

But we, as a fanbase, cannot have our cake and eat it too. We either need to hope for development or a random G5 bigtime portal(er). We aren't going to be Jerome Tang and get one good year then sh*t the bed bc we got portal lucky. We also don't have near the NIL funneled to basketball to make that happen. (Yes, I remember the people saying Tang was better last year)

I know a lot of people are upset, understandable with the Kansas game even with a depleted roster...but get this, OU is barely a Top25 fringe basketball PROGRAM as a whole. They clearly don't care about the arena impacting the team, they don't care to dump money into bigger recruits (see Iswin), we just aren't near the top-15 anymore and are going to have to grind it out a bit. That is the reality. Regardless of how your feelings want this team to be. We have been in the Top-25 this year, deservingly or not.

That is not me giving up or accepting mediocrity, that is just what this program is right now. Until the President/AD put more focus into the basketball program, it is going to be a tough go unless we catch lightning in a bottle and fund it.

OU needs to bring fans to the arena -> OU needs to win to bring fans -> OU needs NIL to fund a good team to win games -> OU needs fans to come to the arena to fund NIL (the cycle of ick -- where a lot of people think roster doesn't matter)

That being said, is Moser that guy? Maybe, maybe not...but OU is not bringing in a coach who is proven in P5 like some want, the job is not that good anymore to get that. We need a flier on a G5 up and comer...just is what it is. (Grant McCasland was that for me, so we shall see)

I disagree that Los has improved. His assists/turnovers numbers are better, but his offensive game is a shell of what it was last year. His shooting at all three levels is atrocious, he seems indecisive, and it’s obvious his confidence is shot. Most guys make their biggest leap in their sophomore season. He hasn’t. And Oweh … yikes. He’s been so, so bad the past few weeks, it’s hard to even know where to start. When I read posters say that our offense generates open shots, part of that is because teams are happy to let guys like Oweh shoot jumpers. A couple of broadcasters have pointed that out recently — teams don’t even guard him a lot of the time. And he is a terrible finisher, which makes no sense given his strength and athleticism.

Those are the two guys people point to as the jewels of his high school recruiting. Northweather is a nonfactor who should be processed in the offseason if we are truly making progress. People can make excuses for why Cooper isn’t playing, but if a borderline top 50 kid goes his entire freshman season without playing a meaningful minute, there is no positive way to spin that. Who knows whether Cole will ever be a player. And I don’t see Forsythe as a dude.

Checking the standings, here are the teams we’re ahead of: two of the new schools to the league that are going through a massive jump in competition. WVU, which lost its coach in June and played the first two months without two or three of their best players. KSU, which has definitely been a disappointment but they did have their best returning player booted by the university president; I think that caused all sorts of friction. And lastly, OSU. We are tied or behind everyone else, including BYU, which theoretically should have struggled to adjust to this level of competition. And should we compare Tech to how OU was in PM’s first season?