Guys getting tired...

[OULad]

I think we are very good when we take care of the ball and the bench contributes. I am worried about the lack of bench production and the funk Cousins is in. Still a lot of time to improve.

 

[j2d2]

In a game where you are not playing very well and having to fight it, you get tired earlier than usual.

 

[TINY]

We will be fine imo.

ou may have been fatigued after playing iowa state and the 3 ot game in basically a 2 day span, and it may have even carried over to the ksu, osu games. Having said that, I don't foresee it being a problem in March. We played a ton of minutes last season, too, and we looked pretty damn good in March, just came up a bit short against one of the final four teams.

I do agree that spangs needs to get some more bench time to heal his bumps and bruises. Manyang needs to take the next step.

 

[IndySooner]

I'm bumping this. There's no doubt fatigue has set in a bit for a couple of guys. Our lack of depth is hurting.

 

[HeismanWatch]

Poor shooting results in less rest.

 

[tycat947]

I'm bumping this. There's no doubt fatigue has set in a bit for a couple of guys. Our lack of depth is hurting.

Our main problem is that we've not developed any quality, consistent depth. We have some that may come in and play well for a game and then disappear for 5 games. We shuttle in players for short periods of time but they provide very little offense (with exceptions) and we depend upon starters (mainly 3 guards) to get our points. It takes it's toll, maybe not so much physically, but mentally knowing that game in and game out, OUr team is going as 3 or 4 players go, every game. I know we have youth on the bench but I'd have thought by now, we'd have some that could provide a spark off the bench offensively. James and Buford have provided a little of that, but way too little and way too seldom.

 

[Zimwillett]

Just wait until the end of the season...

This team is going to have a hard time come March because Kruger has played Hield about 95% of the possible minutes.

Bump. This was perhaps one of the most overblown "story lines" of the season.

 

[Swans]

Yep!

 

[coolm]

I do believe this team became tired ... but the tourney has seemed to rejuvenate them.

 

[pnkranger]

I do believe this team became tired ... but the tourney has seemed to rejuvenate them.

I think a lot of it was in game fatigue....playing 20 minutes without a break wears you down mentally and physically. I think they started games fresh but just got worn down without an early break.

Kruger has started putting James Buford and mcneace in a lot earlier

 

[campbest]

Bump. This was perhaps one of the most overblown "story lines" of the season.

Believe we are using more bench than any point this season.

Most overblown storyline was the loss of AK vs A&M. People were acting like he was a pivotal piece to this team.

 

[Zimwillett]

I do believe this team became tired ... but the tourney has seemed to rejuvenate them.

I think the struggles had more to do with the grind of playing conference opponents for the second time in a few weeks, often in their gym with their fans primed to upset a top ranked opponent. Basically all but two of OU's losses all season fit that exact model. I just don't think fans appreciate how difficult it is to win under those circumstances.

 

[Zimwillett]

Believe we are using more bench than any point this season.

Most overblown storyline was the loss of AK vs A&M. People were acting like he was a pivotal piece to this team.

Not really. Buddy played 39 minutes Saturday, 38 Thursday. Spangler played 35 Saturday, 32 Thursday. Cousins played 34 Saturday. That's as much or more as they've played most of the season. Woodard only played 21, but he was in foul trouble and fouled out. His minutes in the earlier tournament games were essentially the same as they've been all season.

I don't think the bench is playing many more minutes than it did all season (especially when you basically just replace Walker's minutes for James). It's just been more productive.

 

[campbest]

I think the struggles had more to do with the grind of playing conference opponents for the second time in a few weeks, often in their gym with their fans primed to upset a top ranked opponent. Basically all but two of OU's losses all season fit that exact model. I just don't think fans appreciate how difficult it is to win under those circumstances.

So basically, fatigue.

 

[Zimwillett]

So basically, fatigue.

:ez-laugh:

Not exactly what I was trying to say, but fair enough.

The point remains that Lon wasn't making some huge miscalculation on how he deployed his rotations/minutes in January/February that would ultimately doom this team "come March."

 

[scrybe]

Some of the brightest and best minds in all of hoops fandom reside on this board. So, when these experts say the Sooners were physically worn down by the midpoint of the season, then who am I to argue?

 

[soonernutt]

I do believe this team became tired ... but the tourney has seemed to rejuvenate them.

Coach has been more insistent of getting guys rest, since the start of the b12 tourney. And IMO, he should have been doing it before that, but it's hard to question anything coach Kruger has done this year now. :lon

 

[scrybe]

Coach has been more insistent of getting guys rest, since the start of the b12 tourney. And IMO, he should have been doing it before that, but it's hard to question anything coach Kruger has done this year now. :lon

Hard, but obviously not impossible. :ez-laugh:

 

[Zimwillett]

Coach has been more insistent of getting guys rest, since the start of the b12 tourney. And IMO, he should have been doing it before that, but it's hard to question anything coach Kruger has done this year now. :lon

Again, the evidence just doesn't prove that out. Go look at the game logs. The starters have played roughly the same amount of minutes in the post season as they have all season. Buddy's stayed right around 38/39 . Spangler usually slots in at around 32-35 minutes. Cousins is consistently right around 35. Jordan is consistently right around 30-31. And none of that's changed since the start of the Big 12 tournament unless there's a blowout or foul trouble.

About the only thing that's significantly changed in the rotation since post season play has started is James basically took over Walker's minutes. That's it. I think it may seem like Lon is playing the bench more because they've just been far more productive, but in reality, the actual minutes are essentially the same.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I read an article this weekend on how we handled all the requests for Buddy's time from the press. It said that when we went through that little slump during the Big XII season we started limiting their access to him to 2 set times a week and post games. For Buddy, at least, any fatigue might have been mental.