Just curious for your thoughts. Seeing Texas light it up recruiting-wise scares me a bit. Kruger can't out-recruit Smart (he may try, but will fail). I love Kruger and I love where OU is at. But is this as high as OU can go with a coach like Kruger?
Has OU peaked under Kruger?
- Thread starter cjhsooner
- Start date
CoachTalk
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 11,176
- Reaction score
- 3,384
Lol. Trolling hard. Travis ford out recruited Kruger at times... Means nothing sometimes, because there is more to it than just recruiting, development is key. The ol ill take 3 star effort and work ethic than 5 star lazy bums anyday rule applies here.
Final 4. We just went to the FINAL 4. Can he win a natty, I dont know... thats hard for anyone to do..
Last edited:
I am just curious. Not trolling. I am curious how Kruger does without Hield. The talent on OU's roster, in my opinion,is maybe 3rd or 4th, at best.
CoachTalk
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 11,176
- Reaction score
- 3,384
The Talent is better than its ever been. Now will they work like Isiah and Buddy?
2 time big 12 POY, National POY, and leaders like Buddy dont come around very often.
Will we go to the Final 4 every year? No, but it wont be the last time if LK stays longer.
BoulderSooner
Owner/Operator
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2008
- Messages
- 14,390
- Reaction score
- 4,551
smart will have a very very hard time out recruiting rick barnes .. now he will out coach barnes ..
SoonerinNC
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2008
- Messages
- 1,752
- Reaction score
- 2
I believe that Kruger just recruited the highest ranking player (McGusty) in his tenure at OU. So I'm a little puzzled at the question about his peaking.
Will we often if ever have the recruiting classes that is better then those by Texas. Probably not. That is hardly new since someone at Texas finally realized that they had basketball talent in the state.
We probably have more talent in depth now than in a long time. Probably since Tubbs got the jump on everyone by recruiting JUCO's. What we don't have is a lot of experience and no one at this time has any clue how that will play out.
We will probably have a hard time competing with places like Kentucky who has been caught paying players and a coach who has had players paid under his watch. Those 5* players he is getting are legit. I am not an adherent to the philosophy that 3* players are as good as the 5*. But there are a lot of players out there talent you can win with who are not highly ranked. Like Buddy and Isaih and all those guys who help their teams pull upsets every NCAA tournament.
I suspect Kruger will continue to get good players and will get them to play well enough to win a lot of games. As usual there will be detractors who will criticize every move a player makes in a game and will be constantly embarrased by the team and our coaches. I'll leave their life to them.
Will we often if ever have the recruiting classes that is better then those by Texas. Probably not. That is hardly new since someone at Texas finally realized that they had basketball talent in the state.
We probably have more talent in depth now than in a long time. Probably since Tubbs got the jump on everyone by recruiting JUCO's. What we don't have is a lot of experience and no one at this time has any clue how that will play out.
We will probably have a hard time competing with places like Kentucky who has been caught paying players and a coach who has had players paid under his watch. Those 5* players he is getting are legit. I am not an adherent to the philosophy that 3* players are as good as the 5*. But there are a lot of players out there talent you can win with who are not highly ranked. Like Buddy and Isaih and all those guys who help their teams pull upsets every NCAA tournament.
I suspect Kruger will continue to get good players and will get them to play well enough to win a lot of games. As usual there will be detractors who will criticize every move a player makes in a game and will be constantly embarrased by the team and our coaches. I'll leave their life to them.
I agree with this. Texas has loads of players in the NBA right now thanks to Barnes...but Smart looks to be a better coach.
I agree that Lon Kruger will not be able to recruit as well as Shaka Smart...but if Smart's players are leaving after 1-2 years while Kruger's are staying 4 years, I don't see how we'll be hurt by this.
Also, what Lon Kruger does better than almost any coach in America is EVALUATE TALENT. We went to the Final Four last season without a player who was a consensus top-100 recruit. That just doesn't happen every year. What has hurt Coach Kruger in the past is that he just never stayed anywhere long enough to build a consistent winner. However, if this is his last job and he plans to stick around awhile, I think we'll be back in the Final Four before he retires.
If the OP made his observation based solely on the "star system," he's probably right – Shaka Smart will out-recruit Lon Kruger.
But we all know coaching a highly successful basketball team involves a whole lot more than bringing 4 and 5-star players to a school. Lon Kruger's teams will consistently beat Shaka Smart's teams head-to-head and in the Big 12 standings. So, in that regard, I would say Kruger is the better "recruiter." Nuff said.
Otherwise, I tend to agree with CoachTalk. The original post sounded like a troll post to me.
But we all know coaching a highly successful basketball team involves a whole lot more than bringing 4 and 5-star players to a school. Lon Kruger's teams will consistently beat Shaka Smart's teams head-to-head and in the Big 12 standings. So, in that regard, I would say Kruger is the better "recruiter." Nuff said.
Otherwise, I tend to agree with CoachTalk. The original post sounded like a troll post to me.
Texas for the most part will out recruit OU in almost all sports, just the way it is. I think Lon got about all you can expect from OU basketball wise. OU will not make many Elite 8, FInal 4 runs, not saying they won't make any.
CoachTalk
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 11,176
- Reaction score
- 3,384
The answer is more than likely yes or if not very nearly. Where else do you go from a Final 4 appearance? There isn't much room for improvement results wise than what was accomplished last season.
That being said I think this program has a tremendous amount of staying power under Lon Kruger. I don't think it'll be his last trip to the Final Four at OU and who knows maybe we win one or two more games next time!!
That being said I think this program has a tremendous amount of staying power under Lon Kruger. I don't think it'll be his last trip to the Final Four at OU and who knows maybe we win one or two more games next time!!
ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms
Member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2008
- Messages
- 909
- Reaction score
- 0
Opinion from the outside looking in. Kruger does more with less. He builds a team not individuals. He may not meet the fans lofty goals next year but give a couple of years to jell a new cast and he will have them right near the top
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
tmeyer3307
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2015
- Messages
- 821
- Reaction score
- 102
Next season I hope we finish top 4 in big 12 and make the tourney! Sweet 16 would be perfect. The season after could be special! Final 4 or Championship type of team!! Possibly Young at the 1 James Odomes Buford Mcnese Jrs. Lattin sr. Throw in the young guys from this year.
His ceiling is higher at Ou than anywhere else he's been IMO. If we can start getting local elite guys like trae young we will be tough for anyone to beat. Certainly don't expect to land a local 5* every year (because they are so rare), but when they appear, Ou needs to reel them in. Really wish we could have landed shake or the guard from Oregon but Lon is recruiting at a higher level than most thought he could coming in.
CoachTalk
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 11,176
- Reaction score
- 3,384
If Payton Pritchard were here, doubt young would be, not scared of him just he wants the full reigns.
Ou coaches thought they had shake!!
Last edited:
Mature...how am I trolling? I am legitimately concerned about how good Texas will be (both this year and in the future). Just my opinion. Not trolling!
KBaden145
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2012
- Messages
- 2,085
- Reaction score
- 0
Classic troll post construction right here. You have been identified.
As to the legitimate part of the OP, no they have not 'peaked'. As a follow up poster mentioned, staying power is the true measure of a big time program. I have seen ZERO indication OU is going away anytime soon. The increased level of ut's recruiting has no real bearing on OU's ability to bring in players who can compete at a high level. There are plenty of 'Kruger guys' out there. Kruger has an excellent evaluator's eye, as mentioned earlier, but his staff's real strength is player development, a great equalizer over time.
Also, I think it's pretty obvious Shake chose poorly. SMU is on course to becoming a dumpster fire...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Similar threads
