Has OU peaked under Kruger?

[skyvue]

Of course the situation is different. It always is. Do you think the situations at KSU, Florida, and UNLV were identical?

No, I don't imagine they were, so I wouldn't rush to claim there's even a "strong possibility" of decline in the program based on what went on elsewhere. There are always too many variables to make such prognostications.

Three straight days of rain could be called a pattern, too, but there's a strong possibility the fourth day will be sunny.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Some of the people in this thread must do great at the racetrack and the stock market since the can foretell the future so well. :facepalm

 

[Eielson]

No, I don't imagine they were, so I wouldn't rush to claim there's even a "strong possibility" of decline in the program based on what went on elsewhere. There are always too many variables to make such prognostications.

I shouldn't utilize data and common trends from a coach's previous 4 jobs to predict the success and trends of his 5th coaching job? Interesting.

Three straight days of rain could be called a pattern, too, but there's a strong possibility the fourth day will be sunny.

Lon hasn't been coaching three days; he's been coaching 30 years. If it has rained more days than not for the last 30 years, I'm going to bet there's a better chance than not it rains the next day.

 

[McJacknife]

Do I expect a final four this year?

Hell yeah I DO
If not
FAAAR STOOPS

 

[skyvue]

I shouldn't utilize data and common trends from a coach's previous 4 jobs to predict the success and trends of his 5th coaching job? Interesting.

Not if you don't have all the data specific to each situation (and it's a reasonably safe assumption that you don't -- I doubt anyone on this board does).

And you only discussed three of his last four college jobs, omitting Illinois, and left his time with the Hawks out altogether. And three of those four college jobs weren't even in this century.

The only reasonably fair comparison would be between his tenures at UNLV and OU, and his results at those two schools already vary greatly. Kruger's Sooner teams have gotten better every year since he arrived in Norman, which didn't happen at UNLV, and while that trend is unlikely to continue this season, I'd say there's an excellent chance that his first five-year cycle at OU will be equaled or bettered over the next five seasons. I'll see you here in 2021 and we'll see who was right.

 

[Eielson]

Not if you don't have all the data specific to each situation (and it's a reasonably safe assumption that you don't -- I doubt anyone on this board does).

It seems as if you're asking me to only comment when a perfectly controlled experiment has been conducted, and when every possible piece of data has been collected. That's simply not how the world works, and certainly not message boards.

 

[TINY]

Like I said before, Lon's ceiling is higher than its ever been. He was very successful at kstate, Florida, Illinois, and unlv but those jobs are a joke compared to Ou today. The coaches who followed him had some of their best seasons of their careers with Lon's recruits, Bill self being one of them. If he decides to stick around for another 5-7 years Ou will be have a few more final fours and possibly a natty IMO.

 

[Tony]

Seems more likely than not that OU won't be in the Final Four again under Kruger. It's really hard to do. Lots of things have to go right for it to happen.

So yes, it seems likely that OU has peaked under Kruger. Not that we can't get back again or that we won't continue to have lots of success. But chances are that was the best season we'll ever have under Kruger.

 

[hoopsaustin]

If we get trae young and a big guy develops.. i think we'll be back sooner than later

 

[skyvue]

Seems more likely than not that OU won't be in the Final Four again under Kruger. It's really hard to do. Lots of things have to go right for it to happen.

So yes, it seems likely that OU has peaked under Kruger. Not that we can't get back again or that we won't continue to have lots of success. But chances are that was the best season we'll ever have under Kruger.

That assumes that the only standard by which a team is judged is tourney success.

If the 2018 squad wins 30 games, takes the Big 12 crown, wins the Big 12 tourney and loses on a buzzer beater in the Elite Eight, would 2016 still be considered Kruger's peak? Not in my eyes, it wouldn't.

It boggles my mind that anyone would assume Coach Kruger won't ever match the success of the 2016 season. Could it happen that he won't? Sure. Is it any sort of given? Hardly.

I guess it takes all kinds, as they say.

 

[Larry72]

If we get trae young and a big guy develops.. i think we'll be back sooner than later

I agree!!! Trae and a good big recruit = success

 

[WaymanFan]

It boggles my mind that anyone would assume Coach Kruger won't ever match the success of the 2016 season. Could it happen that he won't? Sure. Is it any sort of given? Hardly.

I'm optimistic he'll get us back to the FF before he retires, but I can't blame those who disagree. After 1988, would you have thought Billy Tubbs would have us back in the FF? How about Kelvin Sampson after 2002? I thought for sure Billy would have us back and was very confident Kelvin would as well. That's why I'm using the "cautiously optimistic" approach with Coach Kruger.

 

[Tony]

It boggles my mind that anyone would assume Coach Kruger won't ever match the success of the 2016 season. Could it happen that he won't? Sure. Is it any sort of given? Hardly.

Five Final Fours in the history of Oklahoma basketball. YMMV but assuming a Lon Kruger-coached Oklahoma team won't ever make another Final Four seems like a lot safer bet to me that assuming they will. Assuming Final Four appearances seems like a sucker bet, but I could be wrong I guess.

I anticipate continued success. Lon Kruger is awesome. Indeed I say this in recognition of how much we should appreciate this past year's team. Reaching Final Fours is not easy.

 

[skyvue]

Five Final Fours in the history of Oklahoma basketball. YMMV but assuming a Lon Kruger-coached Oklahoma team won't ever make another Final Four seems like a lot safer bet to me that assuming they will. Assuming Final Four appearances seems like a sucker bet, but I could be wrong I guess.

I anticipate continued success. Lon Kruger is awesome. Indeed I say this in recognition of how much we should appreciate this past year's team. Reaching Final Fours is not easy.

I assume nothing specific; I'm not the one making pronouncements (other than the rather general suggestion that Kruger will continue to have success at OU). I see no reason not to be optimistic, and those gloomy Gusses in this thread who are suggesting Kruger has likely peaked have offered no compelling evidence to back up their pessimism.

I just can't imagine coming off this season as a fan and telling myself (and anyone else who'll listen), "Well, that's it; it's going to be downhill from here."

But again, I don't consider another Final Four to be the be-all, end-all. There are many great things Kruger's future teams could accomplish that would make me very happy and satisfied.

 

[KBaden145]

Five Final Fours in the history of Oklahoma basketball. YMMV but assuming a Lon Kruger-coached Oklahoma team won't ever make another Final Four seems like a lot safer bet to me that assuming they will. Assuming Final Four appearances seems like a sucker bet, but I could be wrong I guess.



I anticipate continued success. Lon Kruger is awesome. Indeed I say this in recognition of how much we should appreciate this past year's team. Reaching Final Fours is not easy.

This is not far off from where I am. The OP and another poster or 2 seem to think we've, in essence, 'shot our wad' and things are now destined to fall apart despite no real evidence to back them up. I'm not predicting Final 4s but I will predict multiple teams capable of making such runs...


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[SoonerTraveler]

There are other ways to consider this strange topic.

Winning a Big-12 regular season championship and/or winning a Big-12 tournament championship would be new achievements (i.e., peaks) for Coach Kruger at OU. I am hopeful that conference championship trophies will be added to the OU trophy display while Coach Kruger is here.

The Hield/Cousins/Spangler class peaked in their senior season, but they never achieved a conference championship.

The James/Odomes/Buford/McNeace class will just be sophomores next season, with some salty freshmen right behind them. Coach Kruger's journey is not over. There are still some peaks to climb.

 

[sdcloud9]

We are all greedy, a taste of success always makes fans want more.

I would be very disappointed if OU ever missed the NCAA Tournament under LK, that's the standard of OU basketball the past 25 years or so.

Perhaps another Elite 8/Final Four run is possible, especially if Trae comes on board.

 

[Eielson]

I just can't imagine coming off this season as a fan and telling myself (and anyone else who'll listen), "Well, that's it; it's going to be downhill from here."

Nobody said that.

 

[skyvue]

Not in so many words, but saying Kruger will never have as a good a season as this year is close enough.

 

[Eielson]

Not in so many words, but saying Kruger will never have as a good a season as this year is close enough.

Most, if not all, on here have said that MIGHT be Kruger's best season; not that it definitively is.