Has the loss of Pattillo lowered your expectations for next season?

[NashSooner57]

No because he didn't show much after his first couple of games. Blake made him look good in those few games IMO. I don't understand why people thought he would be so good next year ? He wasn't a team player so I am glad we are moving on.

He was a human turnover machine most of the time he played IMO.

 

[Seymore Cox]

No because he didn't show much after his first couple of games. Blake made him look good in those few games IMO. I don't understand why people thought he would be so good next year ? He wasn't a team player so I am glad we are moving on.

He was a human turnover machine most of the time he played IMO.

Juan was a contributor throughout. He contributed in the last game. He's not a star. I think Everyone is making him out to be a failed star. He was our best bench player, period.

 

[Krugerfan52]

Yes, because I expected him to be the 5th starter along with TMG, WW, Crock and Tiny.

Losing a starter always hurts. Especially when he's the only guy like him on the roster. Everybody else is either a guard or a post. He was the only in-between.

 

[SoonerKA]

yes, he has a ton of talent and lets face it this team does not have a ton of experience left, but everyone loses players and we will be fine and who knows sometimes stuff like this forces someone else to step up and play.

 

[Smash Williams]

There have been some interesting responses, but for those who voted "yes," it is not clear how much people's expectations have been lowered. Here is a more specific question: what were your expectations for next season with and without Pattillo?

 

[NickZepp]

I don't know there's still a lot unknown about the team either way. But based on having Willie Warren and having an energy guy like Pattillo and then about 10 points from Crocker that's around 20 games. Now it may be around 17 or 18 wins now.

 

[sanguinetti]

we are a better team with patillo, but that's life. if he didn't make grades there's no crying here.

 

[thebigabd]

Yes, it has to.

Most people had Pattillo penciled in as a starter, and you dont lose a starter and get better. He was a great athlete and could impact the game with that athletic ability.

The post is now wide open, and OU just needs SOMEONE between Orlando, Wright, and Fitzgerald to play good defense, rebound, and get garbage next to Tiny Gallon next year.

I have a feeling that person will be Orlando.

 

[Seymore Cox]

There have been some interesting responses, but for those who voted "yes," it is not clear how much people's expectations have been lowered. Here is a more specific question: what were your expectations for next season with and without Pattillo?

With Patillo, I thought OU would be around 4th-6th. Without him I think 5th-7th. OU is going to have some real matchup problems. OSU is still going to have a lineup that consist of Moses and Anderson or Muenelo as their frontcourt. We have no one that can match up with those guys and we have no clear inside advantage that will give them an undefendable mismatch. That senario is going to play out with Singletary at Texas Tech, and Dunn at Baylor. We won't have anyone who can defend Gary Johnson at Texas. The only saving grace is if OU can get another athlete, preferably a hybrid four. To this point, maybe a Xavier Alexander, who basically is an undersized four can be offered a scholarship and can contribute. He had a very solid freshman year at GW. Even he won't be eligible til midterm. Unfortunately, I suspect OU will probably sign a juco guy in the next couple of weeks to address this issue. The dissappointment in all of this is they didn't go hard after a few guys who were available.

 

[thebigabd]

With Patillo, I thought OU would be around 4th-6th. Without him I think 5th-7th. OU is going to have some real matchup problems. OSU is still going to have a lineup that consist of Moses and Anderson or Muenelo as their frontcourt. We have no one that can match up with those guys and we have no clear inside advantage that will give them an undefendable mismatch. That senario is going to play out with Singletary at Texas Tech, and Dunn at Baylor. We won't have anyone who can defend Gary Johnson at Texas. The only saving grace is if OU can get another athlete, preferably a hybrid four. To this point, maybe a Xavier Alexander, who basically is an undersized four can be offered a scholarship and can contribute. He had a very solid freshman year at GW. Even he won't be eligible til midterm. Unfortunately, I suspect OU will probably sign a juco guy in the next couple of weeks to address this issue. The dissappointment in all of this is they didn't go hard after a few guys who were available.

Not trying to sign Maurice Mcneil out of San Jacinto was a mistake... I think you sign a 6'9'' 215 four who averaged 20 and 12 in juco, and 20 and 20 in high school... We will see how he does for Houston but OU could have used a mobile, athletic 4 like Mcneil.

The loss of Pattillo probably puts OU around 5th or 6th place in the Big 12 next year. The league is getting better and OU lost the national player of the year, a 4 year starter at power forward, a 4 year starter at point guard, and a guy who in Pattillo who everyone assumed as a starter.

 

[Seymore Cox]

Not trying to sign Maurice Mcneil out of San Jacinto was a mistake... I think you sign a 6'9'' 215 four who averaged 20 and 12 in juco, and 20 and 20 in high school... We will see how he does for Houston but OU could have used a mobile, athletic 4 like Mcneil.

The loss of Pattillo probably puts OU around 5th or 6th place in the Big 12 next year. The league is getting better and OU lost the national player of the year, a 4 year starter at power forward, a 4 year starter at point guard, and a guy who in Pattillo who everyone assumed as a starter.

As much as I hate to, I must agree with you. Not on the Juco signing, but just the overall fact that OU was selective about who they recruited. I believe they held off on recruiting some guys who were fringe contributors and now they're at the point where they need to add someone. It's not too late, there are still some guys out there, but they have ground to make up. There's a kid from Charlotte that signed with Washington State, that St. Louis is all over and he's a 6'8 combo forward that can hit the three. It would be nice to take a look at him.

 

[afaSooner]

While I am disappointed JP is gone I was only mildly hopeful he would improve over last years performances. Sure early on he was dynamic and added athleticism in he's performances but he turned into a much different player in the end. He turned the ball over alot for one. While he was good on the boards he seemed to be a part of any defensive breakdowns that occurred and then there's the whole attitude thing that just seemed like he wasn't into it.

I think JP's departure will get guys like Wright, Allen, & Fitz more time on the floor which may actually benefit the TEAM more in the end. It all works out.

 

[OKURanger]

No, I don't. During several games last year it was easy to see that Willie and Juan were buddies; Willie would often force a pass to Willie when other shooters were open. While having buddies on the team is good for familiarity, it's not good when one of the buddies is not a good influence, either on or off the court.

Now that Blake is gone, Willie is going to be the focus of the team. He will be counted on to win games. Patillo, while athletic and energetic, does not make good decisions off the court and dare-I-say, on the court as well? Patillo would play great defense one series, then the next one get caught trying to do too much. Offensively, he's one dimensional (though a pretty good FT shooter) and would try to make plays that he was not capable of making, especially if Willie was feeding him the ball. I'm just not sure he bought into the idea of team.

Blake was too much his own man, too talented, and had an enforcer in Taylor to allow Juan to be too disruptive last year. I'm not convinced Willie is mature enough or has the same support network to force Patillo to play within the team most of the time. Now, Willie will have to take on the role of leader and all that the role entails--there can be no favorites when winning is the goal. This will help his maturity and the development of the front line. By conference time, the players should know their roles making for a better team.

In sum, I think Patillo leaving removes a potential cancer from the team. Yes, OU loses his athleticism, but I believe team cohesiveness improves.

 

[Seymore Cox]

[Willie would often force a pass to Juan when other shooters were open. While having buddies on the team is good for familiarity, it's not good when one of the buddies is not a good influence, either on or off the court.

Willie tried to force passes to everybody. It doesn't have to do with Juan, it has to do with Willie not understanding you can't squeeze a high school in trafffic pass in the compact college game. Willie sometimes needs to understand personnel and know that you can't pass it to guys like orlando and juan unless they were right at the basket and had a clean path to the basket.

Blake was too much his own man, too talented, and had an enforcer in Taylor to allow Juan to be too disruptive last year. I'm not convinced Willie is mature enough or has the same support network to force Patillo to play within the team most of the time. Now, Willie will have to take on the role of leader and all that the role entails--there can be no favorites when winning is the goal. This will help his maturity and the development of the front line. By conference time, the players should know their roles making for a better team.

Blake Griffin is an awesome, unselfish, and selfless team player. I'm not sure if he's the vocal leader you make hi out to be. If he was, he would have made AJ pass Willie the ball when AJ was freezing him out last year. I'm also not sure where you get Juan not playing within the team concept. Juan didn't take bad jumpshots like Taylor or force bad drives like Tony Crocker. If anything his selfish act was from not playing and being out of control. I do agree with you about Willie needing to Mature to be a leader.

 

[A.J."Mr.Longshot"]

I don't think so because we'll have tiny and tmg next season.