If this was the 4th or 5th game of the season, not the 15th, I might agree that the change in the way games are being called is contributing to our porous defense. When you factor in two exhibition games, this team had more than enough time to make the adjustment. It's not like these changes caught anyone by surprise. It's also not like OU is the only team that had to adapt to these changes. The rules are the same for everyone. Yes, a few games lately have taken on the look of last year's games where defenders were allowed to be more physical. But on the whole, the majority of games I have watched have been fairly consistent. Besides, players and coaches have always had to adjust to the way a game is being officiated. It's been that way for as long as I can remember.
I'm baffled by the way this team is playing on defense, or more correctly, the way they're not performing. The biggest surprise is our guards. I honestly thought that our three freshmen last year (Cousins, Hield and Hornbeak) were as good on defense as any group of guards I have seen in years. They seemed to have all of the tools: size, good footwork, quick hands, a nose for the ball and an aggressive style that created problems for our opponents.
All three of those players are mere shells of what they were last season on defense. It's easy to blame it on a concern about getting into foul trouble if they man up more. But that still doesn't explain how we are giving up wide open shots from the perimeter or allowing players to drive the lane without opposition from anyone. I'm not pointing the finger at only those three. It's everyone. Good defense is a team effort.
I know we don't have a big down low who can defend the middle. When Spangler is not on the floor, teams pretty much have their way inside. One would think that means we're getting killed by our opponents' big men, but that is not the case. Our backcourt is creating a new "first team all Big 12" [sarcasm] player in every game. Selden goes off for 24 points on 5 of 10 shooting from three last night; Felix gets 28 in the UT game (Croaker is 5 of 10 from three); Hamilton and Appleby combine for 53 points in the La Tech game (Hamilton with 32). And, that's just the last three games.
Go back through nearly every game this year and the story will be similar. The guards on the teams we're playing are doing the most damage, because our guards our doing a poor job of defending them. It's that simple. Sure, the absence of a shot-blocking, shot-altering big down low makes it more difficult to defend the interior now. Every team we play is driving the lane more. Drive and dish or drive and get fouled is a familiar game plan this season. That still doesn't explain how a team like OU that appeared to be built for defending their opponents the way the games are being called can't find a way to get stops when we need them the most?
If I had an answer, I would gladly share it. The only thing I know is that complaining about the officiating will not change a thing. It is what it is, and this team will have to adjust going forward if they want to get back to the dance this season.
