Horrible Game

[AdaSooner]

Depth is our issue. We don't have inside guys to play or that that Lon trusts ( Bennett) Spangler, Clark , Neal are afraid to foul and so do not protect the rim as hard as they should. More inside players will help. But I also see our guards reaching for a steal and the next thing you know there guy is by them. I think we need to work on staying infront of our guys and not going for as many steals.

Excellent points.

We knew from the start that our depth, particularly in the post, would be a problem this season. The hope, of course, is that Neal and Bennett could at least hold their own. Tyler has done that everywhere except when he has to guard a bigger, more physical player down low. He's simply not big or strong enough to keep them from getting position on him, or scoring when they do. I don't know what to think about Bennett. If anything, he has regressed in the last few games.

I agree that our guards need to focus less on steals and more on keeping their man from getting layups or open shots. Unfortunately, I suspect there are multiple fundamental reasons why our defense has not improved much. I keep hoping this team will figure it out before it's too late.

 

[CoachTalk]

You look at the OSU/texas game... Close to the same numb of points scored... Better defense? No, because OSU shot 51 FT's. Texas had 4 players foul out.

Scoring is going to be up regardless. Its either going to be because we cant play def or we play too much defense and foul...

Ou's problem is depth. Its been noted time and time again.

 

[sheepdogs1]

It's not just a function of depth, but also the quality and experience of the players coming off the bench.

 

[opsooner]

And both dante and lattin are not going to be the answer right away. Its going to take some time.

Might hurt offensively but can't be much worse than our interior D when Spangler is out of the game. I get what you are saying though and agree - can't expect true Freshmen to come in and play at a high level.

 

[campbest]

It's not just a function of depth, but also the quality and experience of the players coming off the bench.

...so depth?

 

[Kewllane]

Can't help but wonder how much better this team would be if M'Baye had stayed...

 

[AdaSooner]

Can't help but wonder how much better this team would be if M'Baye had stayed...

M'Baye would have given us a quality big man who could block or change shots, which is far more important now than it was last year. Spangler would also be better, as well as less foul prone, if he had more help.

 

[earlpearl]

M'Baye would have given us a quality big man who could block or change shots, which is far more important now than it was last year. Spangler would also be better, as well as less foul prone, if he had more help.

Very true. Someone mentioned the Texas game last night. It was painfully obvious Cobbins was missing and lack of a rim presence made a once very solid D look really soft. There could be parallels between OU and OSU.

 

[StatGeek]

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.

To be clear, I am not complaining about the officials, I am complaining about the NCAA's management/administration of the game. I have zero issue with the job the officials are doing. IMO when you look at the porous defense being played by a Bill Self coached team with all that athleticism & the porous defense being played by a Lon Kruger coached team with plenty of athleticism, it is clear there is something larger going on than simply a couple of bad defensive teams. IMO players and coaches have two choices: 1. Play tough defense and get beat at the FT line or 2. Play crappy defense and try to outscore your opponent. Both options are laughable.

College basketball is dying and the way the game is being managed is just increasing the pace at which it does so. The NCAA expansion of the tournament with the play-in games is dumb and IMO hurts the Tourney, the inevitable larger expansion of the tournament will just make the regular season even less relevant than it already is. The new rule emphasis is a complete debacle IMO, games having 8 TV timeouts, & coaches having 10 additional timeouts is ridiculous. Reviewing plays non-stop to see if someone's toes were on a line or to see if someone inadvertently hit someone with an elbow is a joke. I could go on & on but the bottom line is that the NCAA is killing the sport.

 

[AdaSooner]

To be clear, I am not complaining about the officials, I am complaining about the NCAA's management/administration of the game. I have zero issue with the job the officials are doing. IMO when you look at the porous defense being played by a Bill Self coached team with all that athleticism & the porous defense being played by a Lon Kruger coached team with plenty of athleticism, it is clear there is something larger going on than simply a couple of bad defensive teams. IMO players and coaches have two choices: 1. Play tough defense and get beat at the FT line or 2. Play crappy defense and try to outscore your opponent. Both options are laughable.

College basketball is dying and the way the game is being managed is just increasing the pace at which it does so. The NCAA expansion of the tournament with the play-in games is dumb and IMO hurts the Tourney, the inevitable larger expansion of the tournament will just make the regular season even less relevant than it already is. The new rule emphasis is a complete debacle IMO, games having 8 TV timeouts, & coaches having 10 additional timeouts is ridiculous. Reviewing plays non-stop to see if someone's toes were on a line or to see if someone inadvertently hit someone with an elbow is a joke. I could go on & on but the bottom line is that the NCAA is killing the sport.

I get what you're saying. I also realize that I'm in the minority by being in favor of this initiative to clean up the game on the defensive end.

No matter how one might feel about the way the games are being called now, I think most would agree that college basketball had developed into a sport where the biggest, strongest and toughest players had an unfair advantage on the defensive end. Speed and quickness helped. But the emphasis was on doing as much as the officials would allow to get the upper hand on the offensive player. That is not the way the game was meant to be played.

I won't disagree that the game has moved a little too far in the other direction now. I believe in time, though, you will see fewer whistles as the players make the adjustment to the new emphasis on the rules. We have already seen that to an extent in some games.

Give it more time and see where it leads. IMO, one of two things will happen: a) the players will adjustment in time; or b) the officials will loosen the reigns some in an effort to find a happy medium.