Is OU a "system" basketball program?

[opsooner]

But you have to play to your kids strengths

Opposing coaches are doing a good job of forcing our team into our weaknesses. Even then it just keeps the game close for them because we can still score. We are not forcing teams into their weaknesses other than fouling the KU big.



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[WaymanFan]

Which coach are you firing?

First off, I’m letting the season play out before considering anything. However, if things continue to unravel, it will be two underachieving seasons in a row. We had no underachieving seasons in the first five years of the Lon Kruger regime. Since Coach Kruger has a proven track record, the common denominator is the loss of two key assistants. I’m not sure what would be wrong with an upgrade at the assistant level, but I wouldn’t know which one(s) should be replaced. I do have a good idea, though. How about we start winning some basketball games so we don’t need to have conversations like this.

 

[Stikboy]

You dang straight this is on the assistant coaches! While Coach Kruger is ultimately responsible, he has to depend on his staff to take care of the day to day coaching duties.

We know what Kruthfield can do, so the one who recruited TY and a host of quality players before him is off the hook as far as I’m concerned. The question is, what have the others done to develop players, improve our defense in practice and, above all, recruit better players to the program?

I like Jamal Bieniemy. But, I’m having a hard time getting on board with a juco player who seems to be anything but a finished product. I’m also having a hard time understanding why the staff had to settle for another project ( two if you count Polla) on the heels of a final four run two years ago? Maybe they will work out. I sure hope so. I’ll be happy to take my lumps eating crow if they do. I’m just not convinced the staff couldn’t have done better if they were doing a good job.

Guess I’m just tired of keeping my opinion to myself and pretending everything is okay when it’s not. If my honesty brands me as a naysayer or a troublemaker, so be it!

Wow. Took all the words right out of my mouth.

 

[dksooner]

LOL.

TIME TO FIRE LON?

Hottake of the Day!

I didn't say fire Lon. I said let's see how the season plays out. His track record is to move on after bringing back relevance to a program.

 

[chuckb]

Opposing coaches are doing a good job of forcing our team into our weaknesses. Even then it just keeps the game close for them because we can still score. We are not forcing teams into their weaknesses other than fouling the KU big.



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This leads us to an interesting question. A lot is made here and elsewhere about the team's defense, or lack thereof. But if you go to kenpom and sort OU's games by offensive efficiency, all of our losses are at the bottom. Of our worst 9 games by offensive efficiency, you'll see the 8 losses and the win over Tech. That's not true if you sort by defensive efficiency. The wins and losses are more spread out.

So maybe the offense is a bigger problem than it's made out to be. Turnovers and bad shots lead to easy transition baskets for the other team and the problem on those possessions isn't the defense. It hasn't been mentioned that I've seen that OU had 27 turnovers against ISU who was, I believe, the worst team in the conference at turning teams over before yesterday's game.

Maybe the cure is just the opposite -- better defense that turns other teams over and gets transition buckets for us. Somehow, though, this team has to figure out how to get some easier baskets and to quit giving away so many to the other team.