So, a few things…
First, I haven not posted much lately because honestly, I have very little to add and majority of what I do have to say is negative/depressing/pessimistic.
Secondly, I’ve been upfront in past that I’m a 24/7/364 sports fan and that the NFL/NBA/MLB were my first loves and my pro teams will always rank higher on my priority list (more on that in a minute). That said, I have loved college basketball since I was a kid and Selection Sunday and the following week or two have always been yearly highlights for me. I moved back to OKC area in 2006 and in those almost 20 years I’d say I average attending 7-8 games per season. I normally do whatever I can to watch the others.
This year has been different. I haven’t been yet. Partly due to conflicts, but mostly due to lack of interest. I’ve watched a lot of the games, but not particularly intently and with only a small whiff of passion.
I’m not mad. I don’t hate Moser and I don’t think he sucks. I’m not protesting or making some sort of statement. I’ve just reached a level of apathy I wasn’t sure I was capable of reaching.
So that leads me to my question… is it me or is this THE rock bottom point in OU basketball history?
Now, understand, I am NOT asking if this is the worst team in OU history. It’s not. It’s not even the worst team in RECENT OU history. And it’s certainly not the flaming dumpster fire of the last Capel season. But even at that point, I never really considered that maybe the program was just dead. I figured it would take a couple years to clean it up, but Joe C would find an answer—- and he did.
But since the peak of the 2016 FF team there has been a serious slide into the muck.
—The last half of the Lon era was not good. They never really bottomed out, but each season turned into a dogfight just to hover around .500 and squeeze into tourney. Worse in my eyes was the inability to maximize talent. Seeing players like McGusty and Manek far exceed their Norman production elsewhere. Seeing a team with a future NBA AS (I’m not a huge Trae fan, but he IS a high level NBA guy) flounder and look disinterested and disjointed. Seeing a guy like Austin Reaves become a go-to player in the NBA and wondering how we didn’t fare better with him on the squad.
—This is why I don’t totally destroy Porter. Because he’s just sort of kept that Lon train rolling. It’s the same stuff. Not getting enough talent and then failing to maximize what we have. Uzan and Oweh are major pieces on far better teams. And no need to outline or bemoan the hot starts following by horrid performance in conference.
—And I’m not sure if chicken or egg but the support and fan interest level is abysmal. I guess it doesn’t really matter if it’s cause or effect at this point (probably a bit of both) but it certainly adds to the depressed feeling around the program.
—I’m guilty of it, but the Thunder effect is also massive. Pretty unique situation in B12/SEC country— not many schools have an NBA team so close— and this one just happens to be a stellar/model franchise that currently boasts the best basketball team in the world. Making the decision on which team to follow most closely between Norman, Stillwater, and Bricktown is pretty darn easy. My kids are 16, 13, and 8. The oldest and youngest LOVE basketball. They are always happy to go to a game in Norman and root for them on TV, but they are Thunder/NBA OBSESSED. To say OU is an undercard is a slight to all undercards.
—Changing nature of college sports landscape. This isn’t unique to OU of course, but if a program struggles, I think you will see fans turn faster and be less quick to return than in the past as many are frustrated with the system. Winning at a higher level than ever before may be required to retain interest.
—Throw in the arena/LNC issue. I personally don’t mind the LNC but there is nothing additive about it. The ONLY reason to go to a game is to watch the game. And if the games stink….
So I take all of this into account and I think the program is truly in deep trouble. No hyperbole or recency bias. They haven’t had a truly “good” team in a decade now. And we now have a coach in his fourth year that is likely going to be 0-4 in terms of just making the tournament, which is the absolutely baseline floor for me in terms of where we should be as a program.
So year 4… no tourney appearances under his belt, only losing conf records to show, and headed for another bottom finish in their conference. Arena empty and/or lifeless. Zero competitiveness against top teams. Transfers leaving and finding better homes/roles elsewhere. Team and individual production going downhill as season progresses.
Not good. Not good at all.
And now, realizing the reality of being a smaller fish in a bigger pond… this all feels highly problematic.
Yes, I think the time is likely right after this season to move on from Moser. I like him. Seems he’s put in a greet effort with a lot of passion and has been accountable. He doesn’t throw kids or anyone else under the bus. He doesn’t complain about the lack of support (which has to be a bummer). But it hasn’t worked. It just hasn’t. It’s not all him, but it also appears he doesn’t have the answers so you gotta try someone else.
But that “someone else” I believe has a Herculean task on their hands. I really do. This program is in shambles. The decibel level has never been lower. I don’t even know what the selling point is at this point. It’s not a top job. It’s a “meh” opportunity. Thankfully, there are still more quality coaches out there than opportunities so it IS possible, but boy, the task has never looked more difficult and the clouds have been more gray over the skies of the OU basketball program.
First, I haven not posted much lately because honestly, I have very little to add and majority of what I do have to say is negative/depressing/pessimistic.
Secondly, I’ve been upfront in past that I’m a 24/7/364 sports fan and that the NFL/NBA/MLB were my first loves and my pro teams will always rank higher on my priority list (more on that in a minute). That said, I have loved college basketball since I was a kid and Selection Sunday and the following week or two have always been yearly highlights for me. I moved back to OKC area in 2006 and in those almost 20 years I’d say I average attending 7-8 games per season. I normally do whatever I can to watch the others.
This year has been different. I haven’t been yet. Partly due to conflicts, but mostly due to lack of interest. I’ve watched a lot of the games, but not particularly intently and with only a small whiff of passion.
I’m not mad. I don’t hate Moser and I don’t think he sucks. I’m not protesting or making some sort of statement. I’ve just reached a level of apathy I wasn’t sure I was capable of reaching.
So that leads me to my question… is it me or is this THE rock bottom point in OU basketball history?
Now, understand, I am NOT asking if this is the worst team in OU history. It’s not. It’s not even the worst team in RECENT OU history. And it’s certainly not the flaming dumpster fire of the last Capel season. But even at that point, I never really considered that maybe the program was just dead. I figured it would take a couple years to clean it up, but Joe C would find an answer—- and he did.
But since the peak of the 2016 FF team there has been a serious slide into the muck.
—The last half of the Lon era was not good. They never really bottomed out, but each season turned into a dogfight just to hover around .500 and squeeze into tourney. Worse in my eyes was the inability to maximize talent. Seeing players like McGusty and Manek far exceed their Norman production elsewhere. Seeing a team with a future NBA AS (I’m not a huge Trae fan, but he IS a high level NBA guy) flounder and look disinterested and disjointed. Seeing a guy like Austin Reaves become a go-to player in the NBA and wondering how we didn’t fare better with him on the squad.
—This is why I don’t totally destroy Porter. Because he’s just sort of kept that Lon train rolling. It’s the same stuff. Not getting enough talent and then failing to maximize what we have. Uzan and Oweh are major pieces on far better teams. And no need to outline or bemoan the hot starts following by horrid performance in conference.
—And I’m not sure if chicken or egg but the support and fan interest level is abysmal. I guess it doesn’t really matter if it’s cause or effect at this point (probably a bit of both) but it certainly adds to the depressed feeling around the program.
—I’m guilty of it, but the Thunder effect is also massive. Pretty unique situation in B12/SEC country— not many schools have an NBA team so close— and this one just happens to be a stellar/model franchise that currently boasts the best basketball team in the world. Making the decision on which team to follow most closely between Norman, Stillwater, and Bricktown is pretty darn easy. My kids are 16, 13, and 8. The oldest and youngest LOVE basketball. They are always happy to go to a game in Norman and root for them on TV, but they are Thunder/NBA OBSESSED. To say OU is an undercard is a slight to all undercards.
—Changing nature of college sports landscape. This isn’t unique to OU of course, but if a program struggles, I think you will see fans turn faster and be less quick to return than in the past as many are frustrated with the system. Winning at a higher level than ever before may be required to retain interest.
—Throw in the arena/LNC issue. I personally don’t mind the LNC but there is nothing additive about it. The ONLY reason to go to a game is to watch the game. And if the games stink….
So I take all of this into account and I think the program is truly in deep trouble. No hyperbole or recency bias. They haven’t had a truly “good” team in a decade now. And we now have a coach in his fourth year that is likely going to be 0-4 in terms of just making the tournament, which is the absolutely baseline floor for me in terms of where we should be as a program.
So year 4… no tourney appearances under his belt, only losing conf records to show, and headed for another bottom finish in their conference. Arena empty and/or lifeless. Zero competitiveness against top teams. Transfers leaving and finding better homes/roles elsewhere. Team and individual production going downhill as season progresses.
Not good. Not good at all.
And now, realizing the reality of being a smaller fish in a bigger pond… this all feels highly problematic.
Yes, I think the time is likely right after this season to move on from Moser. I like him. Seems he’s put in a greet effort with a lot of passion and has been accountable. He doesn’t throw kids or anyone else under the bus. He doesn’t complain about the lack of support (which has to be a bummer). But it hasn’t worked. It just hasn’t. It’s not all him, but it also appears he doesn’t have the answers so you gotta try someone else.
But that “someone else” I believe has a Herculean task on their hands. I really do. This program is in shambles. The decibel level has never been lower. I don’t even know what the selling point is at this point. It’s not a top job. It’s a “meh” opportunity. Thankfully, there are still more quality coaches out there than opportunities so it IS possible, but boy, the task has never looked more difficult and the clouds have been more gray over the skies of the OU basketball program.
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