Key to Improvement

[cowboysooner]

If Grooms had been able to consistently hit an open 15 foot shot from around the circle, we would have won another 2-3 games last year. I thought last years team could have easily lost a few games it won and could have easily won 3-4 games we lost. My opinion was that untimely misses from the free throw line by everyone and Grooms unwillingness to shoot the ball (and misses when he did) were the key reasons we didn't win a few games we could have.

It seems to me that grooms, bird, cam, fitz, osby,neal and Arent combined to play about .500 ball last year and that was with a new system and new players. With last season under their belt, another off season, another fall drills and just a little individual development, I don't see where it would be crazy to expect this exact same bunch to win 18-20 games. This is just winning 3-4 games that it lost last year.

Of course we all hope the new guys make us better and different, and they might. I haven't seen enough of the new guys to have an opinion of what they will bring or whether they will make us radically different.

The key to the season in my opinion is the individual development of Grooms. I liked everything about him except his lack of confidence in his shot and his unwillingness and inability to hit "open" jumpers from around the circle. If he can find the confidence to press his offensive game consistently and make open shots, then he will go from being our version of Gottlieb (nobody guards him and instead guards our other 4 with 5) to making us a hard out. If he can hit his shots with regularity, he frees up to a great extent our other options, whatever they might end up being. They say he is a hard worker and so we will just have to see. If he can't step up and hit his shots, I think Lon will start to look at one of his freshman to get significant minutes.

With a little improvement from Grooms, I think this team wins 20 games. If Mbuye is as good as some think, then I say we win 21-22 games. If one or more of the freshman is a consistent offensive threat from the perimeter, then I could see 22-23 games won.

And yes, in case you are wondering, I wear crimson glasses and don't claim to live in a world of reality.

 

[WTSooner]

I think there are a lot of "little" things that if we improve on, could be worth 1-3 wins each.

If Grooms can shoot it better.
If Cam can shoot it better.
If our bench does anything at all.
If M'Baye is at least as good as Osby was last year.
If our team defense improves.

I actually like a lot of those things to happen. Nearly positive M'Baye will be the real deal, and our bench will be improved (impossible not to, IMO). Not so sure on Grooms and Cam, but chances are one of them will have a better year.

 

[AdaSooner]

Totally agree that Grooms could be a key to our success, providing he does not clog up our offense by allowing our opponents to play five on four.

I'm confident this year's team will be much improved. M'Baye and a deeper bench almost makes that a certainty. But this team is not good enough to get by with a point guard who is not a threat to score from somewhere. If Grooms does not come into the season with a vastly improved outside shot, we can only hope that Cousins or Hornbeak, or both, can run the offense.

 

[sybarite]

I just want them to play intelligent team basketball. Until that happens, any change from year to year won't result in consistent improvement. There were times when I thought we left our basketball IQ on the bus.

 

[BigTime]

I just want them to play intelligent team basketball. Until that happens, any change from year to year won't result in consistent improvement. There were times when I thought we left our basketball IQ on the bus.

Any particular player?

 

[sybarite]

Any particular player?

Everyone had their space cadet moments.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

1. Improved team defense
2. Improved PG play
3. Improved rebounding