Kruger is a terrible tourney coach

[buttermaker1]

North Dakota state folks 2 mil a year

 

[Big Old Booger]

Our coach makes 2 million a year just lost to ND state what a joke

He's probably overpaid if you just look at results but considering where we were it was the move that needed to be made at the time. We probably could have gotten someone like him when Capel was hired but we tried to go on the cheap. That led to a perennial top 25 program having 3 losing seasons in 5 years and a bunch of offcourt issues and probation.

If you look at all facets and I know many fans like yourself do not, then he's fairly compensated. He runs a clean program, his kids graduate, he recruits mainly HS players instead of JUCO's, he's an ambassador for the program, he's great with the alums and fans, and he wins.

You may not like him based on the loss tonight, but I can assure you many REAL OU basketball fans appreciate he's here, myself included.

 

[quick release]

Kruger is a great coach that definitely has the program going in the right direction but I can't ignore the fact that in the last 20 years he only advanced past the first weekend twice. As much as I hate it, it is a fact.

 

[ouboomer]

North Dakota state folks 2 mil a year

with players graduating, no major violations, and he has been a PR home run.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Kruger is a great coach that definitely has the program going in the right direction but I can't ignore the fact that in the last 20 years he only advanced past the first weekend twice. As much as I hate it, it is a fact.

You need to look deeper. Look at the programs when he took the job (KSU, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and OU). All of them were rebuilding jobs for LK. Ask Bill Self about the program he inherited when LK left Illinois for the NBA. Ask Billy Donovan about the program he inherited at Florida when LK left for Illinois. Ask the UNLV coach about his program.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Kruger is a great coach that definitely has the program going in the right direction but I can't ignore the fact that in the last 20 years he only advanced past the first weekend twice. As much as I hate it, it is a fact.

I have no problem ignoring it. My memory of the two years prior to his arrival is very vivid.

 

[quick release]

BOB, no question those are valid points. As I said he's a great coach and perfect for our situation, but it's been awhile since he's been relevant in the post season. Can he change that? Sure but it's still a fact at this point.

 

[sdcloud9]

Yeah, it's Kruger's fault that none of our players grew 3 inches in the past two weeks and sophomores didn't instantly have the experience of seniors.

We lost this game because of 2 things that our out of the control of anyone our team. Size and experience.

I respectfully disagree about experience Teams are winning with freshman and sophomores all over the place.

Two missed free throws can happen but fouling with a 4-point lead, and leaving their best 3-point shooter wide open when they need a 3-point lead to tie the game are mental mistakes that just can't happen in tight games.

 

[Big Old Booger]

BOB, no question those are valid points. As I said he's a great coach and perfect for our situation, but it's been awhile since he's been relevant in the post season. Can he change that? Sure but it's still a fact at this point.

I will be stunned if in 2 years we still haven't made it past the first game or opening weekend. Next years team will be much better given the new guys and the players who return. The year after that when most of them are upperclassmen will be a great year.

 

[TINY]

B O B killed it ITT, IMO.

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

This loss was not Lon's fault in any way.

If he had been the one standing on the line shooting 4 free throws at a really critical point tonight he would not miss half of them.

That falls directly on the shoulders of the players who missed those. Lack of concentration and focus.

Of course in the big scheme of things it is not a huge deal. We were not going far this year anyway with such a lack of size. Next year? Who knows. Their coach was just building himself up by talking about all the talent on our team.

Make no mistake, we have several excellent players who have given us some really fun times this year. But you can't have great talent when you have no chance of taking the ball inside.

Spangler is a great player for us, but he could never (and has never) taken over the inside like is needed to move up the bracket.

 

[pnkranger]

This game was identical to what happened against WVU. Had control with 30 seconds left ... peed down our legs and lost the game in OT.

Kruger trusts his players -- which can be bad when you've got a team full of sophs.

 

[quick release]

I tend to agree with that. Hopefully we can see Spangler improve the way guys like cousins, Neal, and hield (despite his inconsistencies) did. If so we should be a threat next season.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Say whatever you want but Lon hasn't won a postseason game yet at OU - that is a failure. N Dakota wasn't a great team but we are too flawed. Don't bring out the young crap either when tons of young teams make runs - this loss seriously hurts what we accomplished this season as nobody gave us any respect the whole year and you know what ? Getting upset like this proves them right in the end no matter what the sunshine pumpers (which I am most of the time) spout now.

 

[Big Old Booger]

This loss was not Lon's fault in any way.

If he had been the one standing on the line shooting 4 free throws at a really critical point tonight he would not miss half of them.

That falls directly on the shoulders of the players who missed those. Lack of concentration and focus.

Of course in the big scheme of things it is not a huge deal. We were not going far this year anyway with such a lack of size. Next year? Who knows. Their coach was just building himself up by talking about all the talent on our team.

Make no mistake, we have several excellent players who have given us some really fun times this year. But you can't have great talent when you have no chance of taking the ball inside.

Spangler is a great player for us, but he could never (and has never) taken over the inside like is needed to move up the bracket.

I heard someone on the radio a few weeks back discussing Spangler (here in KC). They speculated he probably had lost about 10-15 lbs thru the season and was pretty banged up from the big 12 conference. It sure appeared that way tonight. He's just not a 5 but he had to play there out of necessity. If we can somehow get him to the 4 spot and get some depth he will do much better in post season play.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Say whatever you want but Lon hasn't won a postseason game yet at OU - that is a failure. N Dakota wasn't a great team but we are too flawed. Don't bring out the young crap either when tons of young teams make runs - this loss seriously hurts what we accomplished this season as nobody gave us any respect the whole year and you know what ? Getting upset like this proves them right in the end no matter what the sunshine pumpers (which I am most of the time) spout now.

Name me a young team that made runs recently. I'm not talking about Kentucky who won the NC but had 10 burger boys and a good coach. Name me a team with a bunch of young hardly recruited players who made a run.

 

[fhosu]

You need to look deeper. Look at the programs when he took the job (KSU, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and OU). All of them were rebuilding jobs for LK. Ask Bill Self about the program he inherited when LK left Illinois for the NBA. Ask Billy Donovan about the program he inherited at Florida when LK left for Illinois. Ask the UNLV coach about his program.

I believe it's one Sweet 16 in the past 20 yeas for Lon. Last record at K State was 17-15, last record at Florida was 12-16, last record at Illinois was 22-10 (same as his first year at Illinois, was 14-18 the year before his last). I think it'd be more fair to say he leaves programs needing rebuilding so far.

 

[ouboomer]

Say whatever you want but Lon hasn't won a postseason game yet at OU - that is a failure. N Dakota wasn't a great team but we are too flawed. Don't bring out the young crap either when tons of young teams make runs - this loss seriously hurts what we accomplished this season as nobody gave us any respect the whole year and you know what ? Getting upset like this proves them right in the end no matter what the sunshine pumpers (which I am most of the time) spout now.

i think tonights loss is a perfect example of how a coach gets too much blame put on him. Not saying some of it is not warranted but the players have to make layups, make crucial free throws, rotate on defense like your supposed too

 

[WTSooner]

Name me a team with a bunch of young hardly recruited players who made a run.

Hardly recruited? lol

Woodard had a Memphis offer.
Hield had interest from bigger schools, but committed to OU pretty early. Top 100 kid though.
Cam was a top 60 kid. Don't recall the offers.
Spangler had an offer from Zaga.
Hornbeak had some solid offers (UT, Marquette).

None of that stuff is a "reason" to accept the loss tonight.

The biggest problem right now is our identity. Specifically, the lack of defense.

 

[BoomSoon]

Clown with an agenda post.

Coaching actually got OU in a position to win the game. A terrible foul and two missed free throws cost it.

Crushing loss after finding a way to get back in it.