Locker room drama?

[vbdad]

I may not be credible but there was chemistry issues to say the least.

Lack of leadership was a huge problem. I don't know if it can be solved in a year. We lose two guys who weren't leaders but nobody else seems to have it in their make up.

 

[psk2080]

I would think Odomes will have to be the leader of this team next year. If not Odomes, I don't know who else. I just don't see McGusty, Doolittle, James or McNease being that kind of guy.

 

[sooner8693]

If we are going to go by body language, things we witnessed on the bench, reactions on the floor, etc, I think Doolittle, James, and McGusty are all malcontents. In retrospect, it appeared to me that when Doolittle came back on the team, things began to erode.

 

[psk2080]

James seems to meltdown so easily when things go wrong. As for McGusty and Doolittle - they went from being the 2 best players on the team at the end of the prior year to being bit players on this year's team. I'm sure they weren't happy with their roles, since they were diminished. Doolittle's role was his own fault. But yes, I agree, all 3 players seemed to be malcontents at times. James less than the other 2. He just seemed to get down on himself way too much.

 

[BCSooners]

I may not be credible but there was chemistry issues to say the least.

Lack of leadership was a huge problem. I don't know if it can be solved in a year. We lose two guys who weren't leaders but nobody else seems to have it in their make up.

You're probably the most credible source on the board.

Usually you like your upperclassmen to be leaders but this is what I see and I may be way off. I like all the players I'm about to list, just my opinion on why they aren't leaders right now.

Odomes - not assertive, not vocal.
James- bad body language
McNeace - immature, not a great understanding of the game.
McGusty - selfish, only plays on 1 end.
Doolittle - academic issue, pouts a lot.

A grad transfer with great leadership & just cares about winning is just what OU needs, even if he's a lesser talent than another transfer.

 

[152219]

James seems to meltdown so easily when things go wrong. As for McGusty and Doolittle - they went from being the 2 best players on the team at the end of the prior year to being bit players on this year's team. I'm sure they weren't happy with their roles, since they were diminished. Doolittle's role was his own fault. But yes, I agree, all 3 players seemed to be malcontents at times. James less than the other 2. He just seemed to get down on himself way too much.

Well, Doolittle has no one to blame but himself for being kicked out of school for academic misconduct.

 

[psk2080]

As we've seen with the current crop of players, it might be hard for a new guy to come in and take a leadership role. Some of the current players WANT to be that guy, but their general makeup doesn't seem to indicate that they CAN be that guy. This reminds me a bit of the Willie Warren, Tiny Gallon, TMG team that imploded. Lon (or whoever replaces Lon) will need to rebuild the team from the ground up. Some of these kids may need to go. Unfortunately, that likely would mean that the team would be writing off the next season or two in order to flush out the roster and to bring in a new roster. There is no easy answer but to recruit and develop better players.

 

[schoonerdriver]

Leadership had to be an issue this year as well. Lattin seems like he is a great guy, but I don't see him being much of a team leader (same with Woodard last year). Can Christian James be the leader next year? He obviously worked hard last year to transform his body, so the work ethic appears to be there.

James is not a leader. He is so quick to blame his teammates.

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[152219]

James is not a leader. He is so quick to blame his teammates.

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He seems to blame himself more than anyone IMO.

 

[AdaSooner]

I may not be credible but there was chemistry issues to say the least.

Lack of leadership was a huge problem. I don't know if it can be solved in a year. We lose two guys who weren't leaders but nobody else seems to have it in their make up.

Don’t sell yourself short, Vbdad! You’re as close to a reliable source as anyone on this board. I didn’t need confirmation, but I also heard about the chemistry issues from three other sources I trust.

Anyone who was paying attention with an open mind to the problems this team was having from about the midway point of the season, should have been able to see it for themselves.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

James is not a leader. He is so quick to blame his teammates.

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Examples?

He appears to pout some when he doesn't get calls from the officials -- but Trae did also -- but I've never seen/heard him publicly blame anyone else.

 

[hoopsaustin]

I may not be credible but there was chemistry issues to say the least.

Lack of leadership was a huge problem. I don't know if it can be solved in a year. We lose two guys who weren't leaders but nobody else seems to have it in their make up.

Youre literally the most credible

 

[sooner 1234]

Again young was VERY distant with the team on and OFF the court.

His teamates may have been a bit jealous but young wasn’t the best teammate either .

I’m not saying he was a bad kid , just selfish .

His leaving is best for this programs future . They won’t near as talented next year , but basketball just like any sport involved a team .

 

[skyvue]

I’m not saying he was a bad kid , just selfish .

His actions on the court weren't selfish. You don't lead the nation in assists (with a total that should have been much higher) by being a selfish player.

I also got no sense whatsoever from his dozens of interviews that he was selfish.

More than that, I don't pretend to know firsthand, but I'm guessing you don't either.

 

[BoulderSooner]

heard from a good source our #2 or #3, idk where to put him, hated Trae. Dude was jealous that Trae is on a different level

i think we have heard the same thing

 

[coolm]

sorry sky. I agree with 1234.

You can talk all the cliches and say all the right things ... but it's in your actions that your truth lies. He had no rapport with his teammates and as a result he didnt trust them. I also agree their misses didnt help things but Trae needs to trust his teammates and grow up in the team game with them. They didnt play with him near enough to know when he was going to throw them open and see the same things he saw.

He kept his numbers up, not his teammates.

 

[AdaSooner]

i think we have heard the same thing

Me too, only it wasn’t just one.

 

[Matthew G]

Me too, only it wasn’t just one.

I've heard similar whispers, but not from anyone extremely close. I've heard it was an issue between the team where they didn't like this idea that it was Trae Young who was the reason OU was winning, and when they started losing, it was "well, C'mon Trae, this is your team, lead us to victory why don't you. If you are the reason we are winning, then you are the reason we are losing" which got retorted back with how Trae would be the only NBA player. It wasn't Trae vs the others as well, there were players in there that were on his side vs the other guys.

Towards the end, it became a "we all know you are leaving, so we'll show you next year when we do just as well or better after you are gone"


There was definitely issues in the locker room, and I mean, Doolittle even admitted it.

 

[sooner 1234]

His actions on the court weren't selfish. You don't lead the nation in assists (with a total that should have been much higher) by being a selfish player.

I also got no sense whatsoever from his dozens of interviews that he was selfish.

More than that, I don't pretend to know firsthand, but I'm guessing you don't either.

I promise you my sources are better than yours on this one .

Again I’m not saying he was a bad person , just selfish .

I keep hearing all these posters on here act like they are close to the program , if they are than they are lying or aren’t that close .

 

[152219]

I've heard similar whispers, but not from anyone extremely close. I've heard it was an issue between the team where they didn't like this idea that it was Trae Young who was the reason OU was winning, and when they started losing, it was "well, C'mon Trae, this is your team, lead us to victory why don't you. If you are the reason we are winning, then you are the reason we are losing" which got retorted back with how Trae would be the only NBA player. It wasn't Trae vs the others as well, there were players in there that were on his side vs the other guys.

Towards the end, it became a "we all know you are leaving, so we'll show you next year when we do just as well or better after you are gone"


There was definitely issues in the locker room, and I mean, Doolittle even admitted it.

So, petty jealousy brought down the team. Nice.