Lon is 2-8 all time in the Big 12 Tourney

[WTSooner]

You just can't argue that. He, like Capel before him, has not embraced what makes OU good. He hasn't recruited well enough top to bottom.

And he hasn't put together teams, for the most part, that are tough. OU isn't going to have the talent to just stick guys out there and have them win at a high level. MOST of the time. We need toughness. We need a coach that influences the game every minute.

 

[stormspencer]

Over an 8-year career at Oklahoma, Lon is 72-72 in conference games, and 2-8 in conference tournament games. That is mediocre. That is not the record of a great coach by Oklahoma standards (or any standards for that matter).

Yep. I like Lon, but over the last 3 years, I have really soured on the guy. He had a nice run in 15 and 16, but other than those two years.....we are a mediocre program under his direction. Outside of two seasons, his teams have stunk in the postseason.

Since we've all been told by several on this board that the influx of talent next year is going to make this a better team......then there had better damn well be some results. If we find ourselves in this same position next year (barely making the tournament/bubble team), then a change will be needed. No coach is bigger than the good of the program.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Why did they have to play Reynolds 20 minutes and Calixe 14 minutes down the stretch? All while sitting the starters. That was the coaches choice last night.

Who knows. Maybe Lon was looking at the big picture .. trying to make sure his starters are well rested for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

 

[sperry]

Yep. I like Lon, but over the last 3 years, I have really soured on the guy. He had a nice run in 15 and 16, but other than those two years.....we are a mediocre program under his direction. Outside of two seasons, his teams have stunk in the postseason.

Since we've all been told by several on this board that the influx of talent next year is going to make this a better team......then there had better damn well be some results. If we find ourselves in this same position next year (barely making the tournament/bubble team), then a change will be needed. No coach is bigger than the good of the program.

My thing is that he turns 67 this year. That's pretty much time to hang up the spurs anyway. Go get your next coach, rather than let Lon hang around too long. It's not like he's some Bobby Bowden or Bill Snyder that has earned the right to coach as long as he wants to.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Who knows. Maybe Lon was looking at the big picture .. trying to make sure his starters are well rested for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Lolol

 

[BoulderSooner]

Over an 8-year career at Oklahoma, Lon is 72-72 in conference games, and 2-8 in conference tournament games. That is mediocre. That is not the record of a great coach by Oklahoma standards (or any standards for that matter).

in the last 7 years he has also coached OU in the maybe the hardest/best conf schedule that OU has ever been in no more playing the old brutal north 1 time each a year and feasting on baylor tech and tamu

 

[thebigabd]

in the last 7 years he has also coached OU in the maybe the hardest/best conf schedule that OU has ever been in no more playing the old brutal north 1 time each a year and feasting on baylor tech and tamu

Has nothing to do with that.... OU and OSU aren't recruiting well enough anymore since Sutton/Sampson left. Programs have lost their identity and corrections are needed.

 

[WTSooner]

Has nothing to do with that.... OU and OSU aren't recruiting well enough anymore since Sutton/Sampson left. Programs have lost their identity and corrections are needed.

Agreed. His statement is just an excuse. The Big 12 has been PLENTY tough over the years. It's no more difficult today than it was 10 years ago.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Agreed. His statement is just an excuse. The Big 12 has been PLENTY tough over the years. It's no more difficult today than it was 10 years ago.

OU's big 12 schedule is much harder now than 12 years ago

and the big 12 is a better basketball conf now compare to 12 years ago ..


these are facts ..

 

[WichitaSooner]

Seems hard to believe anyone could say the current quality of the league has nothing to do with our record, or that the league is no better than it was a decade ago. Six of 12 teams made the tourney 10 years ago. KU and UT were the only teams to stay in the Top 25 all season, A&M was in for most the season but faded late, and KSU was at the bottom of the poll for a few weeks.

It is absolutely fair to say that our conference record hasn't been as good as it should be the past two years. I would never argue otherwise. But to act like the league has always been as good as it has been the past few years is a huge overstatement.

 

[BoulderSooner]

the BIG 12 is the "best" league in the country for 6 of the past 7 years and was #2 the other year ...

the New Big 12 is an elite basketball conf

 

[hoopsaustin]

OU's big 12 schedule is much harder now than 12 years ago

and the big 12 is a better basketball conf now compare to 12 years ago ..


these are facts ..

So losing = good.. bc hard

 

[BoulderSooner]

So losing = good.. bc hard

don't think anyone said that ...

and OU is going to be dancing yet again ..

 

[hoopsaustin]

don't think anyone said that ...

and OU is going to be dancing yet again ..

Is simply making the tourney by the skin of our teeth with horribly coached teams and scant talent the standard? If so, give Kruger an extension

 

[SoonerTraveler]

The Big-12 is unlikely to get easier in the next few years. Will Oklahoma be able to catch-up enough to sustain Lon's long-term .500 career conference record. Or, will the program's fortunes decline to the point where 7 or 8 conference wins are good enough.

I am reminded of the TV commercial ... How is your basketball program? Its OK.

 

[WTSooner]

don't think anyone said that ...

and OU is going to be dancing yet again ..

With a seed that reflects not being very good.

How many double digit seeds did Billy and Kelvin have? Kelvin had a few early in his tenure, then 6 years of seeds no lower than 4. Lon is 8 years into his tenure at OU, and is about to have his second straight 10 seed, and 3rd overall.

That's not exactly "building our program."

 

[WTSooner]

Is simply making the tourney by the skin of our teeth with horribly coached teams and scant talent the standard? If so, give Kruger an extension

Exactly. Two straight years with a 10 seed, and arguably 1-2 losses from not making it.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Is simply making the tourney by the skin of our teeth with horribly coached teams and scant talent the standard? If so, give Kruger an extension

Well, each person is free to decide for themselves what their personal standard is. But objectively, well over 90% of ADs and programs would be beyond thrilled to have their team make the tournament six of seven years. I'd guess maybe 10 to 15 programs can make that claim. And when one of those results in a FF and another a Sweet 16, that's a pretty good standard.

Also, and this is a legit question -- if we have terrible coaching AND bad talent, how do we make the tournament so often?

 

[Max Power]

Well, each person is free to decide for themselves what their personal standard is. But objectively, well over 90% of ADs and programs would be beyond thrilled to have their team make the tournament six of seven years. I'd guess maybe 10 to 15 programs can make that claim. And when one of those results in a FF and another a Sweet 16, that's a pretty good standard.

Also, and this is a legit question -- if we have terrible coaching AND bad talent, how do we make the tournament so often?

How many of those AD's are at top 20 all time basketball programs?

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2017-03-29/ap-releases-top-100-college-basketball-programs-based-poll

 

[WTSooner]

I'm not content winning 7-8 Big 12 games a year and being a 10 seed. Our program is better than that. I haven't done extensive research on what the other Big 12 teams will look like next year, but I see a very similar season next year. We're going to be relying on a lot of new/young faces next year, and we're still not going to have a legit big man.