Must hear Capel radio interview with Eschbach and Traber

[OUHoops]

Lots of interesting stuff and Capel really opens up. Here it is:

http://podcasting.fia.net/6779/4128387.mp3

 

[OUHoops]

One quick note from the interview. Steven Pledger's grandmother passed away and he'll miss practice and fly back to Waco Saturday to meet the team.

 

[OULad]

Coach tells it like it is.

 

[mizzOUstu702]

Thanks for posting. That story about Capel's dad coming down to Durham is pretty funny.

It's interesting to hear some insight as to what's going on with this team right now, and where their head's at.

Also, thoughts and prayers go out to Pledger and his family.

 

[Tony]

Lord, would I hate to have to suck up to those two like coaches in the area here have to. Basically zero actual basketball questions, almost all about focus and mentality and intangibles.

Good stuff from Capel, though. I particularly liked him sticking up for Willie Warren from all the fans and media who want to throw him under the bus.

I am at a loss as to how a society in which a high school coach could convince a player that he was actually going to kill him is somehow preferable to what we have today.

 

[seniorsooner]

Excellent interview. Definitely worth a listen.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Excellent interview. I wonder if some of these parents will ever figure out the disservice they do to their kids.

 

[BigTime]

Lord, would I hate to have to suck up to those two like coaches in the area here have to. Basically zero actual basketball questions, almost all about focus and mentality and intangibles.

Good stuff from Capel, though. I particularly liked him sticking up for Willie Warren from all the fans and media who want to throw him under the bus.

I am at a loss as to how a society in which a high school coach could convince a player that he was actually going to kill him is somehow preferable to what we have today.

Great interview.

Tony,

How was Coach Capel sticking up for Willie? He said the same things that folks like myself have been saying: Poor body language, lack of consistent effort, and someone who is maybe just not cut out to be the leader.

I don't think anyone is saying that Willie is the only reason that this team is 9-5. I am not. I have not once thought that to be true. But it seems to me that Coach Capel feels the same way that myself and several on this board are feeling about Willie.

Willie has surprised me. I think he has surprised Coach Capel as well.

Its funny how two people can hear the same interview and come away with such different interpretations.

Not trying to bag on you, but I had to defend myself a bit since I have been pretty steadfast in my constructive criticism of Willie over the past two and a half weeks.

 

[seniorsooner]

Well said BT. I thought about saying something but figured you would come along and say it better than I would.

 

[Sooner Quick]

Great interview.

Tony,

How was Coach Capel sticking up for Willie? He said the same things that folks like myself have been saying: Poor body language, lack of consistent effort, and someone who is maybe just not cut out to be the leader.

I don't think anyone is saying that Willie is the only reason that this team is 9-5. I am not. I have not once thought that to be true. But it seems to me that Coach Capel feels the same way that myself and several on this board are feeling about Willie.

Willie has surprised me. I think he has surprised Coach Capel as well.

Its funny how two people can hear the same interview and come away with such different interpretations.

Not trying to bag on you, but I had to defend myself a bit since I have been pretty steadfast in my constructive criticism of Willie over the past two and a half weeks.

This! I've been pretty hard on WW myself but never once blamed him being the total reason for our season and I haven't seen anyone doing that and most said pretty much what came out of Capel's mouth. What I have seen is a few posters bashing other players to make WW seem not as bad or to take up for WW. You can take up for WW without bashing other players.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I liked how he talked about pledger lacking lateral quickness right now. I think it clears up for those who Wonder why Cade is starting. Pledger will get there though.

 

[Tony]

Great interview.

Tony,

How was Coach Capel sticking up for Willie? He said the same things that folks like myself have been saying: Poor body language, lack of consistent effort, and someone who is maybe just not cut out to be the leader.

I don't think anyone is saying that Willie is the only reason that this team is 9-5. I am not. I have not once thought that to be true. But it seems to me that Coach Capel feels the same way that myself and several on this board are feeling about Willie.

Willie has surprised me. I think he has surprised Coach Capel as well.

Its funny how two people can hear the same interview and come away with such different interpretations.

Not trying to bag on you, but I had to defend myself a bit since I have been pretty steadfast in my constructive criticism of Willie over the past two and a half weeks.

You don't have to defend yourself to me, Big Time. I think your criticism has certainly been constructive, though I simply disagree that it is anywhere near the main problem with this team.

I don't have time to listen to the interview again right now, but my recollection is of Coach Capel agreeing with Eschbach's first question, which posited that Willie gets too much blame for the struggles of this team, even going so far as to say he wrote a letter to a sportswriter about it. I guess I could be wrong on my interpretation or memory of the interview.

 

[thebigabd]

I thought his comments about high level kids were interesting in contrast to a similar interview I heard with Pat Knight.

Capel said a lot of these AAU, high level, high school kids have been getting their butts kissed since middle school and he has to continue kissing their butts during the entire recruiting process. You are dealing with their AAU coaches, handlers, parents, high school coaches, etc. These guys all have a sense of entitlement and that has been a problem with some of the guys Capel has signed.

The interview I heard with Pat Knight was just the opposite. Of course, Knight said he doesnt like dealing with AAU coaches, handlers, and immature players, but he was asked about recruiting juco guys and he said he enjoys it a lot more. They are grown men (20-21 years old), no AAU coaches, no parents, etc. He said they are excited to be part of the team, want to work hard, already know how to work, etc.

With that being said, there are lots of high level guys coming out of high school every year and most of the time their attitudes get checked at the door or it is never really an issue. Capel has recruited some guys with known attitudes, because he is trying to get the best caliber player he can, and I think everyone understands that.

I think OU fans come after Willie so hard because most of us always remember having a leader, and we really haven't seen a leaderless team with a bunch of whiners since we have followed the program. Ryan Minor, Nate Erdmann, Corey Brewer, Hollis Price, Eduardo Najera, Kevin Bookout, Blake Griffin, and Taylor Griffin have filled that role since the beginning of the Sampson era and this is really the first time OU doesn't have that.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I thought his comments about high level kids were interesting in contrast to a similar interview I heard with Pat Knight.

Capel said a lot of these AAU, high level, high school kids have been getting their butts kissed since middle school and he has to continue kissing their butts during the entire recruiting process. You are dealing with their AAU coaches, handlers, parents, high school coaches, etc. These guys all have a sense of entitlement and that has been a problem with some of the guys Capel has signed.

The interview I heard with Pat Knight was just the opposite. Of course, Knight said he doesnt like dealing with AAU coaches, handlers, and immature players, but he was asked about recruiting juco guys and he said he enjoys it a lot more. They are grown men (20-21 years old), no AAU coaches, no parents, etc. He said they are excited to be part of the team, want to work hard, already know how to work, etc.

With that being said, there are lots of high level guys coming out of high school every year and most of the time their attitudes get checked at the door or it is never really an issue. Capel has recruited some guys with known attitudes, because he is trying to get the best caliber player he can, and I think everyone understands that.

I think OU fans come after Willie so hard because most of us always remember having a leader, and we really haven't seen a leaderless team with a bunch of whiners since we have followed the program. Ryan Minor, Nate Erdmann, Corey Brewer, Hollis Price, Eduardo Najera, Kevin Bookout, Blake Griffin, and Taylor Griffin have filled that role since the beginning of the Sampson era and this is really the first time OU doesn't have that.

I think several other coaches at big time schools are now dealing with the exact same problem although they are being quiet about it. I will not be surprised to hear them saying the exact same things Capel is saying in another year or two. I think it applies to football as well as basketball. Capel went on to talk about those kids did not learn basic fundamentals as they excelled on talent and athleticism growing up so when they arrive at college, much of practice has to focus on teaching fundamentals.

 

[j2d2]

I think it's pretty rare-make that VERY rare-for one person to be the sole reason that a team is failing. In a team sport it takes more than one.

 

[seniorsooner]

I personally haven't seen anyone on this board saying the sole reason for our failures is Willie Warren. Those of you who keep saying that are obviously not listening to those of us that have criticized Willie's attitude and effort this year. Oh and Capel plainly said in this interview that Willie has invited some of the criticism he has received by his body language in games.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I know the AAU thing is being thrown around. I know Capel did mention how kids are getting their butts kissed and it's true. However, all basketball players are AAU kids, from the kids at NOC, to the guys a UNC. The AAU attitude is not exclusive to high major basketball. Now the internet era recruit is highly affected by seeing his name on Rivals, etc. I remember an interview with Xavier Henry where they talked about his goals and the first thing mentioned was getting back to being the number one ranked player in 2009. Then he mentioned the high profile tournaments that whe was going to play in. This is different from kids who's first goal is to win a State crown. Also, if you look at a kid like TMG, he's an excellent player, but the level of basketball he's played hasn't put him in a position to understand the value of winning championships. That was the one thing that impressed me about WW initially. He understood how to win a championship at Crowley and I think some of that mixed with Blake, who is the ultimate competitor and winner. Now, he's taken a huge step back from his performances against KU and UT.

 

[Tony]

I personally haven't seen anyone on this board saying the sole reason for our failures is Willie Warren. Those of you who keep saying that are obviously not listening to those of us that have criticized Willie's attitude and effort this year. Oh and Capel plainly said in this interview that Willie has invited some of the criticism he has received by his body language in games.

It is true that often people preface their critiques by saying that they don't think Willie is the only problem with this team. But there is generally precious little other analysis offered -- ESPECIALLY basketball related critiques as it is almost all character based -- that one can't help but get the feeling that people think Willie Warren is a prima donna and that everything will just be hunky-dory if he comes out and runs down the floor hard. I don't buy that, and I think Willie Warren's attitude/effort is about #271 on the list of problems with this team.

It's obvious from the reactions to this interview that one can hear things the way they want to, but my interpretation of Capel regarding Willie was that he has to understand that being in the position he is -- coming into the season with all the hype -- that he will receive a lot of unwarranted blame for a team's problems, and that people will seize on to something like his body language to make their point. Not that the body language itself was hurting the team.

 

[InTheKnow]

It is true that often people preface their critiques by saying that they don't think Willie is the only problem with this team. But there is generally precious little other analysis offered -- ESPECIALLY basketball related critiques as it is almost all character based -- that one can't help but get the feeling that people think Willie Warren is a prima donna and that everything will just be hunky-dory if he comes out and runs down the floor hard. I don't buy that, and I think Willie Warren's attitude/effort is about #271 on the list of problems with this team.

It's obvious from the reactions to this interview that one can hear things the way they want to, but my interpretation of Capel regarding Willie was that he has to understand that being in the position he is -- coming into the season with all the hype -- that he will receive a lot of unwarranted blame for a team's problems, and that people will seize on to something like his body language to make their point. Not that the body language itself was hurting the team.

Great interview and I think you're right on with this. Unmet expectations cause all sorts of crazy reactions. One thing to consider about WW is that "criticism" as it relates to him isn't necessarily the same thing as "criticism" as it relates to another player. It's certainly not fair, but just the nature of the beast, IMO.

I've only had a couple of opportunities to watch this team play a full game. In short spurts, they look great, then they don't - but much of that is youth, IMO. It's hard not to look at WW and think how well this team could be if he would just ____ (insert your choice here). I suppose that's just human nature. We all seem to need a reason (usually a person) to justify why our expectations aren't being met.

Without taking anything away from him, is it possible that much of the WW criticism is because of unrealistic expectations? Maybe that's what Capel was talking around?

 

[BigTime]

It is true that often people preface their critiques by saying that they don't think Willie is the only problem with this team. But there is generally precious little other analysis offered -- ESPECIALLY basketball related critiques as it is almost all character based -- that one can't help but get the feeling that people think Willie Warren is a prima donna and that everything will just be hunky-dory if he comes out and runs down the floor hard. I don't buy that, and I think Willie Warren's attitude/effort is about #271 on the list of problems with this team.

It's obvious from the reactions to this interview that one can hear things the way they want to, but my interpretation of Capel regarding Willie was that he has to understand that being in the position he is -- coming into the season with all the hype -- that he will receive a lot of unwarranted blame for a team's problems, and that people will seize on to something like his body language to make their point. Not that the body language itself was hurting the team.

It is true that often people preface their critiques by saying that they don't think Willie is the only problem with this team. But there is generally precious little other analysis offered -- ESPECIALLY basketball related critiques as it is almost all character based -- that one can't help but get the feeling that people think Willie Warren is a prima donna and that everything will just be hunky-dory if he comes out and runs down the floor hard. I don't buy that, and I think Willie Warren's attitude/effort is about #271 on the list of problems with this team.

It's obvious from the reactions to this interview that one can hear things the way they want to, but my interpretation of Capel regarding Willie was that he has to understand that being in the position he is -- coming into the season with all the hype -- that he will receive a lot of unwarranted blame for a team's problems, and that people will seize on to something like his body language to make their point. Not that the body language itself was hurting the team.

Tony,

You bring up some very valid points. In my response to you yesterday, I wasn't trying to come off as to say that Willie is even a primary reason (I disagree with your #271 ) that OU is 9-5. There are plenty of reasons and many of them stem from the fact that this staff did not recruit/develop a big that would be ready to rebound and defend the post next to Tiny this season. Would Pattillo have been that guy? I think so, but we will never know. The truth is that Drew Fitzgerald, while garnering some very impressive offers, was well known to be a step slow on defense, and was really going to need time to develop in order to be able to guard any position other than center. The problem is that he is too undersized to guard most Big 12 centers. That is just one problem that this team has right now.

Back to Willie, the reason that I am so upset and refuse to let Willie's lack of effort on defense go is twofold.

1. Unlike many of the 270 reasons that this team is struggling, Willie's effort issues are correctable. They would be an easy fix for a guy that is blessed with the athletic tools (strength, speed, lateral quickness) to be a successful Big 12 defender. He has more to gain than just a successful season (say maybe a couple of million dollars and a lotto pick) so it is baffling to me that he wouldn't put forth the effort to hustle, run out on shooters, and get his hands up.

2. This team (again going back to the size issues/recruiting issues) has been forced to play zone this year. And as you know, in a zone, if just one guy isn't pulling his weight (especially a guy at the top of the zone) then the zone is pretty much useless. In man, you can stick a lazy defender on the team's laziest player/worst player and fare pretty well. After all, even a half-arsed Willie Warren can get by pretty well due to his God given talents. But in the zone, things tend to get magnified when a guy is not covering his area or putting forth a minimial threshhold of effort.

Willie has met my expectations on offense. Once he breaks out his shooting funk (which he is already starting to do), then he will be averaging right at what I predicted him to in both ppg and apg.

In short, we can't fix very easily a lot of the reasons that you seem to think are causing this team to not be very good. You have cited reasons pertaining to lack of proper team components (big picture stuff). That stuff is just not going to change this year. Guys need time to mature. Capel needs to recruit the right pieces. That is next year stuff to me. What I want is for the things that can be easily corrected (body language, hustle, effort on defense) to be corrected THIS year. It may not make us a great team, but it will help us win some close games.

That is all.