Must hear Capel radio interview with Eschbach and Traber

[Tony]

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.

Good post, I do not have time to address it all but I will focus on this part, because I want people to understand I actually DO think this team can still be good this year.

The guy I keep coming back to with this team is Tiny. I was just totally wrong on him, for some reason I thought he was a lot more polished player than it turns out he was. Not his fault, I shouldn't put unrealistic expectations on players, it really isn't fair to them. I fought back on those grounds with regards to Pledger and should have done so with with Tiny.

To me it looks like Tiny is really uncomfortable with the ball in his hands and his back to the basket. He has a decent move to his left shoulder, but that is it. He has shown a drop step from time to time but it just isn't anywhere close to being second nature to him. Teams are taking away his left shoulder and he looks to me like he is having to think too much. This is the sort of thing, to me, that I think with a lot of hard work and good coaching can click for him. It also looks to me like he has no clue how to defend at a Big 12 level. I think that is improving though. He is already a good rebounder, pretty good passer, and a good shooter. I still have high hopes for Tiny this season. Maybe later than we had wanted, but those hopes are still there.

I think a lot of the same problems apply to TMG. I see him come flying down the court on a fast break 1 vs. 3 and shoot a fadeaway baseline jumper with 32 seconds on the clock and just shake my head, but these to me seem like the sort of things he either could get away with or had to do in high school that he just can't at this level. I also think he lets things get in his head and is struggling to learn how to play against guards who are physical with him. It is my understanding that TMG was always physically mature for his age and I suspect he was the one being physical during high school, not the other way around. Again, this stuff takes time but I still hold hope he can make big strides as the season goes along (he already has).

This is the sort of stuff I am talking about when I say it bothers me that Jim and Al never ask about actual basketball stuff. There seems to be this sense that sports is nothing but a matter of character and will. I would love to hear Coach Capel talk about what he and his coaches work with Andrew Fitzgerald or Ray Willis on during practice. You have the opportunity of 15 minutes with someone like Jeff Capel and spend it talking about how spoiled kids are today. It just seems like a waste to me, someone who really doesn't know that much about basketball.

 

[Sooner Quick]

I think some of Tiny's problems is he is following in Blake's footsteps and that would be scary for anyone much less a true freshman, even as heralded as Tiny was. In that aspect I think WW is missing Blake the most and is feeling the pressure of trying to lead the team and he just wasn't ready for it, which isn't anyone's fault.

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.

You took the words right out of my mouth BT. Outside of Cade and Crock I just haven't seen that out of anyone else except Tiny on occasion and Fitz in his limited time.