My One Complaint About Coach Kruger

[WaymanFan]

I'm relieved we escaped with a win tonight against Hawaii. I can't help but think it wouldn't have been as close had Coach Kruger used a timeout once Hawaii got on a 10-0 run...and not wait until it got to be 18-1 before calling that timeout. As usually the case, we ended their brutal run as a result of that timeout. We had similar problems last year at ISU and in 2013 at Texas.

I will never watch the 1988 national title game a second time. Once was enough since it is still vivid in my memory. I remember a point in the second half when Mookie stole the ball from Kevin Pritchard, made a layup, and OU went up by 5. Had Larry Brown not called a TO, I think we would have won that game. His TO resulted in a nice run by KU, and we never led after that. Knowing when to use timeouts will either win or lose us a couple of games this year.

If anyone reading this has coached this game and believes I'm off base, please set me straight because I obviously don't understand Coach Kruger's philosophy on timeouts.

 

[SoopaSooner]

It's probably my biggest gripe with Kruger. When the team is getting blitzed or tired he tends to keep those timeouts in his back pocket.

 

[StatGeek]

I personally have always believed the TO thing is way overplayed. Hawaii wasn't going anywhere tonight no matter how many timeouts we would have used.

 

[MNsooner]

On the other hand, we made good use of those late time outs. I think it's a tough call. Sometimes a TO ends momentum, other times it spurs the crowd on and seems to hurt the morale of a team.

 

[CoachTalk]

It's a veteran team, let them figure it out. If we lost? Big deal... Learn for postseason.

 

[greenbug]

Not too concerned about the timeouts. I'm more concerned with shot selection and decision making when facing a good defensive opponent.

 

[coacht]

I don't have a problem with LK letting his veteran group of guards play through the other teams runs. I myself would probably use them quicker than he does at times, but LK knows what he is doing and building a team that responds to adversity and is building up to conference play and the tournament. Also, with the new rules and only having 3 2nd half timeouts, it limits a coaches selections in when to use them.

 

[Escape Goat]

I love Kruger but it is a valid argument. He lets those runs linger, without trying a TO, way to long at times.


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[MNsooner]

Not too concerned about the timeouts. I'm more concerned with shot selection and decision making when facing a good defensive opponent.

Our shot selection seemed fine. We struggled to defend without fouling and had some turnovers. There are certainly things we can work on from this one. The only thing we did that made us look like a top 3 team was win. But that's the most important thing.

 

[stormspencer]

It's probably my biggest gripe with Kruger. When the team is getting blitzed or tired he tends to keep those timeouts in his back pocket.

At the end of the season, I believe he is is going to redeem all of those unused timeouts for air miles.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Both sides of the issue have valid arguments. But I like the idea of a team learning to solve the problem themselves. It can be an invaluable lesson if they get into a game where they have no timeouts left late in the game.

 

[CoachTalk]

If this is the sweet 16, hrs using them... It's December

 

[Max Power]

I have decided to trust the guy that has won almost 600 games in his career

 

[CoachTalk]

I have decided to trust the guy that has won almost 600 games in his career

Crazy huh..!

 

[opsooner]

The hemorrhage stoppage after the timeout had a lot more to do with who came back in than the timeout itself. I guess you could say that we needed to put those guys back in sooner or take the timeout and continue to go with them.

I would have like to see him take the timeout to correct some things but leave those guys on the floor. This is not a complaint - just my preference as a fan of basketball for many years. I am also not overly concerned with it in this game but would like to see us rehearse now for conference.

 

[stormspencer]

I have decided to trust the guy that has won almost 600 games in his career

Kruger is a boss.

 

[outest]

Kruger is a boss.

We are a good guard oriented team, but I am not wearing crimson color glass.
When we face a team with good post players and a quick point guard, we don't do well. We need to develop our post player fast. We need both Latin and Manyang to be a post threat. I don't care about win or loss right now. Without good post player to help open up our guard, we won't move far. We also need to find a way to contain fast point guard who penetrate. Hawaii players were able to penetrate and open up the outside shot during their run. Other team will look at today game to get a blue print of how to beat us.

 

[Escape Goat]

We are a good guard oriented team, but I am not wearing crimson color glass.

When we face a team with good post players and a quick point guard, we don't do well. We need to develop our post player fast. We need both Latin and Manyang to be a post threat. I don't care about win or loss right now. Without good post player to help open up our guard, we won't move far. We also need to find a way to contain fast point guard who penetrate. Hawaii players were able to penetrate and open up the outside shot during their run. Other team will look at today game to get a blue print of how to beat us.

Wow. I think I agree with this.?.?


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[califca]

We are a good guard oriented team, but I am not wearing crimson color glass.
When we face a team with good post players and a quick point guard, we don't do well. We need to develop our post player fast. We need both Latin and Manyang to be a post threat. I don't care about win or loss right now. Without good post player to help open up our guard, we won't move far. We also need to find a way to contain fast point guard who penetrate. Hawaii players were able to penetrate and open up the outside shot during their run. Other team will look at today game to get a blue print of how to beat us.

OU needed a game like this to keep them grounded and hungry. We could have easily lost that game. Mich St same thing. The positive out of this is when things aren't going well you still find a way to pull the game out. I wish Kruger would call timeouts a little earlier also but I will trust his experience and judgement way over mine.

 

[WaymanFan]

On the other hand, we made good use of those late time outs. I think it's a tough call. Sometimes a TO ends momentum, other times it spurs the crowd on and seems to hurt the morale of a team.

In the game last night, the TO did end the momentum. One of the many things I do appreciate about Coach Kruger is that he's great at dialing up a play after a TO. Yes, having a TO in the back pocket allowed Ryan Spangler to call one when he couldn't get the ball in bounds. It's my contention that if we stopped their momentum earlier in that run, the game would not have come down to that.

Look, it's not as if there aren't precedents of teams going on historic runs against us. Just last year, Creighton and ISU come to mind as games we might have won if more timeouts were called at the right time.

Ok, I got it off my chest, and I'll move on now. After all, like others pointed out, Lon is a great coach, and we did win the game :dance005: