Next year

[NickZepp]

The last OU player to come in as a newcomer and average more than 15 a game was Corey Brewer. Blake his first year averaged 14 and 7 or something like that. Taj Gray averaged 14.6 he was close. Neal averaged 12 a game as a junior, Everett averaged 12.5. The stars like Hollis Price and Najera went through growing periods before averaging 15+.

 

[boksooner]

Next year we are adding Osby, Goff and don't forget TJ Taylor. We will likely add another PG with that.

PG: Blair, Newel & New Recruit
SG: Pledger, TJ Taylor & New Recruit (if someone transfers)
SF: Cam, Neal
PF: Osby, CJ, Thompson
C: Fitz, Goff

 

[MNsooner]

Capel need to move Clark to the point are the 2 this kid needs the ball in his hands so he can create shots forhimself and everyone around him.Capel need to run his offense around Clark.Clark is use to having the ball.

I certainly think this team would benefit from running more plays for Clark. I think playing him at the point might hurt Clark in the long run though. I think we will benefit more from developing his game without the ball. I definitely wouldn't mind trying an iso clark against some of our competition.

 

[DenverSooner]

Scholarships are a yearly contract, not a 4 year contract. Travis Ford will do what it takes to win ball games...Capel will do the same.

OU is a place where young people come to grow and learn to be productive citizens. That is the number one mission of the University. Pulling scholarships of kids that do the right the thing is very wrong in my opinion. I don't care what OSU does, I don't care what every other school in the country does. As a fan, I want the kids that commit to OU to honor that commitment and I expect OU to honor its commitment to kids.

The idea that a scholarship is a yearly contract should mean that kids that don't do the right thing risk losing their scholarships not that kids that are not as good as the coach thinks should lose their scholarships. Hardrick would hardly be the first kid in the history of the Big XII to never make a significant contribution.

 

[bgrch1350]

OU is a place where young people come to grow and learn to be productive citizens. That is the number one mission of the University. Pulling scholarships of kids that do the right the thing is very wrong in my opinion. I don't care what OSU does, I don't care what every other school in the country does. As a fan, I want the kids that commit to OU to honor that commitment and I expect OU to honor its commitment to kids.

The idea that a scholarship is a yearly contract should mean that kids that don't do the right thing risk losing their scholarships not that kids that are not as good as the coach thinks should lose their scholarships. Hardrick would hardly be the first kid in the history of the Big XII to never make a significant contribution.

Scholarships are pulled to students that can't maintain a certain GPA. Thats every school in America, including OU.

Capel's job is on the line and so is every other coach for OU...and you think that they should lose their jobs b/c they bring in a kid...hoping/assuming that he will improve as a player and be able to contribute to this team...and he hasn't improved a lick since not only he's been here but since his sophmore year in high school.

Hardrick is not a Div 1 player...the coach's know it....thats why he's not playing and also why he won't be here next year. He would have a hard time starting for UCO right now. He's just not that good of a player, but he's not improving as well.

 

[40 Cal]

Hardrick is a waste, let him stay on the team as a walk-on. He does nothing even in practice he stands on the sidelines and watches. TJ Franklin does more the Hardrick. If all else fails give it to Puma he may have messed last year and lost his but he has earn a scholarship more then Hardrick. DO NOT let him waste 2 more years of a scholarship that can be used to get a player who will actually play.

 

[Seymore Cox]

There are no elite scorers left. OU's only hope is that someone decommits. If you look at the guys we were looking at last year, Marquis Carter, Poland, and Newell, none of those guys are turning out to be scorers. Our Elite scorer is going to be Osby. We need someone to compliment that. We need someone that can create for themselves. We can't even pull names out of the air because they aren't there.

 

[campbest]

Capel need to move Clark to the point are the 2 this kid needs the ball in his hands so he can create shots forhimself and everyone around him.Capel need to run his offense around Clark.Clark is use to having the ball.

Clark has the physical tools of a professional player, to reach that milestone he is going to have to learn to play off the ball. He does need more touches though, I agree.

 

[stoops4pres]

Our Elite scorer is going to be Osby. We need someone to compliment that.

Although I think Stansbury didn't necessarily put Osby in the right position to flourish as much as he could at State, I don't think he has the capability of being an elite scorer. Obviously he has the tools (and attitude) to be a beneficial role player, however.

 

[Seymore Cox]

Although I think Stansbury didn't necessarily put Osby in the right position to flourish as much as he could at State, I don't think he has the capability of being an elite scorer. Obviously he has the tools (and attitude) to be a beneficial role player, however.

The fact is there is no one left. Most legit players sign in the fall. It was moreso this year as almost all the top prep and juco players are signed. There's not going to be a 17pt scorer laying around for OU in the spring. We've seen a change of scenery work for a lot of players. I think the fact that he can score on all three levels is huge. He can knock down jumpers, he can drive, he can post up. We don't have anyone that can score on two levels much less three.

My fear is that their going to go after a pg that's going to have the same growing pains that we see with Newell and Blair. We won't ble solving any problems with that scenario. I agree with many on this post, I'd rather have a SG/SF if we're going to get anyone.

 

[stoops4pres]

The fact is there is no one left. Most legit players sign in the fall. It was moreso this year as almost all the top prep and juco players are signed. There's not going to be a 17pt scorer laying around for OU in the spring. We've seen a change of scenery work for a lot of players. I think the fact that he can score on all three levels is huge. He can knock down jumpers, he can drive, he can post up. We don't have anyone that can score on two levels much less three.

My fear is that their going to go after a pg that's going to have the same growing pains that we see with Newell and Blair. We won't ble solving any problems with that scenario. I agree with many on this post, I'd rather have a SG/SF if we're going to get anyone.

I agree that out of the remaining candidates left Osby has the best chance of being an elite scorer, but I think its safe to say Osby won't reach that status, either. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong.

 

[Max Power]

The fact is there is no one left. Most legit players sign in the fall. It was moreso this year as almost all the top prep and juco players are signed. There's not going to be a 17pt scorer laying around for OU in the spring. We've seen a change of scenery work for a lot of players. I think the fact that he can score on all three levels is huge. He can knock down jumpers, he can drive, he can post up. We don't have anyone that can score on two levels much less three.

My fear is that their going to go after a pg that's going to have the same growing pains that we see with Newell and Blair. We won't ble solving any problems with that scenario. I agree with many on this post, I'd rather have a SG/SF if we're going to get anyone.

I think a full season at this level will be very beneficial to Newell and Blair though. at which case you can get another point guard that can learn from them

 

[DenverSooner]

Scholarships are pulled to students that can't maintain a certain GPA. Thats every school in America, including OU.

Capel's job is on the line and so is every other coach for OU...and you think that they should lose their jobs b/c they bring in a kid...hoping/assuming that he will improve as a player and be able to contribute to this team...and he hasn't improved a lick since not only he's been here but since his sophmore year in high school.

Hardrick is not a Div 1 player...the coach's know it....thats why he's not playing and also why he won't be here next year. He would have a hard time starting for UCO right now. He's just not that good of a player, but he's not improving as well.

Clearly we disagree. I think OU should set an example for young people by honoring its commitment even when that is difficult. Not making grades would be a situation where the kid failed to honor his or her commitment. Skippping practice, displaying a bad attitude, being a distraction, etc. would also be appropriate reasons to pull a scholarship in my opinion.

I hope the vast majority of OU graduates concur with my opinion. I can assure you I care about OU basketball as much if not more than most people on this board but I don't want OU to become a school that does not care about its student athletes to the degree that it pulls scholarships from players simply due to an improper evaluation of talent. We all make mistakes in life but not all of us accept responsibility for our mistakes. I hope Jeff Capel is the type of guy that accepts responsibility for his mistakes.

With all that said, I also hope Jeff Capel is honest with players and lets them know if he does not believe they have the talent to significantly contribute at a Big XII level. Those kids deserve to make a decision based on that information and may decide to transfer to a lower level so they play. If you look at Capel's decisions over the last four years, it seems to me, he agrees with me. He did not pull Hardrick's scholarship last season.

 

[buttermaker1]

We better land an elite scorer with our last scholarship because we don't have one coming back nor do we have one coming in

We need post depth and size that can actually compete on a D-1 level. This roster needs another huge cleansing in that area.

 

[Mac]

Next year we are adding Osby, Goff and don't forget TJ Taylor. We will likely add another PG with that.

PG: Blair, Newel & New Recruit
SG: Pledger, TJ Taylor & New Recruit (if someone transfers)
SF: Cam, Neal
PF: Osby, CJ, Thompson
C: Fitz, Goff

Cezar Guerrero?

 

[Sawyer]

I almost always lean toward coaches keeping recruiting mistakes if it's just a talent issue. Mizzou had two scholarship players leave last year, one by his own choice and one not. Miguel Paul just wanted to go somewhere that would give him an opportunity to start (supposedly he wanted to leave at semester but was talked out of it). I understand that and don't blame players or coaches for those situations. Tyler Stone, on the other hand, was kind of forced out, supposedly because Anderson didn't like his effort/attitude. I was a bit less comfortable with this one, but assuming the reasons I read about were true, it was an appropriate move.

But if a coach just wants to push out a guy he signed because he isn't any good, that bothers me.

I don't know what the case is with Hardrick, but if he's not improving his game at all, I'd assume he's not working all that hard. And if a guy is the last one off the bench, he damn well better be the hardest worker. You can't sit the whole game and slack off in practice and expect to keep a scholarship.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Capel should honor his commitment to Hardrick. I really, really hate the idea of pulling a scholarship unless the decision is either by the kid or is mutual with an understanding of the circumstances.

If this team was playing well there wouldn't be a question as to allowing Hardrick to stay on the roster. I mean seriously we signed 8 guys to the team last year, if Capel isn't capable of finding players with that many spots that he has to force a kid out that shows a problem on his end. When the going gets rough people's true colors show, to me it would be equivalent of throwing Hardrick under the bus because of mistakes that Capel made in recruiting.