Nick Thompson - the real reason Capel needs to go

[jaymOU]

Has anyone seen a player, who through fall practice and the start of the season is a starter and voted captain by his teammates to a player who does not even leave the bench in 30-point conference blowouts?

Help me get this straight. Capel is so impressed with Thompson's play early, he is deemed a starter and getting major playing time. By the start of the conference season he is buried so deep on the end of the bench you rarely see him.

So is Thompson one of the best players on the team, or one of the worst players?

This is where I get frustrated with Capel. If Thompson is good, good enough to be a starter, why is he not playing more now? If Thompson is not a very good player, why did Capel and Co. do such a bad job of evaluating talent in the fall?

We all saw Thompson's defense as suspect, but could Capel not see that in the fall?

To me, it's a microcosm of Capel's career at OU. Mistakes in recruiting, failure to develop talent and a lack of identity. I have begun to wonder if Capel is good at evaluating talent and projecting it to the next level.

From some sources I have close to the women's program, Jeff is a super guy and is very well liked. Problem is, being well liked has not equated to wins.

 

[coolm]

I don't consider that Capel's fault.

 

[StoopsBros]

Thompson is a guy that isn't OU-caliber...Capel had to get him because Capel couldn't get anyone better....It's Capel's fault and I kind of feel sorry for Nick to be honest.

 

[seniorsooner]

The Thompson situation is very puzzling. When you don't even get off the bench in a 30 point blowout there has to be a greater issue there than just lack of ability.

 

[Max Power]

The Thompson situation is very puzzling. When you don't even get off the bench in a 30 point blowout there has to be a greater issue there than just lack of ability.

true, didnt TJ Franklin even log some time in that game?

 

[Speedy17]

Thompson is a guy that isn't OU-caliber...Capel had to get him because Capel couldn't get anyone better....It's Capel's fault and I kind of feel sorry for Nick to be honest.

Honestly, if he wasn't good enough to play at OU then he should not have been recruited. We only play eight guys anyway. Why not pocket the scholarship for the next class? Ironically, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds for his Juco that got to the National Semi-Finals. These stats are almost identical to Robert Goff's 9 points and 6 rebounds and a lot of people think Goff will be a savior.

 

[campbest]

Honestly, if he wasn't good enough to play at OU then he should not have been recruited. We only play eight guys anyway. Why not pocket the scholarship for the next class? Ironically, he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds for his Juco that got to the National Semi-Finals. These stats are almost identical to Robert Goff's 9 points and 6 rebounds and a lot of people think Goff will be a savior.

I have yet to see this.

 

[StatGeek]

The Thompson situation is very puzzling. When you don't even get off the bench in a 30 point blowout there has to be a greater issue there than just lack of ability.

didnt Thompson miss that trip due to an illness?

 

[snydrosooner]

This does happen though. A player practices really well and then struggles in the games. I remember a friend of mine who was a walk on at OU stated Matt Gibson was the next big OU star based on how he practiced. Well that did not pan out either. I know he left but he still was not a big star.

 

[Speedy17]

I have yet to see this.

There sure have been a lot of Capel supporters talking about the future when the only recruit signed is Goff. All while we are losing our best player in Cade Davis.

Add Goff and Osby and subtract Cade Davis from our lineup and what do you have next year?

 

[bgrch1350]

How about props to Capel for not playing Thompson.

Everyone on here was why not play cj more, why not play Neal more...since were not that good why not give them more minutes....then it happens and here we have a thread bashing Capel about not playing Thompson and how he was a bad recruit. Give me a break. I am personally glad that Thompson is here and I hope he stays on the roster next season. Even if he doesn't play, he's one of those guys that will make the other guys better by going up against him in practice.

I'm personally tired of hearing about mistakes in recruiting. Every coach makes them...get over it. Sampson did it, Roy Williams does it, Coach K does it, Izzo, Calipari, etc....get over it. You don't know how a kid will turn out before you get them on campus. You don't live w/ the kid before..you don't hang out with the kid before...and those kids are playing high school or juco ball..not big 12, DIV 1 ball. He took a chance on Thompson..it failed..He was a last minute scholarship anyways.

 

[NickZepp]

There's many real reasons Capel needs to go. Just look at the facts we've collected from various posters the last few weeks on this board.

http://ouhoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19989

Doyle Parrack (1956-1960) .... 27-37(.422)

John MacLeod (1968-72) .... 36-34 .... (.514)

Bob Stevens (1963-67) .... 26-44(.371)

Dave Bliss (1976-80) .... 38-32 (.543)

Billy Tubbs (1981-85) .... 48-22 (.685)

Kelvin Sampson (1995-99) .... 48-28 (.632)

Jeff Capel (2007-11) .... 37-43 (.463)

http://ouhoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20122

Final 10 and 5 games under Capel


2007
4-6 in the final 10. Won the first 4, lost the last 6.

2008
6-4 in the final 10. This one actually had a couple 3 game win streaks in the last 10.

2009
7-3 in the last 10. Lost 3 of the last 5 because Blake got hurt for a couple games. Had to also go to Columbia, but overall real solid end to the season.

2010
1-9 in the last 10. Lost the last 8 games.

2011
2-8 in the last 9 so far with one to go.

20-30(40%) overall.

Just for fun last 5 games

07: 0-5

08: 3-2

09: 2-3

10: 0-5

11: 1-4

6-19(24%)

http://ouhoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19801

1. This is the fourth time in his tenure here that Jeff Capel has had a losing streak of five or more games. Before he arrived, our last five-game losing streak was in 1991 when we lost six in a row during one conference stretch.

2. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, the lowest scoring OU team in that stretch was the decimated 2004 team of Kelvin Sampson (68 ppg). It was one of only two OU teams since 1982 to average less than 70 points a game. In Jeff Capel's four full seasons here we've already averaged less than 70 points twice. 2011 will most likely be the third.

3. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished in the top half of the conference standings 21 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished in the bottom half of the Big 12 twice in his four full seasons. This team will be his third time to place in the bottom half of the pack.

4. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU two losing conference slates: a 5-9 in 1991 and a 6-8 finish in 1994. Jeff Capel has finished below .500 in two of his four full seasons at Oklahoma. This team will be his third to finish below .500 in the Big 12 Conference.

5. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU finished ranked in the final poll 14 times in 25 seasons. Jeff Capel has finished a season at Oklahoma ranked only once, in 2009.

6. Last season was the first Oklahoma team to be outscored over the balance of a year since the 1981 team mentioned above. The 2011 team will be the second in a row to meet that grisly fate.

7. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won the conference tournament on six different occasions ('85, '88, '90, '01, '02, '03). Jeff Capel's record in the Big 12 Tournament as head coach at Oklahoma is 2-4, with only one appearance in the semifinals.

8. Over the last two seasons, OU Basketball has won 25 games total. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU won 25 games or more in a season 11 times.

9. From 1982 until Capel's arrival in the fall of 2006, OU was 31-22 against O-State, 30-24 against Missouri, 25-10 against Texas and 20-30 against Kansas. Jeff Capel's record against those same teams? 6-5 against O-State, 2-3 against Missouri, 2-9 against Texas and 0-5 against Kansas.

That's just a few that I could find from various posts the last few weeks. There's more reasons to fire Capel that to keep him. But the reasons to keep him are probably stronger.

 

[Tony]

I am personally glad that Thompson is here and I hope he stays on the roster next season. Even if he doesn't play, he's one of those guys that will make the other guys better by going up against him in practice.

Really? I shudder to think how bad we must have been this year had Nick Thompson not been making our guys so much better in practice.

Can you please break down how many of our 13 wins can be attributed to each player on the roster? Feel free to break each win up among multiple players.

 

[bgrch1350]

Really? I shudder to think how bad we must have been this year had Nick Thompson not been making our guys so much better in practice.

Can you please break down how many of our 13 wins can be attributed to each player on the roster? Feel free to break each win up among multiple players.

who would be guarding fitz in practice if not thompson??? Hardrick

 

[StoopsBros]

who would be guarding fitz in practice if not thompson??? Hardrick

Honore.

 

[WTSooner]

This does happen though. A player practices really well and then struggles in the games.

It happens often.

Ryan Wright looked good in practices. Maybe Osby will be good, but I'd be shocked if he is even one of the top 7-10 Big 12 players next year. And to me, that is a best case scenario.

 

[bgrch1350]

That's just a few that I could find from various posts the last few weeks. There's more reasons to fire Capel that to keep him. But the reasons to keep him are probably stronger.

I love the last 5 games streak. How about adding to that. In 08-09 we were 2-3...but 2 of those losses were w/o blake. In 09-10, 0-5...all 5 were w/o Warren. I'm sorry, but losing your best player makes a huge difference.

 

[bgrch1350]

It happens often.

Ryan Wright looked good in practices. Maybe Osby will be good, but I'd be shocked if he is even one of the top 7-10 Big 12 players next year. And to me, that is a best case scenario.

I'll be shocked if Osby isn't dominating.

 

[WTSooner]

I'll be shocked if Osby isn't dominating.

Define dominating?

He may be our best player next year. He may put up numbers like Cade did this year. To me, that wasn't dominating.

And what are you basing your opinion on? I'm guessing you haven't seen him practice often at all this year.

 

[schoonerdriver]

I think the defensive short comings, both Thompson's and the team's, is very indicative of either Capel's lack defensive knowledge or that Capel doesn't emphasize defense enough.