Nick Thompson - When did he last play?

I have not read that he is hurt. I think that Nick Thompson just doesn't have the ability to be an impact player at this level. Obviously he is a very good basketball player and far better than 99% of the fans that will insult or have insulted him but he doesn't seem to be a Big XII level player. (I wish I sucked like him, instead I had to be a star in the C league (and I was probably the only person that thought I was a star))
 
DenverSooner said:
I have not read that he is hurt. I think that Nick Thompson just doesn't have the ability to be an impact player at this level. Obviously he is a very good basketball player and far better than 99% of the fans that will insult or have insulted him but he doesn't seem to be a Big XII level player. (I wish I sucked like him, instead I had to be a star in the C league (and I was probably the only person that thought I was a star))
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So Capel didn't realize the kid didn't have the ability to play at this level or we crushed the kid's opportunity to play college BB? Did he have other D-1 offers?

Another Capel success story they sure are adding up.
 
buttermaker1 said:
So Capel didn't realize the kid didn't have the ability to play at this level or we crushed the kid's opportunity to play college BB? Did he have other D-1 offers?

Another Capel success story they sure are adding up.
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I am by no means a Capel appologists but this is BS. Lots of bigs have come to OU and OSU over the years and not contributed to any significant degree. It is just part of college basketball. Once you get to the Big XII you cannot just rely on size. Every team has big players and sometimes guys just can't play at this level. I have plenty of criticisms for Coach Capel but I would not remotely use Nick Thompson as a reason to support a claim that Capel is not getting it done.
 
buttermaker1 said:
So Capel didn't realize the kid didn't have the ability to play at this level or we crushed the kid's opportunity to play college BB? Did he have other D-1 offers?

Another Capel success story they sure are adding up.
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He had offers to New Mexico and Utah.

Bottom line is that for whatever reason Nick Thompson doesn't put in the effort needed to play defense at this level. Help defense/rotational defense is all about effort and communication and Thompson wasn't getting it done.
 
DenverSooner said:
I am by no means a Capel appologists but this is BS. Lots of bigs have come to OU and OSU over the years and not contributed to any significant degree. It is just part of college basketball. Once you get to the Big XII you cannot just rely on size. Every team has big players and sometimes guys just can't play at this level. I have plenty of criticisms for Coach Capel but I would not remotely use Nick Thompson as a reason to support a claim that Capel is not getting it done.
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I agree, however, you could also point to Orlando Allen and Kyle Hardrick as proof Capel has a tough time assessing big men.

I will say, Thompson has the tools to play D1 ball, IMO, but has to want to play defense. Until he wants to play defense, he isn't going to play. Had Capel taken this stance last season with a few of the malcontents maybe we are in a better situation this year (than we are currently).
 
Big Old Booger said:
I agree, however, you could also point to Orlando Allen and Kyle Hardrick as proof Capel has a tough time assessing big men.

I will say, Thompson has the tools to play D1 ball, IMO, but has to want to play defense. Until he wants to play defense, he isn't going to play. Had Capel taken this stance last season with a few of the malcontents maybe we are in a better situation this year (than we are currently).
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Nice post. Hard to pin Hardrick on Capel though. Sampson had already offered him and Kyle was considered a 5 star prospect before he hit the growth wall and blew out his knee.
 
BigTime said:
Doesn't excuse his lack of defensive effort. But yeah I agree....he is a guard.
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No you're right, it seems like the entire team shies away from contact. The exceptions are probably Cade and Fitz. Nick seems to not want to bang down low. Maybe that's because his frame is slight or he was a late-bloomer that played guard growing up...Isn't that coach-able though?
 
jessegl25 said:
No you're right, it seems like the entire team shies away from contact. The exceptions are probably Cade and Fitz. Nick seems to not want to bang down low. Maybe that's because his frame is slight or he was a late-bloomer that played guard growing up...Isn't that coach-able though?
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One would think it would be coachable. But since Capel can't coach him to change at least he is doing the next best which is sitting the kid on the pine. It only takes one guy not playing team defense for the whole system to break down. I have noticed at lot less wide open layups and dunks since Captain Hotsauce has been sitting.
 
BigTime said:
One would think it would be coachable. But since Capel can't coach him to change at least he is doing the next best which is sitting the kid on the pine. It only takes one guy not playing team defense for the whole system to break down. I have noticed at lot less wide open layups and dunks since Captain Hotsauce has been sitting.
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And, let's also say the 4 game winning streak started with Thompson on the bench.

Taking it one step further, unless Thompson drastically improved defensively, had he played vs OSU, KSU, Nebraska, we likely aren't in any of those games.

He is a good passer and I think he has a nice shooting touch...I sure wish he would come to the point he wants to learn and play tough defense because offensively I think he could help us.
 
BigTime said:
One would think it would be coachable. But since Capel can't coach him to change at least he is doing the next best which is sitting the kid on the pine. It only takes one guy not playing team defense for the whole system to break down. I have noticed at lot less wide open layups and dunks since Captain Hotsauce has been sitting.
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Oh is that what we are doing playing Defense? I didn't notice, apparently either did the announcers during the MU game. Playing zone with hands on hips was the comment or something to that effect.
 
buttermaker1 said:
Oh is that what we are doing playing Defense? I didn't notice, apparently either did the announcers during the MU game. Playing zone with hands on hips was the comment or something to that effect.
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Mizzou's style wore us out in that game. You also need to remember, Capel hasn't developed much depth this year, partly because he doesn't have it, but 5 guys (Davis, Fitz, Blair, Clark, and Pledger) have played the lions share of the minutes. Washington and Newell are probably next but I'd bet their total minutes are about half of any of the other 5 at this point. A team like Mizzou is going to wear us out like that.

We played good defense vs Nebraska, KSU and OSU for the most part.
 
Big Old Booger said:
Mizzou's style wore us out in that game. You also need to remember, Capel hasn't developed much depth this year, partly because he doesn't have it, but 5 guys (Davis, Fitz, Blair, Clark, and Pledger) have played the lions share of the minutes. Washington and Newell are probably next but I'd bet their total minutes are about half of any of the other 5 at this point. A team like Mizzou is going to wear us out like that.

We played good defense vs Nebraska, KSU and OSU for the most part.
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So I guess if Capel had more than 6 guys on the roster ready to play we wouldn't get tired and wouldn't play a zone D with hands on hips? We need a new coach this is horrible.
 
buttermaker1 said:
So I guess if Capel had more than 6 guys on the roster ready to play we wouldn't get tired and wouldn't play a zone D with hands on hips? We need a new coach this is horrible.
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I guess you could put it like that.

My point was the players had their hands on their hips because they were tired. Part of that is because of Mizzou's style, the other part is we don't have depth.

I guess it all goes back to Capel because he recruited the guys, but had we played better in the non-con games and put teams away, then other guys would have been able to log more minutes which does 2 things. (1) it rests your better players for the stretch and (2) it gives the inexperience players needed minutes so they can help you down the stretch.

Now, was it Capel's fault we were barely beating the crappy teams and therefore didn't get the chance to develop depth? Yes, but that's not really the point I was trying to make in my previous post.
 
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