No points from the bench?

[ousooners1baby]

I haven't posted in forever. I didn't watch the game tonight as I had a high school game. I'm very down on the team right now and don't want to be negative but how does a division 1 program not score from their bench? Our bench has been pretty poor but this is something.

 

[skyvue]

One of our top bench scorers started. And only Doolittle got substantial minutes off the bench. He took just two shots and missed them both. None of the other bench players took a shot or was awarded a free throw.

 

[stormspencer]

As far as reserves, the simple truth is we don't have a lot of "scoring" talent. Having said that, what I would like to see out of a bench guy or two is this:

• get a steal
• get to a loose ball
• take a charge
• fight for a rebound that keeps an offensive possession alive
• hustle back in defensive transition and maybe prevent a fast break bucket

Those are just 5 quick things off of the top of my head that the bench could do to contribute. They don't have to come in and immediately fill it up or hit 3s. There are so many ways to contribute with some of those contributions not being in the stat sheet. At this point of low expectations.....that is all I ask.

 

[MercedeSooner]

May as well be KU with their 2 man bench.

On the bright side that's probably the best game Odomes has had in a Sooner uniform. Not really sustainable but he's looking more and more confidant out there as opposed to Doolittle. If he can continue to improve and give us a solid contribution that's not a bad supporting cast with him, James and Manek. We just need some consistency from these guys.

 

[usedtobe1]

The bench only got 34 minutes tonight and Doolittle got 15 of those. So the starters played 86% of the time. That’s a lot. All 5 starters played at least 31 minutes whereas Baylor only had one player hit the 30 minute mark.

McNeace is still hobbled by his sprained ankle from a couple of weeks ago. Playing without Christian James tonight hurt our rotations. McGusty, Doolittle, and McNeace are the only reserves who are going to contribute much this season.

We’re going to be fine.

 

[Stikboy]

May as well be KU with their 2 man bench.

On the bright side that's probably the best game Odomes has had in a Sooner uniform. Not really sustainable but he's looking more and more confidant out there as opposed to Doolittle. If he can continue to improve and give us a solid contribution that's not a bad supporting cast with him, James and Manek. We just need some consistency from these guys.

Color me surprised. I thought after last year Doolittle would come on and take Odomes minutes. Looks like the opposite is happening. Great for Rashard, but I hope Doolittle can get his confidence back. That wide open airball last night said it all.

 

[sperry]

Color me surprised. I thought after last year Doolittle would come on and take Odomes minutes. Looks like the opposite is happening. Great for Rashard, but I hope Doolittle can get his confidence back. That wide open airball last night said it all.

Both Kam and Doolittle were set up to take big steps back. Kam, because he's not suited to play with a guy as ball dominant as Trae. Doolittle, because he's a knucklehead and lost a semester of practice and games. Both should be able to bounce back with strong offseasons, a la James this year.

 

[sooner 1234]

Doolittle literally had the dumbest play of the year , luckily Baylor missed the front end of a 1&1.

 

[Stikboy]

Both Kam and Doolittle were set up to take big steps back. Kam, because he's not suited to play with a guy as ball dominant as Trae. Doolittle, because he's a knucklehead and lost a semester of practice and games. Both should be able to bounce back with strong offseasons, a la James this year.

I hope so. I always try to enjoy the moment but i'm always looking ahead. If Trae goes pro, which according to most is a lock, i'm beginning to get concerned about OU's prospects next year. That's why I wish some of these guys would step up THIS year.

 

[ousooners1baby]

I saw the highlights of Doolittles play and it was frightening. I'm just lost on the fact that a player like Kam can play any minutes and not score a point. Didn't have a player on the bench get a put back. It's amazing really. I realize a great bench is an uncommon thing in college ball and don't expect 20 from them but I certainly think 5-10 ppg is not asking much.

 

[Zimwillett]

I saw the highlights of Doolittles play and it was frightening. I'm just lost on the fact that a player like Kam can play any minutes and not score a point. Didn't have a player on the bench get a put back. It's amazing really. I realize a great bench is an uncommon thing in college ball and don't expect 20 from them but I certainly think 5-10 ppg is not asking much.

Well, Kam did score last night---5 to be exact. That's the point. He started in place of James who was out with the flu. Assuming OU's normal rotation, there's your 5-10 right there. Additionally, McNease, who averages 5.3 per game on the season, is clearly hampered with the ankle injury he suffered in Stillwater. He only played 5 minutes and didn't attempt a shot.

Look, I'm not saying that all is well. It's not. Guys like Doolittle and Shepard clearly need to play better when they get on the floor. But there were definitely some weird circumstances that led to last night's lack of bench scoring.

 

[ousooners1baby]

Thank You. I had just glanced at box score and probably jumped in too early. I totally forgot Kam started.

 

[sperry]

Your point still stands, even though Kam started.


The bench played 34 minutes. They combined for 0-2 shooting, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 0 assists, 0 steals, 1 TO.


Might as well put me out there.

 

[Jccouger]

We scored 98 points. Was scoring the issue last night?

 

[MercedeSooner]

We scored 98 points. Was scoring the issue last night?

Sustainable scoring is an issue when your bench continues to give you nothing. We have to have Doolittle and McGusty step their games up in a big way if we expect to continue to win in conference play. Having your starters score 95%+ of the total points is not a winning formula.