Not having Buddy cost us tonight

[StatGeek]

Obviously there were a myriad of factors that cost us this game and given the 22 point advantage with less than 8 minutes to play we should have won no matter what, but I think not having Buddy hurt our ability to stop Kabongo and just as iimportantly it left us without a player who is willing to attack the basket and score after breaking the initial pressure in the backcourt.

 

[mort6481]

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

 

[MsProudSooner]

Obviously there were a myriad of factors that cost us this game and given the 22 point advantage with less than 8 minutes to play we should have won no matter what, but I think not having Buddy hurt our ability to stop Kabongo and just as iimportantly it left us without a player who is willing to attack the basket and score after breaking the initial pressure in the backcourt.

Yep. Hopefully, this outcome of this game will cure them of losing focus in the second half. It's a painful way to learn the lesson. I hope it sticks.

 

[mort6481]

Yep. Hopefully, this outcome of this game will cure them of losing focus in the second half. It's a painful way to learn the lesson. I hope it sticks.

and to learn how to handle an ounce of pressure. And for Mbaye to learn how to inbound a ball.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Not having Buddy didn't seem to hurt us for the first 32:30.

 

[StatGeek]

If only games were 32 minutes long...

 

[garyeb2]

Not having Buddy didn't seem to hurt us for the first 32:30.

Buddy isn't a lock down defender. He is just a freshman afterall. But, he can keep an opponent from going off for a big number on us. We don't have another guard that can do that. Kabongo went off.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Buddy isn't a lock down defender. He is just a freshman afterall. But, he can keep an opponent from going off for a big number on us. We don't have another guard that can do that. Kabongo went off.

Smart went off too. They are both probably going to play in the NBA. Dunno how much he would have helped. That did hurt but our inability to once again handle the pressure killed us. I don't get it because in junior high you learn how to break that press. I just don't get it.

 

[stoopified]

If Buddet were out there ,I think his energy,ballhandling ,and intensity would have kept us rolling. Sadly he was NOT availible and nothing will cahnge that.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Buddy is already maybe the best perimeter defender in the Big 12... He absolutely destroyed Elijah Johnson both times we played Kansas and played a big part in Smart having as bad a game as he did our first to around.

Coulda means nothing now but we woulda had a great chance to beat the Pokes at their place and obviously Kabongo doesn't go off like he did last night if Buddy was manning him up. A lot of us mentioned that the biggest thing we would be losing when he went down was on the defensive end, proved to be true.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Buddy isn't a lock down defender. He is just a freshman afterall. But, he can keep an opponent from going off for a big number on us. We don't have another guard that can do that. Kabongo went off.

as others have said he is maybe the best perimeter defender in the big 12 .. lewis who was out for texas last night is very very good as well

 

[DenverSooner]

FYI Buddy traveled and shot warm up shots in Austin. He was flat footed but he was on the court shooting without a boot. Obviously we knew he was doing this in practice based on the photo posted yesterday but I was pleased to see this in person.

I think Buddy's absence was definitely a factor; however, OU should have won without him.

 

[campbest]

We were up 20 with seven minutes left...not having Buddy had nothing to do with this.

 

[MsProudSooner]

We were up 20 with seven minutes left...not having Buddy had nothing to do with this.

So you don't think a better defender on Kabongo would have helped?

So you don't think a better option to help bring the ball up court would have helped?

So you don't think having Buddy to be one of the options waiting with Pledger to attack the basket would have helped?

Not having Buddy meant we had fewer options in all of those situations. He has proven to be especially adept at attacking the basket along the baseline.

 

[DenverSooner]

So you don't think a better defender on Kabongo would have helped?

So you don't think a better option to help bring the ball up court would have helped?

So you don't think having Buddy to be one of the options waiting with Pledger to attack the basket would have helped?

Not having Buddy meant we had fewer options in all of those situations. He has proven to be especially adept at attacking the basket along the baseline.

He certainly couldn't have hurt. I don't think Buddy's absence was a deciding factor but it is a pretty big blow to the team.

 

[garyeb2]

We were up 20 with seven minutes left...not having Buddy had nothing to do with this.

After shooting 71%, they should have been up 20 at the half. And after 60% shooting with 7 minutes to go the lead should have been 35. OU isn't nearly as good without Buddy as they are with him.

 

[MsProudSooner]

After shooting 71%, they should have been up 20 at the half. And after 60% shooting with 7 minutes to go the lead should have been 35. OU isn't nearly as good without Buddy as they are with him.

Right. As badly as they played the last 7 or 8 minutes, they only needed one additional stop, one additional basket or one less turnover to change the outcome of the game in regulation.

 

[campbest]

So you don't think a better defender on Kabongo would have helped?

Kabongo got quite a bit of his points in transition off turnovers, so the defensive assignment wouldn't have helped. In the half court, free throws were the problem. The rotations were good enough for 32 minutes, what happened? Kabongo isn't someone you body up, especially with the number of ball screens he gets and mediocre jump shot. On ball pressure isn't the answer with him.

So you don't think a better option to help bring the ball up court would have helped?

Problem was the execution, OU has struggled against backcourt pressure in this season, why teams don't do this more to us is beyond me. Buddy isn't going to thread a press on his own.

So you don't think having Buddy to be one of the options waiting with Pledger to attack the basket would have helped?

OU's problem wasn't scoring.

 

[campbest]

After shooting 71%, they should have been up 20 at the half. And after 60% shooting with 7 minutes to go the lead should have been 35. OU isn't nearly as good without Buddy as they are with him.

100% agree. However, if Buddy plays OU doesn't magically shoot 75% in the first half or 70% with seven minutes remaining...he would have very likely brought those down.

 

[MsProudSooner]

OU's problem wasn't scoring.

As someone else stated, if you break the press and score 2 or 3 times, most teams back off of the press. We broke the press a few times and either didn't attempt to score or shot and missed. Scoring in those situations would have made a difference.