Not to worry

[bocabull]

These pre season games mean nothing, especially when you are a young team.

The talent is there. The coaching is there. In January when the real games start expect this team to take a big leap forward.

 

[SoonerMatt27]

I just don't see the coaching, it may be a knee jerk reaction but Capel's record at OU without Blake Griffin playing is unspectacular. We have too much talent to be losing this much. With the guards we have we should be able to out-score these mid majors. Hopefully Capel proves me wrong, he's young as well so there is plenty of room to improve.

 

[thebigabd]

These pre season games mean nothing, especially when you are a young team.

The talent is there. The coaching is there. In January when the real games start expect this team to take a big leap forward.

pre-season games? This isnt the NBA, they dont have pre-season games that don't count. Getting drilled by San Diego and Virginia Commonwealth matters in college basketball.

 

[bocabull]

No it doesn't matter. If OU is 9-7 or better in the Big XII they will be dancing. If they are playing their best basketball late in the season they will advance in the dance.

I have watched so many seasons and time after time these pre season games mean little if anything. Just like 2003/2004 when OU started 10-0 or something due to an easy schedule only to fall flat on their face when the real games started. I define anything before the new year as pre season. The teams have not had that much practice time, the coaches are messing with the rotations, working in new players, etc.

 

[bocabull]

I just don't see the coaching, it may be a knee jerk reaction but Capel's record at OU without Blake Griffin playing is unspectacular. We have too much talent to be losing this much. With the guards we have we should be able to out-score these mid majors. Hopefully Capel proves me wrong, he's young as well so there is plenty of room to improve.

Capel has only had 1 season without Blake. His first season when he was handed a program on probation with as much talent as a Huston Huffman intramural team and he still went 16-15.

 

[SKSooner]

Capel has only had 1 season without Blake. His first season when he was handed a program on probation with as much talent as a Huston Huffman intramural team and he still went 16-15.

I agree with your initial post, but I would also like to point out this current team would be a lot better if we had some of those guys from that 16-15 team with as much talent as a Houston Huffman intramural team. We could use some guys who can play defense like Taylor Griffin and Mike Neal about right now.

 

[bocabull]

SK, we have lost 2 games on road trips thousands of miles from home. How many times had these freshman even traveled on a plane before? Let alone to Alaska. lol

Things will settle in after XMAS. Not worried at all.

 

[SKSooner]

SK, we have lost 2 games on road trips thousands of miles from home. How many times had these freshman even traveled on a plane before? Let alone to Alaska. lol

Things will settle in after XMAS. Not worried at all.

You are right about our youth. I am not overly concerned, but I am a tad concerned.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

with as much talent as a Huston Huffman intramural team and he still went 16-15.

Hmm.....alot of those guys Capel could never recruit over, and that includes Crocker who is currently starting. The talent wasn't THAT bad. Nobody expected a 1st place finish in the Big 12 that season.

 

[SoonerinNC]

I don't think we can shrug off the pre-season games. If they were against the Div I heavyweights it would be different. For example Arizona has traditionally had a tough pre-season schedule but their losses were against the likes of Texas and Michigan State not San Diego and VCU.

The fact is that many teams build up around 10-12 wins in the pre-conference schedul and that helps them get to 20 or more wins. OU has consistently done that in the years they made the big dance.

We can't afford many more losses to second level conference teams or even a 9-7 conference record would not get us in.

I'm not ready to give up on this team but they have to shake off the freshman label pretty quick. Freshmen often have to learn to catch up with the speed of the game and how to play hard all of the time. I don't think we are there yet.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

These pre season games mean nothing, especially when you are a young team.

The talent is there. The coaching is there. In January when the real games start expect this team to take a big leap forward.

I dont agree with you on most things Boca, but i do on this....

i do think the games mean something but arent as serious as we are making them...

I am reserved about the big leap forward but i do hope they do so....

 

[afaSooner]

Boca is right. When this team settles down they'll start to win the games they have to... conference games. These early games are eye openers for the young guys.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

It matters for seeding. Even if we string together a decent conference record, we'll get a much worse seed when they look back and see losses to teams like this. We're probably going to end up with 3-4 "bad" losses, and that will make our first round NCAA game just about unwinnable, given the matchup it'll likely create.

These games matter.

 

[bocabull]

Actually losing these early games will help us if we finish strong. The national sentiment will be:

"wow, what a great job Capel did with this young team after a slow start. Those early losses meant nothing since they were playing 4 true freshman who were just getting their feet wet"

Show me anywhere it says the NCAA tournament seeds are based on your first 10 games. Nope, they always say the 2 most important things are you conference record and your last 10 games.

 

[DenverSooner]

No it doesn't matter. If OU is 9-7 or better in the Big XII they will be dancing. If they are playing their best basketball late in the season they will advance in the dance.

I have watched so many seasons and time after time these pre season games mean little if anything. Just like 2003/2004 when OU started 10-0 or something due to an easy schedule only to fall flat on their face when the real games started. I define anything before the new year as pre season. The teams have not had that much practice time, the coaches are messing with the rotations, working in new players, etc.

Not if they are 7-7 in nonconference or worse. It gets a whole lot harder than VCU and San Diego State. 7-7 with a 9-7 record is 16 wins. That does not get you into the NCAA Tournament. 9-5 nonconference with 9 wins is questionable.

You guys are nuts. If OU loses 3 more conference games they are a bubble team. 5 more and they are probably an NIT team. You get to 20 wins by winning non-conference games.

 

[aaron7]

Actually losing these early games will help us if we finish strong. The national sentiment will be:

"wow, what a great job Capel did with this young team after a slow start. Those early losses meant nothing since they were playing 4 true freshman who were just getting their feet wet"

Show me anywhere it says the NCAA tournament seeds are based on your first 10 games. Nope, they always say the 2 most important things are you conference record and your last 10 games.

This is exactly right. Bad losses early seem to get excused not only for bubble teams but also for the higher seeded teams. Conference play, especially a few road wins, and the last ten heading into tournament play seem to be weighted really heavily.

 

[sheepdogs]

Lets see if the team can first take baby steps which might progress to larger steps and then talk of making the tournament "might" be warranted.

 

[BanjoCharley]

It matters for seeding. Even if we string together a decent conference record, we'll get a much worse seed when they look back and see losses to teams like this. We're probably going to end up with 3-4 "bad" losses, and that will make our first round NCAA game just about unwinnable, given the matchup it'll likely create.

These games matter.

I think it's a bit premature to worry about seeding right now.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Bad losses do not get excused. The one "stat" I remember seeing time and time again when comparing teams, or talking about seedings, are the good wins/bad losses. And timing didn't play much of a factor.

 

[Cheno]

How many times had these freshman even traveled on a plane before?

I'm pretty sure a lot. LOL. Recruiting trips, AAU, etc. We're not talking about the average joe high schooler here.