This was my observation about Willie also, more often than not he was on the ground after a shot. A couple of times the ball even bounced back to him while he was still on the ground trying to draw a foul. I hope he doesn't feel he needs gaudy numbers and sacrifices team play to pad the stats. Just noticed he got a little selfish at times without success. But then again it was an exhibition.
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This was my observation about Willie also, more often than not he was on the ground after a shot. A couple of times the ball even bounced back to him while he was still on the ground trying to draw a foul. I hope he doesn't feel he needs gaudy numbers and sacrifices team play to pad the stats. Just noticed he got a little selfish at times without success. But then again it was an exhibition.
Everybody's always concerned with offense, but I was watching the defense(couldn't see much because of the usual all-access miserable video and the audio was unlistenable). I'd be interested in what the basketball gurus here have to say about the D. How much of what we saw is correctable and how much is inherent in the players? I just know that, if we expect to wind up at #3 in this league we had better get better - much better. Need fundamental improvement in defense and rebounding.
This.
WW is a proven commodity.
TC is a somewhat proven commodity.
Past that, there are some unprovens with every single guy on our roster. Welcome to the world of college basketball where EVERY team counts on guys to improve their game or pick it up as the season goes along. SP, TG, TMG and AF are freshman that just played their first game with the Universty of Oklahoma. All four were highly regarded players, but each of them were in high school as late as June of this year...to think that they are going to be the same players in February as they are in November is laughable. More laughable is that there is concern over their defense right now, any coach will tell you that playing defense is the slowest thing to come along for guys at this stage of their development.
As far as the "elite" athlete discussion goes, remind again me of all of the "elite" athletes in the B12? Aldrich? Collins? Shocker, but there are maybe 30 guys in the country that are "elite" athletes, of which, 15 are actually good basketball players too. Just so happens, OU has one of those guys on the roster in Warren. So OU doesn't have lottery picks all over its roster, doesn't mean that there are not some fine basketball players. I know the Thunder just drafted a guy that was not an "elite" athlete with the #3 pick...but so far he is showing out to have excellent bball IQ at this stage of his development and can do way more than what I thought he could do. Oh, they also got an "elite" athlete later in the first round that "might" be in a postion to contribute meaningfully in two or three years.
Sorry for the rant, but there is WAY more to being a successful team than having guys that can dunk from the free throw line or tea bag Xavier Henry. Blake Griffin was always a supreme athlete, it wasn't until he became a better basketball player that he became dominant, but a #1 unanimous pick does not come around every day, and having one is certainly not the only thing important in winning championships. Ask UNC from last season or KU this season.
brettromar
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Hollis Price was not an Elite athlete, I would take him on any team in the big 12.
Same with Ace.
Same with Ace.
SuperHoops
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He has to sit out this year because of his transfer.
I think that there is one "elite" athlete in the B12 that is also an excellent basketball player. Fortunately for us, he is playing in Norman this season and will be a candidate for POY honors nationally.
Ahh some reason I thought he was a JUCO guy that got to play asap because he came in as a junior.
DFWHoopster
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Mr. B- you make some really good points. I made the comments that I did about Gallon and Mason-Griffin not being "elite" athletes because I think that is what a lot posters on this board thought they were getting with two McDonald's All-Americans.
With Blake Griffin and Willie Warren, OU fans have been probably spoiled by the athleticism of top recruits and my point was just not to expect that from TMG or Tiny.
I would completely agree that these "elite" athletes don't always make the best basketball team.
As far as wolfe said about Fitz' defense, I also agree. Transition to D1 defense with big players is usually the biggest issue for all programs. As an example, I really like Baylor's Quincy Acy as an effort guy and athlete. But there were times last year when he just got schooled on pump fakes and positioning.
I think that is going to be a really big issue with Gallon and Fitzgerald this year. Pick and roll defense and positioning are often big problems for freshmen and I think you saw that last night with Gallon and Fitzgerald. The effort and mobility to my eye seemed to favor Fitzgerald over Gallon and that is why I said Fitzgerald will likely surprise to the upside and Gallon seems to be overhyped.
With Blake Griffin and Willie Warren, OU fans have been probably spoiled by the athleticism of top recruits and my point was just not to expect that from TMG or Tiny.
I would completely agree that these "elite" athletes don't always make the best basketball team.
As far as wolfe said about Fitz' defense, I also agree. Transition to D1 defense with big players is usually the biggest issue for all programs. As an example, I really like Baylor's Quincy Acy as an effort guy and athlete. But there were times last year when he just got schooled on pump fakes and positioning.
I think that is going to be a really big issue with Gallon and Fitzgerald this year. Pick and roll defense and positioning are often big problems for freshmen and I think you saw that last night with Gallon and Fitzgerald. The effort and mobility to my eye seemed to favor Fitzgerald over Gallon and that is why I said Fitzgerald will likely surprise to the upside and Gallon seems to be overhyped.
