Off-season worries have started to subside

[coolm]

After Trae left and Jordan Shepherd xferred I must admit I was downright scared. After all ... a solid backcourt is by far the most important component of a good basketball team. right? We didn't even have anyone left to bring the ball up the court.

This seasons' outlook was bleak.

Enter Calixte, Reynolds, and Bieniemy. A newb and a couple of graduate xfers. Now I was hoping they'd at least get up to some kind of playing strength by conference.

then ... ouch! a tough out of conference schedule is announced and we still don't even know who's going to guide the team. it was looking pretty ugly.

I should have trusted the coaches. Because after watching these first few games it's becoming obvious that our backcourt is solid and even better than before and the maturity we developed as a result of the xfers is shaping up to be a HUGE dividend.

I can actually see this team finishing in the top 4 of the conference now. I was worried we wouldnt win a conference game just a few months back. We still may not, but we're gonna compete for it. This backcourt groups gives us a solid chance.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

I see us finishing somewhere in the middle of the conference, between 3rd & 6th. I think it's likely we finish 9-9 or better. This is a good team and, as I said after the exhibition, it's better then last year's team & will make the NCAA tournament.

 

[coolm]

I see us finishing somewhere in the middle of the conference, between 3rd & 6th. I think it's likely we finish 9-9 or better. This is a good team and, as I said after the exhibition, it's better then last year's team & will make the NCAA tournament.

couldnt agree more. I see this team as much better than last years.

 

[usedtobe1]

I was never a Jordan Shepherd fan, and thought he was an average backup PG at best. He just wasn’t quick enough. I really like Calixte. He’s a “traditional” pass-first PG and is a solid defender. Trae drove me crazy with his shot selection and poor defense. I really like Bienemy, too. My referee friends in Katy told me he didn’t play much PG, and wasn’t always committed to defense.... but he was an absolute stud. He has surprised me in a nice way. Reynolds is instant offense.... he, Manek, and James will be our top 3 scorers IMHO.

Calixte, Reynolds, and Bienemy are solid additions. I like the team this year a whole lot more than last year’s edition.

 

[coolm]

I was never a Jordan Shepherd fan, and thought he was an average backup PG at best. He just wasn’t quick enough. I really like Calixte. He’s a “traditional” pass-first PG and is a solid defender. Trae drove me

I understand completely. It was never that I thought Jordan was this amazing guard that we had to keep in C&C. He just was ours and he had experience here so I wanted him to stay thru the tumult of Trae being gone.

Then it was like "Jordan's leaving too" and we were boned hard. Or so I thought. But maybe it was just an opportunity to go a different route. Change isn't always bad. We swap out Jordan for Calixte who scores easier and Calixte who is quicker and guards better and Calixte who is a senior+ with a senior's maturity and composure.

Then we also get another upperclassman in Myles who has a pretty infectious positive personality, is also quicker, and has better finishing moves and quicker feet. Both of these guys are mature and more willing to play D than Jordan was accustomed to seeing.

Then we throw in Bieniemy's obvious skills and CJ's push to the front ... our backcourt is better than last year despite losing an NBA first round raft pick. And here I was thinking that would be our failing this season.

I like the team this year a whole lot more than last year’s edition.

I think you're 100% right my friend!

 

[OULad]

If we can continue to defend and rebound, we should be competing for an NCAA birth. We will be competitive all year long.

 

[opsooner]

I have mostly enjoyed watching a team. No running the offense through one player, using everyone, using the entire floor, everyone moving, and good effort on both ends. My biggest concern is post defense but plenty of time for it to get better.

No idea how we will finish record-wise but I believe I will enjoy watching the conference games much more than last year. Anxious to see how we look and compete in The Bahamas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CoachTalk]

They’ll be some ups and downs.

There will be games that we can’t score.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

I was never a Jordan Shepherd fan, and thought he was an average backup PG at best. He just wasn’t quick enough. I really like Calixte. He’s a “traditional” pass-first PG and is a solid defender. Trae drove me crazy with his shot selection and poor defense. I really like Bienemy, too. My referee friends in Katy told me he didn’t play much PG, and wasn’t always committed to defense.... but he was an absolute stud. He has surprised me in a nice way. Reynolds is instant offense.... he, Manek, and James will be our top 3 scorers IMHO.

Calixte, Reynolds, and Bienemy are solid additions. I like the team this year a whole lot more than last year’s edition.

Tompkins had a little 5'9" PG so Bieniemy played the wing. He did a lot of dribble drives and either scored or dished out for a 3. You could definitely see the passing skills. I still wonder if his ball handling will be good enough against Big 12 defenses but he's already plating much more defense than he ever did for his HS team.

 

[Stikboy]

Tompkins had a little 5'9" PG so Bieniemy played the wing. He did a lot of dribble drives and either scored or dished out for a 3. You could definitely see the passing skills. I still wonder if his ball handling will be good enough against Big 12 defenses but he's already plating much more defense than he ever did for his HS team.

Does Bieneimy have an outside shot?

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I'm not nearly as optomistic as you guys are. I'm not sure what you guys are seeing from these first two games that makes you think we can compete in the top half of the conference

 

[thebigabd]

At one point the roster was in total disarray, and they have obviously fielded a solid team here and credit needs to be given for that.. These guys aren't great but they will be a tough team.

I started a few threads about Polla and Lazenby in the offseason, because on some level you just refuse to believe that they signed guys who literally can't play at this level when there were so many other options around... Surely they knew something we didn't, did all their homework, etc. In most cases that is true but the past few years we have seen plenty of guys who can't play at OU... I was thinking Polla could develop into some defensive and rebounding force, but its clear he won't get on the floor much.

Either way... this team will be solid.

 

[152219]

This team is at least competing on both ends and the two jealous types left.

 

[WichitaSooner]

At one point the roster was in total disarray, and they have obviously fielded a solid team here and credit needs to be given for that.. These guys aren't great but they will be a tough team.

I started a few threads about Polla and Lazenby in the offseason, because on some level you just refuse to believe that they signed guys who literally can't play at this level when there were so many other options around... Surely they knew something we didn't, did all their homework, etc. In most cases that is true but the past few years we have seen plenty of guys who can't play at OU... I was thinking Polla could develop into some defensive and rebounding force, but its clear he won't get on the floor much.

Either way... this team will be solid.

Again, I don't understand the angst about the last two scholarship guys on the roster. How many schools in America have 11th and 12th men who are anything other than guys who play a few minutes at most? KU is the bluest of blue bloods and they only had 8 guys last year who played. Give me an example of teams who have 12 legit contributors and I'll be more impressed.

 

[thebigabd]

Again, I don't understand the angst about the last two scholarship guys on the roster. How many schools in America have 11th and 12th men who are anything other than guys who play a few minutes at most? KU is the bluest of blue bloods and they only had 8 guys last year who played. Give me an example of teams who have 12 legit contributors and I'll be more impressed.

Fair enough.... But there were still guys right in front of the them that would have improved the top 7-8 and made guys who are bigger contributors now have less of a role, which improves you as a team top to bottom.

OU is a fringe NCAA Tournament team, most likely. Sure, the 11th and 12th guys don't play but that assumes the top 7-8 was as strong as it should be, and it could have been but there was some dead weight on the roster.

 

[AdaSooner]

I'm not nearly as optomistic as you guys are. I'm not sure what you guys are seeing from these first two games that makes you think we can compete in the top half of the conference

First three games. The first two were on the road against former OU assistant coaches. I thought we would win, but no way I thought it would be by twenty or more.

Make no mistake, the third game against Wofford was a quality win. Wofford is a veteran team with four starters back from last year’s NCAA tournament team. They lost to UNC by the same margin (11) last week.

The team chemistry and an improved defense should give everyone a reason to be cautiously optimistic. I’m not ready to say this team will compete for a conference championship, or finish in the top half of the conference for that matter. But, as I said all along, this team is going to be better than most people think. Unlike the second half of last season, they’re playing together as one unit. That alone will help us win more games we could have lost.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

First three games. The first two were on the road against former OU assistant coaches. I thought we would win, but no way I thought it would be by twenty or more.

Make no mistake, the third game against Wofford was a quality win. Wofford is a veteran team with four starters back from last year’s NCAA tournament team. They lost to UNC by the same margin (11) last week.

The team chemistry and an improved defense should give everyone a reason to be cautiously optimistic. I’m not ready to say this team will compete for a conference championship, or finish in the top half of the conference for that matter. But, as I said all along, this team is going to be better than most people think. Unlike the second half of last season, they’re playing together as one unit. That alone will help us win more games we could have lost.

Not that it really matters, but only one of the games has been a 20 point win.

The big 12 is a totally different animal. Remember how amazing we were in the non conference last year? And how we fell off in conference play?

 

[Stikboy]

They’ll be some ups and downs.

There will be games that we can’t score.

Good post.

This is what i'm telling myself. Do I like the way they're playing, heck yeah. Have we played anybody? No sir. Here are my goals: Get to tourney, have better conf record than last year, at least split with(sweep would be great) UT, sweep home conference, and steal two on the road.

Is that too much to ask? HAHA

 

[skyvue]

Good post.

This is what i'm telling myself. Do I like the way they're playing, heck yeah. Have we played anybody? No sir. Here are my goals: Get to tourney, have better conf record than last year, at least split with(sweep would be great) UT, sweep home conference, and steal two on the road.

Is that too much to ask? HAHA

I think Wofford qualifies as "anybody", especially this early in the season, when we're still coming together as a team. As was pointed out above, they have four returning starters from last year's NCAA team, the one that beat UNC on the road. And they played UNC well this season -- it was a two-possession game with four minutes left and they lost by 11, just as they did to us.

I have no delusions of grandeur at this point. We've got one of the country's toughest schedules, so we could pretty darned good and still have a pedestrian record when it's all said and done.

But given the questions we all had as recently as two months ago, I'm happy with what I've seen so far and I intend to enjoy the ride.

 

[jaymOU]

They’ll be some ups and downs.

There will be games that we can’t score.

My biggest worry is this. Reynolds might be able to add some instant offense off the bench, especially if he could replicate his 3% last year, which I believe was near 40%. Maybe even Odomes could provide a little spark too - but not as likely.

If Freeman can shoot - that would help as well, but his shot is slow and is tougher to get against higher level competition.