OU getting no pre-season love over at ESPN.com

[steverocks35]

First of all Andy Katz doesn't even has us ranked in his pre-season top 25.

Then Dicky V did a post on his top 5 returning sophomores and didn't even mention Willie Warren in passing.

Sigh. I guess I should just get used to OU being a national afterthought in college basketball.

 

[OULad]

Dick Vitale is an idiot. I am surprised Katz doesnt have us in the top 25

 

[Sam]

Well Dicky V didn't know about Blake this time last year either so I will take this as a good sign for Willie.

 

[NickZepp]

We shouldn't. We lost the 2nd or 3rd best player in school history and player of the year. Don't worry though we'll be getting enough hype when Willie Warren starts lighting people up.

 

[Arkboysooner]

Dickie V has probably seen Willie Warren play less than 3 times.

 

[cowboysooner]

I can understand the low ranking at this point. People just don't project our bigs to be any good at this point and aren't sure what we are going to do at point. I can understand this thinking when you consider that we lost the Griffins, don't return an inside guy that played much, lost our point guard and then lost our projected starting 4. I know we signed some good kids, but they haven't played college ball yet.

I project we will shoot up the charts however when the college world sees Tiny play. I'm predicting 20/8-10 numbers for tiny. Our perimeter play should be improved, no matter who the point is, and if Tiny is as good as I think he will be, then we won't have to worry about our rankings much.

I think the key to the year is the development of Orlando, Pledger, Davis and Willis. If one or more of these players develops into an exceptional player next year, we should have interior play and 7-8 players type depth needed to make another run in the Tournament.

 

[steverocks35]

We shouldn't. We lost the 2nd or 3rd best player in school history and player of the year. Don't worry though we'll be getting enough hype when Willie Warren starts lighting people up.

So you don't believe we should be ranked in the top 25 or that Willie should be mentioned among the top returning sophomores next year?

 

[Boomer Sooner]

My bold prediction of the year: We will be a top 10 team at the end of the year.

:jcapel

 

[NickZepp]

So you don't believe we should be ranked in the top 25 or that Willie should be mentioned among the top returning sophomores next year?

I don't know about where we should be ranked right now but we'll be a top 15 type team by the end of the year

 

[steverocks35]

I don't know about where we should be ranked right now but we'll be a top 15 type team by the end of the year

That's a fair assessment, I just think Willie should be getting more love and our incoming class should be more hyped. (probably better to sneak up on people anyway)

 

[BanjoCharley]

That's a fair assessment, I just think Willie should be getting more love and our incoming class should be more hyped. (probably better to sneak up on people anyway)

Frack more hyped. Wins is where it's at. Do you want more hype, I don't. Do you want more wins, I do.

 

[steverocks35]

Frack more hyped. Wins is where it's at. Do you want more hype, I don't. Do you want more wins, I do.

More hype=better recruits=more wins=better recruits=more hype=more wins

lather. rinse. repeat

 

[MGB]

Besides the fact that it is the offseason and hype vs wins the only thing we can possibly get right now is hype.

 

[tomkar98]

Hype... for now. haha :boomer:sooner

 

[BigTime]

As mentioned above, Dickie didn't even have Blake as a top five player last year, so who cares what he says.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Leaving us out of the top 25 is directly related to us losing 3 starters, one of which was pretty good most nights.

Crocker hasn't turned many heads due to his inconsistency. So, the only one they are sure is a star is Willie. Besides that, we start 2 freshmen.

Personally, if I were looking at us on a national scale, I might say "Oklahoma could be pretty good due to their incoming freshmen but we need to see them after about 7-10 games and see how they are playing". As I said earlier, I think a ranking of 20-25 is about right but leaving us out of the top 25 doesn't surprise me either. I think we have the potential of a Sweet Sixteen team.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

I'm not too worried about the lack of "love" the team is receiving....

This team has a lot to prove to the nation, most people outside of our fanbase just looks at OU as a team that lost two draft picks, a starting point guard and an explosive guy off the bench that seemed to make us complete...

Willie not getting recognized by Dickie V doesnt really surprise me, that guy is pretty much just an old scenile television personality now...there is basically no creditibility in anything he says...

I believe we have a chance to be good, but only as good as our freshman and guys that saw limited action last year make us...guys like Cade, Ray, Orlando and Ryan have to show veteran leadership through consistency and work ethic...I'm sure TMG, Tiny and Pledger will have an impact but it is hard to say what that will be...

Willie will do what Willie does best, that is score and dominate the ball...as long as he gets consistent help we will be good, if not it will turn into a show and a lot of guys will be standing around, we wont be very good that way...

Gonna be a fun season again with high expectations but no real clue of how they will gel (much like last season)...

 

[lexusooner]

Last year Dickie V in his pre season ESPN special mentioned 5 players for player of the year

Hansbrough--Henderson--Curry--and I have forgot the other two---

NO MENTION OF BLAKE GRIFFIN!!!!!!

He acted as if Blake DID NOT EXIST!!!

Then he named his 5 all american--NO MENTIO OF BLAKE AGAIN!!!!

Dickie is past his prime and is a loud mouthed fool!!!

 

[NickZepp]

If a player isn't in the ACC or in Kansas it isn't on Dickie V's radar.

 

[steverocks35]

If a player isn't in the ACC or in Kansas it isn't on Dickie V's radar.

yet he didn't name either of kansas' two returning sophomores (tyshawn taylor and marcus morris) either! I gues Dukie V forgot that we play basketball west of the mississippi!

here's the 5 he mentioned:

Devon Roe-Michigan State (I honestly haven't heard much of anything about this guy)
Ed Davis-NC (I'll give him this one)
Malcolm Lee-UCLA (????)
Chris Singleton-Miami?
Kris Joseph-Syracuse?

uhh, okay, maybe this is a list of people we never heard of before.