OU in Korcheck's Top 2

[WTSooner]

I personally think Grooms is HIGHLY underrated by our fans because he couldn't shoot. That's what we needed badly out of our PG, so it reduces his value. For a team like North Carolina, he might have been the difference between Elite Eight and Final Four as a back-up PG because of his ability to penetrate and find the open man and to manage the offense. So, in some ways, I think your note proves his point.

Underrated? I don't get that. He certainly isn't terrible, I'm not saying that. His ball handling alone ensures that. But I guarantee you that North Carolina expected him to be able to shoot the ball better than he did this season. I also don't think he'd have handled the ball well enough playing at the speed NC likes to play at. JMO. My point though is that just b/c NC recruited him, that doesn't make him one of the best pg's in the country. It doesn't mean he's an immediate impact player at any school not on NC's level. I stand by my point that you can't evaluate JUCO players on the offers they get. WAY too many things factor into those offers, that don't show up as much in the recruitment of HS kids.

 

[jerry]

Well, I don't recall Arizona or UConn trying to sign Nick Thompson.

Good one Booger.

 

[BoulderSooner]

When have I done that? When has that been done period?



With HS kids? I agree. If you are trying to say that same theory applies to JUCO's, you are clueless about college basketball, and the recruitment of JUCO's. Go find a list of the top 50 JUCO's. Most of that list will be committed to schools that certainly aren't considered top 25 level schools. Who is recruiting what JUCO means practically nothing when trying to evaluate how good he may or may not be. Heck, North Carolina tried to get in on Grooms late last year. How stupid does that make your argument look?

if UNC had grooms they would have gotten to the finals ..

 

[TINY]

if UNC had grooms they would have gotten to the finals ..

+1

Can you imagine all the assists he could rack up with those players around him?

 

[AdaSooner]

+1

Can you imagine all the assists he could rack up with those players around him?

Exactly. Grooms would have been just fine on a team like UNC. where every player on the roster could shoot, score or do both. That was not the case at OU last year. His inability to shoot from the perimeter was a major handicap for a team with very few shooters or scorers.

I expect to see that change with M'Baye, Hornbeak, Hield and Cousins coming in this fall. The three newbies may not contribute right away. But all four players have a reputation that seems to suggest it may not be wise for opposing defenses to back off and let them shoot wide open shots. I don't think there is any question that their presence on the team will be a big help to Sam.

Still, if he doesn't improve his shooting this summer, we will continue to see double-downs on anyone who is a threat to score. Kruger may tolerate that early on. But I don't believe he will do it when Hornbeak and/or Cousins gains enough experience to run the offense. If Grooms wants to keep his job as the starting point guard, he had better improve his shooting. JMHO.

 

[tdsooner]

I agree, Ada. Grooms an overall solid PG, but unless he improves his shooting, he could find himself coming off the bench by mid-season. As for Cousins, have read that he dribbles low and as quick as a 6 footer and the way he works so hard, he couldvery well be competing for a starting job by the start of conference play, or mid-season.
And wouldn't surprise to see all three newbies on the court at the same time as Kruger likes to play guards...they just need some time to adjust is all. Could be that Cousins could replace Grooms by mid-seaon as the starting PG...unless Grooms improves his shooting. Sounds like Cousins could be hard to match up with, and that would be nice.

 

[SoonerZona]

As a fan of both Arizona and Oklahoma I find this post to be quite funny. I don't give a crap what Oklahoma did to Arizona in 89 and I sure don't care what Arizona did to Oklahoma at the McKale Center two years ago.

I do know this Lon Kruger doesn't call Sean Miller to ask him if a player is worth a damn. OU has been in on Korcheck for a while and they sure don't offer scholly's cause one other program may offer.

I can say this being a fan of both programs I can say that OU beat on Zona here at the LNC, but Zona returned the favor so claiming to "Own Arizona and UCONN" is weak, let's think about how many players were on that team that won in 94, 86, or whenever you claim OU owns a program?

With that said I think OU needs Korcheck more than Arizona, so I am pulling for him to pick OU.

 

[OUHoops]

Korcheck is visiting Arizona this weekend.

 

[rickjames]

Why does an Arinzona offer make him better? I really don't get the insecurity of OU fans.

Look it up, OU has owned Arizona in Basketball. OU beat them in the final four in 1988. OU beat them in 1999 in the NCAA tournament when OU was not ranked and Arizona was ranked 12th. OU beat Arizona to go to the Sweet 16 in 2002. Additionally, OU beat Arizona in Norman in 1989 and in 2010. OU has only lost to Arizona twice and both times were in Tucson.