OU @ ISU 7pm CST ESPN2

[152219]

I almost turned the game off the game when it was still close when ISU tried an entry pass to the post and it was deflected to Haliburton who then swished a 3 pointer.

 

[152219]

Calixte and Reynolds went from solid contributors to the opposite in two months. Add McNeace’s injury and the already mediocre offense got worse.

McNeace did look better tonight. Had more pop in his jumping. Anyone who downplays essentially losing him for two months is crazy. He isn’t great but he is a solid center in the Big 12. And if he is healthy we aren’t seeing Freeman’s getting this many minutes.

 

[NY Soonerfan]

Agree on Mc; him getting extended minutes tonight and playing well could be huge for us in the last four games. The announcers did say that Lon mentioned to them he's feeling better than he has in a long time, so maybe he can give us something relatively close to what we expected in August.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

Calixte and Reynolds went from solid contributors to the opposite in two months. Add McNeace’s injury and the already mediocre offense got worse.

McNeace did look better tonight. Had more pop in his jumping. Anyone who downplays essentially losing him for two months is crazy. He isn’t great but he is a solid center in the Big 12. And if he is healthy we aren’t seeing Freeman’s getting this many minutes.

This is dead-on, 100% correct. Excellent post. I also think that our shooters, particularly Manek & James, wouldve made a lot more shots the last 2 months with McNeace effective inside.

 

[OU92Grad]

Buddy Hield.

Now, to my ignore list.

Exactly! You just made my point! Buddy Hield has not been here “the last few seasons”!!! James Odomes and Mcnease were freshmen when he was here! Say what you want to say but our players aren’t developing! I know the truth hurts

 

[Eielson]

Do you remember a guy named Ricky Grace. Rarely sot the ball and just ran the show. Yes he had offensive weapons around him but to say if you don’t shoot you are worthless is a Poor observation in my opinion.

Ricky Grace averaged 14.7 points per game on that team that nearly won the title. I don't think those two are even close to the same level. I think Bieniemy should be in the starting lineup, and I think he could develop into a good one, but he's got a ways to go. He's going to have to be developed the way Kruger and his staff were developing guys when we first got here.

 

[Max Power]

Ricky Grace averaged 14.7 points per game on that team that nearly won the title. I don't think those two are even close to the same level. I think Bieniemy should be in the starting lineup, and I think he could develop into a good one, but he's got a ways to go. He's going to have to be developed the way Kruger and his staff were developing guys when we first got here.

Are Henson and Lew Hill walking through the door?

 

[Eielson]

Are Henson and Lew Hill walking through the door?

Unlikely.

 

[BoulderSooner]

i said this a few weeks ago and i will say it again for this team to win the best 2 players neeed to take the most shots ...

that is Manek and Doolittle

 

[cjhsooner]

This whole decline from Final Four-level to possibly missing the tournament (and even last year, losing to Rhode Island with an all-world player) started when Kruger missed on his hires to replace his assistants. Nepotism never seems to work at OU, yet ALWAYS seems to happen (Gasso being the exception).

 

[WTSooner]

This whole decline from Final Four-level to possibly missing the tournament (and even last year, losing to Rhode Island with an all-world player) started when Kruger missed on his hires to replace his assistants. Nepotism never seems to work at OU, yet ALWAYS seems to happen (Gasso being the exception).

Coale's program was struggling before she hired her son.

And with Mike Stoops, lets not forget how good (great) the OU defense was during his first stint at OU.

This happens all over the country. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But nepotism itself isn't really the reason certain OU programs are struggling. Blaming that is simply taking the easy way out.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

i said this a few weeks ago and i will say it again for this team to win the best 2 players neeed to take the most shots ...

that is Manek and Doolittle

I'm curious about what happened to Manek last night. He got pulled and didn't play much in the 2nd half. Was he sick? Hurt? Or was Kruger frustrated at him for something and benched him.

Manek needs to move better without the ball, demand the ball more forcefully, and touch the ball nearly every time down the court. He did well in the 1st half in the low post and can be an effective passer when double-teamed. They need to work him and James on some pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. He needs to be MUCH more aggressive and much more involved than he often is. The team needs to use him much in the same way KSU uses Dean Wade. I don't know if that's on the coaches or on him.

 

[Soonerinkc]

I'm curious about what happened to Manek last night. He got pulled and didn't play much in the 2nd half. Was he sick? Hurt? Or was Kruger frustrated at him for something and benched him.

Manek needs to move better without the ball, demand the ball more forcefully, and touch the ball nearly every time down the court. He did well in the 1st half in the low post and can be an effective passer when double-teamed. They need to work him and James on some pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. He needs to be MUCH more aggressive and much more involved than he often is. The team needs to use him much in the same way KSU uses Dean Wade. I don't know if that's on the coaches or on him.

I thought the same thing...Ada said he had 0 boards...

but man I can see a lot of other issues...scoring being 1 and he's one of our top 3.

 

[Soonerinkc]

Know it's been said, BUT...

Freeman, Reynolds and Calexite (?) should get very few minutes. giving breaks for the other 5...and NOT AT THE SAME TIME~

 

[Soonerinkc]

Buddy Hield.

Now, to my ignore list.

Ghost...I understand...but do you think IF Buddy didn't have the personal drive...(coming where he came from) to succeed he would be where he is?

Granted I don't know WHO corrected his shot..(Henson?) but whoever did it gave a few pointers. The kids have to have the desire...but part of the motivation is on coaches. Playing time, "captain"...can be a few things a coach can do to help that.

JM Ft's form is horrible...same with Ro.

Reminds of my son's college baseball coach...tellin him to not drop his glove 1 FRICKING inch when he came set (pitcher)...that was all he said. Then *****ed because Caleb walked a batter.

 

[cjhsooner]

Coale's program was struggling before she hired her son.

And with Mike Stoops, lets not forget how good (great) the OU defense was during his first stint at OU.

This happens all over the country. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But nepotism itself isn't really the reason certain OU programs are struggling. Blaming that is simply taking the easy way out.

It makes fixing the issues a lot harder. Bob Stoops retired before he could even think of firing his brother. Neither Kruger nor Coale will fire their kids. So a supposed top-tier program like OU is stuck in neutral, since no one can seem to be in a vulnerable position, coaching-wise.

 

[Leroy]

Manek is so soft. He can score when the other team let's him stand open at the three point line. OU tried to post him last night and he let his man run around him and get the steal. He doesn't fight for position or tough rebounds and yes he had the same amount of rebounds as a dead man last night. Two turnovers and ZERO assists again. When we try and swing the ball with him at the top of the circle he has trouble getting open for the pass because he is soft and slow. Against aggressive athletic teams, he might as well be on the bench.

 

[NY Soonerfan]

Manek is so soft. He can score when the other team let's him stand open at the three point line. OU tried to post him last night and he let his man run around him and get the steal. He doesn't fight for position or tough rebounds and yes he had the same amount of rebounds as a dead man last night. Two turnovers and ZERO assists again. When we try and swing the ball with him at the top of the circle he has trouble getting open for the pass because he is soft and slow. Against aggressive athletic teams, he might as well be on the bench.

This is a very contrarian view to most people here and I think it's dead-on correct. Manek looks like a typical OU player under Kruger, in that he is what he is and really won't get any better. He's now essentially played two full years and he's an 11-6 guy who shoots about 37 from 3. That's what he is. The former might go up a tick next year, without James, but I don't see any reason to think any dramatic improvement will be coming in his last two years on campus.

He's soft on the boards, has a very 3rd-grade mentality in that when he doesn't get the ball or when he thinks he got fouled, he pouts, doesn't give a full 100%, and doesn't get back on D. He also has about 2-4 possessions a game where you KNOW he's going to shoot it right when he gets the ball, whether he's open or not. I think, on the whole, he's a decent enough 3-point shooter, but he could be a lot better if he didn't take a few a night that aren't remotely in the flow of the offense or considered a good shot.

The fact he played 18 minutes last night, and was a very productive 4-7 from the floor, in a game where we couldn't score, is pretty interesting. He wasn't in foul trouble, so unless he was not feeling well, it just doesn't make any sense.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Manek is so soft. He can score when the other team let's him stand open at the three point line. OU tried to post him last night and he let his man run around him and get the steal. He doesn't fight for position or tough rebounds and yes he had the same amount of rebounds as a dead man last night. Two turnovers and ZERO assists again. When we try and swing the ball with him at the top of the circle he has trouble getting open for the pass because he is soft and slow. Against aggressive athletic teams, he might as well be on the bench.

this is a terrible take and i'm not sure that you actually watch OU basketball or are a fan of OU

 

[TulsaWorld]

From the Associated Press...

Iowa State knew it couldn’t afford to drop another head scratcher at home, and after a sluggish start it overwhelmed the Sooners.

“I think we’re doing a lot of really, really good things. But sometimes when you play a couple of bad home games, everyone wants to write the negative — and that’s why you’ve got to block out the outside noise,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. “Your basketball character and your character has got to show up in the biggest moments. And this was a character game, and we responded.”

...

Kristian Doolittle scored 15 points to lead the Sooners (17-11, 5-10), who saw their modest two-game winning streak snapped. OU shot just 38.1 percent.

“It was a good battle for a while,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. “Iowa State is good. They played well, and we didn’t make enough plays.”