OU's still #1, it now or never Sooner fans!

[Max Power]

You've accepted the point of mediocre. Not me, so let's take OU BB to another level of sustained success.

OU brings in a Tisdale and wins.

OU brings in a King and wins.

OU brings in a Griffin and wins.

OU brings in a Hield and wins.

OU needs to bring some top notch facilities to sustain winning, not depend on a single player to have a season or two of success at the top.

And, the reason I'm posting here is because the team actually has drawn my attention again. It's fun to follow the journey of a successful season. So much fun that I want more of it to be sustained at OU. Facilities are the first step in working towards that goal. I enjoy the success of OU tennis and OU gymnastics as well. Success breeds success!

And there it is, he only cares when the team is #1 so next year when Buddy, Isiah, and Ryan are gone he wont care about basketball, and won't be willing to put up any money for these upgrades he wants. He says its so easy, yet he admits he hasn't been around or donating for a while now. He's probably not donating now.

 

[DenverSooner]

So if the problem is the exterior appearance, it would seem to me OU could build an office building that is in front of the two practice facilities and connects to both of them. The tunnel could run underneath it. It could look just like the one at Uconn or anywhere else.

 

[Zimwillett]

The ones on the loading docks half underground near the basement of the eyesore LNC? Not impressed and spent too much money, if you state $17M + $7M = $24M, when KSU only spent $18M and their facility is IMPOSING, not on a loading dock.

OU CAN and should do better, like UConn, KSU, VCU.

VCU says hello to the BB facilities: http://www.vmdo.com/project.php?ID=86

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it, but trust me, it's a minority opinion. Especially among those who have actually been inside the facility.

And I think it's funny you bring up UCONN. They opened their new facility after the 2014 season. My brother worked at UCONN, so I actually played a pick up game in their old practice gym. It was basically just an old field house...very average. Yet the UCONN men and women were somehow able to win 13 total national titles with a facility that doesn't come anywhere close to what OU currently has. The point is it takes more than a facility to build a successful program. One thing that might help OU a lot is fewer fairweather/bandwagon fans (hint, hint).

 

[Max Power]

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it, but trust me, it's a minority opinion. Especially among those who have actually been inside the facility.

And I think it's funny you bring up UCONN. They opened their new facility after the 2014 season. My brother worked at UCONN, so I actually played a pick up game in their old practice gym. It was basically just an old field house...very average. Yet the UCONN men and women were somehow able to win 13 total national titles with a facility that doesn't come anywhere close to what OU currently has. The point is it takes more than a facility to build a successful program. One thing that might help OU a lot is fewer fairweather/bandwagon fans (hint, hint).

 

[Zimwillett]

The most recent national champs' facilities:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGD4lSymKmw

Trust me, OU's are very comparable, if not nicer, than that. Again, it's about more than facilities.

EDIT: Let me also say that I do want OU to continue to upgrade the facilities (especially the LNC). But the suggestion that their current practice facility isn't on par with what other programs have is just false. Additionally, the regents have approved a $7 million dollar upgrade so I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

 

[tycat947]

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it, but trust me, it's a minority opinion. Especially among those who have actually been inside the facility.

And I think it's funny you bring up UCONN. They opened their new facility after the 2014 season. My brother worked at UCONN, so I actually played a pick up game in their old practice gym. It was basically just an old field house...very average. Yet the UCONN men and women were somehow able to win 13 total national titles with a facility that doesn't come anywhere close to what OU currently has. The point is it takes more than a facility to build a successful program. One thing that might help OU a lot is fewer fairweather/bandwagon fans (hint, hint).

I think UConn, K-State and VCU have plenty of room on their fanwagons! SMH!

 

[Zimwillett]

Since we're posting images of renderings, here's the rendering of the approved expansion:

The article on the expansion is here:

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesheadlines/2015/05/07/university-of-oklahoma-board-of-regents-approves-addition-to-lloyd-noble-center

 

[HeismanWatch]

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it, but trust me, it's a minority opinion. Especially among those who have actually been inside the facility.

And I think it's funny you bring up UCONN. They opened their new facility after the 2014 season. My brother worked at UCONN, so I actually played a pick up game in their old practice gym. It was basically just an old field house...very average. Yet the UCONN men and women were somehow able to win 13 total national titles with a facility that doesn't come anywhere close to what OU currently has. The point is it takes more than a facility to build a successful program. One thing that might help OU a lot is fewer fairweather/bandwagon fans (hint, hint).

Yet, UConn knew facilities was the ONLY way to sustain that run.

Learn from the best and don't accept mediocre facilities built around loading docks and basements. :facepalm

 

[skyvue]

Yet, UConn knew facilities was the ONLY way to sustain that run.

Learn from the best and don't accept mediocre facilities built around loading docks and basements. :facepalm

"Oklahoma's basketball facilities are magnificent -- second to none. Everything is top of the line and very well conceived. These facilities communicate the same message the Sooners do through their play -- a commitment to pursuing excellence."--Jay Bilas

 

[DenverSooner]

"Oklahoma's basketball facilities are magnificent -- second to none. Everything is top of the line and very well conceived. These facilities communicate the same message the Sooners do through their play -- a commitment to pursuing excellence."--Jay Bilas

That is odd. Why would a guy like Bilas say this when he travels around the country to all the top schools and sees all the facilities. Maybe he is biased towards OU or just wanted to make one of our posters look bad when he doesn't really believe that.

 

[HeismanWatch]

Since we're posting images of renderings, here's the rendering of the approved expansion:

The article on the expansion is here:

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesheadlines/2015/05/07/university-of-oklahoma-board-of-regents-approves-addition-to-lloyd-noble-center

I posted that last week. It's weak.

Average facility still placed around the loading docks at the LNC. Try the new two and three story facilities that are IMPOSING, not hidden behind the LNC.

 

[HeismanWatch]

I think UConn, K-State and VCU have plenty of room on their fanwagons! SMH!

OU has room just like KSU, UConn and VCU to build first class IMPOSING facilties too.

Take OU basketball to the next level and get them out of the basement and away from the loading docks in 2016! :OU-logo:

 

[Zimwillett]

Yet, UConn knew facilities was the ONLY way to sustain that run.

Learn from the best and don't accept mediocre facilities built around loading docks and basements. :facepalm

OK. Your repetition of the words "loading dock" and "basement" has convinced me. What's your proposal?

In all seriousness, I'm not against OU having a state-of-the art facility, and if OU would throw another $30M at a new basketball facility, I'd be thrilled. But I don't think the facilities are as bad as you think, and I think you overestimate the impact something like that would have on recruiting. Five star recruits aren't beating down the door to go to school in Manhattan, Kansas or Richmond, Virginia just because those schools have cool new facilities. But more power to you if you can get this little campaign off the ground.

 

[HeismanWatch]

Just for perspective, OU will have two parking garages on campus that look more imposing than OU's basketball facilities from the street.

That's wrong! :facepalm

 

[Zimwillett]

Just for perspective, OU will have two parking garages on campus that look more imposing than OU's basketball facilities from the street.

That's wrong! :facepalm

So this is about curb appeal?

 

[HeismanWatch]

OK. Your repetition of the words "loading dock" and "basement" has convinced me. What's your proposal?

In all seriousness, I'm not against OU having a state-of-the art facility, and if OU would throw another $30M at a new basketball facility, I'd be thrilled. But I don't think the facilities are as bad as you think, and I think you overestimate the impact something like that would have on recruiting. Five star recruits aren't beating down the door to go to school in Manhattan, Kansas or Richmond, Virginia just because those schools have cool new facilities. But more power to you if you can get this little campaign off the ground.

Build it on the North end of the LNC to hide that eye sore entrance (integrate it to cover that side of the LNC, then plan for a parking garage to be built on the East side that has the same design scheme, hiding the fact it 's a parking garage. Then build a facade on the West side to cover 3/4 of the LNC.

Do it in 3 phases:

1 - Stand alone practice facility - North
2 - Garage - East
3 - Facade - West*

*Facade will integrate outdoor balconies.

South has the glass structure for their entrance, which is fine, so go North, go East and go West.

Just do it!

 

[HeismanWatch]

So this is about curb appeal?

It's about all of the above.

Investing millions in facilities should be aesthetically imposing and representative of the brand you want to sell, not underground or around loading docks. You spend the money, regardless, so spend it right.

OU basketball has an imagine problem. Facilities being at the forefront of that image problem. Fans drive by the LNC everyday and no heads are turned. Most say, when is OU going to fix that eye sore.

This isn't a complex issue to handle. All it takes is vision and commitment to taking OU basketball to the next level. You can't tell me Boren takes more pride in planning parking garages on campus than basketball facilities. Sometimes I wonder, if someone feels they will be offended, if changes are made to the exterior of the LNC as if it represents something to somebody? Who knows?

It's an easy fix, so fix it.

 

[Zimwillett]

Build it on the North end of the LNC to hide that eye sore entrance (integrate it to cover that side of the LNC, then plan for a parking garage to be built on the East side that has the same design scheme, hiding the fact it 's a parking garage. Then build facade on the West side to cover 3/4 of the LNC.

Do it in 3 phases:

1 - Stand alone practice facility - North
2 - Garage - East
3 - Facade - West*

*Facade will integrate outdoor balconies.

South has the glass structure for their entrance, which is fine, so go North, go East and go West.

Just do it!

Sure. Sounds great. What do you figure that would cost? Conservatively $50,000,000?

Phase 1 - At least $30,000,000?
Phase 2 - Based on some very superficial google searching, a standard 5 story parking garage costs about $8.5M to build, but you're adding some curb appeal, so let's just call it $10,000,000.
Phase 3 - I'm not totally sure I understand what you're talking about there, but sounds like at least another $10,000,000?

That, of course, doesn't include the cost of dealing with a now obsolete $17,000,000 "loading dock" that's roughly 15 years old.

I respect the big dream, but crude sinking below $30/barrel that ain't happening any time soon.

 

[skyvue]

So all you care about is aesthetics. Because you clearly haven't been inside the practice facilities (and by your own admission, you've only started paying attention to OU hoops again in recent weeks) and you haven't noted a single thing lacking in the practice facilities except you wish they were prettier and on the other side of the building.

Sorry, I see no substance in your "argument" (to the extent that it even qualifies as one), though your frequent use of head-slapping emojis certainly is compelling.

Meanwhile, OU's hoops program is doing significantly better than any of the programs (especially K-State and VCU, for pete's sake) you'd have us emulate.

 

[Zimwillett]

It's an easy fix, so fix it.

Haha. OK.