Pivotal game tonight?

coolm

coolm

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I think tonight's game is pivotal. But my reasoning seems rather personal and ego-driven so it's hard to profess.

First, I think we're in the NCAA's no matter if we win or not. The meters favor us even if the seeding wouldnt be great. Obviously any win can help us with a better seed. But it's not all about the NCAA's to me like it is to many others - and that's cool.

I think we need to finish .500 in conference. To me that would still be an accomplishment given last year's record and the extreme competitiveness of the league. All of the mid-seasons' failings aside we STILL finished .500 in the most difficult league around.

fame - failure - redemption. It's something to build on. A positive going into next season no matter what happens in the tournament.

Otherwise we seem to be finishing the season on a down-note. A step back vice forward.

Baylor is NOT going to be an easy game. In fact, I have my serious doubts. But if we are playing a little better defense now and can drop some shots then maybe. Heck, who am I kidding ... if Trae can score big we have a chance. I am counting on him hitting shots after getting that second wind against KState.

Finishing .500 would really salvage the season for many and make this year a positive vice an asterisk in our history. But my support is rather selfish.
 
Every game is pivotal...in my mind.

More momentum, more positive vibe, everything. We need to go into the tourney on a high note.

I agree, being 9-9 in league will take some of the naysayers (my friends that are not OU or bg12 fans) out. Their take is any team not .500 in their league shouldn't be in the tourney...takes the spot of a "better" smaller school.

As far as a win...not sure. I don't our D is that much better, but it really never has been. The shooting % was great Sat..can that continue? Can the post contribute like they did on Sat? Will TY's shooting % be as good? (60% from 3)..lots of variables.

Baylor stayed toe to toe with us..we won by 2 with them getting a last sec shot..high scoring affair. 98-96.
 
Would be nice to get some confidence especially not on our home court - we haven't won a road game in 2018. 0-8
 
Soonerinkc said:
Baylor stayed toe to toe with us..we won by 2 with them getting a last sec shot..high scoring affair. 98-96.
Click to expand...

Yeah. If you remember, They were ahead and Doolittle fouled a guy who missed the front end of the bonus in the last minute. That gave us an opportunity to take the lead. If he had hit both free throws, it might have iced the game for them.
 
In my opinion, no.... The KSU game solidified OU's post-season bid and anything else is just gravy.
 
From Tulsa World: In year of unique challenges, can Lon Kruger’s philosophy prevail at the right time?

Link

So when things got tough, how did Kruger handle it?

“It’s funny,” assistant Chris Crutchfield said. “Really, he kept the same approach as if he was winning. That’s how he’s been the whole time I’ve been here. … That just goes to his character. He’s a winner.”

When the losses started piling up, when the shots seemed like they were never going to fall, Kruger’s message stayed simple. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to keep showing up and do the work.
Click to expand...
 
TulsaWorld said:
From Tulsa World: In year of unique challenges, can Lon Kruger’s philosophy prevail at the right time?

Link
Click to expand...

Nice to have our new member from the Tulsa World on the board now. He also posted an Ahmad Thomas article on the Campus Corner forum. Check it out when you get a chance.

Welcome to OUHoops.com, TW!
 
sounds like an article of excuses

“That’s why he’s a veteran coach,” Crutchfield said. “That’s why he’s a hall of famer. Just call it what it is. I think he’s managed it the best he can manage it. I don’t know a team that could be this young, could lose the kind of games we’ve lost and not lose it all.”
Click to expand...

please
 
and I respect coach Lon's way of doing things - but it's not foolproof. there are going to be some situations where it needs/needed to be altered.

2 things have been rather obvious since early in the season:
1. the team relies too much on Trae's scoring
2. the team is poor defensively

I can see the logic of staying steady and letting the guys work through it. This is an excellent teaching tool. But no plan is 100% effective and Lon also is tasked with knowing when he needs to deviate. He finally did that, a bit, but given Trae's likely departure I think questioning whether he did that too late is a fair shot.

In terms of recruiting I think viewing Trae's season here as a success is paramount.
 
Regardless of how the rest of our regular season plays out, the outlook is about the same. This team could beat anybody, regardless of seed. They could also lose to anybody, regardless of seed.

At the end of the day, outside of the 1-16 matchup, I suppose that's really the situation for everybody. NCAA tournament is chaos.
 
Kruger and staff “everything is fine. Let’s not change anything. It’s just a slump”

When your slump is for over half a season it isn’t a slump. It’s reality. This staff is a joke
 
Not pivotal. Unfortunately the team played like it wasn't pivotal.
 
Eielson said:
Regardless of how the rest of our regular season plays out, the outlook is about the same. This team could beat anybody, regardless of seed. They could also lose to anybody, regardless of seed.

At the end of the day, outside of the 1-16 matchup, I suppose that's really the situation for everybody. NCAA tournament is chaos.
Click to expand...

Right now, this team would have a hard time beating any tournament team.....even a #12-16 seed.....sigh.
 
Here's a link to Cody Stavenhagen's recap.

So after a big step backward from Saturday’s win against Kansas State, what did Lon Kruger tell his team?

“We got to understand how focused, how competitive we’ve got to be every possession,” Kruger said on Sooner Sports Radio. “We’re late in the year trying to figure out how to get more consistency in that area.’
Click to expand...
 
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