Play shut up about missed free throws/fouls

[BoulderSooner]

We only gave up 66 points in regulation. Considering the offensive talent we have, we should have won going away in a game in which we only gave up 66 points. Do you know how many other games this season we lost while holding an opponent under 70? One.

The defense wasn't the problem last night. It was missed free throws, turnovers, and 35% shooting from the field that cost us the game.

this x1000

 

[sooner 1234]

We only gave up 66 points in regulation. Considering the offensive talent we have, we should have won going away in a game in which we only gave up 66 points. Do you know how many other games this season we lost while holding an opponent under 70? One.

The defense wasn't the problem last night. It was missed free throws, turnovers, and 35% shooting from the field that cost us the game.

We are a spot up shooting team . We have not size inside ..... Can't control that. 90% of our offensive production is going to come from our guards and probably 40% of our fgs are going to be from behind the arc...... You can't be consistent with that type of offense...... You are going to have off shooting nights.
Our defense is BY FAR this teams biggest weakness. I don't care how many points the other team scored , they were efficient in the half court( most turnovers came off the press)
I don't see how people can blame a loss on free throws when they shot almost 25% better then us most of the game ?
You can't just out shoot people every game, thTs not basketball. Any coach in America would look at our box score and tell you what the problem is, and it's not missed free throws.
I do agree that a better shooting night and we win , but how can you shoot great every night with no inside game? Your defense will be there night In and night out., regardless if shoots are falling.
Every loss this year is the same story , off shooting night , play some defense and a lot of those close losses would be wins.
We shot a really good percentage from the charity stripe as a team , and most nights we shoot a great fg percentage .
If you are saying we need to shoot great every night then you don't know basketball. Winning consistently isn't just about offense , are off nights from shooting become losses because of our d.

 

[Postman77]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

As a team we shoot very well from the charity stripe, about as good as you can hope for. Sure we missed a couple free throws but play sound defense and we win walking away . Woodard missed a key free throw but his biggest mistake was basically not even guarding a guy behind the arch down three with 19 seconds left. He didn't even get a hand up until late.
I'm telling you our half court defense is as bad as it gets at times . We have stone feet, never help when we are beat and overall show no passion what so ever defending another team. We have the horse not the desire. Buddy could shut anyone down he wanted , if he was coached to. He should spend less time slapping the court and more time energy moving his feet.
Cousins shows flashes of being a great defender and then loafs or does some stupid foul the next.
Whoever Jordan is guarding is gonna have a career night , his defense is so bad hornbeak might should play 20 minutes a game.
Cam will average 18 a game and give up 25.
Next years team needs a total makeover mentally wise or next season will be the same story
If these guys are truly gym rats then tAke the balls away from them and make them practice some defense.
I wouldn't be so mad if talent was an issue. Cam was never gonna stop someone , but cousins and hield can be ELITE defenders and Jordan could be serviceable .Its all attitude and want to with these guys. Lon needs to put his foot down .

Your basic premise is correct, but you use incorrect facts. You make claims about players without any basic proof. Buddy is a terrible defender...absolutely terrible. He is high in steals, but only because he constantly gambles, and never closes out to perimeter players. He is also the worst on the floor as far as defensive rotations. Cousins could be a good defender, but last night he constantly allowed Braun to get to his right hand...heck, he set up to ALLOW him to go right. That is just really poor attention to scouting report D (this is evident of the whole team...also a sign of being young). What players have had a career night against Woodard? The answer.........zero. Oklahoma employs a switching man defense, and no player is ever locked up with a particular man outside a handful of possessions. Once again, this highlights the true problem last night...terrible communication and rotations defensively. Woodard wasn't great defensively, but he was by far more effective than Hield on both ends of the floor. Also, look at Woodards numbers compared to his counterpart...I like him going forward. Bottom line, tough loss, with some poor decision making, execution, and defense. They will improve.

 

[garyeb2]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Your basic premise is correct, but you use incorrect facts. You make claims about players without any basic proof. Buddy is a terrible defender...absolutely terrible. He is high in steals, but only because he constantly gambles, and never closes out to perimeter players. He is also the worst on the floor as far as defensive rotations. Cousins could be a good defender, but last night he constantly allowed Braun to get to his right hand...heck, he set up to ALLOW him to go right. That is just really poor attention to scouting report D (this is evident of the whole team...also a sign of being young). What players have had a career night against Woodard? The answer.........zero. Oklahoma employs a switching man defense, and no player is ever locked up with a particular man outside a handful of possessions. Once again, this highlights the true problem last night...terrible communication and rotations defensively. Woodard wasn't great defensively, but he was by far more effective than Hield on both ends of the floor. Also, look at Woodards numbers compared to his counterpart...I like him going forward. Bottom line, tough loss, with some poor decision making, execution, and defense. They will improve.

We must have been watching different games. Woodard is the weak link on the perimeter. Cam is the leader in missed rotations. I didn't notice. But, if Cousins was setting up to bait Braun into going right, that is where the help was suppose to be. Braun didn't cause mush damage. He was handled pretty well.

 

[sooner 1234]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Your basic premise is correct, but you use incorrect facts. You make claims about players without any basic proof. Buddy is a terrible defender...absolutely terrible. He is high in steals, but only because he constantly gambles, and never closes out to perimeter players. He is also the worst on the floor as far as defensive rotations. Cousins could be a good defender, but last night he constantly allowed Braun to get to his right hand...heck, he set up to ALLOW him to go right. That is just really poor attention to scouting report D (this is evident of the whole team...also a sign of being young). What players have had a career night against Woodard? The answer.........zero. Oklahoma employs a switching man defense, and no player is ever locked up with a particular man outside a handful of possessions. Once again, this highlights the true problem last night...terrible communication and rotations defensively. Woodard wasn't great defensively, but he was by far more effective than Hield on both ends of the floor. Also, look at Woodards numbers compared to his counterpart...I like him going forward. Bottom line, tough loss, with some poor decision making, execution, and defense. They will improve.

Did you see their pg last night ??? Obviously not, the one that scored 28 and a career high ?If you think Woodard is better then Buddy as a defender then you are either high or stupid .As I said BOTH cousins and Hield could be great defenders , long, rangy and and very quick.......they just chose not to play defense, like the rest of the team.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Did you see their pg last night ??? Obviously not, the one that scored 28 and a career high ?If you think Woodard is better then Buddy as a defender then you are either high or stupid .As I said BOTH cousins and Hield could be great defenders , long, rangy and and very quick.......they just chose not to play defense, like the rest of the team.

except that guy is not their PG

 

[Big Old Booger]

As I mentioned in another thread....why wasn't there an emphasis on recruiting more big men the day that Kruger and staff got here? Osby was going to graduate and with M'Baye leaving, we were going to be left very thin in the interior. Thus, we shoud've been trying to stock the cupbaord to avoid the predicament that we are in now. We do have help with Lattin coming, but how much help can you expect from a true Frosh. This was a strategic mistake by the staff and it's hurting us in the postseason now....ugh.

As another poster mentioned, he didn't know M'Baye would leave and he recruited 2 JUCO's for this year specifically. One didn't qualify and one decided he wasn't going to play much. I would imagine had he stuck around he would have played in every game out of necessity just to give Spangler a blow.

Everybody seems to think JUCO is like it was in the 80's when Tubbs was bringing in guys like Harvey Grant, Wiley, Bell, etc., but it's not. Nick Thompson was a JUCO all-american so that should tell you if we have to depend on JUCO's we have issues. Then add in the fact they don't get here and you know it's going to be bad.

I don't see how you can blame Kruger for the post depth? I guess he could have signed a HS kid who ended up in JUCO but would you want to give a 4 year scholarship to a kid who really isn't any good? I wouldn't.

 

[campbest]

As another poster mentioned, he didn't know M'Baye would leave and he recruited 2 JUCO's for this year specifically. One didn't qualify and one decided he wasn't going to play much. I would imagine had he stuck around he would have played in every game out of necessity just to give Spangler a blow.

Everybody seems to think JUCO is like it was in the 80's when Tubbs was bringing in guys like Harvey Grant, Wiley, Bell, etc., but it's not. Nick Thompson was a JUCO all-american so that should tell you if we have to depend on JUCO's we have issues. Then add in the fact they don't get here and you know it's going to be bad.

I don't see how you can blame Kruger for the post depth? I guess he could have signed a HS kid who ended up in JUCO but would you want to give a 4 year scholarship to a kid who really isn't any good? I wouldn't.

Agree with your point about JUCO...but Nick Thompson was not an all-american. Not even close.

 

[Postman77]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Did you see their pg last night ??? Obviously not, the one that scored 28 and a career high ?If you think Woodard is better then Buddy as a defender then you are either high or stupid .As I said BOTH cousins and Hield could be great defenders , long, rangy and and very quick.......they just chose not to play defense, like the rest of the team.

Ok sooner...I have no problem taking your bait. I am neither high nor stupid, but it is obvious that you have a problem understanding basketball. First of all, that kid wasn't their point guard (as another poster noted). Second, Woodard did not guard the kid the majority of the night. Third, I never said that any of the three couldn't be good defenders...all of them should be, and all of them needed to have been better. However, Woodard is far more fundamental in approach than Hield. The switching defense actually hurts Woodard the most...leaving him as an obvious choice that needs to improve.

Gary, I respectfully disagree. I know who you are and respect you. However, Buddy was terrible all night on rotations and close outs. This is the reason he was pulled late in favor of Hornbeak...not his offense. Cam was bad as well, but many of the issues were with Buddy last night. Also, if help was supposed to come from a right hand direct drive penetration, it goes against everything Kruger has ever taught...believe me I know. Also, let's say it was the case...it basically says Kruger couldn't make an in-game adjustment to change. Bottom line...their posts were owning the positional battles against Spangler to not allow the help to arrive. Therefore, the guards have to be better in not allowing direct drives.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Gary, I respectfully disagree. I know who you are and respect you. However, Buddy was terrible all night on rotations and close outs. This is the reason he was pulled late in favor of Hornbeak...not his offense. Cam was bad as well, but many of the issues were with Buddy last night. Also, if help was supposed to come from a right hand direct drive penetration, it goes against everything Kruger has ever taught...believe me I know. Also, let's say it was the case...it basically says Kruger couldn't make an in-game adjustment to change. Bottom line...their posts were owning the positional battles against Spangler to not allow the help to arrive. Therefore, the guards have to be better in not allowing direct drives.

this

 

[garyeb2]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Ok sooner...I have no problem taking your bait. I am neither high nor stupid, but it is obvious that you have a problem understanding basketball. First of all, that kid wasn't their point guard (as another poster noted). Second, Woodard did not guard the kid the majority of the night. Third, I never said that any of the three couldn't be good defenders...all of them should be, and all of them needed to have been better. However, Woodard is far more fundamental in approach than Hield. The switching defense actually hurts Woodard the most...leaving him as an obvious choice that needs to improve.

Gary, I respectfully disagree. I know who you are and respect you. However, Buddy was terrible all night on rotations and close outs. This is the reason he was pulled late in favor of Hornbeak...not his offense. Cam was bad as well, but many of the issues were with Buddy last night. Also, if help was supposed to come from a right hand direct drive penetration, it goes against everything Kruger has ever taught...believe me I know. Also, let's say it was the case...it basically says Kruger couldn't make an in-game adjustment to change. Bottom line...their posts were owning the positional battles against Spangler to not allow the help to arrive. Therefore, the guards have to be better in not allowing direct drives.

You are certainly welcome to your observations an opinions based on your expertise. I'll give you the Buddy argument. He constantly doesn't know where his man is. He is gifted to the point that he often overcomes it. Woodard, not so gifted at this point is often forced into switches that are a real bad matchup for him. Thus, I consider him to be a bigger liability. Cam has had a career of busting rotation down low where they are easy to spot.

I'm no kind of an X's and O's genius. But, typically, it depends on which side of the lane the defender is on which way the defender is coached to bait the defender to go. It is typically to the inside where the help usually resides. Or right or left to the baseline depending on which side of the court they are on.

Your assumption that it is the guards fault for sending their man the wrong way from Spangler's help may or may not be correct. Their backs are to him and it could likely be Spangler's misstep.

 

[NickZepp]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Woodard seems to make shots when they don't matter, but when we need him to make shots, he tends to miss. Look at the Baylor game they didn't cover him at all on his 2 wide open 3s that would have both been huge. They even ran from him and basically told him to shoot the ball. He bricked both. It's not just that. His free throw shooting outside of clutch situations was basically 100%. Probably all of his misses came in late game situations. We lost possibly 2 or 3 more games this year we would have won if he just hit free throws.

 

[sperry]

We tried to bring in some JUCO big men to help out this year. Both of them flamed out, as JUCOs are wont to do.


Kruger's post season performances here have been frustrating. But we are set up to have a GREAT team in '15-'16, with a deep and talented roster, senior guards, and plenty of size. Likely the best team Kruger will ever have here, so that's the tiem to win big.

 

[WTSooner]

Likely the best team Kruger will ever have here, so that's the tiem to win big.

I hope not.

 

[sperry]

I hope not.

I am expecting that team to a be preseason top 5 team. It's virtually the same team that won 23 games this year, with an added two years of experience and some big time talents added in the paint.

 

[MercedeSooner]

I am expecting that team to a be preseason top 5 team. It's virtually the same team that won 23 games this year, with an added two years of experience and some big time talents added in the paint.

No way we are top 5 - think top 15 is a good expectation.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't see how you can blame Kruger for the post depth? I guess he could have signed a HS kid who ended up in JUCO but would you want to give a 4 year scholarship to a kid who really isn't any good? I wouldn't.

I wish OU could find guys like Bjorklund. I have no idea how highly he was ranked coming out of high school but I think that kid could play in a major conference.

 

[sperry]

No way we are top 5 - think top 15 is a good expectation.

I'm talking about '15-'16. Which if we have a good season next year, and return the entire roster we will likely be near the top 5.

 

[WTSooner]

I wish OU could find guys like Bjorklund. I have no idea how highly he was ranked coming out of high school but I think that kid could play in a major conference.

They had 2-3 guys that were like that. The guard that tore us up? And while he didn't play well, I have to think Braun could too, in the right system (maybe not OU). Heck, Braun might could be a 4 for us.

 

[Postman77]

Re: Please shut up about missed free throws/fouls

Woodard seems to make shots when they don't matter, but when we need him to make shots, he tends to miss. Look at the Baylor game they didn't cover him at all on his 2 wide open 3s that would have both been huge. They even ran from him and basically told him to shoot the ball. He bricked both. It's not just that. His free throw shooting outside of clutch situations was basically 100%. Probably all of his misses came in late game situations. We lost possibly 2 or 3 more games this year we would have won if he just hit free throws.

Yeah, we should have never recruited him. Both you and Vinny are ridiculous on this kick. Yes, he missed some free throws, but guess what.....Cam and Cousins missed some every bit as big. Who would be better in his minutes? And don't even try to tell me Hornbeak, as we all saw the offense stall horribly when he was running the show. Also, your idea of having Woodard off the floor late in games is ludicrous, as he is the only player to be trusted with the ball on the bounce in tight spaces. Woodard made freshman mistakes, but he was far better than any option we have had in a long time, and will only get better. Nice thing about freshmen is they become sophomores. By the way...anyone want to trade Woodard for the freshmen versions of Hornbeak, Cousins, or Hield? Didn't think so.