Poor FT shooting is all on Kruger

[DenverSooner]

lol...booger wasn't it also you that said good offense leads to better defense?

It is actually the exact opposite. Good defense leads to easy offensive opportunities. Bad defense leads to easy offense for the other team. Bad decisions on offense leads to easy offense for the other team.

I like to use hockey as the best example. Anyone can play defense and try to be Bobby Orr (Orr was one of, if not the best, offensive defensemen in the history of the sport). By that I mean make offensive plays, pinch on defense and take risks that might lead to offensive production. The problem is most guys lack the ability to actually be as effective as Orr. They give up easy opportunities to the other team and cost their team games.

In basketball it is like a pg not getting back. Sure they will get more rebounds if they constantly crash the offensive boards but they will give up fast breaks more often than they will get the rebound. In the long run it is a mistake for the pg to constantly try to get offensive rebounds. A good player picks his opportunities wisely realizing his role on the team.

 

[badger]

This OU team reminds me of Bob Stoops first year, competitive but found ways to lose winnable games. Hopefully next season we see a similar turnaround, keeping in mind that CLK has really only been coaching these guys for about six months or less.

A national championship in basketball???

:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot

 

[stoops4pres]

A national championship in basketball???

:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot:woot

This.

I'm still bitter about 1988 and 2002. So friggin' close.

 

[BoulderSooner]

I disagree with saying poor FT shooting last night was Kruger's fault in the case of Osby. He is a 70% FT shooter. Over the course of the season, his FT shooting is not going to make or break us. We are not 3-8 because of Osby's FT shooting or the team FT shooting.

However, when you play a guy that can't shoot like Grooms for 38 minutes, his shooting is going to hurt you. He missed 4 FT's and we lost by 3. Last year multiple times, Carl Blair sealed the game by hitting 5 of 6 straight FT's in the last few minutes.

Thats the only fault Kruger should take in this. And I realize Grooms had his best game of the year. I'm not dogging him. But when your best game of the year is a game that you missed half a dozen FTs, maybe you shouldn't be playing 38 minutes.

grooms is over 65% FT shooter on the year ... he can "shoot"

 

[StatGeek]

As bad as our FT% was last night, the reason we lost was because we could not defend Mizzou. They shot 59% in the 2nd half. If you want to blame the coaches for something this would be a much better argument.

 

[Big Old Booger]

grooms is over 65% FT shooter on the year ... he can "shoot"

Is 65% considered good? Not in my book.

I can remember some OU teams where 65% was the worst FT shooter of the starting 5.

Now, it's not bad either as that is reserved for the Johnny Pittmans and others like him.

 

[DenverSooner]

It is not great but OU has 5 guys shooting over 70%. Grooms and Cam Clark are both shooting above 64%. While 64% is not greate for a backcourt player, the other players all shoot very well and as a team OU shoots well.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

It is not great but OU has 5 guys shooting over 70%. Grooms and Cam Clark are both shooting above 64%. While 64% is not greate for a backcourt player, the other players all shoot very well and as a team OU shoots well.

I think this FT thing is being over-analyzed, we're a competitive Big 12 team, but we are not quite there to pull of this kind of upset, if it wasn't FT's or turnovers, it would have probably been something else. Sucks for now, but I think a full year with CLK will make a huge difference next season.

 

[DenverSooner]

I agree that a year with Kruger will make a difference. I also think M'Baye will make a difference. I also think the freshman will make a difference. OU is close and I think they turn the corner next season.

 

[Soonerman]

 

[Mr.B!!!]

I agree that a year with Kruger will make a difference. I also think M'Baye will make a difference. I also think the freshman will make a difference. OU is close and I think they turn the corner next season.

I agree. I'm concerned that we lose a player to transfer [nothing inside, just a bad vibe], but I think that we can compensate overall with the addition of M'Baye and the Freshmen and next season we turn the corner. Won't help next year, but it wouldn't surprise me to see another quality transfer come in to the program.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I think this FT thing is being over-analyzed, we're a competitive Big 12 team, but we are not quite there to pull of this kind of upset, if it wasn't FT's or turnovers, it would have probably been something else. Sucks for now, but I think a full year with CLK will make a huge difference next season.

Yep, I agree with this. I know it's going to keep improving, no doubt about that.

I haven't had many complaints with Kruger, in fact, I'd say this is my first. You have to make free throws to win home conference games. It's on the shooter, too, I do understand that. I was frustrated to see us miss 4 FT's in the final minute and see us lose by 3 (one of those misses was on purpose).

We used to be such a good end of game team. I can remember if the game was less than 5 either way I had almost a 100% certainty we were going to win it. This was in the Kelvin years during the late 90's to early 00's. Part of that was the fact our offense was so bad we kept it close, but those teams could finish. How many times did we beat Mizzou in the final seconds in a game like the other night? I can remember 2 or 3 games in the conference tourney where Hollis had to make FT's to send it to OT and then to win in OT. I also remember Jameel Haywood hitting a last second 8 footer to win in Columbia. Now it seems like we just can't close the games out when we should. As a fan, I expect us to find ways to lose it and it used to not be that way.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I agree. I'm concerned that we lose a player to transfer [nothing inside, just a bad vibe], but I think that we can compensate overall with the addition of M'Baye and the Freshmen and next season we turn the corner. Won't help next year, but it wouldn't surprise me to see another quality transfer come in to the program.

Reading between the lines, you think Clark is going to transfer, right? I don't see Fitz, or Osby going anywhere. So it has to be Clark.

At this point, would this be bad? Tough to say but I think he's better than he's played but I have nothing but a few flashes to use as evidence of this belief.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

lol BOB your only complaint with kruger so far is that we are 2nd best in the big 12 in FT% and missed 14 FTs in one game.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

Reading between the lines, you think Clark is going to transfer, right? I don't see Fitz, or Osby going anywhere. So it has to be Clark.

At this point, would this be bad? Tough to say but I think he's better than he's played but I have nothing but a few flashes to use as evidence of this belief.

Since the conference season started I've just had this gut feeling, but you come to a school as a ballyhooed recruit to play for a certain coach, then that coach is gone after your first season. Add to that you get benched [and that can be sugar coated a million ways, but if you are producing at practice and in games you don't get passed] by the new coach. Then throw in that OU is adding a transfer that may or may not be looking at your position next season and the grass has to start looking greener at some other places. Again, 100% total speculation and I'd 100% absolutely love to be wrong.

 

[Big Old Booger]

lol BOB your only complaint with kruger so far is that we are 2nd best in the big 12 in FT% and missed 14 FTs in one game.

Yep, that's it. You are good at reading comprehension.

Personally, I can't believe you wasted a post to reiterate what I said. Well, actually, I can because you wasted one earlier about something I didn't say.

What a clown. :clap

 

[Big Old Booger]

Since the conference season started I've just had this gut feeling, but you come to a school as a ballyhooed recruit to play for a certain coach, then that coach is gone after your first season. Add to that you get benched [and that can be sugar coated a million ways, but if you are producing at practice and in games you don't get passed] by the new coach. Then throw in that OU is adding a transfer that may or may not be looking at your position next season and the grass has to start looking greener at some other places. Again, 100% total speculation and I'd 100% absolutely love to be wrong.

I don't think it's far-fetched given the results this season and with M'Baye coming in. Its too bad we don't have another big who could allow Ro to play the 3, because I think he could do it as well as Clark but provide more scoring. Of course, you hate to move someone with his physical presence out of the lane.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Yep, that's it. You are good at reading comprehension.

Personally, I can't believe you wasted a post to reiterate what I said. Well, actually, I can because you wasted one earlier about something I didn't say.

What a clown. :clap

yep, i'm the clown...not the guy claiming that kruger was the reason we missed 14 FTs

 

[Big Old Booger]

yep, i'm the clown...not the guy claiming that kruger was the reason we missed 14 FTs

Yes, you are the clown.

Glad we can agree on something.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

I don't think it's far-fetched given the results this season and with M'Baye coming in. Its too bad we don't have another big who could allow Ro to play the 3, because I think he could do it as well as Clark but provide more scoring. Of course, you hate to move someone with his physical presence out of the lane.

Looking at the highlights, M'Baye is almost a physical clone of Osby with maybe a little less strength but a little more twitch [by that I mean quicker laterally, vertically they are very similar]. Wyoming was apparently using M'Baye exactly the same way OU is using Osby. I know it wouldn't happen that often, but Osby, M'Baye, Clark, Pledger and Grooms would be fun to watch in spurts.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqchmn-g40Q[/ame]