Practice 10-20-12

I take all these practice reports with a grain of salt, but I do appreciate the information. I also realize people can watch the same practice and form different conclusions and opinions.

I want to read all the reports, and don't want anyone to get upset at the feedback and quit posting. It takes time to write up a practice report so keep them coming our way!

All opinions are appreciated.
 
As long as M'Baye is on the twos they have the advantage. The coaches believe he is their best player and why would we disagree. Also the freshman are more athletic and defend better than some of the returning starters. It doesn't mean they are better overall players yet.
 
How about this. I do exactly whatever the hell I want to do.

That's fine. Just a suggestion. Not trying to start anything with you. It's just I've seen a good part of the practices and, while I appreciate your reports, the other guy is correct. Some of these rash conclusions and other comments make me question your ability to evaluate whatever you are seeing. I appreciate the reports but I just don't put any value in your opinions or conclusions because, frankly, some of what you think you are seeing isn't happening. It's a week of practices and one scrimmage. Chill...
 
That's fine. Just a suggestion. Not trying to start anything with you. It's just I've seen a good part of the practices and, while I appreciate your reports, the other guy is correct. Some of these rash conclusions and other comments make me question your ability to evaluate whatever you are seeing. I appreciate the reports but I just don't put any value in your opinions or conclusions because, frankly, some of what you think you are seeing isn't happening. It's a week of practices and one scrimmage. Chill...

Then don't read the stuff if I bothers you. If you do read read it and you think you have seen something else for yourself, don't be like the rest of the pop up critics, don't come with with these broad appraisals of my shortcomings, come with something specific you can point to.

And I just love how some of of the posters seem to think that I am remotely interested in their evaluation of my opinions and conclusions and then feel the need to tell me about. I don't know the people on this message board. I'm not friends with people on this message board. I have been able to identify a half dozen or so people that I considered good sources of opinion generation and player evaluation. I like hearing what they have to say. The rest of them. Who Cares? They are a community of like minded thinkers pushing the same story line.

When in the pursuit of new knowledge, I like a diversity of opinion for the use as reference points. With that in tow, I go find out for myself. This a perfect example. The coach at Sunrise when asked about Heild recently said, "I'm alittle surprised that Oklahoma got him. I thought all all along that he would end up at Kansas. But, Buddy would start for any team in the Big 12". So, that is one bookend for me. So then I get on the message board and the great WT tells me that Heild wasn't ranked high enough to start at Oklahoma. Now I have reference points and I can go find out myself.

Now this is what I know for certainty after 5 practices and a scrimmage. Buddy's prep school coach knows alot more about what he talking about than WT. I have never said that I knew Heild was going to beat out Pledger. But, I have certainly shaped my opinions more toward the reference point that is obviously more reasonable.


I'm not going to these practices for the benifit on anyone on this message board. I go for my own benifit and enjoyment. I'm there anyway and I don't mind doing alittle recap for anyone that is interested. Or not for that matter. But, understand this. I'm putting in the effort. The observations are mine. The recollection of those observations are mine. When I decide to editorialise, the opinions are mine. When those opinions come in conflict with the group think herd, I'm not going to take any greif about it. I can give the I hope I get a glass bellybutton for Christmas crowd all the grief I want to without going to any extra effort.
 
Nothing you said bothers me. I just think people who see you recaps and opinions will not get the true picture of what is going on. I think that is what WT is doing too. You are correct. It is your opinion. Just relax a little on your assumptions and conclusions. You might end up being right. It's a process and I think you are failing to grasp that idea.
 
The coach at Sunrise when asked about Heild recently said, "I'm alittle surprised that Oklahoma got him. I thought all all along that he would end up at Kansas. But, Buddy would start for any team in the Big 12". So, that is one bookend for me. So then I get on the message board and the great WT tells me that Heild wasn't ranked high enough to start at Oklahoma. Now I have reference points and I can go find out myself.

Now this is what I know for certainty after 5 practices and a scrimmage. Buddy's prep school coach knows alot more about what he talking about than WT. I have never said that I knew Heild was going to beat out Pledger. But, I have certainly shaped my opinions more toward the reference point that is obviously more reasonable.

LOL

I'm not normally one to call out other posters. Not one to insist other posters come back and "face the music" when their crazy suggestions don't take shape.

But when Pledger starts that first game.....when Pledger is still starting games into the Big 12 schedule.....and when Pledger is starting that final game of the season.....I want you to remember ALL the crazy talk about Hield being better.

The problem is that you take every bit of information so darn literally. I didn't see the Sunrise coach's quote. Doesn't really matter. Of course he is going to say "nice" things about his player. But if the comment you quoted above is what he said.....especially the part about "starting for any Big 12 school", did you ever think he meant in time? Hield will definitely start at OU. He might be a three year starter at SG for us. That would make the Sunrise coach correct, and you wrong. Just b/c he is good enough to start in time, doesn't mean he is going to come in and start for OU on day 1. That is ludicrous. He wouldn't start for KU this year either. He probably wouldn't start at OSU this year either. Or Baylor. Or at least half of the schools in the Big 12, maybe more. Experience matters.

I asked you to find me a guard that was ranked 75th or higher that came in, as a true freshman, and started from day 1 for a Big 12 team that made the Dance. You like "points of reference" so much, that is a GREAT one. It simply doesn't happen. I'm not going to say it's never happened, but I'm guessing in the last 5-7 years, it probably hasn't happened more than 2-3 times. Odds are in my favor on this one, since you like gambling analogies so much.

The Sunrise coach might also want to keep in mind that it'd be tough for Hield to start for KU, when KU didn't even offer him a scholarship. The offers that he is showing, from schools that are better or equal to OU, were as follows: Memphis and Mizzou

I like Hield. A LOT. I think he will be a really good player in time. But I can say that, I can be thrilled that we have him, and love his potential, and still think this OU team is better if Pledger starts.

So there.....there is your reference point.
 
Gary, let me ask you this. Regardless of who starts or plays or whatever, do you think we are better, why exactly, and by how many games?
 
I thought the young guys played the way young guys play in an inner-squad scrimmage...like they had something to prove to the older guys and to the fans. I could care less who won what...that part of the scrimmage means jack crap.

Osby showed that he is the best player on this team. I like how he didn't just settle for jumpshots..he drove to the basket several times...and if continues to do that, he will make a living this season from the free throw line.

Pledger still can stroke it and is still better than those young guards.

M'Baye hasn't once shown that he is this great player that everyone has been talking about. You can see that he's got the potential...but all week he hasn't even been one of the top 3 best players on the court yet.

Cam is gotten better. His defense has increased and his offensive assertiveness.

Except for a few layups and a floater...Grooms is still the weak link. He was being abused in the scrimmage. He wasn't turning the ball over, but Cousins and Hornbeak realize that there is a spot open at PG and they want it. He was also trying to prove that his 3pt shot and jump shot had gotten better and it hasn't.

Neal looks better...confidence has really increased.
 
Then don't read the stuff if I bothers you. If you do read read it and you think you have seen something else for yourself, don't be like the rest of the pop up critics, don't come with with these broad appraisals of my shortcomings, come with something specific you can point to.

And I just love how some of of the posters seem to think that I am remotely interested in their evaluation of my opinions and conclusions and then feel the need to tell me about. I don't know the people on this message board. I'm not friends with people on this message board. I have been able to identify a half dozen or so people that I considered good sources of opinion generation and player evaluation. I like hearing what they have to say. The rest of them. Who Cares? They are a community of like minded thinkers pushing the same story line.

When in the pursuit of new knowledge, I like a diversity of opinion for the use as reference points. With that in tow, I go find out for myself. This a perfect example. The coach at Sunrise when asked about Heild recently said, "I'm alittle surprised that Oklahoma got him. I thought all all along that he would end up at Kansas. But, Buddy would start for any team in the Big 12". So, that is one bookend for me. So then I get on the message board and the great WT tells me that Heild wasn't ranked high enough to start at Oklahoma. Now I have reference points and I can go find out myself.

Now this is what I know for certainty after 5 practices and a scrimmage. Buddy's prep school coach knows alot more about what he talking about than WT. I have never said that I knew Heild was going to beat out Pledger. But, I have certainly shaped my opinions more toward the reference point that is obviously more reasonable.


I'm not going to these practices for the benifit on anyone on this message board. I go for my own benifit and enjoyment. I'm there anyway and I don't mind doing alittle recap for anyone that is interested. Or not for that matter. But, understand this. I'm putting in the effort. The observations are mine. The recollection of those observations are mine. When I decide to editorialise, the opinions are mine. When those opinions come in conflict with the group think herd, I'm not going to take any greif about it. I can give the I hope I get a glass bellybutton for Christmas crowd all the grief I want to without going to any extra effort.

Holy cow, you're way worse than I had imagined. If you want to try to convince a bunch of e-friends that you're some kind of intellectual hoops savant (which you clearly hope happens), at least try to have some clear lines of argument. Shoot, I'll settle for consecutive coherent thoughts.

You mention reference points...how about some reference material? As in, literal reference material. Like a dictionary. You can discover all kinds of helpful things there, like "a" and "lot" are separate words, just like "a" and "little". Or maybe something a little less obscure than a dictionary...like maybe an OU roster. There you can find helpful information like the spelling of Buddy Hield's name. But obviously, that whole "i before e" thing is an issue for you.

Just a little advise. Before you hold yourself up as intellectually superior to others in a public forum, at least try to conceal the contrary evidence. And the obvious reply is calling me the "grammar police", which normally I understand. We all make typos or slip up when we type out these posts...its just the nature of the format. You've got over 900 posts though that repeat the same misspellings and that exhibit the same disjointed thoughts. I'm not picking on you, I'm just pointing out what everyone else thinks while slogging through your posts.
 
Gary, let me ask you this. Regardless of who starts or plays or whatever, do you think we are better, why exactly, and by how many games?

I don't know what paricular point you are trying to get to. You probably should have just said. It probably doesn't matter anyway because nothing you have posted makes me think that you have any willingness to come to terms with the state of the program and talent level and general mess Capel left us with. I have a set of facts that I work from. Many of the posters work from a different set of facts. Facts that can only been seen thru crimson colored glasses. If you are wearing those crimson glasses to. We will never agree.

My facts:
1. OU was 14- 36 against Big 12 opponents over the last 3 yrs. because the other Big 12 teams have had better players.
2. If OU wants to be good in the Big 12, they need better players.
3. Any player that Kruger ( because he is an expert, and fact one established that our plateys weren't very good) brings in, one would be putting themselves on the right side of probablityity to assume that they were better than the Capel leftovers. And I have always said with the exception of Osby.

Every major arguement that I have on this board is because some other poster has different facts. Or, they will conceed the fact and make a dozen excuses why the fact does not apply in some particular circumstans. I don't know why they do that because they have no evidence what so ever to support any alternative fact. I have the evidence. The games have been played. The results are in. A continual stram of excuses and alabi's are a waste of my time and those putting them out. If people are not willing to except results at face value, I don't know how one can communicate with them.

Take that red white game that folks are balled up about. The white team used the same formula to beat them that all those conference teams used. They outdefended them and out quicked them. That is all there was to it and it was easy do. Now all we have is a bunch squealing like pigs stuck under a gate and telling me I don't know what I'm looking at. It was no knee jerk reaction. I watched the get beat ustlike that all conference season.

If OU is to be better, there has to be more to it than that and it cann't be easy to do. To go that direction they need better players. They will have to ramp up their defense and be able to put quick on quick. Kruger has the luxuery of being able to find some players that he needs by simply drafting off the team that just beat him.
I hit the enter button by mistake. I'll have to contine this in a minute.
 
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Just asked a question. Answer or not. You need to relax. Gracious...
 
Just asked a question. Answer or not. You need to relax. Gracious...

If you had been following along a few weeks ago you would know. I said that I thought the over/under number for wins should be 20.

That was before I saw any of them in the gym. I sense new evidence could be emerging that would give cause to revise that number upward.
 
If you had been following along a few weeks ago you would know. I said that I thought the over/under number for wins should be 20.

That was before I saw any of them in the gym. I sense new evidence could be emerging that would give cause to revise that number upward.

Ive been following along. Its difficult to keep track of who said what. Sorry.

By the tone of some of your posts i would have expected you to say you have dropped your number. that is good to hear. Is it seeing the freshmen play or something else? I have the ceiling for this group at 25 and 2nd round of the tourney.
 
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Ive been following along. Its difficult to keep track of who said what. Sorry.

Is it seeing the freshmen play or something else? I have the ceiling for this group at 25 and 2nd round of the tourney.

I thought that they would get to 20 just on the strength of adding M'Baye and having a much more reliable bench. As opposed to having no bench.

There are several things that would give reason for anyone to be optimistic. I've got myself convinced that Casey will be a better option as a fourth big than CJ Washington. Even though the progress has been alittle jerky, I think Cam has turned the corner.

It looks like Osby has taken another step forward. And of course all three of those freshman guards are better than I expected and closer to being ready to play than I thought.

I think several things would have to continue to trend in a good direction at once, but, I wouldn't accuse anyone of being an idot, or moron, or any of the other popular verbage for thinking the team had a chance to win 25 games.
 
We're not far off. I think you are a little more sure of what WILL happen and what IS than I am willing say right now. Mine is more what I HOPE will happen and what CAN be. We have another week of practice and 2 exh to get these things settled. I don't think anyone has called you an idiot or a moron. I know I haven't.
 
Reminds me of the practice reports posters use to put up on the old OF board. During the Bomar, Grady, Thompson QB battle, it became so obvious which QB certain posters wanted to play.

I appreciate Gary's efforts at sharing what he sees with us, but I take them all with a little salt because Gary's posting history has told me he feels Pledger has no business on the court at OU, and anything he reports will builde anyone competing with Pledger, while low rating anything Pledger does.

That is just how I see it. Pledger will be our starting shooting guard, will be one of if not our leading scorer, and will be our biggest threat on the perimeter.

If the young guys play as good as we hope/believe, they will add depth, and should make such a good spot up shooter as Pledger better, if they can draw some defensive attention with their abilities to penetrate and make plays.

I believe Gary when he says the young guys are improving and showing flashes, but I also believe other posters who say they are playing like freshmen, and the expected mistakes and challenges are present. I highly doubt any of them put an experienced Sr expected to make all conference on the bench......
 
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Gary keep posting brother! Again, not being able to see any of the practices, it is much appreciated...

And any of you other chodes who actually WATCH the practices, your reports are appreciated also!
 
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