Pre-season update

[BCSooners]

Will practices be open this year?

 

[AdaSooner]

Overland Park...not that it's a big deal. Suburb of Kansas City, Kansas side.

My bad. I meant the high school, Blue Valley Northwest, is in Overland Park. The same school that produced Ben Richardson and 2018 Missouri Valley Player of the Year Clayton Custer while at Loyola. Both players were instrumental to Loyola's run to the 2018 Final Four.

 

[cowboysooner]

Who is the kid "Alston" identified in the lists of our players. I guess I missed him joining the team. Thanks.

 

[CoachTalk]

Who is the kid "Alston" identified in the lists of our players. I guess I missed him joining the team. Thanks.

That’s mason. One guys are referring to….

 

[StoopsBros]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/GaryMarcusClark/status/1424262348127105028[/TWEET]

Harkless dropped 30 in the drew league

 

[OULad]

I think as usual we will be better than projected. I still think this is a tournament team.

 

[tmeyer3307]

My bet is Mason doesn't play, but maybe he beats out Cortes as backup PG. Harkless and Groves both need to be around 15ppg. Think Harkless is about to go off this season.. excited!

 

[jaymOU]

My bet is Mason doesn't play, but maybe he beats out Cortes as backup PG. Harkless and Groves both need to be around 15ppg. Think Harkless is about to go off this season.. excited!

From what I heard Mason was by far the best freshman of the three. Now that is early, but I was told Mason was better by a wide margin. If the season started today, he would play a lot.

 

[CoachTalk]

Guys are in the gym all the time! Gym rats may not be extinct after all.

 

[mict085]

My bet is Mason doesn't play, but maybe he beats out Cortes as backup PG. Harkless and Groves both need to be around 15ppg. Think Harkless is about to go off this season.. excited!

I love harkless game but he’s not a guy that’s going to “go off” as you say. Unless that means something else these days.

I like the roster coach moser has put together and I think this will be a tournament team. Considering where the roster was after the season, that’s quite an accomplishment.

 

[hoopsaustin]

I love harkless game but he’s not a guy that’s going to “go off” as you say. Unless that means something else these days.

I like the roster coach moser has put together and I think this will be a tournament team. Considering where the roster was after the season, that’s quite an accomplishment.

Idk man.. i think you may eat those words this year re: harkless

 

[WichitaSooner]

Idk man.. i think you may eat those words this year re: harkless

I like EJ a lot but his offensive game needed a lot of work, both as far as shot making and handles. He is obviously a very hard worker and I expect him to be better this season, but he will have to improve a ton to be a 15 PPG guy.

 

[BCSooners]

I like EJ a lot but his offensive game needed a lot of work, both as far as shot making and handles. He is obviously a very hard worker and I expect him to be better this season, but he will have to improve a ton to be a 15 PPG guy.

15 might be a stretch, but 12-13 is very reasonable with the top 3 scorers leaving. Also the only guy that's coming in that we know will score in double figures is T. Groves, so the amount of shots for Harkless should increase. I also think he's a guy who will do well in a more structured system, so this won't hurt him like it would a Reaves or Doolittle.

 

[WTSooner]

.....so the amount of shots for Harkless should increase.

Some of this will depend on pace. I'm not sold that we'll play as slow as Loyola did, but playing really good defense and running a "system" offense typically means a slower pace, and fewer shots.

 

[WTSooner]

Not that this stat is the perfect measurement, and the results surprised me a bit, but last year Ken Pom had OU ranked 228th in tempo, and Loyola 342nd.

 

[cowboysooner]

My pet peave has always been coaches that allow players to turn down good open shots for later shots that are harder and more guarded (e.g. turn down I wide open 3 to take a guarded 18 foot 2 off the dribble). I never thought Lon's teams did much of that. I am sure everyone does it occasionally So, I never had a complaint about Lon concerning that.

However, I am shocked that our pace on offense was so low. I never saw us as a slow it down type of team. It always seemed to me Lon was more than willing to push it down court.

In any event, really like the look of this roster and I am looking forward to seeing what we look like this year, regardless of pace.

 

[BCSooners]

My pet peave has always been coaches that allow players to turn down good open shots for later shots that are harder and more guarded (e.g. turn down I wide open 3 to take a guarded 18 foot 2 off the dribble). I never thought Lon's teams did much of that. I am sure everyone does it occasionally So, I never had a complaint about Lon concerning that.

However, I am shocked that our pace on offense was so low. I never saw us as a slow it down type of team. It always seemed to me Lon was more than willing to push it down court.

In any event, really like the look of this roster and I am looking forward to seeing what we look like this year, regardless of pace.

A slower pace also implies a bit on how you play defensively. Teams that don't pressure & try to force turnovers as much usually force their opponents to slow down as well. OU last year played very well defensively, didn't try to force turnovers, and didn't turn the ball over themselves. I think that had something to do with it as well.

 

[CoachTalk]

Some of this will depend on pace. I'm not sold that we'll play as slow as Loyola did, but playing really good defense and running a "system" offense typically means a slower pace, and fewer shots.

They scored 72-73 a game i think. He wants to play fast but in a system. only averaged a few less than our wide open system last year.

 

[WTSooner]

They scored 72-73 a game i think. He wants to play fast but in a system. only averaged a few less than our wide open system last year.

I watched them play. If you don't think they were "slower" on offense, I don't know what to tell you. It's a tough thing to quantify, I know, but they played pretty slow. PPG can be influenced by a number of other factors (turnovers or lack thereof, shooting %, getting to the line, how many 3's you shoot/make).

Anybody have an offensive possessions per game stat?

 

[BCSooners]

I watched them play. If you don't think they were "slower" on offense, I don't know what to tell you. It's a tough thing to quantify, I know, but they played pretty slow. PPG can be influenced by a number of other factors (turnovers or lack thereof, shooting %, getting to the line, how many 3's you shoot/make).

Anybody have an offensive possessions per game stat?

Loyola (Chi) - 64.8 (345th)
OU - 71.3 (167th)

https://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/stats/?stat=possessions-per-game