Question for the Board...

[oSuJeff97]

So an OU fan and I have been lamenting at work today about the current state of our respective basketball programs.

We were both wondering if we had been, basically, spoiled over the past 20+ years with the Tubbs/Sampson and Sutton eras.

Even if you just take it back to the inception of the Big 12, it's really clear that both programs had it pretty good.

Forgetting about the Final Fours, NCAA Tournaments and such for a second, I thought this stat alone was pretty interesting:

In the first nine seasons of the Big 12 Conference (1997-2005) -- either OSU or OU played in eight Big 12 Tournament championship games. In fact, after the first Big 12 tournament championship game in 1997 (Missouri vs. KU), either OSU or OU was in the next eight consecutive championship games:

1998: KU beat OU
1999: KU beat OSU
2000: ISU beat OU
2001: OU beat Texas
2002: OU beat Kansas
2003: OU beat Missouri
2004: OSU beat Texas
2005: OSU beat Tech

Will we ever again see an eight-year stretch where either OSU or OU are playing in the conference tournament championship game?

 

[StoopsBros]

Not until both teams improve their coaching situations. That and talent.

 

[okcsooner83]

Osujeff, that's the same conversation I have had with my ostate friends. Both schools lack the talent to compete with the top teams in the big 12 and haven't had any success with juco's/transfers that allowed each to be one of the top four teams in the league.

 

[DenverSooner]

Yes, you will see OU and OSU back on top. It only takes a good coach and one or two good players. From there anything is possible.

 

[sooner8]

I think OSU will be back up before we(OU) is..Kills me to admit that..Go Sooners!!!!

 

[bocabull]

Wait a minute ... I thought OSU was a great team with a great coach heading to the NCAA tournament this season? That's what all the fake OU fans were saying around here a couple of months ago.

Truth be told OSU is what they are. They have always sucked.

OU is down simply because they had 4 guys declare for the NBA draft early the past 2 seasons and had a cheating coach get us on probation. OU will be right back in the top 4 of the Big XII next year.

 

[NickZepp]

Wait a minute ... I thought OSU was a great team with a great coach heading to the NCAA tournament this season? That's what all the fake OU fans were saying around here a couple of months ago.

Truth be told OSU is what they are. They have always sucked.

OU is down simply because they had 4 guys declare for the NBA draft early the past 2 seasons and had a cheating coach get us on probation. OU will be right back in the top 4 of the Big XII next year.

Our last coach has nothing to do with the current situation.

 

[skyvue]

Neal! Could you maybe work on acquiring an assist or two??

 

[kansasooner]

glory days

 

[Dave4OU]

Our last coach has nothing to do with the current situation.

Nick I believe Boca was talking about OT

 

[Max Power]

Nick I believe Boca was talking about OT

then his facts are wrong because we havent been put on probation for that as of 2-23-2011. But its boca so he never lets facts get in the way of his story

 

[oSuJeff97]

Wait a minute ... I thought OSU was a great team with a great coach heading to the NCAA tournament this season? That's what all the fake OU fans were saying around here a couple of months ago.

Truth be told OSU is what they are. They have always sucked.

OU is down simply because they had 4 guys declare for the NBA draft early the past 2 seasons and had a cheating coach get us on probation. OU will be right back in the top 4 of the Big XII next year.

Boca - grown-ups are talking here. Move along.

Yes, you will see OU and OSU back on top. It only takes a good coach and one or two good players. From there anything is possible.

I don't doubt that OU and OSU will some day each be good again. I just wonder if we'll ever again see such a long stretch of consistently good basketball from both programs at the same time.

Look at it this way: from 1991 to 2005 - spanning 16 seasons - OSU and OU missed the NCAA Tournament a combined 4 times. So 12 out of 16 seasons, both OSU and OU were in the NCAA Tournament. That was the norm. Considering how hard it is to make the Tournament on a year-in, year-out basis, that is staggering consistency out of both programs.

Now look where we are now - in the past six seasons (including this one), there has only been one in which both teams made the Tournament (2009).

More than the right players, I think the right coaches are the key. Capel and Ford may be those guys eventually, but I'm not sure at this point.