really hard schedule again

[BoulderSooner]

we will see where this ends up but i bet it will be close to this again


Season Strength of Schedule Rank*
2018-19 7
2017-18 4
2016-17 1
2015-16 2
2014-15 7
*According to ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index

 

[coolm]

I like this scheduling style. Make'em the road warriors. Defense travels and road/neutral site games help them rely on it over the friendly shooting confines of home. Make it a selling point.

 

[CoachTalk]

Sheperd makes it tough but I like it.

 

[stormspencer]

In particular order, I've tried to rank our non-con opponents based upon where, IMO, I expect that team to be near the end of the year (from toughest to easiest):

Butler (or Mizzou) - Butler will challenge in the Big East and is a likely NCAA team and Mizzou is a bubble team that could make some noise in the SEC.
@Creighton - bubble team; maybe a top half team in the Big East
Oregon State (W) - bubble team, but you never know in the PAC -12
@Wichita - could challenge in the American, but likely bubble team...if that.
Stanford - bubble team
Minnesota (W) - NIT team
UCF - meh
William and Mary - double meh
@North Texas - triple meh....they haven't looked too good this year
UTRGV - awful
Maryland Eastern Shore - double awful

 

[Darwin]

I like this scheduling style. Make'em the road warriors. Defense travels and road/neutral site games help them rely on it over the friendly shooting confines of home. Make it a selling point.

Agree even if some of this strategy is because LNC is so empty before conference.

 

[coolm]

Agree even if some of this strategy is because LNC is so empty before conference.

exactly. we've been complaining about bad attendance at LNC on OUBB boards since 1995 and nothing has changed. maybe we embrace it instead. become road warriors pre-conference and take on all comers. it can become a selling point.

 

[daqman]

exactly. we've been complaining about bad attendance at LNC on OUBB boards since 1995 and nothing has changed. maybe we embrace it instead. become road warriors pre-conference and take on all comers. it can become a selling point.

"We have no basketball fans, but come play for us and enjoy traveling around the country to play teams who do."

I suppose it could work.

 

[Stikboy]

SMH. This board makes it sound like it's an issue solely with OU. Wake up... Does anyone ever watch other games in any other arenas in November? Besides a handful(many of those have putrid football programs) attendance is terrible EVERYWHERE. How hard is that to understand? Sheesh

Watching the replay last night, the noise at certain points in the LNC made me chuckle. That student group that Kruger is working with is really trying, man. It was actually kind of loud at some points in the second half. I've got to hand it to them! Get those kids better seats!

 

[WichitaSooner]

SMH. This board makes it sound like it's an issue solely with OU. Wake up... Does anyone ever watch other games in any other arenas in November? Besides a handful(many of those have putrid football programs) attendance is terrible EVERYWHERE. How hard is that to understand? Sheesh

Watching the replay last night, the noise at certain points in the LNC made me chuckle. That student group that Kruger is working with is really trying, man. It was actually kind of loud at some points in the second half. I've got to hand it to them! Get those kids better seats!

I disagree, Stik. I don't think anyone disputes that attendance is an issue other places. But what many of us think is that ours is especially bad given the consistent quality of our program, the great players and coaches we've had over the years, and the quality of teams we play both in and out of conference. I also get very frustrated with the constant excuses people make ... the Thunder, the arena, traffic, etc. Add in the extraordinary efforts that Lon makes to open the program to the fans, especially students, and it is embarrassing that there are a few hundred butts in the seats a few minutes before tip for a team coming off a couple of nice wins early in the season.

 

[Jccouger]

Student attendance is the most embarrassing part, but they don't even stay for football games so what could you possibly do?

Maybe if we paid them to go & stay the whole game they might.

 

[coolm]

"We have no basketball fans, but come play for us and enjoy traveling around the country to play teams who do."

I suppose it could work.

well, hang on now. There's a pirate mentality too that you can promote. These kids all remember the AAU grind - the good things you take away from that are the guys you play with and the traveling around. It's what many will be doing abroad or maybe in the NBA and it's playing for a good guy in a fun system. There will even be some big conference games come January plus tournaments and big aways with raucous crowds.

 

[Stikboy]

I disagree, Stik. I don't think anyone disputes that attendance is an issue other places. But what many of us think is that ours is especially bad given the consistent quality of our program, the great players and coaches we've had over the years, and the quality of teams we play both in and out of conference. I also get very frustrated with the constant excuses people make ... the Thunder, the arena, traffic, etc. Add in the extraordinary efforts that Lon makes to open the program to the fans, especially students, and it is embarrassing that there are a few hundred butts in the seats a few minutes before tip for a team coming off a couple of nice wins early in the season.

Nothing in there I really disagree with, and I totally agree with the fact of the quality of program aspect. I guess that's what I get tired of hearing the most, the belittling of OU's bball tradition. I really do think if these guys continue to play well, and the team has like 2 or 3 straight years of real success, it'll get better.

The last 3 years hurt the program. Right now we are still in the "suck inertia" if you will. OU completely lost any juice it had from Hield and the FF group the very next year. You have to keep it going. I'm not saying you have to go to the Elite 8 every year but dang don't let the complete bottom fall out like happened the year after. I mean heck nobody wants to pay(even get paid) to see that garbage. Create an identity. Give effort, show some balls, some passion. Be a team. Give the fans a reason to want to come.

November and December attendance will never be up to people's expectations, and again that's why I brought up other programs, because that's just the way it is. And yes, it frustrates me too because if I was in or near Norman i'd have season tickets every year because i'm a diehard Sooner fan. But again, the coaches/team have to hold up their end of the bargain also..

 

[oudna]

The last 3 years hurt the program. Right now we are still in the "suck inertia" if you will. OU completely lost any juice it had from Hield and the FF group the very next year. You have to keep it going. I'm not saying you have to go to the Elite 8 every year but dang don't let the complete bottom fall out like happened the year after. I mean heck nobody wants to pay(even get paid) to see that garbage. Create an identity. Give effort, show some balls, some passion. Be a team. Give the fans a reason to want to come.

Totally disagree.

The attendance was just as embarrassing most of the time during the Hield era too.

OU started out the last 2 years a combined 23-2.

23-2 and an empty arena.

 

[Stikboy]

They then get their asses handed to them in the back half of the schedule each year, you know, the part of the schedule that’s actually important?

 

[BoulderSooner]

They then get their asses handed to them in the back half of the schedule each year, you know, the part of the schedule that’s actually important?

every game is just as important in acomplishing the goal

the NCAA tourney which the last few years have showed

 

[stormspencer]

In particular order, I've tried to rank our non-con opponents based upon where, IMO, I expect that team to be near the end of the year (from toughest to easiest):

Butler (or Mizzou) - Butler will challenge in the Big East and is a likely NCAA team and Mizzou is a bubble team that could make some noise in the SEC.
@Creighton - bubble team; maybe a top half team in the Big East
Oregon State (W) - bubble team, but you never know in the PAC -12
@Wichita - could challenge in the American, but likely bubble team...if that.
Stanford - bubble team
Minnesota (W) - NIT team
UCF - meh
William and Mary - double meh
@North Texas - triple meh....they haven't looked too good this year
UTRGV - awful
Maryland Eastern Shore - double awful

I was wrong on W&M....I would move them up above Stanford on my "hierarchy of difficulty". Maybe they just played lights out last night, but they look like a really solid team.

 

[skyvue]

They then get their asses handed to them in the back half of the schedule each year, you know, the part of the schedule that’s actually important?

Every game matters and we should get credit from our fans for playing a tough schedule year in and year (several years in a row we've had one of the seven toughest schedules in the country).

I'm as eager as anyone for our in-conference performance to improve, but the whole schedule is important, and the seemingly pervasive notion that it isn't is one reason we draw poor crowds in November and December. Can you imagine our football fans repeatedly suggesting that only conference games matter (especially in a season when we actually play a competitive non-conference slate)? It's laughable to even consider. But that's exactly the stance many of our hoops fans spout, even though non-conference wins are just as vital to our tourney hopes as conference victories.

Also, that we went on to lose some conference games in 2016-17 is hardly an excuse for lousy crowds in November and December when we were racking up win after win after win--unless our entire fan base is prescient and could foresee the disappointing conference results that were ahead of us.