SoonerNorm
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2008
- Messages
- 19,033
- Reaction score
- 1
One thing that got my attention was when it was made clear, it is not just about winning for this program. When UCONN, ND, S. Car, Baylor, and probably Texas are all about winning, I believe unless we decide that we are all about winning championships too, it's not likely to happen. When we recruit we have to go after the players who give us the best chance of winning. I just don't see it any other way.
You may be right Norm. But I hope not. I suspect all of us want to win championships. But not necessarily be "all about" winning championships.
Certainly one approach is "winning at all costs". It allows a coach to mislead recruits, lie to recruits about other teams & coaches, cheat at recruiting, and even pay summer league coaches to lie and mislead players into playing for you. It also allows you to buy clothes, cars, and just flat give them cash, etc, etc, etc.
Another approach is more balanced and involves recruiting ethically, and also building a program that develops the entire person - both athletically and with lifelong success as a goal. As we know this method even allows you to win and make the final four several times (yes even back to back occasionally) over the years.
I hope our goal is some balance between recruiting the best players we can, while keeping focused on the goals in the previous paragraph. My guess is you hope for the same.
One thing that got my attention was when it was made clear, it is not just about winning for this program. When UCONN, ND, S. Car, Baylor, and probably Texas are all about winning, I believe unless we decide that we are all about winning championships too, it's not likely to happen. When we recruit we have to go after the players who give us the best chance of winning. I just don't see it any other way.
You're blowing out air about things you can't possibly know. UConn is just as much about the pursuit of excellence in all areas as OU. I'm pretty sure that Notre Dame is also. Baylor is, as you say, win at all costs, but that's not the majority philosophy in elite programs.
Poor Norm, a Green and Gold philosopher in a Crimson and Cream town.
I can see who those teams are recruiting, who we are recruiting, and the results. They are winning at a high level and we have dropped from where we used to be. It isn't rocket science, we need to recruit better players. I would think just about anyone could see that.
But that has nothing to do with your original ridiculous assertion that all elite programs have a win-at-all-costs philosophy. I can assure you that Geno rejects prospects that don't fit his team philosophy.
Are you trying to say that OU deliberately recruits lesser qualified players because they are better community workers? That's totally preposterous!
I didn't say other teams practice win at all costs. I don't even believe Baylor does. As Atlantasooner alluded to, other teams are not out recruiting outlaw type players who end up getting into trouble and kicked out of school. They are certainly vetting their recruits to weed out the troublemakers just like we do. No one knows what process Sherri utilizes when she decides who she wants to recruit and who she doesn't. The process doesn't concern me as long as we sign players who can get us back to final fours like we did when we had great players like Stacey, Drob, and Courtney.
I didn't say other teams practice win at all costs. I don't even believe Baylor does.
Between post #5 and post #17, you changed 180 degrees. I think you are trying to win at all costs here.