So what strengths will this team have for the new coach?

[coolm]

really this isn't a bad looking group for an incoming coach.

I know it's the norm to claim we are all "untalented", but with Blair, Pledger, Cam, and Osby this could be a salty group.

 

[DenverSooner]

They have some experience. They have two respectable three point shooters in Cam and Pledger. They have a good inside scorer in Fitzgerald. Osby (according to the fool Jeff Capel) is the best player on the team. That is a solid nucleus of players. Add to it Blair, Neal, Washington and Newell and you at least have somewhat of a bench. OU just needs a center and another pg.

 

[coolm]

oh, my bad, off the top of my head I had completely forgotten about Fitz.

I don't think this will be that bad of a team. Certainly not a "talentless, do nothing" roster left for the incoming coach.

If we get the right incoming coach this might be a surprise team like Kelvin's first back in '95 (even better actually).

 

[pnkranger]

chemistry and heart.

While I know a lot of people do not feel like Blair is our PG of the future, he can be a decent PG on a team with a more clear offensive and defensive strategy. People must forget he's just a soph. He played very well at times.

 

[coolm]

While I know a lot of people do not feel like Blair is our PG of the future, he can be a decent PG on a team with a more clear offensive and defensive strategy. People must forget he's just a soph. He played very well at times.

I don't think Blair's been given a fair chance just yet. He's gonna do fine and turn a few heads before it's all over.

 

[AdaSooner]

Our returning players form a pretty good nucleus to build around next season. The only missing ingredients are size, depth and a dependable point guard who doesn't make beating the better teams on our schedule more difficult by turning the ball over.

If Goff doesn't make it in and the new coach fails to sign a quality big in April, we will continue to come out on the short [no pun intended] when we play bigger, more physical teams. I don't rule Blair out entirely as the guy who can get the job done at the point next year. I actually liked the way he played at times. But none of the returning players, Osby included, can make up for our size disadvantage. IMO, a big who can start or play meaningful minutes should be our #1 recruiting target next month.

Aside from the strengths I touched on, this team showed a lot of heart this season, often when the deck was stacked against them. I was also impressed with what appears to be a genuine respect and comrade we rarely saw on last year's team.

 

[pnkranger]

I don't think Blair's been given a fair chance just yet. He's gonna do fine and turn a few heads before it's all over.

Honestly, if he could dig in on D and tune up his ball-handling, he'll be great. He's a STELLAR passer.

 

[NorthCarolinaSooner]

They have some experience. They have two respectable three point shooters in Cam and Pledger. They have a good inside scorer in Fitzgerald. Osby (according to the fool Jeff Capel) is the best player on the team. That is a solid nucleus of players. Add to it Blair, Neal, Washington and Newell and you at least have somewhat of a bench. OU just needs a center and another pg.

You know, even after they fired Capel, which a LOT of you wanted. You seriously STILL have to make cracks??? He made mistakes and the current state of the program is MOSTLY his fault (Sampson has some serious fingerprints on our problems) but Capel, even through his mistakes knows more about basketball than the VAST MAJORITY of you that talk about him.

Can you just let it go and concentrate on the future without continually badmouthing Capel?

 

[scrybe]

Can you just let it go and concentrate on the future without continually badmouthing Capel?

Let me answer that one: No, they (meaning some posters) must continually badmouth Capel in order to feel good about themselves.

And some of those who are now praising our current players are the same ones that were saying those same players could never be Big XII caliber only a few weeks ago.

 

[WTSooner]

And some of those who are now praising our current players are the same ones that were saying those same players could never be Big XII caliber only a few weeks ago.

Not I. I've been saying we had/have decent talent from day 1 of this season. There is enough talent here to win 20 games. Period.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

Not I. I've been saying we had/have decent talent from day 1 of this season. There is enough talent here to win 20 games. Period.

Only if we get some size...Osby gets us another 2 or 3 wins but i dont think his presence alone propels us to 20 wins...

I think there is a very good chance that if we sign only a point guard and dont get some size we end up about the same as we would if we dont add anyone...Size is the key with this group, depth in that area...

 

[coolm]

Not I. I've been saying we had/have decent talent from day 1 of this season. There is enough talent here to win 20 games. Period.

well, I wouldn't pin it down by saying "talent enough to win 20 games".

You can pull a BCG and schedule Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College et al and win 20.

But, I think this group could scare up some good wins in the Big-12 and finish in the black.

 

[scrybe]

Not I. I've been saying we had/have decent talent from day 1 of this season. There is enough talent here to win 20 games. Period.

So there's no reason to get defensive if it's obvious that I wasn't referring to you.

 

[Section31]

Not I. I've been saying we had/have decent talent from day 1 of this season. There is enough talent here to win 20 games. Period.

Not this past year, IMO. Age and missing a couple of bigs sway me that way, but there is definitely talent...

 

[WTSooner]

well, I wouldn't pin it down by saying "talent enough to win 20 games".

You can pull a BCG and schedule Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College et al and win 20.

But, I think this group could scare up some good wins in the Big-12 and finish in the black.

How about 20 wins with last year's schedule?

I don't think people realize how little it would have taken to get this team in the Dance picture, or at least to 20 wins.

Beat Chaminade
Beat Virginia (.500 record this year)
Beat Nebraska at home.
Beat TT on the road.

Those 4 games, I don't think anybody could argue that slightly better coaching gets it done. That is 18 wins.

Other winnable games with better coaching:
Arkansas
Cincy
vs aTm
@ Baylor
@ OSU

And I'd argue that @KSU, @Mizzou, and @aTm were all winnable too, but those aren't as "clear cut." Note that I said winnable, not games we should win.

 

[WTSooner]

So there's no reason to get defensive if it's obvious that I wasn't referring to you.

Didn't get defensive. Just don't agree that we don't have more talent then our record would suggest.

 

[coolm]

How about 20 wins with last year's schedule?

I don't think people realize how little it would have taken to get this team in the Dance picture, or at least to 20 wins.

Beat Chaminade
Beat Virginia (.500 record this year)
Beat Nebraska at home.
Beat TT on the road.

Those 4 things, I don't think anybody could argue that slightly better coaching gets it done. That is 18 wins.

Other winnable games with better coaching:
Arkansas
Cincy
vs aTm
@ Baylor
@ OSU

And I'd argue that @KSU, @Mizzou, and @aTm were all winnable too, but those aren't as "clear cut."

yep, good point.

 

[scrybe]

Didn't get defensive. Just don't agree that we don't have more talent then our record would suggest.

And I certainly don't agree with that premise. So it appears that you and I are in total agreement – regarding our talent, that is.

 

[WTSooner]

And I certainly don't agree with that premise. So it appears that you and I are in total agreement – regarding our talent, that is.

So we can be friends now?

 

[scrybe]

So we can be friends now?

Buddies, always. :ez-laugh: