Talent additions next year

thebigabd

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This team just kind of seems to be on the cusp. They arent quite good enough to win, but with another player or two they could.

Hornbeak, Hield, and M'Baye are pretty legit talent additions and should put OU over the hump next year.

You just get the feeling, watching them hang around with KU, BU, A&M, etc that they are ONE PLAYER away from being pretty solid.

You are pretty much guaranteed that one player with M'Baye, and Hornbeak and Hield are pretty highly thought of as well.

I still think OU should go after another big guy. They should be fine at guard with Pledger, Grooms, Hornbeak, Hield, Clark, and Neal.

They are in on a juco guy named Matt Korcheck, who is 6'9'' and listing OU, Pitt, New Mexico, Arizona, Marquette, and Oregon. Signed with UTEP out of high school to play for Tony Barbee.

He averages 16 points and 7 rebounds per game this year in juco. He also blocks 2 shots a game and shoots nearly 60% from the field.

There isnt much video on him, except this:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N09z-qbcdy8[/ame]
 
and Carl Blair. I think he is going to be nice to have next year. Sam can grab 4 or 5 rest per half. That is a big deal.
 
bigabd,
Just thinking the same thing.
Usually you'd worry about a relying on a transfer, but Kruger has such a high success rate with transfers and Osby has been everything advertised to date and finally M'Baye's play at Wyoming, so it's no real reach to think that M'Baye will put this team over the top next year back into postseason play.
The real excitement is the addition of 3 more talented players for the bench. Radically increasing the talent level off the bench.

To get back to your main point, one more big added in the spring recruiting season would be ideal since OU will lose Arent, Osby, and Fitz in 2012-2013.
So that OU can go into 2013-2014 with M'Baye/new big/clark or henry or hield/hornbeak
and who ever Kruger gets for the big 2012-2013 recruiting class
 
Are any of these good guard talents? That seems to be where we are missing the msot. I know M'Baye and Henry aren't. Don't follow recruiting enough to know a thing about the others.
 
The Sooners need some quality depth next year. I think they will be fine inside with Fitz, Osby, and M'Baye. Henry is 6'9" so he could slide in there, too.

Grooms is an OK point guard but isn't much of a threat offensively. He's really our only ball handler. Blair doesn't add much. Clark needs more consistency. Pledger is the only guy the opponents really have to worry about stopping from the outside and he needs to handle the ball better. You win in college ball with guards.

They need some scoring spark off the bench. Either Hield, Henry, or Hornbeak need to show they're ready for D-1 ball next year.
 
Somehow I forgot about Henry... So, maybe they dont need another big guy? Maybe they need to go out and find some 3-point bomber or guard who is ready to play right away.
 
That's exactly what I was thinking. Losing Newell has cost OU the Cinci, aTm, and Baylor games IMO. OU is desparate for another threat on the perimeter, and Newell would've provided that. I hate to say this, but I wish OU would've started Grooms, Newell, Pledger, Osby and Fitz. That's 4 legitimate scorers. The void of scoring out of the 3 is killing OU.

I like Grooms, but he's the type of PG you want when you have numerous scoring options. It's hard to compete when you only have one legitimate scoring guard/3-pt shooter. Hornbeak and/or Hield need to come in ready to play a lot. Personally, I'd like to see Kruger add a JUCO scorer for next year.

For those that have seen Horbeak and Heild, are either of them slasher/scorers? Heild seems to be a shooter/scorer, but it sounds like Hornbeak can get to the bucket.
 
Sounds like folks want, a backup combo guard with good handles and a perimeter game instead of a big who would develop next year and play a bigger role in 2013-2014 after we lose Fitz/Osby.

Based on scouting reports, Hield is definitely a slasher/scorer who gets to the rim and Hornbeak is that combo guard playing the PG role for his talented HS team. Not sure either is a great 3 point shooter?

Henry's a wildcard. His prep school coach calling him almost a 6-9 PG.

M'Baye's a real wildcard. He could start at SF along with Fitz/Osby. Or be the first big off the bench.
 
Is there a Michael Neal type shooter in Juco this year? I think with Hield, Hornbeak and M'Baye all being added to the team the one thing OU could really use is a designated 3 point shooter. A guy that can come off the bench and hit open shots. He doesn't even have to create his own shot, just knock down open 21 foot shots.
 
Is there a Michael Neal type shooter in Juco this year? I think with Hield, Hornbeak and M'Baye all being added to the team the one thing OU could really use is a designated 3 point shooter. A guy that can come off the bench and hit open shots. He doesn't even have to create his own shot, just knock down open 21 foot shots.

We already have a guy like that. He is a good one. his name is Pledger.
 
The Sooners need some quality depth next year. I think they will be fine inside with Fitz, Osby, and M'Baye. Henry is 6'9" so he could slide in there, too.

Grooms is an OK point guard but isn't much of a threat offensively. He's really our only ball handler. Blair doesn't add much. Clark needs more consistency. Pledger is the only guy the opponents really have to worry about stopping from the outside and he needs to handle the ball better. You win in college ball with guards.

They need some scoring spark off the bench. Either Hield, Henry, or Hornbeak need to show they're ready for D-1 ball next year.

Agreed. Fitz, Osby, M'Baye and Henry will give OU a formidable front court that should be more than competitive with most of the teams on our schedule next year.

We simply have to get more production from our guards and wings. PLedger is our best option on the offensive end this season. But he's not someone who can score on a consistent basis when defenses gear up to stop him. Every team we play is game planning to defend Steven, because they know that no one else in our back court is much of a threat to score. That has to change if we expect to win the remaining games on our schedule.

Back on topic, I think we'll get more scoring out of our front court next season. As in most years, it seems, our greatest need is in the back court. The optimistic side of me says Hield and Hornbeak will provide the quality depth you speak of in the guard/wing positions. I also believe our returning players will be better. Yet, there are still some unknowns that can only be answered when the season starts.

I'm optimistic that the two newbies coming in to combine with the improvements I expect to see in our returning players will be enough to put us over the top. I don't think there is any question that our front court will be one of the best we've seen in sometime with Osby, Fitz, M'Baye, Henry and Neal. The key question is how good will OU be in the back court? Better, to be sure. But, will it be enough?
 
We already have a guy like that. He is a good one. his name is Pledger.

I think Pledger does a little more than shoot 3 pointers and I am hoping he continues to add to his game. I would gladly take a player better than Pledger and let Pledger be the designated 3 point shooter but I don't think that is realistic pickup this late in the year. If you and Kruger can do it, please do.
 
I hate to even bring this up, but there was a kid that nearly ended up at OU twice, that would be just about perfect for next year's team. Rotnei Clarke. Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that we could use him badly next season.
 
I hate to even bring this up, but there was a kid that nearly ended up at OU twice, that would be just about perfect for next year's team. Rotnei Clarke. Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that we could use him badly next season.

Yep. It's wishful thinking, but I truly believe we would be a Top 10 team with Clarke. Even without him, I still think we'll be borderline Top 25.
 
Sorry if this has been covered before, but is Kruger looking to sign a player in the late signing period or give the schollie to the walkon?
 
Sorry if this has been covered before, but is Kruger looking to sign a player in the late signing period or give the schollie to the walkon?

I don't think anybody knows for sure. I saw an interview with Cole the other day, and he is still under the impression that he will NOT be on scholarship next season. I suppose LK could just see who is available, and if nobody comes on board, then give the scholarship to Cole.

My gut tells me that we'll sign somebody though. A transfer. A JUCO. Possibly a HS kid, though I think that is the longest shot.
 
It's been a busy year for me, so I haven't watch any Big12 games outside our own. Who would project higher next year in conf? KU, Texas, WVU? Will we have a legit shot of winning the conference, or will the ceiling be more like 3rd or 4th? This would be under the assumption that M'Baye is a legit 15pt/6board a game impact player we are all told he will be.
 
It's been a busy year for me, so I haven't watch any Big12 games outside our own. Who would project higher next year in conf? KU, Texas, WVU? Will we have a legit shot of winning the conference, or will the ceiling be more like 3rd or 4th? This would be under the assumption that M'Baye is a legit 15pt/6board a game impact player we are all told he will be.

I think predicting a top 4 finish next year is a little much. Is a 3rd or 4th place finish possible? Without looking at what the other teams are losing and bringing in, I'd say maybe.

And something to keep in mind on M'Baye. Unless he can play the 3, and LK will play him there, if he is putting up 15 points per game, that means Osby or Fitz is averaging less as well. Meaning, we're getting pretty good production out of our starting 4 and 5. Where we really need better production is from the guard spots. So unless M'Baye starts at the 3, we aren't simply adding 15 ppg to our lineup, if that makes sense. If M'Baye were a true guard of the same talent level, I'd be a lot more optimistic about next season.
 
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