Teams that OU is clearly better than in the Big 12

[cfin5256]

Did you see the Utah game? We are playing against a STIFF team, yet they were able to exploit our height with pick and roll. Against more tall athletic team, how do you think we are going to defend that?

Tiny played 10 minutes in that game and we still won against taller bigs. Tony has been a warrior on the boards so far. I think it's a given that we'll probably struggle against KU and Texas, but so will a lot of teams that have size inside. Last season, outside of Moses, OSU had little to no inside presence and still came within an eyelash of upsetting Pitt in the tourney. It can be done. Though, admittedly, I would be more comfortable if Ryan or Orlando can step up their play as the season progresses.

 

[NickZepp]

We are 10 games into the season already, but outside of Tiny, our other POST haven't developed much. This is very concerning.

Last year outside of Blake our post players didn't really develop that much also.

 

[thebigabd]

Last year outside of Blake our post players didn't really develop that much also.

Taylor Griffin was good, and now plays in the NBA.... Juan Pattillo was good when he played as well.

 

[Tony]

I think depth is a concern, period, both in the post and in the backcourt. For Coach Capel to be unwilling (or unable) to play a large part of the roster this early in the season makes me nervous. Against Utah we had 5 guys play 34 minutes, and no one else played more than 10. Tiny was in foul trouble, so it really only seems there are six players who Coach Capel trusts at the moment. Who is going to step up between now and conference play off the bench? Hopefully Pledger, and after that I'm worried about who else it can be. Tiny needs to learn to stay out of foul trouble.

The one guy who has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle of the switch to the 4-guard lineup is Fitzgerald, who I guess just can't play as the lone post. No fault of his own, really, but it is just an unfortunate situation.

I worry more about defense than I do rebounding, though. Our guards are rebounding the ball well. I still have a lot of hope in this team, but I am not wild about heading into conference play with so few players having much game experience.

 

[NickZepp]

Taylor Griffin was good, and now plays in the NBA.... Juan Pattillo was good when he played as well.

Taylor and Juan were more 3's that played 4 kinda like Tony but he's more of a 2 playing 4.

 

[skyvue]

Please don't give me statistic craps. I don't buy into statistics, I buy into what I see with my own eyes.

Sorry to present you with actual facts. I know that they can be a bit disorienting. Imagine how all those folks felt who were convinced the world was flat -- after all, their eyes told them it was! -- when they learned that, in fact, it was round.

 

[thebigabd]

Sorry to present you with actual facts. I know that they can be a bit disorienting. Imagine how all those folks felt who were convinced the world was flat -- after all, their eyes told them it was! -- when they learned that, in fact, it was round.

Blasphemers!

 

[DenverSooner]

Really? How sure are you? Have you been paying any attention?

OU's actually firmly in the middle of the Big 12 standings in rebounding, ranking seventh in the conference in rebound margin.

Here are the national rankings of the Big 12 teams in rebound margin; the average per-game margin of each team follows the ranking:

Baylor -- #2/12.6
Kansas -- #12/10.0
Texas -- #35/7.4
KSU -- #87/4.3
ISU -- #87/4.3
Tech -- #112/3.1
OU -- #116/3
oswho -- #124/2.8
Nebraska -- #139/2.0
A&M -- #163/1.1
Missouri -- #219/-0.8
Colorado -- #228/-1.1

Man, do I hate it when our own fans make unsubstantiated, unsupported, and inaccurate cracks about our teams. It happens all the time on the football boards, and it occurs here more often than it should, too.

Are you aware that we outrebounded Utah, which has a good deal more height than we do? In fact, we've out-rebounded three of the four teams we've played since returning from Alaska.

Is there room for improvement in our rebounding? Heck, yeah, but we're not doing nearly as badly as you paint it (with nothing to back you up).

In my opinion, it is more important to be accurate about the basketball program because OU has such a strong national reputation in football that a few silly comments won't really change the perception - it is still OU Football and anyone that knows anything about college football knows OU is a major power. Our fans need to promote the basketball program and take credit for its accomplishments rather than down grade the basketball program by making unsubstantiated negative comments. OU needs to improve it is basketball program and the easiest place to start is with its own fans.

 

[DenverSooner]

Please don't give me statistic craps. I don't buy into statistics, I buy into what I see with my own eyes. Crocker has that one monster rebound game, but he won't be able to do that in the BIG12. Most BIG12 teams played two POST guys who are taller and stronger than Crocker. Outside of Tiny Gallon, the remaining 3 posts aren't worth a CRAP. They played stiff and seemed to afraid to rebound. I wished Orlando Allen develop. If he does then we have a legitimate chance in the BIG12.

Crocker actually pulled down double digit rebounds against Arkansas, Centenary and Utah. Since the return from Alaska Tony is averaging 11 boards a game. Now Centenary is not the best competition in the world but the other three school as legitimate D-1 programs (in fact I would say more than legitimate and call them upper tier programs). Without Centenary Tony is averaging 10.33 boards per game over that time period.

I also think when you look at statistics you need to look at schedules. OU has a played a pretty legitimate schedule with games against 3 pretty legitimate programs and not a total cupcakes for the other games. Unfortunatley OU dropped three games in a row but I don't expect rebounding to be that big of a problem if the guys keep crashing the boards like they are.

 

[bocabull]

OU is clearly better than Colorado, Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor & Missouri;

probably better than OKlahoma A&M and Kansas State;

I'll stick with my 10-6 or 11-5 description but this team could get on a roll and do better. The top 4 players for OU are as good as Texas and Kansas. It's the depth that gives those 2 teams the edge.

 

[thebigabd]

OU is clearly better than Colorado, Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor & Missouri;

probably better than OKlahoma A&M and Kansas State

Wow... gotta disagree with ya there, boca.

 

[bocabull]

Well, we'll just see how the conference season pans out. It will be fun to watch. I liked the fight I saw vs Utah when everything went against them and they gutted out the win in OT.

The cream rises to the top.

 

[AdaSooner]

Well, we'll just see how the conference season pans out. It will be fun to watch. I liked the fight I saw vs Utah when everything went against them and they gutted out the win in OT.

Agreed. This team grew up a lot in that game.

A few weeks ago I might have said half or more Big 12 teams were playing better (not to be confused with talent level) than OU. I don't see it that way now. I think our players finally realize that talent alone will not win many games in a tough conference like the Big 12. I like what I've seen on defense the past couple of weeks. If Willie continues to assert himself and Tiny stays out of foul trouble, I think OU could make some noise in conference this season.

 

[1H3@rtH0$]

Sorry to present you with actual facts. I know that they can be a bit disorienting. Imagine how all those folks felt who were convinced the world was flat -- after all, their eyes told them it was! -- when they learned that, in fact, it was round.

Round??? Yeah right... Next I suppose that you're gonna tell me that the Sun doesn't revolve around the Earth.

 

[DenverSooner]

OU is clearly better than Colorado, Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor & Missouri;

probably better than OKlahoma A&M and Kansas State;

I'll stick with my 10-6 or 11-5 description but this team could get on a roll and do better. The top 4 players for OU are as good as Texas and Kansas. It's the depth that gives those 2 teams the edge.

The problem with Tech is they have a big win against Washington and a solid road win against TCU. They have also beaten Oregon State. I tend to think OU is a better team and will beat Tech fairly easily in Norman and could (could) win in Lubbock but I don't think at this point in the season you can fairly say OU is clearly better than Tech.

KSU also has a pretty impressive resume at this point in the Season. They lost on the road to Mississippi but have beaten Dayton and UNLV on the road. They have also beat Xavier and Washington State. BU is another win although I think that is clearly a step below the other programs mentioned.

A&M has road wins at Clemson, SMU and Minn with losses to New Mexico and West Virginia.

I think OU can be the better team than all three of those teams but OU is sitting on the back to back to back losses to VCU, San Diego and Houston. I don't have a huge problem with the VCU loss in the sense of holding it against the team (It frustrates me and they should not have lost to that team but it was a classic trap game, big school with young team goes on the road to a respectable midmajor and loses) but dropping three in a row was bad and San Diego on a nuetral court is horrible. OU also doesn't have any great wins because Utah, Arkansas and Arizona are not at their best right now - I still think those are respectable wins. Tech, KSU and A&M don't have the "bad" loss and have some nice wins.

 

[DenverSooner]

Agreed. This team grew up a lot in that game.

A few weeks ago I might have said half or more Big 12 teams were playing better (not to be confused with talent level) than OU. I don't see it that way now. I think our players finally realize that talent alone will not win many games in a tough conference like the Big 12. I like what I've seen on defense the past couple of weeks. If Willie continues to assert himself and Tiny stays out of foul trouble, I think OU could make some noise in conference this season.

What I like is the way Tony and Willie are rebounding. People hardly commented on it but Willie had 8 boards against Utah. That is huge for a shooting guard. Ryan Wright also had 7 boards (he played 34 minutes - a full game, but that is good for a guy that gets nothing but insults from his own fans).

 

[AdaSooner]

What I like is the way Tony and Willie are rebounding. People hardly commented on it but Willie had 8 boards against Utah. That is huge for a shooting guard. Ryan Wright also had 7 boards (he played 34 minutes - a full game, but that is good for a guy that gets nothing but insults from his own fans).

Totally agree, Denver. I also like the way Cade is playing. Too bad he and Tony aren't two or three inches taller. But they make up for their lack of size by working their tails off for rebounds and loose balls. There's a lot to like about this team.

 

[bocabull]

I don't really consider the win vs Washington a big win. Most college teams traveling 1,800 miles from home that early in the pre season to a hell hole like Lubbock are going to lose.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't really consider the win vs Washington a big win. Most college teams traveling 1,800 miles from home that early in the pre season to a hell hole like Lubbock are going to lose.

Perhaps but the flip side is that most unranked teams that see a Top 15 opponent come to town that early in the season are going to lose to that Top 15 opponent.

I think you are minimizing a pretty impressive win.

 

[bocabull]

If they won in Washington it would be impressive. It does show that they don't totally suck which is good.