The Gap in Discussion on the board/Direction of the Program

[KCRuf/Nek]

No! For what? They're not going to come to OU unless somebody is going to get a cush job or straight cash, homey(randy moss reference). When you hear about OU being in on kids like these, Julius Randle or Harrison Barnes, that's just coach's hype. Let's be realistic, OU has small fan support and is traditionally a 3rd and 4th place finisher in the 4th best conference in the country. What the coaches prior to Capel have been doing has been pretty impressive and it's going to be hard to recapture that.

You've got to play the regional card and you have to play the "outwork you" card on the recruiting trail. You must get the best Oklahoma kid every year, a top ten Texas kid every year, and then use your connections, cut some two for 1 deals, and run off kids who aren't going to cut it as quick as possible.

That's just the first part. The next part is getting them to execute. I think Kruger has done that well, but at guard, OU was limited because they didn't have any dynamic players in that position. We had 3 solid freshman that are decent at many things but great at nothing. I would love to have a guy that can just clear everyone out and get to the basket or get to the line when the game is in the balance....

I understand all of that. I just wonder if we even look into kids like that. I realize that the deck is stacked and we haven't much of a chance.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I don't think anyone is going to confuse them with the three I mentioned.



I thought he was from Lawrence. Upon further review he did go to HS in OKC. Blame it on me being 12.

Exactly, Tiny, TMG, WW, were all nice players, but not even in the same galaxy as Adams, Tisdale, and BG. Those 3 are program changers, whereas the aforementioned 3 are very good talents but that's it.

 

[WTSooner]

My point was, on paper, before they played a game, they probably looked pretty even. I wasn't sure what point the poster was trying to make, so I asked. It's easy to see the difference in Blake and Tiny after the fact. Not so easy beforehand.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I understand all of that. I just wonder if we even look into kids like that. I realize that the deck is stacked and we haven't much of a chance.

So what I'm saying is instead of wasting time on an Emmanuel Mudiay or a Justin Jackson, let's look at the guys who are a maybe a few spots down. Let's go head to head with the OSU's Baylor's, and UT's and KU's, not the UNC's and Kentucky's.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

My point was, on paper, before they played a game, they probably looked pretty even. I wasn't sure what point the poster was trying to make, so I asked. It's easy to see the difference in Blake and Tiny after the fact. Not so easy beforehand.

The point the poster was trying to make is we get players like that every 10-15 years. A team like Kansas can have several at one time and not have to wait a generation for another.

 

[Big Old Booger]

My point was, on paper, before they played a game, they probably looked pretty even. I wasn't sure what point the poster was trying to make, so I asked. It's easy to see the difference in Blake and Tiny after the fact. Not so easy beforehand.

I disagree at least in Waymans case, but maybe I'm wrong because I can remember hearing so much about Wayman when he was in high school. Signing him was as big as when Switzer signed Marcus Dupree. HUGE!

Only Ryan Humphrey can I remember as having as much fanfare when he signed because he looked like a man amongst boys, and in Oklahoma HS sports I guess he was. However, once he got to college we saw the glaring weaknesses in his game, whereas WT never had a weakness.

I can't speak to Adams or BG's recruitment because I either was too young (Adams) or not living in Oklahoma (BG) when they were being recruited.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I disagree at least in Waymans case, but maybe I'm wrong because I can remember hearing so much about Wayman when he was in high school. Signing him was as big as when Switzer signed Marcus Dupree. HUGE!

Only Ryan Humphrey can I remember as having as much fanfare when he signed because he looked like a man amongst boys, and in Oklahoma HS sports I guess he was. However, once he got to college we saw the glaring weaknesses in his game, whereas WT never had a weakness.

I can't speak to Adams or BG's recruitment because I either was too young (Adams) or not living in Oklahoma (BG) when they were being recruited.

Well Patterson was a pretty big deal. They always said when he was there and practicing he was the best player on campus. King was a big deal too(Some called him a big Wayman) but neither of them were like the other three.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Well Patterson was a pretty big deal. They always said when he was there and practicing he was the best player on campus. King was a big deal too(Some called him a big Wayman) but neither of them were like the other three.

I don't remember King being as big a deal. I'd say Choo Kennedy was a bigger deal than Stacey because Stacey was really raw.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I don't remember King being as big a deal. I'd say Choo Kennedy was a bigger deal than Stacey because Stacey was really raw.

That could be true. I was in KC so a lot of the recruiting news we'd get would be articles someone would send me from Oklahoma papers. I just seem to remember a lot about King. He was from Lawton, right?

 

[Big Old Booger]

That could be true. I was in KC so a lot of the recruiting news we'd get would be articles someone would send me from Oklahoma papers. I just seem to remember a lot about King. He was from Lawton, right?

Yes. Lawton Ike. My brother played against him, Choo, and got to watch Wayman play in the Tournament of Champions (he may have played against him). He was excited we got King because he was the first true center Tubbs signed who was a HS kid but said his game was nothing like WT's or Choo's.

Stacey improved a lot though.

I remember watching his younger brother play my HS. He was 6'7" and wasn't very good.

King made an appearance at Billy Tubbs basketball camp the year I went. This was the summer of 85 after he graduated from Eisenhower. He had a huge afro. Made him look over 7' tall. It was pretty funny at the time.

 

[campbest]

Yes. Lawton Ike. My brother played against him, Choo, and got to watch Wayman play in the Tournament of Champions (he may have played against him). He was excited we got King because he was the first true center Tubbs signed who was a HS kid but said his game was nothing like WT's or Choo's.

zing

 

[KBaden145]

Yes. Lawton Ike. My brother played against him, Choo, and got to watch Wayman play in the Tournament of Champions (he may have played against him). He was excited we got King because he was the first true center Tubbs signed who was a HS kid but said his game was nothing like WT's or Choo's.

Stacey improved a lot though.

I remember watching his younger brother play my HS. He was 6'7" and wasn't very good.

King made an appearance at Billy Tubbs basketball camp the year I went. This was the summer of 85 after he graduated from Eisenhower. He had a huge afro. Made him look over 7' tall. It was pretty funny at the time.

King played at Lawton High not Ike just to clarify.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

After getting to OU, it took some time for Stacey King to develop.

Stacey King
Season .... Points ... PPG
1985-86 ........ 84 .... 6.0
1986-87 ...... 196 .... 7.0
1987-88 ...... 869 ... 22.3
1988-89 ...... 859 ... 26.0

Waymon averaged 24.5 ppg as a true freshman.

 

[MsProudSooner]

After getting to OU, it took some time for Stacey King to develop.

Stacey King
Season .... Points ... PPG
1985-86 ........ 84 .... 6.0
1986-87 ...... 196 .... 7.0
1987-88 ...... 869 ... 22.3
1988-89 ...... 859 ... 26.0

Waymon averaged 24.5 ppg as a true freshman.

Was 1985-86 when he was an academic casualty?

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Was 1985-86 when he was an academic casualty?

I cannot remember. He only played in 14 games as a freshman in 1985-86.

 

[DenverSooner]

Exactly, Tiny, TMG, WW, were all nice players, but not even in the same galaxy as Adams, Tisdale, and BG. Those 3 are program changers, whereas the aforementioned 3 are very good talents but that's it.

I think with a different coach WW, TMG and Tiny could have been great. WW and TMG had outstanding freshman seasons and Tiny had an impressive freshman season.

Think about WW and TMG compared to Smart as freshman.

Smart 15.4 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.4 rpg .404 shooting and .290 3 pt shooting.
WW 14.6 ppg, over 3 apg, 2.2 rpg .473 shooting and .372 3 pt shooting.
TMG 14.1 pg, over 5 apg, 2.9 rpg .398 shooting and .424 3 pt shooting.

Based on stat llines alone (ignoring names, attitudes, intangibles) which player do you take? They are pretty even. I actually think I like TMG the best. If he had the right attituted I truly believe he could have been a Blake Griffin type of player. I think he could be in the discussion for player of the year as a senior. It was tragic to see him waste his talent. WW wasn't much different. I am not taking anything away from Smart, his numbers are great. I am just pointing out that TMG and WW were pretty close and did some things significantly better than Smart.

 

[Big Old Booger]

King played at Lawton High not Ike just to clarify.

Are you sure? His brother went to Ike because I remember him coming to Chickasha (my high school) and playing. I could swear he was wearing light blue and red, which are Ike colors.

 

[KBaden145]

Are you sure? His brother went to Ike because I remember him coming to Chickasha (my high school) and playing. I could swear he was wearing light blue and red, which are Ike colors.

I don't know about his brother but he went the High. I'm from Lawton and my father refereed several of his games against my school, Mac, and Ike.

 

[oSuJeff97]

I think with a different coach WW, TMG and Tiny could have been great. WW and TMG had outstanding freshman seasons and Tiny had an impressive freshman season.

Think about WW and TMG compared to Smart as freshman.

Smart 15.4 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.4 rpg .404 shooting and .290 3 pt shooting.
WW 14.6 ppg, over 3 apg, 2.2 rpg .473 shooting and .372 3 pt shooting.
TMG 14.1 pg, over 5 apg, 2.9 rpg .398 shooting and .424 3 pt shooting.

Based on stat llines alone (ignoring names, attitudes, intangibles) which player do you take? They are pretty even. I actually think I like TMG the best. If he had the right attituted I truly believe he could have been a Blake Griffin type of player. I think he could be in the discussion for player of the year as a senior. It was tragic to see him waste his talent. WW wasn't much different. I am not taking anything away from Smart, his numbers are great. I am just pointing out that TMG and WW were pretty close and did some things significantly better than Smart.

That shows you how much of a difference the right attitude can make.

TMG could have been a force in the Big 12.

 

[Big Old Booger]

That shows you how much of a difference the right attitude can make.

TMG could have been a force in the Big 12.

I agree. On the court, his biggest downfall, he had a tendency to do his own thing and disregard the offense and spreading the ball. In Capel's non-system system that was OK, but with many other coaches (Sampson, Kruger) it would have never worked unless he was willing to change. However, your point still stands, he was very talented and had the ability to take over a game.

He was fun to watch once he started filling it up.