ksSooner13
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For over 25 years, the Oklahoma Sooners were a consistent basketball program. They racked up NCAA tournament bids and twenty win seasons like it was second nature. But recent seasons have proven how fickle success and fan support can be. The last three years have seen the Sooners struggle and what limelight they had, has faded away.
Lon Kruger took over in April 2011 and it brought about a near instantaneous change in the Oklahoma program. The veteran head coach has pulled out every trick in the book to get the state of Oklahoma to embrace his new program. From attending city council meetings, dirt cheap student tickets, attending countless campus functions and even opening practices to the public, Kruger has been a man driven not only to restore the quality of play on the court, but the stands as well.
This fall the Kansas native took an even bolder step, he has allowed the preseason practices to not only be streamed on the internet, he’s mic'd himself up to accompany the stream.
In a day and age where programs are more and more secretive, the Oklahoma basketball program has opened its doors wide open.
But most of these efforts have gone for naught. Last year the Lloyd Noble Center was plagued with similarly sized crowds that saw the end of Jeff Capel’s tenure. And the current buzz around the Sooner’s squad is limited to the same diehards that would be frothing at the mouth to watch the program no matter what.
Over the past couple years the Oklahoma City Thunder have raised basketball awareness to an all time high in Oklahoma. Yet in the “Sooner state”, Sooner basketball continue to be more little more than a billboard on the side of the road, a Sportscenter highlight of Blake Griffin, the passing memory of Top Daug, or the specter of the wonderful Wayman Tisdale.
Today’s “what have you done for me lately” society, the impending Thunder dynasty and the recent stagnation of the program are all signals that the window to reawaken the echoes of the past greats appears to be closing.
The 2012-13 season will likely be the one that defines Lon Kruger’s tenure at Oklahoma. On paper the roster isn’t that impressive. It’s a senior laden crew that lacks NCAA tournament experience and a freshman crop of guards that lack buzz in the modern recruiting world.
The preseason conferences polls have nodded to the potential and talent of junior transfer Amath M’Baye but gave the team a dismissive glance with the ranking of 7th in the Big 12. It’s hard to argue against that stance as Oklahoma is coming off three consecutive losing seasons and are playing in one of the most balanced conferences in the nation.
But one of the same arguments that points to doom for the Sooners to mediocrity is the same one that points to their ability to rise out of the pit.
The balanced conference.
After Kansas, the Big XII lacks dominant teams. Holes can be poked in the resume of any one of the teams that are listed two through six in the coach’s poll.
The biggest difference between those five squads and the Sooners has been recent success. All five of them have at least one trip to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.
The recent losing seasons have given Oklahoma the stigma of an also ran, but this is by far the most talented roster Oklahoma has had since Blake Griffin prowled the paint.
Even though Lon Kruger has been broadcasting the merits of Sooner basketball from Woodward to Hugo, his roster building has gone under the radar. He’s helped maximized the potential of Capel holdovers Steven Pledger, Andrew Fitzgerald and Cameron Clark. Pledger has transformed into one of the top scorers in the Big 12, Fitzgerald is one of the tougher covers in Big 12 thanks to his versatile offensive skill set and Clark, a bouncy wing, looks poised to breakout.
Meanwhile, former Division One transfers Romero Osby and Amath M’Baye give Oklahoma two athletic forwards that can compete with any frontcourt in the conference.
The freshman backcourt trio of Buddy Hield, Jelon Hornbeak and Isaiah Cousin may not have been blue chippers but even in today's world there tend to be a recruit or two that falls through the cracks of the recruiting hype machine.
In a short time, Lon Kruger has upgraded the roster top to bottom and built a team that should not only compete but thrive in the Big 12.
For any Sooner fans on the fence on getting on the preseason bandwagon, here’s a few words of advice.
Take a chance.
Because thankfully for most Sooner fans, this isn’t the team they deserve, it’s the one they need.
Lon Kruger took over in April 2011 and it brought about a near instantaneous change in the Oklahoma program. The veteran head coach has pulled out every trick in the book to get the state of Oklahoma to embrace his new program. From attending city council meetings, dirt cheap student tickets, attending countless campus functions and even opening practices to the public, Kruger has been a man driven not only to restore the quality of play on the court, but the stands as well.
This fall the Kansas native took an even bolder step, he has allowed the preseason practices to not only be streamed on the internet, he’s mic'd himself up to accompany the stream.
In a day and age where programs are more and more secretive, the Oklahoma basketball program has opened its doors wide open.
But most of these efforts have gone for naught. Last year the Lloyd Noble Center was plagued with similarly sized crowds that saw the end of Jeff Capel’s tenure. And the current buzz around the Sooner’s squad is limited to the same diehards that would be frothing at the mouth to watch the program no matter what.
Over the past couple years the Oklahoma City Thunder have raised basketball awareness to an all time high in Oklahoma. Yet in the “Sooner state”, Sooner basketball continue to be more little more than a billboard on the side of the road, a Sportscenter highlight of Blake Griffin, the passing memory of Top Daug, or the specter of the wonderful Wayman Tisdale.
Today’s “what have you done for me lately” society, the impending Thunder dynasty and the recent stagnation of the program are all signals that the window to reawaken the echoes of the past greats appears to be closing.
The 2012-13 season will likely be the one that defines Lon Kruger’s tenure at Oklahoma. On paper the roster isn’t that impressive. It’s a senior laden crew that lacks NCAA tournament experience and a freshman crop of guards that lack buzz in the modern recruiting world.
The preseason conferences polls have nodded to the potential and talent of junior transfer Amath M’Baye but gave the team a dismissive glance with the ranking of 7th in the Big 12. It’s hard to argue against that stance as Oklahoma is coming off three consecutive losing seasons and are playing in one of the most balanced conferences in the nation.
But one of the same arguments that points to doom for the Sooners to mediocrity is the same one that points to their ability to rise out of the pit.
The balanced conference.
After Kansas, the Big XII lacks dominant teams. Holes can be poked in the resume of any one of the teams that are listed two through six in the coach’s poll.
The biggest difference between those five squads and the Sooners has been recent success. All five of them have at least one trip to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.
The recent losing seasons have given Oklahoma the stigma of an also ran, but this is by far the most talented roster Oklahoma has had since Blake Griffin prowled the paint.
Even though Lon Kruger has been broadcasting the merits of Sooner basketball from Woodward to Hugo, his roster building has gone under the radar. He’s helped maximized the potential of Capel holdovers Steven Pledger, Andrew Fitzgerald and Cameron Clark. Pledger has transformed into one of the top scorers in the Big 12, Fitzgerald is one of the tougher covers in Big 12 thanks to his versatile offensive skill set and Clark, a bouncy wing, looks poised to breakout.
Meanwhile, former Division One transfers Romero Osby and Amath M’Baye give Oklahoma two athletic forwards that can compete with any frontcourt in the conference.
The freshman backcourt trio of Buddy Hield, Jelon Hornbeak and Isaiah Cousin may not have been blue chippers but even in today's world there tend to be a recruit or two that falls through the cracks of the recruiting hype machine.
In a short time, Lon Kruger has upgraded the roster top to bottom and built a team that should not only compete but thrive in the Big 12.
For any Sooner fans on the fence on getting on the preseason bandwagon, here’s a few words of advice.
Take a chance.
Because thankfully for most Sooner fans, this isn’t the team they deserve, it’s the one they need.
