This team could be better than most people think

[pnkranger]

I agree. However, even if we get the best shot blocker in OU history people will still complain about him.

Khadeem Lattin was not a good defender. He blocked a lot of shots, but he almost didn't know how to defend the pick and roll.

 

[WTSooner]

A bunch of adjusted defense stats

For individual players? Link?

 

[Darwin]

If we don't add a starter at center we can still be successful up until the sweet 16 at which time we hit the wall. Plenty of good entertaining stuff can happen before that.

 

[BCSooners]

Khadeem Lattin was not a good defender. He blocked a lot of shots, but he almost didn't know how to defend the pick and roll.

He was a good hard hedger, he struggled on the block against good back to the basket players.

 

[BCSooners]

For individual players? Link?

The adjusted defensive stats were for the team, not individuals. It was pretty easy to see how good of a defender Doolittle, Odomes, Bienemy, Reynolds, & Calixte early on were. Then as you break it down it proves it further. I’d love to watch a game with you so we can show each other what we are talking about.

 

[pnkranger]

He was a good hard hedger, he struggled on the block against good back to the basket players.

The problem is that he couldn't adjust to the offensive players throughout the game. If he hedged hard, and they dumped to the roll man ... he would continue to hedge hard over and over again leading to a ton of layups for the other team.

 

[BCSooners]

The problem is that he couldn't adjust to the offensive players throughout the game. If he hedged hard, and they dumped to the roll man ... he would continue to hedge hard over and over again leading to a ton of layups for the other team.

That just didn’t happen very often. McNeace also hard hedged on high ball screens but wasn’t near as good.

 

[CoachTalk]

Please, stop. Do you ever get tired?

It’s true.

 

[lexusooner]

If Doo is out starting 5 we will not block shots, we will give up offensive rebounds in droves, and we will be a less than average rebounding team.
We could play Manek at the 5 or heck even try Bienemy at the 5 but that doesn’t make them true 5’s just like playing Doo at the 5 doesn’t make him a true 5. He’s not.
We get killed on the boards with Doo at the 5. Because he’s not a 5.
Did we have anyone average even 1 blocked shot per game last year?
Every Big in the B12 will be licking their chops to kill us on the boards if Doo at 6’6” is our 5.

 

[CMSOONER]

If Doo is out starting 5 we will not block shots, we will give up offensive rebounds in droves, and we will be a less than average rebounding team.
We could play Manek at the 5 or heck even try Bienemy at the 5 but that doesn’t make them true 5’s just like playing Doo at the 5 doesn’t make him a true 5. He’s not.
We get killed on the boards with Doo at the 5. Because he’s not a 5.
Did we have anyone average even 1 blocked shot per game last year?
Every Big in the B12 will be licking their chops to kill us on the boards if Doo at 6’6” is our 5.

But he plays the 5. So he's a 5 :facepalm

 

[daqman]

If Doo is out starting 5 we will not block shots, we will give up offensive rebounds in droves, and we will be a less than average rebounding team.
We could play Manek at the 5 or heck even try Bienemy at the 5 but that doesn’t make them true 5’s just like playing Doo at the 5 doesn’t make him a true 5. He’s not.
We get killed on the boards with Doo at the 5. Because he’s not a 5.
Did we have anyone average even 1 blocked shot per game last year?
Every Big in the B12 will be licking their chops to kill us on the boards if Doo at 6’6” is our 5.

We played the whole second semester with Doo/Manek starting, so we know what we're getting. That's why I'm not excited about our chances inside.
OTOH, if Harmon/Bienemy/Reaves can actually hit outside shots and play perimeter defense, who knows.
Our guard play last season was downright terrible at times. So I'm not completely writing off the bigs just yet.

 

[WichitaSooner]

We played the whole second semester with Doo/Manek starting, so we know what we're getting. That's why I'm not excited about our chances inside.
OTOH, if Harmon/Bienemy/Reaves can actually hit outside shots and play perimeter defense, who knows.
Our guard play last season was downright terrible at times. So I'm not completely writing off the bigs just yet.

If Reaves and JB can hit shots and play defense? Three combined years of college expect seems to be pretty good evidence to me.

 

[Eielson]

We could play Manek at the 5 or heck even try Bienemy at the 5 but that doesn’t make them true 5’s just like playing Doo at the 5 doesn’t make him a true 5. He’s not.

If Manek played the 5, and did so successfully, I would say he can successfully play the 5. Same with JB, although that's an absurd notion.

It's like saying Kyler Murray isn't a real QB because he's 5'10. If you had doubts coming in, that's one thing, but he just showed us for a whole year that he's capable. Sure, maybe he'd be a better CF or slot receiver, but that doesn't change the fact that he can play QB.

 

[CMSOONER]

If Manek played the 5, and did so successfully, I would say he can successfully play the 5. Same with JB, although that's an absurd notion.

It's like saying Kyler Murray isn't a real QB because he's 5'10. If you had doubts coming in, that's one thing, but he just showed us for a whole year that he's capable. Sure, maybe he'd be a better CF or slot receiver, but that doesn't change the fact that he can play QB.

Being able to do something and that being what you do or who you are, are two different things. Doolittle is able to play the center position, but he is not a center. LeBron James can play PG, he is not a PG.

 

[Eielson]

Being able to do something and that being what you do or who you are, are two different things. Doolittle is able to play the center position, but he is not a center. LeBron James can play PG, he is not a PG.

LeBron has effectively been the PG offensively on some very successful teams. If his teams lost, it wasn't because he was playing PG. It was because he didn't get enough help from his teammates. Doolittle is obviously not on Lebron's level, but it's a similar story. If Doolittle at the 5 is our worst player, then we're going to win the Big XII. We've been to the Final 4 with a worse 5 (Lattin).

 

[lexusooner]

With Corbin, Rick and Vic it’s obvious Lon wants to recruit a 5 and improve rim protecting/shot blocking/ rebounding at the 5.
Playing Doo at the 5 means we get dominated on the boards and don’t block any shots/protect the rim. Playing Doo at one forward with Manek at the other with Rick or Vic at the 5 will likely be our best lineup.
Corbin is a mediocre Juco player. He’ll have an uphill battle to ever contribute.
Rick and Vic are athletes, limited offensively, they are dunkers, hopefully they will be blocking shots, protecting the rim, and rebounding for the Sooners for the next several years.

 

[BCSooners]

With Corbin, Rick and Vic it’s obvious Lon wants to recruit a 5 and improve rim protecting/shot blocking/ rebounding at the 5.
Playing Doo at the 5 means we get dominated on the boards and don’t block any shots/protect the rim. Playing Doo at one forward with Manek at the other with Rick or Vic at the 5 will likely be our best lineup.
Corbin is a mediocre Juco player. He’ll have an uphill battle to ever contribute.
Rick and Vic are athletes, limited offensively, they are dunkers, hopefully they will be blocking shots, protecting the rim, and rebounding for the Sooners for the next several years.

I have high hopes for Vic, but Doo will start at the 5 next year.

 

[daqman]

With Corbin, Rick and Vic it’s obvious Lon wants to recruit a 5 and improve rim protecting/shot blocking/ rebounding at the 5.
Playing Doo at the 5 means we get dominated on the boards and don’t block any shots/protect the rim. Playing Doo at one forward with Manek at the other with Rick or Vic at the 5 will likely be our best lineup.
Corbin is a mediocre Juco player. He’ll have an uphill battle to ever contribute.
Rick and Vic are athletes, limited offensively, they are dunkers, hopefully they will be blocking shots, protecting the rim, and rebounding for the Sooners for the next several years.

I disagree. Our best lineup will include Harmon/Bienemy/Reaves

 

[daqman]

If Reaves and JB can hit shots and play defense? Three combined years of college expect seems to be pretty good evidence to me.

I agree. It's evident that Bienemy was not a consistent scorer/shooter.
WRT Reaves, I've never seen him play.

 

[skyvue]

It's evident that Bienemy was not a consistent scorer/shooter.

He had the best shooting percentage on the team from behind the arc.