This was one of Capel's biggest problems

[BigTime]

I was happy to see Coach (Jeff) Capel get on at Duke too. I was pretty close to him when he was recruiting me to come to Oklahoma. He’s like a big brother to me. I guess you could say that gives Duke a good chance with me. Blake Griffin is my favorite player and just to see how Coach Capel developed him was great. I have the utmost respect for him.

A recruit shouldn't be calling a head coach at a school like OU - a big brother. Father figure? yes. Mentor? sure. But not a big brother.

What do you guys think?

 

[Capel's Mustache]

Totally agree. I don't think the problems with TMG etc would have been allowed to fester or maybe even happen the summer before that dreadful season if JC would have been looked at differently by the players

 

[scrybe]

On the other hand, you could just be nitpicking. Referring to Capel as either a "big brother" or a "father figure" is nothing more than semantics. We can find fault with anything, especially if we're looking for it…IMHO.

 

[25mob]

Who cares! Coach Capel is not here anymore... let's move on and continue with the positive vibe we have going on now.

 

[soonertravis]

Agree with scrybe. A lot of young kids aren't going to say "father figure" or "role model". Capel should have been stronger with those young kids, but he handled Griffin the same way. The difference was the kids. Some can handle a little freedom and others need someone riding them and demanding more. And there is no indication that had Capel done anything different in coaching the bad group that the results would have been the same. In fact, it may have happened faster.

 

[NickZepp]

It's a great point. I think Jeff is a great guy. But it's important that a coach can't be seen as a peer to the players. He needs to be seen on a different level or in the end he won't really be taken seriously. John Blake had the same problems at OU along with being completely unqualified for the job. Now Jeff Capel was more than qualified and knows basketball.

 

[NickZepp]

Who cares! Coach Capel is not here anymore... let's move on and continue with the positive vibe we have going on now.

I'm all for moving on and stuff but that doesn't really happen. We still talk about Billy Tubbs/Kelvin Sampson's careers all the time. In fact we had fights over which was better every other week on basketball boards when Kelvin was here.

 

[MsProudSooner]

The other question is how much credit does Capel get for Blake's development. I know Blake likes him, but how much of Blake's development was just the natural process of maturing?

 

[SoonerBounce13]

It's a great point. I think Jeff is a great guy. But it's important that a coach can't be seen as a peer to the players. He needs to be seen on a different level or in the end he won't really be taken seriously. John Blake had the same problems at OU along with being completely unqualified for the job. Now Jeff Capel was more than qualified and knows basketball.

Big brother doesn't imply that they are on the same level. almost ever reference to "big brother" usually refers to looking up to someone. i think the big brother relationship is fine as long as you can go into a hard ass mode as well

 

[stoops4pres]

On the other hand, you could just be nitpicking. Referring to Capel as either a "big brother" or a "father figure" is nothing more than semantics. We can find fault with anything, especially if we're looking for it…IMHO.

Agreed. I don't think many had an issue with players looking at Capel as that role when OU was going to the NCAA Tournament (and no, Blake wasn't the best player in the country his freshman season when OU was a 6 seed and made it to the 2nd round).

I fault Capel for his lack of effective evaluation with recruits both on and off the court as one of his biggest problems. Not necessarily what someone viewed him as being.

 

[NickZepp]

Big brother doesn't imply that they are on the same level. almost ever reference to "big brother" usually refers to looking up to someone. i think the big brother relationship is fine as long as you can go into a hard ass mode as well

I don't think we are in much disagreement but I think this was his problem. You have to be a bit hard on your players, and that's something Capel was not.

 

[sdcloud9]

I think it's just an expression, I'm sure he was referring to Capel as a role model.

That doesn't get Capel off the hook for lack of discipline in the program by any means.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Yes. I think it was pretty obvious that he had respect problems from some of his big time recruits. It wasn't a secret that our Elite 8 team almost went into the trash until Blake brought the guys together.

 

[coolm]

he's gone

leave him alone

 

[garyeb2]

he's gone

leave him alone

Sure, he is gone. But, longtime fans that are passionate about the program are still here. And we will be stewing in the mess he brewed up for season's to come. Alittle resentment isn't all that unnateral.

 

[jerry]

A recruit shouldn't be calling a head coach at a school like OU - a big brother. Father figure? yes. Mentor? sure. But not a big brother.

What do you guys think?

Totally agree. Although there were many other problems with Jeff too.

 

[Soonerman]

Some of you guys sure know a lot about what went on inside the program with Capel; or at least you're doing a good job of acting like you know.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Some of you guys sure know a lot about what went on inside the program with Capel; or at least you're doing a good job of acting like you know.

:facepalm

Some of us know based on the product on the court.

 

[Soonerman]

:facepalm

Some of us know based on the product on the court.

I assume you're not included in the "us"? :ez-roll:

 

[Big Old Booger]

I assume you're not included in the "us"? :ez-roll:

You know what happens when you assume? :ez-roll: