This weekend and beyond

[jaymOU]

Am I crazy?

So, so excited for Saturday, and, hopefully, Monday, but I might even be more interested in next year. It's the end of an incredible era - we will remember as the Buddy Years, but thinking about James, Grandstaff, Freeman, Odomes and the rest is really exciting!

 

[tmeyer3307]

YES!! Pumped!!! OU could be really really good for the next couple of years.. Thanks to Lon and this group of Seniors.. Hoping for a great weekend now and will enjoy the last couple of games with this group.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

You are not crazy.

It was 5 years ago (April 2011), when Lon Kruger was introduced as the new head basketball coach at Oklahoma inside the old fieldhouse. This is the Lon Kruger era, and it continues after this weekend.

This entire era has been interesting and exciting. It is easy to see now, looking back on the journey of the current senior class, and their development as young men and student-athletes. It is easy to see the building of a team and redevelopment of a fine program. But I also clearly remember Steven Pledger, Romero Osby, Andrew Fitzgerald, Cam Clark, Sam Grooms, Tyler Neal, and the others that began this process under the masterful leadership of Lon Kruger.

Like you, I am excited and hopeful for this weekend. Like you, I am excited about the future of this program. There are a lot of talented young guys coming back that lived and worked with Buddy, Isaiah and Ryan this season.

These are wonderful times to be an OU basketball fan. Remember the past. Enjoy the moment. Contemplate the future.

 

[Soonerinkc]

I remember the Billy Ball era (that's what I grew up on - late teens to late 20's)...run-n-gun...skeeter meeter, driving to the hole kicking out for a 3...

Sampson era...toughness, good D

Capel - yes, got Blake to play for OU...

and now Kruger....exciting growth and development.

It's a great time...I'd love for OU basketball to be relevent in the national spotlight for a long time...hopefully building a great foundation...BUT every era has it's greatness...

 

[pnkranger]

Woodard, James, Lattin, Buford, McNeace, and Manyang will all be returning contributors from a Final Four team. Grandstaff, Odomes, and Freeman are talented got to practice against this year's seniors and be a part of this Final Four team.

That means we'll have 9 guys with Final Four experience, all 8 of whom were top 150 players coming out of high school.

Throw in:

McGusty (top 50 high school player)
Kristian Doolittle (underrated top 150 guy)
Darrion Strong (juco guard)

We have TWELVE guys who can contribute at a high level. If we can find some leadership (Woodard or James, probably) and some consistent scorers, we can be VERY good with better depth than we have this year.

 

[tmeyer3307]

Has Grandstaff been with the team for the tournament and traveling? For some reason I never remembered seeing him on the end of the bench or behind it. Just wondering..

 

[AdaSooner]

It's impossible to analyze next year's talent and not be excited. The only question mark in my mind is will Jordan run the offense or will one of two to three candidates at the combo guard position be our next Isaiah Cousins?

There are no questions at the other positions, except who will start and what role will they play? Kruger's biggest challenge next season may be how to keep a potentially twelve deep rotation happy?

 

[MisterF]

All of the above eras were great to watch. But I also loved watching the Dave Bliss era. That team in the late 70s was darn good. A injury to Juice kept them from advancing any further.

Billy's time was my favorite until now. I might put Billy and Lon close to equal.

 

[pnkranger]

Has Grandstaff been with the team for the tournament and traveling? For some reason I never remembered seeing him on the end of the bench or behind it. Just wondering..

Like 99% sure he's been on the bench for the tournament games. He looked good in the open scrimmage this week.