Thoughts About The Season

[Sweetest OU Girl]

I went back and reviewed the stats from our games this year. The first thing that is apparent is that our opponents consistently got off many more shots than we did. We often shot at about the same - or even a better - percentage, but just did not get off enough shots.

The second thing that is obvious is that the main reason was because of turnovers. We had 25, 26, 27 turnovers an awful lot of times. That is obviously totally unreasonable. Steps should have been taken to get that at least somewhat under control. But it just continued all season long. I do wonder why we didn't try and slow down things a bit since it became obvious we could not play at such a fast pace with these players. Perhaps their youth was a reason, but it is none the less clear - at least to me.

Let's discuss this peacefully. No random shots at the coaches (e.g. "They are losers". "They make too much money". "They need to be fired". etc.) Instead, suggest ways we could have tried to control the turnovers. Or perhaps some of you can point out other actual problems on the court that also help explain the major disappointments we had this year.

It is interesting to go back and look at the press conferences after the earliest games. Very interesting - at least in my opinion. If you do look at some of those respond with your initial response to things that were said.

It is also interesting to look at Shaina's numbers early, then as things progressed. I'm still a bit puzzled about what happened there.

I did notice Ana had 7 turnovers in our second game, but it was after that game (she only played 20 minutes or so) she had foot surgery. I find it amazing that she had foot surgery in November and yet came back to play at such an amazing level by January. She is a very special kid.

You can easily find all these things on SoonerSports.com under

Sports/Women's Basketball/Schedule.

Every game is there with box score stats, press conferences, etc.

 

[sybarite]

Good thoughts, Sweetest. But, let me help you simplify your search for data in a way that lets you follow year by year or game by game.

Team statistics:

http://stats.ncaa.org/teams/451771

If you want to see everyone's statistics, click on "Team statistics." just above the bolded word, "opponent." You get:

http://stats.ncaa.org/team/522/stats/14320

If you want to follow the game by game stats for Ana, simply click on her name. You get:

http://stats.ncaa.org/player/index?game_sport_year_ctl_id=14320&stats_player_seq=1955419

If you want a box score, click on the game score.

You can click around and get all kinds of information. You can go back for several years.

 

[Soonerguy06]

1) I don't think we had a true point guard. Maybe Murcer can develop into one. maybe we will have to wait a couple classes to get one. I don't know that we have had a genuine, true point guard since d-rob. I hope Gabby would be 1 but she kind of did the same thing Shaina did, just not as much.
2) 0 post presence.. Without a threat down low our perimeter players had constant coverage. I never saw a double or triple team on our post girls because they were 5'11" and undersized.
3) no leadership. It seems like when the players got panicked there was no one to take charge and calm the group down, to slow things down, at least not on a consistent basis. If we don't have the players to do it, then the coaches should be stepping in and doing this and I rarely saw SC off the bench and animated, which with a team this young, I think you really have to be.
I'm sure they will get a little bit better next season due to experience but lastly I think you've got to go out there and get more talent. Not just one out of four in a class can be truly talented division 1 players. and unfortunately that's kind of been the way things have been going with our recruiting lately and we've paid for it in our results... Zero championships, less than impressive postseason runs...
I truly hope all of these things can be approved upon and we can get back to where we were for a short period of time in the early 2000s.

 

[22dupree]

Sweetest OU Girl ... There are few things I’d like to see developed within our young team and valuing possessions is high on that list.
I’d really like to see our situational awareness increase as well.
Our best players are needed on the floor as much as possible. But for years, we’ve watched our best players pick up an early foul ... and then take a bad 2nd foul diving on an opponents legs in pursuit of a loose ball which is heading out of bounds 55 feet away from our basket. Some fouls you can take ... and some you can’t.
Those senseless fouls put our best players in the bench from the 2:15 mark of the 1Q until the 2nd half.
Because it’s happened so regularly, I wonder if this kind of situational awareness is emphasized at all by our staff?
We’re not great, but increased situational awareness might help us be better.

 

[22dupree]

1) I don't think we had a true point guard. Maybe Murcer can develop into one. maybe we will have to wait a couple classes to get one. I don't know that we have had a genuine, true point guard since d-rob. I hope Gabby would be 1 but she kind of did the same thing Shaina did, just not as much.
2) 0 post presence.. Without a threat down low our perimeter players had constant coverage. I never saw a double or triple team on our post girls because they were 5'11" and undersized.
3) no leadership. It seems like when the players got panicked there was no one to take charge and calm the group down, to slow things down, at least not on a consistent basis. If we don't have the players to do it, then the coaches should be stepping in and doing this and I rarely saw SC off the bench and animated, which with a team this young, I think you really have to be.
I'm sure they will get a little bit better next season due to experience but lastly I think you've got to go out there and get more talent. Not just one out of four in a class can be truly talented division 1 players. and unfortunately that's kind of been the way things have been going with our recruiting lately and we've paid for it in our results... Zero championships, less than impressive postseason runs...
I truly hope all of these things can be approved upon and we can get back to where we were for a short period of time in the early 2000s.

All good points!
I really like your second point dealing the lack of a post presence. Strong post players help to stem tides; there were games which ViVi took over and it was nice to just throw it into her and know the opponent couldn’t deal with her.
How nice would it have been to have someone to make Brewer work on defense in our season finale vs Tech?
We seem to recruit too many projects and if we’re developing them well, it’s ok. But I think we’re not real strong in that area either.
Hope we can soon find an impactful post to play with the group we have now.

 

[SoonerSpock]

1) I don't think we had a true point guard. Maybe Murcer can develop into one. maybe we will have to wait a couple classes to get one. I don't know that we have had a genuine, true point guard since d-rob. I hope Gabby would be 1 but she kind of did the same thing Shaina did, just not as much.
2) 0 post presence.. Without a threat down low our perimeter players had constant coverage. I never saw a double or triple team on our post girls because they were 5'11" and undersized.
3) no leadership. It seems like when the players got panicked there was no one to take charge and calm the group down, to slow things down, at least not on a consistent basis. If we don't have the players to do it, then the coaches should be stepping in and doing this and I rarely saw SC off the bench and animated, which with a team this young, I think you really have to be.
I'm sure they will get a little bit better next season due to experience but lastly I think you've got to go out there and get more talent. Not just one out of four in a class can be truly talented division 1 players. and unfortunately that's kind of been the way things have been going with our recruiting lately and we've paid for it in our results... Zero championships, less than impressive postseason runs...
I truly hope all of these things can be approved upon and we can get back to where we were for a short period of time in the early 2000s.[/QUOTE]

It really was not for a shot time. It was more than a decade. From 2000-2010 we won 6 regular season conference championships, 4 conference tournament championships, 3 Final Fours, 1 Sweet 16 and were 18-6 against Baylor and Kim Mulkey. Since then no conference championships, 2 Sweet 16's and a 2-17 against Baylor.

 

[Soonerbay]

Overall, they performed about as well as could be expected considering lack of strength at each starting position and reserve compared to conference opponents, their individual and combined skill set, lack of development of returners, inexperience and coaching.

Also, when are they going to stop that ineffective bounce pass into all types of traffic, aimed at the post player ankles? IJS

 

[inoref]

Only way for OU to get better..IMO, better talent is needed, better coaching is needed. We need D1 talent not Class 3A from 1983, we need coaching for the modern times not 1983
I see little or no hope for the current team as it stands now and even less for the coaching part. Sometimes in life you just have to call it quits and start over. I wish the best for any player leaving the program, I have a feeling their game will only get better. I said all year that this team will get better but the ceiling is very limited. Far as I feel about SC (as a coach) will not change. See I can say this without calling SC to be fired or getting a pay cut even if it isn't how I feel

 

[Oliver Hardy]

I believe we can expect improvement (to what degree is the question) from Murcer and Williams. Of course, Ana is the foundation and the rock. She couldn't get a whole lot better than she already is -- except for stopping her fouling so much.

So much of next season depends on how much Sherri is going to change and give her new assistants the ability to implement their styles with hers and then transfer all of that new look to the players.

This last season was just a debacle of really epic proportions. Outside of Ana's play, Williams surprising impact, and the shooting of Robertson, I can't think of a single thing to praise.

Team play was atrocious, offense, defense just almost everything.

 

[soonermike22]

The good thing about last season was our freshmen got experience, although it would have been better experience with upper class leadership and more wins. We also saw better numbers in the freshmen class, with talent, and possible decent contributions in the future, just not the star mold. We also had better effort, and I thought a much better never quit attitude than in several of our last few years. I am not as "down" as some fans on our future because several of the freshmen and one sophomore can fill slots in the reserves and "other" players, if we recruit some all-conference type players. Williams, Murcer, Lampkin, Simpson, Vietemheimer, and Robertson all have a place on a squad, but Ana is not near enough of the needed leader/star talent. But we have pieces, if our 3 2019/2020 freshmen are good and IF we can find some talented height for next year.

And our new assistants (3 new I hope) can and are allowed to coach.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Which brings me to ponder this question, which I would like you all to ponder too, to wit:

How much of the play can be put on youth and how much can be put on the fact these girls just flat aren't as good as advertised (not counting Ana and Robertson's shooting the 3)?

Could they actually be the middle-of-the-road recruits (or worse) that we had to set our caps on because all our other better targets signed elsewhere?

Or, has OU and Sherri lost all of their luster and swagger and high profile nationally already and only a dramatic season next year will revive it?

 

[inoref]

Which brings me to ponder this question, which I would like you all to ponder too, to wit:

How much of the play can be put on youth and how much can be put on the fact these girls just flat aren't as good as advertised (not counting Ana and Robertson's shooting the 3)?

Could they actually be the middle-of-the-road recruits (or worse) that we had to set our caps on because all our other better targets signed elsewhere?

Or, has OU and Sherri lost all of their luster and swagger and high profile nationally already and only a dramatic season next year will revive it?

As mention before the team can get better but it is very limited on how much better. I seen smaller teams, I seen slower teams, but I never seen a team as small and slow as OU. I can't blame that on the girls they are what they are. OU is years away from being anything like what we want them to be

 

[soonermike22]

Which brings me to ponder this question, which I would like you all to ponder too, to wit:

How much of the play can be put on youth and how much can be put on the fact these girls just flat aren't as good as advertised (not counting Ana and Robertson's shooting the 3)?

Could they actually be the middle-of-the-road recruits (or worse) that we had to set our caps on because all our other better targets signed elsewhere?

Or, has OU and Sherri lost all of their luster and swagger and high profile nationally already and only a dramatic season next year will revive it?

At least half of the poor play is inexperience, lack of upper class on court leadership, and poor coaching. Ana made a big jump in ourput from her freshman year to her sophomore year. No freshman this year will make as big an improvement, but Robertson and Murcer improved over the course of the year and hopefully they as well as Lampkin will develop. Madi has a higher ceiling and it would really help if she improved like Ana did.
Players in the right team situation can shine, but if they are required to be the "star" they can look downright pitiful. I think that and inexperience hurt several of our players this past season

 

[Soonerguy06]

I think that's a good point about middle-of-the-road talent. I definitely do not see TV being top 25 in her class and I don't know that she's got a whole lot of ceiling to improve.... Didn't really see very many glimpses of brilliance from her at all this year. Murcer, I see potential but not sure if she's a true point guard either. Lampkin I could definitely see getting a lot better if she just had more confidence and someone coached her about positioning down low. She's got the athleticism and the shop though. Williams, same thing - some moments of brilliance from her her last game was probably her best game in my opinion. No more projects, we need players that can immediately make an impact. I hope Gregory Scott and Bloom are those type of players but we need at least one more player with height....Williston, IMO it's not the answer. She seems a bit uncoordinated and slow and even a little weak for her size, from what I've seen not really a division 1 player and not quite sure what SC thought she would get out of her.
I'm praying one of these new assistants comes in and brings in a solid player with height, and maybe even another guard that has experience that can lead us, otherwise next year might be the exact same problem.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

I don’t want to imply anything bad or mean about Williston, but wasn’t she the last player signed? When she did, I thought Jeffcoat and Zander and I don’t mean that to be cruel, just an honest thought that crossed my mind. A practice player.

I hope she proves me and anyone who thinks that wrong and that she becomes becomes a star.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SoonerSpock]

Ultimately Jeffcoat, Zander and Wiliston may be similar players at OU but Jeffcoat was a top 100 player (#41 ESPN Hoopgurlz and #93 Blue Star) coming out of high school. #4 Center ESPN Hoopgurlz. Jeffcoat had much higher expectations.

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=208801555

 

[sybarite]

Williston had been the subject of a recruiting battle between TCU and OSU. She had committed to OSU. It was a bit of a surprise that she switched to OU who seemed to be more interested in a prospect who subsequently committed to TCU.

 

[Soonerguy06]

Y. Morris is believe..

She didn't get much pt there this year so not sure how good she is or is not

 

[SoonerSpock]

Y. Morris is believe..

She didn't get much pt there this year so not sure how good she is or is not

Yummy M played 6.8 minutes, 3.2 pts, 2.1 boards and 3/18 a/to

Aspen played 3.1 minutes, 0.6 pts, 0.9 boards and 0/2 a/to

We really know nothing about either except they were not capable of starting or earning significant minutes. We know not why. Aspen does have an inch on Yummy.

 

[sybarite]

We also know Aspen had leg surgery and missed almost the entire season. When it occurred is more uncertain.