Two years ago....

[ben]

We had no identity.

We had no defense whatsoever, we gave up layups like spoiled meat.

From what I can remember (my memory is kind of blurry...too much horror tends to do that on the brain) we were freaking destroyed and decimated by Kansas and Texas at home, embarrassed on national tv.

I actually believed at that point that the good players with heart (Pledger, Fitzgerald, etc.) were never going to get to be a part of an NCAA tournament team, which should be an imperative must to at least be in 3 out of 4 years for our program. That really saddened me. At least Crocker had his years in the sun before going out with a dog of a team.

Two years ago, Nick Thompson air balled about 5 shots at Baylor and was never seen on the floor again.

Finally, two years ago I never believed that a coach would come in and two years later rebuild a team's mentality (you know, to actually have fun with your teammates and not be a selfish-egoist) , approach to man-to-man defense, and hustle. I also never believed that he would quickly bring us back to a winningness//pumped up/excited-to-play/ready-to-play-defense/smart-shooting team in less than two seasons.

I'm glad I was wrong.

Thank you Lon Kruger.

 

[DenverSooner]

Capel was a horrible coach. It really is that simple.

 

[Big Old Booger]

We had no identity.

We had no defense whatsoever, we gave up layups like spoiled meat.

From what I can remember (my memory is kind of blurry...too much horror tends to do that on the brain) we were freaking destroyed and decimated by Kansas and Texas at home, embarrassed on national tv.

I actually believed at that point that the good players with heart (Pledger, Fitzgerald, etc.) were never going to get to be a part of an NCAA tournament team, which should be an imperative must to at least be in 3 out of 4 years for our program. That really saddened me. At least Crocker had his years in the sun before going out with a dog of a team.

Two years ago, Nick Thompson air balled about 5 shots at Baylor and was never seen on the floor again.

Finally, two years ago I never believed that a coach would come in and two years later rebuild a team's mentality (you know, to actually have fun with your teammates and not be a selfish-egoist) , approach to man-to-man defense, and hustle. I also never believed that he would quickly bring us back to a winningness//pumped up/excited-to-play/ready-to-play-defense/smart-shooting team in less than two seasons.

I'm glad I was wrong.

Thank you Lon Kruger.

:clap

Great post. When Capel was fired, I was one who wanted OU to go after Kruger. I've always admired him and his coaching since his days at KSU, and I knew he would run a clean program. When it was announced he was hired, at that point I knew it was a matter of time until we were back on the map in mens basketball. I didn't think it would be year 2, but I hoped it would be.

He's done a magnificent job and it's only going to get better. He is the only coach in the Big 12 who can outcoach Self, IMO.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I cannot disagree with anything written in this thread so far. Just two years ago, as a fan, I had no hope in a brighter future for OU basketball. Everything about the program seemed to be negative, and everything seemed to be getting worse. In fact, the “leadership” of the program at that time seemed to put out an aura of negativity. There was no visible happiness in the program or in the players. From the outside, it did not look like the players were having any fun.


Flash forward two years, and now things are upbeat, for the players, for the fans, for the program. A renewal is underway under the leadership of Coach Kruger. The players are having more fun. The fans are having more fun. There is well founded hope that a positive future lays ahead.

****

I am looking forward to going to the game tonight. I want to support the seniors and hope that they play every remaining game with the energy and passion that they played with on Saturday. If they do, then they will earn their way into the NCAA tournament. This is the home stretch. It is time for Pledger, Osby, Grooms and Fitzgerald to make sure that the LNC is OUr House. Hold serve at home fellows. The LNC is yOUr House. Fight like hell. Play smart. Win the home games.

To the OU students: You have been wonderful the past several games. FANtastic. Make the LNC your house, along with the team.

 

[scrybe]

Kruger) is the only coach in the Big 12 who can outcoach Self, IMO.

And he can win without resorting to the kind of underhanded crap Self lowered himself to in the final minute of OU's win over the jayhawks.

 

[j2d2]

My initial response was that Kruger had coached at too many places-jumped around a lot. My whole faith was in Joe C's hands. When would he recognize that Capel was a COMPLETE failure? How long would we wallow in the toilet before he fired Capel? Two years later my faith has been restored. Take no prisoners, LK!!

 

[CzechM8]

That season 2 years ago was the first time in my life that even WINS made me fell like crap... like someone said... I had no hope for the future and even when we would win games I felt like all it did was reinforce and wrong ideas into the wrong players...

Kruger will forever be one of my favorites for what he has done and how he's done it...

 

[Cleavon Little]

Great thread - and I think the sentiments expressed in this thread are a huge part of the reason that the seniors (and fans) got so emotional after the win Saturday. We've come a long ways in a short amount of time and I couldn't be happier. Thank you so much for coming, Coach.

 

[NMSooner'80]

Two years ago, the season was brutal at times. But at least that team had some fight to it (the year that Clark and Neal were freshmen).

But, the team from '09-10 was an epic embarrassment. They were preseason Top 10 and won 13 freakin' games. I thought Capel should have been booted after that season, not after the 2010-11 season.

Some UTEP fan ran some mouth on my friend and me on the way past his tailgate site at the '09 Sun Bowl, about the All-College. I fired back with, "Call me when you've achieved something...."