ViVi and Kaylon

[SoonerNorm]

Some have suggested both play at the same time. Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach.

ViVi is playing 15.8 minutes per game while Kaylon is playing 19. Of the starters, Kaylon is playing the fewest minutes.

ViVi is averaging 8.5 PPG while Kaylon is averaging 12.3 PPG

ViVi is averaging 5.3 RPG and Kaylon is at 7 RPG

Those numbers are pretty good for the limited minutes they play.

Of all players who have shot at least 20 field goal attempts, those two have the highest FG shooting percentages at 70 and 56% respectively.

I realize that conditioning is not good with ViVi and Kaylon. The obvious questions are, why is the conditioning so bad? Was Sherri aware that some of the players were not putting in the effort to improve their conditioning during the summer? What did she do about it? Did she have those two doing extra running and conditioning drills once practices first began and she saw their conditioning was in poor shape? Doubtful that anyone here knows. We do know that when athletes are preparing for the upcoming season, someone needs to make sure all players are doing what is required for them to be in great shape to perform at a high level for whatever time they are on the court/field. I don't think there is a question that someone dropped the ball (no pun intended).

The next question is, would the team be better off if those two players were each playing 25 minutes per game while playing the 4 and 5 together. IF they could play the extended minutes and if their percentages stayed the same, ViVi could possibly be averaging approx 12 PPG and 8 RPG. Likewise, Kaylon could possibly average approx. 15 PPG and 9 RPG.

The last but, perhaps most important consideration is, could ViVi or Kaylon guard the PF position. I think the answer to that is no, in most cases. Maddie's strength is not that of a defender but she is certainly quicker than ViVi/Kaylon which gives her the advantage.

So, while we would be better off from an offensive and rebounding standpoint to play ViVi and Kaylon together, we would probably come out on the short end defensively.

Thoughts?

 

[BanjoCharley]

I think I often don't read your complete posts because it seems I encounter "Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach." That isn't necessary to make your point and puts me off. This is the SoonerNorm board (look at who starts the majority of threads) and you are the Super Moderator so why do you have to snipe so often?

 

[sybarite]

I am not even getting into another thread about how poorly conditioned our posts are. That's been going on for about eight years now.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I think I often don't read your complete posts because it seems I encounter "Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach." That isn't necessary to make your point and puts me off. This is the SoonerNorm board (look at who starts the majority of threads) and you are the Super Moderator so why do you have to snipe so often?

It turns me off when someone reminds us that Sherri knows best because she is a HOF coach so I was trying to avoid that and get some legitimate answers.

 

[soonerstar]

It turns me off when someone reminds us that Sherri knows best because she is a HOF coach so I was trying to avoid that and get some legitimate answers.

+1

 

[tycat947]

I think I often don't read your complete posts because it seems I encounter "Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach." That isn't necessary to make your point and puts me off. This is the SoonerNorm board (look at who starts the majority of threads) and you are the Super Moderator so why do you have to snipe so often?

You speaketh the truth, Banjo!

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

Excellent post and really good analysis, Norm.

The conditioning has been an issue with our inside players for many years, so it is tempting to assume the coaches just don't place all that much emphasis on it. But it is clear from some comments Sherri made a while back that the conditioning bothers her, so it may simply be a case of she doesn't want to create distance from the kids by harping on it all the time. There is a certain team chemistry she strongly believes in - could it be she is trying to avoid messing that up?

In the summer there is limited access to players by NCAA rules, although that has changed a bit lately. Could that be a factor?

How hard would it be to design a "new" setup with 2 bigs when we have used a 4 out system for all the time these kids have been in school? Could we actually pull that off and be effective - even assuming KK and Vivi could defend appropriately? Would fouling become a major problem with one of them guarding a 4?

 

[35TangoTango]

It has seemed to me that for years, Norm has been telling us how he would do it better than Sherri. He does not, however, want anyone to suggest that we might not consider his suggestions as valid as the coaching staff's. He's thin-skinned that way.

 

[SoonerNorm]

It has seemed to me that for years, Norm has been telling us how he would do it better than Sherri. He does not, however, want anyone to suggest that we might not consider his suggestions as valid as the coaching staff's. He's thin-skinned that way.

:ez-laugh:

 

[SoonerNorm]

Excellent post and really good analysis, Norm.

The conditioning has been an issue with our inside players for many years, so it is tempting to assume the coaches just don't place all that much emphasis on it. But it is clear from some comments Sherri made a while back that the conditioning bothers her, so it may simply be a case of she doesn't want to create distance from the kids by harping on it all the time. There is a certain team chemistry she strongly believes in - could it be she is trying to avoid messing that up?

In the summer there is limited access to players by NCAA rules, although that has changed a bit lately. Could that be a factor?

How hard would it be to design a "new" setup with 2 bigs when we have used a 4 out system for all the time these kids have been in school? Could we actually pull that off and be effective - even assuming KK and Vivi could defend appropriately? Would fouling become a major problem with one of them guarding a 4?

I believe that is correct. From what I recall, the strength and conditioning staff can work with the players during the off-season but not the coaches. I'm sure the coaches get regular reports on the progress of the players but they cannot interact directly with them during that period.

I'm probably wrong but I don't recall conditioning being this bad in previous years with the bigs. I also don't see conditioning being a problem with the other players.

 

[rocjunkie]

Maybe it's just me, but you are averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds from the post position between Vivi and Kaylon, I think that is wonderful. Neither would I consider a true 4 and as such I don't think they could stay with most 4's in our conference. Platooning them keeps both fresh and playing their best during a game. Kaylon is playing like a senior. She is defending with her feet and not slapping and getting silly fouls. Vivi gets better every game, because of their production I just don't see a conditioning factor, but that's my humble opinion.

As far as conditioning, Derica has mentioned that all the girls worked hard on their conditioning in the off season and during October practices, so I certainly don't have any answers as to why some kids don't look in shape.


With the kids we have playing on the perimeter and solid play in the post, at the moment I wouldn't change any thing.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Maybe it's just me, but you are averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds from the post position between Vivi and Kaylon, I think that is wonderful. Neither would I consider a true 4 and as such I don't think they could stay with most 4's in our conference. Platooning them keeps both fresh and playing their best during a game. Kaylon is playing like a senior. She is defending with her feet and not slapping and getting silly fouls. Vivi gets better every game, because of their production I just don't see a conditioning factor, but that's my humble opinion.

As far as conditioning, Derica has mentioned that all the girls worked hard on their conditioning in the off season and during October practices, so I certainly don't have any answers as to why some kids don't look in shape.


With the kids we have playing on the perimeter and solid play in the post, at the moment I wouldn't change any thing.

I think the only thing I would change is to move Maddie down on the baseline to help with rebounding. I also think her scoring would increase.

 

[rocjunkie]

I think the only thing I would change is to move Maddie down on the baseline to help with rebounding. I also think her scoring would increase.

I really don't have a problem with that at all. I know she can be deadly on the drive from the wing, but she does an excellent job of tipping balls to the post or other rebounders when she can't get the ball. With her length she would be just as good a distributor from low or high.

 

[sybarite]

I don't think Sherri wants Maddie to be Joanna McFarland. I think she wants her to be Stacy Dales, or more like a Stacy Dales. She has mentioned that comparison on more than one occasion, and at the outset of this year, she mentioned that Maddie would be a point forward, who would play anywhere from the one to the four. I have seen her at the five. I think we can sacrifice one or two rebounds per game from Maddie for what she brings as a playmaker.

 

[scrybe]

I nominate Norm for the OUHoops.com Women's Hoops Board Hall of Fame.

There. Problem solved. :ez-laugh:

 

[SoonerNorm]

I nominate Norm for the OUHoops.com Women's Hoops Board Hall of Fame.

There. Problem solved. :ez-laugh:

Lol! No no, we don't want Tango to have a stroke. :ez-laugh:

 

[womenssports]

Physiologically speaking, no matter what your position, BMI, etc.; everyone's body is different biologically, chemically, and physcially. Thus, some players could do much more conditioning than others and would not be able to get into the shape that they wanted and I am not talking just post players, small players also.

Hormones (not just gender), enzymes vitamins, etc. and how your particular body is able to use them affects everything a person does and science has not begun to be
able to figure this out because money is used by big pharma for drugs and the government helps fund some of these studies. For some people eating a certain food considered healthy, actually hurts them but the thing is they are not usually aware, not unless they have some big time reaction.

My point is if some of the players are out of shape, I doubt that all of the ones that are is from lack of putting in the effort. I also noticed last year that it wasn't just posts that would get prematurely gassed. I haven't seen enough this year to comment.

 

[35TangoTango]

Lol! No no, we don't want Tango to have a stroke. :ez-laugh:

Oh, I vote Norm for the Board Hall of Fame. Then he'd have to allow us all to second-guess his coaching

Actually what irks me about Norm is statements like this: "Some have suggested both play at the same time. Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach."

See, he implies that anyone who disagrees with playing both posts is doing so just because they are Sherri sycophants. Actually I disagree with it because given their skill sets, it would be a really stupid and unproductive coaching move. I guess Sherri just happens to agree with me. She certainly agrees with me a lot more than she does with Norm.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Oh, I vote Norm for the Board Hall of Fame. Then he'd have to allow us all to second-guess his coaching

Actually what irks me about Norm is statements like this: "Some have suggested both play at the same time. Of course, some others think that whatever Sherri does is always the right thing to do because she is a Hall of Fame coach."

See, he implies that anyone who disagrees with playing both posts is doing so just because they are Sherri sycophants. Actually I disagree with it because given their skill sets, it would be a really stupid and unproductive coaching move. I guess Sherri just happens to agree with me. She certainly agrees with me a lot more than she does with Norm.

You are always more than welcome to disagree with my opinions. That would be a nice change because your current approach is just to say you choose to agree with Sherri as she's a HOF coach. If you will notice, many of us disagree with each other and have some great discussions while doing so without taking shots at each other. Rocjunkie is one person I truly like and have the utmost respect for. We don't always agree but he always acts respectful of opinions other than his own. Try it, you might like it!

 

[SKSooner]

Norm - I think the problem I have with you (and I assume others) is that you basically criticize everything about the program. There is nothing I can think of that Sherri Coale does well, according to you.

Her coaching decisions are constantly questioned.

Her recruiting is bashed on a daily basis, both implicitly and explicitly.

The management of her program during the offseason is routinely called into question.

You even question her work ethic and drive.

You constantly point out that her staff is unqualified, despite a track record of making Final Fours.

What I know is that it's impossible to become a Hall of Fame coach and be as poor at all of the above as you maintain that Sherri Coale is.