We are back to the Sampson level

[bocabull]

Great job coach Kruger. Looks like we are back in the top 4 of the Big 12 on a regular basis and will be averaging 12-6 or so conference records minimum for the foreseeable future.

We're not on the bubble. That top 20 RPI is accurate.

As for Hillbilly Ford, he's drastically inferior to Capel. The guy is a terrible coach. He can't win with anybody. At least when Capel had a loaded roster he won 30 games.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Were not even close to Sampson level yet. But we are coming along

 

[sanguinetti]

until we make the NCAA tournament again, we are not anywhere near Kelvin level.

rpi is nice but we have a brutal stretch coming up bookended by games with Kansas. i don't see any W's there for the team that lost to SFA and beat a decent OSU team at home....not sure where the hurrahs for the Great Return come from in the OP.

for a long time Billy Tubbs' very own Sooners had the record for the best rpi to not make the NCAA tournament.

we are still a .500 in conference team imo....and Big XII ain't all that this year.

good W for us....it's one we have to expect. Nice game from Hield, Osby etc. boarding from Pledger

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

We have more offensive talent than almost all of Sampson's teams. Depth too. They're certainly playing better and I hope it continues. They're a very balanced team in terms of offense/defense and inside/outside. Nice to be able to watch Sooner hoops again without collapsing in the fetal position crying.

 

[hoopsaustin]

We have more offensive talent than almost all of Sampson's teams. Depth too.

totally disagree. thats been our problem. sub-par talented players. we are finally playing better but show me this effort again next game

 

[WTSooner]

I realize who the OP is, but we're no where near the Kelvin level yet.

We are taking the right steps to get there though.

 

[AdaSooner]

Were not even close to Sampson level yet. But we are coming along

This team is not a finished product yet. But the defense we've seen lately is pretty darned close to the D Kelvin's teams played. Eliminate or minimize those brief periods were someone falls asleep and gives away points on a wide open three or layup, and we're definitely on Sampson's level. Our offense is getting better, too.

 

[bocabull]

I realize who the OP is, but we're no where near the Kelvin level yet.

We are taking the right steps to get there though.

I think we are WT. It's just masked at times because we are playing 3 true freshman & a transfer so the consistency is not always there. But our level of play vs A&M who blew out Kentucky today, the last 15 minutes @ West Virginia & for 75% of today's game is equal/superior to Sampsons average product at OU.

 

[Keller Sooner]

This team has a higher ceiling than they showed today. Let's hope they continue to improve as we move along.

 

[Escape Goat]

I realize who the OP is, but we're no where near the Kelvin level yet.

We are taking the right steps to get there though.

Agreed but they're inchin that way.

Bringing up Kelvin's name and I can't help but draw the comparison between the disdain we saw back then with KS and what we're seeing now with BS. Forgive my comparison and bringing fb on a bball board. Couldn't help it.

 

[JBaker]

I'm going to wait until halfway through conference season before I start claiming to have any idea where this team is.

 

[skyvue]

totally disagree. thats been our problem. sub-par talented players. we are finally playing better but show me this effort again next game

Have you not seen our past four games, each of which has been a strong performance? How many of those do we need in a row before you'll let yourself celebrate without reservation or caveat?

We defeat decisively an Ohio team many people thought we'd lose to. We dominate TA&MCC just like we're supposed to. We come from 12 down on the road to beat WV by 10, after which they beat UT on the road and take 18th-ranked KSU to the wire at home, and today we lead wire-to-wire an oswho team that has spent a good portion of the season in the top 20 -- a squad with many more highly rated recruits than we have -- on the way to a nine-point win.

I'm not sure what else you need to start feeling positive about the team. No one's penciling us in for the Final Four (or even a berth in the Big Dance), but if you're not unabashedly happy about today's win (and the three victories that preceded it), all I can say is, you're missing out on some fun.

 

[Sooner Clint]

Don't think we're back to that level yet but nice win today.

 

[WTSooner]

Have you not seen our past four games, each of which has been a strong performance? How many of those do we need in a row before you'll let yourself celebrate without reservation or caveat?

We defeat decisively an Ohio team many people thought we'd lose to. We dominate TA&MCC just like we're supposed to. We come from 12 down on the road to beat WV by 10, after which they beat UT on the road and take 18th-ranked KSU to the wire at home, and today we lead wire-to-wire an oswho team that has spent a good portion of the season in the top 20 -- a squad with many more highly rated recruits than we have -- on the way to a nine-point win.

I'm not sure what else you need to start feeling positive about the team. No one's penciling us in for the Final Four (or even a berth in the Big Dance), but if you're not unabashedly happy about today's win (and the three victories that preceded it), all I can say is, you're missing out on some fun.

He didn't say he wasn't happy. He said he's not ready to say we're back to being the program Kelvin left us with. And I agree. A couple of weeks ago, most of us thought any chance of making the Dance was out the window. Sure, we look MUCH better of late, but it's still just a couple of games. We've done this in the past. Last year, and under Capel.....looked good for a couple of games, only to fall apart for another stretch of games.

I think the biggest thing giving me renewed optimism to go Dancing is that the Big 12 is falling part. UT is crap. OSU already has already has two Big 12 losses. KSU and Baylor both look beatable. I just think there are more winnable games than most of us thought there would be.

I'm thrilled with today's game, and the direction this team is going. I just don't agree with boca, but shouldn't be surprised that he is taking a backhanded shot at Kelvin's teams.

 

[MercedeSooner]

We need a lot better guard play to be close to the Calvin level, I like our Frosh guards and Grooms is a nice backup but seeing how many issues we had once OSU went full court means we're going to see a lot more of it in the future.

 

[AdaSooner]

I'm going to wait until halfway through conference season before I start claiming to have any idea where this team is.

And miss the party?

As I said earlier, this team is not a finished product yet. But we're seeing a vastly different (and improved) team from the one that lost to SFA last month.

I'm not foolish enough to think that there won't be let downs and likely a loss or two in games we should have won. Still, I'm going to enjoy the ride while I can.

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

Most of Kelvin's teams had a lot of role players, with one special player. This one has a lot individual talent that can get their own shot. See no reason this team cannot finish 2nd, 3rd in Big 12.

 

[scrybe]

He didn't say he wasn't happy. He said he's not ready to say we're back to being the program Kelvin left us with. And I agree. A couple of weeks ago, most of us thought any chance of making the Dance was out the window. Sure, we look MUCH better of late, but it's still just a couple of games.

The bolded part shows the all-too-common knee-jerk reaction that prevails here whenever the Sooners lose a game that we believe they should have won. If that kind of reaction is okay, I think Boca's response to today's victory (and OU's improvement as of late) should be acceptable as well. Just sayin'…

 

[coolm]

Not Kelvin's level yet. But they played a really smart game today. Very impressive.

I dont want this thread to end up a Debbie Downer. This is a day to be celebrated. IMO this team took some steps today.

 

[skyvue]

A couple of weeks ago, most of us thought any chance of making the Dance was out the window. Sure, we look MUCH better of late, but it's still just a couple of games.

Really? I never thought we were out of it. Based on one game? That's kind of an overreaction, seems to me. First of all, SFA is a pretty good team (not that I wasn't very frustrated that we lost to them). Second of all, in focusing so strongly on that game, you're missing the point, in my opinion.

It's not been a couple of games. We've won four straight in impressive fashion, and we're 5-1 in our last six games. I reviewed four of those wins above, and A&M, a team we beat by 10, just defeated Kentucky by 10 today.

Sorry, but there's so much more positive news for us over the past month than negative. How many of us, on Dec. 14, would have happily signed on for a 5-1 record in our next six games? Virtually all of us, I suspect.

Will the team disappoint us at times over the next six weeks? Almost certainly, but we can worry about that if and when it happens. For now, celebration is the order of the day, seems to me. Downplaying this solid month of play serves no purpose, in my opinion, and doesn't give enough credit to the team and the coaches.