What's next for Gillispie and Capel?

[campbest]

...so I'm guessing you're one of those intramural or YMCA stars, who seem to become experts in their own minds when they bank in the winning shot against the dental students.

Now that's funny.

 

[Max Power]

If Capel can get this team back to winning next season, then you can expect that trend to continue since he will be returning all 5 starters and most of his bench the following year. If he can't next year than he will be looking for a new job.

the only problem with that is after year two of that plan we graduate 6 Srs. and Caple has a bad track record of keeping underclassmen in the system. We could be in this same situation in 2 years time

 

[soonerbms]

It's okay, you lost your train of thought. You thought I was pimping Capel by not wanting to hire Gillespie. There are better options out there if Joe decides to make a move, a move I wouldn't object to. You got a little upset (maybe it's finals week?) and called people pathetic. It happens from time to time. We all get upset sometimes.

No, I took exception with your post not because you opposed Gillispie would be a bad hire. Instead, it was because you claimed Capel was a better coach than him. Nice try, though.

 

[scrybe]

That's comical.

I certainly don't question your support. If you can support Capel and after 5 years claim he hasn't been given a chance, then you would support anybody.

So are you saying it would be a bad thing for me to support Gillespie? Now I'm really confused. I thought you liked Billy G?

 

[Dem Coltz]

One thing leads to another.

 

[SoMuchDramaInTheLNC]

We do NOT want Gillespie. He's Kelvin Sampson Lite, which is exactly what this program doesn't need at this point. Sure, he'll bump us up to 20 wins, but that will be our ceiling. 8 or 9 seed, first or second round exit every year. On top of that, his style will bring more low scoring, boring basketball, which isn't going to fill up the LNC, no matter what our record is.

 

[skyvue]

We do NOT want Gillespie. He's Kelvin Sampson Lite, which is exactly what this program doesn't need at this point. Sure, he'll bump us up to 20 wins, but that will be our ceiling. 8 or 9 seed, first or second round exit every year. On top of that, his style will bring more low scoring, boring basketball, which isn't going to fill up the LNC, no matter what our record is.

I hate to burden you with actual facts, but we won more than 20 games in eight out of Sampson's 12 seasons. We won 25 or more games five times.

In his final seven trips to the tourney, Sampson's teams went to a Final Four, an Elite Eight, and a Sweet Sixteen.

So your characterization of Sampson's time at OU is not at all accurate. In fact, it's ridiculously inaccurate. But then, the Sampson haters never really cared about the truth. All they cared about was that Sampson wasn't Billy Tubbs. That's what they've never been able to forgive him for.

Most folks have learned over the past five seasons that winning is a lot less "boring" than losing, regardless of the style employed. After all, among the most frequent complaints voiced about certain of Capel's teams have been the lack of heart and hustle displayed and the lack of hard-nosed defense, which were hallmarks of Sampson's teams.

So it would seem that the majority of the Sooner hoops fan base have learned (the members of the ABS club will seemingly never learn, but they are an embittered minority) how good we had it for twelve years and would prefer annual trips to the Big Dance, even if it meant occasionally being disappointed by early departures (which, let's face it, happen to most programs) and a defense-first approach to the game.

 

[Sid]

We do NOT want Gillespie. He's Kelvin Sampson Lite, which is exactly what this program doesn't need at this point.

I agree. BG is KS Lite. Even though KS was a good college coach, I wasn't happy with 5-6 then and I would not be happy with 5-6 in the future. BG is not what the program needs going forward. The basketball program is at a critical point. If Joe makes another bad decision, it could damage the program for years to come. Joe hired a coach on the cheap and now the program is suffering for that decision. He tried to hit a home run paying beer money to a young coach and he struck out.

 

[Big Old Booger]

So are you saying it would be a bad thing for me to support Gillespie? Now I'm really confused. I thought you liked Billy G?

This is what I have posted about BCG in this thread:

+1

I'll also say that many OU fans didn't realize what they had in Sampson until he was gone.

I don't really want BCG not because of his style of play, but more because of his baggage.

Not sure what to make of this column. Sittler has been pretty critical of Capel, so it almost seems to me like he wants Joe C to make a move, not that his criticism hasn't been fair.

Personally, I'm not a BCG fan. Give me Gregg Marshall or Terry Evans, as those are my top 2. But, if Capel were fired and BCG hired, I would support him.

He did have some good talent at aTm, but he recruited more good talent that kept them going.

Like I say, I don't want him because of his baggage, not because of his style of play. I wouldn't care if we won every game 4-2, just win.

No, I'm not saying it would be a bad thing to support Gillespie. If you can support Capel thru the 5 worst years the program has seen in almost 50 years, then you would support anybody.

I'm tipping my cap to you. :ez-laugh:

 

[SoMuchDramaInTheLNC]

I hate to burden you with actual facts, but we won more than 20 games in eight out of Sampson's 12 seasons. We won 25 or more games five times.

In his final seven trips to the tourney, Sampson's teams went to a Final Four, an Elite Eight, and a Sweet Sixteen.

So your characterization of Sampson's time at OU is not at all accurate. In fact, it's ridiculously inaccurate. But then, the Sampson haters never really cared about the truth. All they cared about was that Sampson wasn't Billy Tubbs. That's what they've never been able to forgive him for.

Most folks have learned over the past five seasons that winning is a lot less "boring" than losing, regardless of the style employed. After all, among the most frequent complaints voiced about certain of Capel's teams have been the lack of heart and hustle displayed and the lack of hard-nosed defense, which were hallmarks of Sampson's teams.

So it would seem that the majority of the Sooner hoops fan base have learned (the members of the ABS club will seemingly never learn, but they are an embittered minority) how good we had it for twelve years and would prefer annual trips to the Big Dance, even if it meant occasionally being disappointed by early departures (which, let's face it, happen to most programs) and a defense-first approach to the game.

The operative word in my post was "lite". I'm not discounting KS's accomplishments at OU at all...but you can't deny that his tournament history was kind of shaky. They have similar styles, but I think KS is much better than Gillespie as a coach, and hiring Gillespie would be like a less successful Sampson era. Our ceiling with Gillespie would be maybe a 4, 5 seed and a Sweet 16, and our basement would be the NIT. In other words, a lite version of KS's tenure.

 

[skyvue]

Fair enough. I don't really have an opinion on Gillespie. I'm not excited about the prospect of bringing him in, but perhaps it would work. I really don't know. His off-the-court baggage concerns me, too.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Why not hire a good coach with more experience than Capel, but less baggage than Gillispie? It should be Joe C.'s job to find such a coach.

 

[Darwin]

Jeff can get the program back faster than changing coaches. Understandably some here don't think he deserves the chance. Be prepared to see him succeed somewhere if not here.

If Joe makes another bad decision, it could damage the program for years to come. Joe hired a coach on the cheap and now the program is suffering for that decision. He tried to hit a home run paying beer money to a young coach and he struck out.

This is true , too young and inexperienced but a huge upside. I disagree that Joe struck out but he's behind in the count. Jeff is now seasoned and can become a very good coach. Loyalty in hard times is often rewarded. Again, Jeff can get the program back faster than changing coaches.

 

[SoonerDan74012]

The operative word in my post was "lite". I'm not discounting KS's accomplishments at OU at all...but you can't deny that his tournament history was kind of shaky.

I don't think I would call going to the Final Four, two Elite Eights, and three Sweet Sixteens shaky. For OU to accomplish what they did under Kelvin while only having one guy go to the NBA speaks volumes.

 

[skyvue]

This is true , too young and inexperienced but a huge upside. I disagree that Joe struck out but he's behind in the count. Jeff is now seasoned and can become a very good coach. Loyalty in hard times is often rewarded. Again, Jeff can get the program back faster than changing coaches.

This presumes he's got the innate ability, that lurking deep down inside him is a terrific coach just waiting to blossom.

I'm not saying it's not true, but I'm far from convinced from that it is.

We don't really know what his upside is. We may take comfort from telling ourselves that his ceiling is sky high, but we can't really know that. The only stellar season we've seen from him involved the Blake factor, and I don't think we'll see another BG any time soon.

 

[coolm]

1. I do think JC has done a good job with these particular players. They are SIGNIFICANTLY better than they were at the start of the season.

2. that said...it is JC's fault that we're at this juncture with a depleted roster.

3. I am starting to think we need a KS-type of coach who emphasizes defense in order to compete in this league. Defense lets you compete on the road and is much more consistent in result even when the recruiting has cycles.

 

[skyvue]

1. I do think JC has done a good job with these particular players. They are SIGNIFICANTLY better than they were at the start of the season.

I don't disagree they're better, coolm, but they still suffer way too many lapses, defensive and mental. We play ourselves out of games far too often -- which is not too deny credit to our opponents, but we do too often seem to be our own worst enemies, and that's getting really old.

 

[Sid]

Why not hire a good coach with more experience than Capel, but less baggage than Gillispie? It should be Joe C.'s job to find such a coach.

ttt. I agree. No more consultants.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I might be sliding into the Gillispie camp. BCG is going to get a stud from TX and is going to be progressive in looking at OK. kids like my favorite player, Dom Raney, my second favorite player, Josh Richardson, and my third favorite player, Ryan Spangler. That's your supporting player lineup right there.

 

[ADCS]

1. I do think JC has done a good job with these particular players. They are SIGNIFICANTLY better than they were at the start of the season.

2. that said...it is JC's fault that we're at this juncture with a depleted roster.

3. I am starting to think we need a KS-type of coach who emphasizes defense in order to compete in this league. Defense lets you compete on the road and is much more consistent in result even when the recruiting has cycles.

I hate to say it, but IMO you're right on with #3. Unless you have elite athletes these days, successful college basketball, for the most part, is dreadfully boring to watch, because it's not about playing to your own potential, but dragging down the opponent's potential to the point that you can compete. I don't know why this seems to be - possibly a lack of teaching fundamentals at the lower levels. All I know is that it's mind-numbing to watch games from the '80s by many teams, see the players making shots, and then watch current games, and seeing even uncontested shots clank off the rim.