Who are these guys?

[Big Old Booger]

James & Odomes have improved quite a bit even with the reports James has just became a gym rat this year & Odomes never has. Also our best player & 2nd or 3rd best player are 4s. Now there’s been a lot of headaches at the 5 I agree.

I love Doolittle's game but he really didn't start playing well at the 4 until about 2-3 weeks ago (last 7 or 8 games). He seems undersized at the 4 and that showed when he was guarded by taller players. Manek, when making shots is a good player, but we all know he fails miserably at rebounding and struggles in defense down low. Those are hallmarks of a 4. Having said that, I like both players and am glad they play for us but both are limited. I think Manek hit a soph slump this year and he seems to be out of it now, which is good. I hope he continues to improve, and the same for Doolittle (though I think last year was a complete waste of a season for him; truth is he's more like a soph in games played).

The 5 has been abysmal though and that is really what I was talking about.

 

[Big Old Booger]

This literally happens in every game thread and in many threads following any loss. It's good to log on today & see so many positive threads. If we had lost, there would be at least 1 about getting rid of Kruger and 1 about JUCO players we should have recruited instead of the sorry guys we've got. I've just decided to stay away unless there's some new area worth covering.

I don't read the game threads. The poster we had who isn't around anymore, LAX or something like that (I called him Ex-Lax :ez-roll ruined me from the game threads with his constant rollercoaster posts. I stay away from it because that is where the emotions are more visible.

 

[Eielson]

Hey big boy, find one post where I told anyone not to support the team. All I did was point out the things the broadcast crew said. If you are going to be obsessed with my posts, at least come somewhat close to being factually accurate.

Coach said it, and it's what most of this thread is about. You jumped to his defense.

 

[Big Old Booger]

This nails it. They played out of their minds yesterday. I'd be stunned if they played that well Sunday. We may have to in order to beat Virginia. They play slow and great defense and are designed to make other teams look bad. Like Texas Tech, only better.

There's a lot to be hopeful about with this program and, make no mistake, win or loss Sunday, this has been a successful season. It's definitely a program on the rise. The team's 2 best players return & we're bringing in a top 10 recruiting class plus 1 of the best transfers in the country. It's a tough conference so we'll lose some games but this program is trending upward. We've made the tournament 7 out of years.

Would you rather be OU or Texas? OU or Okie St? OU or TCU? 90% of the programs in the country.? Could we do better than Kruger? Maybe, but we all know we could do worse as well...a lot worse. Yeah, I'd love to have a basketball program to match our football program but that's probably not realistic. I believe this program has a chance to make a run at a final 4 in 2 years...Maybe even next year if things all come together quickly.

Program on the rise? That is so aggie.

We were the 2nd best program in the big 12 when Kelvin left and it really wasn't close. Clearly 10 programs were in our rearview mirror. Now we are maybe 6th or 7th best (last over the last 3 years of conference play). The 3 programs you mentioned are all behind us though Smart knows how to beat OU. That's why people like myself are critical. Why would I compare our program to teams whom we own commanding leads in the series (between the programs)? The only team we compared too at one point was KU and they have always been better. Baylor has passed us and we had something like 35 wins against them before they ever beat us (in history). That's terrible. KSU and ISU have surpassed us and we used to beat them at least once per season if not both times.

 

[Big Old Booger]

So it's ok and appropriate to call out Coach and/or me for "lighting the fuse," but when hypocritical, constantly negative posters get called out for their takes, that's not appropriate? The mods constantly say this board would be boring if everyone agreed all the time, yet it seems like that principle doesn't apply when those of us who don't want to fire the staff and bash the talent post something you don't agree with.

Guess what? If people declare the season over in mid February, say there is no chance we are winning any more games or making the tournament, and suggest that guys like Doo and Manek aren't good enough to start for a quality Big 12 team, THEY deserve to get called out, too. And two of the biggest criticisms people have lodged have been that we run no offense and that our players never improve. So when the best analyst on the planet specifically talks about those topics, it's somehow out of bounds for me to mention it? And of course, the replies to that are to just pretend like Raftery doesn't know anything about our team or the game in general. I can assure you he has a better understanding of offensive strategy than any of us, myself included z even if he "only" broke down video from a handful of our games. I'd say the people who claim we run no plays clearly haven't watched us either, since we run great out of bounds plays, lobs, and postups time after time in every game.

Of the 6 Big 12 teams that made the tournament, tell me which ones Doo and Manek would both start. I will go first:

KU -- NO
ISU -- NO
Baylor -- Doo probably, Manek probably not
KSU -- if Wade is healthy neither one starts
Tech -- NO
OU -- both start

OU is the only team they would both start, IMO. They would play considerably on every team sans KU, IMO.

 

[Eielson]

Would you rather be OU or Texas? OU or Okie St? OU or TCU? 90% of the programs in the country.? Could we do better than Kruger? Maybe, but we all know we could do worse as well...a lot worse.

I wouldn't trade coaches with Texas, and Boynton is currently TBD. I thought Boynton did a great job considering the team he was handed last year, but the honeymoon is almost over. He has to produce next year. Dixon, on the other hand, is far superior to Lon, and that's not even close.

As far as being a program on the rise, I guess it depends on how much you zoom in. Yes, our team looks to be much better next year, but this past decade has been one of our worst in quite some time.

 

[CoachTalk]

I obviously struck a nerve with a few loyal fans.

 

[BCSooners]

Of the 6 Big 12 teams that made the tournament, tell me which ones Doo and Manek would both start. I will go first:

KU -- NO
ISU -- NO
Baylor -- Doo probably, Manek probably not
KSU -- if Wade is healthy neither one starts
Tech -- NO
OU -- both start

OU is the only team they would both start, IMO. They would play considerably on every team sans KU, IMO.

Doolittle was 3rd team all Big12, he’d start on everyone of those teams.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Doolittle was 3rd team all Big12, he’d start on everyone of those teams.

Doo starts for every team in the league. Not even a question.

 

[AdaSooner]

I obviously struck a nerve with a few loyal fans.

No, you assumed anyone who had one negative thing to say when this team tanked in conference play was not a loyal fan.

You were wrong. I invested thousands of hours of my time for more than a decade so fans like you would have a place to discuss OU basketball. Does that fit your definition of a “loyal fan?”

You darned right you struck a nerve! Not that it bothered you because you’re still doing it.

 

[sheepdogs1]

I obviously struck a nerve with a few loyal fans.

You struck a nerve with people.

 

[stormspencer]

No, you assumed anyone who had one negative thing to say when this team tanked in conference play was not a loyal fan.

You were wrong. I invested thousands of hours of my time for more than a decade so fans like you would have a place to discuss OU basketball. Does that fit your definition of a “loyal fan?”

You darned right you struck a nerve! Not that it bothered you because you’re still doing it.

Spot on Ada.

 

[thebigabd]

I think if you spend time on the OU fan forum that you are a pretty dedicated fan... Plus, the team is in the second round of the NCAA tournament... That is pretty awesome .. we should probably just b**** at each other for 6 months while we wait for the season to start over again next year.

Plenty of time to beat each other up after the tournament.

I've been busy with a minor family emergency and moving to a new corporate office with my company... After the win I didn't expect to get on here and see everybody at each other's throats lol

 

[Max Power]

No, you assumed anyone who had one negative thing to say when this team tanked in conference play was not a loyal fan.

You were wrong. I invested thousands of hours of my time for more than a decade so fans like you would have a place to discuss OU basketball. Does that fit your definition of a “loyal fan?”

You darned right you struck a nerve! Not that it bothered you because you’re still doing it.

not to mention the fans that have invested tens of thousands of dollars over the years buying tickets, donating Money and traveling to see the team. Several of those types of fans were frustrated this year and voiced their displeasure. Guess they aren't fans either

 

[oudna]

Tramel

“Manek’s season numbers with the buzz cut: 14.2 points a game, .560 shooting percentage, .423 3-point percentage.

Manek’s season numbers without the buzz cut: 11.1 points a game, .421 shooting percentage, .327 3-point percentage.”

 

[BCSooners]

Tramel

“Manek’s season numbers with the buzz cut: 14.2 points a game, .560 shooting percentage, .423 3-point percentage.

Manek’s season numbers without the buzz cut: 11.1 points a game, .421 shooting percentage, .327 3-point percentage.”

I’m so thankful the Larry Bird comparisons have stopped.

 

[AdaSooner]

I’m so thankful the Larry Bird comparisons have stopped.

Me too. I think the attention Brady was getting from the news media may have led to unnecessary pressure to live up to his lookalike image. I’m glad that nonsense was put to rest.

 

[BCSooners]

Me too. I think the attention Brady was getting from the news media may have led to unnecessary pressure to live up to his lookalike image. I’m glad that nonsense was put to rest.

Yes it was an unwarranted distraction

 

[Hollisp]

Yes, our team looks to be much better next year, but this past decade has been one of our worst in quite some time.

We went to a final 4

 

[Eielson]

We went to a final 4

I'm quite aware of that.