Worst choke job I've ever seen at ou

[sooner 1234]

I've watched ou basketball for decades and have never seen anything like that, giving that big of a lead away to such a horrible offensive team.
I've seen leads slip against teams that could score but nothing to like that to a team that hasn't done anything offensively all year.

Grooms and Kruger were mostly to blame.
I blame grooms for his jr hig play and Lon for keeping him out there.

Not only did grooms become a turnover machine the last 10 minutes , he couldn't score and much worst couldn't defend anyone.

He's our worst defender( pledger a close second) ,he can't handle pressure , nor can he score or even consistently hit his free throws........... Why was he even out there?
I know cousins has been a turnover machine...... But could it be any worse?....... I promise you cousins would have defended their pg much better( see first half) and he can score/ get to the basket.
Horrible pg play and horrible coaching the last 8 minutes.
I promise you we get a couple extra stops with cousins on defense and one extra stop is all we needed.

I know Lon is a great coach, but even great coaches make bad choices (every once in a while) , and keeping grooms in cost us this game.

 

[garyeb2]

I've watched ou basketball for decades and have never seen anything like that, giving that big of a lead away to such a horrible offensive team.
I've seen leads slip against teams that could score but nothing to like that to a team that hasn't done anything offensively all year.

Grooms and Kruger were mostly to blame.
I blame grooms for his jr hig play and Lon for keeping him out there.

Not only did grooms become a turnover machine the last 10 minutes , he couldn't score and much worst couldn't defend anyone.

He's our worst defender( pledger a close second) ,he can't handle pressure , nor can he score or even consistently hit his free throws........... Why was he even out there?
I know cousins has been a turnover machine...... But could it be any worse?....... I promise you cousins would have defended their pg much better( see first half) and he can score/ get to the basket.
Horrible pg play and horrible coaching the last 8 minutes.
I promise you we get a couple extra stops with cousins on defense and one extra stop is all we needed.

I don't understand all of this blame Kruger business. The 5 best players on the team are three still developing freshmen. One of which has a broken foot, one was in foul touble all night, and one with a current confidence problem when the ball is in his hand. A Wyoming transfer still trying to learn aggression and his place in the offense, and Osby. Past that, Kruger has nothing.

Last season we won 5 conference games with the talent to win 3. This season Kruger will likely at least double the conference wins. Posters that set their expectations too high and then blame someone else don't get much sympathy from me.

 

[sooner 1234]

I don't understand all of this blame Kruger business. The 5 best players on the team are three still developing freshmen. One of which has a broken foot, one was in foul touble all night, and one with a current confidence problem when the ball is in his hand. A Wyoming transfer still trying to learn aggression and his place in the offense, and Osby. Past that, Kruger has nothing.

Last season we won 5 conference games with the talent to win 3. This season Kruger will likely at least double the conference wins. Posters that set their expectations too high and then blame someone else don't get much sympathy from me.

I'm not talking about records, talent , or what we did last season. I'm talking about finishing a game when you have a 20 point lead with 7 min left.
This against a team has is horrible offensively .

That's simple basketball execution and managing your team .

Just straight up horrible coaching( mostly personale wise) and horrible execution by our most important player in a press, our pg.

Bottom line , Lon made a horrible choice by continuing to play grooms who basicly let a team come back without even having to play defense in a half court set.
It reminded me out a girls jr team who couldn't get it past half court.

 

[Max Power]

I'm not talking about records, talent , or what we did last season. I'm talking about finishing a game when you have a 20 point lead with 7 min left.
This against a team has is horrible offensively .

That's simple basketball execution and managing your team .

Just straight up horrible coaching( mostly personale wise) and horrible execution by our most important player in a press, our pg.

Bottom line , Lon made a horrible choice by continuing to play grooms who basicly let a team come back without even having to play defense in a half court set.
It reminded me out a girls jr team who couldn't get it past half court.

Who else should have played point? Cousins had the same problems and Hornbeak was fouled out. Pledger and Cam cant play point. That leaves us with James

 

[Big Old Booger]

I've watched ou basketball for decades and have never seen anything like that, giving that big of a lead away to such a horrible offensive team.
I've seen leads slip against teams that could score but nothing to like that to a team that hasn't done anything offensively all year.

Grooms and Kruger were mostly to blame.
I blame grooms for his jr hig play and Lon for keeping him out there.

Not only did grooms become a turnover machine the last 10 minutes , he couldn't score and much worst couldn't defend anyone.

He's our worst defender( pledger a close second) ,he can't handle pressure , nor can he score or even consistently hit his free throws........... Why was he even out there?
I know cousins has been a turnover machine...... But could it be any worse?....... I promise you cousins would have defended their pg much better( see first half) and he can score/ get to the basket.
Horrible pg play and horrible coaching the last 8 minutes.
I promise you we get a couple extra stops with cousins on defense and one extra stop is all we needed.

I know Lon is a great coach, but even great coaches make bad choices (every once in a while) , and keeping grooms in cost us this game.

I disagree with a lot of this, no disrespect intended.

IMO, it's hard to blame a coach in his 2nd season for personnel especially given the roster he inherited and considering he was hired so late he wasn't able to sign anyone of note for last season. Essentially he has Capel recruits plus 1 recruiting class of his own plus a transfer. It's a decent roster but not great.

Add in an injury to his best recruit who is a guard and again, I just don't see how LK gets any blame for personnel in this game? If you want to blame him for calling off the dogs too soon or something else related to Xs and Os then so be it, but not for playing who he deems is best.

Had LK pulled Grooms to play Cousins down the stretch, then you could blame LK because that would be a colossally stupid decision. Cousins can play defense, but he had no business playing PG down the stretch of that game on the road. It wouldn't have made it to OT had that happened.

Grooms is a flawed player, like many of the players on this roster. He's good at penetration and creating spacing in the defense. He's a terrible FT shooter for a PG and he's a marginal ball handler vs a press. We've known that one all season and why other teams haven't pressured us more is beyond me? However, as well as he has played and considering his confidence issues and who plays behind him, no way you pull him last night.

The one thing Grooms did that bothers me is the intentional foul that allowed Texas to get a 4 point play. No foul there and we win by two points, but you could say the same thing about Osby's missed FT.

 

[Max Power]

I disagree with a lot of this, no disrespect intended.

IMO, it's hard to blame a coach in his 2nd season for personnel especially given the roster he inherited and considering he was hired so late he wasn't able to sign anyone of note for last season. Essentially he has Capel recruits plus 1 recruiting class of his own plus a transfer. It's a decent roster but not great.

Add in an injury to his best recruit who is a guard and again, I just don't see how LK gets any blame for personnel in this game? If you want to blame him for calling off the dogs too soon or something else related to Xs and Os then so be it, but not for playing who he deems is best.

Had LK pulled Grooms to play Cousins down the stretch, then you could blame LK because that would be a colossally stupid decision. Cousins can play defense, but he had no business playing PG down the stretch of that game on the road. It wouldn't have made it to OT had that happened.

Grooms is a flawed player, like many of the players on this roster. He's good at penetration and creating spacing in the defense. He's a terrible FT shooter for a PG and he's a marginal ball handler vs a press. We've known that one all season and why other teams haven't pressured us more is beyond me? However, as well as he has played and considering his confidence issues and who plays behind him, no way you pull him last night.

The one thing Grooms did that bothers me is the intentional foul that allowed Texas to get a 4 point play. No foul there and we win by two points, but you could say the same thing about Osby's missed FT.

We missed way too many free throws last night

 

[Swans]

If only Kruger had played the same players who built that 22 point lead instead of the ones who lost........oh wait, nevermind.

 

[BruinSooner]

Then I guess you were too young to witness the 1978 Orange Bowl.

 

[sooner 1234]

If only Kruger had played the same players who built that 22 point lead instead of the ones who lost........oh wait, nevermind.

hate to break the news but Grooms barely played the first half.

 

[garyeb2]

I'm not talking about records, talent , or what we did last season. I'm talking about finishing a game when you have a 20 point lead with 7 min left.
This against a team has is horrible offensively .

That's simple basketball execution and managing your team .

Just straight up horrible coaching( mostly personale wise) and horrible execution by our most important player in a press, our pg.

Bottom line , Lon made a horrible choice by continuing to play grooms who basicly let a team come back without even having to play defense in a half court set.
It reminded me out a girls jr team who couldn't get it past half court.

Kruger has known how to break a press for probably at least 40 years. He has known how to teach others to break a press for 30 years.

So, why are we having difficulty breaking a press? I think the answer is simple. He doesn't have players capable of executing.

We have a top 40ish caliber team. Fans seem to think we should have a top 20 type team right now. Those fans may have to wait until another recruiting class or two come through.

 

[sooner 1234]

I disagree with a lot of this, no disrespect intended.

IMO, it's hard to blame a coach in his 2nd season for personnel especially given the roster he inherited and considering he was hired so late he wasn't able to sign anyone of note for last season. Essentially he has Capel recruits plus 1 recruiting class of his own plus a transfer. It's a decent roster but not great.

Add in an injury to his best recruit who is a guard and again, I just don't see how LK gets any blame for personnel in this game? If you want to blame him for calling off the dogs too soon or something else related to Xs and Os then so be it, but not for playing who he deems is best.

Had LK pulled Grooms to play Cousins down the stretch, then you could blame LK because that would be a colossally stupid decision. Cousins can play defense, but he had no business playing PG down the stretch of that game on the road. It wouldn't have made it to OT had that happened.

Grooms is a flawed player, like many of the players on this roster. He's good at penetration and creating spacing in the defense. He's a terrible FT shooter for a PG and he's a marginal ball handler vs a press. We've known that one all season and why other teams haven't pressured us more is beyond me? However, as well as he has played and considering his confidence issues and who plays behind him, no way you pull him last night.

The one thing Grooms did that bothers me is the intentional foul that allowed Texas to get a 4 point play. No foul there and we win by two points, but you could say the same thing about Osby's missed FT.

First Grooms single handily gave up 7 points in two plays (turnover when texas player simply picked up the ball and shot a three and the turnover /intentional foul.
Second "marginal" against the press??? I dont know if you can even call him a GUARD when teams pressure him.
Heck we had better luck with a 6'8 foward bringing the ball down the court.

As I said cousins probably would have turned it over just as much(couldnt have been worse) but hes also head and shoulders a better defender, and is also a threat to score unlike Sam.

Im sorry but some bench time(even for a couple minutes ) is exactly what Grooms needed , he was a deer in the headlights, he didnt know what was happening.

I dont know if you could ever say a single player cost us the game, But Ive also never seen a player give up seven points in two possessions without even getting it across half court.
Not to mention the wasted timeouts when he couldnt even get open. He looked like a walkon and for the life of me I do not understand why he wasnt taken out of the game, even for a brief time.
I can promise you today Kruger regrets not trying something different.

 

[sooner 1234]

I disagree with a lot of this, no disrespect intended.

IMO, it's hard to blame a coach in his 2nd season for personnel especially given the roster he inherited and considering he was hired so late he wasn't able to sign anyone of note for last season. Essentially he has Capel recruits plus 1 recruiting class of his own plus a transfer. It's a decent roster but not great.

Add in an injury to his best recruit who is a guard and again, I just don't see how LK gets any blame for personnel in this game? If you want to blame him for calling off the dogs too soon or something else related to Xs and Os then so be it, but not for playing who he deems is best.

Had LK pulled Grooms to play Cousins down the stretch, then you could blame LK because that would be a colossally stupid decision. Cousins can play defense, but he had no business playing PG down the stretch of that game on the road. It wouldn't have made it to OT had that happened.

It just blows my mind some of the homers that will protect ou player /coach not matter what.

Lon is a great coach and we are lucky to have him, but he did a horrible job last night down the stretch.Rick Barnes has coached alot of basketball and do you know hes never come behind to win a game with that big of deficit in his career? Thats nothing to make excuses about.




Grooms is a flawed player, like many of the players on this roster. He's good at penetration and creating spacing in the defense. He's a terrible FT shooter for a PG and he's a marginal ball handler vs a press. We've known that one all season and why other teams haven't pressured us more is beyond me? However, as well as he has played and considering his confidence issues and who plays behind him, no way you pull him last night.

The one thing Grooms did that bothers me is the intentional foul that allowed Texas to get a 4 point play. No foul there and we win by two points, but you could say the same thing about Osby's missed FT.

First Grooms single handily gave up 7 points in two plays (turnover when texas player simply picked up the ball and shot a three and the turnover /intentional foul.
Second "marginal" against the press??? I dont know if you can even call him a GUARD when teams pressure him.
Heck we had better luck with a 6'8 foward bringing the ball down the court.

As I said cousins probably would have turned it over just as much(couldnt have been worse) but hes also head and shoulders a better defender, and is also a threat to score unlike Sam.

Im sorry but some bench time(even for a couple minutes ) is exactly what Grooms needed , he was adder in the headlights, he didnt know what was happening.

I dont know if you could ever say a single player cost us the game, But Ive also never seen a player give up seven points in two possessions without even getting it across half court.
Not to mention the wasted timeouts when he couldnt even get open. He looked like a walkon and for the life of me I do not understand why he wasnt taken out of the game, even for a brief time.
I can promise you today Kruger regrets not trying something different.

 

[bgrch1350]

I wonder if not keeping Blair was a mistake. I know he's not that great but I think it was a mistake to not keep him around b/c it meant we only have 1 true pg on this team. Watching Cousins dribble the ball scares me and Grooms gets trapped so easily.

 

[WTSooner]

I promise you cousins would have defended their pg much better( see first half) and he can score/ get to the basket.

You do realize Cam guarded Kabongo for a lot of the last 10 minutes of the game, right?

Of course you don't. You wouldn't have posted like a clown if you did.

 

[Swans]

hate to break the news but Grooms barely played the first half.

The same team that took the floor last night is the same team that left it....and I'm not referring to the starting five. And, Grooms played more minutes (31) than any other backcourt player on our team not named Pledger.

 

[JBaker]

Kruger deserves a lot of blame, but not for leaving Grooms in.
Grooms is the best ball handler.
Kruger deserves blame for telling his guys, "Let's finish this one out with class," and benching 4 starters with 7:30 still to go in the game.

 

[sooner 1234]

The same team that took the floor last night is the same team that left it....and I'm not referring to the starting five. And, Grooms played more minutes (31) than any other backcourt player on our team not named Pledger.

Bs grooms had him most of the night , you must be thinking of all those trap turnovers when someone just grabbed a man .

 

[garyeb2]

Kruger deserves a lot of blame, but not for leaving Grooms in.
Grooms is the best ball handler.
Kruger deserves blame for telling his guys, "Let's finish this one out with class," and benching 4 starters with 7:30 still to go in the game.

Don't you want the team to finish out games with class? Kruger has been platooning the bench in early and often all season long. He has done it with large leads, small leads, and no lead at all. He is certainly justified in doing it with a 22 pt. lead.

Players coming off the bench at any point in the game have a job to do. That job is to maintain or increase the lead. This foolishness reminds me of the time Switzer told a reporter that he didn't coach his players to fumble. As a matter of fact, he coached them not to fumble. Just like Kruger coaches his kids not to turn the ball over and to not miss free throws, and not miss open shots, and to not blow 22 point leads.

 

[sooner 1234]

The same team that took the floor last night is the same team that left it....and I'm not referring to the starting five. And, Grooms played more minutes (31) than any other backcourt player on our team not named Pledger.

That's right with mid 20ties coming in the second half/ot. He sat most of the first with two early fouls . They made their biggest run 15 with him on the Bench.
Cousins logged almost 19 min and barely played the second half.
Cousins 19 min 0 turnovers 3 assists
Groom 31 min 4 turnovers 6 assists
And defensively it wasn't even close

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Kruger deserves a lot of blame, but not for leaving Grooms in.
Grooms is the best ball handler.
Kruger deserves blame for telling his guys, "Let's finish this one out with class," and benching 4 starters with 7:30 still to go in the game.

This