Youth

[SoonerfanTU]

Why is UK so good, considering they have one junior in their top 8 point scorers? The rest are split 3 (frosh) and 4 (sophs). They also have a first year coach.

You can say Wall, but I don't buy that the difference in Wall and TMG is the difference in being a top 3 team, and missing the NIT. Cousins was rated below Tiny, wasn't he?

On paper, I bet the talent is pretty similiar. Credit to Calipari for getting his kids to play hard and together.

 

[38red]

TALENT, SIZE AND ATHLETICISM! You can't see that?

 

[SoonerfanTU]

TALENT, SIZE AND ATHLETICISM! You can't see that?

On paper, we have those things. Plus we have experience, in Wright.

I'm not saying we should be as good as UK. I'm saying, that on paper, the difference is these two teams shouldn't be that we have half as many wins as they do. Everybody says you can't win with youth, and wants to point to UCONN and/or NC, but UK is probably the youngest team in the country, and they are winning big. And it isn't just b/c they have Wall. Replace him with any other "good", but not great PG, and they are still a top 10 team.

 

[DenverSooner]

TALENT, SIZE AND ATHLETICISM! You can't see that?

OU doesn't lack talent or athleticism. Tiny Gallon is as athletic as any PF/C in the country (or certainly in the very top few percentile). Ryan Wright is an athletic guy. Fitzgerald is respectable. WW, Crocker, Cade Davis, TMG, Willis and Pledger match up nicely with just about any other team.

 

[NickZepp]

On paper, we have those things. Plus we have experience, in Wright.

I'm not saying we should be as good as UK. I'm saying, that on paper, the difference is these two teams shouldn't be that we have half as many wins as they do. Everybody says you can't win with youth, and wants to point to UCONN and/or NC, but UK is probably the youngest team in the country, and they are winning big. And it isn't just b/c they have Wall. Replace him with any other "good", but not great PG, and they are still a top 10 team.

KU has a few more players. But the difference is that our talent was a little overrated coming in. And our players don't like each other. Kentucky seems to have great chemistry going on.

 

[DenverSooner]

KU has a few more players. But the difference is that our talent was a little overrated coming in. And our players don't like each other. Kentucky seems to have great chemistry going on.

They seem to like each other to me. Tiny and TMG knew each other before coming to OU. I really don't think the guys are overrated. Fitzgerald was a low Top 100 guy and he is playing well. He will be a very solid Big XII forward. Gallon is amazingly talented, he is just a bit raw as a player. TMG may have been underrated.

 

[38red]

OU doesn't lack talent or athleticism. Tiny Gallon is as athletic as any PF/C in the country (or certainly in the very top few percentile). Ryan Wright is an athletic guy. Fitzgerald is respectable. WW, Crocker, Cade Davis, TMG, Willis and Pledger match up nicely with just about any other team.

1.Gallon is as athletic as any pf/c in the country for a below the rim players!

2.RW is a jumper when no one is touching him and is a horrible post defender!

3.Fitz again below the rim player

4.On paper? really? (that is for TU)

WW and TMG are your best b-ball athletes.(and TC when he's not playing the 4)

 

[Gutter]

Kentucky's players are better than ours and Calipari, for all his baggage, is a really good coach. They are a much better team, that's why they are playing so much better. You of all people know how unpredictable "ratings" are.

 

[Sam]

Defense.

 

[38red]

Defense.

And that's just the beginning too!

 

[SoonerfanTU]

You of all people know how unpredictable "ratings" are.

If we're going to use that as an excuse, then no more talk about recruiting and recruiting rankings.

Either our guys don't have the talent that the recruiting places said they did, or Capel isn't doing a very good job of using it.

Some of us have been saying that recruiting isn't everything. We were laughed at. It isn't so funny these days, is it? There are only a couple of schools that can survive recruiting almost exclusively high-end talent. NC. Duke. UK now that they have a coach. IU if they ever get back to that level. You see what it did to Florida. Sure, they had a nice run, then those guys leave and they haven't been very good since. That isn't a good model for a program, IMO.

 

[Sid]

Kentucky's players are better than ours and Calipari, for all his baggage, is a really good coach.

I agree. Calipari is a basketball GENIUS. Calling a timeout at the end of the Vandy game yesterday was a brilliant move. Not calling a timeout in the NC game turned out to be one of the greatest coaching decisions of all time.

 

[playmakr]

Welcome back, Sid.

 

[Gutter]

If we're going to use that as an excuse, then no more talk about recruiting and recruiting rankings.

Either our guys don't have the talent that the recruiting places said they did, or Capel isn't doing a very good job of using it.

Some of us have been saying that recruiting isn't everything. We were laughed at. It isn't so funny these days, is it? There are only a couple of schools that can survive recruiting almost exclusively high-end talent. NC. Duke. UK now that they have a coach. IU if they ever get back to that level. You see what it did to Florida. Sure, they had a nice run, then those guys leave and they haven't been very good since. That isn't a good model for a program, IMO.

Excuse? I was just answering your question. Yes, Kentucky's players are better than ours. Yes, our players were not as good as the recruiting services thought. Those rankings tend not to consider attitude and defensive willingness. Yes, Jeff deserves blame for that - which seems to be the answer you are looking for.

As far as the part about you getting laughed at, that wasn't me, so I don't know what to tell you.

 

[quick release]

tiny gallon is a below the rim player? you do know he shattered a backboard this year right?

 

[Gutter]

I agree. Calipari is a basketball GENIUS. Calling a timeout at the end of the Vandy game yesterday was a brilliant move. Not calling a timeout in the NC game turned out to be one of the greatest coaching decisions of all time.

I think you quoted the wrong post, I never said genius or anything close to it.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Yes, Jeff deserves blame for that - which seems to be the answer you are looking for.

Believe it not, this isn't a dog Jeff, or bag on the OU team thread.

I'm just sick of reading the blanket statement that you can't win with youth, when good teams do it all the time. It is also hard to believe that the recruiting places missed on ALL of our high-end recruits currently on the team. That might be the case. Or it might be on 1 or 2 of them. I really think part of the problem is the way Capel treats them, and the freedom he has given them on and off the court.

 

[Gutter]

Believe it not, this isn't a dog Jeff, or bag on the OU team thread.

I'm just sick of reading the blanket statement that you can't win with youth, when good teams do it all the time. It is also hard to believe that the recruiting places missed on ALL of our high-end recruits currently on the team. That might be the case. Or it might be on 1 or 2 of them. I really think part of the problem is the way Capel treats them, and the freedom he has given them on and off the court.

Yeah, I agree with all of this.

 

[NickZepp]

tiny gallon is a below the rim player? you do know he shattered a backboard this year right?

Till the last game or two he hasn't even been a post player in conference play.

 

[NickZepp]

If we're going to use that as an excuse, then no more talk about recruiting and recruiting rankings.

Either our guys don't have the talent that the recruiting places said they did, or Capel isn't doing a very good job of using it.

Some of us have been saying that recruiting isn't everything. We were laughed at. It isn't so funny these days, is it? There are only a couple of schools that can survive recruiting almost exclusively high-end talent. NC. Duke. UK now that they have a coach. IU if they ever get back to that level. You see what it did to Florida. Sure, they had a nice run, then those guys leave and they haven't been very good since. That isn't a good model for a program, IMO.

I don't really believe in recruiting rankings. I base recruiting rankings off what players do in college. TMG is good, Fitzgerald has potential. I'm not sure about Gallon or Pledger at this time. Pledger is good when he decides to play the post but other times he's flat out awful. That's how recruiting should really be looked at. I don't care about what some hamburger joint picks our players on some team. Don't really care if our players have 8 stars or whatever. Recruiting shouldn't be rated till the players prove they can play at the college level.