Juan

[okienole3]

The dude was unfrickinbelieveable tonight. I found myself watching him on the defensive end instead of following the ball. He simply refused to let the team lose tonight.

On a side note, did anyone else notice how much he was talking in the game. I am sure some of it was directed towards the aggots, but I think most of it was pumping up his teammates.

[KingDavid]

If we end up getting to the final four and if he continues to play this way, Pattillo will have to be remembered as the "magic ingredient" that made the difference and put us over the top. Something about our team chemistry has definitely changed for the better since he's been getting on the floor.

Juan in a million, I say.

[OU_Sooners75]

Wouldnt it be great to have WW, BG, JP, and MG all on the floor together next year?!

[Boomer.....]

He amazes me with and without the ball. Why on earth was he not interested in playing at the beginning of the season?

[King Crimson]

his FT shooting stroke is textbook.

[SoonerAcesUp]

his FT shooting stroke is textbook.

I don't know how in the world he is so accurate from the line with that stroke??? Maybe Blake needs to take some lessons.

[soonerfan28]

He amazes me with and without the ball. Why on earth was he not interested in playing at the beginning of the season?

I'm glad that he didn't play early. He's fresh for the second half of the season.

[Boomer.....]

I don't understand this whole "fresh" thing. These are young athletes who, for the most part, are in great shape. They should be able to go strong one game, go at moderate speed during practices and then be back at 100% for another game a few days later. Besides injuries, there shouldn't be a reason why a player shouldn't play at 100% every game unless the games are closely spaced together.

With Patillo playing the entire season, OU would most likely be undefeated and #1 in the country.

[Echoes]

The guy plays above the rim period, and he is only 6'6. He amazed me last night. Gotta love Patillo.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I don't understand this whole "fresh" thing. These are young athletes who, for the most part, are in great shape. They should be able to go strong one game, go at moderate speed during practices and then be back at 100% for another game a few days later. Besides injuries, there shouldn't be a reason why a player shouldn't play at 100% every game unless the games are closely spaced together.

:confused:

geez, all i did was spend 4 hours a day playing bball at huffman and i hit the wall my freshman year. these guys expend a 1000x more energy than i did.

reasons:

1) the mental drain of college. not sure what it is, but the 16 weeks of the fall semester sucks your will to live. by the time finals are done, you are just emotionally wiped. that emotional fatigue has a physical carry over where you feel like you are just walking in a daze.

2) the flu can flat out knock your rear out at 18-19. i was so sick i could barely move. it took weeks to get my full energy level back, these guys are expected to play 2 days later.

3) and finally, you don't loaf in practice. billy tubbs was the coach when i was there, i'd meander down to watch brent price's sweet free throw stroke and even with billy it was a 100% all the time.

[bri]

Juan Patillo plays like he's mad at at gravity.

[kbsooner]

If we end up getting to the final four and if he continues to play this way, Pattillo will have to be remembered as the "magic ingredient" that made the difference and put us over the top. Something about our team chemistry has definitely changed for the better since he's been getting on the floor.

Juan in a million, I say.

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129124

further proof last night that this guy is a/the difference maker. I'm not going to say this guy locks us into a Final Four, but he sure does greatly improve OU's chances...

[KaleoHolley]

I don't understand this whole "fresh" thing. These are young athletes who, for the most part, are in great shape. They should be able to go strong one game, go at moderate speed during practices and then be back at 100% for another game a few days later. Besides injuries, there shouldn't be a reason why a player shouldn't play at 100% every game unless the games are closely spaced together.

With Patillo playing the entire season, OU would most likely be undefeated and #1 in the country.

This coming from someone who most likely didn't play college sports.

Workouts, practice, film, travel, school and homework. Days starting at 6am ending at 11pm. I have done it, its a full time job, then some. That said i would trade in the real world crap i do now, to go back and live that life again!

[Boomer.....]

This coming from someone who most likely didn't play college sports.

Workouts, practice, film, travel, school and homework. Days starting at 6am ending at 11pm. I have done it, its a full time job, then some. That said i would trade in the real world crap i do now, to go back and live that life again!

No, I didn't play sports in college.

On the other hand, doesn't every player on the team workout, practice, study film, travel with the team and have homework? Of course they do.

[cheezyq]

This coming from someone who most likely didn't play college sports.

Workouts, practice, film, travel, school and homework. Days starting at 6am ending at 11pm. I have done it, its a full time job, then some. That said i would trade in the real world crap i do now, to go back and live that life again!

Totally agree, and with jkm. At my best shape physically, it was an extremely tough thing to expend effort every play all season long. You have to learn to conserve energy by being smart with WHEN you go all-out. The body only has so much to give, and if you expend all that energy too early, you'll be flat until your body has a chance to recover. The longer you push it without breaks, the longer it will take to recover.

Then there's the fact that some days the energy just isn't there. For whatever reason, the adrenaline isn't pumping and you just can't give that extra percent. A lot of it is mental, but even peak athletes never give 100% every second of the game, all season long. It's impossible. Coaches use that expression for people who work harder and play harder than others. But like anything, there's always a limit.

[birddog]

This coming from someone who most likely didn't play college sports.

Workouts, practice, film, travel, school and homework. Days starting at 6am ending at 11pm. I have done it, its a full time job, then some. That said i would trade in the real world crap i do now, to go back and live that life again!

yep, a season will start to wear on you, no matter how fit you are. your body just begins to break down as the season wears on. you tweak an ankle or a knee, and you learn to fight through it but you're just not sharp enough to make cuts. or your not as quick as you should be.

i remember waking up after a game and my knees and other parts were really sore from getting knocked around and then i'd have to go train for two hours. i felt like i was giving as much as always but, i was in slow motion.

i think an advantage this team has is depth. blake gets banged around but if he sits for 20 actual minutes in a game, that's 20 actual minutes his body doesn't spend getting worn out.

it'll definitely add up in the end. final four, baby.

[SoonersEnFuego]

Juan Patillo plays like he's mad at gravity.

"He plays the game like he's 10, 11, even 12 feet tall!" -(from Bedazzled)

Seriously though, I think I have a man-crush. He is awesome!

[soonerfan28]

I'm glad we have Juan.

[SoonerAcesUp]

As the saying goes, "There's only Juan, Oklahoma!" :O

[badger]

Booo! :D

[Readyfor8]

Juan is a player I like on the court but off the court I bet he's really full of himself. He plays all over the place and he is a great great talent, in my opinion he plays like a bigger stronger Dennis Rodman with a shot. The dude is all over people on defense when he wants to be, and will come off the bench to do awesome things in the tournament.

I have to think that if we didn't stand a legitimate title shot at the beginning of BigXII play, he would have continued to bench, but he realized then that this team is special.

[the_ouskull]

He's neither bigger, height-wise, at least; (Rodman is 6'8"-ish. Patillo is what, 6'6"?) nor stronger (Patillo is thin, Rodman was ripped) -- the pic is Rodman as a rookie. It's the closest I could find... sorry --

http://www.fansedge.com/Images/Product/33-41/33-41217-F.jpg

than Rodman... not to mention that I'm pretty sure that Patillo is 100% male, and, with Rodman, I have to be honest... there's a little bit of doubt. (I'll let you do your own GIS for "his name" and "dress")

But, while Rodman only scored in the league when his team needed him to, remember, in three seasons at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, he DID average more points per game than rebounds per game. A trick that he also pulled off for his first two, wide-eyed rookie, seasons in the league. Then he realized which carriage his horse was designated for, and it was smooooth sailing after that. Inch-for-Inch, he's the best rebounder of all time that has also nailed Carmen Electra.

the_ouskull

[soonerfan28]

Sure am glad the went to longer shorts.