I'm going to say what everyone else is thinking.

[8timechamps]

This team will go as far as Blake takes them.

I really don't think it's all because of the talent. I think it may have more to do with his leadership on the floor.

If you've ever played organized sports (past a fifth grade level), then you know about that type of leader. Not the rah-rah, leading the chant type, but the type of guy (or girl) that works so hard that you feel a responsibility to play at your maximum level if for no other reason than to not be the weak link.

The closest thing we've had on the floor since the second half of the Texas game is Willie Warren. Maybe if he was more celebrated publically, some of the other guys would view him the way they do Blake.

Willie will be that guy next year.

Anyway, there's still a crap load of hoops left to be played. A lot can happen, and a lot needs to happen for us to grab an elusive top seed. I don't think the loss to KU will hurt us much in the polls or even the eyes of the committee. But, to me, it feels like someone ran over my dog, and then punched my grandmother in the jejunum.

[IronHorseSooner]

First, this loss will NOT drop us from the Top 5. Five should be the lowest we drop, and that depens on what happens to UCONN and Memphis later this week. If they drop below that, then folks a) have no heart, and b) have not been watching this year. If we win out, we will get a #1 seed and likely be shipped out to Phoenix. When Blake is back, this team will be out for blood. If they play UTerus again, you might see Orlando come out and put a nice Big 10-style screen on Balbay and Blake will go for 50 on Pittman, aka Private Pyle.

[ouleaf]

I pretty much agree with that assessment. Blake is great, but he can't beat tourney teams by himself. He is going to need some help. I think what we've really missed isn't so much his leadership, but his low post game. To me Coach Capel is the true leader of this group, which is how it should be IMO.

Blake's ability to draw in the double/triple team and open of the floor for our perimeter game was so crucial to our success. Even more important was Blake's ability to pass out of the double team...Not an easy task. I can think of several times in the Kansas game where Taylor or Patillo would get the ball down low off a pass from a guard and miss a wide open guy at the top of the key.

[the_ouskull]

I wouldn't even say his low-post game specifically, so much as his game; period. He's the kind of player who, because of the way he sees the court and commands respect on both ends of it, the game slows down for him. It happens to many players, from time to time. When it happens to an occasional player, they'll usually use it to "get theirs" and you'll see some mid-level talent have a game where they go for 40+.

(Think NBA: Donyell Marshall holds the all-time record (tied with Kobe) for most three's in a game. Scott Skiles holds the record for most assists in a game. Steve freakin' Blake and John freakin' Lucas are tied for the most assists in a quarter. Kendall Gill holds the steals in a game record. Karl Malone (not Jordan, not Wilt) holds the record for the most 20-point games in a career. Even Oklahoma's own Brent Price has a record... Most consecutive 3 pointers made.)

Then, you have your players who are in that "zone" all of the time. The game is slow for them almost all of the time they're on the court, and, once they get comfortable with that particular game, then they're able to pull the rest of their team into the proverbial "game warp." Blake is there and swimmin' in it. Willie is ALMOST there. There are just some players that never look bamboozled. It takes true maturity of game to reach that point.

I still think that this team will go as far as Austin Johnson takes them, though. Certainly, Blake is Blake. No question. However, it's BECAUSE Blake is Blake that everybody else gets to be themselves... except the man who will have the ball in his hands. He's got to be the one to get us into our sets. He's got to be the one pressuring the ball on the other end, keeping it out of the low block so that we don't risk getting Blake in foul trouble, and when it's in the corners, he's either got to cover the high post with muscle (in a zone) or run his *ss off laterally to get back home (m2m) on skips. He can't afford to take ANY plays off, physically OR mentally, for us to be more than a Sweet Sixteen team, in my eyes. When he plays well, not great, even... just well, good shooting percentage, a handful of dimes... limited / no turnovers... then we're a really good; borderline great, basketball team.

I just don't think we should sleep on the guy who teams have pressured in the past, with good results, who is going to have the ball in his (this year, quite capable) hands... I think he'll take us to the end of our road. If it's the last dance, then he will have played well. If someone cuts in on our dance, it will (likely) be because he did not play well.

Without Blake, we're not a championship team. But with Blake, and without an athletic ball handler, capable of feeding the post, shooting from the arc, and pretending to be occasionally lucid on defense... we can still be beaten as well.

Or maybe I just really do believe that we're going to need good post play, but GREAT guard play, to make it to the Final Four.

the_ouskull

[8timechamps]

Skull,
Good point on the AJ thing. In a odd way, he's as important to this team as Blake is.

There's been a ton of talk on here about AJ's play (or lack of when applicable). When AJ is "on", he almost as good as there is in the conference...the season (or career) long question is, "will he be on?".

And to address your final thought, I agree 100%. Mediocre to above average guard play combined with great post play wins the conference. We'll need good to great gaurd play to win the national title. I'll even go as far as to say that we could win a tournament game or two on great gaurd play alone. And, given that most teams we see will either double-team Blake, or at the very least try to beat him up, we'll need great gaurd play to win.

[the_ouskull]

I won't even put it all on A.J. If Tony Crocker makes an all-region team in the tournament, we'll be headed where we want to go... Right now, he's more Ralph Ellison than Ralph Sampson.

(I know, I know... But I'm tired, and it still works because of the whole Invisible Man thing. AND, he's from Oklahoma City, to boot. You know what, screw you guys. It DOES work, even though Ralph Sampson was a huge NBA bust and didn't even play guard. I just don't know why people aren't ready to accept the fact that Crocker is a skinnier David Godbold, that's all. Anyway...)

I'm just saying, we need great guard play, that's all. :D

the_ouskull

[King Crimson]

we don't need only great guard play, we need guys who don't stand around the perimeter watching Blake get hacked and tripled teamed.

what we need is some dribble penetration and somebody to stick a 3. sadly, Crocker has been making bad decisions and AJ on the return trip Planet Bad. if 3 guys can guard Blake, that says we aren't a threat to score the ball from the other 4 positions.

I don't know what Warren's deal is, but....sprained ankle or the "rumor".

[fwsooner22]

In less than a week its tournament time. Lots of games in very few days. Thats guard time. I love this team and have a had a great time following it. We have come a long ways in a short period of time. Most of that is Coach. We are in good hands as long as he is here. I totally trust the guy.

We don't have the guards to do a ton of damage unless Crocker can play at the very top of his game and keep WW freed up. Hope I am wrong. It'll be exciting either way and two years ago it was NOTHING.