Oklahoma State basketball situation is bad

[badger]

This guy does a good job of breaking down all of the ways that program has been run into the ground. It's like they have their own Jeff Capel on their hands (but at least OU never gave him a 10 year contract)

Let us count the ways OSU basketball is complete and utter failure right now:

OSU ticket sales this season down more than $2 million since Travis Ford's first season as coach
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/osu-ticket-sales-this-season-down-more-than-million-since/article_153547ab-d346-56c2-af81-18d9025f49af.html

Oklahoma State ranks near the bottom of Power-5 men's basketball programs in average attendance (OU is 32nd):
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/oklahoma-state-ranks-near-the-bottom-of-power-5-men-s-basketball-p/article_653c304e-43b1-5f33-8807-62e35c6ea91f.html

Things are so bad, Doug Gottlieb is who OSU fans are clamoring for:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/if-coaching-change-is-made-at-osu-eddie-sutton-would/article_879ac528-f5cf-5f7d-97c7-9cd7b6482410.html

Sean Sutton is also now available :eddie:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/after-six-years-of-sobriety-former-osu-head-man-sean/article_7cfd8261-7a23-5afa-bd01-60b5bd2afa4e.html

If you don't feel like clicking links, Travis Ford has just over $7 million left in his massive 10-year deal that will be mocked into infamy. That amount would be offset by any future jobs and OSU does not need to cut him a giant check immediately, but just pay it out in monthly installments till the 10 years is done (in three years).

The firing is going to happen. About the only thing that stops it at this point is a Big 12 tournament championship, followed by a NOT ncaa-first-round exit. OSU only has about an 8-healthy-players rotation right now, so ain't gonna happen.

But don't expect Travis himself to admit that it's the end of the road :)
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/mensbasketball/osu-sports--travis-ford-on-the-possibility-he-coached-his-final-ho/article_e13aff05-ab53-56ca-8c2d-aa0bef3fa793.html

[tycat947]

Badg, there's not enough room on this board to "count the ways OSU basketball is complete and utter failure"!

[badger]

That is true, but from a statistical dollars and cents standpoint, this is your why-he-must-be-fired rundown.

There's plenty of other reasons why they lose...
1- They lack recruiting size. As an opposing board lurker, it seems that detractors like to say that the short guy only recruits short talent :)
2- Players don't get better after arriving. Buddy Hield is how players should improve after spending four years at a program. Le'Bryan Nash is the cardinal opposite.
3- Ticket prices initially skyrocketed after the 10-year deal. If only OSU lost to Tennessee in the first round, they might have given him a shorter contract. Earlier this season, a can of food would have gained admission to a conference game (versus TCU).
4- Bad coaching. If you look back at meltdowns, it became a running joke that Travis was saving his timeouts for the next game. Endgame situations (like Bedlam in Stilly earlier this year), players look lost. By contrast, our players seem to know exactly what to do (i.e. fouling before a player can get a three pointer off if the margin of victory is 3).
5- Winning just enough to lose even more later. Remember when OSU beat Kansas earlier this season? The Travis Ford era has done this before (and actually won in Lawrence during Marcus' first season) and it has propelled the myth that the turning point was coming soon and that very very soon, Travis Ford was going to deliver another NCAA tournament win... and to this day, still hasn't.

Basically, all existing problems compounded when the injury bug hit. Their NBA-level talent was already in the NBA, the short talent they had relied on in the past was injured, the McD's all american talent they relied on in the past was also injured and the poor coaching was now poorly coaching an injury and talent-depleted team.

In short, OSU needs to hire Lon Kruger. Here's hoping it doesn't happen, but that's about the only one that can do everything that needs to be done to save OSU basketball. I'd much rather see them hire Doug Gottlieb :stunned:

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

OSU needs to keep him. It would be foolish to start anew, right when the program is poised for major improvement.

[badger]

It was Bruce Weber Gets Fired versus Travis Ford Gets Fired last night in the Big 12 tournament... and Travis Ford Gets Fired won.

However, a hearty congrats to TCU's upset victory over Trent Johnson Gets Fired in the second game of the opening night.

I mean, this might mean that the Big 12 *only* gets six NCAA tournament bids now, but Texas Tech doesn't deserve nice things. That's why Lubbock has no trees.

[nighttrain12]

Hell, bring EDDIE Sutton back as coach, he'll get the fans back in the arena and take them all out for a few beers after the game!

[badger]

As much of a punchline as Eddie was a decade ago, addiction is a powerful thing and good on Scott for taking Sean under his wing during his recovery and six years of sobriety. I hope that Eddie sought out and received help himself.

Now that OSU has also experienced about a decade of sobriety from basketball relevance (no, just making the tournament does not make you relevant, or else UW-Green Bay would be relevant. Go, Fighting Phoenix!), perhaps its time to bring back to the rowdy?*

*no, stay strong, pokes! :stunned:

[SoonerorLater]

OSU needs to keep him. It would be foolish to start anew, right when the program is poised for major improvement.

Absolutely spot on el Rushbo. To pull the rug on Ford at this point is a completely premature knee-jerk reaction. Ford needs AT LEAST 3-4 more years to bring his plan together. At that point they then can decide how much more additional time Ford will need.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Absolutely spot on el Rushbo. To pull the rug on Ford at this point is a completely premature knee-jerk reaction. Ford needs AT LEAST 3-4 more years to bring his plan together. At that point they then can decide how much more additional time Ford will need.Since OSU doesn't have the benefit of a rich tradition in basketball, the fans need to be patient with Ford, or whoever it is as HC, and not be so prone to want to shoo him off. Maybe they can add Eddie Sutton on as an assistant, to help bring Ford's teams up to snuff, or chew, or the like. Mike Gundy might be of some use to the basketball program during the off-season for football.

[badger]

I'm about halfway thru this Doug Gottlieb interview podcast and he has been conned into thinking he's the next Oklahoma State coach.
http://www.pistolsfiringblog.com/pistols-firing-podcast-ep-51-doug-gottlieb-wants-oklahoma-state-job/

In case you've been focused on only OU all basketball weekend, the OSU basketball job is now vacant.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/travis-ford-out-as-oklahoma-state-basketball-coach/article_e84ae6c5-a22f-5145-a6e5-2379d91f030c.html

Here's some candidates.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/photovideo/slideshows/photo-gallery-a-look-at-potential-oklahoma-state-basketball-head/collection_9a62fcfc-aa40-5746-9594-20ac82adfd79.html

And Doug... let's talk Doug. He doesn't have any experience coaching college. But, he's a favorite on a fanbase that is losing interest. If you look back a decade and beyond, it's pretty sad what OSU is missing out on (same with Tulsa, but that's another story). These guys used to be in the NCAA tournament as often as they're in football bowls now. The crowds that now attend Bone Pick Stadium used to attend Gallagher Iba Stadium (no disrespectful name for GIA from me; they didn't pay money for their name to be there).

So anyways, I'm not a few mins deeper in and I'm really not sure if it'll happen or not, but if it does, Doug is likely saying to the AD what he's saying on this blog... I'm an OSU guy. I know what it takes to fill the arena. I know what it's like to come to Stillwater and try to be a part of the culture as a student-athlete. I know what it takes to build that connection with the students.

Go ahead and insert in your credit card jokes now. :stunned:

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Badger, why the interest in LosuR basketball?

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

Because it's fun to watch a train wreck like OSWho

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

OSU just hired Brad Underwood from SFA. Actually, it appears to be a very good hire.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Because it's fun to watch a train wreck like OSWhoYou do much fishing down there at So Padre?

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Aggy should have just gone without getting a new coach. Think of the money they could save.

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

You do much fishing down there at So Padre?

Yeah man, a ton of fishing. Been here for 21 years now. Caught everything from specks, reds, and flounder in the bay to blue marlin, sails, tuna, wahoo, mahi, snapper, amberjack, and one tremendously monstrous hammerhead. There are more but I ramble when I talk fishing. This place is AWESOME! We have a world class red snapper natural habitat just north of spi in Port Mansfield.

[badger]

Badger, why the interest in LosuR basketball?


Because it's fun to watch a train wreck like OSWho

I also live in Tulsa so it's hard to avoid. I know a lot of good Pokes, though. The type who cheer for OU when we're not playing each other and don't use the word "Gooner."

Fun fact: By beating Texas in the first round, Brad Underwood had as many NCAA tournament wins in one season as Travis Ford has at OSU in eight seasons :stunned:

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

OSU just hired Brad Underwood from SFA. Actually, it appears to be a very good hire.

It looks like a good hire. OSU might not be at the top of conference but it probably signals the end of the clown show they have had in recent years. The wins in Stillwater will go back to being tougher to come by.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I also live in Tulsa so it's hard to avoid. I know a lot of good Pokes, though. The type who cheer for OU when we're not playing each other and don't use the word "Gooner."

Fun fact: By beating Texas in the first round, Brad Underwood had as many NCAA tournament wins in one season as Travis Ford has at OSU in eight seasons :stunned:I have an aggy cousin branch. They seem to be nice people, and don't get aggy/anti-OU around me anyway. I just have no appreciation for aggy sports.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Yeah man, a ton of fishing. Been here for 21 years now. Caught everything from specks, reds, and flounder in the bay to blue marlin, sails, tuna, wahoo, mahi, snapper, amberjack, and one tremendously monstrous hammerhead. There are more but I ramble when I talk fishing. This place is AWESOME! We have a world class red snapper natural habitat just north of spi in Port Mansfield.I fished various places on the Texas coast during the 1980's.(was living in Austin and SA) What town do you live in?

[nighttrain12]

Aggies still suck. They just hired a coach who doesn't suck as much as the previous coach, that's the best spin I can put on this.

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

I fished various places on the Texas coast during the 1980's.(was living in Austin and SA) What town do you live in?

I am in Harlingen.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I've fished the surf and bays quite a bit for Redfish and Specks, some at So Padre, but mostly up at Port OConnor. Some rig fishing for Snapper and Amberjack, and a little bit for King Mackerel and Blacktip Shark.

Most of my fishing in the last 25 years has been in the Gulf of California(Sea of Cortez), for Gulf Grouper and Shortfin Corvina, which is a very close relative of the Speckled Trout in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic.

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

^^^^^^
That sounds cool. I hope to be fishing somewhere this Easter break.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

^^^^^^
That sounds cool. I hope to be fishing somewhere this Easter break.You teaching school, or taking kids fishing? Does a guide named Vere Wells still work over at So. Padre? I had him as a guide back in 1983. We went after Specks.

Have you fished for tarpon and/or snook in that area? There used to be some sizeable tarpon that showed up around Port Mansfield, and I heard some big snook stories from somewhere in the Brownsville Ship Channel.

[badger]

About the only advantage Ford has is that he's younger than Underwood. Ford is now 46, Underwood is 52, so it's not even much of an advantage.

Watched some of the pep rally yesterday. Said the right things, fans will love him till OU continues winning Bedlam :stunned:

But heyyyyy maybe that beat-KU-every-season streak will continue :P