Final Thoughts on 06-07: Glad It's Over

[OUSKINS]

I am posting this operating under the assumption that we do not make the NIT. I'd say our chances are less than 5% of getting in, so I think it's a safe assumption. I do think this team could benefit from some extra work, but it isn't going to happen, so we must judge this season on the 31 games we saw them play.

This was a tough, tough year to judge. Capel is 31 years old and he took over a program that was nearly left in shambles due to defections. To top that off, he lost a fairly promising freshmen 10 games into the season. It was clear to me before the year, that we really didn't have any talent. I didn't see much during the year to change my mind on that.

The Good:

Pretty clear that Capel knows how to deliver the intangibles. This team played their guts out pretty much every game all season long. Capel can't coach talent, but he did coach effort and energy-- and it really showed on the defensive end of the floor, where he took our one strength (decent overall athleticism) and turned it into a very solid defensive unit. Our defense won a few games for us, and it kept us alive in several others.

Nate Carter: Fantastic season. To me, this really was a good sign for the coaching staff. Under Kelvin, we rarely saw a player develop late in his career the way Nate did this season. The only problem with Nate is that he needed to be about 5 inches taller.....but I really enjoyed watching him this year.

Bobby Maze: Even though he had some AWFUL moments this season, I still think he was a nice find. We were kind of scrambling for talent after the other guys bolted, and I think Maze can be a real player down the road if he works at it.

Good at Home: We played very well at the LNC this year. Our only "bad" loss was early in the year to Villanova. We competed well against KU, A+M, and UT. We managed to beat Tech and OSU. And we just killed the other Big 12 teams. The crowds certainly weren't great (although they got better late in the year), but the team established their home court pretty well.

The Bad:

Longar: I was very disappointed at how Longar progressed and then regressed as the year went on. I was really patting Capel and crew on the back in mid-season for Longar's emergence, but L2 really faded down the stretch. I was hoping he could be a leader on next year's team, but now I'm viewing him more as a role player-- not what you want out of a 6'11 senior. The staff seemed to hone in on something early in the year, but then they lost it.

The Late Fade: I have to be consistent and give Capel a bit of critcism for our late fade. At 6-4, I do think we could have/should have won at least one more conference game-- which would have left us potentially as the 6 seed. I was disappointed that we lost all three of those final road games. The team seemed to peak after the wins over OSU and at Baylor. Then, we had an ugly loss to ISU, followed by some tough home losses to the top tier teams.

The Offense: 95% of the offensive problems this year stemmed from simply not having the horses. A lot of times we got good looks, but just couldn't connect. But there were a few times when I thought the offensive attack looked a bit stagnant and unimaginative.

The Bottom Line:

This team had the intangibles from day one. They managed to finish with a winning record, which might be slightly better than most predicted. I also liked the fact that we played the best teams pretty close for the most part.

But in the end, the tangibles just weren't there. This team is DESPERATE for a consistent scorer and a true low-post big man. We could also use a traditional PG to run the offense. So, in many ways, Capel played an entire season without a scorer, a PG, or a true big man. A tough task to say the least.

IMO, Capel passed the first test: Getting the most (or close at least) out of what he had on hand. Now, the next test is whether his fairly highly touted recruits can deliver. Test three will be to see how he does when he can finally mix the intangibles with some tangibles.

Overall, I give this season a C+.

But I give Capel a B+. The late fade kept it from being an A. But overall, I really liked what I saw from the young coach.

Looking Ahead:

Cade Davis and Blake Griffin are the keys to next season. Both of those guys need to contribute. Can't expect either of them to be dominant as freshmen, but they need to play well. I am content to let the other freshmen develop more slowly. Maze and Crocker are a somewhat promising backcourt tandem, and I am glad we get Godbold back-- he had some nice moments this year. Taylor Griffin also started looking pretty good late in the year-- I look forward to seeing him play with his brother. And don't forget Keith Clark-- it's kind of like adding another player to the incoming freshmen. Clark, Longar, and the two Griffin's should greatly improve our size and low-post presence next year. And I really hope that Davis can be the scorer we missed so badly this year.

Next year, we MUST take that next step and make the post-season. If this team can win 16 games, then next year's team should approach 20 wins. We need to improve on the road.

I don't view next season as a "great" year for the Sooners, but I do think it will be more enjoyable as we mesh some talent with some hard-nosed play.

The team played very hard this year, gave us a few nice wins, and I appreciate their efforts. But I'm also glad it's over, because it was tough to watch at times.

But with Capel, I think the future looks bright.

[Mixer!]

Considering the state of the program following Sampson's departure and the defections, I think Capel guiding the team to a 16-15 finish should be considered a minor success. Once Capel's recruits hit the campus, the team will head right back to the top of the conference standings.

[poke4christ]

Season was about what was expected. He did keep it in the green (winning season) and you got to be happy about that. Things will get better. Jai has yet to announce :D. Though I really hope he comes to OSU, OU has more of a chance then I thought they would.

[tommieharris91]

Season was about what was expected. He did keep it in the green (winning season) and you got to be happy about that. Things will get better. Jai has yet to announce :D. Though I really hope he comes to OSU, OU has more of a chance then I thought they would.

Y'alls' season ain't over yet. I'm pretty surprised.

[LittleWingSooner]

I'm not looking forward to next year at all. I have a feeling that it'll make this year look great.

[crawfish]

Season was about what was expected. He did keep it in the green (winning season) and you got to be happy about that. Things will get better. Jai has yet to announce :D. Though I really hope he comes to OSU, OU has more of a chance then I thought they would.

Eaton is playing pretty well lately, and Tubby's job is looking a bit rocky.

I think we've got a good chance.

[SleestakSooner]

If Jai comes to OU he could be an immediate impact player and he could become a star. If he goes to OSU he may have to ride the bench more than he wants.

If he is as good as advertised I think OU is his best choice right now.

[LittleWingSooner]

Jai Lucas isn't going to OSU. He's probably going here or Kentucky.

[tommieharris91]

I'm not looking forward to next year at all. I have a feeling that it'll make this year look great.

I gotta disagree wit ya. I think we'll be on the bubble come selection sunday '08.

[poke4christ]

Eaton is playing pretty well lately, and Tubby's job is looking a bit rocky.

I think we've got a good chance.

Thing is though Eaton is our ONLY point and he can't play a whole game. Jai would get immediate minutes for the next two years (if not taking over the starting position), and would then be the star for two more.

[poke4christ]

Jai Lucas isn't going to OSU. He's probably going here or Kentucky.

Unsubstantiated rumors. Still a four horse race till he narrows it sometime in the next week or two. Anybody want to wager with me that OSU will be in it?

[crawfish]

Thing is though Eaton is our ONLY point and he can't play a whole game. Jai would get immediate minutes for the next two years (if not taking over the starting position), and would then be the star for two more.

Depends if he wants to be an immediate backup or not. At OU, he's likely the guy with Maze backing him up.

In the end, it's gonna be tough for him to say no to UK, but I hope we get him.

[the_ouskull]

In regards to the thread at hand, I posted this on another thread, but I felt like it fit here too...

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At the beginning of the season, I predicted a 19-10 finish. I thought we'd sweep A&M (who knew?) and win AT Ames, and AT Manhattan.

Neal was who I thought he was, Longar was who I thought he was, Nate finally got to be who I thought he was, and Taylor Griffin and Bobby Maze, along with Tony Crocker, sometimes... showed us who we think they can be.

With the exception of the four games I listed, the season went EXACTLY like I thought it would for us. (I think I even said "win one in the B12T, but I don't remember for certain...)

I think that next year, we'll show some serious "signs of life" and be a tournament team. I think that, in 08, we'll be a legitmate threat to win the conference outright, certainly a threat to win the conference tournament, and a Sweet 16, Elite 8 type team in the tournament. I am, of course, assuming that our current players improve to the point that I think that they will, and that the young players that Capel is bringing in now are able to reach at least a glimpse of their potential as freshmen and are able to absolutely perform as sophomores. In addition, I think that, after '07, Capel will be able to bring in at least one "impact freshman."

I'm looking forward to next season already... Especially if we redshirt everybody that we're bringing in except Blake Griffin and Tony Neysmith.

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The only thing that you posted Skins, that I really disagreed with was this:


Longar: I was very disappointed at how Longar progressed and then regressed as the year went on. I was really patting Capel and crew on the back in mid-season for Longar's emergence, but L2 really faded down the stretch. I was hoping he could be a leader on next year's team, but now I'm viewing him more as a role player-- not what you want out of a 6'11 senior. The staff seemed to hone in on something early in the year, but then they lost it.

Longar has never been an "emerging player" for us. He has only "dominated" competition which he has been able to physically dominate. (ie -- our early season (OOC) opponents, and smaller conference teams, like Tech) Any time he has been faced with a more physically dominant opponent, he has looked exactly like what he is... an awkward athlete who doesn't know how to play the game of basketball very well. He's not a Lottery Pick, like about 60% of ouinsider.com would have you believe. He's not anything more than a role player... and, considering how few shots he blocks at his height, he's not even a great role player.

But, if somehow develops amazingly well this offseason and can be a CONSISTANT contributor to this team next year, Capel could very well be looking at some coaching awards. However, I don't see this happening. Longar was a project when Kelvin brought him in. He didn't pan out. We move on. Keith Clark and Blake Griffin can fill his role fairly well, I believe...

the_ouskull

[LittleWingSooner]

I don't know how you can say Longar hasn't panned out yet. He's improved greatly over the last year. And I can see him getting better.

I think the guys we have coming in are about the same level of guys we already have. I think next year is another team that will have to scratch to win 15 or 16 games. If we have post players shooting 3's again it'll be tough to see a lot of wins.

[SoonerStormchaser]

Capel is gonna be a damn good coach...but the last month was extremely painful to watch or even talk about!

[ouflak]

First of all, the season isn't over. The ladies are playing in a championship game tonight, and that may not be their only one.

The men's team will grow and get better. I am disappointed to see the post-season appearances streak come to an end. I think the NIT would have given us the break if we could have just gotten one more win in from anywhere. Things just didn't quite work out. I hope that Nate Carter realizes how lucky a man he is that he's got Krista Sanchez for a girlfriend. On that note....

The ladies have had another stellar season. I wish we had had another shot at A&M. That really sucked losing to that team at home. Anyway, I'm still concerned about our overall athleticism. We've got great players, but I think only one or two really good athletes (that is girls that would be good at any sport they played: Track & field, soccer, whatever...). There is a formula to beating us, if you've just got the bench/depth and talent to pull it off. And a lot of teams that will be in the Sweet 16 have got what it takes. We'll need a few breaks to get into the Final Four, but the team is clearly good enough to pull it off. I'll be watching/listening to every moment of it.

[Rhino]

Starting out this season, I said a winning season would be a success for this crew. We should have won two or three more games, but what can ya do.

Next year, we should be better inside, but we still lack a true scorer unless Crocker can make big strides. And, if we don't land Lucas, we're looking at the same confused offense as this year.

I don't expect as much from Davis as some do, at least in his first year. I see him being a solid player down the road, but his contribution in 07/08 will be minimal. I see Davis or Early redshirting if we land one or two of our recruits remaining. Hopefully Blake Griffin will come in as advertised and Neysmith can be a kid who chews up some quality minutes.

I'd like to see Taylor Griffin and Crocker add a bit to their frames and Maze learn how to slow his mind down. Also, I'd like to see Clark work his *** off this off-season in rehab and get his body in D1 shape. Longar's just gotta get his confidence up, but I doubt he will.

Next year's roster:
Posts - Longar, Griffin, Griffin, Clark, Gerber
Swingmen - Crocker, Godbold, Davis, Early
Guards - Maze, Johnson, Neysmith

We're still waiting on Jai Lucas, then Rodney Alexander and Marcus Thornton. Really, getting any one of the three will help, although Lucas would be the biggest help. Getting Lucas and one of the other two would be ideal.

[LittleWingSooner]

First of all, the season isn't over. The ladies are playing in a championship game tonight, and that may not be their only one.

Women's basketball is unwatchable.

[the_ouskull]

I don't know how you can say Longar hasn't panned out yet. He's improved greatly over the last year. And I can see him getting better.

This is a 100% inaccurate myth based solely on his statistics. Before you start lauding his "improvement" from last year to this year, please note also that he's playing 19 minutes per game more. Also an entire half of basketball more, per game, than last season. (He went from 7.2 mpg to 26.2 mpg, for a 364% increase in minutes.) For him to have truly shown improvement, all of his statistics would have to improve by more than the same leap. Across the board, he's had a rather mild, if any, statistical improvement from last season to this season. In addition, his "game" and his understanding of the game (ie - keep the ball above your head at all times, etc...) is still very, very low, especially considering the fact that, "new to the game" or not, he's been playing it for three full seasons at the Division I level now. He should be better... or at least smarter... and he's not, in any facet of the game.

We're a better offense without him on the floor, with the exception of when he decides to try a little harder than usual and is able to get a few putbacks on offensive rebounds. Also, considering his athleticism and his height, I'd like to see him block more than 1.4 per game.

the_ouskull

[Eielson]

I'm not looking forward to next year at all. I have a feeling that it'll make this year look great.

Tell me what Big 12 team you're scared of other than K-State and Kansas?

A&M, Texas, OSU, and although it won't matter with the depth they have, Kansas all will lose quite a bit for next year.

The only people we'll lose are Nate Carter and Michael Neal. Yeah, I wish they weren't gone, but you replace them with Lucas (hopefully), Griffin, and Clark along with another year for all the other players and I would be shocked if it were worse.

[LittleWingSooner]

I don't know if we have more then 2 guys that can score more then 10 a game next year.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

Women's basketball is unwatchable.Traber is that you?

[LittleWingSooner]

I agree on Traber with the issues of women's basketball. I don't care if we are good at it. I can never be a fan of women's basketball. It is unwatchable.

[Big Red Ron]

I agree on Traber with the issues of women's basketball. I don't care if we are good at it. I can never be a fan of women's basketball. It is unwatchable.Wait until you have a daughter and she plays. The women play a more fundamentally sound game.

[the_ouskull]

That's a big part of why women's basketball is more appealing to smaller children than men's basketball... The game "looks" more like the games that they play. I mean, everybody wants to watch Lebron fly, but, unless you grow to be 6'8", you're probably going to have to learn to play under the rim.

But, given a choice between men's ball and women's ball, I'll only choose women's ball if it's a Top 25 women's matchup vs. an unranked DII men's game.

the_ouskull

[crawfish]

I agree on Traber with the issues of women's basketball. I don't care if we are good at it. I can never be a fan of women's basketball. It is unwatchable.

Personally, I think wrestling is unwatchable.

[Mixer!]

Yeah, the use of folding chairs really detracts from the match. :D

[stoopified]

Personally, I think wrestling is unwatchable.
Amen.I have questions about the sexual orrientation of any man who likes to watch other men roll around on the floor together.

The issue at hand was this basketball season and the our thoughts on it.Count me as one who believes L2 made major strides over last year.Yes his stats didn't increase at the same rate as his playing time but so what?He still averaged 11 points and seven rebounds a game (both are the top marks for OU this year). IMHO the biggest disapointment on this team was Taylor griffin who was more often than not a no-factor in games.He plays good D when he gives 100% but still is not a decnt rebounder or scorer.Any way you slice it L2 was the MOST improved player on the team.Given hopefully some assistance by Blake(who is supposed to be better than taylor) I think he will be better next year.I thought Taylor could provide inside muscle for us like Bookout and help take the load off L2 in the manner of Grey and Book.

In any case while this year at 16-15 fell slightly short of my 17-12 projection,but wasn't far from what I envisioned under trying circumstances. I think next year should be better with incoming recruits and added experience in the Capel system.I'll go on record now as saying I expect OU to win at least 20 games next year AND finish no worse than 9-7in conference.I have no idea if they gets us in THE DANCE but I hope so.

[LittleWingSooner]

Personally, I think wrestling is unwatchable.

I agree with that too.

[Big Red Ron]

Amen.I have questions about the sexual orrientation of any man who likes to watch other men roll around on the floor together.
I wouldn't suggest you do it to any of our faces. Just sayin...

[OUSKINS]

First of all, the season isn't over. The ladies are playing in a championship game tonight, and that may not be their only one.


I have nothing AGAINST women's hoops, but I just have ZERO interest in it, whether OU is great or terrible. To be totally honest, I'd rather watch the men in the NIT than see the women win the National Title. Just being honest. The women doing well is NO consolation to me.

[Big Red Ron]

I have nothing AGAINST women's hoops, but I just have ZERO interest in it, whether OU is great or terrible. To be totally honest, I'd rather watch the men in the NIT than see the women win the National Title. Just being honest. The women doing well is NO consolation to me.Then you're a twerp. Paris has had 50 something straight double doubles and is the best women's player in the history of WCBB and she's only a soph. You are missing history. It's like a football fan saying I hate basketball and I don't care who this Mike Jordan guy is.:O :rolleyes:

[OSUAggie]

That's a big part of why women's basketball is more appealing to smaller children than men's basketball... The game "looks" more like the games that they play. I mean, everybody wants to watch Lebron fly, but, unless you grow to be 6'8", you're probably going to have to learn to play under the rim.

Hmm... I think I hated women's basketball just as much when I was growing up as I do now, maybe even more.

[skycat]

Tell me what Big 12 team you're scared of other than K-State and Kansas?


Probably the greatest post in the history of Soonerfans.:D :D :D

[Big Red Ron]

Hmm... I think I hated women's basketball just as much when I was growing up as I do now, maybe even more.Well, you don't have much to Cheer for. I mean if Ben Rothlesberger's sister and Hakeem Olajuwon's daughter were coming to join the PAris sisters in Stillwater, you might feel different.

[usmc-sooner]

I like women's basketball, not as thuggy and I wrestled.

[stoopified]

I wouldn't suggest you do it to any of our faces. Just sayin...I,ve been saying it for years to rasslers and rasslin' fans.Real men don't roll around on the floor sniffing each others' crotch.They stand like men and box.us boxers rule,rasslers drool.

[Big Red Ron]

I,ve been saying it for years to rasslers and rasslin' fans.Real men don't roll around on the floor sniffing each others' crotch.They stand like men and box.us boxers rule,rasslers drool.every fight goes to the ground at some point. Boxers don't have the knowledge of how to survive on the ground and wrestlers can get them on the ground pretty easily. That's why 220lb football players don't want to fight the 170lb wrestlers. Boxing is fun for a minute but if I'm in a hurry, I'd just take someone down put them in an arm bar or choke them out. End, pride is taken.

[birddog]

I don't know if we have more then 2 guys that can score more then 10 a game next year.

but i thought we had alot of talent that failed to play hard in some games?:rolleyes:

[LittleWingSooner]

I think we have talent but we don't have a guy that can score at guard. There are about 3 candidates to score 10 a game now that I look at the stats from this last year. Longar, Crocker, and Taylor Griffin.

[ouflak]

Now is the time for this thread. *bump*

I'm not glad the season is over. I wish we were still playing. I honestly thought we had a shot at the title if a we could just a avoid a team like the one we ran right smack into. Oh well, it has been a good year overall.