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View Full Version : Keith Clark



okienole3
6/14/2007, 12:16 AM
NOTE: This is not a thread bashing Keith Clark, just some questions.

Why are so many excited about this kid? To me, he looked to be a little out of shape when the season started. I know he worked his butt off to get to that point, so I would hate to see what he looked like before that. I think attitude is the biggest question mark with him. There were times when he looked extremely frustrated when he was taken out of the game. Maybe he was just upset with himself, but it appeared he let it get the best of him and he lost focus on the game and his teamates. Once he got hurt, he seemed even more distant and disinterested about the game. In fact, there were games when I didn't even remember him being on the bench.

I guess my main question is, what is the upside of Clark and is it worth the risk?

EDIT: I will say that I respect the kid and thank him for honoring his commitment to Oklahoma, when others chose otherwise.

SleestakSooner
6/14/2007, 01:15 AM
NOTE: This is not a thread bashing Keith Clark, just some questions.

Why are so many excited about this kid? To me, he looked to be a little out of shape when the season started. I know he worked his butt off to get to that point, so I would hate to see what he looked like before that. I think attitude is the biggest question mark with him. There were times when he looked extremely frustrated when he was taken out of the game. Maybe he was just upset with himself, but it appeared he let it get the best of him and he lost focus on the game and his teamates. Once he got hurt, he seemed even more distant and disinterested about the game. In fact, there were games when I didn't even remember him being on the bench.

I guess my main question is, what is the upside of Clark and is it worth the risk?

EDIT: I will say that I respect the kid and thank him for honoring his commitment to Oklahoma, when others chose otherwise.

All I have to ask is what risk?

At this point I would rather have him around with the hope that he can play well after his injury and become a good rebounding presence and defender even if his offensive game never lives up to the hype.

John Kochtoston
6/14/2007, 01:42 AM
NOTE: This is not a thread bashing Keith Clark, just some questions.

Why are so many excited about this kid? To me, he looked to be a little out of shape when the season started. I know he worked his butt off to get to that point, so I would hate to see what he looked like before that. I think attitude is the biggest question mark with him. There were times when he looked extremely frustrated when he was taken out of the game. Maybe he was just upset with himself, but it appeared he let it get the best of him and he lost focus on the game and his teamates. Once he got hurt, he seemed even more distant and disinterested about the game. In fact, there were games when I didn't even remember him being on the bench.

I guess my main question is, what is the upside of Clark and is it worth the risk?

EDIT: I will say that I respect the kid and thank him for honoring his commitment to Oklahoma, when others chose otherwise.


I think you make valid points. However, I bought the hype when I saw this dude as a senior in the OSSAA playoffs. He ran the floor like a point, but could play down low like a 4 or 5. Great ballhandler and passer, plus good size (thick, if not especially tall) down low. Does he have a way to go? Sure. But if he gets to where I think he can, he'll be pretty darn good.

okienole3
6/14/2007, 06:55 AM
All I have to ask is what risk?



I didn't word my question correctly. I guess I just wanted to know why there was so much optimism about him.

LittleWingSooner
6/14/2007, 09:54 AM
I'm not sure he's a great player either. In the games he played he was our worst overall post player. The numbers show this clearly. The only thing he did was throw up a few 3s and miss a lot of them. He may end up really good but he's got a long ways to go.

TopDawg
6/14/2007, 10:13 AM
You fellas better watch your shins.




;)

fwsooner22
6/14/2007, 10:45 AM
This is going to be fun to sit back and watch............They are coming for you boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rhino
6/14/2007, 10:50 AM
Moose was out of shape last year. In case you forget, he had to spend all summer to get eligible. He was taking credit recovery classes up and awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse. Capel told Moose to not worry about basketball until he was eligible. So, he wasn't working out with the team, on the court or in the weightroom. He played catch-up all season.

His ACL/MCL injury was a big setback because he was showing steady improvement until then. I've heard good things on his rehab.

"I've been doing this a long time, and probably no one has had a better attitude than he has," 20-year OU trainer Alex Brown said of Clark, the forward who lost his freshman season to a torn knee ligament Dec. 28. "He does what's asked of him. A lot of kids in this situation start feeling sorry for themselves, get depressed, have a tough time. If he's gone through that, he's hiding it really well." He made some freshman mistakes last year and has some overall confusion from being the newest new kid on the block, yet he still showed flashes of being a solid player. And he's got a big upside with his big frame and his athleticism.

Moose is an emotional guy and it shows on the floor and bench. Capel took him aside at times and acted like a father figure to him instead of what our former coach would have done. I think that shows that Capel sees a lot in him. He's even said as much.

Realize the kid only played 12 out-of-shape minutes per game in 11 non-conference games last year before the injury. Be patient.

stoopified
6/14/2007, 11:00 AM
Rhino is right it IS a little early to throw him under the bus.He had both the talent and bad attitude in HS,hopefully Capel can help him grow up and show his talent.

LittleWingSooner
6/14/2007, 11:22 AM
Rhino is right it IS a little early to throw him under the bus.He had both the talent and bad attitude in HS,hopefully Capel can help him grow up and show his talent.

It's also a little early to say he's a star also.

Rhino
6/14/2007, 12:23 PM
Who has said he's a star?

LittleWingSooner
6/14/2007, 12:39 PM
Who has said he's a star?

I've read a bunch of hype on him like he's going to be better than Longar or Taylor Griffin. Certainly didn't show that last year.

Rhino
6/14/2007, 12:54 PM
You don't have to be a star to be better than L2 or Taylor Griffin.

OUSKINS
6/14/2007, 03:25 PM
Clark is one of "those" guys, IMO.

By that I mean he contains a ton of intruige and mystery as a player. That intruige and mystery could equal greatness or it could equal nothingness.

The Good

1. He has the size. At least on the college level.
2. He has great athletic ability.
3. He can be used in a variety of ways.

The Bad

4. Great "athletic ability" does not always equal "great basketball ability." He could get by in HS on his athleticism, he'll need to be a basketball player on the D1 level.
5. His versatility could also be a hinderance. He may never find a comfort spot on the floor. And he could be on of those big guys that has the mind of a PG-- ultimately, that causes problems unless you have Lebron or Magic type of skills.
6. I do not "know" this by any means. But my gut tells me that Clark might be a very emotional kid that could always be on the "verge" from a mental standpoint. Not on the "verge" of something bad, but on the brink with his confidence, effort, etc... If you watched closely last year, Capel paid MUCH more individual attention to Clark after bad plays than he did anyone else on the team. Capel even hinted at this in some of his post-game comments.

Players in Clark's mold usually either sink or swim. As long as we're not banking on him being the savior of the program, I think it's a risk worth taking.

okienole3
6/14/2007, 08:44 PM
Moose was out of shape last year. In case you forget, he had to spend all summer to get eligible. He was taking credit recovery classes up and awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse. Capel told Moose to not worry about basketball until he was eligible. So, he wasn't working out with the team, on the court or in the weightroom. He played catch-up all season.

His ACL/MCL injury was a big setback because he was showing steady improvement until then. I've heard good things on his rehab.
He made some freshman mistakes last year and has some overall confusion from being the newest new kid on the block, yet he still showed flashes of being a solid player. And he's got a big upside with his big frame and his athleticism.

Moose is an emotional guy and it shows on the floor and bench. Capel took him aside at times and acted like a father figure to him instead of what our former coach would have done. I think that shows that Capel sees a lot in him. He's even said as much.

Realize the kid only played 12 out-of-shape minutes per game in 11 non-conference games last year before the injury. Be patient.

Thanks Rhino, this is the response I was looking for. It just seems like Al, et al. are real high on this kid and I couldn't figure out why.

birddog
6/15/2007, 12:55 AM
let's give the kid a year or two and see how he pans out. it's not real easy to come in and make a difference when you're an out-of-shape freshman on a team that lacked cohesion.

Ash
6/15/2007, 01:33 PM
Moose had limited time this season, so it's tough (outside of those on here who know him or the coaching staff) to really judge his potential.

I thought I saw flashes of great potential but as others have said, he needs to flesh out his game and get stronger in some areas. He likes to face the basket and we've seen him be able to drive the lane at times -- combine this with a post-up game and he'd make for one heck of a match-up problem with that combination of size and skill.

Considering our lack of depth at the post, we just need another big body down low. But Keith had flashes of an offensive game that could really be developed into a weapon.

If anything, he looked hesitant and unsure of himself out on the court to me. IMHO, he needed to assert himself more.

OSUAggie
6/15/2007, 02:01 PM
From what I saw, he looked like a Taylor Griffin clone.