That's how I see our two BBall programs here at the University of Oklahoma.
On one hand you have the men. They feature lackluster attendance, an even more lackluster cluster**** of an offensive philosophy and a dabble of team dissension.
And then you've got the women, who are experiencing what a lot of people around here have known for a LONG time: this state will support a winner. The women are legitimately selling out Lloyd Noble and playing a brand of ball that is sending the natives into a tizzy.
What the hell's going on out there?
Well, we've got two coaches with very different philosophies. One, I'll let you guess who, has formed a solid program and is now reaping the fruits of his labor. One problem, the solid recruits that come with developing a solid program don't fit the mold of player the coach needs to reach the next level of the basketball echelon.
The other coach is constantly changing. The coach reached the Final Four on a team loaded with guards and she utilized their quickness and savvy to construct an offense that was poetry in motion. Said coach had a team of role players and one star who could play anywhere on the floor and she constructed an offense to suit that bunch too. Now this coach has a player as good as anyone to ever lace up sneakers and the offense has evolved into a fast-breaking machine that takes every defensive rebound and looks to turn it into instant offense.
But why will one coach, Sherri Coale, change her ways while one, Kelvin Sampson, viciously hold onto the laurels that got him to where he is now? This is something I've really been struggling with.
For instance, in the NCAA game against Milwaukee, the announcers stated something Kelvin has mentioned several times that Terrell Everett is at his best when the game is helter-skelter. Then why, in the name of all that is Holy, if the only guy you've got on campus who can bring the ball up court is at his best when the game is at its nuttiest, don't you make the game helter-skelter? Why not open up a 3/4 court press and force the game into a frenetic pace? Why not sacrifice defensive positioning for more chances at lay-ups and easy baskets? If your offensive sets look like two yetis boinking in the snow, then why don't you predicate your offense on the two strengths you have: solid rebounding and a point guard who's good in transition.
We didn't do it, though. We kept trying the same old sets that we ran for Ryan Minor and Corey Brewer and our offensive production slipped to anorexic levels. It's sad.
Now the ladies. God, where do I begin. It's amazing what happens when you play to your strengths. Courtney is Wayman with better rebounding ability. Sherri has taken these boards and turned the team loose. Watch how quick and how far out the outlet passes are after almost every defensive rebound. Since we only have one pure shooter, Higgins, Coale has taken the blessed opportunity of having a rebounding machine and turned the rest of the team into thoroughbreds. Whereas Kelvin's boys look like thoroughbreds trying to wade through the muck at some Corpus Christi dogtrack, Sherri's got her team understanding positioning and spacing which in turn leads to open shots when the initial break is thwarted. Turnovers are high, but so are points.
And so are wins.
So, here we are now. We've got a men's team that can't get fans in the seats and we've got a women's team that is the talk of basketball. It all leads to this, in my opinion: Kelvin is in trouble. Two reasons why I believe that:
1. Bad vibe - As the team is walking off the floor, a man leads over the rail into the tunnel and hollers, "You better get your **** together, Kelvin." The strength coach almost came into the stands after him. Couple that with a marijuana incident from your point guard during Tournament week along with the ASU rumors and NCAA investigation and you've got a program coming apart at the seams.
2. Kevin Bookout - This guy would be a great holdover to ease the transition for the incoming freshmen, but he's out of eligibility. Why? Because he voted no on pursuing another year of eligibility through medical hardship. Most kids would give their left nut to play another year of college ball, but Bookout refuses to even open the option. That speaks volumes.
If the NCAA drops the boom on us, then Kelvin's days here are numbered. I honestly believe that. Meanwhile, the women are in the Sweet 16 and are two wins away from their second Final Four in the last five seasons.
Two ships passing in the night. One is chugging along, the other's sinking.
Don't believe me? Here's one last fact: since the men went to the Final Four in 2002, we've had one freshman, ONE FRESHMAN, make it to his junior season: Kevin Bookout. De'Angelo, Lavender, McKenzie, Turner, Foust, Tobias: gone, all before their junior years even began.
Abandon ship.........