Stormspencer
100+ Posts
DirtyDang, you are way off the mark on this one my friend. OMG, where do I start?:
Some Sooner fans may hate Kelvin, but from day one, his teams (talented or not-so-talented) played their asses off. I haven't seen that type of effort on the defensive end or on the boards since Capel's first season...and alot of those players were Sampson leftovers. As a matter of fact, I've seen the effort get incrementally worse every year; but last year, we had the talent to overcome our lapses. Yes, we won some NCAA tourney games and even made the Elite 8 last year and I think we had reason to be excited about the direction of our program. However, this year has brought me back to reality. I don't want to make this a Kelvin vs. Capel thing, but Sampson's worst year was 8-8 in conference...and brother, we aren't sniffing 8-8 this year.
I will certainly give Capel credit for bringing in talented players, but remember Kelvin recruited Taylor Griffin...and one of the main reasons was he would have dibs on Blake in 2 years. What I'm saying is that Blake was coming to OU regardless. Therefore Capel, to an extent, had the luxury of the best player in college basketball...and that can certainly hide some deficiencies. Additionally, I'm not sure Capel is recruiting the right type of player...i.e. Warren, Gallon and others seem like they are "me-first" type of players and don't have a clue about the team concept. Personally, I will take a little less talent so long as they play hard and together because I believe that we will win you more games on a consisitent basis in the long run. This team, during many stretches, does neither of those (play hard or together).
And as far as coaching ability, he is having a hard time getting through to these kids....the same kids he recruited. I know this is a young team, but far too many times this season, he can't get this team to play with effort or discipline or passion. The defense is terrible in long stretches and there is absolutely no semblance of any flow on offense (this team doesn't know the meaning of a "good shot"). Their attitudes suck when things don't go right (i.e. Warren) These are coaching issues. Hell, most of this team still plays like they are on their AAU team.
I don't think Capel sucks, but he has a helluva long way to go in the coaching department. He will continue to recruit well, but I would rather he recruit smart and well. I will give him a pass this year based on his recent success. However, the jury is still out on him....and after what I've seen from this team concerning basketball IQ and intangibles, I'm not sure he is the long term answer....sorry.
Some Sooner fans may hate Kelvin, but from day one, his teams (talented or not-so-talented) played their asses off. I haven't seen that type of effort on the defensive end or on the boards since Capel's first season...and alot of those players were Sampson leftovers. As a matter of fact, I've seen the effort get incrementally worse every year; but last year, we had the talent to overcome our lapses. Yes, we won some NCAA tourney games and even made the Elite 8 last year and I think we had reason to be excited about the direction of our program. However, this year has brought me back to reality. I don't want to make this a Kelvin vs. Capel thing, but Sampson's worst year was 8-8 in conference...and brother, we aren't sniffing 8-8 this year.
I will certainly give Capel credit for bringing in talented players, but remember Kelvin recruited Taylor Griffin...and one of the main reasons was he would have dibs on Blake in 2 years. What I'm saying is that Blake was coming to OU regardless. Therefore Capel, to an extent, had the luxury of the best player in college basketball...and that can certainly hide some deficiencies. Additionally, I'm not sure Capel is recruiting the right type of player...i.e. Warren, Gallon and others seem like they are "me-first" type of players and don't have a clue about the team concept. Personally, I will take a little less talent so long as they play hard and together because I believe that we will win you more games on a consisitent basis in the long run. This team, during many stretches, does neither of those (play hard or together).
And as far as coaching ability, he is having a hard time getting through to these kids....the same kids he recruited. I know this is a young team, but far too many times this season, he can't get this team to play with effort or discipline or passion. The defense is terrible in long stretches and there is absolutely no semblance of any flow on offense (this team doesn't know the meaning of a "good shot"). Their attitudes suck when things don't go right (i.e. Warren) These are coaching issues. Hell, most of this team still plays like they are on their AAU team.
I don't think Capel sucks, but he has a helluva long way to go in the coaching department. He will continue to recruit well, but I would rather he recruit smart and well. I will give him a pass this year based on his recent success. However, the jury is still out on him....and after what I've seen from this team concerning basketball IQ and intangibles, I'm not sure he is the long term answer....sorry.
