TheFied
2500+ posts
01/26/09 09:55 PM
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Wow. He is so so good. He has an NBA body more so than Beasley and on top of that he has such good inside instincts. And then his defense and rebounding. Wow.
I am not comparing him to Durrant b/c they are COMPLETELY different players but I didn't think that he would be this dominant.
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TULPoke
25+ posts
01/26/09 10:55 PM
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He's too damn good to receive the kind of help he gets from the zebras.
I'll be glad when he declares and his bro and Austin f'ing Johnson leave.
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Horn69
10,000+ posts
01/27/09 12:04 AM
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He definitely receives favorable calls from the refs. He is really good though. Hard to believe he's 6'10." If he's really that tall he might get away playing close to the basket in NBA; otherwise he's going to have to work on his shot away from the basket. He and Courtney Paris should go as a package deal.
Hook'em!!! 
"You aren't going to play in this defense unless you got your chin strap buckled." Roy Miller Aug 2008
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doylehargraves
1000+ posts
01/27/09 06:50 AM
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He is phenomenal. His court presence and awareness are outstanding. The guy is just so smart, and has some pretty damn good physical qualities as well. The explosiveness in his jump is pretty incredible.
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Victorious1
500+ posts
01/27/09 08:14 AM
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He falls down too much.
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Barton Hills
5000+ posts
01/27/09 08:17 AM
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I fear we'll see the Sooners marching into the Final 4.
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busterbrown16
500+ posts
01/27/09 08:24 AM
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No way the Sooners make it to the final 4. The Big 12 is just not on par with the other big time conferences - Big East, ACC, and Big 10. I see both us and OU getting no further than the Sweet 16.
The falling down is just crazy. Both he and his brother do it. It is an obvious attempt to get calls from refs when they throw their bodies into shots and go crashing to the floor. I am shocked the Big 12 has not made the refs aware of this move (like the NBA does with some moves made by NBA players).
 
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DRAG69
2500+ posts
01/27/09 09:19 AM
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OU is definitely Final Four material.
They are as good as any of the top teams in the country.
We will have to play our best game of the year to have any chance to beat them when they come to Austin and I am not sure that will be enough.
As happy as a gopher in soft dirt........
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DLev
5000+ posts
01/27/09 09:31 AM
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BlowU is not [censored] good at all. Their guard play is awful.
And what's the deal with airline peanuts?
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/27/09 09:50 AM
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In reply to:
BlowU is not [censored] good at all.
OU's 20 wins are 2 more than anyone else in the country with a SoS ranked at 21 by RealTimeRPI.com.
I'm not saying they're the fav to win it all, but the Final 4 is a realistic goal with this team.
In reply to:
Their guard play is awful.
Really? Willie Warren & Austin Johnson have been outstanding, while Crocker & Davis have their moments and Leary is steady & consistent, which is all you need out of a backup PG.
The one thing that often gets overlooked about this group of guards is their on the ball defense.
Juan Patillo may be the guy that pushes OU to the Final 4 though. OU needed someone off the bench who could do anything at the Forward position & he looks like the guy.
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TheFied
2500+ posts
01/27/09 09:54 AM
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In reply to:
No way the Sooners make it to the final 4. The Big 12 is just not on par with the other big time conferences - Big East, ACC, and Big 10
Agreed on ACC and Big East but I'll take the Big 12 over the Big 10 any day. Big 10 only has one decent team this year and that's MSU.
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busterbrown16
500+ posts
01/27/09 09:55 AM
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I am still waiting for the bottom to fall out of this crazy run Austin Johnson is on. He is definitely the X factor. I guess I should have qualified my earlier statement of OU losing in the Sweet 16 with the assumption that guy comes back to earth. I think it will happen and OU will become very beatable without that guy shooting a crazy percentage from behind the arc.
I am not sure OU beats anyone else in the top 10 on a neutral court. Definitely not any of the ACC teams or the top Big East teams.
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TheFied
2500+ posts
01/27/09 09:55 AM
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If Austin Johnson can get hot in the tourney, they will be a tough team. He is on fire for now. For some reason, I bet OU fans cringe at how hot he is (did you see that ~22 footer he hit vs OSU?) b/c they know he can get that cold too.
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Crusher X
1000+ posts
01/27/09 09:58 AM
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OU is good, but I see a couple things that could work against them.
1. Guard play is good, but not great. Teams with great guard play make the Final Four. Johnson has had some good games lately, but when someone D's him up, he doesn't seem to have the "next gear". I don't see anyone on that team that can legitimately make up for Griffin if he's having a bad game or in foul trouble.
2. Coach Capel is good, but is he NCAA seasoned enough for a long run in March? Can he make the adjustments when a team (or the refs) takes away Blake Griffin?
3. Besides us, I don't see any team that will really challenge them in conference. KU might, but they play them in Norman. The Big 12 tournament is in OKC. Will they be truly battle tested for a run in March?
Just my thoughts.
Understand that change begins with the individual.
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/27/09 10:29 AM
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In reply to:
Johnson has had some good games lately, but when someone D's him up, he doesn't seem to have the "next gear".
That's the thing though isn't it? With Blake Griffen down low, who's going to D up all the guards? Guard AJ & Griffen tight and deal with Warren taking over, for example.
Also, the only real difference in AJ's game lately is that he's being aggressive more consistently. He's always played well over the last several years when he's being aggressive. He just has to stay aggressive.
Don't forget that AJ was a 4-Star SG coming out of high school who's had a ton of injury problems & is finally a healthy seasoned veteran.
Also, even if his game comes down some from the 5 game stretch he's on, both Crocker & Davis have been playing below par offensively, so who's to say they don't come back up to take up the slack?
In reply to:
I don't see anyone on that team that can legitimately make up for Griffin if he's having a bad game or in foul trouble.
It's already happened this year:
- Against Utah, Blake didn't make a FG & only played 23 minutes. OU had 4 other players score in double figures & play great defense.
- Against VCU, Blake only played 26 minutes due to fouls trouble & Crocker put in 26.
- On the raod against Texas A&M, Blake played 24 minutes due to foul trouble & Austin Johnson puts in 19.
Now with Patillo proving to be a legit presence down low (which will be huge in future games if Blake gets into fowl trouble) to go along with Blake, Willie Warren, Taylor Griffen's continued all around game, and AJ's emergence as a threat, this team has a lot of potential.
Especially if Crocker &/or Davis get out of their cold streak.
And OU is an overall very good defensive team.
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busterbrown16
500+ posts
01/27/09 11:11 AM
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Sounds like dangdirtysooner has already talked himself into this team being a Final 4 team and perhaps a NC contender. Prepare to be severely disappointed.
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/27/09 11:38 AM
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In reply to:
Sounds like dangdirtysooner has already talked himself into this team being a Final 4 team and perhaps a NC contender.
Yeah, like it's completely absurd to think a team ranked #4/5 with an RPI of 3 (BEFORE last night Bedlam win in Stillwater) two-thirds of the way through the season, could possibly be a Final 4 contender...
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SL Xpress
500+ Posts
01/27/09 12:45 PM
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The biggest reason I want to see Blake Griffin out of college basketball is so I'm not subjected to any more camera shots of his mom.
Blake Griffin doesn't flop for foul calls more than Hansbrough, and he certainly doesn't receive any more favorable treatment from the refs than either Durant or Augustin did. Because of that, I don't have a real problem with it. I don't consider his "special" treatment out of the ordinary for someone who is a special player.
I liked him better than Beasley last year, and he's even stepped it up this season.
If I was a Sooner fan, I'd be getting excited about this team. Personally, I don't think they're as good as the best teams in the Big East and ACC, but who cares? The postseason is a long ways off. If OU goes 15-1 or 14-2 in Big 12 play, then make it to the championship game of the Big 12 tournament, they could very well be looking at a #1 seed. Even if they go 13-3, they're probably looking at a #3 seed. 12-4 might get them there if they win the Big 12 tournament.
I'm impressed with OU's guard play. I don't think they're the greatest ballhandlers in the world, but I haven't seen a team successfully pressure them like I thought I would, so maybe I'm just flat out mistaken about that.
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DeadHorse
1000+ posts
01/27/09 12:50 PM
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What gets me about Griffin is how graceful he moves. He's 6'10" and 250 lbs but he runs like a 6'3" wide receiver. Watch him the next time they throw him an alley oop. It's like he hardly jumps.
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ghost
2500+ posts
01/27/09 12:51 PM
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In reply to:
OU is good, but I see a couple things that could work against them. 1. Guard play is good, but not great. Teams with great guard play make the Final Four. Johnson has had some good games lately, but when someone D's him up, he doesn't seem to have the "next gear". I don't see anyone on that team that can legitimately make up for Griffin if he's having a bad game or in foul trouble. 2. Coach Capel is good, but is he NCAA seasoned enough for a long run in March? Can he make the adjustments when a team (or the refs) takes away Blake Griffin? 3. Besides us, I don't see any team that will really challenge them in conference. KU might, but they play them in Norman. The Big 12 tournament is in OKC. Will they be truly battle tested for a run in March? Just my thoughts.
1. The guards are more than capable of handling things and Warren can take over when BG is out. The other poster mentioned guys that have taken over when BG has been out for whatever reason.
2. Good point. Capel could end up being the X factor. He coached at VCU IIRC and they didn't fairly well. Did he coach the team that upset Duke or had he just come to OU??
3. Agreed. BU should, but based on their play against them, BU is no match. BU is on the rise, however, so keep an eye on them.
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Bob in Houston
5000+ posts
01/27/09 12:52 PM
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In reply to:
If Austin Johnson can get hot in the tourney, they will be a tough team.
Not a rip, but you can say that about any team. If Connor Atchley can hit two or three a game from here, Texas will be hard to beat, too.
I kept running into this concept when one of my jobs was to write a little bit about each of the teams that had made the tournament for S(election Sunday)+1.
That is when I realized that, in a one-and-done format, most teams are almost impossible to beat when hitting their threes, and simple to knock out when they aren't.
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busterbrown16
500+ posts
01/27/09 12:56 PM
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DDS, just saying that we have had way better teams in the past few years then this Sooner team (IMO) and have just one Final Four appearance. Just saying it is tougher then you think. I would tap the brakes a bit. Not saying they are not good, just don't see Final Four good.
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/27/09 01:05 PM
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In reply to:
DDS, just saying that we have had way better teams in the past few years then this Sooner team (IMO) and have just one Final Four appearance. Just saying it is tougher then you think. I would tap the brakes a bit. Not saying they are not good, just don't see Final Four good.
I'm a Sooner fan. I know EXACTLY how hard it is to win in the NCAA Tournament. Duke doesn't even make the Final Four every year. Bobby Knight only made 5 Final Fours. Yeah, it's hard.
Just because UT has only made 1 Final Four lately doesn't mean that some of those teams weren't good enough to get there, just that they didn't get there.
This OU team is good enough to get to the Final Four, imo. Whether they get there or not is another story. Sometimes you run into a buzz saw that's hits a ton of threes (like Indiana in '02), have a late injury (like Quannas White's sprained ankle days before the Final Four in '02 or Hollis Price pulled groin in the Big XII trny of '03) or a team that gels at the right time (like Syracuse in '03).
I'm just saying it wouldn't be an upset if OU made the Final Four.
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Bob in Houston
5000+ posts
01/27/09 01:12 PM
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No, not an upset. But they seem to play inconsistently. They had about two 6-to-8 minute stretches last night in which they looked unbeatable, and a couple where they looked clueless.
When it comes to making the FF, I'd like to see more consistency. But if OU is a two seed, that still gives them a good shot.
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IndyHorn
250+ posts
01/27/09 01:18 PM
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I'd give a sleight edge to the Big 10 over the Big 12 in terms of number of tournament worthy teams. I think at this juncture Purdue is the class of the Big 10. The Boilers had OU deeply on the ropes in NYC until the Griffin whistles got really blatant down the stretch. Michigan State did beat UT, but they also just lost at home to Northwestern . Purdue has been beat up with Robbie Hummel having a tricky back. But they are awfully good.
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OUEngineer
1000+ posts
01/27/09 03:31 PM
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Bob, couldn't you say the same thing for every team?
UNC is the 'chosen one,' yet they've looked vulnerable for stretches, including during a loss to Wake and another loss to BC on their own home court. Wake looks unbeatable, yet, somehow loses to Virginia Tech on their own home court. Duke has looked awesome of late, but lost to Meatchicken.
All of these teams are said to be better than OU, and rightfully so, but let's not pretend OU is the only Top 10 school fighting consistency. For the record, any of those teams would be tough for OU to beat, before anyone accuses me of being a myopic basketball neophyte.
IndyHorn, you acknowledge OU beat, in your opinion, one of the top Big10 schools, but we overlook that by saying the 'refs gave it to 'em?' Uh, ok. Not sure if OU would win the Big10, but we'd have a good shot. Not impressed by anyone other than MSU.
If you don't stand for something, you'll fall and break your legs and pelvis.
Edited by OUEngineer (01/27/09 03:34 PM)
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Bob in Houston
5000+ posts
01/27/09 04:38 PM
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In reply to:
Bob, couldn't you say the same thing for every team?
About hitting threes? Yeah, that was my point.
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/27/09 05:14 PM
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In reply to:
But they seem to play inconsistently. They had about two 6-to-8 minute stretches last night in which they looked unbeatable, and a couple where they looked clueless.
I know it's cliche, but basketball really is a game of runs.
That happens in nearly every basketball game. Only rarely dos one team dominate a good team throughout, like OU did to Baylor over the weekend.
Bottom line is last night OU beat a good team (RPI #26 going in) on the road by a comfortable margin (wasn't in doubt in the last 4 minutes).
They're 20-1 with a SoS ranked , as of this afternoon, #16. And that's with our best 3 point shooters (Crocker & Davis) spending most of the year in a slump. This is a very good team.
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TheFied
2500+ posts
01/27/09 05:57 PM
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In reply to:
Not a rip, but you can say that about any team. If Connor Atchley can hit two or three a game from here, Texas will be hard to beat, too.
Bob, the difference is Austin Johnson currently is en fuego. Can he keep it up? I doubt it; he either gets cold soon and can get hot again or he gets cold at the wrong time.
Connor hasn't been hot since #14 left campus.
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Horn69
10,000+ posts
01/27/09 08:03 PM
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In reply to:
I am still waiting for the bottom to fall out of this crazy run Austin Johnson is on.
I agree with you and The Fied...if I had made a bet every time I said Austin Johnson can't make the next one, I'd be a poor man today. Or broke man.
Hook'em!!!
"You aren't going to play in this defense unless you got your chin strap buckled." Roy Miller Aug 2008
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Horn69
10,000+ posts
01/27/09 08:50 PM
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Did Connor make a basket in the first half? I don't think so.
Hook'em!!!
"You aren't going to play in this defense unless you got your chin strap buckled." Roy Miller Aug 2008
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I_Live_In_OK
1000+ posts
01/28/09 08:59 AM
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I ripped the OU back court pretty good in the non-conference but they have been nails lately. Against Texas, BU and OSU, the Crocker/Warren/Johnson trio responded positively each time the opponent made any kind of run. They've been hot in conference play and sometimes, confidence is all it takes to change the complexion of a team from one month to the next (see: Justin Mason + Connor Atchley).
And Patillo's presence is huge. Absolutely huge. I cannot overstate how much his contribution means - before him, I had no confidence that OU had a good enough 7 to 8-man rotation to get a 3 seed and make it past the Sweet 16. With him, OU knows it can go to its bench without trying to steal minutes with Ryan Wright or Ray Willis.
lots of Texans wear jorts, lots of Texan's are Longhorns. do the math. - next2naus
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TULPoke
25+ posts
01/28/09 10:09 AM
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In reply to:
Blake Griffin doesn't flop for foul calls more than Hansbrough, and he certainly doesn't receive any more favorable treatment from the refs than either Durant or Augustin did. Because of that, I don't have a real problem with it. I don't consider his "special" treatment out of the ordinary for someone who is a special player.
Hansbrough gets more favorable calls than anybody in the history of the game, so saying it's ok for Griffin to receive similar treatment is a bit curious.
Durant got most of the calls (which was somewhat annoying), but I didn't think that was the case with DJ.
I didn't think it was right with Durant, and I don't think it's right with any of the current players. A guy that plays a physical game like Griffin should be in foul trouble every night. Instead, he picks up his 2nd with 6 minutes left in the contest. It's a joke.
And there's a reason he's received so many cheap shots this season from opponents. The [censored] he gets away with is incredible.
He's too good by himself to get that kind of treatment. It's impossible to properly defend a guy that is that polished when any sort of touch on his post move is going to receive a whistle.
---------
Regarding Oklahoma, I think they can make a FF if Austin Johnson continues to play aggressively. Unfortunately for OU, I doubt that will happen. This isn't the first streak in his career that he's played great basketball, and I don't think it will continue thru the end of the season.
I see Johnson playing tentatively down the stretch, Warren hitting the wall, and OU with a 2nd round exit.
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I_Live_In_OK
1000+ posts
01/28/09 11:35 AM
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In reply to:
A guy that plays a physical game like Griffin should be in foul trouble every night.
That's an exaggeration. Griffin's game isn't any more physical than it is agile and instinctive. You're generalizing his game into the prototypical mold of a banger/bruiser stiff - Griffin gets mugged in the paint by two to three guys every time he takes a dribble on the back-down. Griffin doesn't get away with anymore than what defenses get away with how many times they foul him and it goes uncalled.
He doesn't commit dumb fouls and he'll rarely attempt to block a shot (with his athleticism and power, he should be averaging more than 1.4 blocks) because Griffin knows OU can't afford to have him on the bench. The only time he'll truly seek contact is a) on a post move to the middle of the paint, or b) on an offensive rebound, which does not entail him dishing out anymore contact than anyone else battling him for the board.
lots of Texans wear jorts, lots of Texan's are Longhorns. do the math. - next2naus
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ghost
2500+ posts
01/28/09 04:29 PM
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In reply to:
And there's a reason he's received so many cheap shots this season from opponents. The [censored] he gets away with is incredible.
I guess you didn't see the game against Rice. He got manhandled on every single touch by the Owls. Had the refs called every legit foul, Rice would have fouled out their entire front court. Just look at the pictures from that game. I was at the game sitting right behind the OU bench. BG got only a fraction of the calls he should have. Kudos to Rice for giving him hell, but the constant hacking was pretty weak. The 'bow to the face was a nice touch. I got a few pics of BG getting treated.
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dangdirtysooner
250+ posts
01/28/09 04:42 PM
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In reply to:
A guy that plays a physical game like Griffin should be in foul trouble every night.
He's much more physical on offense than defense. And many of his fouls are called as such (not to mention all of the walks he's called for). But yes, even when you hit big & strong guys on the arm when they shoot it's still a defensive foul.
When Blake plays defense, well, the other team doesn't even try to go at him much. You don't get called for too many fouls when the guy you're guarding doesn't have the ball...
In reply to:
I think they can make a FF if Austin Johnson continues to play aggressively. Unfortunately for OU, I doubt that will happen. This isn't the first streak in his career that he's played great basketball, and I don't think it will continue thru the end of the season.
No, he really hasn't had any stretches like this in the past. Individual games? Yes, but not 5-6 game stretches like this. And it's not just about his agressiveness in shooting, but pushing the ball, attacking the defensive. He's never been this aggressive before.
I don't think it's just coincidence that he's actually healthy and it's happening his senior year. History is filled with guys who stepped up their games/finally reached their potential as seniors.
In reply to:
Warren hitting the wall,
With his body type? I really doubt he'll physically hit the wall. Mentally? He's still just a Freshman, so he can still make mental errors with shot selection & the like, but he's neither the PG nor the go-to guy, so those mental mistakes can & have been minimalized.
In reply to:
and OU with a 2nd round exit.
Crazier things have happened (damn you Rick Fox!), but it would be a big upset if it happened.
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