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The slide to mediocrity....


ORUalum

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4 years ago tonight (Mar 5, 2012) ORU had won the league and was sitting at 27-5 and looking for a trip to the big dance.

  • ORU loses to WIU and the slide begins -- finish 27-7 (NIT loss)
  • Hankins to SIU
  • Move to the Southland
  • 20-15 for 2012-13 (2-1 in the CIT)
  • Roundtree kicked off the team for domestic violence
  • Obi tears acl the third game of the season
  • 17-16 for 2013-14
  • Back to the Summit
  • 19-15 for 2014-15 (bought a CBI win to get to 19)
  • Billbury kicked off team for honor code violation
  • 14-17 for 2015-16 finish 7th in the league
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The team brought it tonight but couldn't beat the refs or rebound well once Brandon fouled out, and uncharacteristically missed some key free throws that would have made the difference.  Obi's senior year was really squandered but we have some good players coming back.  Hopefully the new players will bring the height and improved defense that we need.

Obi will be greatly missed unless he is able to get that 6th year.  Next year will tell the story about whether we bounce back or continue the mediocrity.  I am certainly hoping for the bounce back year.

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For what reason would Obi get another year?  I've heard it mentioned but have not been counting on it.  I realize there's a very slim chance but never actually heard why it's even being considered.  He was allowed an extra year for his ACL injury already, right?

Rob

 

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I don't believe he was awarded an extra year for his ACL injury.  Instead he redshirted during his sophomore year because he transferred from WIU.  So this will be hoping to get a 6th year due to his ACL injury.  I don't remember the details of how many games he played in before he was injured, but it is unusual for the NCAA to grant a 6th year to a player.  In this situation I believe it is warranted however.

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Ahhh...I think he was injured in the third game of that season, but what do I know?!

Thanks,

Rob

 

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Sutton said he had to go get another guard in his postgame w/Geoff.....guessing a 6th yr for Obi is a long shot.

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Now, how can you not root for a guy with an attitude like that when he's wearing your school colors? 

And his mom's an ORU alum!

I don't know about anybody else, but as a long-suffering Titans/Golden Eagles/Cubs/Rangers fan, I am once again inclined to quit my b****ing and gracefully fall back on my all-purpose, season-ending mantra:  "WAIT'LL NEXT YEAR!!" :eagles:

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Awesome word from Javan!

With the addition of Chris and Emanuel, to Albert & Javan, we should be much more capable/dynamic across the front line next year.

I'm with OT...disappointed in this season, but hopeful and already anticipating next year.

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As disappointed as I am to not have any ORU basketball to follow anymore this season, I too am excited about what's returning as well as the addition of Chris and Emanuel!

Also, I was OK with AY and Bradley taking those last shots. They didn't go in, but at least they took a shot!

Lastly, I know we will all miss Obi and he did great things in his time at ORU, it was unfortunate he never got an opportunity to play in a NCAA tourney game...

I may be way off base here, but I can't help but wonder if his absence may free up some of the others to be more willing to step up at crunch time. To me it just seemed like a lot of times when the pressure was on everyone just knew it was going to be Obi time and not theirs. I would love to see a team that has multiple options at the end of a game, and each of those options is ready and confident to be "the man".........just a thought

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I am already counting the days until the season ticket order forms arrive in my mailbox so I can renew my tickets and GET READY FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF ORU BASKETBALL!

Go, Eagles! As Scarlett O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day!"

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+1 Illini.....you must have been reading TheEaglemans' mind....I was gonna post exactly what you stated over the past few days but didn't really want to say it...but you had the balls to finally come out with it.....gonna miss Obi and his heart but he's not Caleb Green.....Emegano a top notch player but not a great shooter from the floor and may have hindered the progress of the younger players because they felt obligated to feed him the ball....and our other senior Conley just wasn't on the court enough.....too many silly fouls.....onward and upward next season....ORU has the potential....we will see if the guys can deliver.....:eagles::eagles::eagles:

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Our esteemed colleague, ORUALUM brought up the sore subject of ORU recruiting "evaluation misses" during recent years on another post....TheEagleman hasn't done a ton of research on this but think about it....in the past decade since the graduation of Green and Tutt.....how many players has ORU recruited and stayed at the school for all four years and during their careers have averaged at least 10 points in one season or more.....Only DoMo and Warren Niles come to mind......Obi while a very nice player doesn't count because he was a transfer after his freshman year at WIU....I am talking strictly players recruited out of HS and played all four seasons at ORU......Roundtree got kicked out and Billbury transferred both for honor code violations....so it's not a good percentage....:blink:

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Damen Bell-Holter? That's the only one I can think of...And I'm not sure we even get credit for Warren Niles. Didn't he just fall into ORU's laps as a walk-on? We got a bunch of 4-year guys now, but it will have been a while in between. I think White, Jeffries and Martin are a pretty solid core going forward. All those guys seem to have high basketball IQ's, we need more of that.

My question is, what caused us to abandon the more deliberate, defense-first style of play? Was it to match the skill set of the players we have had the last few years, or did the coaching staff get tired of being competitive in conference play and beating major programs?

 

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Damen originally signed with Missouri State.  When Barry Hinson was fired at MSU and ORU-alum and Alaska native Kyan Brown lost his assistant's job in the process, DBH came with (followed?) Kyan to ORU, after one year at a prep school back East.

No question ORU has missed Cory Williams and Tom Hankins on the recruiting front.  Just not getting the same caliber of player these days.

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Oh that's right... Geez, can't take credit for him either.

I heard a story on one of the OKC stations the other day regarding Chris Crutchfield, (which may be common knowledge, but I hadn't heard it before) sort of "discovering" a then 13-year old Buddy Hield at a basketball camp at the Bahamas when Crutchfield was still at ORU, and Hield following him to OU. I don't know if that's true or if there ever was a probability higher than zero of Hield ever going to ORU, but I thought it was funny. 

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Yes...how could TheEagleman have forgotten Bell-Holter....that makes 3 players in the past decade to play all four years at ORU and average 10 points or more in at least one season....we may have a couple more on the roster now but time will tell....who would have thought Roundtree and Billbury would get tossed?....not me....they were both really nice players.....:huh:

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Apparently Tree is putting his life back together.  Read recently that he was named Newcomer of the Year as well as a first team all conference player.  As I recall he is now with William Penn in Iowa, which is an NAIA school. 

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