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Oklahoma got the Trae Young exemption. And Syracuse got the...whatever it is that let's them in every year with 13 losses.

Tough night. At the end of the day.. it was an improvement on last year, which is all I was hoping for Mills this year. I’ll wait until next season to cast my judgment on his coaching abilities.

Mills scorecard: Going small to get back in the game Not fouling up 3 at the end of regulation Play drawn up at the end of OT 1 Play drawn up at the end of OT 2 You know who could have coached those late game situations just as poorly?????

Personally, I like the starting five the way I is. But I do think Albert should be the first one coming off the bench every single game. We’ve got four talented bigs (Eman, Javan, Miller, and Nzekwesi) that can really punish these smaller Summit league teams. Keep them rotating and wear the opposition down. Albert offers an offensive game that Miller hasn’t quite developed yet.

Some on this board have given the new coaching staff credit for a plan to sit a pre-season all-conference senior Albert Owens. Was this a plan or just dumb luck and is it fair to Owens? There is no doubt that Nzekwesi and White have great talent and that Miller is also a solid player. However, in ORU’s first 11 games Owens outplayed each of the other ORU big-men. Yes we only won 2 of these games but was that Owens’s fault? Why was Owens benched for the Missouri State game? And why is Owens now a 6th-man? Is having Owens in the dog-house a “plan” or dumb luck because Nzekwesi, White and Miller are now playing to their potential and ORU won 5 of its next 7 games. Is the “plan” to start underclassmen a staff looking to the future at the expense of a senior who could have transferred to another Division I program but chose to come back to ORU (graduates can transfer and play without sitting out). Owens may have “humility” regarding the “plan” but his production certainly has gone down. Owens played well at South Dakota but sat the last 14 minutes of the game. Owens didn’t play well at North Dakota State and did not help his cause. I hope this “plan” hasn’t caused Owens to give up. He deserves better for what he’s done at ORU these past four years. I’ve supported ORU for 24 years not for the coaches (they are paid and come and go) but for the student-athletes. All athletic departments give lip service about a rewarding college experience for their student-athletes. In fairness to Owens I think it’s time he be let out of the dog-house. Here are some statistics: First 11 Games Minutes – Points – Rebounds - Blocks: Owens: 28.5 - 14.5 - 5.0 - 1.5 Nzekwesi: 31.0 - 10.0 - 5.9 - 0.8 White: 26.4 - 10.2 - 8.2 - 0.8 Miller: 10.1 - 04.3 - 1.8 - 0.5 Next 9 Games Minutes – Points – Rebounds - Blocks: Owens: 17.7 - 07.1 - 00.6 - 1.8 Nzekwesi: 35.9 - 17.8 - 09.0 - 0.6 White: 30.2 - 11.6 - 10.3 - 0.2 Miller: 17.4 - 08.9 - 03.3 - 0.4