Old Titan Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Good guys fall in a game of two halves, 92-84 vs. Central Arkansas in Fort Smith. As pool reporter for the brain trust of ORUTerry, Doc Cornelius, ORU Grad, ORUJason, and yours truly, here are a few consensus observations from court side ; more to come from everyone individually upon our return to Tulsa: Kevin Obanor is still a beast Dre Burns is a mature and athletic point guard who will be an outstanding addition. RJ Fuqua is just as quick as ever Max Abmas is a 3-point sniper deluxe with a Tre Young-like quick release. Eli Lufile is a raw but intriguing prospect. Eman was out with what is said to be a minor shoulder injury. Sam Kearns is also dealing with a nagging injury Bombshell: DJ Weaver suffered a serious knee injury back in March or April and is indefinitely unavailable. As for the game; pretty simple: 33 first-half points for an opponent is good; 59 second-half points for an opponent is bad. More to follow.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Thanks, OT. I really appreciate the insights from one who was there vs. my listening over the web. It seemed like we couldn’t buy a stop in the second half, and had way too many turnovers. But, a solid effort, especially without Eman. Weaver sounds like he could possibly be ready for Summit play, but is a more likely medical redshirt candidate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORU82 Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Thanks for the info OT. Sorry to hear about DJ, I hope it is a quick and full recovery. Hopefully everyone else is ready to go at Okie State. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Whats with the secrecy about Weaver? Coach Mills couldnt have mentioned this over the past 6 months?....very disappointing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Henderson Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 So ORU was without 3 of their top players and still had a chance to win at the end. That lets us know they have good depth. Without DJ now they really are going to have a small lineup (only three forwards left). Welcome to small ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 8 hours ago, Keenan Henderson said: So ORU was without 3 of their top players and still had a chance to win at the end. That lets us know they have good depth. Without DJ now they really are going to have a small lineup (only three forwards left). Welcome to small ball. This was a neutral site game vs. an opponent that is picked in the lower half of their conference and will likely finish under .500 for the year. Giving up almost 60 points in one half in such a situation should be unacceptable, no matter who did or did not play. Anything resembling that sort of defensive performance in the season opener at Oklahoma State could result in an NBA-type score from the Cowboys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Some more reflections on Sunday afternoon's exhibition: as exciting as it was to see ORU perform so well offensively, the defensive collapse in the second half completely overshadowed any optimism (in my book) that ORU has turned the corner culturally in putting together complete games on both ends of the floor. ORU ran the most simple of offenses Sunday, yet managed to score 80+ points vs. an unfamiliar foe in an unfamiliar building in their first "real" game of the year, and without two of their leading scorers from last year. That's great! But, after some impressive stops resulted in a respectable 34-33 halftime lead, ORU inexplicably wilted after the break. The defensive numbers for the final 20 minutes were staggering: 59 points allowed on 70% shooting for the Bears in the second half, including 5-of-8 from three, and a whopping 39-22 rebounding advantage for the game (14 of which were offensive rebounds, many times resulting in a stick-back two or an ORU foul on a follow-up attempt). It was an far-too familiar scenario from the past two seasons, made all the more surprising after a promising first half of aggressive defensive play (particularly from the UALR transfer Burns, who is obviously well-schooled in playing man-to-man defense, hedging screens, playing the passing lanes, etc.). Burns looked light-years better on defense out top than his running mates, who in a replay we've all suffered through before, allowed too many drives and too many wide-open attempts from behind the arc. The problems on the defensive perimeter were/are exacerbated by ORU's lack of defensive presence inside, which I'm not sure will be helped all that much by E-man's return. What ORU is sorely lacking is any kind of rim-protector in the paint, ala Kerwin Smith last year, or Shawn King and Kendrick Moore on recently-successful defenses in ORU's past. Much of the foul trouble Sunday (three players fouled out down the stretch) was the result of late help on the block, or follow-shot fouls in the paint. We may be looking at a long year of anxious nail-biting as Kevin and Emmanuel struggle to stay out of foul trouble from so many defensive breakdowns in the lane. The simple question is, which team (and staff?) will show up in most of ORU's games this year: the "UCA First Half" version that prioritizes defense and rebounding, or the "UCA Second Half" bunch that appears only interested in trying to score? The former might win as many as 20 games this season; the latter could possibly lose just as many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 On a brighter note, some offensive highlights from late in the game: extra passes lead to a three by Sam. D83B7134-94C7-455D-AC4F-E868CCD2E500.MOV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Extra-effort offensive board by Eli and a buzzer-beating three by Burns (my new favorite player) 59BE06E0-7C5E-411E-9F9E-DBC2F18ACE10.MOV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 I agree with OT’s assessments. We ran a conservative (no sets) offense and looked okay on defense in the first half. We did not expend a lot of effort on defense in the second half. That has got to change. We did run a lot of player combinations - and that can obviously impact continuity and communication. You also had some of the weaker players with a fair amount of minutes. (Everyone played). On top of that, you have new players (Abmas, Burns, Jones, Lazenby, Lufile) trying to get used to D-1 baketball/their new teammates/etc. We should expect a bit of a learning curve. Burns can play defense - and so can Jones. Fuqua’s speed is disruptive. Hopefully the other guys will take their cue from those guys and make a concerted effort to bear down on defense. Max Abmas looks like a really good shooter. Seems confident. I’m hesitant to compare him to Ken Tutt just yet... but I’m close. Lufile is a strong kid with good feet. He will get better. Needs to work on his free throws. Burns is the point guard we have needed (in conjunction with RJ). Plays under control and puts effort out when he’s on defense. Seems to be a floor leader. Saw him go over Abmas after Max committed a turnover and speak with him abu what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cornelius Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 I haven't seen ORU push the tempo like that in a LONG time. Burns and RJ both did a good job of advancing the ball quickly before the defense was able to set up. It seems like there wasn't as much urgency to keep pushing in the second half (fatigue?). Burns and Jones really were pestering on defense; Jones showed the ability to guard multiple positions even when giving up size - I think he sees the floor quite a bit if he keeps that up. Defense and rebounding are the two glaring potential struggles for this team. Ball movement and scoring have improved but boxing out and perimeter defense HAVE to be valued in order to compete in the Summit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 TheEagleman is going to set the final pre-season O/U for wins at 14.5 due to the injury to D. J. Weaver and the lack of info on how long he is going to be out of the line up. He is a key player on this team and is much needed for scoring and depth....does anyone have any insights as to the type/severity of the injury and when he might be expected back in the line up???..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 10 hours ago, theeagleman5 said: TheEagleman is going to set the final pre-season O/U for wins at 14.5 due to the injury to D. J. Weaver and the lack of info on how long he is going to be out of the line up. He is a key player on this team and is much needed for scoring and depth....does anyone have any insights as to the type/severity of the injury and when he might be expected back in the line up???..... Rumor has it second semester, if at all this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 On 10/31/2019 at 11:22 AM, theeagleman5 said: TheEagleman is going to set the final pre-season O/U for wins at 14.5 due to the injury to D. J. Weaver and the lack of info on how long he is going to be out of the line up. He is a key player on this team and is much needed for scoring and depth....does anyone have any insights as to the type/severity of the injury and when he might be expected back in the line up???..... Eagleman - you have proven to be a much better handicapper than me, but I would clearly take the OVER. We have four non-D1 home games, two low/mid-major home games (HBU and MoState), and a road game against a perennial doormat (Chicago). I think the chances of ORU losing one of those games is about as great as ORU stealing a win in one of the other six road games. That would leave ORU 7-6 after Non-conference. Summit play is still a big question mark, but since we’re generally regarded in the top half of the league, a 9-7 record should be the low end of the range. As a result, 16 wins should be the minimum for this team, and that number could rise if we avoid further injuries and the backcourt comes together as we all hope. While the loss of Weaver will definitely hurt, freshman Max Abmas has a very high ceiling. But, of course, it is still far too early to speculate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 TheEagleman is just setting the number. Each individual must decide if he/she chooses above or below .500 based on 29 games. I am inclined to also take the over barring any more nasty injuries...i think ORU can win 15-17 regular season games.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Henderson Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 With DJ out that should really open the door for Ty to play the small forward spot and get 20-25 minutes a game. He is a fifth year senior and should be a very sound and experienced player (2 years of junior college and 2 years at OU). As the old saying goes, next man up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 1 hour ago, Keenan Henderson said: With DJ out that should really open the door for Ty to play the small forward spot and get 20-25 minutes a game. He is a fifth year senior and should be a very sound and experienced player (2 years of junior college and 2 years at OU). As the old saying goes, next man up. Lazenby did very little in Fort Smith to justify that many minutes. Hopefully, it was rust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORU GRAD Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 40 minutes ago, Old Titan said: Lazenby did very little in Fort Smith to justify that many minutes. Hopefully, it was rust. New recruits that will make impact this year from what I saw in Ft. Smith will be Max Abmas (Freshman), Lufile (Sophomore), and Dre Burns.(Senior) Jones will be a great addition on defense and he is only a Junior. With Weaver out I think 17 wins will be tops and if he comes back for second half of season, maybe we can get that 18 plus wins. Oklahoma State will show where we really are this early in the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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