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The Starting 5


Dr. BB

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After now seeing all the games played at Mabee Center this year (including last night's game against Oklahoma State), I am perplexed as to who constantly are named to the Starting 5.....specifically, Kareem Thompson and Carlos Jurgens.  Both have been awful in my opinion.  Thompson is so light, he gets pushed around defensively, and rarely scores over 2 points a game.  Jurgens is not much better, as he often turns the ball over (as well as his roommate, Lacis), and has a horrendous shooting percentage.  I really like Weaver when he is on (like the second half last night), but I often cringe when he is off his game.  It seems McBride would be a much better option than Thompson.  Sir Issac Herron may be better than Jurgens, though obviously less experienced.  Losing Obanor has created a depth problem for this team.  I think Mills is wise to take Thompson off the floor after a few minutes, but when ORU desperately needs points at the end of a game, we have players on the floor who rarely score.  Last night was a heartbreak.  I hope we don't have another Monday night against TU.  Anyway, do you all think our starting 5 should be tweaked at this point?

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Coach is starting the guys with the experience that helped ORU to the Sweet 16.  It is a small ball lineup with five shooters but Jurgens and Thompson are averaging around 17 percent from three this year.  We know they both can shoot better than that.  Unless someone really shines off the bench, I would be surprised if Coach changes the lineup.  He may eventually start Lufile when ORU plays some big opponents in conference play (SDSU and Western Illinois).

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Every guy I know who is (or has been) involved with college basketball simply LOVES Jurgens for his toughness and versatility. 

Sure, he has not been shooting well from the perimeter so far this season, but he has more than made up for it with his slashing drives, his ball-hawking defense, and his rebounding.

His addition to the starting lineup for an injured RJ Glaspar was a (the?) key factor in ORU’s late-season surge last year.

He’s earned the starting spot…

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Jurgens contributes to the team in lots of different ways: hard nosed defense, rebounding, drives to the basket. His height on the perimeter is something we need. Carlos can shoot better than he has shown and that will get better. 

Thompson has not found his groove yet - but he will. We need his mid range shooting and slashing to the basket. 

I also want to see more of Herron. I really think he is ultimately the replacement for Obanor. 
 


 

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OK, I’ll address the 400-lb. gorilla in the room:  why is Trey Phipps getting so much playing time?

And that’s not a rhetorical question this time. 

First, I should point out that I think the world of his dad, former ORU assistant Conley Phipps.  I’ve known Conley since he was pouring in 30-points-or-so for Cleveland High School in scrimmages when I was at Tulsa Memorial (while watching safely from the end of  the bench, I might add).  Anyway, he’s a great guy, and I’m glad having Trey on the team has brought  Conley back into the ORU fold. 

And, it’s obvious Trey is really a smart basketball player. It’s also obvious the coaches have an awful lot of confidence in him. 

But that all being said, I am scratching my head as to why he’s getting so much playing time at this point in his career. Let’s face it, he hasn’t played a lot of (any?) meaningful minutes at the D1 level before this season.  And suddenly he’s playing 30 minutes a game and all of yesterday’s overtime?

I’m just not sure he’s ready yet for this kind of limelight.  Would love to see more of McBride, who is battled tested from a season in the SEC at Vanderbilt, with Phipps getting his minutes in more conventional spots for growth  

 

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Jurgens should definitely be starting.  He is our best defensive player.  He can drive to the basket, shoot 3s, get rebounds, and provide assists.  He is a glue type of player who helps hold the team together.

The nice thing about Thompson is that he is a tall guard who can shoot the 3, drive to the basket, and use his height to defend other guards.  I could see McBride pushing him for playing time and possibly his starting spot.

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Yes Phipps is a good contributor but I would give more playing time to McBride as well.  Of course the coaches see things in practice that we don’t always see in the games.  Glad to have both players as solid transfers on this years team.

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Herron should be in the starting 5, if not right now, by March, and should be getting minutes with that goal in mind. 

lacis and jurgens earned their starting spot (for now) from last year, but others should be given the opportunity to take it away(McBride, Herron specifically) . Weaver makes sense as a starter. (Is it just me or does he seem bigger this year than last? - doesn’t seem as skinny and seems like it’s helping) we have a problem with size down low, so lacis may be a starter all year, especially if he can keep shooting like yesterday(aside from his first one). All the bigs should be working hard as we need them by conference tourney, however with our type of offense really need a floor spacing 5. When those bigs play that can’t shoot, we can only use them for defense and rebounding, and hard screeners on offense. 

 

 

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With Phipps, I think Mills is hoping he will get hot and knock down some threes.  He is a smart player but his best quality is shooting.  If he comes in and hits two or three threes in a row, then Mills looks really good.  He is also scrappy, in that he will get in there and mix it up with the big guys.  Phipps usually seems to be at the right place at the right time.  He will hit some big shots in the future, so hopefully he can quickly get over that last missed shot.

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- Agree on Phipps. He doesn't do very many things wrong. Always making the right play. He's just not done anything that makes me think he should be playing over Kareem or McBride. 

- Agree on Herron. Every time I see him play I am excited about his future. Why is he not getting more opportunity? 

- Surprised by the comments regarding Jurgens and Kareem. Both, in my mind, are some of the best guards we've had in a LONG time. Big, strong, good defenders, solid rebounders, competent ball handlers. I hate to see McBride or Phipps taking minutes from these guys, honestly. 

- Not a "Starting 5" comment, but I wish Abmas was playing fewer minutes. Hate to see a guy go the full game, though his motor obviously can handle it. 

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5 hours ago, ORUJason said:

I think McBride might be a better player than Kareem Thompson, but he is also 3-4 inches shorter.

Probably more like 6 inches shorter...

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Yes is Kareem 6’6” and McBride about 6’0”?  For quite awhile tonight we had Abmas, McBride and Phipps on the floor.  That is a short lineup indeed.

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On 11/27/2021 at 3:21 PM, Old Titan said:

OK, I’ll address the 400-lb. gorilla in the room:  why is Trey Phipps getting so much playing time?

And that’s not a rhetorical question this time. 

First, I should point out that I think the world of his dad, former ORU assistant Conley Phipps.  I’ve known Conley since he was pouring in 30-points-or-so for Cleveland High School in scrimmages when I was at Tulsa Memorial (while watching safely from the end of  the bench, I might add).  Anyway, he’s a great guy, and I’m glad having Trey on the team has brought  Conley back into the ORU fold. 

And, it’s obvious Trey is really a smart basketball player. It’s also obvious the coaches have an awful lot of confidence in him. 

But that all being said, I am scratching my head as to why he’s getting so much playing time at this point in his career. Let’s face it, he hasn’t played a lot of (any?) meaningful minutes at the D1 level before this season.  And suddenly he’s playing 30 minutes a game and all of yesterday’s overtime?

I’m just not sure he’s ready yet for this kind of limelight.  Would love to see more of McBride, who is battled tested from a season in the SEC at Vanderbilt, with Phipps getting his minutes in more conventional spots for growth  

 

I totally agree with you.  When I first saw this kid on the court, I thought he was in grade school.  He looks like he is still pre-teen.  Anyway, he has made some good shots, but he has missed many more.  Having him on the court during all of the overtime minutes is still a mystery.  He had a clear shot at the end. and missed the entire basket and backboard.  I do think he will be a great addition as the years progress, but would like to see much more of McBride and Herron for now.

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For the record, in high school Trey Phipps was a highly acclaimed 3 point shooter who signed with OU.  He definitely fits in this offense notwithstanding that he missed the end of game 3 pointer vs OSU.  The question is how much playing time he deserves right now vs. McBride and the other guards.

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