OK...now what?

[titansforever]

2 minutes ago, Dave Connor said:

Since we’re talking about spelling, Dow’s first name is Connor.

Touché!

[Old Titan]

15 minutes ago, titansforever said:

Touché!

Covfefe.

[titansforever]

2 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

Covfefe.

Let's leave politics out of this. (HAHAHA!!!!)

Although that might stir up fewer strong opinions than what many on this board think about how to repair our MBB program...

[Bogus Smith]

1 hour ago, Dave Connor said:

Since we’re talking about spelling, Dow’s first name is Connor.

....and (in a different sport) it's Ryan FOLMAR, not Fulmer, or Folmer, or any other way to spell it.  

[titansforever]

7 minutes ago, Bogus Smith said:

....and (in a different sport) it's Ryan FOLMAR, not Fulmer, or Folmer, or any other way to spell it.  

And it's Beau Geste, not Bogus! 

 

[ORUTerry]

How many players are we currently recruiting? I just see a few offers listed on the Verbal Commits website. Paul Mills used to have +20 offers out. Can’t sign them if you don’t make an offer. I realize that in the new scenario we live, a lot of recruits are from other D-1 or D-2 schools, but it would be nice (and encouraging) to see more offers listed. 

[Bogus Smith]

1 hour ago, ORUTerry said:

How many players are we currently recruiting? I just see a few offers listed on the Verbal Commits website. Paul Mills used to have +20 offers out. Can’t sign them if you don’t make an offer. I realize that in the new scenario we live, a lot of recruits are from other D-1 or D-2 schools, but it would be nice (and encouraging) to see more offers listed. 

I would think that this week is reserved for having end-of-season discussions with each player and discussing whether they want to stay (not enter the portal) or encouraging them to go (entering the portal).  I would guess that they are having some hard discussions about what it is going to take to get more playing time and talking about the commitment that the player is willing to make to improve their skills now that the coaches see what they are playing against and have had a season to evaluate everyone.

With that, they are probably looking at the players that are on their list based on what they seem to have for the upcoming season and what they need to fill (I'll say it again, we need two bigs and two shooters please) going hard over the next few weeks at post season HS, JC, D-II, and D-III tournaments.  They can't tamper with players until they enter the portal (although it is common for P4 schools to talk to student-athlete's parents about their interest to talk to their sons if they were to enter the portal).

This is all my conjecture from being around this stuff - not always as close as OT and TB82 in the earlier years - and coming to my own conclusions.  Please don't take this as anything other than message board chatter.

[Old Titan]

52 minutes ago, Bogus Smith said:

This is all my conjecture from being around this stuff - not always as close as OT and TB82 in the earlier years - and coming to my own conclusions.  Please don't take this as anything other than message board chatter.

 

LOL - "Who are those guys?!?"  #iykyk

[tmh8286]

On 3/10/2026 at 11:27 AM, Old Titan said:

I didn't know there would be math; seven it is:

1. Conner
2. Luke
3. Nefri
4. Martins
5. Cal
6. Chase
7. Lane

Solution is simple:  impactful changes to the staff and the roster; at least a 50% turnover in both.

Eddie Sutton said it best, something along the lines of "You can train a good plow horse all you want; you're not going to win the Kentucky Derby with it."

With the obvious exception of Kansas City, every other Summit League team appeared to put more talented/taller/physical line-ups on the floor than ORU.

ORU is in the midst of the worst three-year stretch in school history (average of 21.7 losses per year since Paul Mills left; same number of losses [23] this year as Springmann's last season). 

It screams for SIGNIFICANT change, not just standing pat with a blackjack hand of 16 when practically everyone else in the league is showing a face card.  #hitme

Perhaps the toughest part of coaching - spend a year building friendship and rapport with a player or an assistant coach, then at the end of the season tell them, "We love you we just don't want you."

As I recall, Scott Sutton had many friends and contacts that he could call upon to help him find a good place for those situations. Not sure HCKB can say the same.

[TrueBlue82]

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that the "Reaching the Summit" podcast guys spent any of their time analyzing and discussing the state and future of ORU basketball, as their radar screens usually don't extend further south than Interstate 80.  However, while I appreciate their consideration of ORU, their final premise of "keep the core (Dow, Gray, Kilips) and add some pieces" is somewhere between "gratuitous patronizing" and "dead wrong".  The dirty little secret that most of us on this board know is that the premise is exactly backwards - Dow, Gray, and Kilips are the pieces and ORU needs to add the core.

[Old Titan]

How are things coming along on the "Two Thumbs Up and a Loud 'PREACH'!!" reaction button for posts?

Asking for a friend... 

[Eaglefan 21]

Anyone else a little surprised/concerned about that lack of ORU players in the portal? I'm encouraged that Ofri and Connor didn't jump in the portal the day after the summit tournament ended but I expected more of an exodus right after the season ended. UND and NDSU both lost a lot of star power in the last two days.

[Bogus Smith]

12 minutes ago, Eaglefan 21 said:

Anyone else a little surprised/concerned about that lack of ORU players in the portal? I'm encouraged that Ofri and Connor didn't jump in the portal the day after the summit tournament ended but I expected more of an exodus right after the season ended. UND and NDSU both lost a lot of star power in the last two days.

The portal doesn't open until 4/7, so no one is in the portal right now.  Early announcements made unilaterally by the players is only intended to tell coaches to be on the lookout for their entry.  Although players are not allowed to have direct communication with schools (although they do), agents/parents can start entertaining discussions of their "client's" options and you will see a lot of commitments on that fateful April 7 day.

Currently D2/D3/NAIA players' portal is open and that is why you see a lot of activity on that front (and where ORU is currently fishing).  ORU is in the D2/D3/NAIA pond because there are some diamonds-in-the-rough that may be able to play at the low-major level and they are affordable. The players that become available on April 7 may not have the price tag that we can fish for.

[ORU82]

Sorry, but if we can't afford to field teams then why not just drop athletics entirely?  No money or no commitment coupled with poor management?

[Bogus Smith]

22 minutes ago, ORU82 said:

Sorry, but if we can't afford to field teams then why not just drop athletics entirely?  No money or no commitment coupled with poor management?

Because we are an educational institution raising up young adults to proclaim the Good News - not an athletic factory.  Through God's provision we will still have the ability to be "giant killers" but I doubt ORU will be defined by that.  It is the desire of the University and its supporters to bring Christ to the world through athletic competition, theology, business, medicine, and other vocations throughout the world.

[titansforever]

Oral used to say, "The sports page is the only Bible that some people ever read." (He might have been quoting someone else, but the idea is valid, I think.)

 

[Old Titan]

The founder was never willing to accept that ORU should ever settle for mediocrity (or, particularly, abject failure)....in anything.  #noexcuses

[theeagleman5]

Spend, Baby, Spend!!!