*I haven’t read the board yet. But I’m with all of you on the substitution patterns. You jump out to a 14-7 lead and then put Xavier Pinson and Dru Smith on the bench. Two minutes later, the lead was one. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. You can’t have Torrence Watson, Javon Pickett, Drew Buggs and Mitchell Smith on the floor. That’s not an NCAA Tournament game lineup. Not even for a couple of minutes.
That’s ultimately the reason Missouri lost. They just didn’t have enough talent. When their top guys weren’t on, the reserves just weren’t good enough to win a game at this level. I don’t think it’s ultimately much more complicated than that.
*I know there will be a lot of focus on Xavier Pinson sitting. I understand it. During the game, I agreed with you all. I’d liked to have seen him in the game for the final four minutes (or the final 24). But it was pretty obvious by that time Cuonzo Martin was riding Drew Buggs. He was asked about the decision twice. He complimented Buggs. Never said anything about Pinson. Not even his name. So credit the coach for not throwing the kid under the bus, but what he didn’t say said enough. If Martin thinks you’re not playing defense, you’re not going to play. I can’t say for sure if he was worse than a lot of guys on defense. Watching the game at live speed, I don’t know to be honest with you. But it’s pretty obvious Cuonzo thought he wasn’t good enough and he wasn’t going to play him.
Throughout the year, there’s been some skepticism from a lot of people on here when we’ve said we expect it to be X’s last year. There shouldn’t be any more. I don’t know how you could watch that game tonight and expect him to come back. The relationship has run its course. I don’t know where his next stop will be, but I just don’t see any way it’s going to be here. I don’t know who’s to blame. But it doesn’t really seem like it’s working…at least not well enough to go for another full year.
*One more on the sub patterns. Here’s the one that really got me: With 4:04 left, Jeremiah Tilmon picked up his fourth foul. He went to the bench. I figured, cool, sit him for a few seconds, settle him down, TV timeout hits and he comes back in. Except he didn’t. When the timeout ended, it was 58-55 with Dru Smith at the line. He made both. One point game. No Tilmon. The next Oklahoma possession was a Brady Manek three. That made it 61-57 (and was a blown defensive assignment by either Kobe Brown or Mitchell Smith; I don’t know which one, but Martin said Manek’s threes in the second half were defensive breakdowns by those two guys). After an Elijah Harkless jumper (shoutout to Harkless, I really thought he was the player Missouri didn’t have…the guy who you’re just confident is going to make a 15 foot jumper), it was 63-57. Still no Tilmon. Missouri came down the floor, down six with 2:53 to go in a do or die game for what I would argue was its most important possession of the season. And it resulted in a missed three by Mitchell Smith. The same player who Oklahoma was literally backing off of daring to shoot in the first half. That simply can’t be the shot in that situation. Not by that guy. It just can’t happen. Oklahoma made two more free throws and Tilmon subbed back in with 2:15 to go after a 7-0 run. What was he being saved for? There was 3:44 left in the season. Sitting him on the bench is as good as him fouling out. I don’t understand it.
*I would like to take a break here to recognize Tilmon tonight. We wondered if they’d get good Tilmon or bad Tilmon. It’s been a while since the good one showed up. He showed up tonight. He was dialed in and played his ass off. He gave everything he had. I thought he was pretty clearly Missouri’s best player. He had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, went 4-6 from the line and turned it over only once. Kid played a hell of a game. I’ve appreciated watching him grow the last four years. I’ll miss covering him.
*Obviously Dru Smith is going to be missed. Rough first 25 minutes or so followed by a nearly Denmon-like set of heroics. Good player, classy kid.
*Back to the reasons they lost. I’m big on if you’re going to criticize coaching, give me specific examples. I’m going to give you specific examples of coaching things that won Oklahoma the game. Cuonzo said after the game it was obvious that Oklahoma’s game plan was to make Missouri’s four men beat them. That’s a pretty good game plan. Kobe Brown and Mitchell Smith combined for 10 points on 3-11 shooting and 10 rebounds in 43 minutes. Brown hit a couple of threes, but that didn’t deter OU. They stuck with the game plan and trusted the scouting report. Next, Oklahoma played Missouri’s final possession perfectly. Martin said Missouri had a play called. The ball was going to go to Dru Smith. I’m honestly not sure why they threw it into Tilmon with seven seconds left (we didn’t really get good answers in the press conference) but they did. Once he fumbled it, everything broke down and it became a scramble. Missouri got it back. Kobe Brown had it with about five seconds left. He should have thrown it to Dru Smith and let the best player make a play. Instead he threw it to Drew Buggs. Oklahoma fouled him with the clock at 2.5. Perfect execution. OU’s players were prepared, when the clock got to a certain point to foul. They did it perfectly. Give them credit. They just executed better down the stretch and that’s why they won the game. Lon Kruger's a hell of a coach. He had his guys ready.
*Overall, the season was okay. Certainly not great. Certainly not anywhere near what you thought it could be six weeks ago. It feels hollow. If this is the ceiling, it’s not good enough. But we don’t know if it’s the ceiling, we have to let the next couple of years play out. Had they won tonight, I’d have called this a strong B+ type season. Because they didn’t, it’s at best a B- or so, maybe even a C+. I understand all the hand wringing about the future. I really do. But the only thing we can do is sit back and see what it brings. Cuonzo said tonight this senior class got the program back on track and elevated it. It’s his job to take it to another level. If he can’t do it, at some point, he’ll get fired and we’ll move and try the next guy. But he’s going to be the guy who gets the chance. We’ll find out if he can in the next couple of years. If you’ve made up your mind, so be it. I personally wouldn’t sign him to an extension this offseason, but I’m not sure where Jim Sterk’s at with it. We’ll start asking around in the next few days.
*Appreciate you reading and following along all season. Sorry it couldn’t last a couple more days. Maybe it was ultimately a fitting way for it to end. I feel like I've watched a lot of pretty similar games this year.
That’s ultimately the reason Missouri lost. They just didn’t have enough talent. When their top guys weren’t on, the reserves just weren’t good enough to win a game at this level. I don’t think it’s ultimately much more complicated than that.
*I know there will be a lot of focus on Xavier Pinson sitting. I understand it. During the game, I agreed with you all. I’d liked to have seen him in the game for the final four minutes (or the final 24). But it was pretty obvious by that time Cuonzo Martin was riding Drew Buggs. He was asked about the decision twice. He complimented Buggs. Never said anything about Pinson. Not even his name. So credit the coach for not throwing the kid under the bus, but what he didn’t say said enough. If Martin thinks you’re not playing defense, you’re not going to play. I can’t say for sure if he was worse than a lot of guys on defense. Watching the game at live speed, I don’t know to be honest with you. But it’s pretty obvious Cuonzo thought he wasn’t good enough and he wasn’t going to play him.
Throughout the year, there’s been some skepticism from a lot of people on here when we’ve said we expect it to be X’s last year. There shouldn’t be any more. I don’t know how you could watch that game tonight and expect him to come back. The relationship has run its course. I don’t know where his next stop will be, but I just don’t see any way it’s going to be here. I don’t know who’s to blame. But it doesn’t really seem like it’s working…at least not well enough to go for another full year.
*One more on the sub patterns. Here’s the one that really got me: With 4:04 left, Jeremiah Tilmon picked up his fourth foul. He went to the bench. I figured, cool, sit him for a few seconds, settle him down, TV timeout hits and he comes back in. Except he didn’t. When the timeout ended, it was 58-55 with Dru Smith at the line. He made both. One point game. No Tilmon. The next Oklahoma possession was a Brady Manek three. That made it 61-57 (and was a blown defensive assignment by either Kobe Brown or Mitchell Smith; I don’t know which one, but Martin said Manek’s threes in the second half were defensive breakdowns by those two guys). After an Elijah Harkless jumper (shoutout to Harkless, I really thought he was the player Missouri didn’t have…the guy who you’re just confident is going to make a 15 foot jumper), it was 63-57. Still no Tilmon. Missouri came down the floor, down six with 2:53 to go in a do or die game for what I would argue was its most important possession of the season. And it resulted in a missed three by Mitchell Smith. The same player who Oklahoma was literally backing off of daring to shoot in the first half. That simply can’t be the shot in that situation. Not by that guy. It just can’t happen. Oklahoma made two more free throws and Tilmon subbed back in with 2:15 to go after a 7-0 run. What was he being saved for? There was 3:44 left in the season. Sitting him on the bench is as good as him fouling out. I don’t understand it.
*I would like to take a break here to recognize Tilmon tonight. We wondered if they’d get good Tilmon or bad Tilmon. It’s been a while since the good one showed up. He showed up tonight. He was dialed in and played his ass off. He gave everything he had. I thought he was pretty clearly Missouri’s best player. He had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, went 4-6 from the line and turned it over only once. Kid played a hell of a game. I’ve appreciated watching him grow the last four years. I’ll miss covering him.
*Obviously Dru Smith is going to be missed. Rough first 25 minutes or so followed by a nearly Denmon-like set of heroics. Good player, classy kid.
*Back to the reasons they lost. I’m big on if you’re going to criticize coaching, give me specific examples. I’m going to give you specific examples of coaching things that won Oklahoma the game. Cuonzo said after the game it was obvious that Oklahoma’s game plan was to make Missouri’s four men beat them. That’s a pretty good game plan. Kobe Brown and Mitchell Smith combined for 10 points on 3-11 shooting and 10 rebounds in 43 minutes. Brown hit a couple of threes, but that didn’t deter OU. They stuck with the game plan and trusted the scouting report. Next, Oklahoma played Missouri’s final possession perfectly. Martin said Missouri had a play called. The ball was going to go to Dru Smith. I’m honestly not sure why they threw it into Tilmon with seven seconds left (we didn’t really get good answers in the press conference) but they did. Once he fumbled it, everything broke down and it became a scramble. Missouri got it back. Kobe Brown had it with about five seconds left. He should have thrown it to Dru Smith and let the best player make a play. Instead he threw it to Drew Buggs. Oklahoma fouled him with the clock at 2.5. Perfect execution. OU’s players were prepared, when the clock got to a certain point to foul. They did it perfectly. Give them credit. They just executed better down the stretch and that’s why they won the game. Lon Kruger's a hell of a coach. He had his guys ready.
*Overall, the season was okay. Certainly not great. Certainly not anywhere near what you thought it could be six weeks ago. It feels hollow. If this is the ceiling, it’s not good enough. But we don’t know if it’s the ceiling, we have to let the next couple of years play out. Had they won tonight, I’d have called this a strong B+ type season. Because they didn’t, it’s at best a B- or so, maybe even a C+. I understand all the hand wringing about the future. I really do. But the only thing we can do is sit back and see what it brings. Cuonzo said tonight this senior class got the program back on track and elevated it. It’s his job to take it to another level. If he can’t do it, at some point, he’ll get fired and we’ll move and try the next guy. But he’s going to be the guy who gets the chance. We’ll find out if he can in the next couple of years. If you’ve made up your mind, so be it. I personally wouldn’t sign him to an extension this offseason, but I’m not sure where Jim Sterk’s at with it. We’ll start asking around in the next few days.
*Appreciate you reading and following along all season. Sorry it couldn’t last a couple more days. Maybe it was ultimately a fitting way for it to end. I feel like I've watched a lot of pretty similar games this year.
Last edited:
