coolhandgopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2008
- Messages
- 5,089
- Reaction score
- 1,761
- Points
- 113
Where have you gone, Blake Griffin?
At about this time last year, Oklahoma was advancing towards an Elite Eight showdown with North Carolina on the back of Player of the Year Blake Griffin and the exploits of freshman standout Willie Warren. Soon after elimination, Jeff Capel's name began surfacing for jobs at Arizona, Virginia, and Georgia until he signed a nice fat extension with OU. Even though Griffin was leaving, Warren was returning along with a heralded recruiting class led by Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith Gallon, two McD's All-Americans. Life was looking good in Norman for the basketball program.
Fast forward a year. After high expectations in the preseason, Oklahoma was one of the bigger disappointments throughout the season. Warren clashed with the coaching staff and teammates and his season ultimately ended early due to injury. Last week, Gary Parrish wrote that Tiny Gallon received payments from an agent; today he indicated that Mason-Griffin was declaring for the draft, another player's leaving the program, and it sounds like Gallon and Warren might follow in leaving for the draft.
I recall being hesitant about the roses thrown at Capel's feet last season; while he had done nice work with VCU and OU, his star rose so quickly and on the back of Griffin, I wondered what he would do without the superstar. I'm not throwing Capel under the bus yet, but it is shocking how quickly things can turn for a program.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/20593389?tag=headlines;collegebasketball
At about this time last year, Oklahoma was advancing towards an Elite Eight showdown with North Carolina on the back of Player of the Year Blake Griffin and the exploits of freshman standout Willie Warren. Soon after elimination, Jeff Capel's name began surfacing for jobs at Arizona, Virginia, and Georgia until he signed a nice fat extension with OU. Even though Griffin was leaving, Warren was returning along with a heralded recruiting class led by Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith Gallon, two McD's All-Americans. Life was looking good in Norman for the basketball program.
Fast forward a year. After high expectations in the preseason, Oklahoma was one of the bigger disappointments throughout the season. Warren clashed with the coaching staff and teammates and his season ultimately ended early due to injury. Last week, Gary Parrish wrote that Tiny Gallon received payments from an agent; today he indicated that Mason-Griffin was declaring for the draft, another player's leaving the program, and it sounds like Gallon and Warren might follow in leaving for the draft.
I recall being hesitant about the roses thrown at Capel's feet last season; while he had done nice work with VCU and OU, his star rose so quickly and on the back of Griffin, I wondered what he would do without the superstar. I'm not throwing Capel under the bus yet, but it is shocking how quickly things can turn for a program.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/20593389?tag=headlines;collegebasketball