Head Coach Steve Lutz

[PickleRick]

For those who know the portal better than I - who would you say is on our wish list for Lutz that would fit his style?

Might be an impossible to answer question. If so, hopefully Stargazer is lurking with his sources.

 

[donny.boy]

Hopefully he'll concentrate on this part of the country, esp Texass and Oklahoma and surrounding states, which is likely to be his focus. No more string of recruiting trips to New York and S. Carolina and Florida, unless he has an assistant who has good ties there. There are enough good players in this region of the country to win and win big.
It is encouraging that he spent two multi-year stints at two different places as the recruiting coordinator, that was his title, not assistant coach, those came in later jobs. So he should be well grounded on how to conduct a targeted, efficient recruiting campaign each year.

 

[Osucowboys344]

PJ Haggerty from Tulsa would be a good start averaged 21 ppg and is right down the road. Also, he has 3 years of eligibility

Nvm just committed to Memphis

 

[PJ-OSU]

For those who know the portal better than I - who would you say is on our wish list for Lutz that would fit his style?

Might be an impossible to answer question. If so, hopefully Stargazer is lurking with his sources.

Off the top of my head, there are a couple of decent players from Stanford in the portal and definitely some talented guys available, but you have to strike quick. Feels like we need a couple of SGs (BT and Quion gone) a SF (Dailey?), a PF and a C or two (depending on Garrison’s status)… so a whole team

 

[zone2poke]

Somebody at Oklahoma State is working today.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776030942706258108

 

[Cowboys4ever]

Off the top of my head, there are a couple of decent players from Stanford in the portal and definitely some talented guys available, but you have to strike quick. Feels like we need a couple of SGs (BT and Quion gone) a SF (Dailey?), a PF and a C or two (depending on Garrison’s status)… so a whole team

BT still has one more year, but could leave at anytime as a grad transfer

 

[zone2poke]

For those who know the portal better than I - who would you say is on our wish list for Lutz that would fit his style?

Might be an impossible to answer question. If so, hopefully Stargazer is lurking with his sources.

I'm guessing he's too busy counting his bitcoins in his booster suit.

 

[andylicious]

I'm guessing he's too busy counting his bitcoins in his booster suit.

Does one wear boots, shoes or crocs with the booster suit?

 

[cowboyinexile]

Does one wear boots, shoes or crocs with the booster suit?

If I could afford a booster suite I'd wear whatever the heck I wanted

 

[Pistol Pete's Mustache]

Can a basketball nerd explain why the zone defense is so hated in some circles? I get that you can’t run it exclusively because once an opponent breaks it, the defense breaks down. But it surely is effective in situations which is how Boynton seemed to insert it from time to time after timeouts. I’m pretty sure I recall Eddie throwing it out there sometimes, although very rarely, I have memories of the announcers mentioning how rare it was and why it was strategic to use in a particular situation. Is the hostility specifically to using zone as the predominant form of defense? I seem to recall that Boeheim at Syracuse used it a ton.

 

[SlurrrPup]

Boeheim used the 3-2 almost exclusively.

I think the love of the man-to-man defense is partially due to pride for purist, when it comes to defense. "Don't need a gimmick to win" approach. If you have the better players, you should win.

At least that is my opinion.

 

[PJ-OSU]

For those who know the portal better than I - who would you say is on our wish list for Lutz that would fit his style?

Might be an impossible to answer question. If so, hopefully Stargazer is lurking with his sources.

2024-25 transfer rankings: Where have the best players in the portal committed?

Where (nearly) every transfer in the top 100 -- and next-in-line -- has committed for the 2024-25 season.

www.espn.com

Here is a decent ($paywall$) link with available guys in the portal.

 

[MT Cowboy]

Boeheim used the 3-2 almost exclusively.

I think the love of the man-to-man defense is partially due to pride for purist, when it comes to defense. "Don't need a gimmick to win" approach. If you have the better players, you should win.

At least that is my opinion.

Pride and history specifically relating to Oklahoma A&M/OSU. Coach Iba was hardline man-to-man defense only, and a master of teaching and running it with his teams. That imprinted itself on Coach Sutton who stuck overtly to it as well. I very rarely if ever recall seeing a Sutton coached team run a zone defense. As we've get more distanced from the Iba/Sutton generation and/or their tree to coaches that haven't played under that strict old-school style, the willingness to implement zone has increased.

Nothing inherently wrong with zone defense. Switching back and forth can be very effective, as evidenced by our teams looking utterly lost against a zone defense the last decade plus. Purely a matter of coaching preference and pride.

 

[SlurrrPup]

2024-25 transfer rankings: Where have the best players in the portal committed?

Where (nearly) every transfer in the top 100 -- and next-in-line -- has committed for the 2024-25 season.

www.espn.com

Here is a decent ($paywall$) link with available guys in the portal.

Stanford has the #5, 7, 11, and 78th players on this list. How did they go 14-18?

 

[Cowboyshoopspride]

Stanford has the #5, 7, 11, and 78th players on this list. How did they go 14-18?

Coaching

 

[zone2poke]

Can a basketball nerd explain why the zone defense is so hated in some circles? I get that you can’t run it exclusively because once an opponent breaks it, the defense breaks down. But it surely is effective in situations which is how Boynton seemed to insert it from time to time after timeouts. I’m pretty sure I recall Eddie throwing it out there sometimes, although very rarely, I have memories of the announcers mentioning how rare it was and why it was strategic to use in a particular situation. Is the hostility specifically to using zone as the predominant form of defense? I seem to recall that Boeheim at Syracuse used it a ton.

Syracuse was very good at the zone, but it can be broken if teams have worked on it, usually by getting the ball to a big man near the free throw line to distribute. Also, the zone cuts down on the drives but tends to allow less contested perimeter shooting. If a team can shoot, they will have a lot of success against a zone.

I agree that throwing a zone from time to time is a good strategy. It throws the offense off their game for a bit. But good man-to-man defense is still the way to go, in my view, with timely doubles, smart switches, and lots of communication.

 

[Duke Silver]

Syracuse was very good at the zone, but it can be broken if teams have worked on it, usually by getting the ball to a big man near the free throw line to distribute. Also, the zone cuts down on the drives but tends to allow less contested perimeter shooting. If a team can shoot, they will have a lot of success against a zone.

I agree that throwing a zone from time to time is a good strategy. It throws the offense off their game for a bit. But good man-to-man defense is still the way to go, in my view, with timely doubles, smart switches, and lots of communication.

It also makes it hard to defensive rebound and allows way too many putbacks.

 

[Cowboyshoopspride]

Pride and history specifically relating to Oklahoma A&M/OSU. Coach Iba was hardline man-to-man defense only, and a master of teaching and running it with his teams. That imprinted itself on Coach Sutton who stuck overtly to it as well. I very rarely if ever recall seeing a Sutton coached team run a zone defense. As we've get more distanced from the Iba/Sutton generation and/or their tree to coaches that haven't played under that strict old-school style, the willingness to implement zone has increased.

Nothing inherently wrong with zone defense. Switching back and forth can be very effective, as evidenced by our teams looking utterly lost against a zone defense the last decade plus. Purely a matter of coaching preference and pride.

Syracuse was very good at the zone, but it can be broken if teams have worked on it, usually by getting the ball to a big man near the free throw line to distribute. Also, the zone cuts down on the drives but tends to allow less contested perimeter shooting. If a team can shoot, they will have a lot of success against a zone.

I agree that throwing a zone from time to time is a good strategy. It throws the offense off their game for a bit. But good man-to-man defense is still the way to go, in my view, with timely doubles, smart switches, and lots of communication.

It also makes it hard to defensive rebound and allows way too many putbacks.

Regardless of style, you must be disciplined at all 5 spots on the floor. We haven't been for some time. That may be the one thing I want to see most out of Lutz right away.

 

[zone2poke]

Josh Schertz to St. Louis??

 

[SlurrrPup]

Coaching

I understand that it is coaching, but it is still mind blowing. He did well at UAB, but kind of stunk at Stanford, which is weird because he is from that region.

3 players ranked higher than Garrison and all 4 players ranked higher than Dailey. Those were 2 of our top 5-6 players.

All 4 Stanford players were in the top 6 for minutes, so the injury bug didn't hurt Stanford. Probably had a lot of effort similar to some of our games after the Boynton interview.