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We Rate The Hoop Coaches
Published: 2/8/2007 5:30 PM
Last Modified: 2/8/2007 5:30 PM

At the moment, the best basketball coach in the state is:

1 -- Jeff Capel, OU.

It's not a stretch to say that not one of OU's first five could start for any of the first division Big 12 teams.

But OU's new hoop coach is a hire of Stoops-like proportions.

Given all the media homers, it can be difficult to praise OU, even when it deserves it.

We would rate Stoops as a very good coach, not yet great. The Josh Heupel years were magical. The rest, superior. Must stop the pass to achieve greatness.

Same with Stacey Dales of the womens' hoops team --
after she left, Sooner coach Sherri Coale seems to be working the room moreso than coaching up a storm.

The OU baseball program is marginal.

But we wouldn't trade Capel for Sampson straight up, even if Indiana threw in a pizza.

2. OSU's Sutton.

Old-school in a fairly youthful frame.

Needs to lighten up.

What kind of hire?

Oh, pretty good, so far.

3. TU's Wojcik's.

Time to nab a star.

4. ORU's Sutton.

Here in year 33 of the rebuilding program, it's time to make a move.

5. Arkansas' Heath.

Anybody interested?


Reader Comments 10 Total
TAB (6 years ago)
The TU roster is full until 2008, when they have one scholarship open for Rotnei Clarke. I've never seen TU go at a player like they are for Clarke. Other than Uzoh, the next TU star might already be on the roster -- Jerome Jordan. Keep an eye on that guy.
world picker (6 years ago)
Last call on the TU honeymoon.
Jeremy (6 years ago)
Capel has done a very nice job at OU so far. This team is still a longshot to make the tourney, but if they do, Capel could cause quite a few voters to pause before claiming Gillespie as the Big 12 coach of the year.

OU has KU, aTm, and UT at home, and must win 2 of 3 to have a chance at an at-large bid. They are 14-8 and 5-4. It looks like 9-7 could do it in the Big 12, so they'll have to finish 4-3 down the stretch. Will that be good enough?

Sean Sutton cracks me up. It looks like his face is going to explode when they put a camera on him. Brother Scott started out with a bang, and has ORU at the top of the Mid-Con, but he needs to make a national splash in the postseason.

TU has gone downhill. They were once a team to be feared in March. No longer...
TAB (6 years ago)
Last call? Wojcik has this program turning around quicker than Tubby did and Wojcik had a whole lot less to work with at the outset. The program is on the way up -- 15 wins in early February is hard to ignore. Then again, if you prefer being a clown to serious analysis of a team, who cares about the facts?
world picker (6 years ago)
Crowds of 5,000 won't pay the rent.
Chris (6 years ago)
If Tulsa makes it to 20 wins, do they get invited to the NIT? It's even a stretch to make it to 20 wins before the C-USA tournament. That means they have to win 5 of their next 7, which includes 4 road games and 1 home games against Memphis. I think TU spends another year out of any sort of March Madness play. We need better next year.
world picker (6 years ago)
Yeah, absolutely, with its quality history, 20 should be worth the NIT.

Good point.

Good goal.
TAB (6 years ago)
Last I checked, Tulsa owned its arena and didn't have to pay rent on it. That said, like the jokes on here, the crowds should be better. Those road games are very winnable (So Miss, Rice, SMU, and UTEP) and Memphis will lose a conference game before this year as over... might as well be to TU. The next couple of weeks are big.
Jeremy (6 years ago)
TAB, take those gold colored glasses off for just a sec. The picker is simply stating that TU basketball is not where it was 10 years ago. This is a fact, if facts are what you want. Is TU in the cellar? Of course not, but that wasn't the claim. TU used to be a tourney regular and had some big wins in the postseason, even scaring the heck out of the final four not too long ago. One of my best friends has had TU season tix for years, and he recently told me that the home court advantage has dropped significantly over the past 3 years due to low attendance.

TU hoops is down. That's all. So is Sooner hoops. Will both get revived? Time will tell...

TAB (6 years ago)
What was incorrect with what I stated? I hold the Picker to a higher standard of humor and the bit about paying rent just wasn't that funny because it wasn't accurate. TU owns its own building therefore it doesn't pay rent. TU's home atmosphere is down -- I've noted that with the Picker on this very blog before -- but it's not like OU's attendance is setting the world on fire, either. Some wins over the next couple of weeks COULD make a difference (although with how TU played at Swiss Miss, I have my doubts). Do you disagree? Again, the cliches just aren't working -- for you with the gold glasses or the Picker.
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Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

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