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Topic: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Topic: Coach, recruiting or both ?

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Alaska Cat
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Member Since: 1/3/2021
Post Count: 9

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Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 11:49:11 AM

Beautiful campus.
Nice arena -- the Convocation Center.
In the past, good success.

What is wrong with current basketball @ OU.
I have followed Coach Jeff. Won wherever he has been. Seems to have better talent now.
I know one of his recruits bolted the the NBA. Another one to Alabama.
This is basketball. One only needs 7-8 good players (with hopefully more) to be successful & win consistently.

Could Saul Phillips have sunk this program so far, that it is now @ best, just a mediocre program?

We have a prettier campus than Akron.
A better reputation than Akron.
Doesn't seem to matter. Our former coach, just seems to win & win there. Why?

Could it be the Coach?
Recruiting?
Reputation?

Chime in, what do you people think?? A lot of questions. any answers?

SBH
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,447

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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 12:00:13 PM

$$$$$$$

Akron has a guy who is willing to write checks for any player Groce wants. He also paid to convert part of the student funded rec center into a bball practice facility. How they got away with that without a student protest I have no idea. Perhaps Akron students are just that apathetic.

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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Member Since: 7/30/2010
Post Count: 4,270

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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 12:59:15 PM

SBH wrote:

$$$$$$$

Akron has a guy who is willing to write checks for any player Groce wants. He also paid to convert part of the student funded rec center into a bball practice facility. How they got away with that without a student protest I have no idea. Perhaps Akron students are just that apathetic.

Isn't Akron mostly a commuter school? I suspect they care a whole lot less about communal spaces.

BobcatSports
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Member Since: 2/2/2006
Post Count: 1,098

Status: Offline

RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 1:18:48 PM

I think St. Jeff�s greatest success at Ohio was accomplished with the players he inherited from Better Call Saul. Jeff has had plenty of time to recover from Saul. Way past time to quit kicking Saul�s Sick Dog!!! Jeff�s fortunes would be better served IF he could find at least ONE recruit that was a legit outside shooter!!!

OhioCatFan
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,072

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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 3:07:00 PM

BobcatSports wrote:

I think St. Jeff�s greatest success at Ohio was accomplished with the players he inherited from Better Call Saul. Jeff has had plenty of time to recover from Saul. Way past time to quit kicking Saul�s Sick Dog!!! Jeff�s fortunes would be better served IF he could find at least ONE recruit that was a legit outside shooter!!!

True, that's why I was not one of the Saul bashers. I think he should have been given another year. He dealt with some very crucial injuries. Heck, I even liked his corny sense of humor.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

FJC31
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Member Since: 3/31/2022
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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 3:25:46 PM

Given the additions of Simmons and Breath (proven size) this portal season, I think our NIL budget has increased. We weren't able to land these types of players previously as a byproduct of limited funds.

I think Boals not having a set offense, bringing in his exact needs, or adapting to his own roster builds over the years continues to shoot him in the foot.

He keeps trying to attempt the same style of ball played with Preston and BVP. The previous two years we had a small ball roster without tempo and more running. It might not have worked, but that should have been the strategy paired with all the 3PT shooting. Gas teams, try to trap/defense into offense, press, whatever.

This season we have the ability to bully ball in the paint via pick and rolls with size at our advantage. We have more athleticism than the previous two years. We utilized that really well against Illinois State. Lean into that for the year since we don't really have any shooters.

It's just odd how he chooses to coach and roster build at this point.

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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Member Since: 7/30/2010
Post Count: 4,270

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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 4:16:14 PM

Yeah, I tend to think that Boals' system requires a level of raw talent and skill that he can't consistently recruit.

As a result, something has to shift. He's either got to up the recruiting, or adapt his system.

We'll see if he's capable.

bobcat 2000
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Member Since: 1/21/2006
Post Count: 230

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RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 5:00:03 PM

i agree that our team has gown downhill over the years. first up is we aren,t recruiting players with good size and rebounding ability like weve had in the past. we had players like brandon hunter,gary trent,leon williams and jerome tillman. we got no one like that on our team now. second is we have to address the problem we have defending against the three point shot. a lot of our opponents especially the tougher teams on our schedule shoot quite well on the three against us. more practice on foul shots is needed. our free throw percentage is way too low.that can and does spell the difference. we could benefit from leaving the mac. i think big east, conference usa or american would be good. we could do okay in those conferences and recruiting would get better. thats cause in those conferences we would,nt need to rely on winning the conference tourney to get an ncaa bid. we also need to have a year round weight training program in place so our players could get bigger and stronger

OUcat
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Member Since: 10/13/2011
Post Count: 199

Status: Offline

RE: Coach, recruiting or both ?

Posted: 11/20/2025 6:03:50 PM

Changing conferences ... particularly moving up, is a disaster waiting to happen.

Look at UMass. Yes, the jury is still out with UMass moving DOWN in class from A-10 to the MAC and considered no less than a mid-level MAC team.

Best-case scenario -- UMass dominates, ... but early returns does not refelct that possibility.

Likely scenario -- UMass is a solid contender immediately, but unsure future.

Worst-case -- UMass struggles for extended period before, hopefully, having a (Hurley-Oats) stretch of success like Buffalo.

To have success changing conferences you have to be like a Butler - consistent winner/NCAA Team in the mid-major league.

Note: Butler, Valparaiso and Loyola-Chicago are all former Horizon League teams who changed leagues. Have any of them become consistent at-large NCAA teams, much less league dominant.

Be careful what you wish for.

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