(03-25-2021 02:26 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(03-25-2021 01:41 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(03-25-2021 01:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Kruger had 20 NCAA tournament teams as a head coach. That's a damn good career.

Agree fully, Wedge. This is a big loss for Oklahoma.

It's absolutely a big loss for Oklahoma. Lon Kruger led our program out of probation, and took us to a Final Four in five years (never mind that we got boat raced once we were there, but we were there). He did it about as clean as you can in the cesspool of modern college basketball. I'm happy for him, though. He has earned retirement after an excellent career.

Our program is not well-supported. We have an 11,000 seat arena built in 1975 that has barely been touched since it was built. We approach capacity only when we play Kansas, OSU, or Texas. The practice facility is ok, but the arena needs to be replaced. However, the BMDs give to football (good investment). The Oklahoma fan base applies the standards of the football program to every sport: national championship or bust. They'll support the program as long as there's a chance to win a national championship. Right now, that's football, gymnastics, and softball. Finishing in the top 32 and in the middle of the Big 12 doesn't cut it with most of our fans. Throw in the competition of an NBA franchise, and the interest isn't what one might expect for a top 30 program. The results of Oklahoma basketball are pretty darn good considering the program competes with a relative arm tied behind its back.

Nonetheless, it is a Big 12 program with good tradition. We go to Final Fours every 14 years (1988, 2002, 2016). We'll get a good coach.

Really interesting. I'm always fascinated by this notion that it needs to be one or the other between football and basketball or where one sport sucks up all of the oxygen. Ohio State and Florida don't seem to have that issue. Texas puts in the money behind basketball, albeit with less success on-the-court. Nebraska has really poor on-the-court results yet its basketball attendance for the past decade has been quite incredible and better than all but 10 or so schools.

In my mind, Oklahoma ought to have an upper echelon basketball program. Their history ought to put them more in line with the Ohio State/Florida-types that can "walk and chew gum at the same time" consistently.