That is the way to sum up this game. OU gained confidence as the game went in and we looked desperate. OU is a tournament tested team that is led by experienced players.

I love that this game took place early in the season. There is no better time in the year than to have a clunker than early December. I think we turn the page and refocus on the task ahead. This team has had so much regular season success that I think a game like this can be good.

My one concern is that if our 3 point jumpers aren't falling that we didn't have an alternative.

2 positives from this game....josh hart is a gamer. And I really like Bridges.

Gotta believe we will end up in the 14-20 range when new rankings come out next week. Given our team, that is probably right in the neighborhood where we should be. Did anybody really think we were playing like a top 10 team? Realistically this is probably a high teens ranked team at best come March and a 4-5 seed in the dance. I can live with that. I would take a 3 seed today if offered. May be good for this team to fly under the radar for the next month or two.

Early line for tomorrow's game...

Selling two tickets for LaSalle game @ cost = $30/ticket -

Section NB, row 3 -

Contact Dave, cell: 610.587.8690

That game was awful, no denying that, but:

-It was one game in December, not the 2nd round of the NCAA's
-We are relatively young, this was a big step up in class for Brunson especially - tough spot as a freshman gurd for him and he pressed
-I absolutely trust Jay to get the team to learn from this
-Maybe just maybe not carrying the weight of such high expectations gets this team to play looser in big spots, they are just kids and it feels like the entire Big East is on their shoulders
-We get to watch OUR team for at least 25 more games
-The boys got a December trip to Hawaii, guessing for most their first time, and maybe only time to a bucket list destination.

The flashes keep coming. His 1-on-1 baseline move for the layup showed more of the potential that could make him a very special player. I noticed on social media that Tracy McGrady is a player who he really likes. Well he looked a little like T-Mac on that play. He's still got a slight frame, and looked young inside the paint against OU's experienced bigs, but he's going to be a guy whose progress will be fun to watch this season. We haven't had many players with his skill set, in the Jay W. era. So much room for growth in his game. A true X-factor - like Ochefu was last year IMO.

Will be the difference in the game. Small gym, no distractions behind the basket = we go off raining 3's and win easily.

What I like:

1. I think this team can beat you more ways than we could last year. I think Booth, Brunson, Hart and Bridges are good of the bounce. I think Jenkins as moments where he can do the same.

2. This team has a unique ability to play shut down defense and hold teams scoreless 5-10 minute runs. Its happened in every game this year.

3. This team has a higher ceiling than last year. More guys who can attack the hoop when we are not hitting shots. Tonight was a good learning experience for Brunson and Booth, need to know when to attack and get fouls, they will get better with this, they are a frosh and a sophmore.

What I dislike:

1. I am sorry but lets stop the crap that we dont get the ball to Ochefu. We throw it down to him all the fregen time. Ochefu stops, takes two dribble, sits on the ball then passes it out once a soft double comes. This is a major issue on this team. One with a 30 second shot clock Ochefu takes WAY to long to make a decision, by the time he passes the ball up, the lane is now congested with multiple bigs, forcing us to work it around once and shoot a three. It happens at least 8 times a game and it is a killer, we dont get a good shot. The one time tonight Ochefu makes a quick move he dunks it over the OK player. Sorry but we miss Pinkston, he made the decision to go with it. I get it Ochefu is a good passer but he TAKES way too long, the other teams know it, they are fine with it and hit really hurts our offense. Ochefu is hurting us on offense in my opinion. To be honest I think we need to flash Jenkins at the foul line, I think it would open up our offense a bit more.

2. The mid range shot, why dont we take it? I actually think we have guys capable of it. Booth, Arc, Brunson. We need to take that shot.


All in all we shots 12% tonight, We shoot 25% which is 5 more threes than we had (Jenkins, Hart, Arc, Booth all had more than that wide open tonight). We lose this game by 6-8 points, which is where were are right now. We are 6-8 points worse than a top 8 team.

I am fine with that, the ceiling of this team is high, now they just have to develop, we will. I still predict and Elite 8 come March.

The last few years I always noticed how people say we struggle against longer and athletic teams. Already a couple tonight.

Don't most teams struggle with teams that are longer and more athletic?

Do any teams struggle versus teams that are shorter and less athletic?

Kinda seems obvious to me. This is basketball after all.

And we're off!

Just about every year in Nov or Dec Nova is upset by a team they were supposed to beat and some guys on the board who apparently have never followed a full season of college basketball overreact and claim the sky is falling.

Tonight Nova lost by a team ranked higher than they were and yet we still have a handful of chicken littles throwing in the season.

Nova struggles with long and athletic, especially when the 3 is not falling.

Frustrating tonight definitely, but let's see how the BE season goes before we mail it in

i know this board wants to go into total meltdown but I noticed two things. I noticed Daniel on the bench with Jeff getting a Gatorade hit. Looked to me like he was cramping so that may explain the reduced minutes. That's a training issue to solve. Also. I was glad to see Reynolds playing well after he was in the boot after the St. Joe's game.

Not the end of the world, guys. It's early and they're still learning to play together.

That was an embarrassing effort on our part

Good thing, it only counts for one game

We will get back on track and knock off UVA

We have to make our first couple of 3's to get confidence offensively and defensively

Brunson is a multi year player Got exposed big time

On to the next game

Go Cats

While we have a good bit of experience, this team is a major work in progress. Tonight was Brunson's first game against elite competition. Do folks not recall Reynolds' struggles in his first semester?

This is Booth's first year as a major contributor. This role change is one that can take some time. Many expected Alvin Williams to be a force his sophomore year. It took until the UConn game on the road in February until he started playing to predetermined expectations.

Bridges is just getting his feet wet. He is showing signs of being a positive factor.

Jenkins is stepping into a starting role and learning how best to play against tough competition. With his skill set. Anybody remember how much Dwayne Anderson contributed in his first two and a half seasons?

Hart needs to learn how to handle being the best player on the team and how to assert himself. It took Hilliard until his senior year to do this.

We have a lot of moving parts. But a lot of potential.

....Arch, Booth, Hart, Bridges and Ochefu...imho a well balanced squad offensively and defensively...

Camo or other special patterned uni's for Monday?

Would have to figure Nike may want to do something for the made for TV game on a Military base.

A. We lost because we couldn’t shoot. People who say we lost because of our effort didn’t watch the game. They couldn’t make a shot. Oklahoma was on fire. That shook us a bit early, and we couldn’t recover.

We shot 4-32 from 3. You know the winning percentage of teams that have done that in the last 5 seasons? 0%. And they shot 14-26 from 3. So they scored 30 more points on 3s on 6 fewer shots. That’s the game right there.

B. If half our shots are going to be 3s, we need to shoot better. We’re at 28.6% shooting on the season despite taking half our shots from back there. Hart, Booth and Jenkins are all shooting well below their career averages. Brunson and Bridges have not shot well all year, and neither has Donte. The only one who has shot decently is Arch.

At some point, we need to either shoot fewer 3s, or start making them. I think the way the team is built, we need to be better shooters because we’re going to be small. I’m not pressing the panic button because players are shooting well below their career averages, but it’s definitely a concern.

C. This game was one of the weirder atmospheres I’ve ever seen because of Pearl Harbor. Honoring a veteran on every return from break. Tiny crowd in a high school gym. Just odd. And it’s part of the reason I’m not as upset about the game as I otherwise would be. I’m hoping we can chalk this up in part to the location.

D. Oklahoma is really good. Like Final Four good. They’ve shot the three well all year, not just tonight, though 13-24 is ridiculous against anyone.

E. If we want to gain respect nationally, we need to beat Virginia. This looks like another Villanova flop on a big stage to the general public. Not to mention, a 20-point neutral court loss against another team competing for a possible 1-2 seed won't look good in March unless we separate ourselves elsewhere.

F. Ochefu needs to play more. He played 21 minutes tonight. Now, he’s played 30 minutes in a non-OT game just twice in his career, so he’s not necessarily used to it. But he’s a senior, and now is the time to ride him. The difference between him and Reynolds is astronomical, and if Jenkins isn’t shooting well, he’s a liability at the 5.

G. Shooting stats...Villanova is the 13th team in the last 20 seasons to take 32+ threes and make 4 or fewer. 12.5% is worst by any team this year (min 25 3-pt FGA).

One last thing - we're still a very good team. Panic if you want, but I'm not. We won't shoot this bad the rest of the year.

Anyone live close by and is interested for tomorrow night's game. A bunch of people going. We will be on back heated patio.

Has his eye on PSU. Just might happen next season. If TU goes to PSU next Sept. and wins, good bye Franklin, hello Ruhle
In any event, I don't see Ruhle coaching against Nova in 2017.

Being No. 1 was fun while it lasted.

We dropped to No. 5.

Oklahoma jumped all the way up to No. 1.

They won 6 in a row before losing to Richmond(20-9). Then a bad performance in the first round(but a win) > Then today. Crushed by Richmond. I hope Tribe 52 will enlighten us.
At one time this season I thought Tribe was the best team in our conference. Had the best defense. What happened late in the season? BTW I am still not ready to talk about JMU.

Anything else going on around here?

VU 78 ok 72! Brunson / Ryan hero at FT line... Tom