Chill out, Rock Chalkers
My column about the Oklahoma-Kansas game has caused a few Jayhawk fans to get their feathers ruffled.
Some took exception with my belief that the Sooners would’ve won by double figures had Blake Griffin be able to play. Others thought I was wrong in my critique of Cole Aldrich.
Hey, it’s a free country. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. But that means I am, too, and I stand by what I said — the Sooners would’ve dominated with Griffin and Aldrich wasn’t as eye-poppingly good as I thought he would be.
Here’s why the Sooners would’ve beat the Jayhawks by double figures — it’s not only that Griffin would’ve scored a bunch of points and snagged a bunch of rebounds, but it’s also that he would’ve settled down his sidekicks. The biggest problem the Sooners had Monday night was that Austin Johnson and Tony Crocker looked like they did three years ago, not like they have the first three-plus months of the season. They threw the ball away. They missed shots. They never settled down.
The truth is, they were trying to do too much in Griffin’s absence.
With Griffin on the floor, they stay within themselves and do only what they can do. Monday with him on the bench, they tried to do things that they aren’t capable of.
It was a recipe for disaster.
A healthy Blake Griffin wouldn’t have just added his bit to the Kansas game. He’d have helped his teammates along, too.
As for Aldrich, I just wasn’t wowed by him. Yes, he put up some nice numbers. Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe my expectations were of someone as good as Blake Griffin.
Truth is, Aldrich is a nice college center, but Griffin is a beast. My guess is that I spent the whole night thinking about how Griffin would’ve absolutely shredded a front-line as depleted as OU’s was, first by a superstar’s absence, then by big brother Taylor’s foul trouble. The younger Griffin would’ve scored 40 points and grabbed 30 rebounds.
That might be hyperbole, but then again, maybe not. The guy has been spectacular all season, and such crazy numbers are not so ridiculous with him.
All of this might only ruffle more Jayhawk feathers, but I’ll say this much — I’ll be darn interested to see what happens if these two teams cross paths in the Big 12 Tournament.
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Comments
If you’re going to compare Aldrich to Griffin then, yes, his performance would be considered “underwhelming” (per your own words) in the grand scheme of things. However, every other center or power forward is going to be considered “underwhelming” when compared to Griffin.
Your assumption of “what might have happened” is stupid. I could easily say that with Griffin in the lineup, the Backstreet Boy that came off the bench wouldn’t have gone 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Maybe it becomes a wash. Who knows? Maybe if Griffin plays, Aldrich holds him in check defensively? Remember what Aldrich did to the NPOY last year?
Finally, if you had any idea as to what Aldrich is, you’d know that he’s not Blake Griffin. He leads the conference in blocks and pulled down 20, yes 20, rebounds in your house. Oh, he also put in 15 points. 15 and 20 is not “underwhelming.” No matter how you slice it.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re spoiled with your phenom and you expect everyone to be that good. But, that’s you’re own damn fault.
Taken from a fellow Rock Chalker…maybe this will help you understand a little bit better what happened because of BG’s absence…you’re crazy if you think you beat us by double-digits
“Fresh off our victory last night I walk into the office and bump into a coworker who went to OU. Very nice guy. But couldn’t help but make the point that things likely would have been different had Blake Griffin played. And to be honest, thinking back to his highlights and his dominance on court and the way by which OU stormed back so late in the game, I couldn’t help but maybe agree with him. But two things occurred to me:
1. I’d hate to be in a position where the team wins or loses based on one player’s presence. Just doesn’t say much for the rest of the team. Or the future of the program since BG will be high lotto this year.
2. If you look at the numbers, is Blake’s absence really felt? And who had the chance to step up and make a difference.
So I went onto ESPN.com and sifted through OU’s stats to date. Granted, college hoops is very subjective. And there are a lot of intangibles such as refereeing that can make a difference not captured in the stats. But OU was at home. The advantage was theirs. So here are some #s that sort of dispel, to me anyhow, the notion of Blake’s absence being a definitive game breaker.
- OU averages 80 PPG so producing 78 points last night was only 2 points below OU’s average PPG to date. If you adjust to look at their average PPG at home, it only goes up a couple to 83.
Takeaway: OU only fell short five points of their normal home average. Blake Griffing averages 22 PPG. So some members of their team did step up to fill his void.
- OU opponents at Lloyd Noble Arena only average 67 PPG as opposed to KU’s 87.
Takeaway: KU produced significantly more points than OU is used to dealing with. Now normally I would think that BG’s presence might make this point moot. But he wouldn’t have been responsible for guarding Taylor or Collins who both had huge games. It could be said that he would have impacted Aldrich’s performance. But Cole only had 15 pts. Assuming he held Aldrich to 7, cutting his production in half, that still doesn’t account for the 20 point spread in normal points allowed. And still puts KU over OU by 2 at the end of the game.
- KU averages 72 PPG on the road. As opposed to the 87 points the team poured in last night.
Takeaway: KU played above itself. And was able to produce significantly more than average on the road in front of a very tough crowd.
So who stepped up for OU?
Points Scored:
Looking at their season averages, many of the OU players stepped up and produced more than they normally do.
Willie Warren: +7.4 over average
Juan Patillo: +8.7
Cade Davis: +6.6
Omar Leary: +4.6
Taylor Griffin: +2
This totals up to 29.3 extra points these guys don’t normally produce. More than offsetting Griffin’s 22 PPG.
And who at OU didn’t?
While some players stepped up significantly, others produced lower than average offensively:
Austin Johnson: -6.4
Orlando Allen: -2.3
Ryan Wright: -2.1
Tony Crocker: -1.1
Siphoning off 11.9 PPG OU normally counts on.
Looking at the numbers, the lack of production by these four held the step up contributions to only 17.4 PPG. Oddly enough, that’s only 4.5 pts short of what BG normally produces. Considering KU won by 9 and, the only real offensive gap for OU was about 4.5 pts. Not the 22 BG normally produces. Griffin wasn’t missed in scoring. Austin Johnson and Orlando were. had Wright and Crocker chimed in a little too, the game goes to OU.
Rebounding:
But Griffin is a fierce rebounder as well averaging 13.8 RBG. Did some member of OU’s team step up like they did for points scored? Yes.
Improved rebounding performance (vs. average) against KU:
Ryan Wright: +4.6
Juan Patillo: +2.9
Omar Leary: +2.3
Willie Warren: +1
That’s 10.8 more boards than normal out of these guys. Very close to BG’s 13.8 average. Though, unlike points scored where those who stepped up more than filled the void, OU wasn’t able to muster as much increase in this area. BG was missed on the boards. But not to such an extent as to cause a 20 pt gap at home.
Who performed below average in rebounding?
Tony Crocker: -2.3
Cade Davis: -1.9
Orlando Allen: -1
As a kind jesture to those who overperformed, these three actually cost OU 5.2 boards they normally count on. Had they performed to their season averages, we’re talking 16 rebounds to BG’s 13.8.
And finally assists:
As with other categories, we see players overachieving and others underachieving. This area is far less critical as BG only averages 2.4 APG. Not anything they miss really in his absence. But does OU step up and cover off on that to ensure victory?
OU assist overachievers:
Tony Crocker: +1.8
Juan Patillio: +1
Ryan Wright: +1
That’s an extra 3.8 assists than they normally produce. More than enough to cover off on BG. But other teammates didn’t perform up to average. And I think this chimes in with Whitlock’s assessment that OU played arrogant, sloppy ball for a good chunk of the game.
OU assist underachievers:
Austin Johnson: -4.3
Omar Leary: -1.1
So, despite 3.8 assists from Crocker, Patillio and Wright, these two, Johnson in particular, cost OU 5.4 assists they normally would have had. Austin Johnson hurt OU in this category, not Blake Griffin.
Final Thought:
But hoops is a two way street. The only real statistic that stands out for me as being important to think about is Cole’s massive, massive rebounding performance. Does he get 20 boards if BG is in the game? Most likely not. And that could very well be the secret in understanding his absence. Regardless, OU was plenty capable of stepping up and winning without him. They just didn’t. And it was because of limited performance by a handfull of players versus their season averages. These players have shown they can achieve a certain benchmark. But they didn’t. And the credit for that, playing at OU, has to go to Kansas.
In my opinion the BG absence wasn’t a deciding factor in OU’s loss last night.
40 points and 30 rebounds? You’re a buffoon, as evidenced on many levels. How many players have ever put up those numbers? You are right about one thing – Cole Aldrich is not as good at basketball as Blake Griffin. Nobody in college is this year. But Cole is terrific, he’s going to be all-conference, he plays far better defense than Griffin, and he’s going to make millions of dollars playing basketball.
You know what else wouldn’t have happened if B. Griffin had been playing? Cade Davis wouldn’t be hitting fast-break threes and fade-away threes off of screens. And Warren wouldn’t have been shooting with a hand in his face from 23. How many teams has Oklahoma beaten by double-digits this season? They’ve played tight games AT HOME against A&M, Nebraska, and Colorado. Sure they pounded Baylor, but it’s not like OU has been laying waste to the conference this season.
Anyway, I now regret wasting all this time responding to you, as I’m sure your only intent was to ruffle feathers. At least I hope you didn’t make a serious attempt at journalism.
Perhaps just a scintilla of journalistic research might have been advised. Let us examine records against common opponents: (margin of victory)
KU OU Delta
aTm 20 6 KU14
Neb 17 11 KU06
ISU 15 10 KU05
CU 05 05 —-
So perhaps your selection of OU to win the national championship might be a bit premature. The sooners are a good team, and if KU cannot win it all, I hope they do, but your characterization of KU as a team the sooner would steamroll if at full strength is ill founded. Might the sooner win, of course. Run away with it and hide, not so fast.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. That said, as a journalist, perhaps you owe your reader the courtesy of actually looking at the facts.
What makes you think Griffin would have put up 40/30 against OU’s front line?
He “only” put up 27/18 against Neb. 26/12 against Colorado. Both frontcourts are worse than OU’s, even without Griffin. I highly doubt he’d hang 40/30 on OU.
You’re not very good at your job. The William Allen White School of Journalism is embarrassed by you.
Perhaps I missed the games where Griffin ripped Virginia Commonwealth for 7 rebounds. Or where he had 6 rebounds in 37 minutes against USC.
So he had 23 rebounds against Texas Tech…..I remember KU beating Tech by nearly 50 points a few years ago…and I didn’t try to extend that result to everyone else, especially not good teams.
So….someone scores 15 points, has 20 rebounds, 4 blocks and dominates the defensive paint…but is underwhelming.
He certainly is underwhelming when compared offensively to Blake Griffin.
But for you to really think that Blake would get 40 points and 30 rebounds?
You realize the NCAA record post 1973 for rebounds is 35 right?
You realize that in all of last year, there were only TEN rebounding performances where an individual had more than 21 rebounds? And the highest was 24.
Division 1 last had a 30 rebound performance in the 2005-2006 season by Rashad Jones-Jennings against Arkansas Pine Bluff. There’s only been 1 person even break 25 rebounds since that season, and we’ve had some great rebounders (Beasley, Durant, etc) come through D1 and play a lot of weak teams.
I understand you’re trying to make your readers feel better by being a complete homer, but trying to make it sound like Blake Griffin’s going to go against a future NBA Lottery 7 footer and do something that hasn’t been done the last 4 years of D1 basketball…..yeah, expect to get called out.
I’m an OU fan and I think what you wrote was way off base. Were you trying to stir the pot so that you’d get a response from the hawker fans? If so, congrats…..i guess.
First, terrible, terrible reasoning. I mean really.
And you expected Aldrich to score like Griffin??
That is absurd, and shows you did no research At all.
But, I suppose that is par for the course from what I hear.
I don’t know about you, but I though writers did research?
That’s not too much to ask is it? I don’t know.
Call it like it is, you are trying to appeal to your readers
How you can believe what you wrote, I’ll never know.
Not only is the William Allen White School of Journalism embarrassed by you, the rest of us “Rock Chalkers” are ashamed by your overt attempts to disown your alma mater and play to Sooner fans. Do us all a favor and stay home next fall and catch the football game on Direct TV!
“…Griffin would’ve scored a bunch of points and snagged a bunch of rebounds…”
“I’ll be darn interested to see what happens…”
“…Aldrich wasn’t as eye-poppingly good…”
“…they tried to do things that they aren’t capable of.”
Surely you didn’t use this vernacular while attending KU. You are not only an embarrassment to your alma mater, but to OU as well.
Wow… Very articulate. BG would have scored bunches of points and grabbed a bunch of rebounds. And then you say B Griffin would have grabbed 30 rebounds? Against Kansas?!!?! Something he can’t do against any of the lower Big 12 schools and the DII schools OU played at the beginning of the year?
Anyways, my point. OU will not win the National Championship. And as you implied, without Blake Griffin you are nothing so back to the Bottom of the Big 12 next year for OU.
Pwned
Even your own are embarrassed by you…you should be covering a school like Mizzou…they deserve you
You are a moron Jenni Carlson. You can’t play a what if game. If Griffin would have played all of the guards would not have been able to shoot 3 pointers like crazy making most of them.
The bottom line is that KU went on the road for a team’s Super Bowl and beat the #3 team in the country. What you don’t seem to realize is that KU takes everybody’s best shot. That is what happens when you are the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
So you can’t say what if this or that. KU won and you should just go back to pissing off Mike Gundy. By the way thanks for leaving the KC star, we have some good reporters now.
“1. I’d hate to be in a position where the team wins or loses based on one player’s presence. Just doesn’t say much for the rest of the team. Or the future of the program since BG will be high lotto this year.”
I wonder if KU would have even made it to the second weekend of the NCAA tourney in 1988 if Danny Manning had been injured, let alone beat the Sooners and win it all.
Duh.
Thanks for the billboard material, Ms Carlson. Jeff Capel knows his college basketball and he knows Bill Self and the Kansas program, and right now I’m sure he’s grimacing, saying, “Don’t say that!” But thanks…I hope they do meet again. “Underwhelming”, “Blowout”, …. wow…
Wow, Jenni. What, exactly, are your credentials vis-a-vis basketball?
Because you apparently don’t know very much about it.
Is sensationalism your only journalistic skill?
Hats off to all the posters here on staying classy and posting real numbers vs. Ms. Carlson’s dreck. No one contends that Griffin is an incredible player but your portrayal of him as some kind of mythological basketball beast is ridiculous.
I thought sports reporting was non fiction. I guess you see it differently. To speculate as to what a player might have done in a game is pure fiction. Furthermore to spend your time fantasizing how a player might have affected the outcome
is an insult to all players who played in this game. It was a fantastic game to watch and all involved should be commended on their efforts. All you managed to do was insult everyone on the court. Most of all your OU players and coaches who, by your summation, are not good enough to win without Blake Griffin.
Did you really dislike your time in Lawrence so much that you feel the need to unneccessarily slame Cole Aldrich & KU? Did a professor at KU screw you over or something? I know you’re an OU homer now but a modicum of research to support your theory would have been nice.
I’m not going to re-state all of the facts that were so well stated in previous responses to your blog. The fact of the matter is several other players for OU played well above their average performance that nearly offset the absence of Griffin. Clearly Blake would have made a difference in the game but it’s not like OU has been winning every game this year by 40 points. They have slipped by several times and you act like they haven’t even been tested yet this year. Maybe try watching some basketball without your red & cream glasses on next time.
Outstanding #1 teams do not usually consist of 1 outstanding player, whose play affects all of the other players.
This is why Kansas walked away the winner – and they would have with or without Griffin’s contributions. Seems like OU can only make excuses and lay blame when they lose, instead of walking away with grace and acknowledging there are simply better teams out there.
I would point out all the fallicies in this arguement and how you have absolutely no common sense, but I would be wasting my time arguing with a fool who loves disagreeing with everyone. The article about Bobby Reid was bad enough and i thought you learned your lesson, but you are a terrible journalist who doesn’t deserve to have that kind of job.
Also, you are a huge embarrasement to the University of Kansas. Why would you bag on them after you graduated from there?
Kansas is the defending national champions and will always be the only team to carry the Big 12 in basketball. If Oklahoma bandwagon fans want to write about what could have happened if Blake Griffin had played, Brady Morningstar had sprained his wrist, or if KU’s bus had broken down on the way to the game, then so be it. I prefer to recognize the reality of the situation which is that KU returned no starters and is now going to be Big 12 Champions again! Rock Chalk Championship!
With Blake Griffin, KU would beat OU by double digits on a neutral court in the Big 12 tournament. Sorry if I ruffle some Sooner feathers. Two can play this game.
Comment by Billy on February 26, 2009 @ 12:45 am
“With Blake Griffin, KU would beat OU by double digits on a neutral court in the Big 12 tournament. Sorry if I ruffle some Sooner feathers. Two can play this game.”
I agree, Billy. KU would need Blake Griffin to beat OU by double digits in the Big 12 tourney. If OU has him, it’s OU by double digits instead.
Duh.
HERE’S A QUOTE FROM CBS SPORTS–a much better source than good ol Jenni–
Now I know what you’re thinking
Kansas looked great Monday, but OU was playing without Blake Griffin.
Yes, that’s true.
But must I remind you that Kansas was playing without Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur, Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson and Sausha Kaun, i.e., six of its top seven scorers from last season, three of whom entered the NBA Draft early? Put that way, it’s remarkable the Jayhawks went to the Noble Center and beat OU with or without Griffin, because I don’t remember Florida winning a game like that last season, and the reason is simple. It’s because you don’t win games like that when you’re playing five new starters and trying to mesh a talented group of newcomers with a small returning core.
Not unless you’re Kansas, of course.
And Bill Self.
In which case you do win games like that. At which point you become the favorite for National Coach of the Year.
I’m not going to personally insult you like other Jayhawk fans have. But when it comes to sports, one cannot say, “Would have, could have, probably would have….etc”. What’s done is done. KU won, end of story. I do know that if Aldrich or Collins had been injured and if KU had lost then KU fans would be saying “Well if Collins would have played” or “If Aldrich would have played”, but you cant say that. The game was played, KU won and the records will say KU won. There is no asterisk there saying that Griffin didn’t play. So to say “If Griffin had played” should NEVER be written about. It is in the past and done. Your article should be about how Oklahoma should adjust with Griffin being out or how they will potentially do in the tourney. Not about something that did not happen and could not happen.
Worst.
Journalist.
Ever.
That’s just “common sense.”