Open Post | Wednesday, Apr. 22nd (UPDATE 12:40 pm)
Posted on: April 22, 2015
Image of Donell Dunn via Scout.com
– Donell Dunn: If you want to see a fast 2016 wide receiver look no further than Donell Dunn (5’11” 191 – Cypress, TX), who ran one of the fastest SPARQ laser 40 times recently in Dallas at 4.51. That’s real speed.
Dunn let me know Dennis Simmons came by to see him today. Dunn currently holds a few offers including the likes of Texas Tech, Kansas & Illinois. But in past conversations with the Cypress wideout, it’s clear that an OU and/or Baylor offer would really stand out. The Bears have been been recruiting him for a while, but this is the first he has heard from Oklahoma. I’ll have more with Dunn later. – (Super K)
– Levi Draper: Brent Venables stopped by Collinsville today to see 2017 LB Levi Draper. Apparently the Clemson DC came away very impressed and let Draper know he can expect to receive an offer on the unofficial visit he has planned for later this summer. – (Brandon)
– Christopher Daniels: Quickly caught up with 2016 defensive tackle Chris Daniels (6’3″ 301 – Euless, TX), who let me know he is expecting Oklahoma to stop by to see him next week. – (Super K)
– LaRon Stokes: Quick OK Preps note regarding 2016 DE Laron Stokes (6’4″ 240 – Tulsa, OK), who was visited yesterday by Texas Tech. – (Alex)
– UPDATE (12:40 pm): Levi Draper picks up an offer from Tulsa making his second offer after Louisville.
109 Comments
Thanks TFB!
Thanks for reading bro!
Please do not let Coach V come steal Draper. We need to land hiim!
I think OU offers him. He’s too good and already has better size than a lot of freshman LBs.
With all due respect to BV, OU should never lose a recruiting battle with ACC’s Clemson even if they beat us 50-0…There is only one OU…More to offer than Clemson.
It’s a year by year battle with 16, 17 yr olds. Tradition helps but it’s still a “what have you done lately” attitude for the most part. Winning solves everything.
I’m just hoping they don’t slow play him and make him feel like he’s not top priority like they have done guys in the past.
Do you know what they are waiting on?
possibly waiting to see if others offer to validate their offer.
Our coached need NO validation to an offer….if they see the player is what they want, they offer…even if Popcorn St is the only other offer the kid has.
Agree! Kish and Bobbie need to double team Levi.
Thanks guys
I really like Donell’s speed. That’s next level speed.
Get as much speed on the outside as possible to keep the safeties from crashing down on Samaje and co!
I say we hire him!
Scott Brooks fired. Bout time if u ask me
Wow, I figured he was safe. KD mustve given his blessing.
According to reports this was a Presti decision and he got no player input.
Ahhh, the public reports, lol.. These deals are made in private. No one wants KD’s image to look bad. This is why Presti gets paid his big bucks, sometimes he has to take all the blame.
agree with you .
Where is this? I thought I saw that he consulted players.
where do see see that?
Should have fired him before this season if you weren’t going to give him another season without all the injuries.
agreed.
Firing him in KD’s contract year is a big risk. Now next season’s pressure has been ratcheted up several notches.
If KD doesn’t re-sign with OKC, Presti will be next.
in the age of free agency , players make the decision to stay or leave. Presti did what he thought would make KD happy by firing Brooks..who knows if it will keep Durant around ?
yep.
So let me get this straight. You take a very young team to the finals. You loose arguably one of the top 5 players in the NBA and still go to WCF, and this year starting with 8 players you tie for the 8 seed in the west and you want that guy fired. So if the coach next year got beat in the 2nd round we should fire that coach as well?
All I am saying is without injuries this team is MOST likely in 3 straight finals and probably wins two of them.
Brooks had seven years though. Seven. If the next coach cant get this team to a championship in the next 3-4, I say he’ll be gone too.
1st year was rookie seasons! 2nd playoffs. 3rd WCF 4th Finals 5th Westbrook injuries 6th Injuries ibaka and Westbrook. 7th whole team of injuries.
Is that bad coaching or bad luck?
I’m not claiming Brooks is a bad coach at all. I don’t like his rotations, but that doesn’t make him bad. And yes, terrible luck with injuries, but 7 years is still 7 years. Time for a change. Besides, with KD’s latest message, it appears the players are all for a change at the helm..
Brooks resume is good unless compared to Popovich at SA.. Its all about winning NBA titles and the window is closing for KD / RW / SI—all are getting older and having various physical issues…OKC management is banking on the new coach helping persuade KD to stay in OKC ; however, there is no guarantee it will make one iota difference in KD’s decision…IF Durant wants to stay–great !!! If he wants to take his game to a major venue ( NY/LA/Miami/ Chicago) then he’s gone regardless of the next coach..Good decision to fire Scott Brooks ? I don’t know…..
It was time. He is good for a young team but we got to win now with KD, Russ, and Ibaka. I don’t want Billy Donovan
I fully expect to see a total blowup and melt down now. One of those “let’s get rid of everyone” and start over just to show you I can. I think Durant will go then Westbrook. For all of the good decisions Presti has made in the past, I think he pulled a real boner this time, especially with a coach that the players loved, the fans opinions really don’t amount for anything in this case. With OKC’s participation they usually show up no matter what, but a franchise player has some options and can fly if the mood hits him.
In their defense, the players do LOVE Brooks, but that doesn’t mean they truly believe he is the best coach for them to win a championship with. These situations happen all the time and rarely do you see a player NOT back their coach, publicly. My guess is Presti has his own private conversations with both Durant and Westbrook, and they hash all of these things out behind closed doors, then moves are made. The team is not blowing up, this is all done with the sole intention of retaining both superstars, and finding a coach they all feel will get them to next level. But publicly, oh yeah, publicly they supported Brooks, because they would look horrible if they didnt..
Now that kid (Dunn) is fast. On film he out ran almost all the down field passes.
yeah, just to compare…John Humphrey ran a 4.50 laser (essentially the same as Dunn) at an inch shorter and almost 30 lbs heavier.
put together very well for a senior to be.
Damn, if someone had told me BV was in town I could have flattened his tires. 🙂
I would have begged him to come back.
I remember his defenses were getting spanked there at the end for him too…
Dunn has some good wheels.
Firing Scotty Brooks…BIG risk.
It is risky, but I think it was the right move. The guy is an okay coach, but in all honestly, who wouldn’t be with the players he’s had on his squad? And I’m not holding this year against him for the most part, though I have never been a fan of his use of rotations, and I feel this is has led to many, many losses, this year and in years past. But he has had 7 years. Thats a long time for not winning a championship. It seems like Brooks is a like-able guy, but I will be surprised if he succeeds (playoff caliber) without superstars.
As for who we could get? Maybe Lure Larry Brown away from SMU? I really have no idea who they should go after, but they need someone who has great use of rotations, because if Presti can hold this current squad together, man that is one scary, VERY versatile squad (barring injuries of course!)
I tend to agree with you overall, but I would be happier if they had an announcement ready to go on a replacement. Why? Brooks, though he might not be a Riley or Popovich, is an upper tier coach and he knows this team inside and out.
In my view, you don’t ditch him unless you’ve got a homerun replacement iced, ready and just off stage.
And I completely second your view of the team. If healthy and given six weeks to play together, there is no team in the NBA who’d do much more than put up a good fight.
Dude, look at GSW.
Dump the coach that is just good and get a coach that will work.
I’m good with that plan. Now, who is that coach? I’m willing/waiting to be impressed by Presti and the boys; but I’m worried that they made the first move without the second one nailed down.
When you say ‘work’ do you mean ‘work hard’? or ‘work out’? I think Brooks worked hard. I also have serious doubts he had the mojo to get over the top.
I really hope they don’t waste the talent they’ve assembled
Hell, I’d be alright if they got Hoiberg from Iowa State. I think he will be a star coach one day. Hope his heart issues subside.
I’m still holding out on GSW until they win it all. I mean, I think Kerr is good and all, but just dominating regular season isn’t good enough. Have to win it all, and Kerr certainly did that as a player.. But NO is giving them a bit of fits right now..
I agree Scott has his shortcomings but this is KD’s contract year. If it doesn’t work out, makes him resigning with the Thunder less likely. Larry Brown doesn’t mesh with the personalities on OKC.
I certainly agree it was risky, but I would bet, being that it is his contract year and all, that KD has valid input on Presti’s choice. If KD picks his man, than its much less likely he leaves. I have every confidence that tough he liked Brooks, he has other ideas who would fit the team perfectly. And yea, I really just threw Larry Brown’s name out there… I’m sure there are coaches that are better suited to our squad. Too bad this wasnt last year, and we got Steve Kerr! lol
You know I like this. I hope Dunn’s attention from OU grows. The kid can flat out fly, stretch the field and finish!
getting him away from Baylor may be a problem………
Baylor has very few spots at WR, and I’m guessing that OU will have more. If they offer they jump up the list. Trust me this kid likes both Baylor and OU, but OU needs to move on him.
Bless your little heart. Nothing but problems, Sugar?
not a fan of pro basketball except for mild thunder interest…………is brooks a good/great coach or is he the beneficiary of basically 2 outstanding players when healthy……..
I say he is a total beneficiary of 2 superstar players and another all-star (maybe two next year with Ibaka AND Kanter.) I’ve felt he has never been good with his rotations and use of players’ skillsets. I hope for him he succeeds, but I dont see him getting any other squads to the playoffs without a superstar or two.. But I could be wrong!! lol
All of these “basketball geniuses” I see opining that “Brooks isn’t good, just the beneficiary of great talent” really crack me up.
Who is a great coach? Phil Jackson, right? He had Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Rodman. Then, Shaq and Koby Bryant.
No wait, Pat Riley… he’s the great coach, right? He had Magic, Kareem, Worthy and Scott. And then Ewing, Harper, and Oakley. And then Mourning, Wayde and Shaq
Maybe it’s Greg Popovich. Hmm… David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Avery Johnson, and Tony Parker.
Find me a coach who is thought of as a “great/good coach” who didn’t have 2 or 3 top players on his roster for multiple years. It’s part and parcel of the business. And, when those guys won their championships with those great players were after their best players were in the league several years and had time to gel and take their lumps… often losing in the 1st round and then 3rd round and then the finals… before winning titles.
I am not a Scott Brooks fan, nor a Thunder fan. I’m a Dallas Mavs fan for over 30 years, so I don’t have a dog in the fight where the Thunder are concerned. But I will say that NBA savvy fans know that the best coaches always have the best talent… frequently 2 players considered to be in the top 5 at their respective position.
Didn’t those great coaches you mentioned also win at least 1 championship within 7 years with those players? Thats the main point. Obviously a good coach needs great players to win, but can that coach deliver when he has said talent available? Brooks did not, those other coaches you mentioned did. Brooks is an okay coach, my biggest beef with him is his use of rotations, and I think that has cost the Thunder many, many games. And this has been since Brooks got here. But, I am certainly no “basketball genius,” so who am I to have an opinion, oh wait, I’m a Thunder fan.
Now, if Brooks was on year 3, I’d say give him another year or two.. But he’s not, he’s on (would have been) year 8.
The last 2 seasons are the first time I would have expected Thunder to seriously challenge for the championship. They were still too young and inexperienced 3 years ago when they got to the finals (plus they were facing a team that was bought to win a championship).
People keep referring to the 7 years he had. Brooks’ first few years were with bad teams whose best talent was very young and inexperienced. The last 2 seasons were totally derailed by injuries to the top players on the team. So, he hasn’t had 7 years with top talent.
Brooks’ problem was that OKC fans expected the team to be as good as the fans thought they were. Most of the Thunder fans I know (and that is lot) think that OKC is the greatest team ever; a dynasty who’s best team would destroy the 95-96 Bulls As a result, we jokingly refer to the 13 consecutive NBA titles the team has won (in the fans’ minds).
Brooks’ problem was not the fans, its the management, as that’s who fired him. Many fans are uncertain or upset with the move, I’m not, I think it was time… Hell, even KD is “100 percent” on board with the firing, as just came out per CBS.
You didn’t counter the point about the great coaches you mentioned in comparison to Brooks, and how they won the big one within 7 years, and Brooks did not, whatever the reasons may be. And you might very well be right about many Thunder fans, as I can’t speak for them, but I am well aware of the difference between the Thunders potential and actual greatness like the 95-96 Bulls.
Actually, I did rebut your point about those coaches and their championships. None of those coaches would have a title with the teams Brooks was coaching in the Thunder’s first 3 years of existence. None of them would have won the title this year without Durant most of the season (including the playoffs had they made it), as well as, Westbrook and Ibaka for several long stretches.
To win the title, you have to have your best players on the court and going strong in the playoffs. The Thunder were too young and inexperienced to really be considered a strong contender until just the last couple of years. To really be a contender, you have to have a couple (at least) elite players complimented by really good players around them… and that talent has to have been matured. Very few teams win ever win the title when their best, core players are young and inexperienced.
The Bulls, with the best to ever play the game (Jordan), a great supporting cast (like Pippen and Grant) and one of the most successful coaches of all time (Jackson), didn’t win their first title until Jordan’s 7th season, which was Pippen and Grant’s 4th and Jackson’s 2nd as coach. With a few exceptions, it takes time for even great dynasty type teams to finally get over the hump. Had the Bulls fired Jackson when he failed to get them to the finals his first year (despite have the league’s best player and a great roster top-to-bottom), he likely wouldn’t have any rings and wouldn’t even be an afterthought in NBA history.
Brooks and the Thunder’s best and (outside of pure, blind luck) only real chance to win a title was this past season and the year before. I know a lot of Thunder fans have been blinded by expectations, but other fans more removed from the situation and familiar with the NBA knew that the team has just reached the level of talent, experience and playoff maturity required to seriously challenge for the title. And since reaching that point, they haven’t been healthy at the top of their roster.
So you can dismiss Brooks for not getting it done “in 7 seasons” if you want to, but the fact of the matter is, it is unlikely any coach would have won a title with the Thunder in the 1st 4 (or probably even 5) of those seasons. And no coach could have won a title this past year.
Nice Paragraphs! lol
1. “So you can dismiss Brooks for not getting it done “in 7 seasons” if you want to”
I did not dismiss Brooks after 7 seasons, Presti did, and apparently KD is 100 % backing of the move.
2. “but the fact of the matter is, it is unlikely”
Unlikely is not a fact. No one knows for sure (though I’m not necessarily arguing your point about them not winning here either..)
3. “Had the Bulls fired Jackson when he failed to get them to the finals his first year.”
This wasn’t Brooks’ first year, or second, or third, or 4th, etc.. It was his 7th. Firing a coach who shows potential after one or two seasons with this roster would not be a smart move, whether it be Scott Brooks or Phil Jackson. But this wasnt early in his tenure.
4. No need to give me a Bulls history lesson, I was a huge fan of MJ’s and theirs too.
5. Okay already. I give. 😉
All good points.
I’m a big OKC fan and I have to say I completely agree with you and that firing Brooks makes me a little nervous. I wonder if the next coach brought in will be able to create an atmosphere that would attract KD to stay in a relatively short amount of time; certainly think Brooks needed improvement but perhaps not firing. Only time will tell.
So, being a big Mavs fan, do you see the Dirk being able to turn this series around on Harden and Howard?
No, I don’t see Dirk and the Mavs being able to turn this series. Too many injuries and too many new players that just haven’t had that time to mesh. I think Parsons and Chandler are out now. Add that to the fact that Dirk is getting older and less able to take over games, and I just don’t see them getting it done. Can they? Yes. If they find something and take the next 2 at home… who know, maybe they ride the momentum and get it done. But, I just don’t see it happening.
That’s tough. I’ve seen the Mavs scrap in the playoffs before so we’ll see in a couple days.
Seems like Presti made a shortsighted, impulsive and regrettable move that is likely to bite him in the arse in ways he never expected. I’m very, very sad to see Brooks out.
What other coach, honestly, could have done markedly better with the scope of injuries, especially with the leaders, that OKC had this season? You can’t coach a host of players to a Title as hurt as they’ve been. That’s not a coaching/attitude failure.
…
https://twitter.com/Joe_MainMixon/status/590919511425097729
I like his attitude. He seems eager and ready to play and always puts an emphasis on Team.
I can’t see it. What’s your secret?
Huh…I can’t see it now, either. Not sure what changed.
You sobered up, :-)……..sorry.
Can’t see..
I’m running blind here….see nothing but space.
He has since deleted the tweet
..
What’s the note on Stokes? Or is the note that he was visited by ttu?
Yeah just noting the Texas tech interest
Please don’t mix Thunder with this Sooner site
Open Post..
truth.
Word.
Open post. Oklahoma team. Member interest.
When I am reminded this is the evaluation period for the coaches, I remember this tweet by Tony Jefferson.
https://twitter.com/tonyjefferson1/status/583463767020670977/photo/1
Good stuff!
Pretty sure that Saban and his assistants do this on a regular basis for their recruits.
Bedlam is a tough one so far.
The wind is making some things tough.
That isn’t what I am sensing, I’m sensing a gritty, grind it out kind of game.
And as soon as I say that…kaboom!
2 run homer!
That & just you gotta be careful in Stillwater. Fields run funny directions & what not
I love a seeing-eye single.
It can’t be just me, that Dick Vitale guy has to be one of the most annoying people to have ever lived. I would rather listen to the Dumb and Dumber “most annoying sound in the world” all day than listen to Vitale for one minute.
No, you’re not alone. I think he’s over stayed his welcome.
add to that list Lou Holtz & Mark May…
Agreed, Stephen Dale. This can’t be something you’re used to (someone agreeing with you), but Mark May is one of the biggest A-holes in sports broadcasting history.
Good win for the ladies.
Yessir.
They really took charge after it looked like it could be a close one.
Check out @BrandonTFB’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BrandonTFB/status/591362028394020865?s=09
Check out @BrandonTFB’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BrandonTFB/status/591366978939424768?s=09
Uh-oh.
Wisconsin, UCLA, Illinois and Auburn are all having him contact them today and tomorrow.
Yeah, the offers for him are going to pile up. Stanford worries me only because he fits the mind set of their lunch-pail defense. Plus a Stanford degree opens a ton of doors.
Stanford vs. OU education wise…scary. Stanford vs. OU football wise? I’ll take OU all day er day.
Good points. Football wise though, we’re kind of on par I would argue. Least ways, right now. And Stanford has one advantage if Draper is thinking of playing on Sundays (and I’m sure he is) and that’s that the Trees run a pro system. Not sure how much of an advantage that is, if any at all. And there’s the distinct possibility that I don’t know what I’m talking about. From the film I’ve seen, Levi can play anywhere. Hopefully it’s in Norman.
Check out @BrandonTFB’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/BrandonTFB/status/591386376722976768?s=09