3star_recruit Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 When's the last time we had a 6'8 240 lb forward with a legitimate post up game and a jump shot? I'm thinking never. If that truly is an accurate description of his game then health is the only thing preventing Obi from playing major minutes this season. He presents a matchup problem, while the other candidates for the position, Newborne and JJ, do not. Battling with a big strong guy in the low post and then challenging him 17 feet away from the basket isn't something most college bigs have to do on a regular basis. That's what makes a guy like Curtis Withers so hard to defend. Newborne will probably get the starting nod because 1) he's a solid defender and 2) he's a senior. But I fully expect Obi to give us an offensive spark off the bench and see his minutes gradually increase throughout the year. By the time he's run the gamut of Gonzaga, SIU, North Carolina and Iowa there won't be anything in the A-10 Obi hasn't already seen before. P.S. Isn't it weird that we've gotten two kids who played their high school ball way down in Texas but we've yet to sign anyone from Wisconsin? Calling Adam Koch . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 He's a freshman, we've never seen him play vs D1 competition. He may very well be red shirted after they see how he performs vs the regulars on the team. The first Tip Off Club this year should be very interesting. mhg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 I just hope he's healthy enough to play. He's gonna be a little rusty 3 star so am not expecting too much impact right off the bat. Hopefully if he's cleared to play, we'll see the cobwebs come off during the season and towards the end of the year see him realize the potential everyone believed he had when he was a junior in HS. That said we're lucky to land him, as pre injury he probably would never have given us a second thought. Could Obi be our Mike Smith, the unknown unheralded PF who plays for BC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 >When's the last time we had a 6'8 240 lb forward with a >legitimate post up game and a jump shot? I'm thinking >never. Not to take away from anything you've said about Obi Ikeakor, I'd like to submit Matt Baniak's name as such a forward. If you won't accept him, then Anthony Bonner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 JJ and Bonner were beasts inside but jump shots? I don't remember their range extending beyond 12 feet. Baniak was more of a face up player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills16 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 i still think justin johnson is the x factor for the bills this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Well, I edited my post to factor Jumpin Jamal out of the equation (but it was too late for you, as you'd already read the unedited post), since I remembered that he didn't shoot much from outside. However, even though you don't recall, Matt Baniak surprised me as a senior by knocking down some threes late in the season. I believe he hit about three from beyond the arc, on his way to 24 points, in a win over Charlotte at Savvis. He did what we expect Chris Braun to do. I'll grant you, though, that MB didn't have many back-to-the-basket moves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 Meant to say Bonner in that first sentence. Just edited it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Got to agree as I don't think OI's gonna be up to speed until late in the season. If JJ can be an average D1 PF from day one that will be a pleasant surprise. By average he get 9ppg, 6-8 rpg, and plays solid D inside. Is that expecting too much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 ... I think it is 72. Nine points a game and six to eight rebounds a game? Based on what? This kid finally finding himself. I would love nothng better than to eat those words and be surprisingly shocked at JJ's production but at this point, I believe that if our season hinges on JJ, that's not good. Let's also remember that technially, he's a senior. My belief is that if he's not doing it in mid-December, he'll be a washout as far as his career is concerned and relegated to bench duty from here on out. As for a post up guy who also can kncok it down from 17 feet ... we've never had one. What thicks described of Baniak was one game and adds to his legacy of a tease of a ballplayer. Bonner was never an outside shooter. Braun never came inside. Tatum was not functional outside the lane. Jamal Johnson was an inside-only act. About the best guy with his back to the basket and a decent outside shot might have been Donnie Dobbs. I will say this, if Sean Finn and Keith Waleskowski were all A-10 performers, being a big man doesn't require as much in the A-10 as it did in CUSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 I didn't get to see a lot of Bonner's games, but I recall he had a decent jumper out to 17 feet -- kind of like Izik Ohanon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 The thing that players like Donnie Dobbs, David Robinson, and Jeff Harris had against them is that, though they played inside and could shoot some from outside, they didn't meet 3star's criteria of being around 6-8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Taj Mahal '79, a guy can dream can't he? Hey he did it against Oakland and they made the dance. As I recall they had some pretty athletic bigs. The talent's there he's just got to use it. What if between VN and JJ we get this kind of production? One problem with VN, I think he shot about 6 ft's last year that tells me he ain't doing much when he does have the ball in his hands. An inside player garnering only 6 ft's for an entire season is pretty damn weak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 HEY ... LIKE I SAID, IF THE KID MAKES ME EAT CROW, SO BE IT .... AT LEAST IT'LL BE SOME OF THE SWEETEST CROW I'VE EVER DOWNED .... I'M HOPING TO FEAST ON IT. AS FOR THE NUMBERS BEING A COMPOSITE OF THE COMBO .... I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS I'D TAKE IT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A CONSTANT AND WE STILL HAVE TO REPLACE IZIK'S CONTRIBUTION FROM LAST YEAR. BUT WHEN YOU START TO TALK ABOUT REPLACEMENT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REPLACING NUMBERS THAT RESULTED IN A MEDIOCRE RECORD. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE NEED NOT TO REPLACE BUT TO ADD TO IT AND IMPROVE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 i thought bonner was fine out to 15+ feet by his senior season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 no disrespect, but if we have to bet on "surprises" the kid with the high level high school and aau history only to be derailed by the knee injury seems a safer bet than the guy that "hasnt gotten it" after 3 years at slu. personlly, i wouldnt put money on either bet and imo, we have a huge whole that will be scotch taped all season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 Roy, you are correct, Bonner got most of his baskets underneath from rebounds - why do you think he had such a hard time adjusting to the Pros - his outside shot was not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I am not saying JJ will do what SLU72 says but I won't be surprised if he does. The kid can play - hopefully he has figured out how to fit in with Brad'd system and will get the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 because in the college game, 6'8" and his 245 lbs was big. in the nba, that was a small forward back then and now it is approaching a shooting guard. the nba is just bigger and bonner only survived as long as he did because of his heart and desire. he was a tweener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I'm guessing it will take Obi until January to be healthy and physically fit to make a meaningful contribution. If he's not fit to go Jan1....I would redshirt him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I was under the impression that the redshirt declarationhad tooccur earlier ... with a cut off date of about two or three games into the year .... longer if there was a medical mishap but that still needed a special declaration and a no-guarantee submission or plea to the NCAA eligibility committee? I do not thinkyou can wait until January and make the call ..... if you were a program that had a couple of transfers coming eligible as second semester, it might behoove some programs of lesser credibility to use those situations to a certain advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I believe you can make the call later if the kid hasn't played, but I'm not sure how late or if you can make it as late as Jan. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 i think unless you are trying to get a declared medical redshirt after already playing games, i believe that as long as the player hasnt played a second in a game, you can redshirt at any time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShoe Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 wasn't that an issue with Frericks this year? They thought for a while it might be possible to get a medical redshirt for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 ... I think there has to be two different scenarios here ... Frericks ttok to about what, the sixth or seventh game when it was finally decided he was done. At that point I believe the discussion came into play about applying for another season with a medical redshirt. As I recall, Tom wasn't real interested in doing it so it became a moot point. But based onwhat you are saying, let's say some poor kid sits on the bench all year after playing in the home opener blowout. I do nto belive that come March 10, because the kid never got in again, that you can declare it a redshirt year. There has to be a time frame by which that call is made and the kid moves off the bench. Another thing, can a redshirt kid go on all the trips with the team as the year progresses? Can a trnasfer like Reggie do the same? Or are they limited to just being "on" the bench at home games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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