OT: Steven Enoch commits to Louisville

[upstater]

Maybe there are people on this board that saw a player come in that at times showed offensive abilities better than our starting center ever had other than catching an alley oop pass. Let's face it, if the kid never showed anything why would anybody care that he transferred? The fact there is so much consternation and argument over it is because the fear is that we let a potential productive player get away which if it happens at Louisville will be a thumb in our eye. If that actually happens don't blame KO for heaven's sake, blame me, I will gladly take responsibility.

Actually, blame me. Because I was one of the posters who always wanted him out of there. I don't think he deserved more time. I could not watch 6 foot guards drive down the lane unmolested anymore. Nothing worse than that IMO.

 

[polycom]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

 

[upstater]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

Uh, Pitino has been coaching for many decades.His is a Hall 0f Famer (at providing hookers for recruits). You realize your comparison is kinda crazy, right?

But, besides that, since Pitino is so obviously the master at identifying and developing big men, why are the Louisville fans in an uproar right now that none of their big men can hit a layup or finish or play defense?

 

[polycom]

Uh, Pitino has been coaching for many decades.His is a Hall 0f Famer (at providing hookers for recruits). You realize your comparison is kinda crazy, right?

But, besides that, since Pitino is so obviously the master at identifying and developing big men, why are the Louisville fans in an uproar right now that none of their big men can hit a layup or finish or play defense?

Because fans are irrational...

My post was a response to someone saying SE leaving and going to another major program isn't a reflection on Ollie, I obviously don't think RP shouldn't be compared to KO....

 

[mauconnfan]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

No doubt you could have a point, no one can deny that. But it could be one of so many things who knows right? I mean Ricky also could have said listen the kid at the very least is an extra big body in case we whiff on people for '18-'19 so why not. Of course there is a chance he gets better with the year off no doubt, KO and his staff already started that. And the idea of Pitino being the reason he will work hard? Could it be he was already pinned down in his meeting with KO about not working hard enough on defense and sometimes like kids reacted they rebel instead of owning up to it. This way it looks like UConn is wrong and Steve is not? Wouldn't be the first time that's for damn sure. Kid thinks he should have played more despite not working hard enough and will jump it up a couple notches now because he was embarrassed.

Who knows, we will see but no matter it's on everyone not just the kid, not just the staff. And a kid who can't admit his faults will hurt in regards to perception.

 

[ctchamps]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

If Steve does well under Pitino, then of course most of the posters in this forum will consider it a knock on UConn and KO, unless the program turns around. Then most posters in this forum will consider it a knock mostly on Miller with some blame tossed on KO.

In either of these scenarios there will be a group of posters who will argue that the light went off for Steve under the new circumstance ( similar to Roscoe Smith at UNLV but starting from a lower benchmark) and there should be no blame on anyone.

And of course if SE rides the bench or gets limited minutes than people will realize his lack of development was on Steve and blame KO for recruiting him in the first place or recognize that seeing potential does not guarantee anything because Pitino made the same mistake.

I'm just going to wait out events to let them reveal which of the possible threads in the above "flow chart" will happen before starting any arguments with people. I don't have a crystal ball that allows me to make hypotheticals into certainties.

 

[gtcam]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

Yeah RP is a great eye for talent
Just love that lifetime contract he gave to Travis Knight when he was with the Celtics because as Pitino said "Travis Knight is the center of the future - he can run the court"
The guy decimated the Celtics

 

[gtcam]

I know you're an Ollie STAN but i think its generally bad to wish ill will on 19 y/o kids. If he was as soft and ill fitted here why do you care?

JSMH
Now you are trying to be a nice guy
LMAO

 

[John]

So did Pitino.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week, try the veal!!!

 

[upstater]

Because fans are irrational...

My post was a response to someone saying SE leaving and going to another major program isn't a reflection on Ollie, I obviously don't think RP shouldn't be compared to KO....

It may be a reflection on Ollie. It may not be.

We'll know when Enoch's career pans out.

All I know is that maybe Ollie's coaching failed him, but I for one did not want to see him on the basketball court for extended periods this year.

 

[freescooter]

I think there are a few possibilities here. One is that Pitino will succeed where Ollie. Opulent with this kid. Hall of fame coaches have a way of getting more out of guys than others do. A second possibility is that Enoch will spend 2 years picking splinters from his butt at UL just like he would at UConn. It is also possible that despite "looking like a basketball player" Enoch just isn't really that good. It happens. The sports world is full of guys who have all the measurable steps but never perform to the expected level. Also he and Ollie just might have been a bad mix. Finally Ollie might be a poor. coach.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think there are a few possibilities here. One is that Pitino will succeed where Ollie. Opulent with this kid. Hall of fame coaches have a way of getting more out of guys than others do. A second possibility is that Enoch will spend 2 years picking splinters from his butt at UL just like he would at UConn. It is also possible that despite "looking like a basketball player" Enoch just isn't really that good. It happens. The sports world is full of guys who have all the measurable steps but never perform to the expected level. Also he and Ollie just might have been a bad mix. Finally Ollie might be a poor. coach.

All covered I guess huh? LOL.....just really hope the last one isn't the reason.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Rick pitino watched Enoch's tape, talked to him, and concluded he was good enough to hold up a scholarship for three years.

That's all that needs to be said.

 

[djct1999]

Rick pitino watched Enoch's tape, talked to him, and concluded he was good enough to hold up a scholarship for three years.

That's all that needs to be said.

Or in Pitino's mind, he can force him out in two if he doesn't reach his potential. Nice spin though.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Or in Pitino's mind, he can force him out in two if he doesn't reach his potential. Nice spin though.

That's not a spin. It's what actually took place.

 

[champs99and04]

Rick pitino watched Enoch's tape, talked to him, and concluded he was good enough to hold up a scholarship for three years.

That's all that needs to be said.

Ollie watched the tape, talked to him, and concluded the same thing. What's your point?

 

[Matt1010]

Pitino is a great coach, but he has still had his fair share of misses recruiting bigs (Zach Price, Rakeem Buckles, Samardo Samuels, etc.) and I'm guessing that Enoch will be one of them. Malik Williams could also easily keep Enoch riding the bench unless he turns into a one and done.

 

[upstater]

Rick pitino watched Enoch's tape, talked to him, and concluded he was good enough to hold up a scholarship for three years.

That's all that needs to be said.

So, what was Pitino's reasoning for recruiting the bigs he had this year?

 

[Bryan Lord]

Now he just has to forget everything he never learned at uconn and become the player he was born to be.

 

[djct1999]

That's not a spin. It's what actually took place.

The scholarship is not necessarily for 3 years. If Pitino doesn't see improvement in the next 2, the 3rd year is highly unlikely. He took a flier with no downside.

 

[pj]

How this isn't a knock on Ollie is pure fantasy... RP a coach who is an indisputable better coach than KO watched SE tape from this past year and talked to him and recruited him anyways... That means 1 of the following things, 1. He is a better evaluator of talent and saw that SE clearly has untapped talent. 2. He realizes SE he is lazy and he believes that he can get SE to work harder than he did while at UConn... 3. SE was utilized incorrectly and RP believes he can use SE correctly and he'll flourish.

This is absolutely not a positive in KO resume... we aren't KU,UK or Duke losing a player to a top program isn't no big deal...

Your logic only works if Ollie and Pitino were both in a position to recruit Steve right now and Ollie refused to do it. In fact we know Ollie tried to persuade Steve to stay, so we know Ollie like Pitino thought Steve could be a contributor as a junior and senior. In other words, Ollie and Pitino share the same view of Steve, as far as we know, and would have treated him identically.

The only thing we know reliably is that Steve decided he'd prefer playing for Pitino at Louisville to playing for Ollie at UConn. That could be for many reasons including expectations for more playing time (Louisville has no big men for 2018), belief he'll do better in a zone than man-to-man defense, a preference for Louisville's offensive schemes, a desire for a change of scenery, a preference for the assistant coaches at Louisville, or other reasons.

 

[Fishy]

Pitino is a great coach, but he has still had his fair share of misses recruiting bigs (Zach Price, Rakeem Buckles, Samardo Samuels, etc.) and I'm guessing that Enoch will be one of them. Malik Williams could also easily keep Enoch riding the bench unless he turns into a one and done.

On what planet is Samardo Samuels a miss?

 

[intlzncster]

Actually, blame me. Because I was one of the posters who always wanted him out of there. I don't think he deserved more time. I could not watch 6 foot guards drive down the lane unmolested anymore. Nothing worse than that IMO.

Ditto for me. If you can't play D as a big, I don't want you anywhere near the court. D and rebounding is job 1, 1a, 2 and 3.

 

[Pudge]

Schools have 12 scholarships, not all 12 kids play, not even at Louisville

I personally have no idea what's going to happen for SE @ Louisville, I wish him well, but I think it's a yuuuuuuge stretch to think this is somehow a knock on Ollie

There might be more objectivity found on some political talk show than what's flying around here these days

I actually believe some "fans" are emotionally invested in seeing us fail next year. Hope they all are miserable next March

Last I heard ... it is 13

 

[Matt1010]

On what planet is Samardo Samuels a miss?

The planet where he came to Louisville a top 5 stud who was the highest ranked recruit they've had in recent history and he left undrafted/is currently playing overseas. Is that considered a successful career for someone so highly touted? He was fine in his 2 years at Lville, but Pitino certainly didn't coach him up to NBA level.