Preview and Analysis of Big Men Recruiting

[huskymagic]

Obviously we all are well aware that since Drummond our big men have been a continuous series of bean pole big guys who lack fundamentals and basketball skills. The jury is still out on Enoch, Durham, and Diarra. If we look at who Kevin Ollie recruited for 2017-- Josh Carlton-- you will see another project big man who lacks basketball skills, timing, and athleticism. Kevin Ollie has to do a better job with identifying the right type of big man if he doesn't get the 5 star guys he is after.


--Just for comparison's sake I looked at SMU's big man recruit for 2017, a guy by the name of Ethan Chargois who is similarly ranked as Carlton nationally. If you watch the two tapes of our incoming big man, and their incoming big man, who would you think is a better fit for our team, and who can help our scoring and toughness needs on the interior? The answer from my perspective looks pretty clear.


---If we get guys like Mo Bamba then obviously our big man problem will take care of itself for a year at least. However, if we are going to recruit lower ranked big men, let's try to find one with a ready made offensive skill set, basketball awareness, and a pulse.

 

[upstater]

Obviously we all are well aware that since Drummond our big men have been a continuous series of bean pole big guys who lack fundamentals and basketball skills. The jury is still out on Enoch, Durham, and Diarra. If we look at who Kevin Ollie recruited for 2017-- Josh Carlton-- you will see another project big man who lacks basketball skills, timing, and athleticism. Kevin Ollie has to do a better job with identifying the right type of big man if he doesn't get the 5 star guys he is after.


--Just for comparison's sake I looked at SMU's big man recruit for 2017, a guy by the name of Ethan Chargois who is similarly ranked as Carlton nationally. If you watch the two tapes of our incoming big man, and their incoming big man, who would you think is a better fit for our team, and who can help our scoring and toughness needs on the interior? The answer from my perspective looks pretty clear.


---If we get guys like Mo Bamba then obviously our big man problem will take care of itself for a year at least. However, if we are going to recruit lower ranked big men, let's try to find one with a ready made offensive skill set, basketball awareness, and a pulse.

After watching those two videos, I would definitely take Carlton down low over the SMU kid. The SMU kid is earthbound and looks forward to getting swatted repeatedly in college. On the other hand, the SMU kid has a smooth stroke from the outside. More like a lead-footed 4 than a 5.

 

[BUConn10]

They both look like they will be ready to play in 2019.

 

[Kitaman]

We have the SMU kid in Enoch. I just wish we could find a way to invest in his development and commit to it. Sure he's a foul magnet and perhaps slow footed on D, but his potential (to me) is through the roof. He's not scared of contact, has a decent and improving offensive skills and is built like a rock, with height.

I would let his butt foul out every game until he learns how to control his D. If you are going to have him sit, then sit him with a disqualification, than letting the kid rot on the bench. He plays so infrequently he looks alarming confused and raw.

Of all our players he should be the focus for one on one time and attention. Ollie has some names he can call on to help the kid, and we have some vets (Okafor, Jake, Andre and a few others).

It would be a tragedy if he leaves here not NBA ready.

 

[EastCoast2]

Is there a chance Enoch leaves after this year for the NBA?

 

[BUConn10]

We have the SMU kid in Enoch. I just wish we could find a way to invest in his development and commit to it. Sure he's a foul magnet and perhaps slow footed on D, but his potential (to me) is through the roof. He's not scared of contact, has a decent and improving offensive skills and is built like a rock, with height.

I would let his butt foul out every game until he learns how to control his D. If you are going to have him sit, then sit him with a disqualification, than letting the kid rot on the bench. He plays so infrequently he looks alarming confused and raw.

Of all our players he should be the focus for one on one time and attention. Ollie has some names he can call on to help the kid, and we have some vets (Okafor, Jake, Andre and a few others).

It would be a tragedy if he leaves here not NBA ready.

Control his D?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Enoch needs to play minutes this year. It's obvious Facey is still incapable of playing 20 minutes a night at this level. Brimah is inconsistent but can be a net positive.

It's obvious that both Durham and Diarra are going to get very few minutes due to health. Any minutes Brimah or Facey take away from Enoch stunts his growth. Without consistent minutes Enoch will be an upperclassman without any seasoning.

 

[Kitaman]

Control his D?

Fouls more specifically.

 

[BUConn10]

Fouls more specifically.

I know, it was a failed attempt at pointing out interesting choice of phrasing. Carry on everyone.

 

[neezy]

I go to grad school at VCU and talked to a friend of mine about this topic. Shaka and now will wade have a system that relies heavily on guards and wings but they also are sure to find a "beef boy" to fill up the middle and bring intensity with rebounds, screen-setting and hustle plays. Mo Allie-Cox is that guy for them and has been for a couple years. We need to recruit bigs based on our guards, not independent of them. We have never been a great program for bigs, nor one that necessarily attracts the good ones, but we need to focus on players with a high motor and a high bb IQ who are ready to contribute physically (and not so much ones who need all 4 years to develop physically without many strides mentally). I thought Rock Lubin was built alot like Mo Allie, but he just didn't have the proverbial "it." I think KO and company will get there because we will always have strong guards coming in, just needs to reassess his strategy in recruiting players to complement the back court to the fullest. But he can only do so much. Players have to play

 

[TheChamps990411]

Control his D?

I think thats between he and his gf. Lets stick to basketball discussions.

 

[August_West]

After watching those two videos, I would definitely take Carlton down low over the SMU kid. The SMU kid is earthbound and looks forward to getting swatted repeatedly in college. On the other hand, the SMU kid has a smooth stroke from the outside. More like a lead-footed 4 than a 5.

An earthbound clod on Wagner just ate our entire front lines lunch

 

[upstater]

An earthbound clod on Wagner just ate our entire front lines lunch

Are you saying that if he could jump he wouldn't have?

 

[jibsey]

We have the SMU kid in Enoch. I just wish we could find a way to invest in his development and commit to it. Sure he's a foul magnet and perhaps slow footed on D, but his potential (to me) is through the roof. He's not scared of contact, has a decent and improving offensive skills and is built like a rock, with height.

I would let his butt foul out every game until he learns how to control his D. If you are going to have him sit, then sit him with a disqualification, than letting the kid rot on the bench. He plays so infrequently he looks alarming confused and raw.

Of all our players he should be the focus for one on one time and attention. Ollie has some names he can call on to help the kid, and we have some vets (Okafor, Jake, Andre and a few others).

It would be a tragedy if he leaves here not NBA ready.

I've been screaming at KO for this to happen but obviously our future is with Facey and Brimah, because we're going to the final 4 this year and he doesn't want to give away any games. Except for one thing, Wagner and Northeastern whipped our butts.

 

[August_West]

Are you saying that if he could jump he wouldn't have?

I'm saying against our guys he don't need to.

 

[upstater]

I'm saying against our guys he don't need to.

Errggg, um? Well, anyhow, we should recruit the best interior guys we can. I'd take Carlton over that guy.

 

[jibsey]

An earthbound clod on Wagner just ate our entire front lines lunch

That was an earthbound clog with good hands.

 

[superjohn]

I would take an unathletic, undersized big who is very skilled any day over the string bean athletic no skilled guys we always seem to get. We missed the boat on a guy like Niang and then totally missed the boat on Bonzie Colson, we absolutely should have gotten him.

 

[upstater]

I would take an unathletic, undersized big who is very skilled any day over the string bean athletic no skilled guys we always seem to get. We missed the boat on a guy like Niang and then totally missed the boat on Bonzie Colson, we absolutely should have gotten him.

Carlton is pretty broad-shouldered.

 

[Hugo]

Until we fully incorporate our bigs into the offense and prove that we are not exclusively a guard orientated team we are going to have a tough time attracting quality bigs. Add to that the fact that we have not been able to develop the bigs we have (AD is the exception , but his overall game and athleticism would have got him into the first round regardless of who coached him or how he was integrated into the offense) why would a Stone, Babba or Richards come here if we can't showcase their game and provide some development.

 

[CTBasketball]

We found our best big man ever sitting in a Juco classroom. He just so happens to be my avatar.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Until we fully incorporate our bigs into the offense and prove that we are not exclusively a guard orientated team we are going to have a tough time attracting quality bigs. Add to that the fact that we have not been able to develop the bigs we have (AD is the exception , but his overall game and athleticism would have got him into the first round regardless of who coached him or how he was integrated into the offense) why would a Stone, Babba or Richards come here if we can't showcase their game and provide some development.

Devil's advocate would say it's a chicken-or-egg question:

Do we not feature bigs in our offense (though to say we run an offense is generous, but I digress) because the bigs we have aren't good?
Or are we unable to recruit stud bigs because we don't feature them in our offense?

Either way it doesn't matter -- it's a problem in recruiting. And given that KO hasn't shown he can either recruit or develop bigs, it will continue to be a vicious cycle.