2015 is gonna be a big year for us

[MI Sooner]

Doesn't have complete game for NBA. D league guy if he leaves early. Needs 2 years.

What I don't get about comments like this is that if he's only a D league guy after his junior year, he's only a D league guy after his senior year, too, at least the vast majority of the time. Very few guys play their way into the NBA as a senior.

 

[BanjoCharley]

Osby was close.

 

[Kewllane]

I love Buddy.......but can we please stop with all of this talk about him leaving early?!? He's not good enough to do that. He's just not. He's a really solid player and he's probably going to turn out to be really really good his senior year, but there is no way he is good enough to go to the NBA after his junior season and it be the right decision. It's not going to happen. Him leaving early for the NBA doesn't even cross my mind as a real possibility.

 

[NickZepp]

If the coaches really thought Buddy was gonna leave early they probably would have made sure and signed a freshman guard in this years class. I do think we need to go guard heavy in our current recruiting class coming up for that reason.

 

[WTSooner]

If the coaches really thought Buddy was gonna leave early they probably would have made sure and signed a freshman guard in this years class. I do think we need to go guard heavy in our current recruiting class coming up for that reason.

Can't be too guard heavy, as we only have 1 or 2 more spots open, depending on what season Thomas gets to play. But yes, those 1-2 spots will be used on guards.

 

[TINY]

Buddy leaving early would be equivalent to the Amath mbaye decision, except buddy likely wouldn't have earned his degree yet.

He is not close to being ready for the NBA, but he could earn a check somewhere.

He needs to improve his dribbling by an enormous amount.

 

[BCSooners]

I don't get why people are saying there's no way he is good enough to get drafted after his junior season, did he declare this year? He improved a great deal last year and if he does that again and cleans up the holes in his game I don't see why the nba isn't a possibility for him. Will he play his way into the draft next year? I don't know but I'm going to see a few games into his junior season before I even think about him and the draft.

 

[KBaden145]

I don't think Brett was speculating about Buddy and he certainly wasn't saying he has a NBA game yet. He just has some info from inside the program that says it looks like Buddy will leave after his JR season whether he gets drafted or not. Regardless of if he is ready or not, it sounds like he may test the waters. From my understanding, Brett is pretty reliable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[brettromar]

KBaden is right.

OU as of right now is not expecting to have Buddy as a senior. They believe he will go pro. I was as shocked as many of you.

Here is what I am saying.

I was talking with other coaches and we were talking about how good OU could be in two years if Thomas doesn't get his waiver. The talk started because Manyang and Longar were hanging out at the practice gym and Thomas was working Team camp all weekend.

Then I said they would be really good and another coach told me that OU isn't planning on having Buddy after this next season. That is from the coaches. They didn't say it directly to me, though I was lucky enough to talk to all of them this past weekend. GREAT GUYS However I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe the guy who talked with them.

I honestly think this is a HUGE point OU is using with Trier. The main scorer will be gone and he can step right in and take his spot scoring for OU.

Just to clear the air. I didn't expect Buddy to go early, this was what I was told this past weekend.

As for recruiting more guards, they will have 3 seniors, 2 sophs and probably 2 more frosh guards even without Buddy. That isn't counting Buford as a swing player.

 

[hoopsaustin]

I'd gladly trade buddy for trier if that's feasible. I just hope trier is nothing like Stevie Clark mentally

 

[WTSooner]

I don't get why people are saying there's no way he is good enough to get drafted after his junior season, did he declare this year? He improved a great deal last year and if he does that again and cleans up the holes in his game I don't see why the nba isn't a possibility for him. Will he play his way into the draft next year? I don't know but I'm going to see a few games into his junior season before I even think about him and the draft.

I don't think anybody is saying he wouldn't get drafted. I definitely see it possible, and maybe even likely, that he'd be a 2nd round pick for sure, and I could see him creeping up into the bottom of the 1st with a solid/good season.

I'm just not sure I see a likely scenario where he creeps up into say, the top 20 picks. And usually kids like that don't leave early if they aren't a little more certain of being towards the front of the 1st round.

Maybe Buddy surprises me and turns into just that. I just think with his size, he'd have to have one heck of a junior season to be reasonably assured of being a top 20 pick.

And like I've said multiple times, maybe that isn't an issue with Buddy. Maybe being a late first rounder, or a second rounder, or even ending up overseas is good enough for him, and he just doesn't want to wait to be able to provide for his family. I've never heard that Buddy's family is in bad shape financially, but that doesn't mean they aren't.

In short, I'm not going to worry about it. If Buddy leaves, it was either a foregone conclusion, or it means he absolutely blew up this year. It might also be dependent on how the team does. We have a great regular season and lose early in the Dance again, he may want to come back to try to enjoy a deeper run as a senior. A lot in play here.

 

[soonersublime]

Buddy is a mid to late first rounder FYI as of this moment with no growth whatsoever. If you think differently then your opinion is so noted. Buddy can slip or grow from that projection though. NBA scouts love him as a 2. He is thought of very highly in that world. Buddy can play himself into the lottery this year and "that is a fact, Jack"

 

[WaymanFan]

I'm just not sure I see a likely scenario where he creeps up into say, the top 20 picks. And usually kids like that don't leave early if they aren't a little more certain of being towards the front of the 1st round.

You've been following the NBA long enough to know that every year more underclassmen enter the NBA draft than there are draft selections (1st AND 2nd round). That means a lot of these guys get really, really bad advice and/or they just don't want to be in college any longer. Very few seem to grasp the idea that it's better to improve one's draft stock by staying in school and developing one's game. What you are saying SHOULD be true, but it usually is not.

 

[dahldennsull]

Buddy is a mid to late first rounder FYI as of this moment with no growth whatsoever. If you think differently then your opinion is so noted. Buddy can slip or grow from that projection though. NBA scouts love him as a 2. He is thought of very highly in that world. Buddy can play himself into the lottery this year and "that is a fact, Jack"

I would happily take this bet

 

[WTSooner]

You've been following the NBA long enough to know that every year more underclassmen enter the NBA draft than there are draft selections (1st AND 2nd round). That means a lot of these guys get really, really bad advice and/or they just don't want to be in college any longer. Very few seem to grasp the idea that it's better to improve one's draft stock by staying in school and developing one's game. What you are saying SHOULD be true, but it usually is not.

I think and HOPE Buddy is smarter than that. He seems to be. But again, I want to default back to the fact that I have no idea what his family situation is like.

 

[WTSooner]

Buddy is a mid to late first rounder FYI as of this moment with no growth whatsoever. If you think differently then your opinion is so noted. Buddy can slip or grow from that projection though. NBA scouts love him as a 2. He is thought of very highly in that world. Buddy can play himself into the lottery this year and "that is a fact, Jack"

I disagree.

Put him in the current draft, where would he go? I don't see any way he'd be a top 20, maybe top 25 pick. Heck, there are guys projecting in the 17-22 range that I think have way more NBA potential than Buddy.

Show me where "NBA scouts love him." Any proof of that?

 

[WTSooner]

Not to mention, of all the positions, SG's probably fall the most in the draft.

Big men and pg's are usually at a premium, and if you are a good SF prospect, even that is more valuable than an equally talented SG.