Akolda Manyang, Upshaw and shotblocking presence

[OUHoops]

OU leaked down their leg in the first half, but give Washington credit. That's a nice squad and Upshaw was a huge factor.

It obviously was in Thomas' head as he drove the lane and felt him coming to help on that last play.

Anyway, it would be nice if Manyang can bring that next year.

 

[AdaSooner]

I think that is a reasonable expectation. Manyang is a long 7 footer, and maybe a little more athletic than Upshaw from what I have seen. We can't be sure if the 7 feet listing is accurate for either player. Upshaw is listed at 6' 11 on at least two sites I found, one of them NBADraft.net.

Both players run the floor well. Manyang is not a finished product offensively, but neither is Upshaw. Their strengths are similar in that they are rim-protectors who block a lot of shots and do a good job of positioning themselves for rebounds.

The major difference I see is that Upshaw at 250 has more size and bulk than Manyang who is listed at 220. NBADraft.net lists Akolda at 235, so no matter which listing is correct, Upshaw has a size advantage right now.

If Akolda can add 15 to 20 pounds to his frame by next fall, I believe his impact could be equal to that of Upshaw, and maybe even better. It would be nice to have a shot-blocker deluxe patrolling the paint on defense next year!

 

[bgrch1350]

OU leaked down their leg in the first half, but give Washington credit. That's a nice squad and Upshaw was a huge factor.

It obviously was in Thomas' head as he drove the lane and felt him coming to help on that last play.

Anyway, it would be nice if Manyang can bring that next year.

I think lattin is the guy that's going to be solid in the center. He's not 7 foot but he looks good for a freshman big

 

[AdaSooner]

I think lattin is the guy that's going to be solid in the center. He's not 7 foot but he looks good for a freshman big

Agreed. But think about how sweet it will be if we have two shot blocking bigs in our lineup next year?

 

[bgrch1350]

Agreed. But think about how sweet it will be if we have two shot blocking bigs in our lineup next year?

I agree but I take juco bigs with a grain of salt. I hope he is legit but I have to see him play in div 1 first