Any redshirt candidates?
- Thread starter thebigabd
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Buford and McNeace have already redshirted. Christian James or even Dinjyl Walker are the best candidates IMHO. James may be fully recovered from his injury (if the pics from his dunk contest with Buford are any indication). Walker could back up Jordan at the point in 2016 if we don't get anyone else (PP) .... Cousins will do it this year.
I guess anyone is a candidate that isn't in the top 8-9 of the rotation assuming they haven't already redshirted.
I guess anyone is a candidate that isn't in the top 8-9 of the rotation assuming they haven't already redshirted.
BoulderSooner
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there is a 0.00% chance that walker redshirts
DenverSooner
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I hope no one redshirts. OU is going to lose a lot next season and needs experienced players. Even a few minutes a game is valuable experience. It will let guys see how fast the game is and hopefully encourage them to work harder in the off season.
BoulderSooner
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I agree with this .. the only way I can see someone RS is injury ..
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Why wouldn't OU want him using a scholarship next season. Walker helped OU win some games last year. He is a solid Big XII caliber bench player and might be able to start at some schools. I just don't get why fans take shots at some of these kids. A team is more than five starters.
It's not taking a shot. Roster composition is a zero-sum game, and while Walker filled a need for us last year, we're better off recruiting more talented 4 year guys that can potentially take the program to greater heights. If he exhausts his eligibility this season, he'll still have a scholarship next year to finish up his degree if he needs the extra year. OU will need that roster spot though.
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James is the only candidate I see, and even that's remote.
No way Walker redshirts. OU needs him to step up this year. While I'm excited about the talented freshmen, I think it would be a mistake to rely exclusively on true freshmen as the only guards off the bench. Walker can be that veteran presence. And while he wasn't great last season, I think he has potential. He was a solid scorer in JUCO (16 ppg and 40% from 3) and showed flashes last season. I think he'll improve a lot with a year of experience under his belt.
No way Walker redshirts. OU needs him to step up this year. While I'm excited about the talented freshmen, I think it would be a mistake to rely exclusively on true freshmen as the only guards off the bench. Walker can be that veteran presence. And while he wasn't great last season, I think he has potential. He was a solid scorer in JUCO (16 ppg and 40% from 3) and showed flashes last season. I think he'll improve a lot with a year of experience under his belt.
I'm in the camp that thinks Walker has been recruited over. If they have the mental part of the game down, Odomes and James are much better players/athletes than Walker. Odomes is a stud and will definitely get a lot of minutes. McGusty will get significant minutes in 2016-2017, too. If a freshman is really good, they are going to play a lot...... especially over a mediocre upper-classmen.
I think Walker will get playing time kind of like DJ Bennett last year. Some games 5-6 minutes and none in other games. Especially in conference games. JMHO.
I think Walker will get playing time kind of like DJ Bennett last year. Some games 5-6 minutes and none in other games. Especially in conference games. JMHO.
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AdaSooner
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This. Walker's upside is too low to use a redshirt on him. I think he'll see limited minutes this season...that is, unless he has improved enough since last year to be a legitimate back up to Jordan at the point. Assuming that is not the case, Walker just got bumped to the bottom of the heap by two talented freshmen. Odomes is not even part of the conversation. No way he redshirts.
Assuming James has made a full recovery from his surgery, I think he'll play this season. Unlike Walker, he has a huge upside. Kruger knows that, too, which means he will likely give the more talented freshman, James, a chance to prove himself (see Lattin playing over the senior D. J. Bennett last season).
In other words, no one on the team will redshirt, unless as I said before, James is not ready to go at full speed this season.
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I think in James' case, what might hold him back some is not just the injury recovery but also the time away from playing ball. How quickly he recovers (and it looks like he has) and trusts his body, how quickly he adjusts to this level and playing again, how skilled he really is will play a role.
Would he be classified as a 2 or a combo? Recruiting and this player vs that player has kind of run together for me. My question kind of centers around, besides Cousins, who gets backup PG mins? I say Walker plays his way into time unless James is a guy we can use there. Otherwise I'm not sure where James mins will come from.
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People forget how good and highly recruited James was before his injury. He tore up the AAU circuit between his junior and senior year of HS but didn't get to play as a senior. Watch this video of him during his junior year. He can handle the ball and shoot. I think he could run the point as well as Walker can. He's certainly more of an offensive threat.
Christian James
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Walker scored 10+ five times last season including in games against Wisconsin and Texas both times. I hope the new guys are better because it means the team is better but I could actually see Walker being a guy that could post a solid average off the bench with maybe 10 or more double figure games on the season. If I am correct, that is a really good bench player.
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All of that is completely reasonable. I definitely agree that the freshmen will overtake Walker if they have the mental down, but I think that's a big if. I see James getting a lot of minutes to show what he can do in the early part of the season, but those minutes will decrease substantially in favor of the more experienced player in conference play (see e.g. Isaiah Cousins his freshman year). I don't factor Odomes into this equation as I think he's more of a 2/3 backup for Buddy.
It's an interesting discussion, and a good problem to have. I can't wait to see it play out!
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