Good post bigabd and I agree he's a bit of a mystery. I might take it a step farther and say Merritt, Issanza and Anyang are all mysteries. You could throw in Williams and Victor to a lesser degree. Although those two have a more proven track record. It's what make the off season interesting and what kept Angela Lansbury up all those nights.
Below is a repost I made from September of 2018 after Corbin committed.
James Hale interviewed Corbin Merritt and his coach on Sportstalk 1400 today. His coach said Corbin measured in at 6-9 & 1/2 with a 7-5 wingspan. His BMI was under 10% and will play at around 245 lbs. Originally was headed to Florida A&M University but a coaching change put him at Daytona State. Besides putting in a lot of time working on his body, Corbin also made over 7,000 threes this summer. Worked on his form and extending his range and feels comfortable taking a spot up three and playing the stretch 4. His coach said this added value to Corbin's game and the OU coaches took notice when evaluating. Corbin's teammates voted him the most vocal in a positive manner and his coach said he's the ultimate team player and is always in the gym.
I don't know how successful his career ends up at OU but it's easy to pull for kids that work hard and do it the right way. It was Corbin's first time in Oklahoma last week but you can tell he's excited to be a Sooner and will be bringing some of that sunshine from Daytona Beach with him to Norman.
This interview was before the season started. If I recall correctly, Corbin was coming off a foot injury his freshman season. I think it was a stress fracture. You could tell there was a renewed focus for Corbin coming off a frustrating first year while redshirting. He dedicated himself by changing his body. If you watch his high school videos you can see how much he changed in a relatively short period of time. It was going to be his time to show out.
So what happened? A relatively pedestrian year followed for a young man that seemed to be putting it together. Sure he was raw and coming off a injury, but his numbers will make the most adamant member of Kruger's Crew flap and crow from the rooftops. Bust, project, transfer candidate and just another scholarship squandered can be deciphered from the nests of cackling internet coaches. I'm not saying there's no merit behind these claims. (pun intended) This interpretation could very well come to fruition. The track record and odds lean to this side. It's the safe bet to wager at this time. Can you imagine the endorphin rush I'll obtain by pontificating this proclamation and seeing it through to the day I can claim king aficionado of recruiting gone rotten. After all, I took a stand and was one of the first to say this 19 to 20 year old is a bum. I'll recall it like a fishing story, casting my worm bait to hook that Nostradamus hot take upon your plate. But before I proclaim this to be self-evident, I like to step back and try to see what, if any factors could challenge my preconceived notions. In the case of young Merritt, I've found a few things that could give a better understanding to his situation. Some ideas have been discussed above.
First up, Corbin was Headed to Florida A&M before a coaching change led him to Daytona State. After seeing a coaching change his RS freshman year, first year head coach Brook Morris took over. Morris had a couple impressive big men which helped him land the Louisiana Lafayette job after this past season. Morris wasted little time bringing with him his former starting 6'9'' 220 PF Doudou Gueye. Gueye averaged 22 minutes a game while averaging 11 & 7 and shooting 38% from three. His per 40 translates to 22 & 13. A solid player that had offers from some decent schools ( OSU, ARK, Tech) but stuck with his juco coach and headed for Creole country. The other player was #3 ranked juco Khadim Sy. A 6'10'' 240 big man that averaged 17 & 10 while shooting 32% from three (32-100). Sy's per 40 is an impressive 27 & 16 a game. Ole Miss got a good one to pair up with the Bahamian guard we recruited two seasons ago. I'm drawing a blank on the kids name.
Bluntly put, Corbin was left with backup minutes behind two players that were just better. 8 of Corbin's 30 games were under 10 minutes. 7 more games he got under 15 minutes. Now the flip side is he did get 6 games with 20 minutes or more but the production didn't follow. A rather inconsistent season all around. Coming off an injury with first year coach who had a solid front court in place put him behind the 8 ball. As many of you know Corbin also lost his father in February. I don't want to speculate much about how big of an impact a lose or illness in a family can have on a young person. I do think it's fair and worth noting how quickly basketball can take a back seat to life when situations like this come up. Hopefully Corbin and his family have found peace.
Through out it all Corbin has kept it positive. He rarely tweets but the message stays the same. "Overcoming all odds." Some others include, "One thing I learned about this season so far is to be a superstar in whatever role the coach put you in." "What I learned today was no matter the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence." "Sometimes losing a battle helps you find a new way to win the war." "I can’t disappoint, I got lil sisters to take car of." "Had a great year in a great program, not the outcome any of us wanted but It’s the outcome God gave us. On to bigger and better things BoomerSooner." "Thank you @DSCMBball for these past two years! I appreciate everything this organization has done for me." My personal favorite "No more Mr. Nice Guy."
So what do we know? Well Donald Rumsfeld said it best. "There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know."
All joking aside, there's a logjam of oak trees in front of Merritt. I think it's fair to say Issanza, Anyang and Merritt could be on a early watch list for portal control. I could also see them all staying as well. Doo, Manek and Kur will be gone by Corbin's senior year. This leaves Issanza, Vic and Merritt down low. You can add Anyang, but I see him more on the wing for a the first couple of years while he adjusts. He's still growing and may project to a stretch 4 but might get eaten up down low the first couple of years. I think with Anyang you need to give him a redshirt and by the start of his SO or JR year you will start to see a clearer picture. Who knows, he may surprise but I'd be the most conscious with judging his longterm projection. Now, I'm sure we will add more front court help the next couple of years and that could change this outcome. I guess it comes down to what you see the next couple of years. Corbin may like the stability and family atmosphere to see it through the next three years. He's got the attitude Kruger looks for in players. Even if he's the 12th or 13th guy off the bench he still brings shot blocking (1.6 per game 4.3 per 40) and the ability to run and jump with others. If he continues to work hard and the coaches can develop some of his natural talent you can have something to fall back on if his number is called. Will it translate? Who knows for sure. But isn't it easier to pull for a kid attending a School you support rather than taking digs at kids you would never say to their face? JMO.
Wow! I started out writing down some of my thoughts and it turned out to be a novel. Congratulations if you trekked through that minutiae maze I call the offseason. Also, I went hard in the paint but was not directing this to anyone in general. I have no problem criticizing coaches that make life changing money. If you think they can and should recruit or play different players I can't fault you. Personally, I do find it hard to rationalize going after young men and women that had multiple options to further their lives and career and decided they saw something that each of us on this board see. OU is where you go to test yourself. Would any of you turn down a full ride to the school you think fits you best? I just think there are constructive, objective ways to go about dissecting a players game and character. The easy way is to say he or she sucks and is not worthy. Maybe start a thread describing what you would like to see in each players development for the upcoming season. One thing is for sure, the coaching staff will have their work cut out trying to develop some of the inexperience we are bringing to the locker room. One positive is some the guys haven't played long enough to pick up life long bad habits. Ha! Anyways, I bid you adieu my fellow hoopaholics.
