JaDarius Davis (6'7'' 220) getting OU interest...

[thebigabd]

JaDarius Davis (6'7'' 220) was offered by OSU and A&M, and is receiving interest from Oklahoma and Colorado. He is a senior in Lufkin, TX.

He is a 3-4 guy that can shoot, but is said to be really strong (300+ bench press) and have a mean streak around the rim and be very physical. He is friends and AAU teammates with Cameron Clark and TJ Taylor, and averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds as a junior last year.

Sounds like a good prospect... I think OU could use a guy like this to defend "power forwards" in the Big 12 as they get smaller and more versatile. Strong, mean, good rebounder, and has some obvious connections to the team already.

 

[pnkranger]

If he's quick, i.e. can run the floor and stay in front of guys, I agree that he sounds like a good prospect.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Not that this means much, but what kind of ranking does he have?

I don't mind having the kid come in as long as we aren't counting on him much next year. We still need a JUCO or two, depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out.

 

[DenverSooner]

Doesn't OU need Pf/C types rather than W/PF types? The WW comment suggests he may be comming back. If that is the case, OU will have TMG, Davis, WW, Willis, Pledger, Cam and TJ all vying for minutes on the perimeter. Only Fitzgerald, Gallon, Allen and Hardrick will be competing in the post (and I don't have high hopes of Allen or Hardrick palying much - I hope I am wrong but they got zero playing time this year).

 

[Sooner23]

Here is what TexasHoops.com says about him. They have him ranked 39th in Texas, FWIW........

JADARIUS has a great basketball body and knows how to use it and throw people around in the lane. He can really eat up space on the low block, calls for the ball well and gets it close to the rim so he can finish with power. He is a physical defender, moves well for his size, contests shots, is a good rebounder and doesn’t give up easy or cheap buckets. He plays with a rugged mentality and will need to learn to play with a high motor at all times as he has a nice body to work with.

http://texashoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=2057

 

[thebigabd]

Doesn't OU need Pf/C types rather than W/PF types? The WW comment suggests he may be comming back. If that is the case, OU will have TMG, Davis, WW, Willis, Pledger, Cam and TJ all vying for minutes on the perimeter. Only Fitzgerald, Gallon, Allen and Hardrick will be competing in the post (and I don't have high hopes of Allen or Hardrick palying much - I hope I am wrong but they got zero playing time this year).

This guy would be a power forward... He is more of a "tweener", and has spent his entire career playing in the post.

Fitz, Gallon, and Orlando can't guard these types of players that are abusing OU this season. OU needs to recruit some of these 6'7'' - 6'8'' tweener guys because that is what everyone else has.

 

[thebigabd]

JADARIUS has a great basketball body and knows how to use it and throw people around in the lane. He can really eat up space on the low block, calls for the ball well and gets it close to the rim so he can finish with power. He is a physical defender, moves well for his size, contests shots, is a good rebounder and doesn’t give up easy or cheap buckets. He plays with a rugged mentality and will need to learn to play with a high motor at all times as he has a nice body to work with.

Sounds like what OU needs to me.

 

[luckyc1423]

I think we desperately need a shot blocker

 

[soonerczech]

I want a player with a nasty streak who knows how to get position and where to get position for rebounds. Our guys seem to have no idea as to how the ball comes off the rim when shot from certain areas.

 

[cowboysooner]

Big, I like the sound of this guy more than just about everyone we have heard about (except jones) for the reason you state in your opening thread. With Patillo gone, we haven't had anyone that can guard the 4s in a man to man defense. We have big heavy post players. Wright is the closest thing we have to someone big and quick enough to guard the post and he is just too stiff and otherwise not skilled enough.

I completely agree with you that we need a true 4, e.g 6'6 to 6'9, and big and quick enough to guard the 4. Otherwise, we are going to suck again in man to man defense and be forced to play zone, which with few exceptions gets eaten up by the 3 point shot. You didn't mention it, but I am worried that Cam is more of a perimeter player and won't be able to bang at the 4. I don't know however, I have never seen him play. If you have, do you think he can play the 4?

 

[luckyc1423]

I have been reading a few articles on this kid, and it says that his footwork needs some work...does that mean he is just going to be another fitz and be liable on defense? If he is a smaller pf he needs to have great footwork to keep up with the smaller pf's in the league...correct?

 

[thebigabd]

Unless OU is going to run a 4-guard offense Cameron Clark will not be playing the 4. He is a big guard, a wing, and not a post.

 

[luckyc1423]

Unless OU is going to run a 4-guard offense Cameron Clark will not be playing the 4. He is a big guard, a wing, and not a post.

I agree we do not need to run the 4 guard offense...but I am just asking if his footwork will be a liability on defense...we need guys to be able to come in immediately and help us on the glass and on defense
If this guys footwork is similiar to fitz's then I am not sure he can do that...I think fitz is going to be a great player but still needs to develop some...we dont have the time to have another project

 

[luckyc1423]

If we can bring in two solid post players, and willie stays we will be a very deep team...almost doing a 180

guards:
1 tmg
2 willie
3 cade
4 clark
5 tj
6 willis
7 pledger

Posts:
1 gallon
2 fitz
3 new recruit
4 new recuit

then having allen to push people around in practice and help them get game ready is a plus...to me that would be a very deep team and it would force people to play together or sit the bench

 

[Seymore Cox]

I've seen him play and he really didn't stand out to me. I was more impressed by Lemark Barnes, an undersized PF from the Dallas area on that team and Trevor Fuller, a kid that plays with Phil Pressey. If OU gets this kid, he's probably atleast a year away from seeing the court.

Now I haven't seen this kid play since April, so he may have improved. So don't take my post as some sort of indictment of this guy.

 

[Krugerfan52]

The description of this kid kind of reminds me of a guy that played at Kansas State a couple of years ago named Hoskins. He was there the year before Beasley /Walker, but his career ended with injury.

I think it was David Hoskins.