Juco Center Emmanuel Ugboh being recruited by OU

[CMSOONER]

So that makes them a 5. In no way shape or form is Freeman a 3.

No it doesn't! It means they they were played out of position all year long because there was nobody better, Just like Doolittle. Freeman is a stretch 4 and Kuath is a skinny power forward. It just speaks to how bad the talent was at the center position this year behind McNeace. I agree 100% Freeman is in no way a 3.

I'll give you that some of the forwards on the roster can play small ball center, I'm completely ok with that and like the versatility. But IMO you need one guy that can bang a little inside. Yes there are some guys in the 6'8" to 6'9" or 10" range that can do that, Konate at WVU is a perfect example, however we do not have a guy like that on our roster currently. If Polla is not that guy then it needs to be addressed. Corbin Merritt is the only player would appear to fit this mold. Assuming Freeman and Polla leave, the only players on our roster currently over 220 lbs are Doolittle and Merritt.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Seems like the board is up in the air on what the team needs...

Which is the norm and should not be a worry. I don't read many long threads here where the board members have come to a consensus opinion.

Now if the OU coaching staff is uncertain of what the team needs, than THAT would be a worry.

 

[BCSooners]

No it doesn't! It means they they were played out of position all year long because there was nobody better, Just like Doolittle. Freeman is a stretch 4 and Kuath is a skinny power forward. It just speaks to how bad the talent was at the center position this year behind McNeace. I agree 100% Freeman is in no way a 3.

I'll give you that some of the forwards on the roster can play small ball center, I'm completely ok with that and like the versatility. But IMO you need one guy that can bang a little inside. Yes there are some guys in the 6'8" to 6'9" or 10" range that can do that, Konate at WVU is a perfect example, however we do not have a guy like that on our roster currently. If Polla is not that guy then it needs to be addressed. Corbin Merritt is the only player would appear to fit this mold. Assuming Freeman and Polla leave, the only players on our roster currently over 220 lbs are Doolittle and Merritt.

The game is changing, guys who used to be 4s are usually 5s, same with 3/4s.

 

[thebigabd]

Matt Painter plays a pretty traditional lineup, and does very well. I still like that setup better unless you can get insane talent. If you can get top notch talent for these 6'7'' guys that play 3 positions, great, go for it. Otherwise, put a 6'11'' guy out there and use him.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

Some of the stuff that people argue about around here just astounds me. Like, some start arguments just for the sake of arguing about something.

 

[Eielson]

It just speaks to how bad the talent was at the center position this year behind McNeace.

Even if we had a completely healthy McNeace back for next year, Doo would still be our starting 5. The only healthy player in the entire conference that would definitively bump Doo to the 4 is Hayes.

 

[AdaSooner]

I think too much is made of the position numbers 1-5. Nova won a natty several years ago by playing five guards the majority of the time.

I see Doolittle as a four. Even I tried to make him a three last season, but it should be obvious by now that the four spot is where he needs to be. He may fill the void left by Muni in playing the role of a five, but in my mind he’s still a four. An undersized one, I might add, but he’s agile and strong enough to more than hold his own against most opponents.

 

[thebigabd]

I think too much is made of the position numbers 1-5. Nova won a natty several years ago by playing five guards the majority of the time.

I see Doolittle as a four. Even I tried to make him a three last season, but it should be obvious by now that the four spot is where he needs to be. He may fill the void left by Muni in playing the role of a five, but in my mind he’s still a four. An undersized one, I might add, but he’s agile and strong enough to more than hold his own against most opponents.

The Villanova all guards lineup only works when you have elite talent and shooting... OU won't have that.

That being said... I am fine with Manek, Doo, Kuath, Corbin Merritt, and Polla. Merritt and Kuath are going to be total unknowns.

 

[AdaSooner]

The Villanova all guards lineup only works when you have elite talent and shooting... OU won't have that.

That being said... I am fine with Manek, Doo, Kuath, Corbin Merritt, and Polla. Merritt and Kuath are going to be total unknowns.

I’m aware of that. I used Nova as an example to emphasize that the numbers 1-5 don’t always apply to the position the players have to play sometimes.

 

[CMSOONER]

Even if we had a completely healthy McNeace back for next year, Doo would still be our starting 5. The only healthy player in the entire conference that would definitively bump Doo to the 4 is Hayes.

If we had a healthy McNeace coming back I bet you would see a starting 5 something like this.

Harmon
Bieniemy
Manek
Doolittle
McNeace

 

[CMSOONER]

The game is changing, guys who used to be 4s are usually 5s, same with 3/4s.

Yes the game is changing. But that doesn't mean that because someone is playing a position out of necessity means that that is their position. Not all 4's are a good fit for the center position, AKA Freeman. Some players are just single dimensional one position players. The 4's on our roster in my opinion are not ideal for the center position even in today's game. Doolittle could get away with playing center against teams with poor post players, but against the rest he was noticeably out of position. He has to start shooting 3's and become more of a stretch 4 (Freshman Doolittle) than a modern day type center. Manek is a SF on offense and a PF an defense and Doo is a PF on offense and a SF on defense.

 

[Eielson]

If we had a healthy McNeace coming back I bet you would see a starting 5 something like this.

Harmon
Bieniemy
Manek
Doolittle
McNeace

Unless the reports on Reaves are greatly exaggerated, I don't see us bumping our best projected scorer for McNeace.

 

[BCSooners]

Yes the game is changing. But that doesn't mean that because someone is playing a position out of necessity means that that is their position. Not all 4's are a good fit for the center position, AKA Freeman. Some players are just single dimensional one position players. The 4's on our roster in my opinion are not ideal for the center position even in today's game. Doolittle could get away with playing center against teams with poor post players, but against the rest he was noticeably out of position. He has to start shooting 3's and become more of a stretch 4 (Freshman Doolittle) than a modern day type center. Manek is a SF on offense and a PF an defense and Doo is a PF on offense and a SF on defense.

You listed Freeman, Doolittle, & Manek as SF when they are all 4s. Manek is a stretch 4 on offense, he can’t create from the perimeter (he’s a good passer from the post).

 

[mict085]

Are we really recruiting Ugboh? Or is that lip service.

Anyone have any idea how realistic he is for OU?

 

[CoachTalk]

Lip Service Id guess. No talk from what I have heard.

 

[thebigabd]

Are we really recruiting Ugboh? Or is that lip service.

Anyone have any idea how realistic he is for OU?

Just a blurb in a recruiting article saying OU came to see him, or established contact, etc.

Seems like Arizona, Nebraska, and KSU are recruiting him harder.

 

[CMSOONER]

You listed Freeman, Doolittle, & Manek as SF when they are all 4s. Manek is a stretch 4 on offense, he can’t create from the perimeter (he’s a good passer from the post).

New age SF's :ez-laugh:

I think Manek and Doolittle are hybrid SF/PF's. I did list them as SF's and then continually mentioned them a 4's. Their game to me is best suited more as stretch 4's and less as Power 4's. Manek, right now, lacks the strength and Doolittle lacks the height to be a Power Forward. They can play small ball power forward, but that's not their ideal position. Doolittle is the epitome of tweener right now. He has no real position, but is arguably our best player and strongest playable player so he's playing PF/C.

If Brady and Doo could swap height they'd be perfect for their current roles on the team. Doolittle would be a 6'9" PF and Manek would be a 6'7" SF. Lol!

Unless the reports on Reaves are greatly exaggerated, I don't see us bumping our best projected scorer for McNeace.

If the incoming players next year live up to their current expectations we'll have about 7 or 8 starter caliber players. I'm as guilty as anyone about getting caught up in the incoming hype, not saying you are, and I want to pencil Reaves in as the starting 3. I tend to not want to tag incoming Freshman or JUCO's as starters before we ever see them play but the hype surrounding Harmon, Williams and Reaves is hard to overlook. Reaves has the upper hand because he has been practicing with the team and some on this board have seen him in practice and report him as the real deal. So removing McNeace from the equation, I see 2 scenarios for next years starters at this point in time:

#1 We don't bring in another big. Starter are:

Harmon
Bieniemy
Reaves
Manek
Doolittle

#2 We bring in a Grad Xfer/JUCO big. Starters are:

Bieniemy
Reaves
Manek
Doolittle
Unknown Big

I should state since I'm in favor of bringing in another big that it should only be a player that is going to help next year. Not another project player to eat up a scholarship space for a few years. If Ugboh replaces Polla I feel that's a win and somebody who can play meaningful minutes as a rim protector/rebounder and trash bucket getter.

 

[BoulderSooner]

New age SF's :ez-laugh:

I think Manek and Doolittle are hybrid SF/PF's. I did list them as SF's and then continually mentioned them a 4's. Their game to me is best suited more as stretch 4's and less as Power 4's. Manek, right now, lacks the strength and Doolittle lacks the height to be a Power Forward. They can play small ball power forward, but that's not their ideal position. Doolittle is the epitome of tweener right now. He has no real position, but is arguably our best player and strongest playable player so he's playing PF/C.

If Brady and Doo could swap height they'd be perfect for their current roles on the team. Doolittle would be a 6'9" PF and Manek would be a 6'7" SF. Lol!



If the incoming players next year live up to their current expectations we'll have about 7 or 8 starter caliber players. I'm as guilty as anyone about getting caught up in the incoming hype, not saying you are, and I want to pencil Reaves in as the starting 3. I tend to not want to tag incoming Freshman or JUCO's as starters before we ever see them play but the hype surrounding Harmon, Williams and Reaves is hard to overlook. Reaves has the upper hand because he has been practicing with the team and some on this board have seen him in practice and report him as the real deal. So removing McNeace from the equation, I see 2 scenarios for next years starters at this point in time:

#1 We don't bring in another big. Starter are:

Harmon
Bieniemy
Reaves
Manek
Doolittle

#2 We bring in a Grad Xfer/JUCO big. Starters are:

Bieniemy
Reaves
Manek
Doolittle
Unknown Big

I should state since I'm in favor of bringing in another big that it should only be a player that is going to help next year. Not another project player to eat up a scholarship space for a few years. If Ugboh replaces Polla I feel that's a win and somebody who can play meaningful minutes as a rim protector/rebounder and trash bucket getter.

manek is going to play the 4 in the NBA so just keep him as a 4 ok

 

[CoachTalk]

Toby rowland brought up some thoughts...

Think Doolittle can for Conf POY next year?

 

[Darwin]

Toby rowland brought up some thoughts...

Think Doolittle can for Conf POY next year?

If he shoots 3s in games like he shoots the long 2 then he could be a 20 pt guy. Watching his pregame warmups proves he has the range on his shot. He has to become comfortable with that role.