Kur Kuath commits to OU

[Stikboy]

I’m concerned with his ability to play physical in the post. 6’9” and 173 pounds is skinnier than Lattin. I think he’s a shot blocker and can jump out of the gym, but post play is guerilla warfare in the B12.

When I talked to one of the OU staffers last summer, he said they brought in Polla because they realized they needed to be stronger and knew Lattin and McNeace are more finesse players. Blocking out and keeping an opposing player from posting up and backing you down takes a toll. Can you imagine a player like KU’s Azubuike with a 173 pound guy guarding him on the block? He would be like a hot knife cutting thru butter.

I’m not sure Kuath is the answer.... just my opinion.

Good post. Why can't Kruger get a 6-8 to 6-10 athletic guy with some meat on his bones?

 

[CoachTalk]

Good post. Why can't Kruger get a 6-8 to 6-10 athletic guy with some meat on his bones?

Because they go to KU, UK, Duke, UNC, UV, etc...

 

[SoonerSpock]

The 6'8" stout kids that will come to OU are all to some extent projects or come from abroad and OU with Polla is making that attempt. I am certain with foreign kids there is a lot of hit and miss with an occasional Sagaba Konate available.

Also don't forget that Jeff Capel did not recruit Ryan Spangler coming out of Bridge Creek so mistakes are made.

 

[AdaSooner]

Because they go to KU, UK, Duke, UNC, UV, etc...

Not all of them. WSU’s Shaq Morris and KSU’s Dean Wade are just two examples. Nearly every team we play has a big with some bulk who can bang inside. We get the skinny guys for some reason, or a foreign player like Freeman we hope will turn into a Dean Wade.

I’m excited about what Polla could become at some future date. But, I, too, am ready to see some beef on the floor for OU who doesn’t get pushed around by the bigs on other teams.

 

[steverocks35]

I commented earlier in the year that if OU had Shaq Morris we would be a Final Four team. Everyone laughed and said he would never get off the bench. I stand by my comment. It's even more frustrating that we didn't even offer him.

 

[Stikboy]

Because they go to KU, UK, Duke, UNC, UV, etc...

No they don't. Not all of them. I turn on college basketball 4 times a week and see them littered all over rosters of schools with less tradition than ours.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Shaq took nearly three years to start playing hard, and it drove WSU coaches and fans crazy. Plus, doing what he does in the Missouri Valley (and now American) wouldn't necessarily translate to the Big 12. He would have a hard time dealing with Bamba, Doke, and some of the other really good bigs the Big 12 has every year. And Wade plays as much on the perimeter as he does in the post. I agree with Coach -- if we are talking about true big men, the ones with size, strength, skill, and athletic ability almost always end up at a handful of schools. If we are talking more about 4-men, that is a different story. And we have had some pretty good guys in that role during the Kruger era.

 

[Stikboy]

All I'm saying is there is a vast amount of 4/5s out there in between what OU has and the "blue bloods". I'm not asking for Marvin Bagley III. There's ALOT of room between him and what we have.

 

[Darwin]

It seems clear that Lon values rim protection at that position over strength to hold off a low post scorer. It may well be what he sees as the future with so few big load players being able to compete at high levels.

 

[sperry]

A guy like McNeace is fine as the starting C at OU. If your guards are good enough, you can compete for titles with a guy who can protect the rim and finish some lobs. We've just got to upgrade the caliber of guards in the program.

 

[inoref]

Is it true that he is 175 pound or so?

 

[tsou89]

It’s well known that Shaq was was a bit lazy in high school and played at 3 different schools. There were some red flags. OU wasn’t the only P5 school to pass on him. Anyway, what makes anyone think he would have developed at OU like he did at WSU? I don’t see any evidence that would have happened judging by what I’ve seen from Lattins development or lack there of.

 

[AdaSooner]

It’s well known that Shaq was was a bit lazy in high school and played at 3 different schools. There were some red flags. OU wasn’t the only P5 school to pass on him. Anyway, what makes anyone think he would have developed at OU like he did at WSU? I don’t see any evidence that would have happened judging by what I’ve seen from Lattins development or lack there of.

Good point. Player development seems to be an area our coaching staff has struggled with since Henson and Hill’s darture.