Options with last two scholarships now.....

guess my 2 comments..

#1 sure everyone knows 'ships are 1 yr deals...as we saw with DMS if he doesn't work out next year then it's not renewed. So, although kind of a crappy deal, OU isn't "stuck" with whoever for 2 more years if need be.

#2 "a guy OU didn't recruit out of HS" lots of guys make tremendous improvement in juco...so maybe now he would be someone OU would recruit.

just thoughts...
 
Can KU take the Hutch kid at this point for sure??

I would say add one guy at least and save one scholarship. We only have 5 total guards that can play right now. I feel like that's a little light if we get into foul trouble or an injury. Love the Center rotation we will have. Basically 3 guys there. Doolittle at the 4 with Freeman backing him up makes me a little nervous there. So in my mind we have 8 legit guys that can play at a high level. Need one more for insurance somewhere.
 
Here's a link to one of two Ty Lazenby highlight videoes I watched last night. He's not a bad player. Is he D-1, OU good? I'm not sure any of us can answer that question by watching a couple of highlight videos, so this may be a good time to "trust Lon." Not that we have any other choice. :ez-laugh:

http://www.hudl.com/profile/6551643/ty-lazenby

Judging by what I have seen, Lazenby is a fundamentally sound, cerebeal player who can score inside and from the perimeter (he averaged 35% from three last season). He was also a first team JUCO AA. Is that a reliable barometer of a juco player's worth at the D-1 level? We know two things about junior college players: Some make a nice contribution at the next level and some don't live up to their juco ranking.

Things I see that bother me some. Lazenby appears to be solid fundamentally, but he is not what I would call a superb athlete. He scores inside by using his body and his smarts. He has good handles, but I didn't see him use his left hand one time to score inside. He shoots a set shot from behind the arc. Nothing wrong with that if you have the ability to create space to get open. He's a threat to drive on a defender, so he uses that and his ball fakes to get his shot off. He also appears to have better than average range from three.

I'll be interested to know what others think about Lazenby? I can see why our coaches have an interest in him. But I also go back to a question I asked earlier. Are there better prospects out there on the graduate transfer list that would allow us to improve our depth next season without using a valuable 2018 scholarship on a juco player?
 
Put those scholarships in your pocket and go on down the road. Would much rather have Dante Buford back.

I'd be fine if DSM was the last JUCO hoopster we ever signed.
 
Sooner04 said:
Put those scholarships in your pocket and go on down the road. Would much rather have Dante Buford back.

I'd be fine if DSM was the last JUCO hoopster we ever signed.
Click to expand...


I agree. No more JUCOs. Find a grad transfer, even one that might not contribute, because then you know the ship opens back up next year.
 
Here is a visualization of the current scholarship situation ...

OU MEN’S BASKETBALL / PROJECTED 2017-18 ROSTER
11 Scholarship Players / Allowed 13 / As of April, 2017

Seniors (2 Scholarship Players)
> Khadeem Lattin (6-9, 212, F) … Houston, Texas / Redemption Christian
> ....

Juniors (4)
> Rashard Odomes (6-6, 212, G) … Copperas Cove, TX
> Jamuni McNeace (6-10, 215, C) … Allen, Texas / Kankakee, Illinois
> Christian James (6-4, 218, G) … Houston, TX / Bellaire HS
> ....

Sophomores (4)
> Kameron McGusty (6-5, 191, G) … Katy, Texas / Sunrise Christian Academy, Kansas
> Kristian Doolittle (6-7, 236, F) ... Edmond, OK (Memorial High School)
> Jordan Shepherd (6-2, 180, G) … Asheville, North Carolina
> Matt Freeman (6-10, 224, F) … Auckland, New Zealand

Freshmen (3)
> Trae Young (6-2, 170, PG) … Norman, Oklahoma (North High School)
> Brady Manek (6-9, 215, F) … Harrah, Oklahoma
> Hannes Polla (6-11, 265, C) … Lahti, Finland (Helsinki Basketball Academy)
 
we NEED another guard for next season ..

then for next year we take the best big available and best guard/wing available
 
And by position:

PG: Young, Shepherd
SG: McGusty, James
OG: Odomes
PF: Doolittle, Freeman, Manek
C: Lattin, McNeace, Polla

Obviously some flexibility in positions. I think the biggest need is a good SG/OG to either come off the bench, or push for a starting spot.
 
BoulderSooner said:
we NEED another guard for next season ..
Click to expand...
I don't buy that. That's how you end up with warm bodies. Last season was as deep a roster as we've had in some time and all that depth produced was a dumpster fire.
 
BoulderSooner said:
we NEED another guard for next season ..

then for next year we take the best big available and best guard/wing available
Click to expand...

Agreed. Bringing in a grad transfer to fill that need would also give us an extra scholarship to play with in the 2018 class.

Signing a juco transfer may not lock us into a two years commitment. But it would make it more difficult to replace a player who might not fit in after only one season. LK does not have a history of pushing players out to make room for someone else.
 
Sooner04 said:
I don't buy that. That's how you end up with warm bodies. Last season was as deep a roster as we've had in some time and all that depth produced was a dumpster fire.
Click to expand...

Agree. Not saying that they should turn down a guard if there is a good one available who would be a natural fit, but I don't think any college team "needs" six guards. KU played a four-guard lineup this season, and only had five total guards in the rotation. And in the Buddy/Isaiah/Woodard years, OU only brought two guards off the bench. Unless injuries/foul trouble become an issue, I think having five guards in the rotation is ideal.
 
The problem guys, is that we need the depth.

Guys get hurt. Guys transfer late. Guys don't make the grades. Even if you only play 5 guards, you need more depth than that "just in case."

I don't want to offer a scrub, but we probably don't need to go sign three true freshman again next year.
 
The problem with OU juco recruiting lately is that it's always a desperate last minute thing... I am sure nobody here would be upset if OU signed Vladimir Brodziansky or Kenrich Williams from TCU... or if OU had those two guards that Arkansas had this year.

I keep using the Arkansas example from this year... Arkansas had a lot of turnover and brought in Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford who each came in and averaged 13 points per game (which is very unusual for true freshman to do) and Arkansas went 26-10, made it to the finals of the SEC Tournament, made the NCAA Tournament and lost a game to North Carolina in the second round by 7, in a game where they had a 5 point lead with 3 minutes to go.

Oh, and the two leading scorers for Arkansas against the National Champion, North Carolina? The two first year juco guards.

Arkansas signed Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon in November... not a desperate last minute decision.
 
I would rather go after 2018 guard prospects like Quentin Grimes and Keyshawn Embery than any realistic remaining 2017 possibilities us common folk know about. The other ships must go to bigs. Why close the door on 2018 possibilities when 2017 is already mostly closed? Yes we need another guard today, but if it won't improve the team then why do it just to do it? Either way we aren't going to win the natty next year so why impede the progress for the future? Why replace DSM with similar DSM talent? It makes no sense.
 
thebigabd said:
The problem with OU juco recruiting lately is that it's always a desperate last minute thing... I am sure nobody here would be upset if OU signed Vladimir Brodziansky or Kenrich Williams from TCU... or if OU had those two guards that Arkansas had this year.

I keep using the Arkansas example from this year... Arkansas had a lot of turnover and brought in Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford who each came in and averaged 13 points per game (which is very unusual for true freshman to do) and Arkansas went 26-10, made it to the finals of the SEC Tournament, made the NCAA Tournament and lost a game to North Carolina in the second round by 7, in a game where they had a 5 point lead with 3 minutes to go.

Oh, and the two leading scorers for Arkansas against the National Champion, North Carolina? The two first year juco guards.

Arkansas signed Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon in November... not a desperate last minute decision.
Click to expand...

We don't always see eye-to-eye, but I'm in agreement with you regarding JUCO players. If you want one or two, they need to be targeted as early as possible. JUCO players aren't what they once were, we all know that. But I'd like to think we could find a Terrell Everett-type player if the coaching staff starts the evaluation process early enough.

As for this year, if there are no senior transfers worth looking at, I'd be open to bringing Mr. Lazenby on board. He's an Oklahoma kid and if he is offered and accepts, he may bring a contagious work effort with him. I understand the risk. If he doesn't pan out on the court, it's one less possible impact player we can offer in 2018...but if the coaches want to take that risk, I'm in!
 
Oscar Uniform said:
I would rather go after 2018 guard prospects like Quentin Grimes and Keyshawn Embery than any realistic remaining 2017 possibilities us common folk know about. The other ships must go to bigs. Why close the door on 2018 possibilities when 2017 is already mostly closed? Yes we need another guard today, but if it won't improve the team then why do it just to do it? Either way we aren't going to win the natty next year so why impede the progress for the future? Why replace DSM with similar DSM talent? It makes no sense.
Click to expand...

We are going full steam on Grimes and are interested in Embry.
 
Jarreau & Brister are transferring from UMASS. OU offered both of them out of high school.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BoulderSooner
Which Guys do you Trust??
Replies
19
Views
656
WichitaSooner
W
W
Uzan's struggles
Replies
19
Views
989
CMSOONER
CMSOONER
B
Thoughts from the Tech Game
2 3
Replies
44
Views
2K
WichitaSooner
W
C
Quick Intro and a few thoughts
2
Replies
20
Views
1K
opsooner
O
O
Resume is Fine; Eye Test is Not
3 4 5
Replies
82
Views
3K
WichitaSooner
W
Back
Top