Polla arrival

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usedtobe1

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I asked Joe DuVall on Sooner Scoop if Polla had made it to campus for summer school. He said he isn't coming until July. Is that a second summer session?
 
usedtobe1 said:
I asked Joe DuVall on Sooner Scoop if Polla had made it to campus for summer school. He said he isn't coming until July. Is that a second summer session?
Click to expand...

That's what a usual summer session is, May till July 2/3 then July 5/6 until August. I bet he's here before the team starts summer workouts
 
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usedtobe1 said:
I asked Joe DuVall on Sooner Scoop if Polla had made it to campus for summer school. He said he isn't coming until July. Is that a second summer session?
Click to expand...

I hope Polla's late arrival doesn't result in a delay in his being eligible to play when the season starts.

Isn't the team's trip to New Zealand in August sometime? I see that as an opportunity to bond and begin to gel as a team, so one would think it's also important to have all hands on deck by that time.
 
A source I trust told me Polla was on campus last Wednesday to take his physical. So, everything seems to be progressing as expected, except for a late arrival.

EDIT: Oops! Polla was not on campus last week. He will be here in July as reported earlier.
 
It is now July 1st and the next Summer Semester begins on July 5th. Can anyone confirm that Polla has arrived, or is on the way?



EDIT: I have been informed that Polla will arrive in late July, in time for the overseas trip.

Thank you to my knowledgeable source!
 
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So he'll miss all the practices? Too bad. Ahh well, maybe he can get some good experience in the games..
 
well the nice thing is he is at least in the OU database already, so we don't have the potential of him being a ghost forever
 
The Finland-Armenia game is streaming live right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO3rlB4UK8s

I've been watching for a few minutes and haven't seen him in action yet, but I have learned one thing: His name is spelled Pöllä (though I'm pretty sure he can kiss those umlauts goodbye for the foreseeable future).
 
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skyvue said:
The Finland-Armenia game is streaming live right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO3rlB4UK8s

I've been watching for a few minutes and haven't seen him in action yet, but I have learned one thing: His name is spelled Pöllä (though I'm pretty sure he can kiss those umlauts goodbye for the foreseeable future).
Click to expand...

Saw this posted as well. Checked out the first few minutes and the Armenian center he's up against really stood out to me. Turns out he played for UCONN and just transferred to Louisville - Steven Enoch.

Comparing Polla to him might not be fair, but gives a good indication of where he's at right now. I'd say he shows some potential, but is a year or so away. Definitely better on the defensive end then on offense, though he had a nice jailbreak dunk. Luckily he won't be thrown into the fire like a Nick Thompson or anything like that (shudder).
 
Couple of other quick observations (obviously just one game):

  • Not the greatest rebounder - he's no Ryan Spangler - but he uses his size well
  • Really likes the pick and roll, and has a good feel for it
  • Alters shots, even if he doesn't get to it
  • Back to the basket game could use some work. Would prefer he go stronger to the rim instead of falling away (something Khadeem could work on too)
  • Not afraid to get physical though; gets good position, even against Enoch
  • Pretty good vision

Overall, excited about this kid - think he'll fit in well and hopefully will get a solid 3-4 years out of him.

Uploaded a few GIFs of a few plays that stood out to me: http://imgur.com/a/zh0lH

Looks like he ended up with 11, 6, and 2 blocks.
 
Thanks, mizzOUstu. I never get to see him in action today. Halftime came, I stepped out for a quick bite and then I was called into a meeting at work. By the time it ended, so had the game.
 
Thanks for the report, OUstu!

I doubt if anyone expects too much out of Hannes his first season. But if he adds to our post depth with a few minutes of good defense and a board or two while he makes the adjustment to D-1 basketball, that may be all we can ask for at this point in his career. If he surprises us by doing more than expected, I see that as a bonus. Either way, I'm still excited about his unique size and his potential.
 
Thanks for the link. I watched all the segments that Polla played in. Going against 6'10" Steven Enoch was no easy task. Enoch played in 29 games for Uconn last year as a sophomore and was the #56 recruit in the 2015 class, and I thought Polla did a pretty good job.

Some of my observations:
- Polla does a good job posting up deep
- He doesn't get pushed around underneath
- Set good screens on the pick and roll
- Thought he did a decent job helping on defense
- Is he left handed? Missed 3 baby hooks using his left hand and most of his buckets were from the left side. I counted 3 layups where he posted up and muscled his way to the basket
- I counted him with 11 points. 3 for 3 from the charity stripe
- Old school center. Not quick or a shot blocker, but he did alter some shots and even blocked a couple.
- Finland played man defense in the first half and zone the second half with Polla in the paint
- This wasn't a 4A HS game. There were some good players on the court. Even though Finland guards looked young, I liked their game.
- Polla was a lot better than I expected at this point. I think he can help next season. An OU staffer told me they thought he thought he could be an 8 point / 8 rebound a game player, but I got in the conversation late and don't know if he meant this season.

I came away impressed after watching the game.
 
usedtobe1 said:
Thanks for the link. I watched all the segments that Polla played in. Going against 6'10" Steven Enoch was no easy task. Enoch played in 29 games for Uconn last year as a sophomore and was the #56 recruit in the 2015 class, and I thought Polla did a pretty good job.

Some of my observations:
- Polla does a good job posting up deep
- He doesn't get pushed around underneath
- Set good screens on the pick and roll
- Thought he did a decent job helping on defense
- Is he left handed? Missed 3 baby hooks using his left hand and most of his buckets were from the left side. I counted 3 layups where he posted up and muscled his way to the basket
- I counted him with 11 points. 3 for 3 from the charity stripe
- Old school center. Not quick or a shot blocker, but he did alter some shots and even blocked a couple.
- Finland played man defense in the first half and zone the second half with Polla in the paint
- This wasn't a 4A HS game. There were some good players on the court. Even though Finland guards looked young, I liked their game.
- Polla was a lot better than I expected at this point. I think he can help next season. An OU staffer told me they thought he thought he could be an 8 point / 8 rebound a game player, but I got in the conversation late and don't know if he meant this season.

I came away impressed after watching the game.
Click to expand...

Thanks to Skyvue, I was able to watch the relay too.

Like you, usedtobe1, I came away more impressed than I thought I would be. I think he'll help us next season. Don't get me wrong, he's a long way from a finished product, but it's easy to see why our coaches are so high on him. I don't have much to add to your spot on assessment. Nice breakdown on the performance you saw!
 
He reminds me a little of Bookout. I thought he had good ball skills for a big man.
 
watching the Finns play the Armenians now ...

1. he's a good piece of clay. in this game he was going about 70% and slacking off a lot and the coach subbed him after a few for this #14. But I dont blame that on Polla because this Armenian center is a certified monster athletically. The Armenian coach sent him out more *to the arc when Finns were playing man because he could fly by Polla. Finn coach saw that too and put in 14 (quicker and more sleek than Polla).

2. his positioning looks pretty good. he knows where he's supposed to be and he's usually there.

3. ahhhh, they put Polla back in now and he looks 100% better. His little inside game is pretty quick. Needs more repetition but his footwork is good. Playing against this #13 Armenian center is good for Polla. He needs this. This Armenian center is physically a strong gazelle.

I mean ... I can critique Polla as a player but that really gets us nowhere because it's all mistakes that will burnish out in the reps with coaching. To wit:
- he tends to move into the defender when he screens
- he's making himself small defensively
- he's slowing the offensive tempo down

But the more innate things certainly favor him:
- he sees the plays developing in front of him defensively.
- his feet aren't slow and he doesnt stumble
- seems to have a good attitude
- he recognizes a lane opening up by movement and calls for the ball
- when they are swinging the ball around he gets the guy on his inside hip and swings

He's ready to contribute some but he needs work in the weightroom. He's got a good build for the game he tries to play, but he will need much more strength in his arms and upper body to stay with these guys inside playing the brute.

I definitely look forward to seeing him in C&C.
 
He DOES get himself pushed too far inside way often. I think the OU strength program will help him immensely.
 
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