Sooners Sign Anyang Garang

[WichitaSooner]

This times 1000. I'm okay spending a scholarship every now and again on a raw project, but for the most part, OU should be going after more developed players. You look at these guards on these good teams, and they are super skilled. Not always the biggest. Or the fastest. Or the highest jumping. But they can flat out play. They are basketball players. Same with the bigs on these teams. Not always crazy good athletes, but they are tough and dependable, and know their roles.

Yet even when we sign one of those kids, people fret. Reaves fits this description to the letter, yet people are worried because his numbers in a handful of games at WSU apparently weren't good enough.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

pessimism isnt exactly the engine that drives the welcome wagon there trav!

Ha! There was a time when some thought I was the king of the sunshine pumpers, or at least a member of his court. Maybe the court jester job is open.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

6-8 190 is not the type of body we need, unless he's KD type of player. Outside of that it sounds like a wasted scholarship.

Smh. The guy's been at the NBA Global Academy in Australia and was recommended by the guy who runs that academy, a former D1 college coach himself. He's a young, athletic, 6'8" wing who can shoot the 3. Even if he ends up only being a defensive player, his length & athleticism will make him valuable. He's probably going to redshirt to give him time to get stronger & get accustomed to the D1 game. The notion that a guy like this, who's the 12th guy on the roster, is a wasted scholarship is ridiculous. There's a high ceiling but also, because of his length and athleticism, a pretty high floor. He's a project to be sure, but none with a lot more potential than Freeman or Polla. In fact, he should pass Polla pretty quickly.

I don't know what you think we need, but IMO we could use some really high upside guys.

 

[mict085]

why don't we look for the positives of the signing instead of railing on him before he's ever even had a chance to step on the floor in C&C? It's rather troubling to see people saddened by a new Sooner.

How do you serve a Buddha that talks about self discipline when he weighs over 600 pounds?

 

[Big Old Booger]

Smh. The guy's been at the NBA Global Academy in Australia and was recommended by the guy who runs that academy, a former D1 college coach himself. He's a young, athletic, 6'8" wing who can shoot the 3. Even if he ends up only being a defensive player, his length & athleticism will make him valuable. He's probably going to redshirt to give him time to get stronger & get accustomed to the D1 game. The notion that a guy like this, who's the 12th guy on the roster, is a wasted scholarship is ridiculous. There's a high ceiling but also, because of his length and athleticism, a pretty high floor. He's a project to be sure, but none with a lot more potential than Freeman or Polla. In fact, he should pass Polla pretty quickly.

I don't know what you think we need, but IMO we could use some really high upside guys.

The other side of that is Polla's coach in Finland played for Kruger in the NBA and recommended Hannes to Lon. Recommendations from a foreign players coach back home really mean nothing to me.

Having said that, I hope Garang is more than he's advertised to be. We need it.

 

[coolm]

How do you serve a Buddha that talks about self discipline when he weighs over 600 pounds?

and why does it have to become personal?

fine. let's see ...
1. I dont serve anyone.
2. Buddha Shakyamuni isn't the person you're trying to describe. That is Budai. Not the Buddha.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

The biggest problem with guys like this is they don't know how to play basketball within the confines of a team structure. He may look like one of the Gods of Olympus running at the Huff, but can he set a screen? Can he cut through the lane?

Generally, guys like this also don't have the first clue how to play defense. And that's the fact that moors them to the bench.

Somewhere, there's a fantastic basketball player who might be a touch undersized. But he can shoot and he can box out and he can move the ball around the floor and he can help and he can switch.

I'd take 100 of him before I wasted a scholarship on somebody with "terrific upside".

How do you know that? Have you seen him play? If he redshirts, he's going to be with the team for an entire year learning this team's structure. And, by the way -- I hate to be the one to break this to you -- but a lot of (and maybe most) great high school players don't "learn the team structure" as you would have them learn it. High school coaches want to win games and if that means giving their best guy the ball every time down the court and having everyone else get out of his way, that's what they do.

And where do you get the idea that he can't box out or pass the ball or switch on defense? Why are you making those assumptions. Everything everyone has ever written on him says he can shoot, by the way.

And I guess you could take all the undersized, unathletic "team players" and give every other coach all the really great basketball players and see which team would win more often. I'm pretty sure it won't be yours.

Most important to all of this is, why do you think your judgment on this player is better than actual college basketball coaches and the college and pro basketball lifers who have actually seen him play?

 

[CoachTalk]

Clearly some arent happy with anyone this staff signs. Like it was said before, you cant sign 13 4/5stars. Its not how it works. Even 13 4 stars.

 

[Abe]

The attached site https://verbalcommits.com/transfers/Melvin Morgan gives the 600+ graduate transfer for this year. Vast majority are not 3/4 star players and very few large PF/C players. Competition for high quality players will be stiff and there will be those on this board will never be satisfied and wil question our coaches decisions.

 

[61sooner]

Of note, I think the 1st player not from the 50 states in the Big 7/8 etc was a point guard from Puerto Rico named Pachan Vincines(spelling poor) who played for K-State probably in the Jack Hartman days or before.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Edwardo has to come to OU as a Normal student to study English so he could pass the language exam. The year before he was a OU athlete

 

[SoonerinNC]

The issue is whether the player has the potential to contribute. The coaches have to make that judgment and they have to estimate how hard the player will work to improve. Doesn't always work out how they expect.

There is nothing wrong picking up someone that you know will not be a contributor right away. Buddy didn't contribute a lot his freshman season and Isiah even less.

 

[Eielson]

The issue is whether the player has the potential to contribute. The coaches have to make that judgment and they have to estimate how hard the player will work to improve. Doesn't always work out how they expect.

There is nothing wrong picking up someone that you know will not be a contributor right away. Buddy didn't contribute a lot his freshman season and Isiah even less.

Buddy started 13 games and averaged 25 minutes as a true freshman on an NCAA Tournament team. He developed into a much better player, but he was still one of our best players that year.

 

[skyvue]

Buddy started 13 games and averaged 25 minutes as a true freshman on an NCAA Tournament team. He developed into a much better player, but he was still one of our best players that year.

It's remarkable how similar Hield's freshman season and Bieniemy's were.

Jamal averaged 25.1 minutes per game to Buddy's 25.3. They both averaged 39% from the field, though Jamal outshot Buddy from deep, 40% to 24%; as a result, Jamal averaged .95 points per shot from the field to Buddy's .87.

Buddy shot much better from the free throw line, however: 83% to 64%. Jamal averaged 1.4 steals per game to Buddy's 1.2, while Buddy averaged 1.6 turnovers per game to Jamal's 1.4.

The primary difference, besides the three-point percentage, is that Jamal averaged just 4.7 shots per game to Buddy's 7.7 per.

 

[thebigabd]

Sky,

Nice research on that... Bienemy is all-conference, no doubt about it. He is going to blow up this year.

 

[skyvue]

Here's hoping his drive and work ethic rival Buddy's.

 

[coolm]

Here's hoping his drive and work ethic rival Buddy's.

2021 thread:

" ... and I remember sky saying something about his drive and work ethic rivaling Buddy's!"

 

[lexusooner]

This kid has a chance to develop into a solid player because he is a long athletic kid who doesn't hurt the offense because he can shoot the ball outside. He'll only get better, a lot better if he's a hard worker.

 

[thegreyghost]

If your so down on recruiting try showing up for a game, hard to recruit to a mausoleum