Big East Bias Article on Obekpa

[Amaseinyourface]

I think Thomas will be a key in allowing Obekpa to freelance. Delarosa should also take up space and make our front court competitive. Our backcourt is superior as is and Dom can be a 6th man defensive stopper. The Bosnia guy might also be a situational contributor as well. A good opportunity for Steve to coach 'em up and rebuild his reputation.

This post almost seems optimistic, so I can't tell if it's sarcasm or not. :lol:

It's a good assessment of where we are. Although the newcomers are ranked lower than we'd hoped, they fill (on paper) gaping holes from last season, and it's up to the staff to get some results. I think Dom is locked into a top-five role, though, so let's hope he finally performs consistently.

Dom rarely started last year, I hope that continues this year. ljsa, do you think he is one of our top 5 players?

No, I don't. I'm not even sure he's one of our top 10 players on a lot of nights. We really needed a legit SF in this class. I like our guards, but I'm not sure they blend well in a three-guard offense.

Agree 100%

 

[Marillac]

Interesting to see how close he is to Phil and how he says Phil is going to surprise this year, in red storm article.

Where do you see that?

My favorite quote: "What do you want to accomplish this season: Be the best rebounder and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year."

I am expecting big things from Obekpa. I am very happy to have Sampson and Sanchez out of the way. I think he will be in double-figures more times than not. I love that Ben Wallace is his favorite player.

I hope you are right and I am wrong. Unless Obekpa exhibits radical improvement in both offensive prowess and rebounding capability, I feel he will fall far short of the double doubles you predict, especially in conference games where even a watered down Big East is tougher to dominate in. Obekpa did show he was more offensive minded at the start of last season, but when facing legitimate front lines, he looked awkward and inept with the ball in his hands down low. Additionally, while he can certainly block shots, there is a disconnect between blocking shots and being a defensive stopper, as a big guy who wanders to block shots is often out of position when he fails to block a shot. Blocked shots is only one aspect of a big man being a stopper or presence inside. For my money, I'd be satisfied with a modest realistic improvement, say 7-8 ppg in conference and 7 rebounds or so.

I wrote double-figures not double-doubles. Double-doubles are a hard thing to come by in 40 minutes at the college level.

If I haven't been painfully clear yet, I am glad Sampson and Sanchez are gone. They got in the way of not just our guards, but also Obekpa. There is nobody to lean on now...he has to step up. He was just a soph last year and big men take longer to develop than guards. Posters kill me...they expect the world from a kid like Obekpa as a frosh (when Marillac says 10-15 mpg MAX) but when Marillac says the kid could jump out as a junior, most posters think he is done. He didn't come to Jamaica with the hype of Anthony Davis. He barely cracked the top 75...those types of bigs need 2-3 years.

And if you think I am just a kool-aid drinker, look at my posts on the kid from when he signed until January of this year. I started the whole blocked shots doesn't equal good defense revolution.

Let us know when you are done patting yourself on the back.

How much time do you have?
Typical cycle last 15 years: Marillac makes unpopular divisive comment>board chastises Marillac>Marillac pulls up thread later on>Posters make pat on back joke

Here's what I see in Syracuse game: pass down low to Obekpa...one dribble and alley-oop to Balamou, who dunks so hard all the doubters feel their seats tremble. Marillac posts on this thread that night, winning over JohnnyFan and Otis...briefly making them consider changing their handles to LavinFan and Steve, respectively.