basketballjones
Well-known member
Seriously? If we lose two more to transfer would the conference allow us to continue?
Is Obekpa Next? No! He's staying!
- Thread starter tom in salem
- Start date
beast of the east
Active member
Do any of us who watched CO this year and last actually think he's one of the best defensive players in the country? Yes he blocks shots, but in no way is he a defensive stopper.
As good as his shot blocking is, he is below average in almost every single basketball skill imaginable. It's actually uncanny how poorly every other aspect of his game is.
Would I like him to return? Yep. Does it make the program look rudderless? Yep. But can his production be replaced?* Yep.
Jakarr was a much bigger loss.
beast of the east
Active member
Grown men don't appear in public with that haircut.
But seriously, they don't mutiny on their team either. Given how this has played out it's obvious there was no alternative.
I find it funny how many people are bashing Obekpa and his game right now.
Rico Hines is head of player development, no? Worked with NBA players and was on the GS Warriors, no?
Some of the comments here are comical.
I am sure you are way too young to remember Wayne McKoy. When we recruited him, Looie wanted him to have the best big man coach possible, and there was a guy who wanted to cut his coaching teeth, so St. John's hired all-time NBA great Willis Reed. McKoy never amounted to a hill of beans compared to his vast potential. A few years back one of his college teammates told me that McKoy was the laziest player he ever saw. McKoy would practice half heartedly, and hardly work on improving his game. When the teammate called him out on it, McKoy responded, "I'll work on that when I get to the NBA".
Now to be fair, that former player was harsh on Carnesecca for allowing McKoy not to run stairs in the gym, or any other tedious exercise that Wayne wanted to opt out of. But also in fairness, are we also going to blame Willis Reed for not developing McKoy into an NBA talent.
Obekpa was outhustled and outplayed by GG for a good portion of the season. I think Obekpa has more raw talent in his finger than GG in his whole body. But instead of using that demotion as a catalyst to work his butt off and then play his butt off, he sulked like a prima dona. So yes, I think the problem with Obekpa is Obekpa. I'm very mercenary, because I'd want to keep him because he is the best thing we have down low. But on the other hand, the guy is about 1/5 of an NBA player right now, and if he wanted to cop an attitude after accomplishing so little, let him walk.
MBoutchatski
Member
The buzz on campus from my nephew is jordan and greene are possible transfers as well.
stjohnschris
Active member
CO and Sampson are replaceable, neither one wanted to be here next year, so I'm glad they were smart enough to leave. Their potential vs what they actually brought to the table were two different things, and that wasn't really going to change. Sampson had some flashes of brilliance, but Jordan and Harrison can be dominating next year. The transfer market for grad students is still viable, as is JUCO transfers.
jumbo_peanuts
Active member
The only one I could possibly see leaving in Jordan. It wouldn't make sense for Harrison, Greene, Pointers, etc to leave and have to sit out a year, just to be able to play one more season...
It has been almost a year since Rysheed picked us. A moment I really saw as a breakthrough because we only had one scholarship to give and we got the highest rated kid the program had gotten in a decade.
If you had told me on that day to map out the worst possible scenario for the program over the course of the next 12 months - and to really get pessimistically imaginitve with it - it wouldn't have scratched the surface of where we are today.
Seriously, with the exception of the excitement around the Euro-trip and a month of great basketball between mid-January and mid-February, this has been a hapless mess of inconsistency (on the court and off).
Something is going on here and I'd be surprised if it's straightforward.
If you had told me on that day to map out the worst possible scenario for the program over the course of the next 12 months - and to really get pessimistically imaginitve with it - it wouldn't have scratched the surface of where we are today.
Seriously, with the exception of the excitement around the Euro-trip and a month of great basketball between mid-January and mid-February, this has been a hapless mess of inconsistency (on the court and off).
Something is going on here and I'd be surprised if it's straightforward.
Look, we just disagree and that is fine; while many complain aout the differences of opinion I think they are what make any discussion board interesting. I find your assessments to be so optimistic and over the top to me they are bobre-like, I guess you could say my replies probably make you feel the same about mine, but here goes. Obekpa screens well - really? What offensive sets did we use that actually showcased his screening ability and I'd like one, even one inportant or memorable hoop we got from his screens? He doesn't play other positions - so those jumpers he took from 15 mostly as afterthoughts half the time were because he was a Willis Reed type shooting center? Our offense is much better with him in the game - evidence, any evidence?? What exactly are those "things" he does to make Branch and Harrison successful? To call Branch a successful player is a stretch in itself. Everyone was wrong this year according to you when we posted the team was in trouble and unfortunately we are in the same boat or worse for next year. Mediocre, inconsistent players don't become Bill Russell just because you say they are; the real evidence is in the tapes of virtually all but 6 to 8 games from this season. Your assessment of our backcourt as one of the best in the country is so devoid of any real evidence that it is impossible to even comment on. No question Jordan has real talent but there is no way to assess whether he will take that very large leap to a consistently dominant player. Harrison was All BE and the only player this year you could even argue was consistent at all and even that could be rebutted. Unfortunately, he came up mighty small in some big games so to say he will become a consistent big time player is also questionable.' Branch, the picture of inconsistency and Greene, well he is Greene, a capable to good bench player expected to do much more than that. Finally, I am anything but extreme and it is a funny adjective to use coming from someone who spends half his time telling us why an underachieving, dysfunctional team is right around the corner from being a powerhouse. I really do admire your passion and zeal but........................................
Grown men don't appear in public with that haircut.
But seriously, they don't mutiny on their team either. Given how this has played out it's obvious there was no alternative.
Chris, nor any of the players, "mutinied" on their team.
I said it before- the players and their attitudes and efforts were just a reflection of the coaching.
Jakarr choking out the Robert Morris player was the equivalent of Tyson biting Holyfield's ear. Yeah, he wanted to win but he didn't have a clue how.
I find it funny how many people are bashing Obekpa and his game right now.
Rico Hines is head of player development, no? Worked with NBA players and was on the GS Warriors, no?
Some of the comments here are comical.
First we'll have to disagree. If Chris actually refused to reenter a game that is a reflection on him and him alone. I've had some shitty bosses too. But if I ever told my boss I refused to do my job, no matter how bad that boss was at his job, I'd be out of mine. As I said in another post I'm not defending the staff, they certainly have shown some deficiencies, but if college athletes want to be treated like employees they have to act like employees as well.
Funny how that works.
Lavin is an employee of the school as well. It's been confirmed that he stopped recruiting for a period of time. It has also been suggested (and evident by the display on the court) that he has done a piss poor job of coaching and preparing the players that he brought in.
Does he deserve the same treatment as an "employee"?
Easy to slap mutiny on a player when the people in charge created said environment.
Grown men don't appear in public with that haircut.
But seriously, they don't mutiny on their team either. Given how this has played out it's obvious there was no alternative.
I find it funny how many people are bashing Obekpa and his game right now.
Rico Hines is head of player development, no? Worked with NBA players and was on the GS Warriors, no?
Some of the comments here are comical.
I am sure you are way too young to remember Wayne McKoy. When we recruited him, Looie wanted him to have the best big man coach possible, and there was a guy who wanted to cut his coaching teeth, so St. John's hired all-time NBA great Willis Reed. McKoy never amounted to a hill of beans compared to his vast potential. A few years back one of his college teammates told me that McKoy was the laziest player he ever saw. McKoy would practice half heartedly, and hardly work on improving his game. When the teammate called him out on it, McKoy responded, "I'll work on that when I get to the NBA".
Now to be fair, that former player was harsh on Carnesecca for allowing McKoy not to run stairs in the gym, or any other tedious exercise that Wayne wanted to opt out of. But also in fairness, are we also going to blame Willis Reed for not developing McKoy into an NBA talent.
Obekpa was outhustled and outplayed by GG for a good portion of the season. I think Obekpa has more raw talent in his finger than GG in his whole body. But instead of using that demotion as a catalyst to work his butt off and then play his butt off, he sulked like a prima dona. So yes, I think the problem with Obekpa is Obekpa. I'm very mercenary, because I'd want to keep him because he is the best thing we have down low. But on the other hand, the guy is about 1/5 of an NBA player right now, and if he wanted to cop an attitude after accomplishing so little, let him walk.
This isn't about McKoy, Louie, GG or the NBA.
And if you don't care about Obekpa leaving, you really shouldn't care about anything going on right now because none of our current players have accomplished anything or have played a postseason game worth noting.
If, as has been stated here, Obekpa refused to enter a game, then it is on him - I don't want a player on the team who is so much about himself that he doesn't have his teammates backs. I am not in the "know" so can't verify if he did in fact refuse to enter the game.
Here's hoping that we get a nice surprise on the recruiting front-it's obvious there will be plenty of PT for bigs.
Here's hoping that we get a nice surprise on the recruiting front-it's obvious there will be plenty of PT for bigs.
Grown men don't appear in public with that haircut.
But seriously, they don't mutiny on their team either. Given how this has played out it's obvious there was no alternative.
I find it funny how many people are bashing Obekpa and his game right now.
Rico Hines is head of player development, no? Worked with NBA players and was on the GS Warriors, no?
Some of the comments here are comical.
I am sure you are way too young to remember Wayne McKoy. When we recruited him, Looie wanted him to have the best big man coach possible, and there was a guy who wanted to cut his coaching teeth, so St. John's hired all-time NBA great Willis Reed. McKoy never amounted to a hill of beans compared to his vast potential. A few years back one of his college teammates told me that McKoy was the laziest player he ever saw. McKoy would practice half heartedly, and hardly work on improving his game. When the teammate called him out on it, McKoy responded, "I'll work on that when I get to the NBA".
Now to be fair, that former player was harsh on Carnesecca for allowing McKoy not to run stairs in the gym, or any other tedious exercise that Wayne wanted to opt out of. But also in fairness, are we also going to blame Willis Reed for not developing McKoy into an NBA talent.
Obekpa was outhustled and outplayed by GG for a good portion of the season. I think Obekpa has more raw talent in his finger than GG in his whole body. But instead of using that demotion as a catalyst to work his butt off and then play his butt off, he sulked like a prima dona. So yes, I think the problem with Obekpa is Obekpa. I'm very mercenary, because I'd want to keep him because he is the best thing we have down low. But on the other hand, the guy is about 1/5 of an NBA player right now, and if he wanted to cop an attitude after accomplishing so little, let him walk.
This isn't about McKoy, Louie, GG or the NBA.
And if you don't care about Obekpa leaving, you really shouldn't care about anything going on right now because none of our current players have accomplished anything or have played a postseason game worth noting.
Memory lane long winded posts are really getting tedious.
There's no way to spin this. He was due for unlimited playing time next year, so the fact that he's transferring is a direct indication that he didn't get along with the staff. Now, you can blame the coach or the player, but I'm blaming the coach, he brought the player in.
