Obekpa Improvements
- Thread starter Red.Fans
- Start date
Class of 72
Active member
I am an Obekpa fan. With all due respect to our visiting JJ universal moderator, but if you were to look at the only fair comparable stats you would only compare freshman year. Neither was offensively developed by the end of their frosh season. Obekpa played on a team sans a pg while Okafor had the luxury of playing and being fed by two of the best guards in the BE. Taliek Brown and Ben Gordan were both good penetrators and whereas Chris was fed the ball maybe a grand total of 2 times I would guess Okafor was a more frequently fed center.
When comparing blocks frosh year, Chris had 133 to 138 for Okafor. PPG was 4 to 8 in favor of Okafor but he played 164 minutes more (1021-851). So do not be so apologetic MeaneGene.............
Class of 72
Active member
That comment is ugly as the SJ building you take your name from. Meangene was only comparing freshman year......the only year comparable.
I don't know numbers from Okafor's freshman year but he was a far more skilled offensive player than Obekpa. Also, while their block numbers appear to be similar (based on what's posted here), they look like very different defensive players. Okafor seemed was a better on ball defender, while Co seems better at coming from the weak side and making spectacular blocks. I think CO will prove to be the better shot blocker but he has a way to go before he becomes the player Okafor was in college.
Class of 72
Active member
I am not making Chris out to be what he is not but last year he rarely touched the ball and was almost never fed the ball. I posted the minutes played differential. At 28 minutes per game that freshman year comparison allowed Okafor FIVE additional games worth of minutes. Even such, he scored only 4 points per game more than Chris and Chris likely would have led in rebounds with additional minutes.
Okafor thrived in a well organized Uconn offense under a HOF coach while last year the SJU offense ceased to exist by February and it was every man for himself after the Sampson suspension. Whatever points Chris scored were by accident and not by design. I am hoping some of the offensive schemes involve him rather than looking to score threes by the guards (and Sanchez).
Class of 72
Active member
i saw him twice at IS 8 games had he seemed to know how to attack the basket then and his coach said after one of his games his offense is understated and capable. My guess is that our offense, as designed by the wizard, did not include him in any plays and I doubt any plays were designed with him in mind in practices. That better change this year.
I agree that Emeka came to college more advanced in both footwork and rebounding but his scoring was layups and dunks. If Chris avergaed 4 points by accident I imagine he would have equaled Okafors 8 ppg if he was part of the equation on offense as Emeka was in Calhoun's offense.
beast of the east
Active member
I don't think that my friend, or anyone else on this board for that matter, is making a direct correlation that states that Okekpa compares statistically to Okafor in any way shape or form. My friend who has watched just about every UCONN game for the past 15 years, just made a casual comment that Obekpa reminds him most of Okafor in ability and court presence. Developmentally we all know Obekpa needs work on the offensive end, so I do think that any mere statistical comparison on your part is merely empirical and rudimentary. And I find that ridiculous to simply state the obvious.
tom in salem
Well-known member
Eric Avissar @EricAV15SAR 35m
Wow, Chris Obekpa blocks 22.9 percent of opponents shots when he's on the floor for #sjubb. That is an insanely impressive statistic.
Retweeted by StJohnsBasketball
Wow, Chris Obekpa blocks 22.9 percent of opponents shots when he's on the floor for #sjubb. That is an insanely impressive statistic.
Retweeted by StJohnsBasketball