Obekpa refused to play?

Not sure how people can be that upset at lavin in this thread. Guy picked up two dumb quick fouls. Then within 1.5 mins he reaches in unnecessarily and picks up another dumb foul. Lavin probably emphasized in th locker room and during first half that he cant pick up dumb fouls, then he goes and doesit.

Perhaps coach felt his head wasnt in the game. I agree that from a fans perspective why not put him in earlier, but it sounds like lavin tried eventually, and if you are dealing w the type of kid who in the biggst game of his life he refuses to go in with over 10 mins left, id wager this isnt the first time hes stirred the pot or caused problems...

I am not a lavin apologist, but what the coach says goes...and if a player cant respect that in college athletics, pack your bags, you dont deserve the schollie. Now without knowing facts perhaps there is an obekpa side to this story too, but its hard for me to fathom any reasonable rsponse or explanation outside of "my ankle is broken" or "i have a concussion" that would warrant hm refusing to go in.
 
There were rumors a while ago that he wasn't coming back. One poster said that he heard Obekpa would rather be in the D-league than at St. John's next season.

So I think I am going to believe Get Liquid on this one. And I also believe Lavin should have made Obkepa walk home and a teammate should have popped him right in the jaw if he indeed refused to go in for no reason other than a tantrum.
 
Everyone has given CO a pass. I'm not sure he contributes enough rebounding wise or, defensively, other than blocking shots, to overcome his weak offensive game.He has a limited BB IQ , because he didn't grow up playing the game. Plus, he's shown attitude on more than a few occasions, after making another ill advised foul.
 
Everyone has given CO a pass. I'm not sure he contributes enough rebounding wise or, defensively, other than blocking shots, to overcome his weak offensive game.He has a limited BB IQ , because he didn't grow up playing the game. Plus, he's shown attitude on more than a few occasions, after making another ill advised foul.
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exactly. he has no game. he blocks shots, that's it. He doesn't rebound well, doesn't defend the post, average rebounder, can't shoot whatsoever. I give him credit, he blocks shots freakishly well, but that's what he brings to the table. But because of that, nobody wants to go inside, and it takes teams off their game plan. Providence had no fear of the paint today because CO didn't play.
 
How many times has Obekpa picked up fouls by the top of the key? How many times does he reach around and commit fouls, especially when he's in foul trouble? Obviously not a high basketball IQ.
 
Everyone has given CO a pass. I'm not sure he contributes enough rebounding wise or, defensively, other than blocking shots, to overcome his weak offensive game.He has a limited BB IQ , because he didn't grow up playing the game. Plus, he's shown attitude on more than a few occasions, after making another ill advised foul.
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and a week and a half ago everyone on here was praising him for how far he had come offensively and how he was the main reason our season had turned around.
 
obekpa is still extremely raw, and he doesn't seem to be the brightest tool in the shed, honestly. Those 3 fouls were abysmal because they were unnecessary.Not saying I don't believe its possible, but personally, I need more proof than a post on a message board before I give credence to this actually happening
 
I heard from a mutual friend that he was "tired (from what, i don't know) and scared"

I still love him and what he brings to this team though. I feel like the refs made a point to target him on the defensive end this year. Whether a goaltending call or a foul call I feel like he has had the whistle blown on him MUCH more this year than last.
 
Don't shoot the messenger but Get Liquid wasn't alone in feeling this way. I don't know him from a hole in the wall and I sat with 4 SJU fans I didn't know and 2 of them noticed something fishy happen with 8 or 9 mins left with that exchange. There was a player next to Chris in addition to Darrick who were 'coaxing' him. Then very soon after Gift was put back in the game.
 
i dont know what to believe, but if he "refused" to go back in, well, sit him for NIT, just like the lesson Harrison was taught. If he wants to go to D_League, good riddins because there are players there 10 times better than him stuck there ie: Brownlee & DJ Kennedy. Bottom line is that Obekpa HAS gotten better here and continues to improve. He needs to stay here and grow, he can be an awesome player if he stays to his Sr. year.
 
I heard from a mutual friend that he was "tired (from what, i don't know) and scared"

I still love him and what he brings to this team though. I feel like the refs made a point to target him on the defensive end this year. Whether a goaltending call or a foul call I feel like he has had the whistle blown on him MUCH more this year than last.
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TIRED!!!!!!!!!
 
I heard from a reliable person that there was some sort of argument on the bench between CO and coaching staff. It's possible that person was speculating or had heard something from a less than reliable source, but I don't believe that to be true. CO played about 3 minutes, no? 1.5 each to start each half? It would be confounding as Providence scored inside that we couldn't use him.
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CO should have been back in sooner...his foul trouble hurt us...don't know whether Lavin would have adjusted but we needed to play a bigger lineup (Sampson/Sanchez/Obekpa/Gift)...3 guard lineup was too small...
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Unfortunately, I agreed that he had to sit the entire 1st half with 2 fouls, and then sit with the quick #3. But I'm guessing he should have been back by the 12 minute mark, no? Not having him back lends credence to the idea that something happened.
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He should have been back when they started playing goddamn volleyball on the offensive side of the ball. That was disgusting to watch. He had three fouls..not four...and the game was sinking fast. What's the point of saving a kid's fouls if the game swells to 17 points with ten minutes left. CO changes the game like few others in the country and he is our best rebounder and post defender. Think they would pull that tip drill with him in there? No way.
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Again your hyperbole is amazing. Obekpa has not changed ONE game while at SJU. Name me the team that did not take the ball down low because Obepka was there? The answer is NONE. He can block shots but he intimidates no one. One of the reasons we block so many shots is because the ball gets down low so easily. Our rotations are so bad that even if a shot is blocked the second attempt more times than not is there for the taking. Obekpa is deep into his second year and has still not learned that reaching and playing with his hands does nothing but put him on the bench which is exactly what happened yesterday. HE took himself out of the game not Lavin. In the 2nd half he came out and committed another dumb foul and took a quick uncalled for jumper and hit the pine again. IMO, he would have made no difference had he come back in, it's not like he is a Jayson Williams like rebounder.
 
I heard from a reliable person that there was some sort of argument on the bench between CO and coaching staff. It's possible that person was speculating or had heard something from a less than reliable source, but I don't believe that to be true. CO played about 3 minutes, no? 1.5 each to start each half? It would be confounding as Providence scored inside that we couldn't use him.
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CO should have been back in sooner...his foul trouble hurt us...don't know whether Lavin would have adjusted but we needed to play a bigger lineup (Sampson/Sanchez/Obekpa/Gift)...3 guard lineup was too small...
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Unfortunately, I agreed that he had to sit the entire 1st half with 2 fouls, and then sit with the quick #3. But I'm guessing he should have been back by the 12 minute mark, no? Not having him back lends credence to the idea that something happened.
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He should have been back when they started playing goddamn volleyball on the offensive side of the ball. That was disgusting to watch. He had three fouls..not four...and the game was sinking fast. What's the point of saving a kid's fouls if the game swells to 17 points with ten minutes left. CO changes the game like few others in the country and he is our best rebounder and post defender. Think they would pull that tip drill with him in there? No way.
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Again your hyperbole is amazing. Obekpa has not changed ONE game while at SJU. Name me the team that did not take the ball down low because Obepka was there? The answer is NONE. He can block shots but he intimidates no one. One of the reasons we block so many shots is because the ball gets down low so easily. Our rotations are so bad that even if a shot is blocked the second attempt more times than not is there for the taking. Obekpa is deep into his second year and has still not learned that reaching and playing with his hands does nothing but put him on the bench which is exactly what happened yesterday. HE took himself out of the game not Lavin. In the 2nd half he came out and committed another dumb foul and took a quick uncalled for jumper and hit the pine again. IMO, he would have made no difference had he come back in, it's not like he is a Jayson Williams like rebounder.
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I think Obekpa probably could've deterred Providence a few times when they got offensive boards, but can't really argue much with your post.
 
disagree, i think Obekpa has progressed.
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He has progressed, but will occasionally do silly things (seems to always pick up ticky-tack fouls). His rebounding has gotten a bit better, but he still tends to be out of position on the defensive boards.

He probably could've helped us (maybe, he blocks a couple of shots after the Friars offensive caroms), as I mentioned in a recent post. But I think our late game run would've turned out the same, even if he was in the game.
 
There doesn't have to be some great big reason for everything.

I'll take Lavin at his word that it was 99% foul trouble. That other 1% could have been that each of Obekpa's two minutes were horrible. He failed to corral at least 2 defensive rebounds leading to second chance points for Providence. If Sampson played with any kind of fire he could have doubled his rebound total and we would have been fine.

I just feel bad for Obekpa to have sit with that game all off-season.
 
Don't shoot the messenger but Get Liquid wasn't alone in feeling this way. I don't know him from a hole in the wall and I sat with 4 SJU fans I didn't know and 2 of them noticed something fishy happen with 8 or 9 mins left with that exchange. There was a player next to Chris in addition to Darrick who were 'coaxing' him. Then very soon after Gift was put back in the game.
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Yup, saw the exact same thing as did the people I was sitting with. As I mentioned yesterday, impossible to tell what it was about without hearing what was said. But there was an exchange, and combined with the incomprehensible fact that Obekpa never went back in the game, it certainly doesn't pass the initial smell test.

As I side note, Lavin is far too conservative with 2 fouls in the first half and 3 in the second. You don't sit a key rotation piece with 2 fouls for the entire half in an elimination game. January, maybe. But you have to be more aggressive than that. I'd rather CO have played and fouled out than be a complete not factor in the game with 3 fouls in 2 minutes. Ditto pulling Jordan when he picked up his 2nd with a few minutes to go in the 1st. Providence was on a run and Jordan was on fire, you have to put a little trust in the kid not to pick up his 3rd.

Bizarre change for Lavin too, because I recall a Sweet 16 game against Duke where he left Kapono in to pick up his 4th foul in the first half. I wouldn't recommend that either, but a little more of that sense of urgency would have been both appropriate and appreciated yesterday.
 
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