Sampson and Obekpa in Ford's Top 100

I know the "experts" have been saying how deep this year's class is (should all those freshmen choose to bolt)- but after looking at this list, they aren't kidding. Jakarr/Chris/Sheed/Sanchez- whoever from our team that believes they can go in the first round and get that guaranteed contract this year, means we should have had a GReat year if they played their way into the Top 30 players on that list.

I know talent is one this and playing well as a team is another- you need both to make a deep run. Should we get a guy drafted- awesome, great selling point, if not and those that are still eligible come back...we have experienced horses for another year. This is on the assumption a player who chooses to leave does in fact get drafted and doesnt fall out of round 2. Lavin is 1 for 1 so far at SJU on early entries- trust that he would help the kids perform their due diligence and get a good idea of their spot in the draft.
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I always find it very hard to get excited whatsoever at the talent pool we bring in until they begin to perform well on the floor. For those of us old enough to have gotten Chuckie Sprolinged - and there were plenty of guys before and after who were highly touted and didn't work out, more recently Nurideen Lindsay and tons of other guys. I liked what I saw in Obekpa as a freshman, but then again, he's definitely not Patrick Ewing, and will probably never be an Alonzo Mourning. Can he be a pro - I would say yes, although he is undersized as a center, and under-skilled as a forward or even an offensive center at this point. Can he be a key guy who HELPS takes us deep into the tournament? Yes. Is he a guy who can lead us to the Final Four - absolutely not. Is Sampson able or ready to shoulder that burden? I'm not sure either. Harrison has a long way to go, to simply improve on his 30% FG shooting, and so it goes. In the final analysis, I'd be thrilled with an NCAA bid, but don't think that's a lock by any means. We have a deeper cast, but even then, guys who showed slivers of promise - Christian Jones, Marco, Felix - one of them has to bust through. Then we need a solid, injury free season at the point, and so on.. The recruits - lots of promise, but I'll withhold any judgment till they lace up their sneakers in the Big East season. Not being negative, as I just renewed my season tix, but being realistic.
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Good post and agree with a lot, one thing ill say though regarding your Harrison comment is that people seem to forget how good this kid played as a freshmen during bigeast play. He has absolutely showed that he can carry an offensive load.
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I don't want to turn this into a debate on Harrison, but he did "only" shoot .375 as a freshman. I think a terrific progression would have been if he raised his shooting percentage to 45% or more as a sophomore, which would have really helped to elevate his status. He did regress quite a bit in what was overall a difficult year for him. However, I do think with better shot selection and surrounded by better teammates, he can raise his number to the mid 40's or better. If he does, the wins will also begin to pile up. If he stays in the low 30s and continues to be the #1 or 1A option, the team will be in trouble.
 
I always find it very hard to get excited whatsoever at the talent pool we bring in until they begin to perform well on the floor. For those of us old enough to have gotten Chuckie Sprolinged - and there were plenty of guys before and after who were highly touted and didn't work out, more recently Nurideen Lindsay and tons of other guys. I liked what I saw in Obekpa as a freshman, but then again, he's definitely not Patrick Ewing, and will probably never be an Alonzo Mourning. Can he be a pro - I would say yes, although he is undersized as a center, and under-skilled as a forward or even an offensive center at this point. Can he be a key guy who HELPS takes us deep into the tournament? Yes. Is he a guy who can lead us to the Final Four - absolutely not. Is Sampson able or ready to shoulder that burden? I'm not sure either. Harrison has a long way to go, to simply improve on his 30% FG shooting, and so it goes. In the final analysis, I'd be thrilled with an NCAA bid, but don't think that's a lock by any means. We have a deeper cast, but even then, guys who showed slivers of promise - Christian Jones, Marco, Felix - one of them has to bust through. Then we need a solid, injury free season at the point, and so on.. The recruits - lots of promise, but I'll withhold any judgment till they lace up their sneakers in the Big East season. Not being negative, as I just renewed my season tix, but being realistic.
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Sprolling ended up being a good player and legitimate Big East starter, but because of all the hype where people wanted him to be a high scoring 3pt sharpshooter, he never got respect from a lot of fans. He ended up being a really excellent defender and overall solid player. Just not the big time scorer that people wanted. In H.S. he had set the scoring record for the state of Colorado and scored some ridiculous figure (65 pts(?)) in a single game.
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Believe the number of points Chucky scored in a single HS game was 74 which helped lead to the unrealistic expectations.
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
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I could see Sampson going pro after this year and I can see Rysheed being a one and done player only if we make a run in the tournament.

I can't see Obekpa going pro after this year. His offense is going to need to improve a lot to even consider declaring for the draft
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
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I like Obekpa a lot as a shot blocker in college. He gets up very quickly and is very long. However, he is as short as 6'7" maybe 6'8" and would likely not be as dominant shot blocker in the pros. his interior defense (aside from shot blocking) did improve as the season went on, but he is far from a lockdown defender. His offensive skills are weak for college and would be non existent in the pros. Unless you are a Mark Eaton type of presence (Eaton was 7'4") CO at this point could only be said to have great athleticism and desire, but needs to improve vastly to be considered an NBA prospect. I do like him a lot though, and glad he is on our team.
 
People are only judging CO after his FR year. Whereas Ewing was judged after 4 years. Im not saying he will be Ewing, but he has tremendous upside and Im not convinced he is done growing [height ].
 
People are only judging CO after his FR year. Whereas Ewing was judged after 4 years. Im not saying he will be Ewing, but he has tremendous upside and Im not convinced he is done growing [height ].
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Ewing came in with unbelievable hype, and did not disappoint. He averaged 12.7 ppg, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 blocks per games, and 1.1 steals. His freshman team went to the Finals of the NCAA tournament, and was one Freddie Brown pass away from winning the whole thing. I remember the first time SJU played Georgetown in the Ewing era. In the first minute of the game, he set up on defense in the post, spread his arms wide to defend, and I thought, "Holy crap... this guy is Mothra." He looked that big and imposing, and had a mean streak on the court to match. Totally unfair comparison, as Ewing was an indomitable force from day 1. The only fair thing to say was that Ewing did somewhere develop an outside shot on his trip to the pros, which I feel only served to his detriment. If he was even 3/4 the defensive presence he was in college, there would be a bunch of championship banners at MSG from his era.
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
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I like Obekpa a lot as a shot blocker in college. He gets up very quickly and is very long. However, he is as short as 6'7" maybe 6'8" and would likely not be as dominant shot blocker in the pros. his interior defense (aside from shot blocking) did improve as the season went on, but he is far from a lockdown defender. His offensive skills are weak for college and would be non existent in the pros. Unless you are a Mark Eaton type of presence (Eaton was 7'4") CO at this point could only be said to have great athleticism and desire, but needs to improve vastly to be considered an NBA prospect. I do like him a lot though, and glad he is on our team.
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Completely agree with your post. No player makes it at the next level unless they possess an outstanding offensive game. If one were to look at the NBA line ups, a power forward in the NBA is usually a prolific scorer and can average 6'9 to 6'10 in height. If CO gets to the next level, it will not be as a shot blocking center. At the very least, he will have to convert his offensive game to a face the basket approach. And, if he were to make it as a power forward, he would need to add some bulk as well.

I think Chris is a great college player and am looking forward to watching his development over the next few years, both offensively and defensively. Too many posters put too much emphasis on "pro potential". Let's just enjoy his play during the time he spends on St. John's team. If he becomes a pro, great for him. If it does not turn out that way, he is still a great college player and a pleasure to watch.
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
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I like Obekpa a lot as a shot blocker in college. He gets up very quickly and is very long. However, he is as short as 6'7" maybe 6'8" and would likely not be as dominant shot blocker in the pros. his interior defense (aside from shot blocking) did improve as the season went on, but he is far from a lockdown defender. His offensive skills are weak for college and would be non existent in the pros. Unless you are a Mark Eaton type of presence (Eaton was 7'4") CO at this point could only be said to have great athleticism and desire, but needs to improve vastly to be considered an NBA prospect. I do like him a lot though, and glad he is on our team.
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I think Chris is a great college player and am looking forward to watching his development over the next few years, both offensively and defensively. Too many posters put too much emphasis on "pro potential". Let's just enjoy his play during the time he spends on St. John's team. If he becomes a pro, great for him. If it does not turn out that way, he is still a great college player and a pleasure to watch.
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I spent too many years at AAU and HS basketball games with my girls where the predominant topic among parents were "What my daughter will do at the next level (college)", or constant chatter about whether their kid could play D1, D2, or D3 basketball. I often wanted to just say,"STFU. There ISN'T going to be a next level for your kid", and I was invariably correct each time in that judgment. Frequently, I would just comment, "Let's just enjoy watching the kids play at this level", and in AAU, "Well, these games are all about improvement and having fun." Too often, in AAU and HS competition, in terms of parents, no one had fun. That single consistent experience was a catalyst for me coaching AAU, so that the focus could be on 1) having fun, and 2) improving. If it isn't fun, then what's the point, and that is true for even the most ardent SJU fans. Just watch and enjoy it - you can't change the outcome anyways.
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
Click to expand...

I like Obekpa a lot as a shot blocker in college. He gets up very quickly and is very long. However, he is as short as 6'7" maybe 6'8" and would likely not be as dominant shot blocker in the pros. his interior defense (aside from shot blocking) did improve as the season went on, but he is far from a lockdown defender. His offensive skills are weak for college and would be non existent in the pros. Unless you are a Mark Eaton type of presence (Eaton was 7'4") CO at this point could only be said to have great athleticism and desire, but needs to improve vastly to be considered an NBA prospect. I do like him a lot though, and glad he is on our team.
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I think Chris is a great college player and am looking forward to watching his development over the next few years, both offensively and defensively. Too many posters put too much emphasis on "pro potential". Let's just enjoy his play during the time he spends on St. John's team. If he becomes a pro, great for him. If it does not turn out that way, he is still a great college player and a pleasure to watch.
Click to expand...

I spent too many years at AAU and HS basketball games with my girls where the predominant topic among parents were "What my daughter will do at the next level (college)", or constant chatter about whether their kid could play D1, D2, or D3 basketball. I often wanted to just say,"STFU. There ISN'T going to be a next level for your kid", and I was invariably correct each time in that judgment. Frequently, I would just comment, "Let's just enjoy watching the kids play at this level", and in AAU, "Well, these games are all about improvement and having fun." Too often, in AAU and HS competition, in terms of parents, no one had fun. That single consistent experience was a catalyst for me coaching AAU, so that the focus could be on 1) having fun, and 2) improving. If it isn't fun, then what's the point, and that is true for even the most ardent SJU fans. Just watch and enjoy it - you can't change the outcome anyways.
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Stay in the here and now. Live the moment. Not easy for everyone.
 
http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-basketball/2013/09/02/a-look-at-st-johns-red-storms-chris-obekpa-for-the-upcoming-season/

Positive article on the season. Should make everyone happy..............
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Nice article. Obekpa is a huge player for us. I actually think his blocks will fall to closer to three a game this season with Sanchez and, to a lesser degree, GG down low. I think Obekpa could actually become a better overall defender and rebounder with less blocks.
 
http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-basketball/2013/09/02/a-look-at-st-johns-red-storms-chris-obekpa-for-the-upcoming-season/

Positive article on the season. Should make everyone happy..............
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Rant Sports is AA version of Bleacher Report. Anyone and their mother can write for it. Might as well be a poster from here.
 
http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-basketball/2013/09/02/a-look-at-st-johns-red-storms-chris-obekpa-for-the-upcoming-season/

Positive article on the season. Should make everyone happy..............
Click to expand...

Rant Sports is AA version of Bleacher Report. Anyone and their mother can write for it. Might as well be a poster from here.
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Soooo I take it you weren't impressed by my article... :p
 
Think you are under- estimating CO he has a massive upside and will definitely play at the next level. Think he is a better shot blocker than Ewing he changes the game. granted. his offense needs to improve Which it will this yr Samson will go pro after this yr .Jordan who knows in our offense he could be great and. be one and done
Click to expand...

I like Obekpa a lot as a shot blocker in college. He gets up very quickly and is very long. However, he is as short as 6'7" maybe 6'8" and would likely not be as dominant shot blocker in the pros. his interior defense (aside from shot blocking) did improve as the season went on, but he is far from a lockdown defender. His offensive skills are weak for college and would be non existent in the pros. Unless you are a Mark Eaton type of presence (Eaton was 7'4") CO at this point could only be said to have great athleticism and desire, but needs to improve vastly to be considered an NBA prospect. I do like him a lot though, and glad he is on our team.
Click to expand...


I think Chris is a great college player and am looking forward to watching his development over the next few years, both offensively and defensively. Too many posters put too much emphasis on "pro potential". Let's just enjoy his play during the time he spends on St. John's team. If he becomes a pro, great for him. If it does not turn out that way, he is still a great college player and a pleasure to watch.
Click to expand...

I spent too many years at AAU and HS basketball games with my girls where the predominant topic among parents were "What my daughter will do at the next level (college)", or constant chatter about whether their kid could play D1, D2, or D3 basketball. I often wanted to just say,"STFU. There ISN'T going to be a next level for your kid", and I was invariably correct each time in that judgment. Frequently, I would just comment, "Let's just enjoy watching the kids play at this level", and in AAU, "Well, these games are all about improvement and having fun." Too often, in AAU and HS competition, in terms of parents, no one had fun. That single consistent experience was a catalyst for me coaching AAU, so that the focus could be on 1) having fun, and 2) improving. If it isn't fun, then what's the point, and that is true for even the most ardent SJU fans. Just watch and enjoy it - you can't change the outcome anyways.
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Agree we should enjoy watch them play problem is for yrs it has not been that enjoyable Lavin is hear to not only make it enjoyable but to make us a power and give us many 20 win seasons plus bring in a lot of top players that makes it enjoyable
 
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