Tariq Owens

he will go down as one of the all time fan favorites....mark my words. can easily see why. this team needs to stay together, gonna be fun next year!
 
Rothstein
Tariq Owens is turning into a key piece for St. John's & he doesn't need to score. 17 rebounds & seven blocks in his last two games. #SJUBB
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If he fouled out immediately after his long 4 foul rest, I thought we were finished. Who was the bonehead we had a few years ago who blocked a lot of shots? I can't remember his name. :) Owens comes to play every night.
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His dad from what I gather has had a huge influence on his character, hard play, team first focus & concentrating on his strengths. All in all, a very grounded & blue collar addition, refreshing!
 
For the amount of shots he blocks it is incredible how little he has been called for goal tending.

Very impressive.
 
Maybe it's just my impression, but considering he blocks a ton of shots switching off his man, and even challenges jump shots by guards, he doesn't seem to get burned by leaving his man very often. Any other opinions on this?
 
Maybe it's just my impression, but considering he blocks a ton of shots switching off his man, and even challenges jump shots by guards, he doesn't seem to get burned by leaving his man very often. Any other opinions on this?
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Excellent point. Seems like he (1) doesn't sell out just to block shots, stays home and then contests, and (2) covers a lot of ground quickly in general. Latter helps him recover quickly in this scenario but also other aspects of his game. In a key defensive possession Sunday Owens hedged hard defending the P&R, contested a 3 a step or two beyond the arc, and then came flying in to rebound the miss he just challenged. Impressive to be able to impact the same play more than one way that quickly, which he seems to do frequently. Point you are noting really seemed to stand out last 2 games.
 
Two of his fouls were far away from the basket last night including fouling a three point shooter. Mullin pulled him out of the game both times and talked to him. If there is any criticism of Owens it's that he needs to learn to use his fouls wisely. This is a common problem for a lot of young bigs and am glad that Mullin is quick to point them out. I think Owens can grab ten rebounds in many games if he can stay out of foul trouble.
 
Two of his fouls were far away from the basket last night including fouling a three point shooter. Mullin pulled him out of the game both times and talked to him. If there is any criticism of Owens it's that he needs to learn to use his fouls wisely. This is a common problem for a lot of young bigs and am glad that Mullin is quick to point them out. I think Owens can grab ten rebounds in many games if he can stay out of foul trouble.
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Agree, has to avoid those "hedging" fouls on guards 35 feet from basket which he sometimes commits. He is far too valuable to risk that too often. He's learning though.
 
"STJ great place to be great development. 2 HOF coaches and Pro staff no choice but to develop if you work hard"

This was a tweet by Tariq's father. Great to see as many here have had some concerns about developing big men without a "big man" coach.
 
"STJ great place to be great development. 2 HOF coaches and Pro staff no choice but to develop if you work hard"

This was a tweet by Tariq's father. Great to see as many here have had some concerns about developing big men without a "big man" coach.
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Great to hear.
 
And to think, before the start of the season, many of us -- most of us? -- had him designated for spot duty ... maybe 3 to 4 minutes a game. As it turns out, I hate to think of where we'd be without him.
 
I was skeptical, based on his frame and his limited production at Tennessee, that he would be much of a contributor. I was definitely wrong. Some were predicting big things from him and I couldn't see it.
 
if Tariq can keep himself from getting silly fouls his playing time needs to increase. He is averaging close to 11 rebounds and 5 blocks per 40 minutes. Would love to see 30 minutes a game out of him if he has the conditioning.
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Think he read this post. I posted this before the Marquette game.
 
What is not to like about this guy? Add some weight, strength & watch out
 
He needs to keep hitting the weight room as do all players but I think that is slightly overrated. He is 6'11 and vey athletic. He is having no problems getting rebounds. He needs to work on his short jumpers and offensive game as well. We need a big guy to play with him that can get rebounds. Yawke played hard today but still didn't grab many rebounds. Ahmed grabbed 8 which is good. Hopefully Clark will help out and we get a Fifth year transfer. No reason this team can't make the NCAA next year.
 
I know it's a cliche, but Owens does so many little things that don't appear in the box score. He changes shots, he keeps loose balls alive with his hustle, his energy level is infectious, etc. IMO if he can figure out how to stay out of foul trouble, and continue to improve his offense, we'll have a very good player here for the next few years. I'm not as concerned about his lack of weight as some of you guys.
 
He's going to gain weight and improve. He's a vey hard worker w a high motor. He's a player you want on your team.
 
Love his Heart and his Hustle. Hope it is infectious.
 
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