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'15 OH F Esa Ahmad (West Virginia signee)

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45Forever said:
Why has Matta not offered this kid yet? How long before the ship sails on this one? I think the Buckeyes should focus more on the in state talent in the next few years because Ohio is loaded right now, but they seem to be more focused on kids that in the long run they are not going to get from out of state.
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Honestly, I don't think Ahmad is what OSU needs really, not with Bragg in the same class and Funderburk and Spellman in the next class (all in-state prospects). Ahmad is more of a West Virginia-level player than an OSU-level player in my opinion. Get Bragg and a C like Giddens (both much more highly regarded) and there's just no need for Ahmad in that class. Wouldn't bother me if this ship sailed already - OSU needs stars to elevate the team above where they're at now, I just don't see a future star here.
 
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Onebuckfan said:
The 4's and 5's on the roster now wont get tOSU where we want the team to be come March.
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He does not play the 5 position in college and with regard to the 4 position, I think DZ addresd that in the post above yours. Also, I do not know what 4's you are referring to that are on this year's roster that going to be here in the next couple years.
 
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IIRC, that ranking was based on how good a season the players had and was not an attempt to rank the players potential or abilities. Esa is a better player than Bragg right now. Bragg is longer and much more athletic and as such is considered a better prospect. We also have Mitchell who is bigger and much more athletic than Esa, though not as skilled at putting the ball in the basket.

Esa is good enough to play in the B1G and wouldn't mind him being a Buckeye. Not sure what position he will be able to defend, but the kid has skills and a real good understanding of how to play the game.
 
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wigmon said:
IIRC, that ranking was based on how good a season the players had and was not an attempt to rank the players potential or abilities. Esa is a better player than Bragg right now. Bragg is longer and much more athletic and as such is considered a better prospect. We also have Mitchell who is bigger and much more athletic than Esa, though not as skilled at putting the ball in the basket.

Esa is good enough to play in the B1G and wouldn't mind him being a Buckeye. Not sure what position he will be able to defend, but the kid has skills and a real good understanding of how to play the game.
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that is correct
Shaker Heights' Esa Ahmad remains in the driver's seat: Boys basketball Player of the Year watch for week of March 6, 2014 (poll, videos)
 
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Free Rivals - Starting Five: Where does Stanley Johnson rank?

Ahmad one to watch this spring

Over the weekend, Jeff Rabjohns of our Indiana site had a good story on the Hoosiers offering 2015 target Esa Ahmad. Currently, Ahmad is an unranked three-star combo forward, but that will be changing soon enough.

A 6-foot-7 product of Cleveland (Ohio) Shaker Heights, Ahmad doesn't wow with crazy athletic ability, but his feel for the game, rebounding and overall skill level do catch your eye. More and more, college coaches want guys who are willing to sell out for their teammates on both ends of the floor and from what I've seen of Ahmad, he fits that description. He can also make an open jumper and I expect him to draw quite a coaching crowd when he plays in the Sacramento leg of Nike's EYBL with All Ohio Red in late April.
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My problem with not offering Ahmad is that he looks to be the type of player OSU tends to regret missing out on, and in the end looks bad for missing out on him.

Much like a Nigel Hayes, to a lesser extent Aaron White, Trey Burke (different circumstances, but situation with Shannon Scott is similar to Ahmad/Bragg), etc. Guys that can and will help a team win right away, but may not be as high profile. A kid like Aaron Craft is a prime example of what you can get when you go after a solid player that isn't exactly a "star."

Bragg is really good and really talented, but what if he goes elsewhere? What if by that time Ahmad has moved on to other offers and has developed better relationships, and an OSU offer is too little too late? He seems to be talented, and a kid who could help OSU win. I do not normally question who OSU does and does not offer, but this is one I question.
 
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Bulls-Eye said:
My problem with not offering Ahmad is that he looks to be the type of player OSU tends to regret missing out on, and in the end looks bad for missing out on him.

Much like a Nigel Hayes, to a lesser extent Aaron White, Trey Burke (different circumstances, but situation with Shannon Scott is similar to Ahmad/Bragg), etc. Guys that can and will help a team win right away, but may not be as high profile. A kid like Aaron Craft is a prime example of what you can get when you go after a solid player that isn't exactly a "star."

Bragg is really good and really talented, but what if he goes elsewhere? What if by that time Ahmad has moved on to other offers and has developed better relationships, and an OSU offer is too little too late? He seems to be talented, and a kid who could help OSU win. I do not normally question who OSU does and does not offer, but this is one I question.
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Not a very good response by me but we both know that recruiting is a crapshoot sometimes. Sometimes it is very difficult to know how a kid is going to pan out when he reaches college.. Plus, I guess we do not know everyone that Matta is looking at.
 
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My problem with this type of recruiting is you can't recruit based on who you think might come back to beat you. If you personally think Ahmad is OSU-caliber and can help this team win right away that is your opinion. The OSU staff obviously feels differently or has kids rated higher. Do you take Ahmad and pass on Bragg? I don't think you can. You recruit based on who you think can help you win today, especially in basketball. We've been hearing the same kind of stuff when it comes to Nick Conner in football and how he could come back to haunt OSU like Luke Kuechly, Greg Jones, Chris Borland, etc. It's one thing to make a mistake and not offer a kid like Hayes. Maybe he was mis-evaluated. Maybe the staff thought he wasn't the right fit in their system. I can live with honest mistakes. But to offer a kid to guard against him coming back to haunt OSU is no way to run a program.
 
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