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DZ83CK
Not Banned
I think Esa is a 4 in the OSU system for sure, he definitely has the skillset to be a matchup problem from that position. And we have seen Matta in the past prefer to have that 4-man who has perimeter skills and also the ability to either drive or score inside. Esa is 6'7" and maybe a bit light for the 4 spot at this point, but he does rebound well and Matta has been good at playing the matchups to help his players. But if they get Esa, they may be creating a bit of a logjam at that spot with Marc Loving, Mickey Mitchell and Esa all best-suited for the 4 and I'm not sure any of them will get minutes elsewhere. I expect KBD and Jae'Sean to be the SFs of the future for OSU.
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wigmon
Heisman
Agree that Esa is a 4 at OSU. He still has another year and a half before he'll play in college, so who knows how his physical tools may change, but he can't guard college wings at his current level.
I think Mitchell is more of a 3 than a 4, but could play both. KBD is a combo, but his ball skills will need to improve if he wants to play more 3 than 4. We have a bunch of guys that could play the 3 or 4 and Esa would probalby be least likely to get any time at the 3 given their physical traits. Skill wise, he's gonna have 3 skills by the time he gets here which will make him a good college stretch 4.
I think Mitchell is more of a 3 than a 4, but could play both. KBD is a combo, but his ball skills will need to improve if he wants to play more 3 than 4. We have a bunch of guys that could play the 3 or 4 and Esa would probalby be least likely to get any time at the 3 given their physical traits. Skill wise, he's gonna have 3 skills by the time he gets here which will make him a good college stretch 4.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
watched esa today. may watch him again tomorrow. will tell you what i see.
but i'm not sure he's going to be a 4.
but i'm not sure he's going to be a 4.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
some thoughts from yesterday's games:
esa is not a shooter... at least not yet. the ball sits in his palm, he pushes the ball, and his elbow is flared while his feet aren't squared. his form isn't ugly, but players with multiple form issues rarely become consistent. i'm not sure i see a 35% or better 3-point shooter anytime soon.
esa is also a turnover machine right now. he pushes the action too much and makes nonchalant passes. too many passes are one-handed attempts into narrow windows across the lane. esa's ball-handling is decent for his size, but he does dribble too high and will be pick-pocketed.
another negative is that esa will fall asleep on defense and get turned around way too often. he lost his man (backcourt players) numerous times yesterday. i also doubt that he can adequately guard quick 3s. to be sure, he cannot guard a 2. i do like esa as a one-on-one defender against a player with a similar build and athletic ability, though.
so i guess it sounds like i don't like esa ahmad as a prospective (read: highly probable) ohio state player, right? not at all.
what i see in esa is a player rapidly and dramatically broadening his game. the transition won't be seamless. growing up a post player, esa wasn't asked to shoot jump shots, handle or pass the ball, or defend roaming guards. if the rate of progress remotely mirrors what we've seen the last year, then someone will be adding to his roster a source of nightmares for opposing defenses. good luck with the mismatch.
where would i see matta playing ahmad? well, esa is not a 2. that much is certain. he's learning the skill set of a 2, but i think that's just a self-improvement tactic. i also don't see esa as a 4. he's undersized and not a jumping jack. i also think more than just his inner circle is telling him to broaden his game. at least at ohio state, i think matta employs ahmad as a utility 3, which is another way of saying that ahmad won't have a true position*. i think esa will be used to exploit an opponent's weaknesses... whatever they are.
* i think positions 2-4 and even 1-4 lose some of their traditional definitions in '15 and '16 because of loving, kbd, mitchell, and (ahmad). throw in dar if he's around, too. given our length, our roster of multi-position players, and the increased enforcement of contact violations, i also think we'll see plenty of zone.
esa is not a shooter... at least not yet. the ball sits in his palm, he pushes the ball, and his elbow is flared while his feet aren't squared. his form isn't ugly, but players with multiple form issues rarely become consistent. i'm not sure i see a 35% or better 3-point shooter anytime soon.
esa is also a turnover machine right now. he pushes the action too much and makes nonchalant passes. too many passes are one-handed attempts into narrow windows across the lane. esa's ball-handling is decent for his size, but he does dribble too high and will be pick-pocketed.
another negative is that esa will fall asleep on defense and get turned around way too often. he lost his man (backcourt players) numerous times yesterday. i also doubt that he can adequately guard quick 3s. to be sure, he cannot guard a 2. i do like esa as a one-on-one defender against a player with a similar build and athletic ability, though.
so i guess it sounds like i don't like esa ahmad as a prospective (read: highly probable) ohio state player, right? not at all.
what i see in esa is a player rapidly and dramatically broadening his game. the transition won't be seamless. growing up a post player, esa wasn't asked to shoot jump shots, handle or pass the ball, or defend roaming guards. if the rate of progress remotely mirrors what we've seen the last year, then someone will be adding to his roster a source of nightmares for opposing defenses. good luck with the mismatch.
where would i see matta playing ahmad? well, esa is not a 2. that much is certain. he's learning the skill set of a 2, but i think that's just a self-improvement tactic. i also don't see esa as a 4. he's undersized and not a jumping jack. i also think more than just his inner circle is telling him to broaden his game. at least at ohio state, i think matta employs ahmad as a utility 3, which is another way of saying that ahmad won't have a true position*. i think esa will be used to exploit an opponent's weaknesses... whatever they are.
* i think positions 2-4 and even 1-4 lose some of their traditional definitions in '15 and '16 because of loving, kbd, mitchell, and (ahmad). throw in dar if he's around, too. given our length, our roster of multi-position players, and the increased enforcement of contact violations, i also think we'll see plenty of zone.
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wigmon
Heisman
Esa is less of a three than Loving, KDB, Tate or MM. IF Esa is going to be a 3 in college, I'd rather OSU pass on him as I don't think he's ever going to be able to guard good big wings. Also, I'd say we have that position more than covered.
I'm guessing he's figuring that at 6'7" he has to be a wing to make to the next level and i get that. If he wanted to maximize his college potential, I think he'd add strength and work on his post and face up skills and be a matchup nightmare at the 4.
I'm guessing he's figuring that at 6'7" he has to be a wing to make to the next level and i get that. If he wanted to maximize his college potential, I think he'd add strength and work on his post and face up skills and be a matchup nightmare at the 4.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
i don't think ahmad, his father, and perhaps his future coach are too concerned about what "is." and as i stated, i think what position he will be able to guard will be at least somewhat mitigated by matta likely instituting at least a part-time zone. coach stated as much after season's end. looking at our upcoming roster (and at officiating in general), i think it's a necessary move, especially when we see that we will have just a true freshman at the point guard position for '15-'16 (edit: if we're running man defense, i don't see dar at pg).
again, i see esa (at ohio state) as a so-called utility 3. i think he'll be a utility knife. his position definition will be flexible.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
mitchell is or was best when he was working the high post. as such, and also considering his likely weight upon arrival, i agree that he'll be used as a 4.
again, i think we're getting caught up in particular position discussions when loving, kbd, mitchell, and possibly ahmad are all players that can be moved around. heck, a lineup of russell, kbd, loving, mitchell, and ahmad would be interesting, though i don't think there is enough foot speed.
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Bill Lucas
Assistant Coach
Labeling players with traditional numbers is becoming a thing of the past. On our team we have guards, wings and forwards. Players are becoming increasingly more versatile and play roles that combine the traditional positions. We see and have players that defend the post when necessary but play a wing position on offense and face the bracket. The positions become increasingly blurred so putting a player in a box as a 3 or 4 isn't as simple as it once was.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
It is good that Esa is developing his ball skills. I think he will be more than adequate in that area for his position. I do believe OSU will go to more zone in the future, but at the still I wouldn't necessarily expect to see Esa playing alongside Marc Loving or Mickey Mitchell.
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wigmon
Heisman
I don't expect that everyone will always agree on things. I think MM is a 3/4. Yes, he has bulked up quite a bit, but I think that was just from being out so long with the knee injury and putting a lot of work into his upper body. He handles the ball so much better than the other combo forwards and is the best athlete of the bunch that I think he plays more 3.
On Esa, before last year, I thought he looked like an undersized 5. He put in a lot of work on his ball handling and face up game to where I see him as a stretch 4 now. Skill wise, I think he easily coudl push that to the 3 position, but I just don't see that the athletecism is there. He can beat 4's off the dribble, but he struggles against quicker guys and I just don't see that his quickness is going to improve enough to allow him to be a 3 (especially on D). I think he's a matchup problem as a stretch 4.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
that's pretty much what i'm thinking; although, i think 3 vs. 4 designation doesn't matter much. i'd expect guys like ahmad, mitchell, and kbd to roam freely inside and out even when playing together. i mean, wouldn't that be the primary advantage of having a handful of multi-position 6'7"ish players? i'm having a difficult time recalling a team with more flexibility than we'll likely see in '15-'16 and '16-'17.
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buckeydoptimist
certified hoops nut
I wonder if we'll se a mini run on commits here now after Grandstaff. I believe they will only take one more F in the class so Esa would be wise to pounce on the offer sooner rather than later if he really wants to join this class.
I think the C spot may take a while to get resolved, but the F spot may get snatched up quick. Sort of like Tate grabbing his right after KBD - both knowing they were limited.
If we are banking 1 for 2016, then there really are only 2 left. One F and one C.
I think the C spot may take a while to get resolved, but the F spot may get snatched up quick. Sort of like Tate grabbing his right after KBD - both knowing they were limited.
If we are banking 1 for 2016, then there really are only 2 left. One F and one C.
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