OSU Men's Basketball Recruiting/Projections/General Discussions

[crazybuckfan40]

I think Cook has the potential to be a Josh Howard type player, in that he can possess a complete offensive game(midrange, three point, finish in the lane, work the half court coming off screens and hitting open jumpers, finish the fast break, etc...) along with pretty good defense(just needs to work on effort and footwork from what I've seen of him this year).

I really think an extra year would benefit him the most out of him, Conley, and Oden because I think that will let him find his role. Early in the season he was asked to be the microwave off the bench. Now he's being asked to provide more than just explosive scoring, and he's struggling with that.

I think if he gets a year of starting(say in a line-up of Conley, Butler, Cook, Hunter, and Oden/Koufus), he can develop into a borderline superstar down the road.

He just needs to find that consistency, which is almost impossible for freshmen to do.

I can agree with that Howard comparison, but he is going to be that right away in the NBA...

 

[LitlBuck]

I hate to be thinking of future years when I have high expectations for what might be coming in the next couple weeks but I still think we have to look ahead. I guess what concerns me is when we talk about Cook, Conley, Oden, Kosta, et al. leaving after they have only played one or two years at Ohio State. It bothers me on two fronts and one of them I am still trying to comprehend the full effects and that is the APR. I know that if they are still eligible and declare early that we do not take a very big hit if we take any hit at all. Not knowing the unknown concerns me.

The other part of guys leaving early is that you lose all the maturity of the player. I will grant everyone that there are certain great players, i.e. Oden, that can play for one year and has the same presence as a fourth-year player. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a player like Lighty in his fourth-year will be so much better then a 5 star player in his first year. I guess I would almost rather see very good players stay around for four years then they have very dominant players only stay for one year. I do not think that you can keep replacing one or even two year players with one year players if you want to program to be a dominant program. I know there are some exceptions like Oden but those types of guys are few and far between.

Okay now you can let me have it.

 

[jwinslow]

IMO, these are the 3 most likely and/or impactful departures.

Mike Conley - In 07, OSU would still have Butler. '08 could be an issue, with only true frosh Crater returning as a pure PG. Offutt is a combo, and Turner was a PG before his growth spurt.

Greg Oden - In 07, OSU will be adding Koufos, Lauderdale, and Madsen (w/ 1 yr of practice). Twig has become better at stealing minutes at the 5 as well. In 08, OSU adds Mullens.

Daequan Cook - OSU should have plenty of 2/3's by '08 to pick up the slack. Unles he gets healthy and turns into a star in a hurry, I don't think going pro this year is a tangible option. Even if he doesn't improve an ounce this offseason (unlikely), his role will be dramatically larger when Lewis is gone.

(Koufos - even if he's one'n'done, OSU will have good depth up front with DL, KM & Mullens.. and OSU will be stacked with scorers elsewhere).

Looking at that list, PG is my only concern. If our next true frosh PG starter isn't ahead of his years like MC.

 

[LitlBuck]

IMO, these are the 3 most likely and/or impactful departures.

Mike Conley - In 07, OSU would still have Butler. '08 could be an issue, with only true frosh Crater returning as a pure PG. Offutt is a combo, and Turner was a PG before his growth spurt.

Greg Oden - In 07, OSU will be adding Koufos, Lauderdale, and Madsen (w/ 1 yr of practice). Twig has become better at stealing minutes at the 5 as well. In 08, OSU adds Mullens.

Daequan Cook - OSU should have plenty of 2/3's by '08 to pick up the slack. Unles he gets healthy and turns into a star in a hurry, I don't think going pro this year is a tangible option. Even if he doesn't improve an ounce this offseason (unlikely), his role will be dramatically larger when Lewis is gone.

(Koufos - even if he's one'n'done, OSU will have good depth up front with DL, KM & Mullens.. and OSU will be stacked with scorers elsewhere).

Looking at that list, PG is my only concern. If our next true frosh PG starter isn't ahead of his years like MC.

I guess I am not making a very good case for what I am trying to say. I will try again but probably without much success. I would rather have 4 very good players stayed around for their full four years of eligibility rather than having a couple "superduper" players staying for only 1, or possibly 2, years. I will grant there are some exceptions like Oden. I think a player who plays for a full four years in college is a much better player than a guy who has only played one year of college. The experience and maturity means so much.

My other concern is the APR which I am having a hard time totally comprehending specially with regards to players who leave early.

I do not see Conley as a one and done. He will be here next year I think.

 

[jwinslow]

RE: APR... I believe they grade on two fronts, eligibility & retention. So Oden will earn a 1/2 if he departs, while Butler earns a 2/2 by returning in good standing.

I understand your general stance, but I think it may be overstated wrt OSU. Even if we have 4 kids go pro over the next two years (Oden, Conley, Cook & Koufos), OSU still has a pretty talented & deep squad everywhere but PG.

(Gut reaction) I think Thad has recruited at least 5 kids who won't go pro early (if not many more): Lighty, Lauderdale, Diebler, Offutt, Babbitt.

 

[LitlBuck]

RE: APR... I believe they grade on two fronts, eligibility & retention. So Oden will earn a 1/2 if he departs, while Butler earns a 2/2 by returning in good standing.

I guess what I don't understand is how many 1/2 can you have before it starts hurting you.

I understand your general stance, but I think it may be overstated wrt OSU. Even if we have 4 kids go pro over the next two years (Oden, Conley, Cook & Koufos), OSU still has a pretty talented & deep squad everywhere but PG.

(Gut reaction) I think Thad has recruited at least 5 kids who won't go pro early (if not many more): Lighty, Lauderdale, Diebler, Offutt, Babbitt.

and Wallace. I think Luke could leave early. Not sure about Snoopy.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Here ya go lilbuck I will try to help ya out..

B4 the 06' class we needed a shot of something to get us turned around as a program...We never dreamed of the classes we are bringing in now b4 that...

So you couldnt worry about whether or not guys were going to be leaving one year or 2 years...We needed those guys to put this program on the map...

last years big ten overacheiving team was great, but now we are expecting big ten championships every year...

Also Until Conley came here he was looked as maybe a 3 but probably a 4. We already had Butler and we were expecting him to get back up minutes as the the 1. The thing is he is just very good and we are only going to get 2 years out of him at the most...

We also had to reach into the junior college ranks to pull in Hunter to fill the void at the 4, so he is only going to give us 2 years...

Lighty will be the only 4 year player from that class, but the thing is that class has put us on the map and with the help of upperclassmen Butler, Lewis, Twig, and Harris we have a great mix...

The next 2 classes full of 10 guys at this point only look to have 1 or maybe 2 guys that won't be 2 year player and we will have more 4 year players out of those classes than not.

So with all that said...We are going to continue to have upperclassmen and have very solid freshmen and hopefully continue to bring in superstar freshmen...

The thing is it is hard to compete year in and year out recruiting 4 year guys...Obie tryed to do it and he was never successful.

Matta has it figured out how to do it and looks to be doing a very good job...

 

[LitlBuck]

Well, I guess as long as TM brings in super freshman we will be okay but that is a very difficult thing to do year after year. Maybe I am looking too far in advance and should just enjoying the moment.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Well, I guess as long as TM brings in super freshman we will be okay but that is a very difficult thing to do year after year. Maybe I am looking too far in advance and should just enjoying the moment.

It can be cause for concern, just look at UNC and Dook when they have their off years, but they don't have them very often which is exactally what we are shooting for around here...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

ALL-OHIO BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM
Top honors go to OSU recruits
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Ohio State-bound seniors Kosta Koufos of Canton GlenOak and Jon Diebler of Upper Sandusky are the top honorees on the 2007 Associated Press Division I and II All-Ohio boys basketball teams released yesterday.

Cont'd...

 

[LitlBuck]

I was looking at the rankings of recruiting classes for 2007 yesterday on Scout and saw that are recruiting class was ranking #10 in the county. Kansas State was #1 but I did not recognize all of their players. The thing that I found hard to believe was that there were 3 Big 10 teams ranked above us. They were Michigan State, Purdue, and Indiana.

I don't follow guys from all over the country so I have no idea who Sampson has coming in but I think we have a better class than MSU or Purdue. I mean we have the second-best player in Illinois and arguably 3 of the best 5 in Ohio. Not to even mention Wallace. What is up with these rankings?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Ohio recruits are icing on Buckeye fans' cake

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/co...college/osu/2007/03/25/ddn032507audible.html#​

By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer

Sunday, March 25, 2007
COLUMBUS ? Thad Matta has been a hot topic this weekend at the boys state basketball tournament. We talked a little bit about his Buckeyes' furious comeback against Tennessee on Thursday night, but more about his recruiting skills.
This weekend, we've seen two players headed to Ohio State, where Matta is coach. Kosta Koufos, a 7-foot-2 center from Canton GlenOak High School, won't have a state championship after losing in the Division I semifinals. Jon Diebler, the sharpshooter from Upper Sandusky, led his team to the D-II state final.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I don't follow guys from all over the country so I have no idea who Sampson has coming in but I think we have a better class than MSU or Purdue. I mean we have the second-best player in Illinois and arguably 3 of the best 5 in Ohio. Not to even mention Wallace. What is up with these rankings?

Indiana has Eric Gordon coming in who most believe is the best player in the class of 2007.....Purdue has three top 100 players coming in and MSU has a few top 100 players also. Good year in the Big Ten, recruiting wise.

 

[LitlBuck]

Indiana has Eric Gordon coming in who most believe is the best player in the class of 2007.....Purdue has three top 100 players coming in and MSU has a few top 100 players also. Good year in the Big Ten, recruiting wise.

Indiana might have a better class coming in but I don't think MSU or Purdue does. JMO

 

[jwinslow]

I don't follow guys from all over the country so I have no idea who Sampson has coming in but I think we have a better class than MSU or Purdue. I mean we have the second-best player in Illinois and arguably 3 of the best 5 in Ohio. Not to even mention Wallace. What is up with these rankings?

I can see Purdue & MSU aabove OSU (a lot more "elite" talent if you buy their rankings). However there's no way IU should be.

Top 100 recruits: OSU (#10, 62, 70, 80, #94), PUR (#22, 32, 43, 53), MSU (#19, 29, 30), IU (#2, #82, 92)