PF/C Kosta Koufos (CSKA Moscow)

[ScriptOhio]

Link

Re: His only rookie hasn't played a whole lot of minutes this season, but that doesn't mean Jazz coach Jerry Sloan isn't impressed by Kosta Koufos.
Quite the opposite.
After shootaround Friday, the 21st-year Utah coach had nothing but compliments for the 19-year-old from Ohio State, who was born after Sloan got his head coaching job with Utah in 1988.
"It's fun to watch him," Sloan said. "He's come in here and he's been really refreshing. He knows he's got a long ways to go, but how hard he's worked, he's really been impressive."

And I'm sure Sloan knows how to evaluate potential NBA talent.

Sloan wins 1,000th game with Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? Jerry Sloan became the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team, getting 16 points and 12 rebounds from Andrei Kirilenko in the Utah Jazz's 104-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
Utah fans chanted "Jerry Sloan!" and "Jer-ry! Jer-ry!" at the end in honor of the coach, who is 1,000-596 with the Jazz.

The Associated Press: Sloan wins 1,000th game with Jazz

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Utah Jazz: Koufos draws rave reviews after first-ever Jazz start


[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]By Tim Buckley[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Deseret News[/FONT]
Published: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 12:04 a.m. MST

PHILADELPHIA ? He shot 3-of-8 from the field, had a ball bounce off him early on and got blocked a time or two. But 19-year-old Jazz rookie Kosta Koufos drew rave reviews after making his first NBA start in the Jazz's 93-80 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday.
"He was fine," coach Jerry Sloan said of the 7-footer from Ohio State. "He's young, and enthusiastic. He got his hands on a lot of basketballs. He tipped balls out there to people for rebounds he couldn't get."
"For being thrown in the starting lineup, I thought he did well," Jazz point Deron Williams added. "He came out and hit some shots. He went up a little weak a couple times, but in that second half he was stronger."
Koufos opened because usual starter Mehmet Okur is tending to his ailing father back home in Turkey, reserve Jarron Collins (who dressed but didn't play) still is bothered by a bruised elbow, and would-be replacement starter Kyrylo Fesenko had to go to Toronto for visa-related purposes.
Veteran forward Matt Harpring (ankle rehab) also was inactive, for a seventh straight game.
Sloan could have started either of two reserves, Paul Millsap or Andrei Kirilenko, but he tapped Koufos instead.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Koufos helps Jazz to victory in first start

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:05 AM



ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 16 rebounds and Deron Williams played for the first time this season to lead the visiting Utah Jazz past the Philadelphia 76ers 93-80 last night. Center Kosta Koufos made his first career start for Utah. Koufos, a 19-year-old rookie from Ohio State, was called on because the Jazz was without all-star forward Mehmet Okur, who returned to Turkey because of an illness in his family; Kyrylo Fesenko, who traveled to Canada to resolve a visa issue; and Jarron Collins, out because of an elbow injury.
In 31 minutes, Koufos scored six points on 3-of-8 shooting and had five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Kosta Koufos made quite an impression in his first NBA start for the Utah Jazz -- and not just on the court.
The 19-year-old rookie from Ohio State totaled six points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 21 minutes, but his teammates and Jazz reporters noticed his enthusiasm when he was in the game and on the bench.
In a blog for The Salt Lake Tribune, Ross Siler noted that on the bench in the second half, the 7-footer "couldn't have been more animated. He punched the air after big plays, pumped his fist after free throws and hopped out of his seat in frustration after turnovers."
His teammates saw it, too.
"Kosta is high-wired, man," C.J. Miles said. "He's ready to go no matter what. You don't have to worry about energy problems. You're just going to have to worry about sometimes he's going so fast that he forgets what he's doing."
Koufos started only because Mehmet Okur had a family emergency in Turkey, Jarron Collins had an injured elbow and Kyrylo Fesenko had a visa appointment in Toronto. But the postgame consensus was that Koufos is primed to challenge for playing time.

 

[BuckeyePride]

The 19-year-old rookie from Ohio State totaled six points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 21 minutes.


For all the bashers.... that's better than Oden :p

 

[Bestbuck36]

Kosta just missed a double-double tonight vs Charlotte. 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks. He's definitely coming along.



Updated line has Kosta with 9pts, 10rebs, 1ast and 5 blocks! Thanks to JohnnyCockFight, for alerting me to the updated line on KK.

Great game by KK.

 

[daveeb]

The 19-year-old rookie from Ohio State totaled six points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 21 minutes.


For all the bashers.... that's better than Oden :p

In just his third NBA game, Greg Oden has 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and is a perfect 3/3 from the field in 23 minutes against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. Just thought you should know.

Great to see Kosta doing well though. Still think he should have stayed another year, but a Buckeye is a Buckeye.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Utah lost to Cleveland last night...........

Jazz rookie center Kosta Koufos, who went to high school in Canton and played one season at Ohio State, started in place of Okur and scored five points.

ABJ

Notebook
Koufos grabs attention from Jazz coach
Sloan likes what he sees of former Ohio State, GlenOak High player
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Sunday, Nov 16, 2008


CLEVELAND: Utah Jazz center Kosta Koufos is no longer the lanky man-child who left Ohio State after his first season of college basketball.
He has bulked up by 10 pounds of muscle, and he looks like he belongs in the NBA. It helps that Koufos, a GlenOak High graduate, has opened the eyes of his coach, Jerry Sloan.
Forced into duty this week because of the injuries and personal issues of other players, Koufos delivered a performance against the Charlotte Bobcats that included five blocked shots.
''He's come a long way from when we started out the season,'' Sloan said. ''He needed a chance to play, and it's unfortunate that we don't have our players here, but he was ready to step up when he got the chance to show that he wanted to play.''

Continued................

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Koufos living his dream
Sunday, November 16, 2008
By JOSH WEIR
[email protected]

CLEVELAND The shot is the same. The movement, fluid for a seven-foot human being, still is there despite more muscle. The "yes sir, no sir" answers prevail.

Kosta Koufos remains largely unchanged from his GlenOak High School days, which were only two years ago. His setting is vastly different.

Fire shoots out of the scoreboard during pre-game. The opposing team's best player isn't a 6-foot-3 kid who just got his driver's license.

On Saturday night, that player was LeBron James, arguably the best player in the world. As veteran Jazz center Jarron Collins said about Koufos, "He's in the deep end of the pool."

But the kid is keeping his head above NBA water.

Koufos made his return to Northeast Ohio, starting his fourth straight game with Utah in Saturday night's 105-93 Cavaliers' win. At least 50 people from the GlenOak community, including Golden Eagles boys basketball coach Jack Greynolds Jr. and senior guard C.J. McCollum, made the trip to Quicken Loans Arena on the same night the GlenOak football team played in a regional final.

After playing little to none in the Jazz's first six games, Koufos averaged 9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in Utah's last three coming into Saturday.

"I'm living my dream," Koufos said before totaling 5 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 27 minutes.

Koufos, who is the third youngest player to ever start for the Jazz, looked rushed at times. He air-balled a jumper. He was out of position occasionally. He also finished strong on a 3-point play that cut Utah's deficit to 84-81 in the fourth quarter.

This might be a good time to mention he doesn't turn 20 until Feb. 24.

"It's a faster-paced game, but I'm enjoying it," he said of the transition after playing one season at Ohio State. "I'm learning quickly. I feel like I belong in this league."

Most of those around the Jazz organization would agree.

Head Coach Jerry Sloan really didn't know what he was getting with Koufos when Utah selected him with the 23rd overall pick in June's draft. The Jazz didn't bring in Koufos for a pre-draft workout.
Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Utah Jazz: Koufos makes most of trip

By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/17/2008 08:39:27 AM MST




Three good things happened to the Jazz during their just-completed five-game swing through the Eastern Conference.
* They beat Philadelphia.
* Carlos Boozer didn't get hurt.
* Rookie center Kosta Koufos joined a rotation that, even when the Jazz are at full strength, desperately needs more size.
Certainly, Boozer's determined efforts despite the alternating absences of Deron Williams, Andre Kirilenko, Memo Okur and Matt Harpring had to be heartwarming to coach Jerry Sloan and his teammates.
Boozer led by example and was a major reason the Jazz got into the fourth quarter with a chance to win all five games.
Koufos' sudden emergence, however, could have a lasting impact on one of the smallest frontcourts of any team considered a legitimate championship contender.

Continued.........

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Ever-positive rookie Koufos gets a chance

By JIM BURTON
Standard-Examiner staff
[email protected]

Jazz coach Sloan pleased with2007 draft pick
SALT LAKE CITY -- It seems Kosta Koufos looks at everything as an opportunity.
If it's a good thing, like getting more playing time, the Utah Jazz rookie sees it as a great opportunity to show what he can do.
And if it's a bad thing, like getting sent back to the bench, well then, it's a great opportunity to show he's a team player.
If it's possible to be pathetically positive, that is what Koufos is.
And it's also what endears him to Jerry Sloan, a coach who's notoriously tough on rookies.
"He got a chance to play and showed us he was going to compete," Sloan said.
Sloan has praised Koufos' work ethic, both in practice and in games, and has given rookie kudos for his willingness to fulfill his role on the team, whatever it might be.
"He doesn't have any issues about playing, or who he is," he said. "He just puts himself out there and tries to do the best he can."
Two weeks ago, it looked as though the 2007 first-round draft pick was heading toward a season of quiet anonymity on the end of the bench. If the game was out of reach one way or the other, he'd get the opportunity -- there's that word again -- to play a little.
Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS

GlenOak graduate Kosta Koufos continues to make a positive impression on the Jazz.

"You don't find rookies that come in and work as hard as he does," Head Coach Jerry Sloan said.

And not only does Koufos work hard, he's polite. Just like he did at GlenOak, Koufos uses "yes sir" and "no sir" when addressing media, coaches and even teammates. Veteran Jazz forward Jarron Collins said he was at first taken aback by Koufos' formality.

"But it's refreshing," Collins said. "It speaks to him being 19 years old, but he does have a level of maturity."

 

[LitlBuck]

I will admit it that I never thought Kosta would not make it in the NBA especially under Sloan. Props to him.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

ESPN - Rookie Watch: D.J. Augustin makes appearance in top 10

Kosta Koufos, Jazz
Utah's 7-foot rookie shooter has made his way into a small part of the rotation -- he started one game, recording 8 points and 7 boards -- thanks to his excellent work ethic. His numbers are a bit underwhelming right now, but it looks like he will be groomed to be Mehmet Okur's replacement down the road; they have similar skills.

 

[krazeyk]

KK looked very good in garbage time last night against the Raptors and today Sloan looks to be rewarding him with some Quality time witht he second group and once a gain he is doing good with 8pts in 5 minutes.