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PF Othello Hunter (Maccabi Tel Aviv BC)

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Hunter has a nice little game that seems reluctant, at times, to get involved. I think if he would become a little more assertive on both ends of the court it would be very beneficial to the team. He has a nice little jump shot from 15' in and on the defensive end he needs to stay around the basket a little more and show his athleticism for blocking shots and become more aggressive in rebounding.
 
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Hunter is an upperclassmen but plays with the consistency of a freshman. He is only in his 5th year of organized basketball.......When he gets involved and stays involved he is very effective.......it just doesn't happen on a continuous basis unfortunately for Ohio State..........
 
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OSUBasketballJunkie;1089427; said:
Hunter is an upperclassmen but plays with the consistency of a freshman. He is only in his 5th year of organized basketball.......When he gets involved and stays involved he is very effective.......it just doesn't happen on a continuous basis unfortunately for Ohio State..........
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He seems like the nice guy that gets pushed around, but when he snaps so to speak he is a force...The problem is that at times he seems to lets opponents dictate his play...As a senior I would expect a little more drive at times...
 
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OSU men's basketball: Hunter hard to predict
Senior forward emerges in some games, becomes nonfactor in others
Friday, February 15, 2008

By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

When he wants to, Othello Hunter can play above the rim with anyone in Big Ten basketball.

Stretch his long arms above his long body, fire the springs in each leg and he can touch a spot on the backboard 12 feet off the floor.

The highs and lows of his performance, though, are just as far apart.

"Which 'O' am I going to get today?" is a question Ohio State coach Thad Matta asks his senior forward often, guard Jamar Butler said.
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : OSU men's basketball: Hunter hard to predict
 
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I don't think that Othello's disappearance in several games this year is entirely his fault. As a big man, he relies on his teammates getting the ball to him. We gave up on our inside game a lot this year. The only thing he can control to get the ball is offensive rebounding and getting out on the break.

If you look at the most recent losses where Othello "disappeared", he didn't play that poorly.

Indiana- 6 pts and 6 boards in only 24 minutes (only 2 fouls so foul trouble wasn't the problem)
Iowa- 9 pts 8 boards in only 25 minutes (only 1 foul)
Michigan St- 8 points 3 boards in only 22 minutes (only 3 fouls-could have done better on the boards in this game)

If you look at the last few of OH's "dominant" games :
NW-34 mins
Michigan 35 Mins
Tenn 39 mins

OH is a streaky player and can score in bunches when he gets on a roll. If he is playing less than 25 minutes, there is less opportunity for him to get ona roll. In short....play OH 35+ minutes a night and he will dominate (i hope).
 
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OSUBasketballJunkie;1092964; said:
Just my personal opinion, but I do not think that Hunter's decrease in minutes has everything to do with his effectiveness and production in those games.....he simply vanishes at times......especially against Indiana......FWIW.
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Agreed, he becomes passive when things aren't going his way, it is like he hides...He has the ability to make things happen on the boards on both ends of the floor with putbacks, and defensive rebounds, but at times he seems to hang on the perimeter a little too much...
 
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OSUBasketballJunkie;1092964; said:
Just my personal opinion, but I do not think that Hunter's decrease in minutes has everything to do with his effectiveness and production in those games.....he simply vanishes at times......especially against Indiana......FWIW.
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Some of it is definitely his intensity and keeping his head in the game. I think part of it is also our tendancy to jack up 3's on several possesions in a row while he is battling down low for position. It is tough to keep battling every possession while the guards continue to pass the ball around the perimeter and jack long 3's. OH needs to keep his head in the game and keep battling regardless of the touches he gets.

He is such an explosive player that I think his minutes do impact his performance somewhat. He is liable to get a put back dunk, alley oop, or a blocked shot to start a fast break at any time. When he is playing 10 fewer minutes than usual, there is a lot less opportunity for a spurt from him. Once he gets 1 outstanding play, you know that another is jus a few moments away.
 
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I see your point......there are times when the guards do not do a good job of feeding the post.........but I am not sure if that is a point of frustration for Hunter due to the fact he rarely gets good post up position....he does most of his damage off rebounds and in transition. No knock on Hunter, I like him alot, I just do not see him as a legit low post player.
 
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I wish OH would have been a Buckeye from the start, instead of having to go the JUCO route because I'm not real sure how good his coaching has been up to now. With his lack of experience, having only played since the middle of HS, he is way behind for a senior. From what I've seen, he does not fight hard enough to establish position deep in the lane, he settles 8-10 feet out and without real good handles he settles on the 8-10 foot jumper, although he is pretty effective with that.

One of the things that disappoints me with OH is his lack of consistent aggressiveness on the offensive boards, I don't know if this is his fault or if he is told to drop back on D to help slow the fast break, but with his athletecism I think he could be a real force on the boards.

Another thing that bugs me about all of our big men is that they don't seem to find the open spot and help Turner and Lighty, and even Butler when they penetrate, none are great finishers and it would really help if our Bigs helped them by making themselves readily available as outlets. I think Hunter could excel in this because he is so explosive, even if he is not passed to he should head to the boards as a lot of these little floaters are not falling for our guards.

I don't want to be down on OH, because most of his issues do not come from a lack of effort, but from a lack of experience. Hopefully, he'll see the sands of his college days dwindling and play with his hair on fire the rest of the season.
 
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OSUBasketballJunkie;1093007; said:
No knock on Hunter, I like him alot, I just do not see him as a legit low post player.
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I respectfully disagree. He reminds me a lot of George Reese, back in the late 90s. The main differences being Jim O's offense focused on getting the ball inside much more than Matta's, and Reese never had to post up on centers with Ken Johnson in the game. Hunter routinely gets the center on him (due to KK's lack of aggression or Twigs is in the game), and he is just overmatched. When the Buckeyes get Hunter in a groove, he is very effective. I just think it's difficult for Hunter to get in the flow of the offense with the focus on the guards and 3-point shooting. I really think our offensive sets would be much more effective if we made it a "rule" than KK or OH had to touch the ball at least once during each possession.
 
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