Maurice O'Field - 2015 - 6'5" SF from Midland College

[NotAnAlum]

I was actually starting to think they were the same guy.

I also saw somewhere that the top rated recruits are now ranking the absence of rookie coaching mistakes as one of the top 3 reasons to chose a program.  It ranked behind "NBA connections" but ahead of "immediate playing time".

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I like that O'Field has 3 yrs of eligibility.  Help balance the classes.  O'Field and Anim would gives us plenty of wings with Cohen, JJJ, Cheatham, Wally and even Duane in the mix.  Still gotta add at least one more PG, if not two.

[Dawson Rental]

Seriously? I've been concerned about that whole situation for months.

Okay, the NN situation came out of nowhere months ago.  I'm assuming that you weren't concerned about this back when Wojo recruited him.

[wadesworld]

If it makes you feel better, TW isn't really a fan of Marquette basketball.  He is a guy with an agenda.  One that Ners has fallen for hook, line and sinker.

That is why neither is terribly reputable at this point and rightfully should be ignored banned.

[Lennys Tap]

Okay, the NN situation came out of nowhere months ago.  I'm assuming that you weren't concerned about this back when Wojo recruited him.

Correct

[UticaBusBarn]

As you point ou, Wojo now has to recruit based on his performance and new reputation. I think it will be far more difficult given his array of rookie mistakes.

Tex West, given your keen insight into the sport of basketball, could you be so kind as to help enlighten those of us who are casual fans as to, "his array of rookie mistakes"? Thank you.

[willie warrior]

I like that O'Field has 3 yrs of eligibility.  Help balance the classes.  O'Field and Anim would gives us plenty of wings with Cohen, JJJ, Cheatham, Wally and even Duane in the mix.  Still gotta add at least one more PG, if not two.

If we had all those guys, that is too many wings, leading to discontent with playing time. 80 minutes between 7guys is not enough PT for several and is over recruiting IMO.

[ATL MU Warrior]

If we had all those guys, that is too many wings, leading to discontent with playing time. 80 minutes between 7guys is not enough PT for several and is over recruiting IMO.

Are you ever happy with anything?  Or is being hyper-critical of everything just your nature?

[Earl Tatum]

He is not a stud point guard. TRACI CARTER

[brewcity77]

He is not a stud point guard. TRACI CARTER

No reason we can't add both.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

If we had all those guys, that is too many wings, leading to discontent with playing time. 80 minutes between 7guys is not enough PT for several and is over recruiting IMO.

Wally can play some 4 in a small lineup; Duane and Haanif can both help at PG.  Maybe Wally never gets off the bench.  Got to add bodies and let the cream rise to the top.  Maybe Anim doesn't play much as a frosh but starts by his junior year.  Maybe he's another Jerel McNeal and starts for 4 years.  Maybe Cohen or JJJ get hurt. Maybe one of them develops and beats out O'Field or maybe O'Field starts right away.  Maybe somebody transfers.  Maybe we only land one of Anim or O'Field.  Who knows.  Got 13 schollies, keep adding good players, it will work itself out.

Traci Carter would be a great PG to add.  A grad transfer PG with Carter off the bench would be my wish.  Then Carter starts soph year unless Duane or Haanif beat himout or Wojo adds a stud PG in 2016.  If we miss out on guys watch the transfer market.  Is it wrong to dream of Riley LaChance transferring from Vanderbilt?

[MU82]

Wally can play some 4 in a small lineup; Duane and Haanif can both help at PG.  Maybe Wally never gets off the bench.  Got to add bodies and let the cream rise to the top.  Maybe Anim doesn't play much as a frosh but starts by his junior year.  Maybe he's another Jerel McNeal and starts for 4 years.  Maybe Cohen or JJJ get hurt. Maybe one of them develops and beats out O'Field or maybe O'Field starts right away.  Maybe somebody transfers.  Maybe we only land one of Anim or O'Field.  Who knows.  Got 13 schollies, keep adding good players, it will work itself out.

I agree with all of this. You recruit good players and good athletes who can handle the academics. The rest will sort itself out. Yeah, you need a few guys with height, which we have coming in, and you'd like to bring in a PG every year. And I do wish we'd add one or two guys who can flat-out shoot.

[GGGG]

He is not a stud point guard. TRACI CARTER

Earl's randomness might be one of my favorite Scoop memes. 

[mu-rara]

Since you often reference sixties music, I assume that you were around for the TV miniseries, Roots, in the late 70's.  One of the points made over the course of several nights was that a side effect of living on a continent that your ancestors were brought to in shackles after being kidnapped so that they could serve as slave labor was the loss of your ancestral family name.  When it was a crime for your ancestors to learn to read or write, much of your family history gets lost.  Many times you discover that your family name is the name of the plantation owners who enslaved your ancestors.  

Under these circumstances, having someone joke about your family name's origin being Northern European rather than African might be construed as them rubbing salt very deeply into an open wound.

I hope that I'm not upsetting you here by being too politically correct...

You're kidding, right?  Making McGuire references about a kid's name is racist?  Really?

I understand issues with REAL racism, but this?

[wadesworld]

Wally can play some 4 in a small lineup; Duane and Haanif can both help at PG.  Maybe Wally never gets off the bench.  Got to add bodies and let the cream rise to the top.  Maybe Anim doesn't play much as a frosh but starts by his junior year.  Maybe he's another Jerel McNeal and starts for 4 years.  Maybe Cohen or JJJ get hurt. Maybe one of them develops and beats out O'Field or maybe O'Field starts right away.  Maybe somebody transfers.  Maybe we only land one of Anim or O'Field.  Who knows.  Got 13 schollies, keep adding good players, it will work itself out.

Traci Carter would be a great PG to add.  A grad transfer PG with Carter off the bench would be my wish.  Then Carter starts soph year unless Duane or Haanif beat himout or Wojo adds a stud PG in 2016.  If we miss out on guys watch the transfer market.  Is it wrong to dream of Riley LaChance transferring from Vanderbilt?

Yes.

[willie warrior]

Are you ever happy with anything?  Or is being hyper-critical of everything just your nature?

Man you must have a complex. How is that being hyper-critical? Only in your world? Having 7 wings does not make sense, IMO. Are you ever happy just accepting  a simple statement, or are you hyper critical?

Oh wait, I get it, you are my post stalker, lurking to jump at each chance.

[brewcity77]

Man you must have a complex. How is that being hyper-critical? Only in your world? Having 7 wings does not make sense, IMO. Are you ever happy just accepting  a simple statement, or are you hyper critical?

Oh wait, I get it, you are my post stalker, lurking to jump at each chance.

Okay...then what would you do with the scholarships? Having 7 wings would leave you with 6 open scholarships. In a perfectly balanced world, that's 3 point guards and 3 centers. Personally, I think that would actually be perfect balance. I understand that we likely won't end up with 3 PGs and 3 Cs, but I also don't think it will be as simple as plugging 7 guys into 60 minutes. The reality is of those 7, the top 4-5 will get significant minutes come conference time. Every program with all scholarships filled has 3-4 guys at the end of the bench who don't play much. Some of those guys will be wings.

Do the math, get to 13, and tell me how Wojo should better deploy his scholarships.

[GGGG]

Man you must have a complex. How is that being hyper-critical? Only in your world? Having 7 wings does not make sense, IMO. Are you ever happy just accepting  a simple statement, or are you hyper critical?

Oh wait, I get it, you are my post stalker, lurking to jump at each chance.

Because it is false.  We don't have "too many wings."  

In basketball these days four of those players can be on the floor at any given time. (If you believe that Duane is going to AT LEAST get spot time at point.)  Furthermore, we aren't going to be running 13 player rotations.  More than one player isn't going to be playing in certain games.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Agree with Willie, too many wings can lead to discontented players.  Would like to see balance with bigs, shooters ,point guards and wings.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Agree with Willie, too many wings can lead to discontented players.  Would like to see balance with bigs, shooters ,point guards and wings.

Personally, I'm getting a little tired of the over-sensitivity in regards to hurting players feelings or them becoming discontent.  Get the best players you can and if guys lose playing time they can either improve or leave. 

Agree completely on ideally having a balanced roster but I'd rather bring in more talent than a less talented player who might be a better positional fit.   

[brewcity77]

Agree with Willie, too many wings can lead to discontented players.  Would like to see balance with bigs, shooters ,point guards and wings.

First, shooters are wings. Next year most likely Cohen, Jajuan, Cheatham, and Wally will be competing for similar minutes (among others).

Second, I pose the same question to you I do to willie. How would you balance the scholarships? 7 wings, 3 point guards, 3 centers seems like a pretty good mix to me. That would mean adding 2 PGs and 1 C with our remaining 4 scholarships. Would you rather 4 PGs, 4 Cs, and 5 wings? Then you have 4 guys competing for 40 mpg at PG, 4 guys competing for 40 mpg at C, and 5 guys competing for 120 minutes at the wing positions.

What is the best balance of scholarships?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

First, shooters are wings. Next year most likely Cohen, Jajuan, Cheatham, and Wally will be competing for similar minutes (among others).

Second, I pose the same question to you I do to willie. How would you balance the scholarships? 7 wings, 3 point guards, 3 centers seems like a pretty good mix to me. That would mean adding 2 PGs and 1 C with our remaining 4 scholarships. Would you rather 4 PGs, 4 Cs, and 5 wings? Then you have 4 guys competing for 40 mpg at PG, 4 guys competing for 40 mpg at C, and 5 guys competing for 120 minutes at the wing positions.

What is the best balance of scholarships?

So this question wasn't posed to me but I personally would love a roster like the one below, although it is probably a pipe dream and is getting too detailed.  This is also with the thought that you are obviously not going to have a 13 man rotation. 

2 pure PGs
2 combo guards (more of a 2 but can play the 1 effectively if necessary)
3 wings (can play the 2 or the 3)
2 bigger wings (can play the 3 or the 4)
2 PFs (preferably one is a stretch 4 and could play the 5 in a smaller lineup and preferably at least one is great rebounder)
2 centers

[MuMark]

I view wings as being 6'4 to 6'6 guys that play the 2/3 .......JJ. Is a wing but you wouldn't want him to have to guard 4s......ditto for Sandy and Cheatham.

2 centers
1 4/5
 3 3/4
3 2/3
2 1/2
2 pgs

[wadesworld]

Personally, I'm getting a little tired of the over-sensitivity in regards to hurting players feelings or them becoming discontent.  Get the best players you can and if guys lose playing time they can either improve or leave. 

Agree completely on ideally having a balanced roster but I'd rather bring in more talent than a less talented player who might be a better positional fit.   

Somebody gets it.  If your feelings are too hurt to get mad, get in the gym, and get better rather than take your ball and go home, we're better off without you in the long run anyway.

Get tough Warriors.

[brewcity77]

2 pure PGs
2 combo guards (more of a 2 but can play the 1 effectively if necessary)
3 wings (can play the 2 or the 3)
2 bigger wings (can play the 3 or the 4)
2 PFs (preferably one is a stretch 4 and could play the 5 in a smaller lineup and preferably at least one is great rebounder)
2 centers

This looks like a good, more specific template. Looking at next year, we have 9 scholarships filled...

2 pure PGs: NONE
2 Combo Guards: Duane Wilson & Haanif Cheatham
3 Wings: Jajuan Johnson, Sandy Cohen
2 Bigger Wings: Henry Ellenson, Wally Ellenson
2 PFs: Steve Taylor
2 Centers: Luke Fischer, Matt Heldt

So with 9/13 scholarships filled, we could use 2 true PGs, 1 wing, and 1 PF. Based on our interest, it seems like maybe O'Field would be a combo guard or wing and Anim definitely a wing. Still need a couple point guards (Carter & Miller, maybe?) and a PF (rather than O'Field/Anim?) to get full balance, but I'd say that a roster that was 1-2 players off ideal is still pretty darn good.

2 centers
1 4/5
 3 3/4
3 2/3
2 1/2
2 pgs

Applying your template:

2 centers: Fischer & Heldt
1 4/5: Steve?
3 3/4: Wally & Henry
3 2/3: Sandy, Jajuan
2 1/2: Duane, Cheatham
2 PGs: NONE

Based on that template, Anim would fill the 2/3 and maybe O'Field could fill the 3/4? He can at least get rebounds, though seems like more of a slasher to me. Still need 2 true PGs, but again, pretty close to balanced I'd say.

The roster clearly isn't finished with 4 scholarships in play, but I think this is a pretty darn balanced roster, and would say both of your templates look both solid as well as what the staff is basically working toward.