2010 Center Recruit

[TomW1365]

Oak Park, IL.... is considered "the hood?"  Either you've never been there or you sh*t on gold-plated toilets if you think Oak Park is the hood.

HAHAHA!  That couldn't have been said any better. 

[Rollout-the-Barrel]

Well it does border the blue light district on Chicago Ave...

[MR.HAYWARD]

wasnt Desrosiers supposed to attend the Elite camp this past weekend?

[GOMU1104]

wasnt Desrosiers supposed to attend the Elite camp this past weekend?

No, he will be in for a visit in the coming weeks.

[MU_Iceman]

Okay, so I know only as much about Maurice Walker as ESPN tells us (http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=44329&season=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d44329%26season%3d2010) but this is seemingly the EXACT type of player that MU needs.

From the sounds of things, the kid can run the floor, enjoys contact, and brings a bit of offensive ability to the table...he is perfect for the B-East...we just have to hope that Cadougan and, formerly, McMorrow's Canuck roots entice this monster to join the Warrior nation...

[Ben Golds Five]

Okay, so I know only as much about Maurice Walker as ESPN tells us (http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=44329&season=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d44329%26season%3d2010) but this is seemingly the EXACT type of player that MU needs.

From the sounds of things, the kid can run the floor, enjoys contact, and brings a bit of offensive ability to the table...he is perfect for the B-East...we just have to hope that Cadougan and, formerly, McMorrow's Canuck roots entice this monster to join the Warrior nation...

Member of the Canadian Junior National Team.  Wasn't Cadougan also a member of that?  I wonder if they played together.

[BEAUJAC77]

As the old chestnut goes " a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". We have a sought after 7'2" young, intelligent,teachable , athletic terrific prospect on campus now and a 6'10" returning player whom is developing. What center prospect would want to come in on scholarship to compete with a 7'2"project for pt???? If YOUS develops as we all hope he cuts it, what top prospect would look forward to riding the pine while YOUS STARS??? Let us be thankful and encouraging for YOUS and CHRIS  and not wishing for other projects. Looks like Buzz is recruiting other pieces to complement  the player talent he now has. I for one like the incoming 2010 class and hope Vander commits that would be dynamite.

[muwarrior87]

you can't teach height BEAUJAC and both of the guys we have now are very, VERY raw talents.  Anyone with some offensive ability and a little more bulk than these two would definitely be able to compete for PT.  I hope that they are able to mature and able to give us quality minutes down the road but you can't teach 6'10" and 280 lbs like Walker.  Both Chris and Yous would have to bulk up a lot to get to that weight.

[BEAUJAC77]

I agree you cannot teach 7'2". But with bulk you lose mobility, running ability, and endurance. What would you rather have a mobile 7 footer who could run the break  block shots and play an entire game or an imobile one who splits time? I am sure once YOUS and CHRIS get into those Milwaukee style pizzas they will be up around 250+ I would suspect that might be their ideal playing weight but I would leave that up to our training staff to develop that. I personally like a mobile greyhound to a behemoth enforcer but I would not turn one down either.

[MU_Iceman]

As the old chestnut goes " a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". We have a sought after 7'2" young, intelligent,teachable , athletic terrific prospect on campus now and a 6'10" returning player whom is developing. What center prospect would want to come in on scholarship to compete with a 7'2"project for pt???? If YOUS develops as we all hope he cuts it, what top prospect would look forward to riding the pine while YOUS STARS??? Let us be thankful and encouraging for YOUS and CHRIS  and not wishing for other projects. Looks like Buzz is recruiting other pieces to complement  the player talent he now has. I for one like the incoming 2010 class and hope Vander commits that would be dynamite.

"IF" is the key word there...we have no reason to believe that Yous is going to be anything special - in fact, at his height, ONLY weighing 215 lbs means that a stiff breeze could probably knock him over; though I'm hopeful, the likelihood that he provides meaningful minutes and develops quickly into a quality Big is VERY unlikely - and O'Tule was unable to get off the bench all last year on a team that had NO size...MUWarrior hits the nail on the head, you cannot teach size.

Think back to the Final Four team, we already had Scott Merritt, Chris Grimm, and Steve Novak on the roster; 3 guys over 6'10" (not to mention Terry Sanders who wasn't exactly small).  But it was the addition of Robert Jackson (a 6'10", 280lb transfer) who made the biggest difference in transforming us from a very good team, to an elite team. 

That team had 3 centers on their roster and often played two of them on the floor at the same time...Their season went pretty well, don't you think?

[Big Papi]

The one major liability from the old regime was there inability to develop bigs.  (Our best big was RJax who transferred in for his senior year)  The hope is that this staff can.  I don't forsee any big time center prospects committing to MU in the near term so the hope is that we recruit one center per year with the hope that they develop and mature into very productive centers their junior and senior years.  I expect Otule and Yous to be better versions of Barro come their junior and senior seasons and I expect the same from future center commits.  Hopefully Walker is the next big that joins the ranks.

[bma725]

MU may have listed those guys at 6'10 or taller, but none of them actually were, and Jackson wasn't even close.

[PJDunn]

Jackson may not have even been a true 6'8". 

[GOO]

I think you need at least 3 centers who can contribute.  If you only have 2, then you are always one injury away from having no backup at center.  When you have projects and players that need to develop at the 5, then having at least 3 is mandatory, and hopefully at least 2 are ready to play at any given time.  A true center is becoming a luxury in college, but something that sure would be nice to have on a team - as long as he can run the floor.   

When dealing with prospects who have to develop, you can't count on 2 guys to fill the 5.... if you have 3, then if you have one that is ready and one almost ready and one that is a ways off, at least you have a starter and a back up guy that can man the 5 for a few minutes.   That pretty much has to be the plan in modern college ball, since most good 5's will be in the NBA sooner than later.  So signing a 5 at least 3 out of 4 years, should be the goal.

I like the recruiting under Buzz.  We have a couple of 5's that could develop into legitimate contributors at the 5.  But, it may take a couple of years.  Getting a Walker type (or a Carson Desrosiers or Powell who may be more of  4's than 5's, but giving height at the five when needed), would be really nice, and give us a big that can be expected to contribute sooner than later.   Adding another 5 is important, so that we can limit how often we have to go small at the 5, especially on defense against teams with legitimate 5's. 

[nycwarrior]

...What center prospect would want to come in on scholarship to compete with a 7'2"project for pt???? If YOUS develops as we all hope he cuts it, what top prospect would look forward to riding the pine while YOUS STARS???

No disrespect to Chris or YOUS but center prospects who want immediate playing time would have a much, much better chance of displacing them than the frontcourts at Georgetown, Texas A&M or the elite programs.

If anything, the number of minutes we have to give away at the 4 and 5 should make MU an attractive place for a 3-4 star big. If he's ready-to-play but not a Greg Oden the elite programs would be more likely to make him ride the pine behind upper classmen now only to recruit over him later in his career.

[Hards Alumni]

MU may have listed those guys at 6'10 or taller, but none of them actually were, and Jackson wasn't even close.

That'd be important if everyone wasn't listed at a exaggerated heights.

[MR.HAYWARD]

i think you need 3-4 true bigs on the roster at all times, i know buzz referred to wanting a PG every year and he might have said a big every year too i dont recall.  But if he did i absolutely agree. 

The 5 star bigs are going to Ohio State , memphis, georgetown, Unc etc.  Might Mu grab one at some point ...i would hope so but that cannot be expected what can be accomplished though is to follow the plan that ....ack....Bo ryan has at Wisconsin.

Recruit a 6'10" or bigger 3 star or 4 star type every year.  That way you have a guy like an otule last year a freshman who is no wear near ready,  but you would also have a sophomore 1 year closer to contributing and you would have a Junior and a senior ready to go.  A guy like a Aaron Gray would be a great example of this really nothing his first two years.  Wisoconsin has also used the redshirt rather effectively, something we cannot even consider until the shelf gets stockked.  OOze was another example of being a 3 star type that ended up a pretty solid player by his Junior and senior years.  he really struggled in years 1 and two but ideally he should not have been counted on then, however, our past coach had noone else with any height on the team.

I love what Buzz has done Otule in year 1, Mbao in year two, Now we have clark in year 3, although he seems to be more of a 4 either way he is 6'10.  it would be nice to sign another big and continue 1 a year that way we are not forced to play bigs that are not ready or be left without any if one transfers or does not work out.   

I would be thrilled with either Black, Desrosiers, Walker, Pinkston or Cobbins.      (i know pinkston is only 6'6" but everything I read compares him to Dejuan Blair....works for me)

[TomW1365]

http://www.eagletribune.com/pusports/local_story_018013406.html

The best they've seen in this region?!?  I'd like to see another talented East coast guy choose MU.

[Fullodds]

Buzz is set with an in-home visit on 9/15 with CD

[reinko]

That'd be important if everyone wasn't listed at a exaggerated heights.

What are you talking about?

DJ was 6'0
McNeal was 6'3"
Wes was 6'6"
Burke was 6'9"

[Hards Alumni]

you forgot the teal.