Will Otule Return?

[TallTitan34]

From Rosiak's pregame blog:

The recovery of Chris Otule. I'm not saying the sophomore center will be back, or even suit up. But he's getting much closer to a possible return, and he could very well wind up taking off his redshirt like Cadougan did. If you're there early, watch him as he goes through pre-game workouts. He's moving around pretty well, and hasn't appeared to have any setbacks. He could be a valuable asset as a backup for Butler and Hayward down the stretch.

[BrewCity83]

We're starting to look more & more like a darkhorse...

[GGGG]

OK...when I read this I thought you meant he might transfer.

This is good news.

[MUCrew]

It's exciting to think so.  Then adding in Mbao to the mix when he becomes healthy to complete the roster would definitely benefit us, at least from a practice/preparation standpoint.  I mean it never hurts to have 10 guys at practice right?

[HoopsMalone]

Is this the best thing in the long run?  Im not sure.  I mean, I guess have Otule and Mboa in different classes is good.  But don't we all wish we could have had Barro last year, regardless of his minor contribution as a frosh?

At the same time, MU needs bigs out there so at least big man recruits can see that Buzz will actually put a big man on the floor.  Undoubtedly would not hurt to have players over 6'6' on the floor at some point.

Who knows the right answers, but regardless of whether he returns this season, glad he is progressing. 

[damuts222]

Is this the best thing in the long run?  Im not sure.  I mean, I guess have Otule and Mboa in different classes is good.  But don't we all wish we could have had Barro last year, regardless of his minor contribution as a frosh?

At the same time, MU needs bigs out there so at least big man recruits can see that Buzz will actually put a big man on the floor.  Undoubtedly would not hurt to have players over 6'6' on the floor at some point.

  I also have mixed emotions. Part of me says come back this year lets make a tourney run, yet another says this will affect the recruiting front and means we will need to land a big who by his sophomore year can start at the 4. I guess this is all just speculation at this point as Rosiak was just wondering whether or not he would return this season like Cadougan, but it couldn't hurt.

[Nukem2]

Chris already lost his frosh year.  hard to see him burning the redshirt for a short soph season as well.....???

[TallTitan34]

There's still 9 games left, not including any postseason or conference tournament games.  Tons of playing time left.

[radome]

Chris already lost his frosh year.  hard to see him burning the redshirt for a short soph season as well.....???

Yes but ... maybe he wants to complete college and get to the next phase of life.  Also, here's to believing that Buzz will have better 4s and 5s in the pipeline in the next couple of years and Otule will have made his contribution to the team by then.

[Clarence]

If Rosiak is putting it on his blog I think it a virtual certainty that Otule is going to play again this year. 

[Norm]

I hope he red shirts this season. I think he would benefit from having another season of eligibility. He's still pretty raw and I don't know how much he could really help this year. MU would benefit by him having 3, not 2, years left after this season. (But if he wants to only stay 4 years at MU, then so be it.)

[hdog1017]

It's exciting to think so.  Then adding in Mbao to the mix when he becomes healthy to complete the roster would definitely benefit us, at least from a practice/preparation standpoint.  I mean it never hurts to have 10 guys at practice right?

I thought that red-shirts can still practice with the team, right?  If so, it doesn't make much sense to let him play this year just so he can practice on the team.

[nyg]

If he plays as much as Junior has since he took off his redshirt, then no.

[chapman]

He's coming off a broken foot, has not played since November, hasn't played in anything other than garbage time in his entire career, and Buzz has a rotation that in theory he could provide to but in reality will not be given anything but garbage minutes in.  How many minutes are we looking at this year?  20?  30?  He could probably play a whole lot more than that as a 5th year senior.  I still don't really buy the "maybe he only wants to stay four years" argument.  Ask him on Senior Day 2012 when he's just starting to be a very good player if he wants to stay for a fifth season and he'd probably kick his sophomore butt for not being patient and getting spot minutes of garbage time instead of a season's worth of starts.

[TJ]

There's still 9 games left, not including any postseason or conference tournament games.  Tons of playing time left.

Even if he came back tomorrow and was close to 100%, it's hard to believe his insertion into the rotation would be that much quicker than Junior's.  So burn 3-4 games with minimal playing time and there's only about 5 games + postseason left for Otule this season.  And that assumes he clears tomorrow and plays.

And on a more general note... I don't know what it is, but sometimes it seems like Marquette and redshirts are mutually exclusive.  Can anyone remember a single non-transfer redshirt taken by Marquette in the last decade?  Fitz, Acker, & McMorrow had transfer redshirts.  Wade had a partial-qualifier year.  Mortenson is the only one I can find that redshirted by choice or because of injury.  Anyone else?

Honestly the only players that I really feel should have redshirted were Barro and now Mbao, but still it surprises me that I can only think of a single guy redshirting in the last 10 years.

[rocky_warrior]

If he plays as much as Junior has since he took off his redshirt, then no.

As if what he's played is indicative of what he will play?  It's only been 2 games, and very little practice time.

Here were Buzz's exact words - he hasn't strayed from them so far...

"As of today, could he help us in January? Maybe a little bit. Would he be able to help us in February? I believe in my heart that he could. Could he be the difference in 1 or 2 wins? I would say probably so. '

[GGGG]

Do college basketball players redshirt often?  My impression is that, while college football is full of redshirts, college basketball is not.

[groove]

If the doctors give the ok and he wants to come back, he comes back. Can't predict what the team will be like two/three years from now. You going to force him to come back a fifth year when NCAA coaches can bail whenever they want.

[TJ]

If the doctors give the ok and he wants to come back, he comes back. Can't predict what the team will be like two/three years from now. You going to force him to come back a fifth year when NCAA coaches can bail whenever they want.

On the other hand, the player is going to want to play, whether or not it is in his own best interests.  The coach is supposed to look out for the player and make an informed decision based on what's best for both the player and the team.

[Jacks DC]

I think he should redshirt.  I cannot imagine him making any meaningful contribution this year.  I didn't see anything in his 8 minutes in a 46 point win over Grambling St. his last time out that made me think he would be a key contributor in crucial Big East games.

[MarquetteDano]

I was suspicious of the Cadougan return because we are okay at guard.  Unless there was another injury I was a fan of keeping Cadougan on red-shirt.

Otule... hmm.  That is a different story.  We have a shot for the NCAA tourney and we are SO thin up front.  He isn't going to average 20 minutes a game but 10-15 minutes in a single game could be the difference this year.  How times have we watched Lazar or Jimmy give up a basket to a big because they were afraid of fouling.  Otule will be able to defend and not worry about that.

Added, you have ONE sophmore on the entire roster.  Even if Buzz recruits a JUCO this year that is only two juniors next year (can't count Cadougan!!!).  Would be nice to balance this class as well.

If he is willing to play he could be the difference maker between NIT and NCAA.  Just him playing 10 minutes each game could do it.

[wyoMUfan]

It wouldn't hurt us if he came back.
my crystal ball doesn't foresee any reason not to.

[Benny B]

  How times have we watched Lazar or Jimmy give up a basket to a big because they were afraid of fouling.  Otule will be able to defend and not worry about that.

Disagree.  Otule is still foul-prone and does have to worry about that every time he defends.  However, Otule does give you an option to defend and "reallocate" up to 5 fouls per game that might otherwise end up in Lazar's or Jimmy's statline (and would make the difference b/t those two being in or not in foul trouble at the end of close games, ergo the difference between W's and L's).

If he is willing to play he could be the difference maker between NIT and NCAA.  Just him playing 10 minutes each game could do it.

Agree 100%.  See above.

[BrewCity83]

Do college basketball players redshirt often?  My impression is that, while college football is full of redshirts, college basketball is not.

Count Chocula redshirts a big 18-year-old stiff just about every year over at UW-Moscow.

[tower912]

Otule could have been the difference maker against Syracuse and maybe FSU.    Even 8 minutes, 5 fouls, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks could have won that game.   If he and his family want him to play, and the doctor's 100% clear him, turn him loose.   He can be our big Rottweiler puppy running around like crazy, wrestling other bigs, and slobbering.....ok, the analogy just broke down.