RocJocks: John Wallace

[Orangeyes]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2014/05/28/rocjocks-john-wallace/9693001/

 

[RF2044]

John Wallace is one of my favorite all-time players in SU history.

What a great talent. Kid was the best low post player in college ball in '96--no small feat for a 6-7 guy.

 

[MCC]

John Wallace is one of my favorite all-time players in SU history.

What a great talent. Kid was the best low post player in college ball in '96--no small feat for a 6-7 guy.

No way: he was the second best low post player on his own team.

Otis Hill had THE best low post moves by like two standard deviations.

Seriously, I do think Otis was better on the blocks. I remember early in the NCAA game v. (I think) Miss. St.: Otis posts up the guy who was one of the best shotblockers, etc. in the NCAA (his name escapes me). Otis catches the entry, gives the guy a perfect shot fake... guy totally falls for it and Otis spins by him for the dunk. L. O. L.

 

[RF2044]

No way: he was the second best low post player on his own team.

Otis Hill had THE best low post moves by like two standard deviations.

Seriously, I do think Otis was better on the blocks. I remember early in the NCAA game v. (I think) Miss. St.: Otis posts up the guy who was one of the best shotblockers, etc. in the NCAA (his name escapes me). Otis catches the entry, gives the guy a perfect shot fake... guy totally falls for it and Otis spins by him for the dunk. L. O. L.

The player was Erick Dampier. And that was a tremendous game for Hill, who dominated a much larger opponent en route to us making the championship game!

But there is no way that Hill was a better low post player than Wallace, who commanded a LOT more defensive attention than what Hill got.

And I'm not putting down Hill--big fan of OT, who I agree had perhaps the best footwork of any "5" we've ever had [although Arinze might have something to say about that]. But he wasn't as good as Wallace.

Agree to disagree on that one, MCC.

 

[MCC]

The player was Erick Dampier. And that was a tremendous game for Hill, who dominated a much larger opponent en route to us making the championship game!

But there is no way that Hill was a better low post player than Wallace, who commanded a LOT more defensive attention than what Hill got.

And I'm not putting down Hill--big fan of OT, who I agree had perhaps the best footwork of any "5" we've ever had [although Arinze might have something to say about that]. But he wasn't as good as Wallace.

Agree to disagree on that one, MCC.

Fair enough; during the FF run, I was in grad school trying to split time between the model I was dating (no, really) and time in the lab, and the confluence of these factors meant my powers of observation were all too frequently clouded by EtOH.

 

[orangefog]

Fair enough; during the FF run, I was in grad school trying to split time between the model I was dating (no, really) and time in the lab, and the confluence of these factors meant my powers of observation were all too frequently clouded by EtOH.

Something about this screams Weird Science. Was the model Kelly LaBrock and did, at any point in time immediately prior to you "meeting" (making) her, did you have a bra on your head?

 

[MCC]

Something about this screams Weird Science. Was the model Kelly LaBrock and did, at any point in time immediately prior to you "meeting" (making) her, did you have a bra on your head?

Ha! Timely reference. No bras were required to catalyze the synthesis.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Sorry. J-Dub made Otis Hill's life easier. I love Otis Hill more than anyone, but his senior year was disappointing, mostly because defenses could close down on him and force other guys to beat us. When Wallace was there, teams had to double him.

I still get angry thinking that Hill's swan song was a 30 point drubbing, against a bad FSU team, in the NIT, in the Dome. He deserved better.

 

[rrlbees]

John Wallace is one of my favorite all-time players in SU history. What a great talent. Kid was the best low post player in college ball in '96--no small feat for a 6-7 guy.

Mad props to JW for ignoring all the probation stuff and still going where he wanted to be. One of my favs too.

 

[Orangeyes]

Mad props to JW for ignoring all the probation stuff and still going where he wanted to be. One of my favs too.

I think Kansas came in second for him. He wanted to play with his buddy Laz with whom he developed a great chemistry in AAU ball.