Some thoughts and additional notes from the weekend

[TheRoyalIveyFund]

http://syracusefan.com/threads/briscoe-ennis.23972/
All you need to know about both in a couple of games that they played last month.

http://cusebballrecruiting.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-open-evaluation-period-20-22.html
Stats on Ennis and other SU targets if you missed the coverage from the weekend.

Great stuff, always enjoy reading your informative posts!!

 

[Henny & Coke]

A few things:

1 - First and foremost: as always, these updates are awesome Francis. Thank you so much for going out of your way to provide them.

2 - I always thought it was "Henry and Coke". And I've been lurking a long time. I feel like a dumbass especially given how much I like to drink.

3 - I think you can hear that fat kid's arms making slapping noises in Albany's signature. That's some good stuff.

Thanks again!

Just in case you were wondering why I chose that as my username, mind as well re-post the explanation I shared when we all first moved over here from the last place:

Anyway, been a long time lurker, would post when I had something to say, under the username SUHoops123...thought it was time to change up the username. So Henny & Coke it is!

Story behind the username: I was a senior on the Hill for the magical 2003 run. Was bartending at the local Marshall street wateringhole (that used to be the legendary 44s) at the time, and a few days after SU won it all, the entire team strolled into a packed weekend crowd at the bar while I was working. They were allowed to come behind the bar and serve drinks for people, when none other then Carmelo Anthony came over to my side of the bar and requested a "Henny and Coke, please". Did it matter that is was common knowledge that the guy was 18 years old? You guessed it...not at all! I made him his drink, and he kinda just chilled in the background, sipping his Henny and Coke, taking it all in. Other players were taking orders and serving drinks for the customers...it was a wild scene, and something I will never forget.

Henny and Coke! On the house. Was the least I could offer for this guy who helped make so many great, lifelong memories for me and my family.

 

[TinyManInside]

Great stuff as always Francis.

Vonleh is the guy I really want - I think he'd be a great fit for JB's system.

Mason

 

[Room 914]

Some of my thoughts on the updates Francis was kind enough to provide:

Not too upset about the Anya update. For some reason, just not too excited about him. I mean, isn't he just a poor man's DaJuan Coleman? And in just the class behind DC2. I don't think we need him.

Rich mans Dajuan Blair I think. He cleans up on the glass.

...

Right now bringing in Mike G should be a major priority for us, coach K didn't give him nearly enough playing time and he is a very athletic player. Maybe the most athletic guy Duke had on that squad last year, he just didn't get any minutes. He'd fit in well with our up and down style.

 

[RF2044]

2013 is looking like a good class but 2014 appears to be one of the best overall in a long time.

IMHO I think a 2013 class of Ennis, Mike G, and Obokoh is looking very possible. JB wants to close out on Ennis asap, as Jake noted if Mike G wants to come then it's all good, and Obokoh will be an easier get than Anya. The Anya recruitment will most likely drag out and I was told that Tom Crean and his staff were stalking him all weekend. Plus Jeff Goodman noted today that Crean plans to hire an assistant coach formely from Team Takeover, which will only help their cause. The wildcards could be the SF/PF combos such as Tyler Roberson and Jermaine Lawrence. CJ is going to still be around as well as Grant, so the need for that position may not be as important. Also with the 2014 class being so strong, I don't think it would be too smart to take a lot of players in this class. Haven't heard much of a buzz lately with Rondae Jefferson when it comes to SU. Kentucky and Louisville are starting to recruit him now and you also have the in-state schools to contend with. Ishmail Wainright is another person of interest but I believe Roberson/Lawrence would be better options.

When it comes to 2014, it's starting to look like Dakari Johnson is right up there as a must get for the staff. When I watched him play last year, he displayed a variety of impressive moves in the post but struggled with conditioning. I hear he's in much better shape now and was a beast inside the paint over the weekend.

North Carolina has started to make a big push for Noah Vonleh. The UNC staff had a very heavy presence for him out in Vegas this weekend. SU didn't have any reps for him out there but to be fair most of their targets were playing in Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

2015 big man Karl Towns has already become a hot commodity among head coaches. Word is Kentucky could be tough to beat in this one.

Last week Chris McCullough said in an article that UConn was his dream school. Well they have acted upon that and have turned up the heat for him.

Some have asked about Stevie Jr. I haven't seen him play yet but according to what I read from scouts it seems that he is the opposite of his pops. More of a shooter and not the athlete that Stevie Sr was but still considered to be a good prospect in 2015.

When it comes to Isaiah Whitehead. All I can say is that he has shown SU a lot of love but unfortunately for him if the feelings were mutual, I don't think the staff would take 9 months and counting to see him again. Gotta watch these kids to get proper evaluations and SU does a very good job in that department with their main targets.

Last note that I'm not sure most are aware of but a recruiting rule change that I like very much. Is now coaches are allowed to watch recruits scrimmage during visits. So now for example if JB was curious how a player such as BeeJay Anya would fit with the current players and in the zone. He can now watch him play at the Melo Center or wherever on campus and get a better evaluation on the player during the visit.

Francis, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Goodluck Okonoboh versus Chinoso Obokoh. They seem quite similar physically. Personally, I'd be happy with landing either big in the class of 2013 to bolster frontcourt depth. But I'm curious to hear your perspective on each player's respective game / potential.

 

[Francis03]

Great stuff as always Francis.

Vonleh is the guy I really want - I think he'd be a great fit for JB's system.

Mason

Thanks Mason. Agree about Vonleh, he would bring so much versatility for SU.

 

[Francis03]

Francis, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Goodluck Okonoboh versus Chinoso Obokoh. They seem quite similar physically. Personally, I'd be happy with landing either big in the class of 2013 to bolster frontcourt depth. But I'm curious to hear your perspective on each player's respective game / potential.

Haven't seen Obokoh since last summer but when I did he blocked a ton of shots and altered plenty. So there is no doubt that he would wreck havoc in the zone, decent athlete who gets up n down fine and could probably spot some minutes at the 4. Showed he can hit a mid-range shot and finished well inside, but was far from being an offensive force. This past weekend I heard he played really well in front of JB and led the Albany City Rock in scoring, rebounding, and blocks throughout the weekend. He seems to get better and better as time goes along and I think he would be a very good pickup for SU.

Goodluck is lighter body wise than Obokoh. I think at this point he's a smaller version of BMK. I watched a few of his games with Noel this past season. He gives you energy and plays very hard but isn't overly skilled. Struggles with bigger players in the post and offense is limited to dunks n putbacks. I hear he's a good kid and hard worker so maybe the staff think they could mold him into something better with good coaching.

 

[moqui]

Francis, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Goodluck Okonoboh versus Chinoso Obokoh. They seem quite similar physically. Personally, I'd be happy with landing either big in the class of 2013 to bolster frontcourt depth. But I'm curious to hear your perspective on each player's respective game / potential.

I would love land them both, just to hear Matt Park make this play by play call: "Obokoh to Okonoboh, back to Okoboh, misses the layup, rebound by Okonoboh, another miss, slammed home by Obokoh!"

 

[PauliePeppas]

Ennis, obokoh, gbiniljie, lawrence/roberson and were good money with this class

 

[cusetown1]

Ennis, obokoh, gbiniljie, lawrence/roberson and were good money with this class

Jermaine Lawrence is going to sky rocket up the rankings this year. He's really, really good.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Jermaine Lawrence is going to sky rocket up the rankings this year. He's really, really good.

Agree, perfect for su also

 

[Ward]

Jermaine Lawrence is going to sky rocket up the rankings this year. He's really, really good.

I just don't want to have a lot of 3/4 guys on the roster that could hurt our amount of minutes to offer Vonleh. Vonleh is going to want to go where he can start and play 30 plus mins, may be hard to offer and tough on chemistry if there are guys deserving of minutes already on the roster. Having said that it's tough to not get guys because your rolling the dice on someone the next year who may not even come.

 

[Whitey23]

@TheRecruitScoop
Oregon has offered Chinonso Obokoh, a 2013 PF from the Albany City Rocks (NY), per a source.