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Message: [QUOTE="RF2044, post: 1138961, member: 40"] I got a solid glimpse into his game last fall, when I attended practice last October. Here is a quick summary of my impressions: [LIST] [*]Obokoh was a bit shorter than what I expected. The news reports on him when we signed him stated that he was 6-10, which led me to expect 6-9. In actuality, he's probably about 6-8. [*]He's got relatively short arms for a big man--he doesn't have the length of a Keita. [*]He had solid muscle tone for a frosh big man--he has a good frame, big shoulders, plenty of room to grow. So he was wiry muscular with good muscle tone, but still room to pack on "good" size. [*]In the drills, it was pretty apparent that he was still learning the game--which isn't a surprise, since he's fairly new to the game. [*]His footwork leaves a lot to be desired, and last year he didn't look like he had a clue about offensive positioning. Please keep in mind that I'm not being critical--this was a whole year ago, before he had the chance to practice with the team for the full year, so he probably is going to be a bit further along this year. [*]He ran the floor reasonably well. Didn't look like he was a gazelle; instead he seemed to glide kind of at the same speed. Not bad, but not impressive, either. [*]When the team scrimmaged, he opened my eyes--a lot. The kid was a BEAST competitor inside. I couldn't believe how tough he rebounded, how physical he was, how he competed against experienced veterans like Rak and Coleman, both of whom were a lot bigger and stronger than him. He rebounded and blocked shots like a terror, and gave them both fits inside. Tried to block everything, and ripped rebounds out of peoples hands like he was fighting for every loose ball. Plays with a mean streak. [*]Which leads me to my next point: he also was physical as hell. In practice, that's okay--but in a game he'd be in quick foul trouble. But I was impressed by how he played with controlled ferocity every play. [*]Did I mention that for a fairly compact big with fairly short arms, I couldn't believe how well he rebounded and blocked shots? It bears mentioning again. [/LIST] So overall, I came away feeling better about Obokoh's long term potential. I don't know how quickly he's going to actualize it. He's going to be thrust into the fire this year, as there just aren't any alternatives at backup center, unless we want to go small / play a natural forward in that backup role. I would expect Obokoh to be in foul trouble just about every game. But that's okay, provided Rak plays like a senior and avoids foul trouble. On a team that often has finesse players, Obokoh is going to be a much needed enforcer. The kid plays hard at all times, and most of all competes. Seems to have a "knack" for finding the ball on the glass--which is difficult to teach, if not outright impossible. You either have that nose for the ball instinctively, or you don't. Obokoh seems to have it. In terms of offense, I wouldn't expect much--kid was raw as hell when I saw him. I'm really not sure what we're going to get from him in year 1 of him playing, but I don think that he'll eventually be viewed as a good role player for us. I don't know who I'd compare him to, game-wise. He's a 6-8 kid who is a pretty good athlete, but not an explosive jumping jack / runner / rejector. But he's got the size -- and more importantly, the attitude -- to get in the paint and muck it up. He's a deceptive athlete who seems like he's got the requisite physicality to contribute at this level--he'll just need to figure some things out. Hopefully, he worked hard this off-season to get ready. Coming at you, kid. [/QUOTE]

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