All Things Class of 2015 Recruiting - Class Finally Complete? Nope Chris Obekpa visit

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Jigga said:
In light of today's events with Johnathon does it give new life tothe Lofton speculation?
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I'd guess it does. However replacing a center with a 2 guard seems weird to me. We've got lots of guard depth right now already.
 

Jigga said:
In light of today's events with Johnathon does it give new life tothe Lofton speculation?
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Not for me if Lofton is back I think it needs to be only as a walk-on and he starts at the bottom of the depth chart and must earn everything back. I'd rather see the minutes go to Dorsey, Johnson, Mason, McBrayer, and Gilbert than Lofton.
 

scher215 said:
I'd guess it does. However replacing a center with a 2 guard seems weird to me. We've got lots of guard depth right now already.
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Very True.
I just feel Pitino was probably not blindsided by todays revelation, he's probably already been trying to plan and implement contingency plans.
Maybe he just plans to bank the Scholly, who knows?
 


Guessing NCAA issue

MNinsider said:
Sounds like he wanted to be here but it is an academic issue.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_28140334/gophers-hoops-recruit-jonathan-nwankwo-released-from-commitment
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In this story it says he is in school in Florida but he is a New York native. The NCAA is big on what classes you take.
They need to be approved. They need to meet category requirements. It sounds, reading between the lines, like Pitino doesn't feel like he's going to be eligible through the NCAA clearing house.

This thread: All things class of 2015 Recruiting - Who will get the last scholarship may never end...we may add two more guys by August summer travels. Dang, our roster turnover is amazing. Hopefully, this works out for the best for all parties.

Not to mention the guys we think are going to be Gophers who don't sign and who end up elsewhere.
 


Jigga said:
In light of today's events with Johnathon does it give new life to the Lofton speculation?
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Never mind the beating around the bush. Would be interested in your view on that subject if you're able. Obviously would be great to have Lofton's talent back in the fold, but I'd assume Nwankwo's scholarship has to go to another center (grad transfer?) ... unless one of our PFs has experienced a growth spurt?

Going into next year with only Konate at center would practically be a fireable offense IMO (especially since he basically played the same russian roulette with our SF position last year and it backfired).
 

WanderingGopher said:
Never mind the beating around the bush. Would be interested in your view on that subject if you're able. Obviously would be great to have Lofton's talent back in the fold, but I'd assume Nwankwo's scholarship has to go to another center (grad transfer?) ... unless one of our PFs has experienced a growth spurt?

Going into next year with only Konate at center would practically be a fireable offense IMO (especially since he basically played the same russian roulette with our SF position last year and it backfired).
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Hyperbole alert!
 


A birdie at the spring football game told me Lofton will be back next year unless he does something stupid over the summer. He made it sound like a done deal.
 



Must be pretty sure about Diedhiou playing the backup center position, even then it seems they are going to be shorthanded, I'd hate to see Buggs getting extended playing time at center. With Lynch waiting in the wings it is going to be pretty tough to get anyone to signup at this late stage.
 


jovs said:
Must be pretty sure about Diedhiou playing the backup center position, even then it seems they are going to be shorthanded, I'd hate to see Buggs getting extended playing time at center. With Lynch waiting in the wings it is going to be pretty tough to get anyone to signup at this late stage.
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Should we have a 3 month long debate over if Joey King could play the 5 if needed? last year it was can he play the 4 or is he really just a big 3(I don't remember what i argued except saying he was tall enough to play the 4.) lol
 

We have two centers for next year with another sitting out. In today's game that is all you need. We also have Buggs strictly a four , King a four, along with Murphy and Gilbert to help out inside. If Konate and Diedhiou develop like it should be expected from the staff we will be fine. I'm intrigued by Lofton but if he is still a knucklehead not so much. Coaches get paid to make that call.
 



Blackhammer said:
We have two centers for next year with another sitting out. In today's game that is all you need. We also have Buggs strictly a four , King a four, along with Murphy and Gilbert to help out inside. If Konate and Diedhiou develop like it should be expected from the staff we will be fine. I'm intrigued by Lofton but if he is still a knucklehead not so much. Coaches get paid to make that call.
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Agree 100%. Nwankwo was a possible redshirt candidate anyways.
 

beavergopher said:
A birdie at the spring football game told me Lofton will be back next year unless he does something stupid over the summer. He made it sound like a done deal.
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Is this the same birdie that talks to Charlie Walters? If so, I wouldn't put much stock in it. He's drunk and unreliable.
 



Bad news on Nwankwo. Any chance that we can work our way back into the Boucher sweepstakes- now that there is more room up front? Or did he commit to Oregon?
 

bga1 said:
Bad news on Nwankwo. Any chance that we can work our way back into the Boucher sweepstakes- now that there is more room up front? Or did he commit to Oregon?
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Yeah he committed to Oregon.
 


Given that the gophers absolutely have to sign a big man to avoid an embarrassing 2015/16, I think they should look at Harvard grad transfer Kenyatta Smith. He struggled with injuries most of his career, but was highly rated out of HS and only saw limited minutes due to Harvard having several high major caliber big guys. Blocked quite a few shots and scored efficiently. Do we think he could make it through admissions?

There's also Alonzo Nelson-Ododa from Richmond, even Michael Chandler from Oregon would be a step up from the current options.

Obviously Pitino should be begging Chris Olivier, but it sounds like that ship has sailed.
 

Losing our only big man recruit hurts a lot. It doesn't look like Pittino and his staff care about big men. They are not recruiting any four or fives for next year either. I am really worried about our defense and rebounding from our bigs and we know that we are not going to get much offense out of the five next year. Hopefully there is big available to transfer and be eligible for the 15/16 season?
 

bobmartinfan said:
Losing our only big man recruit hurts a lot. It doesn't look like Pittino and his staff care about big men. They are not recruiting any four or fives for next year either. I am really worried about our defense and rebounding from our bigs and we know that we are not going to get much offense out of the five next year. Hopefully there is big available to transfer and be eligible for the 15/16 season?
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Or they are confident about what they already have in the fold for next year? I'm not, but they could be. I didn't see a lot from the overseas guys to say "can't miss" but there is potential that staff may see that we don't. No coach in the B1G doesn't care about big men. I'm hoping for a grad transfer as well but the pickings look slim.
 

bobmartinfan said:
Losing our only big man recruit hurts a lot. It doesn't look like Pittino and his staff care about big men. They are not recruiting any four or fives for next year either. I am really worried about our defense and rebounding from our bigs and we know that we are not going to get much offense out of the five next year. Hopefully there is big available to transfer and be eligible for the 15/16 season?
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What?

If JN would have been eligible we would have had Lynch, Nwankwo, Konate and Diedhou - 4 guys by my count- who can all play the center position in Fall of 2016. If he had recruited more than that we would have said he was nuts.
 

Silly me, I thought this thread would close!
 




bga1 said:
What?

If JN would have been eligible we would have had Lynch, Nwankwo, Konate and Diedhou - 4 guys by my count- who can all play the center position in Fall of 2016. If he had recruited more than that we would have said he was nuts.
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As of right now for 2015/2016 we have one center in Barkay who cant stay out of foul trouble and Gaston who does not seem to be a center in anyone's imagination. I would hope that we would have more depth other than Reggie Lynch who is sitting out next year. The cupboard looks pretty bare with nothing in the horizon. Hopefully there is someone anyone who can transfer in here and give us some minutes @ the 5.
 

bobmartinfan said:
As of right now for 2015/2016 we have one center in Barkay who cant stay out of foul trouble and Gaston who does not seem to be a center in anyone's imagination. I would hope that we would have more depth other than Reggie Lynch who is sitting out next year. The cupboard looks pretty bare with nothing in the horizon. Hopefully there is someone anyone who can transfer in here and give us some minutes @ the 5.
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If you lose Bakary or Gaston for a game or two you could always go with a lineup like Buggs, King, and Murphy in the front court, no true center but a couple of guys that can play the middle or step out and hit a three, you'd have decent size and very good athleticism, they aren't going to have a big banger in the middle anyway.
 

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