Oto Osenieks' coach discusses Oto's strengths and weaknesses

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BleedGopher

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Monter has an interview with Oto's coach and here are a few quotes:

"I think that as a 6-9 kid, he creates matchup problems with his size. He can post up small players and big forwards at the Big Ten level will have a hard time with him going off the bounce and to the basket and finish well above the rim. He can create matchup problems. He is so versatile in what he can do at the offensive end of the court."

Osenieks has several areas of where he can improve as a player.

"I think that he will definitely need to get stronger. That will come with age and a good weight program. I think that he needs to be a little more selfish in terms of his ability to score."

http://minnesota.scout.com/2/962705.html

Go Gophers!!
 

My translation? Soft big guy who who'll get pushed around in the Big Ten & can't play any D. The anti-Courtney James, so to speak.
 

I have no idea how good he is, but all I hope is that Tubby doesn't "settle" for any players just because we have extra scholarships. I'll trust him to make good decisions regarding the scholarship situation though.
 

You kind of wonder why Tubby wouldn't pursue Noreen more if he wants this type of player? Or maybe he is and we just don't know.
 



Maybe we dont know anything.

I will take Tubby Smith's word for it. If they offer him a scholarship its probably because he fits into his system and can do what he wants him to do. Maybe this kid is more of a small forward rather than a post player but played with a team that needed him around the basket? Noreen doesn't fit that mold sure he can shoot but he is so slow footed that he will have to play PF and in Smith's system of pressure defense Noreen wouldnt fit at all.
 

He sounds like a Kevin Koble or Gordon Hayward type at best. Those kind of guys are definitely a change from what we have...

I miss Paul Carter already.
 

I think any team in the country could use a Gordon Hayward type.
 

If he's a Kevin Coble or a Gordon Hayward, I'll take him in a New York minute.
 



He sounds like a Kevin Koble or Gordon Hayward type at best. Those kind of guys are definitely a change from what we have...


Yeah... he also sounds like a Blake Hoffarber/Colton Iverson/Jon Scheyer/Isaiah Dahlman type...
 

WolfontheProwl said:
I will take Tubby Smith's word for it. If they offer him a scholarship its probably because he fits into his system and can do what he wants him to do. Maybe this kid is more of a small forward rather than a post player but played with a team that needed him around the basket? Noreen doesn't fit that mold sure he can shoot but he is so slow footed that he will have to play PF and in Smith's system of pressure defense Noreen wouldnt fit at all.
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This is definitely new territory for Tubby. Perhaps he watched guys like Gordon Hayward and Jon Leuer and is willing to alter his traditional strategy in order to get more scoring production and skill from the forward position in an acceptable trade-off in giving up some up-front strength.
Certainly a perimiter threat at a forward spot opens up the court for an athletic 1/2 to go to work attacking the basket.

The main concerns would be the fact that he is a European player and what comes with that stereotype about living at the arc and making less than an indifferent attitude on defense. His ESPN ranking is only 73, hopefully the evaluator saw him on a bad night for Oto. The other concern is why he is still on the market? You definitely can do better than just filling up a spot, even with a Juco. Does this pursuit of another big mean that Mbakwe's return is in doubt? It seems like filling depth at the guard positions are of far more immediate concern.
 

Looked up a couple of youtube videos of him and he seems to be fairly athletic for his size. He has an offer from Florida as well as a few less major schools but appears to come on very late, much like Iverson. Very much a tweener forward at this point but has the shooting ability to play immediatly and can grow into a PF. Also since I was on youtube I looked up the Brust PG as well and came away impressed, he has a long somewhat slow release but also seems to be pretty athletic. If we miss out on CJ I hoping Brust gives us the nod.
 




RashoLives said:
He sounds like a Kevin Koble or Gordon Hayward type at best. Those kind of guys are definitely a change from what we have...


Yeah... he also sounds like a Blake Hoffarber/Colton Iverson/Jon Scheyer/Isaiah Dahlman type...
Click to expand...

How many skinny 6'9'' guys with more outside game than inside game do we have? I wasn't going for a black/white thing. But I suppose that works too.
 

guru said:
Does this pursuit of another big mean that Mbakwe's return is in doubt? It seems like filling depth at the guard positions are of far more immediate concern.
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I don't know that pursuing Oto has anything to do with Mbakwe's situation. Whether or not Mbakwe returns next year, we really only have one "true" forward in the fold for sure, and it's Rodney Williams at the 3. We have four other huge bodies, some with glimmers of the skillset to play the 4, but no one that really fits that mold. I would think Oto is being recruited to bounce between the 3 and the 4, supplying a bit of depth at both those positions if we enter next year with or without Mbakwe.

And while I agree filling guard depth has become an incredibly pressing concern, Minnesota has a lot of irons in the fire. It's not as if recruiting Oto means they're not recruiting anyone else. There's more open scholarships to go around than I think we can fill, and that's assuming Nolen and Mbakwe are both good to go next year.
 

parkinglotgopher said:
I don't know that pursuing Oto has anything to do with Mbakwe's situation. Whether or not Mbakwe returns next year, we really only have one "true" forward in the fold for sure, and it's Rodney Williams at the 3. We have four other huge bodies, some with glimmers of the skillset to play the 4, but no one that really fits that mold. I would think Oto is being recruited to bounce between the 3 and the 4, supplying a bit of depth at both those positions if we enter next year with or without Mbakwe.

And while I agree filling guard depth has become an incredibly pressing concern, Minnesota has a lot of irons in the fire. It's not as if recruiting Oto means they're not recruiting anyone else. There's more open scholarships to go around than I think we can fill, and that's assuming Nolen and Mbakwe are both good to go next year.
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I agree with the supposition that Oto is envisioned to combo at the forward spot. But if that is true, it would be a huge departure from the way Tubby traditionally has filled his roster at that position and is the "anti-Damian Johnson" as well as the aforementioned "anti-Courtney James" he sounds a little like Rickert (meant in the nicest way possible), which should cause some head-scratching at what exactly Tubby is thinking.
 

I've posted about this in other threads over the past few weeks, but... some thoughts:

- Oto was a 2011 that decided to graduate this year and thus is now a 2010. He's still new to the country and new to the 2010 class - not surprising interest has picked up later in the year (although Minnesota has looked at him for several months)

- Minnesota is familiar with his team... including 2011 Bruce Barron (!!). If his teammate James "Bamba" Siakam has any interest in the Gophers, they should also be looking strongly at him... another guy who recently reclassified to a 2010.

- Oto has visited UT-Martin, UWGB, Iowa State

- Not a 'big man' in the traditional sense - while he's tall (more like 6'8" than 6'9"), he's a wing not a 'power forward'. More of a 3/2, not a 3/4.

- Boxscore from Brehm's game against Findlay this season:
Findlay 74, Brehm 59 - Nov 27, 2009
 

Gopher Warrior said:
I've posted about this in other threads over the past few weeks, but... some thoughts:

- Oto was a 2011 that decided to graduate this year and thus is now a 2010. He's still new to the country and new to the 2010 class - not surprising interest has picked up later in the year (although Minnesota has looked at him for several months)

- Minnesota is familiar with his team... including 2011 Bruce Barron (!!). If his teammate James "Bamba" Siakam has any interest in the Gophers, they should also be looking strongly at him... another guy who recently reclassified to a 2010.

- Oto has visited UT-Martin, UWGB, Iowa State

- Not a 'big man' in the traditional sense - while he's tall (more like 6'8" than 6'9"), he's a wing not a 'power forward'. More of a 3/2, not a 3/4.

- Boxscore from Brehm's game against Findlay this season:
Findlay 74, Brehm 59 - Nov 27, 2009
Click to expand...




I noticed Cory Joseph played 32 minutes with 21 points and only one assist. This was just like on his AAU team. I was hoping things were a little different at Findlay Prep than AAU. The ball will be in his hands about 95% of the time if he had his own way. Will Tubby be able to convince him that more creation for his teammates will help him with his future NBA stock? I have my doubts. He's very good, but looked coach-enabled in AAU, other great players on his team disappeared when he decided it was all about him.
 

guru said:
I noticed Cory Joseph played 32 minutes with 21 points and only one assist. This was just like on his AAU team. I was hoping things were a little different at Findlay Prep than AAU. The ball will be in his hands about 95% of the time if he had his own way. Will Tubby be able to convince him that more creation for his teammates will help him with his future NBA stock? I have my doubts. He's very good, but looked coach-enabled in AAU, other great players on his team disappeared when he decided it was all about him.
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Joseph averaged 5 assists per game at Findlay.
 


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