OSU Future Recruits

[wadc45]

Kyle Lamb did a great feature on the front of Bucknuts. Kyle has been a great addition to their staff, and with Matta coming in, he seems to have been busy. I don't want to give away the whole article, but here are a few highlights fomr the article, which focused on big men...

Greg Oden insists that he wants to go to college to develop his "offensive game" and apparently tOSU and Wake Forest are the front-runners. If you will remember, Wake is also at or near the top of Mike Conley's list, and the two, who both visited tOSU with Cook, have discuss a possible package deal with Cook. I still think tOSU has a shot at landing all three, which means if Wilson Chandler doesn't hurry up, he might he SOL...

Luke Harangody, a 6-8 junior center from Shereville, IN will be visiting tOSU unofficially in the near future...

Duke and tOSU are the early leaders for sophmore center/forward Herb Pope of Pennsylvania. He is a consensus five-star-to-be and apparently grew up a Buckeyes fan...

There is plenty of other stuff that is worth reading but these are just a few of the highlights...

 

[OilerBuck]

All this sounds WAY too good to be true. Especially after getting our hopes up for Malik this past year. Kyle is an optimist (not that there is anything wrong with that) and although he works his butt off and does fabulous things for Bucknuts, I try to tone down my optimism that comes as a result of his feelings on a subject.

It does all really sound great though.:)

 

[wadc45]

Great point...while I agree, obviously it all starts with Cook, and I think the chances of him coming to OSU are extremely high. He could set off a chain reaction of that would lead his AAU teammates, Conley and Oden, to tOSU as well. Obviously, getting the three of them would give tOSU probably the best recruiting class in the history of college basketball, on par with the Fab 5. So I am not running out to buy my Oden jersey just yet. But I think it is more than just a shot in the dark. And the success Matta has already had in such a short time only gives me greater hope. I would be happy with a couple of players like Cook and Morgan next year, followed by Mayo and Pope down the road.

Either way, it's fun to have anything to talk about regarding basketball recruiting. This time a few months ago, I was biting my nails over whether or not we were going to offer Jamelle Cornley. Now we are talking about guys rated #1 at their position taking visits to tOSU! :)

 

[DaytonBuck]

I would be shocked if either Cook or Oden go to college

 

[gold_pants]

With where our team has been the last couple of years...a little optimism is not a bad thing...

 

[OilerBuck]

I would be shocked if either Cook or Oden go to college

or Mayo for that matter :(.

 

[tsteele316]

it seems very likely that cook will go to college.

oden even admitted that he doesnt thik he is good enough offensively to go to the nba, but a potential contract with 6 or 7 zeros on the end can change one's mind quickly.

 

[OilerBuck]

In their Insiders profiles, I noticed that neither Conley or Oden had OSU on their list...should that be of a concern?

 

[wadc45]

I think there was a chat on BN with Cook's high school asst. coach earlier tonight...waiting for the recap to be posted.

Apparently there are mixed feeling about Powell's comments about Cook and Michigan. I haven't seen a post-chat wrapup, so I am not sure exactly what was said. Also, David Lighty has always been thought to be a Michigan lean but he called Syracuse his leader today. I don't see the two of them going to the same school, but neither has publically said that they would be against it. Lighty seems much warmer on tOSU than he was in the pre-Matta era. Obviously, Cook is still priority #1...

 

[OilerBuck]

Cook, Oden, Conley, Lighty...

What are the odds we land one out of four?

I say
0/4: 40%
1/4: 40%
2/4: 15%
3/4: 5%
4/4: 0%

From what you hear from Kyle are these figures pessimistic or fairly accurate based on the talent level these guys have. Lets face it...even one would be a HUGE get.

 

[wadc45]

Cook, Oden, Conley, Lighty...

What are the odds we land one out of four?

I say
0/4: 40%
1/4: 40%
2/4: 15%
3/4: 5%
4/4: 0%

From what you hear from Kyle are these figures pessimistic or fairly accurate based on the talent level these guys have. Lets face it...even one would be a HUGE get.

Based solely on what I have read from various sites/sources:

I would say Cook is probably 40/40/20 that he ends up at tOSU/scUM/somewhere else.

I would say Conley is probably 30/40/30 that he ends up at tOSU/Wake Forest/somewhere else.

I would say Oden is probably 20/30/50 that he ends up at tOSU/NBA/somewhere else.

I would say Lighty is probably 25/75 that he ends up at tOSU/somewhere else.

As far as all four are concerned, I would say that your figures are probably dead on. I think 2 of the 4, most likely Cook and Conley, is the best we can hope for. But it all starts with Cook and he appears to be wanting to make a decision sooner rather than later...

 

[OilerBuck]

As far as all four are concerned, I would say that your figures are probably dead on. I think 2 of the 4, most likely Cook and Conley, is the best we can hope for. But it all starts with Cook and he appears to be wanting to make a decision sooner rather than later...

That's great news. Early commitments are so important in College basketball because of scholarship limits. Hairston really strung us out last year and it hurt. If we wrap Cook up early, it will entice others...if he commits elsewhere, it gives us time and room to find a replacement.

 

[wadc45]

That's great news. Early commitments are so important in College basketball because of scholarship limits. Hairston really strung us out last year and it hurt. If we wrap Cook up early, it will entice others...if he commits elsewhere, it gives us time and room to find a replacement.

Is it sad that I am hoping Malik routinely sprains his ankle? Just kidding...

Another great thing about early commits is the fact that they can seemingly lure other top recruits much more than football recruits. Because of the early and late signing periods, when a superstar commits early, it can set off a chain reaction sometimes because schollies are so limited, and recruits like to come in with other top recruits, since a majority of them don't plan on spending more than two years in school anyways.

 

[wadc45]

Conley all but says that the three of them (Conley, Oden, and Cook) would like to play at the same school together, and that he thinks that it will most likely come down to Wake Forest and Ohio State, at least for himself, although there are other schools on the outside looking in, including Michigan State and Arkansas (he was a ballboy growing up at UofA games). He also says he is excited to come back for an official visit to tOSU and see what basketball season in Columbus is like. I think the Bucks getting a few quality wins early in the year could help sway guys on the fence like Conley.