I see Michigan would not accept Purdue's Nojel Eastern...
I see Michigan would not accept Purdue's Nojel Eastern...
Yor Anei (OK State) entered the portal....immediate eligibility and 2 years to play. Solid get for the team that adds him to the roster....very long shot blocker. Sucks for OK State because he was a steal as a recruit (OK State was only Power 5/6 offer).
https://247sports.com/Article/Yor-An...ton-148227649/
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
Watched Eddie last night. A lot of time devoted to his time in Lexington. His coaching career is the literal definition of a tragedy.
Some of the stories I heard about and remember about him weren’t mentioned (him sitting in the stands during a game, crawling on his hands and knees to get to Lexington).
Welcome home UConn!
Assembly Hall (07-01-2020),Revering4Blue (07-01-2020)
Makur Maker to Howard. Wonder if that's going to be a trend. The HBCUs have a lot of ground to make up on "infrastructure" (facilities, conferences, TV deals) to put them on level ground with the power conference programs.
That is putting it nicely....Burr Gymnasium is where Howard plays their home games. It was built in the 1960's....had some small to moderate renovations since opening, but only has a seating capacity of 2,700. Honestly, looks more like one of the gyms Hoosiers was filmed in than it does Rupp Arena.
Risky decision by Maker with not a lot of upside. If he plays well, it will be discounted because of the level of competition....if he plays poorly, it will destroy his prospect stock. He almost need to play at a league MVP level to meet expectations....and that is rare for a Freshman in any league.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
Chip R (07-07-2020)
The year before LeBron entered the NBA, his competition was the likes of Akron Buchtel and Ottawa-Glandorf high schools. Not saying Maker is LeBron, but I dont think this is going to impact his stock too much.
The goal of HBCUs is never gonna be have resources and facilities like a blue blood. This is widely seen as an extremely cool gesture and a profile boost to an HBCU in a time of racial reckoning in this country.
"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
and Lebron dominated the lesser competition. If Lebron was averaging 9 points per game against that competition, he is not drafted #1. My point is if he goes to an ACC or Big10 school and has an up and down season with some struggles.....it will mostly be seen as a Freshman that has a ton of room for growth, etc. etc. I doubt he would get that level of benefit of the doubt if he is less than really good at an HBCU. I personally have no issue with his choice, but I hope he was properly advised and understands his decision fully. I grasp the environment and good will he will receive in the short term, but I would think his #1 priority is getting the first big rookie contract in the NBA by being a lottery pick.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
While I do not necessarily disagree here, the main selling point for NBA scouts in this era is player project-ability, rather than individual and team performance, as Maker may be facing constant double and triple teaming (to a certain extent) virtually every night as an HBCU player.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
He can also be the focal point of the offense and exhibit skills that may otherwise get ignored in larger, more high-profile programs.
At Kentucky, Maker was most likely a 10 mpg change of pace guy. (Especially if Sarr gets eligible.) At UCLA, he'd have to compete with a ton of good players who've had a year or more of college experience. Ditto Oregon, where N'Faly Dante, a similar player, will likely be the fourth option offensively on a team that could end up being Final Four caliber.
At Howard, Maker will be the hub and unquestioned fulcrum of the offense. He won't have to work as hard defensively either. (And may see his blocked shot totals jump.)
Maybe. He's trying to recruit some other top talent to come with him. I think it would be fun to see a program like Howard have a top 10-15 team. It would make the NCAA Tournament that much more fun. If he can't bring anyone with him, it will be more like an Adonal Foyle at Colgate situation, which was also fine. Not very much success (for the team), but he still managed to have a very long and lucrative NBA career.
As for HBCU aspirations, I think they'd absolutely love to be more high profile if the opportunity presented itself. Hampton left the MEAC, for example, to try and get more exposure and improve its program. It hasn't worked out too well for them, but it suggests the not all HBCUs are just happy lingering in the MEAC and SWAC and competing for 16 seeds every few years.
I agree....and it is far more important to not expose what you are unable to do than it is to highlight what you can do. It may not be the smartest way to operate, but the NBA's approach to drafts has been this way for decades. Go to a place like UK or Kansas and struggle a little putting up 8-12 PPG while not being a centerpiece of the offense....and scouts will often focus on the measurements and potential assuming the program may have limited what was shown of the court.....not sure it will be viewed in that same manner at a mid major.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”― Marcus Aurelius
Could Howard be the next Gonzaga?
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