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More from Ryan today:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /810180431

I hope Calhoun can get his academics in order and play as we need all the bodies we can get. Nice to see that Brown or Thomas are not red shirting, but I had figured that anyway. Having Marschall should help us big time at the 4 spot allowing other players to shift to their more natural positions. I'm really interested in seeing Knight play more 3 to give us better match up advantages.

Clements said that Scott Thomas is one of the best offensive rebounders that he has played against. That's very interesting. I wasn't expecting Thomas, skinny and fresh out of a tiny high school league, to even vaguely resemble a rebounder, let alone an offensive rebounder. That's an unusual skill for anybody to have. Maybe he's better than I think.

He averaged 26, 10, and 5.7 points, boards and assists per game. Those numbers indicate that he got a lot of touches and made a lot of plays. Maybe he'll be part of the rotation this year? Lest I again fall prey to wishful thinking, will someone please straighten me out?

BleedOrange wrote:Clements said that Scott Thomas is one of the best offensive rebounders that he has played against. That's very interesting. I wasn't expecting Thomas, skinny and fresh out of a tiny high school league, to even vaguely resemble a rebounder, let alone an offensive rebounder. That's an unusual skill for anybody to have. Maybe he's better than I think.

He averaged 26, 10, and 5.7 points, boards and assists per game. Those numbers indicate that he got a lot of touches and made a lot of plays. Maybe he'll be part of the rotation this year? Lest I again fall prey to wishful thinking, will someone please straighten me out?

The fact that he seems to be a very good rebounder at this stage tells me he's mentally ahead of most. Yeah, he skinny no doubt but that's not the complete end all of good rebounding, knowing where to be to get those rebounds instead of just out leaping or out muscling everybody is pretty key as well. Once he does get some beef on him maybe he'll be even better. I remember Lauren Prochaska being a very good rebounding guard for us and she was basically a stick.

BleedOrange wrote:Clements said that Scott Thomas is one of the best offensive rebounders that he has played against. That's very interesting. I wasn't expecting Thomas, skinny and fresh out of a tiny high school league, to even vaguely resemble a rebounder, let alone an offensive rebounder. That's an unusual skill for anybody to have. Maybe he's better than I think.

He averaged 26, 10, and 5.7 points, boards and assists per game. Those numbers indicate that he got a lot of touches and made a lot of plays. Maybe he'll be part of the rotation this year? Lest I again fall prey to wishful thinking, will someone please straighten me out?

I have seen him play so I will go ahead and set you straight.

I could very well see him standing out as an offensive rebounder and Clements noticing it. Not in the Otis Polk or Josh Almanson kind of way though, but rather the following his shot or others shots kind of way. He is the very stereotype of a white basketball player. Very very very fundamentally sound and smart. Will find the angles and will always be hustling. For his team he was the go to guy. He played the wing but had the ball in his hands a lot and was basically a point forward. If they needed a shot, to beat pressure down the floor, anything...they looked at him. The kid will be a great utility, niche player on an athletic team. Sandwich him between Clements (A big guard) and Knight and he could start tomorrow. Put him out there next to Larson and his liabilities will be apparent from day one. He will be great off the bench because he will hit from the outside and never make mistakes with the ball. His athleticism will keep him from ever being a lock down defender but his smarts will get him a lot of steals as he canives his way into passing lanes. He won't be a guy who beats his guy to the basket, but if Darnell Brown or Jak-O are doing that then he will be a great spot up guy. The kid will be great on a good team and average on a bad team. I hope that makes sense.

In the HS game I saw he played BJ Mullens of OSU, so maybe it was different. But my guess is he was like most HS kids. Big fish in a small pond who was bigger, smarter and a little bit more athletic than everyone on the floor. Highlight smarter. He is a polished basketball player that can play valuable minutes on a veteran team. Picture a John Reimold with more athleticism and less height. He is the kind of player that would have been very nice at the 3 on the Pardon-Mcleod-Matela teams.

Globetrotter wrote:

BleedOrange wrote:Clements said that Scott Thomas is one of the best offensive rebounders that he has played against. That's very interesting. I wasn't expecting Thomas, skinny and fresh out of a tiny high school league, to even vaguely resemble a rebounder, let alone an offensive rebounder. That's an unusual skill for anybody to have. Maybe he's better than I think.

He averaged 26, 10, and 5.7 points, boards and assists per game. Those numbers indicate that he got a lot of touches and made a lot of plays. Maybe he'll be part of the rotation this year? Lest I again fall prey to wishful thinking, will someone please straighten me out?

I have seen him play so I will go ahead and set you straight.

I could very well see him standing out as an offensive rebounder and Clements noticing it. Not in the Otis Polk or Josh Almanson kind of way though, but rather the following his shot or others shots kind of way. He is the very stereotype of a white basketball player. Very very very fundamentally sound and smart. Will find the angles and will always be hustling. For his team he was the go to guy. He played the wing but had the ball in his hands a lot and was basically a point forward. If they needed a shot, to beat pressure down the floor, anything...they looked at him. The kid will be a great utility, niche player on an athletic team. Sandwich him between Clements (A big guard) and Knight and he could start tomorrow. Put him out there next to Larson and his liabilities will be apparent from day one. He will be great off the bench because he will hit from the outside and never make mistakes with the ball. His athleticism will keep him from ever being a lock down defender but his smarts will get him a lot of steals as he canives his way into passing lanes. He won't be a guy who beats his guy to the basket, but if Darnell Brown or Jak-O are doing that then he will be a great spot up guy. The kid will be great on a good team and average on a bad team. I hope that makes sense.

In the HS game I saw he played BJ Mullens of OSU, so maybe it was different. But my guess is he was like most HS kids. Big fish in a small pond who was bigger, smarter and a little bit more athletic than everyone on the floor. Highlight smarter. He is a polished basketball player that can play valuable minutes on a veteran team. Picture a John Reimold with more athleticism and less height. He is the kind of player that would have been very nice at the 3 on the Pardon-Mcleod-Matela teams.

Good stuff, Globe. Thanks.

The last two recruiting classes have been things of beauty IMO. Fundamentals, combined with athletes. And lots of them. Now we need some taller ones.

His first class was the same thing. Jaku and Cameron Madlock. Both have high floors and high ceilings. At the very least Cameron Madlock will be an athlete who can play some nice transition D. If he can develop a little his athleticism can't be matched in the big men I have seen in the MAC right now. Jaku is a true PG. At worst he will be a pass first get people involved guy who can be a glue player. You hit on one or two of these guys and we are money. Adding these classes is amazing. At some point it will look like

Jaku-Graus
Brown-Goins
Graves-Thomas
Knight-Calhoun
Madlock-McElroy

We might not have too many big boys there but those are some athletes.

Orr should successfully recruit big guys, as he was a successful NBA frontliner himself. I think his initial focus has been on general depth and athleticism. He can add a couple decent 6-8 bodies.

If you look at our current roster, you'll see more players 6-7 or taller than we've had in yeeeaaarrrrs. Polk is a big boy in any man's league. Orr will reel in more like him.

You have Calhoun at the 4 spot. Why? He seems to be more of a wing player.

BleedOrange wrote:Orr should successfully recruit big guys, as he was a successful NBA frontliner himself. I think his initial focus has been on general depth and athleticism. He can add a couple decent 6-8 bodies.

If you look at our current roster, you'll see more players 6-7 or taller than we've had in yeeeaaarrrrs. Polk is a big boy in any man's league. Orr will reel in more like him.

You have Calhoun at the 4 spot. Why? He seems to be more of a wing player.

Agreed, No place else to put him because I didnt want him to be a third stringer. With Goins being a walk on it will probably look more like....

Jaku-Graus
Graves-Brown-Goins
Calhoun/Thomas
Knight-McElroy
Madlock

How far have things changes. We probably couldn't recruit Goins a few years ago. Now he is walking on?

Its hilarious, i looked these threads up because I had thought that I pretty much nailed the kind of career Thomas had....I bombed everything else.

Look at that last thread. How many of those guys even graduated from BG? Madlock, Goins, Graves, Knight, McElroy and Graus didnt as far as I remember. I dont even know who Graus was?

Madlock didn't graduate from BG, but he's going to Cleveland and we're not.

http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/m-bask ... ron00.html