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Preseason Projections


Old Titan

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I took-in about thirty minutes of scrimmage yesterday in the practice gym at the Mabee Center.

I wish I had encouraging news, particularly about the freshmen.

Unfortunately, I do not.

Couple of bright spots:  Jurgens, the freshman 2-guard from Estonia, has a nice motor and plays older than he looks.  Resembles Grayson Allen of Duke/Utah Jazz; trying not to hold that against him.

Also, Smith, the 6-10 grad transfer from Grand Canyon, is pretty active and has some spring to him.  Carries himself like a man; might be a starter in the post in my book.

That's about it, though - hope I just caught them all on an off day...  😟

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I heard it was rough as well.  UTA plays some good pressure and we didn't handle it well.  The only solace is it's a scrimmage.. AND I heard our main returners didn't play much.  I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

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6 hours ago, ORUParentLurker said:

I heard it was rough as well.  UTA plays some good pressure and we didn't handle it well.  The only solace is it's a scrimmage.. AND I heard our main returners didn't play much.  I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

Neither was I. 

What I watched late Wednesday afternoon was an intrasquad scrimmage at the end of practice. 

But, yeah, I heard the private scrimmage vs. UTA was pretty ugly as well. 

They play Arkansas-Little Rock this weekend in Fort Smith.

Big Chris Miller was conspicuously absent Wednesday; anyone know his status?

 

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21 hours ago, Old Titan said:

I took-in about thirty minutes of scrimmage yesterday in the practice gym at the Mabee Center.

I wish I had encouraging news, particularly about the freshmen.

Unfortunately, I do not.

Couple of bright spots:  Jurgens, the freshman 2-guard from Estonia, has a nice motor and plays older than he looks.  Resembles Grayson Allen of Duke/Utah Jazz; trying not to hold that against him.

Also, Smith, the 6-10 grad transfer from Grand Canyon, is pretty active and has some spring to him.  Carries himself like a man; might be a starter in the post in my book.

That's about it, though - hope I just caught them all on an off day...  😟

From the little I have seen I think we will be improved. A lot of new pieces though so it could take a while to get settled in.

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D.J. Weaver is supposed to be our most talented recruit....he doesn't look very good???....😮

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Freshmen are typically going to be inconsistent and will need time to adjust to D-1 basketball....

 

 

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None of the freshmen (other than Jurgens) stood out in the scrimmage that I watched; neither did Eman (which was surprising). 

The only other perimeter player I found myself noticing was the grad walk-on from Wichita State; he looks and plays pretty tough.

I really was kind of impressed by Smith from Grand Canyon.  If he can stay out of foul trouble, he could be a real diamond-in-the-rough.

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I'm getting pretty nervous about the early season for sure.  My sources have been lukewarm to say the least.  The totally heresy rumor mill, which I will shamelessly propogate for entertainment purposes only 🙂

- Lots of new guys.  Those that don't know, Mills runs a pretty complex system on both ends.  He needs guys to "get it".  And sometimes when you don't know what you're doing the effort appears to lapse.  My hunch is that's why you don't see a lot of stand outs right now.  Hopefully they start to play faster as the season progresses.

- To make matters worse, lots of injuries.  RJ is done.  Sam, Kennedy, Eman, Chris and DJ have all missed time. 

- We are also playing a whole new up tempo style.  This is great but it makes practice a grind if you don't have the bodies.   Our training staff needs to be on point.

The good news? 

I think Kaelon looks very good and will help.  That's some rare good luck since RJ is out and I'm hearing unsubstantiated rumors that Kennedy may be out as well.  Mills can't catch a break with PGs!!

Sam is solid and in great shape.  He may not ever stand out but he'll always give you big minutes, solid play and leadership.  I predict he'll be our best outside shooter this year and lead in assists again.  My biggest question on him is defense and workload.  He was second in the whole conference last year in minutes and I think he wore down.

Eman came in at 240lbs and 4% body fat.  Dude is a freak.  And the little bit I've seen says he's poised for a great season.  His shot looks a lot smoother.

Aiden and Carlos bring some nice size to the back court.  I don't know yet how "good" they are but they help upgrade the overall stature of the team for sure.  Both are 20 years old so these are not young guys.

We have several long athletic guys now.  DJ, Kevin and Kerwin.  That's cool because we'll be able to play a "small ball" style without being all that small.  I've also been impressed with Emir's mobility.  For a bigger guy he seems like a very strong team defender.  His issues have been foul trouble and finishing around the basket on offense.

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52 minutes ago, ORUParentLurker said:

I'm getting pretty nervous about the early season for sure.  My sources have been lukewarm to say the least.  The totally heresy rumor mill, which I will shamelessly propogate for entertainment purposes only 🙂

- Lots of new guys.  Those that don't know, Mills runs a pretty complex system on both ends.  He needs guys to "get it".  And sometimes when you don't know what you're doing the effort appears to lapse.  My hunch is that's why you don't see a lot of stand outs right now.  Hopefully they start to play faster as the season progresses.

- To make matters worse, lots of injuries.  RJ is done.  Sam, Kennedy, Eman, Chris and DJ have all missed time. 

- We are also playing a whole new up tempo style.  This is great but it makes practice a grind if you don't have the bodies.   Our training staff needs to be on point.

The good news? 

I think Kaelon looks very good and will help.  That's some rare good luck since RJ is out and I'm hearing unsubstantiated rumors that Kennedy may be out as well.  Mills can't catch a break with PGs!!

Sam is solid and in great shape.  He may not ever stand out but he'll always give you big minutes, solid play and leadership.  I predict he'll be our best outside shooter this year and lead in assists again.  My biggest question on him is defense and workload.  He was second in the whole conference last year in minutes and I think he wore down.

Eman came in at 240lbs and 4% body fat.  Dude is a freak.  And the little bit I've seen says he's poised for a great season.  His shot looks a lot smoother.

Aiden and Carlos bring some nice size to the back court.  I don't know yet how "good" they are but they help upgrade the overall stature of the team for sure.  Both are 20 years old so these are not young guys.

We have several long athletic guys now.  DJ, Kevin and Kerwin.  That's cool because we'll be able to play a "small ball" style without being all that small.  I've also been impressed with Emir's mobility.  For a bigger guy he seems like a very strong team defender.  His issues have been foul trouble and finishing around the basket on offense.

Nice post. Early season will be tough for sure in my opinion. Your point about Kearns is very true. one of those under the radar guys who gets his job done I am positive he will be a large worry on every coach's scouting report because of his consistency. Hopefully Kaelon will be able to help in a substantial way because part of Kearns defensive struggles may come from the extremely large workload he had to carry in his first year playing division 1 ball. Eman has always had a God gifted body. I think his key is going to be functional strength because he has not been very smooth as an athlete so it is good to hear that hes beginning to look like a lot more in control. Credit to the training staff and the weight room for the improvements on all the guys bodies this year. Conference will be very interesting I am predicting a higher finish than most expect somewhere in the 4 or 5 range but maybe im just too optimistic. 

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Geez.....TheEagleman is getting more and more depressed every time I read something about this ORU team....injuries...guys not picking up the offense...guys not able to play the defense....Coach Mills in a head on collision.....what's next?......all I can say is that 8 days from now take Missouri State and lay the points....I was going to hold off until the weekend but have  to project  the final over/under for Wins for ORU this season at 11.5.....and TheEagleman is inclined right now to take the Under.....ugh!....:tb-blue:

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1 hour ago, theeagleman5 said:

Geez.....TheEagleman is getting more and more depressed every time I read something about this ORU team....injuries...guys not picking up the offense...guys not able to play the defense....Coach Mills in a head on collision.....what's next?......all I can say is that 8 days from now take Missouri State and lay the points....I was going to hold off until the weekend but have  to project  the final over/under for Wins for ORU this season at 11.5.....and TheEagleman is inclined right now to take the Under.....ugh!....:tb-blue:

I"m not one for making predictions.  But I do see a lot more winnable games on the schedule this season.  The reality is we were competitive in all non-P8 games last year with a very limited lineup (especially early).   The roster is clearly stronger this season and I've been pretty impressed with the two new coaches as well.  Eventually all that is going to lead to wins.  The only question is when?

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Well, oh that is a deep subject. If I can stay awake, I will be at the Mabee Center tonight to see what is and what is not. Hopefully, I can be fair in assessing the team at this early stage. From OT to ORU Parent Lurker, the team is sure to fall somewhere in all that assessment. I don't doubt we are young, but I also know the team has proven players in Eman, Kerns, Almedic, and Miller. I will give my perspective hopefully and try not to overassess. Pray that I will hold out to the end! 

Go GoldORU GRADen Eagles

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Mabee Madness TONIGHT!

Mabee Madness TONIGHT!
Oct 29, 2018
 

TULSA, Okla. - ORU will host Mabee Madness Monday night, October 29, with an action-packed event that includes men's and women's basketball scrimmages, a dance contest, a dunk contest and a student half-court shot for $1,000 cash.

Get a look at your 2018-19 ORU basketball teams and join the fun at the Mabee Center beginning at 10 p.m.

Schedule of Events
- March to the Mabee
- Basketball Team Introductions
- Welcome, Fight Song, Spirit Sprint,
   Chants and Cheers
- Fan Volleyball
- 3-Point Contest
- Women's Basketball Scrimmage
- Dance Contest
- Dunk Contest
    - Go to @ORUAthletics on Twitter to vote
    - Polls will open once the contest begins
- Men's Basketball Scrimmage
- Student Half Court Shot for $1,000
- The "Presidential Pardon" Half Court Shot
- Meet and Greet

For the latest information on ORU Athletics, follow @ORUAthletics on Twitter or Instagram or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the Golden Eagles by downloading the ORU Athletics Front Row App at ORUAthletics.com/frontrow or the ORU Golden Eagles Live App in iTunes or the Google Play Store.

--- #GoldenStandard ---

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Man I wish I did not live about 1,000 miles from Mabee.  I would love to be there.  Thanks for all of the updates from the "locals".  Please continue to keep us informed.  Go Golden Eagles!

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The event last evening saw very little of basketball and a whole lot of hype for the students. I would estimate 3500 plus students with the Euro players taking the 3- point and dunk contest. The Women's basketball team saw Rylie Torrey very impressive with over 5 minutes of the ten total very sloppy play. They worked on full-court pressure which created most of that type of play. For the men, Carlos Jürgens showed why he may be a starting guard with excellent shooting ability and very smooth on the court. I stayed for the men's game but they were just having fun and no offense or defense. Kerns is most likely the point starter and after that, it is strictly guesswork. The team does have quickness and with the frontcourt size, we could be better than last year. Sorry, but I came away pretty empty and still not having a handle on this team. One thing I did pick up on is they seem to be coming together as a team chemistry wise with not much individualism.  At least that is the persona that was perceived. One big mystery!

Note: If scouts were there, it was a bad night for them!!ORU GRAD

Enjoy!

 

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