Old Titan Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Now that National Signing Day has come and gone with hardly a whimper, I'm reminded of all the praise heaped on signee Kennedy Milton at this same time last year. He was, for all intents and purposes, the crown jewel of the 2017 signing class, as Coach Mills gushes in Milton's bio from the 2018-19 media guide: “Kennedy was the lead guard we wanted from this class since day one. His vision is exceptional, his speed is elite and his ability to run a team is impressive. He won a state championship in Texas as a sophomore, is an excellent student and a terrific young man. ORU fans will be excited to watch him play.” Fast forward one year, and we have yet to see Milton play a single minute, with rumors of a serious shoulder injury that might ruin his season. Here's what's kinda weird, though: during the EOOC pre-game health report before the TCU game, trainer John Joslin talked extensively about RJ Fuqua's hip injury, and the likelihood that he is lost for the year. He then went on to say, "But, everyone else is healthy." Why no mention of Milton's physical status? Are the reasons he hasn't played yet not limited to the training room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I heard that Milton had shoulder surgery recently. He will red-shirt this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 Thx, Terry. That's a tough break for all parties, particularly since the Golden Eagles have a walk-on starting at the point right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Brutal losing Milton and Fuqua to injuries this season....we just have very little at PG right now.....TheEagleman just can't see how this ORU team wins more than 8 or 9 games this year...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Malone looks pretty good at the point and I guess Kearns and/or Juergens can back up at point guard. Sorry to hear about Kennedy Milton. Can't really afford more injuries at guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasketballFan4Life Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Malone can more than lead the team. Look at what hes done in the tcu and byu games. I've heard that he had bigger offers than coming to ORU from leaving Wichita State and that Marshall was surprised he was leaving and had planned on putting him on scholarship and more playing time for this season. The pg spot is not the problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cornelius Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 8 hours ago, BasketballFan4Life said: Malone can more than lead the team. Look at what hes done in the tcu and byu games. I've heard that he had bigger offers than coming to ORU from leaving Wichita State and that Marshall was surprised he was leaving and had planned on putting him on scholarship and more playing time for this season. The pg spot is not the problem! Malone has been a great addition and would probably be starting at PG no matter the injury situation. It's very rare for a freshman to come in and have the ability to direct an offense at the D1 level out of high school. Malone has toughness and speed that will be a big asset in league play. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Malone's stats: https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kaelen-malone-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORU GRAD Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 After observing the game against Ecclesia the other night, I saw we have two guards that can work the point and two freshmen that earned the start the next game. DJ and Lacis were impressive (23 Pts and 17 Rebounds) along with the Euro guard who finally found his stroke. I know the competition was not there, but the experience was needed for these three freshmen. They played with such heart that I believe along with Malone, Smith, and Eman we have a good chance to improve before the conference play starts. Just my opinion. I am not drinking Kool-aid but just seeing the glass of water half full. We have a young team with no chemistry yet. I will give Mills and staff until the end of December to work out the kinks. Malone's stats suggest more playing time and possibly better coaching. Remember, Mills is not the only coach on the staff. I like our assistants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 We have 11 players able to play with Fuqua and Milton out of the lineup. Seven of the eleven are brand new to the program. It takes time to build chemistry and find the right combinations. Hopefully the guys and the coaches will persevere and have patience to let things settle out and not lose their confidence. The freshmen have to get used to the speed of D-1 basketball and all of them (freshmen & transfers) have to get used to playing together. Malone appears to be a decent point guard who is getting used to his teammates. On offense, we just need our shooters to be more consistent so that the inside game will open up.... and make free throws. Defense and rebounding are about effort. We seem to be thinking too much or unsure where/what to be/do.... which is affecting effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasketballFan4Life Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 pic.twitter.com/qzlzC5WbHw ORU Basketball @ORUMBB 13h13 hours ago How about this three game stretch for Kaelen Malone...15 assists, 3 turnovers. #ORUMBB #GoldenStandard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 Very grateful that we have Malone, and that he is performing well. That said, I still believe the injuries to Fuqua and Milton will lower the ORU season win total by at least three games, if not more. Tough losses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 23, 2018 Author Share Posted November 23, 2018 I've been touting Malone since I noticed him standing out in an otherwise lackluster inter-squad scrimmage back in October, so you don't have to convince me of his bona fides. My overarching intent in this post was to shine a light on the mercurial nature of recruiting. As Forrest Gump says, "You never know what you're gonna get". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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