Is the day of the big man over?

[tmh8286]

I spoke with a friend this morning who I think of as very knowledgeable about basketball. We were talking about how ORU will do as far as recruiting now that they've reached the NCAA tournament, and I commented that I thought we needed to find a big body to replace Mickey.

He responded, "I disagree with you there", and proceeded to explain that he thinks that the days of the big body to plug up the middle of the lane are over.

His point was that the big men being recruited to major programs are tall but quick and athletic. He used Joakim Noah of Florida as an example of the direction that big men were going. I asked, what about LSU's Glen Davis, to which he replied that although he had a big body, he was still quick, agile, and could score inside or outside.

If all of that is the case, then maybe Shawn King is just the person we need, especially in a league that lacks big men but has a lot of athleticism.

Anybody have a different opinion?

[ORU Eli]

I agree.

Not too many Shaqs or Ludwigs floating around.

[EasyTELGuy]

I think your friend has got a point tmh. If you look at the teams going deep in the tourney - LSU, UCLA, Florida, even George Mason, they've got a balance of decent shooting from the outside but size AND athleticism underneath! I like Shawn King for this reason! It's also the reason that I'd like us to fill one of those 2 spots left with an athletic post player to replace LO! Hazell may fit that a bit, but to go to the next level, we need another 6'8 - 9" guy that can play well defenisively but also score at the other end. Perhaps Yemi can work on his offensive game in the off-season???