2005-06 Men's Basketball Preview

[ORUTerry]

Oral Roberts University Pre-Season Review (2005-06)

Strengths:

• Return top 5 scorers and #1 reserve player
  Team is talented and deep
  Six seniors ? Wealth of experience
  Several newcomers/red-shirt players
  Team is unselfish (led league in assists at 18.1 per game in
  2004-05)

Weaknesses:

• Lack of relative depth down low
  Loss of Luke Spencer-Gardner who was defensive stopper & leader

Team:

ORU led the league in nine statistical categories including: scoring offense, scoring defense, field goal percentage, field goal percentage-defense, rebounding margin and assists. The Golden Eagles were fifth in steals (6.88 pg) and sixth in turnover margin at -1.50 pg. The team did not rely on the 3-point shot as much last year and played better defense.

Caleb Green ? power forward (6?8?, 240 lbs)

Caleb Green is the prohibitive favorite to win Player of the Year honors again in 2005-06 and is the biggest ? but not the only ? weapon in the Golden Eagles? arsensal. He is an All-American candidate. Last year he averaged 20.2 points per game in league play (2nd) and 9.7 rebounds per game (2nd), along with a field goal percentage of 59.7% (2nd). An amazing 213 of his points (about 2/3 of his total 639) for the season came from the free throw line where he shot 75.3%. On the offensive side of the court, Green can be unstoppable down low if opponents allow him the baseline or guard him one-on-one. While he will sometimes force things with the ball when he is double-teamed, most of the time his uncanny court vision and passing ability will find the open man and make teams pay. While not the most athletic player, Green uses tenacity, strong hands and an innate knowledge of where the ball is coming down to retrieve rebounds on both sides of the court. Sources say that Green has worked hard in the off-season to perfect an 8 to 10 foot jumper to compliment his inside game and force opponents to play him away from the basket. From a scoring and rebounding perspective, Green will be a force to reckon with ? and continue to make area schools lament their misjudging his basketball skills. While Caleb improved his defensive effort and ability last season ? he was still an average low post defender at times.

Ken Tutt ? shooting guard (6?1?, 205 lbs)

Ken Tutt, who enters the season as an All-America candidate, continued to provide the Golden Eagles with offensive firepower from the perimeter, shooting 41.0% from the three-point arc in conference play. This represented a slight decline in shooting percentage from 42.3% the previous season. Last season, Tutt was not content to just shoot from beyond the three-point line, but displayed his ability to drive to the basket or pull up and shoot the mid-range jumper. At times, Ken had trouble generating shots against taller, more athletic guards. He was typically the focus of the opponent?s best defender which was a factor in his lower shooting percentage. He was also strained on the defensive side of the court against quicker, more athletic opponents. Tutt averaged an incredible 36.5 minutes per game over the season ? or bench (rest) time of only 3.5 minutes per game. In conference play he averaged 37.7 minutes per game! There were some indications that Ken tired at the end of the season ? which affected his performance. Tutt is an impassive and calm player who most of the time seems unflappable.

Larry Owens ? small forward or wing (6?7?, 210 lbs)

Larry Owens is arguably the most athletic and exciting player on the ORU squad. He can jump out of the gym and run the court like a gazelle?. He can also find himself out of position on defense and confused on offense. Owens started the season last year as a highly touted junior college player from Arizona. He started the season slowly as he tried to find his place on an established lineup. Larry seemed to defer on offense to Tutt and Green and had trouble at times defensively ? trying to overplay and consequently find himself out of position, Owens had a couple of stellar games early and settled back into a routine of trying to find his niche. Towards the end of the season he seemed to loosen up a bit and played a little more under control and in synch on offense, averaging 10.6 points per game. Larry is an unselfish player who is an accomplished passer (3.2 assists per game) as well as an aggressive rebounder (7.4 rebounds per game). His one true weakness is his free throw shooting where he shot only 47.7% for the year. Let?s hope he spent a good part of the summer at the free throw line shooting baskets.

Owens, true to a typical junior college player, took most of the year to acclimate himself to the speed and athleticism of D-1 basketball, as well as overcome some bad defensive habits. Look for Larry to have a breakout year this coming season as he compliments the talents of Tutt and Green. His athleticism and ability to drive to the basket from the wing create match-up problems for most opponents.

Jonathan Bluitt ? point guard (5?9?, 185 lbs)

Jonathan Bluitt is the court leader and ?quarterback? for the team. His enthusiasm and court demeanor serve as a catalyst that propels his teammates forward. This year he will be the undisputed point guard (last year he shared duties with Luke Spencer-Gardner); he averaged 6.6 assists per game with a 3.1 turnover ratio, while scoring 8.0 points per game. Bluitt?s speed and quickness can disrupt an opponent?s rythym and his ability to find the open man (usually Caleb Green) is a potent weapon. Jonathan can keep teams honest if they sag off of him by shooting from the perimeter (37.8% from the three point line) and can make them pay if they foul him (83.7% from the free throw line).

Bluitt?s weakness is his lack of stature; other teams can take advantage of his 5?9? size and have their taller perimeter player either post him up on the block or shoot over him from the outside. ORU tries to cope by sliding someone over to help, but this creates its own situation. Bluitt seemed to adjust to this better last year; it is just something that goes with being small. The team will only perform as well as Bluitt runs the offense. His ability to find the open man and get him the ball will go long way towards making the Golden Eagles successful.

Mickey Michalec ? center (6?11?, 280 lbs)

Mickey Michalec, a transfer from Texas-Tech, provided size and bulk down last year. His large frame and aggressive attitude & emotional leadership provided a spark when he entered the game. Like Larry Owens, Michalec started a bit slowly, but progressed and improved as the season wore on. He was arguably the most improved player from beginning to end last season. Averaging only 18.6 minutes a contest, Mickey contributed 8.6 points per game along with 6.3 rebounds. While not overly athletic, Michalec provides scoring punch either under the basket or hitting mid-range buckets that pull the post players away from the basket. He has good hands for a big man and plays decent defense. Mickey?s stamina was limited last year and he has difficulty playing against smaller, more athletic players.

Andrew Meloy (6?5?, 195 lbs)

Andrew Meloy had a breakout season last year ? his fifth at ORU. The 6?5? guard/forward has been plagued with numerous injuries during his career, including recurring back problems ? which limited his playing time. Last season, he came into his ostensible senior year with a mission and determination to prove himself. Meloy lost weight, added muscle and was in the best shape of his career?. And then he got hurt missing several games early in the season. We had always been told that Meloy could shoot well ? in practice, but that he was slow and as a result had trouble getting his shot off and defending on the perimeter. That is still essentially true, but what we (and the coaches) found out is that when Andrew came into the game ? good things generally happened because of his frenetic intensity. His stats: 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game belie the impact he had on certain games. He was around the ball making timely rebounds, passes or shots when they were needed. He also played within himself ? displaying the maturity of a 5th year senior. An argument can be made that he was a vital part of the squad during the last part of the season. The surprise is that he has been granted an additional (6th!) season based on a hardship ruling for an injury earlier in his career. The question is whether Meloy will bring the same intensity to this season that he had last year. He was accepted into law school at Tulsa University and now has to switch gears for a (2nd) final season. Let?s hope he can repeat last year?s Cinderella season.

Chris Riouse (6?2?, 200lbs)

Chris Riouse was a sporadically used junior college shooting guard who averaged 5.2 ppg (shooting 53.3% from the 3-point line) while playing 10.3 minutes per game. He is an obvious offensive weapon given his shooting ability, but his limited mobility and lack of quickness prevented him from playing a lot of minutes. He had two games where he scored ORU-career highs of 21 points, shooting a collective 12 of 16 from the 3-point line. What was not widely known, is that Chris had a chronic injury with his shins (causing his lack of mobility) that was not diagnosed until last Fall when he joined the team. He spent the off-season in rehabilitation and generally keeping away from putting stress on his legs/shins. The hope is that he will return this year healthier than he has been in years ? and able to more significantly contribute. The team can use his shooting ability.

Moses Ehambe (6?5?, 215 lbs)

Moses Ehambe is a sleek, athletic forward or swing man who averaged 7.4 minutes per game, while scoring 1.9 ppg and gathering 1.7 rpg as a freshman. He improved as the year went along and as he acclimated to Division 1 basketball. Ehambe played with a lot of passion and confidence; he never seemed to hesitate to take an open shot. He is a tremendous leaper (was a high jumper in high school) and crashed the boards with enthusiasm. The coaches expect to see Moses compete for playing time this year given his athleticism and talent; he has grown an inch over the summer (is now 6?6?) and worked on improving his jump shot. Fans will look back and lament that he was not red-shirted last season.

Eric Fowlkes (6?4?, 210 lbs)

Eric Fowlkes is a returning red-shirt player who sat out last year with a shoulder injury. He is a very versatile and athletic player who can play several positions, including point guard, shooting guard and small forward. Eric is a great leaper and can score off the dribble (slasher). In his first year with ORU, Fowlkes averaged 16.9 minutes while scoring 4.4 ppg and 2.8 rpg, along with 1.3 assists per game and a 2.3 turnover ratio. He is a decent jump shooter (50.0% fg%) but did not shoot many 3-pointers. Look for Eric to play several positions as the need arises, including relief efforts for Jonathan Bluitt at point guard.

Yemi Ogunoye (6?9?, 210 lbs)

Yemi Ogunoye is also a returning red-shirt player (2nd time) who sat out last season with a back injury. Yemi is also a versatile player, but will be counted on to provide minutes down low. He has grown and worked hard to develop his post skills. Yemi is athletic and a good leaper. His long arms and leaping ability should help him block or alter shots. In the past he has been good at disrupting passing lanes ? especially in a pressure trap. ORU needs Yemi to stay healthy to provide depth in the post position.

The next four players are new to the program; three are freshmen and the fourth is a transfer student.

Daren Jordan (6?0?, 170 lbs)

Daren Jordan is an incoming freshman who is expected to contribute at point guard this year in a back-up role for Jonathan Bluitt. Last year, as a senior at Trevor Browne High School, Jordan averaged 5.0 assists per game while also scoring 20 ppg.

Marchello Vealy (6?7?, 215 lbs)

Marchello Vealy is a heralded (Oklahoma Player of the Year) incoming freshman who led his team to a state champions two years in a row, while averaging 17.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg. He is a tall, lean player who is comfortable on the perimeter or down on the post. Vealy is an explosive leaper and runs the court very good for a big man. While he is a very skilled player for an incoming high school player, there is an outside chance that he could be re-shirted given the amount of talent ORU has at small forward/wing position.

Sylvester Spicer (6?6?, 220 lbs)

Sylvester Spicer is a raw, unheralded small forward from Texas who played for South Oak Cliff High School ? the 4A state champions. His high school stats are unimpressive (7 ppg and 5 rpg), but he played behind a very good player which limited his minutes. Spicer a very athletic player who needs some seasoning. The coaches have been very pleased with his development over the summer and see him as a very nice pickup. That said, he is a prime candidate for red-shirting this year.

Adam Liberty (6?2?, 170 lbs)

Adam Liberty is a Sophomore red-shirt transfer from Wichita State University, where he started all 32 games last year as point guard. He will sit out this year, but have two seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2006-07. Liberty was originally recruited by ORU before he chose WSU. He averaged 2.4 ppg last season along with 2.9 assists per game. Liberty?s strength is distributing the ball and strong perimeter defense. The coaches are thrilled to have him on the team and expect him to be a major contributor next year.

Keys to the season:

1. Team cohesiveness. The team returns almost all of the squad from last year and also adds two medical red-shirts players. The coaches must get the players to buy into a team approach and not worry about playing time. This squad is talented and deep? this gives Coach Sutton available options but the players must accept their roles for the good of the team. This group of players seem to get along quite well and has historically worked together very well.

2. Focus. The team and coaches must maintain focus ? during each game as well as over the course of a long season. The defensive effort last year improved from past seasons and in order to be successful, that must continue. This collection of players will normally have no problems generating offense, but defense wins championships.

3. As always, injuries could have a big impact on the season. Given the team?s relative lack of depth in the post, the Golden Eagles can ill afford any losses down low.

Projected Starting Lineup

Point Guard ? Jonanthan Bluitt

Shooting Guard ? Ken Tutt

Small Forward/Wing ? Larry Owens

Power Forward ? Caleb Green

Center ? Mickey Michalec

2nd Team

Point Guard - Eric Fowlkes or Daren Jordan

Shooting Guard - Chris Riouse or Eric Fowlkes

Small Forward ? Andrew Meloy or Moses Ehambe or Eric Fowlkes or Marchello Vealy

Power Forward ? Yemi Ogunoye

Center ? Yemi Ogunoye