ORUalum Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I'm embarrassed I forgot about Bobby Word: all he did was crack the starting line-up midway through the conference season. aren't Word's 21 starts more a product of Obi's knee, Lee's red-shirt, and Webber's poor play? if everyone is healthy, i'd be suprised if he cracked the starting lineup even a handful of times the next two years -- it's not like his stat line was overwhelming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 aren't Word's 21 starts more a product of Obi's knee, Lee's red-shirt, and Webber's poor play? if everyone is healthy, i'd be suprised if he cracked the starting lineup even a handful of times the next two years -- it's not like his stat line was overwhelming. Sutton and staff are notorious for going with experience over potential, especially early in the season. They know what they can expect from Bobby, at least based on last season, and they seemed to really like him, consistently sticking with him even after Jackson came back from injury late in the year. Like I said, who knows who will start in the backcourt for ORU in November, but Word is unquestionably in the mix. If I had to guess, here's ORU's starting line-up in November: Point: Singleton Guard: Emegano Guard: Bilbury Forward: Conley Forward: Henderson First guard off the bench: Word First post off the bench: Owens Reserves who will see minutes, in order: Lee, Wilson, Harris (if eligible), Webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 i'm not so sure Word will be the first guard off the bench, more likely a PG will be with Korey and Obi logging a lot of minutes. Korey and Obi will play 30+ minutes, so that will leave less than 20 minutes a game for Word, Lee, Webber, and Harris. the 40 point guard minutes will go to some mixture of Singleton, Lee, and Young. how will Word handle a reduced role the next 2 years after so many starts last year? to my thinking, his high minutes as a freshman were a product of circumstance rather than superb play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 i'm not so sure Word will be the first guard off the bench, more likely a PG will be with Korey and Obi logging a lot of minutes. Korey and Obi will play 30+ minutes, so that will leave less than 20 minutes a game for Word, Lee, Webber, and Harris. the 40 point guard minutes will go to some mixture of Singleton, Lee, and Young. how will Word handle a reduced role the next 2 years after so many starts last year? to my thinking, his high minutes as a freshman were a product of circumstance rather than superb play. A lot of it will depend on whether Singleton can knock down an open 3. Word can shoot, albeit a little streakily (is that a word?) Would expect to more likely see Word on the floor when ORU faces a zone, or simply needs some instant offense (which they will, since no one in my suggested starting five is what I would call a great - or even consistently good - outside shooter). Also, while Word got burned a lot on freshman mistakes defensively, he can flat-out move his feet when guarding someone. He has the potential to be a lockdown defender, with added experience and physical strength. We have no idea yet if Lee or Young can/will guard anyone 20 feet from the basket. But we do know this from previous history: if they can't, they won't play much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Henderson a starter?....ugh..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Henderson a starter?....ugh..... Look back at how he was playing before he became ineligible. Don't be surprised when he averages 10-and-8 this year - dude's a man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 TheEagleman would take 10 and 8 from our center.....and yeah, we will need a wide body in the Summit League next season.....still, I am hoping that the new big kid Owens can give ORU some valuable minutes.....with the way that Henderson racks up the fouls....he will have to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUIllini Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Let's hope Henderson learned a lesson last year and makes it a priority to keep up his academic performance......has anyone heard the status of Obi and his number of eligible years left? It would be a shame if last year counted as a whole year for him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Maybe ORU can get Obi on the 6-year plan like Rod Pearson.....we need all the help we can get!.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 OT: you seem pretty high on Owens. Any insight on what we should expect from AO during his freshman campaign? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 I know the coaches are high on him, so that's something. Physically, he may remind locals of Shaq Morris, the kid from Edmond that ORU lost in the last minute to Wichita State. Offensively, not as polished as Shaq, but a thick body with a wide wingspan. Another similar body type: Terrell Parks at Western Illinois. Remember how he disrupted things in the middle? Owens could be the shot-blocking, "clogging" presence in the paint that's been missing since DBH left. Hopefully, he can can help cut down on the lay-up drill that was ORU's interior defense the past two seasons. The typical problem with a freshman big men is staying out of foul trouble, especially if he's from a small and/or private high school program where he might not have seen a lot of other big post players. Time will tell, but at the bare minimum this year he represents a big, athletic body to throw out there to rebound and bang. Always good to have one (or more) of those, and if he can score: even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 are any of the "insiders" hearing any summer buzz on the new guys -- Young, Harris, Owens, or even Lee? are any thought to be immediate impact players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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