Olaseni

[theboat]

Oh redhawk, you're incorrigible.

[tednugentfan]

Anything we get from Olaseni this year is a bonus. McCaffrey hyped him too much, which created unrealistic expectations. I was not a fan of the Olaseni offer, as we had (and still have) more immediate needs. Developing a guy like Olaseni is great if you can wait 2-3 years for some contributions, but we are still getting abused down low against good teams. Flashes like last night give me hope that it is more a confidence issue than completely lacking skills. He is quick to the rim, does a nice job of finding his guy and blocking out and has a nice touch. Maybe I am grasping for straws here, but our defense is still bad and blocking or altering a couple shots a game could really help.

[SheagleHawk]

Garbage time or not, what I found encouraging was the comfort level he showed in a game. He hasn't looked like that at all. This was a step we were waiting to see out of him and he will be able to grow and learn from that. He will be getting some solid minutes this year.

He's barely getting decent minutes against some of the worst teams in the country. You really think he's going to get "solid minutes" when the conference play starts in the top bball conference in the nation when Fran is trying to take the next step forward with the program? Highly doubt it. He might come in for a few mins here and there to give a breather to Woody or when in dire need due to foul troubles, but solid minutes this year he will not see. Herby's obsession with Gabe is a bit ridiculous.

[HawkStrand]

I don't think anyone is trashing the kid...just being honest. He shouldn't be playing basketball for a high major team. That's just the bottom line. If you can't see that you have no clue about basketball.

It's okay to say that too. Most high major teams have guys on the team that really shouldn't have gotten a scholarship. Olaseni is just one of those guys.

I don't get it: Herb's optimism seems understandably pro-Iowa/hopeful that Oleseni really is improving, and GhostBone's pessimism seems, well, blunt--perhaps it's accurate ... But instead of a continuum (the glass is half empty/half full, but we can all agree there's bourbon in the glass), I *do* see some bashing of a teenager, here and--frankly--bashing a fellow Iowa-fan for his fanaticism. I like the Koolaid. Our impeding losses are enough curative. In the glass I see, we are headed upward. Drink up.

[ssckelley]

Anything we get from Olaseni this year is a bonus. McCaffrey hyped him too much, which created unrealistic expectations. I was not a fan of the Olaseni offer, as we had (and still have) more immediate needs. Developing a guy like Olaseni is great if you can wait 2-3 years for some contributions, but we are still getting abused down low against good teams. Flashes like last night give me hope that it is more a confidence issue than completely lacking skills. He is quick to the rim, does a nice job of finding his guy and blocking out and has a nice touch. Maybe I am grasping for straws here, but our defense is still bad and blocking or altering a couple shots a game could really help.

I disagree, Fran was desperate for a big man and he was swinging and missing on most of the ones he went after in that class. If Woodbury had not signed here you would have seen a much bigger role for Olaseni. Fran is using him every chance he can get to help his development and confidence. While most players at this level have been playing basketball their entire life Olaseni first started playing 5 years ago.

[SheagleHawk]

I disagree, Fran was desperate for a big man and he was swinging and missing on most of the ones he went after in that class. If Woodbury had not signed here you would have seen a much bigger role for Olaseni. Fran is using him every chance he can get to help his development and confidence. While most players at this level have been playing basketball their entire life Olaseni first started playing 5 years ago.

If Adam wouldn't have signed with Iowa you would've seen a relentless Fran trying to find another big man. No way would he have relied on Gabe. No way.

[SirJamaLot]

Unlike some previous Hawk BB coaches players actually improve under Fran, cut Gabe some slack and hope with hard work that we have two very very tall beasts in the paint next yr! Go Hawkeyes

[ssckelley]

I don't disagree Sheagle, but even if he had signed another big man I doubt he would have had the skills of Woodbury and Olaseni may still have gotten a bigger role on this team. Had Woodbury not signed here I doubt Meyer would have redshirted.

It is a shame Olaseni was needed last year as he could have benefited from a redshirt.

[SheagleHawk]

I don't disagree Sheagle, but even if he had signed another big man I doubt he would have had the skills of Woodbury and Olaseni may still have gotten a bigger role on this team. Had Woodbury not signed here I doubt Meyer would have redshirted.

It is a shame Olaseni was needed last year as he could have benefited from a redshirt.

Agreed. Misconstrued your post; my apologies. Have you seen Meyer play at all? Did he really need the redshirt, or is Fran trying to space some guys out?

[ssckelley]

Agreed. Misconstrued your post; my apologies. Have you seen Meyer play at all? Did he really need the redshirt, or is Fran trying to space some guys out?

Perhaps, but if he needed to space some guys out Olaseni could have benefited from the redshirt as well. But Olaseni is further along than Meyer and he will benefit from the redshirt.

[DuffMan]

11 min. 8 points 9 rebounds and 2 blks. still perfect from the FT Line on the young season 2 games ago 4-4 and tonight game 2-2 for 8-8 after 9 games avg 1.1 bpg with a total of 10 blocks, Basabe had 36 total last season.

Hes not good. No double double.

[wundergrape]

I don't think anyone is trashing the kid...just being honest. He shouldn't be playing basketball for a high major team. That's just the bottom line. If you can't see that you have no clue about basketball.

It's okay to say that too. Most high major teams have guys on the team that really shouldn't have gotten a scholarship. Olaseni is just one of those guys.

Well, that's wrong. I'm not all redhautistic on this issue, but I can predict with a reasonable amount of certainty that by the end of his career, Gabe will be seen as a good Big Ten player. I think you represent a minority with this opinion, Gohawks.

[wundergrape]

I know everyone is cheering for Gabe, but you got to go by the numbers here people. How often do you see a guy average 1 point and 2 rebounds in his second year turn out to be a solid contributor down the road? Keep in mind the competition Iowa has played so far minus the WSU and VaTech games have rivaled some high school teams.

I'm sure there have been times where a guy has blown up between his sophomore and senior year, but it doesn't happen too often. You can pretty much tell how good the player is going to be from the minute they arrive on campus for basketball.

See: Withey, Jeff

[GhostofBTT]

See: Withey, Jeff

Yeah, but Withey was a top 30 recruit who played behind Cole Aldrich and the Morris Twins his first two years. He wasn't a project, he was sitting behind three big men who now play in the NBA.

Olesani plays behind Zach McCabe.

Apples, meet oranges.

[wundergrape]

Question asked, question answered, Ghost. If you watched any KU basketball during Withey's first two years, you know that Withey wouldn't have sniffed the floor even if there weren't bodies in front of him. He was awful.

Likewise, you need look no further than our own Brad Lohaus, Les Jepson, JR Koch and Erek Hansen for examples of centers who started as scrubs and ended up with post-senior season honors.

I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just saying there's no reason why it can't. Gabe's freakishly talented.