Ok, I know that it is a bit of a knee jerk reaction after a big win last night, but let's revisit the talent on this roster. There have been a large number of posts, in recent weeks, about how this roster is nearly devoid of Big 12 level talent, but I am going to disagree. I am not going to go into detail on guys who are gone after this season, because I am more interested in discussing what our chances are to make some serious noise next season, and interested in discussing what Ford's replacement is going to have to work with. I think most posters will agree that Newberry and Olivier are guys who should be in a Big 12 rotation. Allen is at least good enough to be used situationally for 10 minutes per game.
Evans: This one is obvious. Special player. Best OSU PG in over 15 years. Maybe the best ever. The question with him is quickly becoming how long will he stay at OSU? Assuming he continues to play as well as recent games, I am pretty sure he would be drafted if he left after this season. Staying at OSU for another year or two would likely allow him to move up into the lottery.
Hammonds: This kid is a bit of an enigma. He has some talent and athleticism but is frustrating to watch. I have concluded that his biggest issue is that he needs to play with some fire. I don't know if I am the only one who caught this in the KU game, but there were 2 plays in the second half where he went to help Ellis up after Ellis fell beneath OSU's basket. On the first one, Ellis scored, so it was a dead ball situation. I saw him help Ellis up, and thought "that guy is the enemy. Let another KU player help him if he needs it". But, the second time it happened, Ellis missed the shot. OSU was on the fast break, but instead of 5 on 4, it ended up being 4 on 4 because Hammonds stayed at the other end to help Ellis up off the floor. I think he would be a much better player if he were to play with a chip on his shoulder. I'm just not sure he has it in him. Maybe a different coach could make it happen. But, who knows.
Carroll: This kid looks like he clearly belongs in a Big 12 rotation, and will only improve over the next 2 seasons. He has come a long way with his rebounding and his defense has improved since last season. When his 3 point shots are falling, he is a player that can be the difference in games
Shine: Prior to the last 2 games, it was easy to forget how good he looked at times last season. Last night, he was a badass. His shots were (mostly) falling. He is a strong defender and may just develop into a "stopper". He is not afraid to mix it up in the lane and will fight for rebounds or take it hard to the rim. This is the kind of guy that would be considered a "glue guy" on Eddie's teams. Not a guy who is "All Big 12", but a guy who does a little bit of everything and makes a positive impact on both sides of the court.
Griffin: Once again, not a star, but a fine backup PG. His bounce pass to Newberry was a thing of beauty last night. Eddie would have loved to have a backup PG like him on almost every one of his rosters. He should also continue to improve over the next 2 years.
Solomon: He still looks to me like his biggest deficiency is physical strength. He looked a lot better last night and was really hustling on both sides of the court. I think the potential is there for him to be an above average Big 12 post player if he can just get stronger and develop some confidence.
Burton: I think I like this kid a lot more than Ford does. I would give him more minutes. He continues to shoot over 40% from 3 and showed last night that he is not afraid to drive. Defense and rebounding are an issue, but he certainly has a place in the rotation. The biggest issue has to do with the current roster having too many swingmen on it. Carroll and Shine are getting most of the SF minutes. Ford is playing Burton at the 4 but he is better suited for the 3.
Ibaka/Dillard: Need to see more of both of these guys before forming an opinion.
Evans: This one is obvious. Special player. Best OSU PG in over 15 years. Maybe the best ever. The question with him is quickly becoming how long will he stay at OSU? Assuming he continues to play as well as recent games, I am pretty sure he would be drafted if he left after this season. Staying at OSU for another year or two would likely allow him to move up into the lottery.
Hammonds: This kid is a bit of an enigma. He has some talent and athleticism but is frustrating to watch. I have concluded that his biggest issue is that he needs to play with some fire. I don't know if I am the only one who caught this in the KU game, but there were 2 plays in the second half where he went to help Ellis up after Ellis fell beneath OSU's basket. On the first one, Ellis scored, so it was a dead ball situation. I saw him help Ellis up, and thought "that guy is the enemy. Let another KU player help him if he needs it". But, the second time it happened, Ellis missed the shot. OSU was on the fast break, but instead of 5 on 4, it ended up being 4 on 4 because Hammonds stayed at the other end to help Ellis up off the floor. I think he would be a much better player if he were to play with a chip on his shoulder. I'm just not sure he has it in him. Maybe a different coach could make it happen. But, who knows.
Carroll: This kid looks like he clearly belongs in a Big 12 rotation, and will only improve over the next 2 seasons. He has come a long way with his rebounding and his defense has improved since last season. When his 3 point shots are falling, he is a player that can be the difference in games
Shine: Prior to the last 2 games, it was easy to forget how good he looked at times last season. Last night, he was a badass. His shots were (mostly) falling. He is a strong defender and may just develop into a "stopper". He is not afraid to mix it up in the lane and will fight for rebounds or take it hard to the rim. This is the kind of guy that would be considered a "glue guy" on Eddie's teams. Not a guy who is "All Big 12", but a guy who does a little bit of everything and makes a positive impact on both sides of the court.
Griffin: Once again, not a star, but a fine backup PG. His bounce pass to Newberry was a thing of beauty last night. Eddie would have loved to have a backup PG like him on almost every one of his rosters. He should also continue to improve over the next 2 years.
Solomon: He still looks to me like his biggest deficiency is physical strength. He looked a lot better last night and was really hustling on both sides of the court. I think the potential is there for him to be an above average Big 12 post player if he can just get stronger and develop some confidence.
Burton: I think I like this kid a lot more than Ford does. I would give him more minutes. He continues to shoot over 40% from 3 and showed last night that he is not afraid to drive. Defense and rebounding are an issue, but he certainly has a place in the rotation. The biggest issue has to do with the current roster having too many swingmen on it. Carroll and Shine are getting most of the SF minutes. Ford is playing Burton at the 4 but he is better suited for the 3.
Ibaka/Dillard: Need to see more of both of these guys before forming an opinion.
