Please give me the latest on Owens coming back.

[HoyaSouth]

I haven't heard or seen the latest. Is he on schedule to get another year of eligibility? I hope so.

[SFHoya99]

TBD, as far as anyone outside of the program can tell.

[jerseyhoya34]

HoyaSouth said:

I haven't heard or seen the latest. Is he on schedule to get another year of eligibility? I hope so.

Nice to see you on the boards, HoyaSouth. I hope you are safe and sound wherever your travels have brought you.

[HoyaSouth]

I think Owens could have a stellar year next year if he manages to come back.

[Gtown4Life]

personally, i wouldnt mind if he didnt come back and we start cook crawford bowman green and hibbert. I like that lineup though DJ would provide great leadership and experience aswell as scoring to the lineup.

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

JTIII seemed pretty non-committal in the hoya article on the outcome of scholarships for both Wallace & Owens. I think someone has it posted on another thread.

[1803]

If I were Owens I would be doing all I could to come back for another year. He shot the ball extremely well from distance towards the end of the year. If he can do that next year, he may convince an NBA Team to take a flier on him in the second round, and if not he could set himself up for a lucrative career playing overseas. Plus he would get a free year of graduate school out of the deal, something a lot of alums would certainly like a shot at.

[HoyaFanNY]

i am more of an nba player than owens. for most of the season he was the 4th option on the team offensively. you guys are letting a few good games over shadow the 20 something crap games he played previously.

[KHoyaNYC]

Ownes should come back for one more year and try and position himself to play pro overseas.

[RDF]

Maybe I'm viewing things in minority about future of players but I could care about NBA and all I want is what helps make GU a better team. If Owens wants to return and can play to the level he did down the stretch, that would help the team and I'm for it. If he plays as he did most of the season/and his career where he'd be passive and inconsistent, I think he should move on.

I appreciate the effort over a career, but as a fan I want to see Hoyas do well and if that means we take a newcomer who's got potential over someone who's had his chance so be it. If that means Staff invites Darrel back and thinks he'll be a fine addition and help then fine by me as well.

Sometimes I think we get too enamored with analyzing Pro Potential in College Athletes and need to realize, it's NOT a College Coach's job to develop NBA prospects. It's their job to build a team who can win College games and make those players better during their stay at the University. If they have NBA potential, Staff needs to make them better. If not, then it's not end of world and doesn't mean you can't win. There's only basketball and role players are just as important as "Elite" players. So whatever happens with roster, I'm for it if it helps GU Basketball. Whatever happens to kids after that is on them and their work ethic as Professional Sports is a whole different level.

[MCIGuy]

Months ago JT said on his show that if Owens actually decided to rebound and do all the other things he would be in the NBA. Obviously he knew he had the ability but its all about production on the court.


Though DJ is my favorite player I'm abivalent on the whole issue of his return. During the mid stretch run throughout the BE when he did not much of anything I was content with the fact that this would be his last season. But that end stretch run against quality competition was the best run he has ever had at GU which makes you wonder it it will carry over. Obviously anyone who is that size that can shoot like he can is valuable. But will he show up?

In 2003-2004 he started off the season well only to disappear a few games into the BE stretch (with a rare exception or two).

In 2004-2005 he had a very good run at the beginning of the season and a near great run at the end of the season.

So perhaps he is inching closer to having a consistently good season throughout. 2005-2006 may finally be the time in which he lives up to his potential.

[Filthyhoya]

There should only be one reason Owens isn't back next year and it's Rush's signed LOI to attend G'town. He is the only one worthy in my opinion to take DJ's spot on the roster next year.

[the_way]

Filthyhoya said:

There should only be one reason Owens isn't back next year and it's Rush's signed LOI to attend G'town. He is the only one worthy in my opinion to take DJ's spot on the roster next year.

I disagree. With DJ you know what you are getting. Every Rush player has been overhyped. Unless Rush is 7'0 tall, or is of Carmelo Anthony/Lebron James stature, keep DJ. Neither is the case. I'd take DJ over the overrated Rush any day.

[TBird41]

Filthyhoya said:

There should only be one reason Owens isn't back next year and it's Rush's signed LOI to attend G'town. He is the only one worthy in my opinion to take DJ's spot on the roster next year.

Agreed. If the coaches don't take DJ back, it better b/c they're bringing a Top 5 recruit. And in this case, it's Rush, who has some serious potential. Which, if you think about it, is what Owens has--potential. IF he plays like he did at the end of year, he'll be good. IF Rush plays up to his ranking, he'll be good.

They both have potential. But no one besides Rush (or maybe the big guy from the Idaho JC) has the potential that Owens does for next year and therefore that schollie better go to one of those three.

[SirSaxa]

Isn't it clear -- if we read what JT3 said, and watch what has happened in recruiting -- that if there is an open schollie, DJ will be back. If there isn't, he won't.

As for his contributions, most of us have known he has tremendous physical talent. But he has been very sporadic in his production. If his performance at the end of this season means he has finally matured -- because of experience, JT3 coaching, change of his mindset, new confidence, chemistry with his new teammates, whatever -- and he has finally realized just how good he can be, then he could be a HUGE contributor to our Hoyas next season. Knowing the offense and defense, a 5th year senior, a guy who has played in the Big East for three seasons... that is valuable.

But T3 is building a program. If he needs those schollie slots to bring in talent for the future and/or we have few or no transfers, then DJ won't be here.

There is so much going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. And T3 knows full well we really need some help at the 4/5. No matter how much weight training, work on fundamentals, tape watching, game playing goes on this summer, and no matter how good Jeff and Roy are by the start of next season, they are only two guys. And there is really no one else to provide the size and play those positions. Thus no depth, no way to spell those guys, no one to step in when they have a few fouls, and no way they can play as aggressively as they need to.

[SFHoya99]

the_way said:

I disagree. With DJ you know what you are getting. Every Rush player has been overhyped. Unless Rush is 7'0 tall, or is of Carmelo Anthony/Lebron James stature, keep DJ. Neither is the case. I'd take DJ over the overrated Rush any day.

Just awesome. You've never seen the kid play but you completely discount him.

While Jaron was/is and alcoholic and drank himself out of basketball, Kareem was hardly overrated:

www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=RushKa01

Rush's Missouri teams went to the NCAA tournament all three years he was there. They lost in the first round to UNC (which went to the Final Four), the second round to Duke (which won the NCAAs) and in the Elite Eight to Oklahoma (which went to the Final Four - obviously).

Such an overrated player, that Kareem Rush.

As for DJ, the one thing I don't know about DJ is what I am getting. I'd love for him to be on the team next year, but I also know that DJ disappeared for half our season.

[hoopsmccan]

SFHoya - totally agree on DJ consistency. Perhaps he realized it was the end of his playing days, so that lit a fire under his ass during the BET and NIT, but for a big chunk of the season he was MIA. Remember during the beginning of the season board members were having legit DJ vs. Ross arguments, and at the time, I think support was going toward Ross (that's my memory, I could be off).

If we are talking about DJ during BE and NIT, of course I want him back. But I think the reality is, if he comes back, we will get the same talented but inconsistent player that we've had for years now. If no one else is on the horizon, then sure, let him have the scholarship. But if we can get anyone with any size (not sure who is still out there), then perhaps we should just let DJ go.

hm

[YB]

I still think that, as a senior, warts and all, he's more valuable IF BB does return as well because he'd be more productive, and less mistake-prone, than any freshman we'd have in there. He's already proven that much. We'd miss his calm, his defense, his shooting.

You can't recruit experience!