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Post by hoyaatheart55 on Jul 6, 2023 15:23:04 GMT -5
And thus why the comp I made...not overly athletic but highly skilled. Sounds like another past Hoya, Jessie Govan!!! Jessie was a very good college player Wonder what Jessie could have become with good coaching |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 15:27:35 GMT -5
Taller than O. Better rim protector than O and seems better capable at switching. Finishes through context better than Othella. Much better passer than O. Can go over both shoulders better than O. Has even better hands than O. Doesn’t need to gather or over-pump to get off his shots next to the basket unlike O often did. Othella remains one of my all time Hoya faves and I frankly thought JT didn’t use him properly. He needed to be a PF working on his face up game and paired next to a long five (Rasheed Wallace would have been perfect if he picked the Hoyas). I think Othella’s rebounding numbers were outstanding in high school but it did not translate to that level of dominance in college. In short Sorber does not remind me of Othella at all. Agree to disagree MCI. Othella averaged 27 points, 25 board, and 6 blocks per game in Jackson, MS while having the offense run through him at the HS level. Theres a great NYT write-up from 1992 that you can find on the interwebs. He was a mid athlete, but had soft hands and constantly improving footwork. He and Sorber are an inch apart in height. O was a better rim protector in HS than Sorber. And his wide body frame allowed him to absorb contact, although as his career unfolded and his lack of size and lack of footspeed played a more prominent role, his faceup game became the priority. Exactly what Sorber and his coaches are now emphasizing for similar reasons. At the end of the day, if Sorber ended up being a late 1st round NBA pick and would have a 12 year NBA career I think all parties would sign up for that. But getting back on thread, Sorber is a very talented big that will earn minutes (like Big O) from day 1 and excited to see him continue to grow his game this season. Othella’s numbers in high school NEVER translated to college. That’s a point I already made.. For example he rarely had double digits in rebounds while at GU despite putting up Rodman-like numbers in high school. That’s just a reality. I could tell my perception of O was probably going to be different from reality when I first saw him play live in an actual game: The McDonalds All American game when he played alongside Jason Kidd and Corliss Williamson. The initial thing I noticed was that he was nowhere near 6’10. I tried to convince myself it was just the camera angle (something I would do for the next couple of years) but he didn’t look close to the height of Zo who just finished up his final season at Georgetown. Zo wasn’t a true 6’10 either but based on visual memory he looked at least a couple of inches taller than O (an SI story about O practicing with the three most famous Hoya bigs a few months later confirmed this with the photo of Harrington looking short standing next to Mourning). Anyway O looked 6’8 tops, probably 6’7. In that all star high school game he played well but did nothing to wow me. Obviously he didn’t have Shaq’s or Chris Webber’s brutal strength, power and explosiveness (those were dudes who McDAa showings stuck with me) but he did not compensate it with any noticeable skills. He was not a Jamal Mashburn. No faceup game, no reliable jumper, no truly sweet poetic moves, no turnaround jumper, no dribbling skills, no passing capabilities that stood out. None of that. Typically in these glorified all stat high school games in which defense is not a necessity, kids like to show off all their skills. Othella had barely any to show off. This game is on YouTube btw. People can look at it and judge it themselves. The next time I caught O was during one of his first Kenner League games. He was not a stiff by any means, he looked like a guy who would be able to greatly contribute to the upcoming Hoya squad. But he showed zero signs of dominance and not too many one-on-one skills except when occasionally taking advantage of a defender in the paint. And he still looked small. People in the crowd were saying he looked to have the height of a small forward. Let me add I don’t recall anyone in the stands, including my friends I went with that night, being wowed by a guy who was a consensus Top 5 player of his class ( it would turn out to be one of the weakest classes ever btw). All the excitement in the arena was generated by a local DC kid heading to college (or already in college) who was crossing over Joey Brown all night long. I already went over Othella’s college run so won’t go over it again other than that perception of him started to go down when as a soph he was somewhat outplayed by frosh Joe Smith whom no one knew about going into that Georgetown Maryland game. O ironically had one of his best rebounding games in that loss but it became clear that Smith had a quickness, athleticism, height and skill advantage over Harrington. It was obvious. I don’t know if Sorber will fall short of O, match him or surpass him. What I do think is his game does not remind me of Othella at all. |
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seaweed
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Post by seaweed on Jul 6, 2023 15:36:07 GMT -5
Just remembering that whatever reclass talk there was relating to Sorber said he would make a decision after Peach Jam. Not saying he should or shouldn’t, will or won’t, but maybe he has news soon.
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 16:05:22 GMT -5
Taller than O. Better rim protector than O and seems better capable at switching. Finishes through context better than Othella. Much better passer than O. Can go over both shoulders better than O. Has even better hands than O. Doesn’t need to gather or over-pump to get off his shots next to the basket unlike O often did. Othella remains one of my all time Hoya faves and I frankly thought JT didn’t use him properly. He needed to be a PF working on his face up game and paired next to a long five (Rasheed Wallace would have been perfect if he picked the Hoyas). I think Othella’s rebounding numbers were outstanding in high school but it did not translate to that level of dominance in college. In short Sorber does not remind me of Othella at all. Those teams needed more from Duane Spencer. In my time as a Hoya follower, Spencer is the most disappointing McDAA the team has ever had (again it was a weak class nationally in retrospect). More disappointing than Anthony Perry. I guess for older dudes that distinction may go to Anthony Allen or Jonathan Edwards ( one or both were a McDAA I believe). |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 16:06:37 GMT -5
Just remembering that whatever reclass talk there was relating to Sorber said he would make a decision after Peach Jam. Not saying he should or shouldn’t, will or won’t, but maybe he has news soon. That was shot down about a month ago. |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 16:14:00 GMT -5
The next time I caught O was during one of his first Kenner League games. He was not a stiff by any means, he looked like a guy who would be able to greatly contribute to the upcoming Hoya squad. But he showed zero signs of dominance and not too many one-on-one skills except when occasionally taking advantage of a defender in the paint. And he still looked small. People in the crowd were saying he looked to have the height of a small forward. Let me add I don’t recall anyone in the stands, including my friends I went with that night, being wowed by a guy who was a consensus Top 5 player of his class ( it would turn out to be one of the weakest classes ever btw). All the excitement in the arena was generated by a local DC kid heading to college (or already in college) who was crossing over Joey Brown all night long.
Now I remember. It was Moochie Norris. |
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Jul 6, 2023 16:23:02 GMT -5
Just remembering that whatever reclass talk there was relating to Sorber said he would make a decision after Peach Jam. Not saying he should or shouldn’t, will or won’t, but maybe he has news soon. It would be best for the Hoyas if Sorber re-classes. He helps the 2023-2024 team right away, would probably start over Cook, and that keeps other programs away from him. From the Hoyas' perspective, there isn't much upside in waiting a year for him to come to campus. |
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Jul 6, 2023 16:36:19 GMT -5
Those teams needed more from Duane Spencer. In my time as a Hoya follower, Spencer is the most disappointing McDAA the team has ever had (again it was a weak class nationally in retrospect). More disappointing than Anthony Perry. I guess for older dudes that distinction may go to Anthony Allen or Jonathan Edwards ( one or both were a McDAA I believe). Anthony Perry for me. We were getting a stud guard from St.Anthony’s. ☹️ |
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Jul 6, 2023 16:44:59 GMT -5
Team Final down 11 with 2:32 to play in the 3rd quarter against MeanStreets, livestream feed is here: nikeeyb.com/courts1-6 |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 16:59:09 GMT -5
Just remembering that whatever reclass talk there was relating to Sorber said he would make a decision after Peach Jam. Not saying he should or shouldn’t, will or won’t, but maybe he has news soon. It would be best for the Hoyas if Sorber re-classes. He helps the 2023-2024 team right away, would probably start over Cook, and that keeps other programs away from him. From the Hoyas' perspective, there isn't much upside in waiting a year for him to come to campus. I doubt it would be best for the Hoyas. Regardless it is not exactly best for Sorber and that is what counts. |
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Jul 6, 2023 17:01:04 GMT -5
Those teams needed more from Duane Spencer. In my time as a Hoya follower, Spencer is the most disappointing McDAA the team has ever had (again it was a weak class nationally in retrospect). More disappointing than Anthony Perry. I guess for older dudes that distinction may go to Anthony Allen or Jonathan Edwards ( one or both were a McDAA I believe). Michael Tate Venson and Milton Bell say hi. |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 18:07:42 GMT -5
In my time as a Hoya follower, Spencer is the most disappointing McDAA the team has ever had (again it was a weak class nationally in retrospect). More disappointing than Anthony Perry. I guess for older dudes that distinction may go to Anthony Allen or Jonathan Edwards ( one or both were a McDAA I believe). Michael Tate Venson and Milton Bell say hi. Tate was a loan from the Terps as far as I am concerned. Yeah, he was a bust. Was he a McDAA though? Milton at least gave us that reverse slam up at the Dome. |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jul 6, 2023 18:19:51 GMT -5
Michael Tate Venson and Milton Bell say hi. Tate was a loan from the Terps as far as I am concerned. Yeah, he was a bust. Was he a McDAA though? Milton at least gave us that reverse slam up at the Dome. |
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Jul 6, 2023 18:50:25 GMT -5
It would be best for the Hoyas if Sorber re-classes. He helps the 2023-2024 team right away, would probably start over Cook, and that keeps other programs away from him. From the Hoyas' perspective, there isn't much upside in waiting a year for him to come to campus. I doubt it would be best for the Hoyas. Regardless it is not exactly best for Sorber and that is what counts. How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jul 6, 2023 19:20:54 GMT -5
I doubt it would be best for the Hoyas. Regardless it is not exactly best for Sorber and that is what counts. How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. By August, we will know what Thomas and his family think is best for him. |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 19:23:21 GMT -5
I doubt it would be best for the Hoyas. Regardless it is not exactly best for Sorber and that is what counts. How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. If he and his family thought that would be best for him they would have taken that opportunity. What part of that is hard to understand? Are you saying you know better than them? |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jul 6, 2023 19:27:50 GMT -5
How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. If he and his family thought that would be best for him they would have taken that opportunity. What part of that is hard to understand? Are you saying you know better than them? By August, we will know what Thomas and his family think is best for him. |
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Jul 6, 2023 19:29:52 GMT -5
How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. By August, we will know what Thomas and his family think is best for him. By August if he hasn't put in the school work and time, he will not be able to reclassify. Reports have claimed McKenna is working his tail off taking courses this summer to make sure he can make that jump. The only bball game activities for him are nearby on the weekends at Kenner. Meanwhile Sorber is travelling the country to play in week-long activities on his AAU or even high school squad. I'm beginning to think people are failing to understand that a lot of work goes into reclassifying. One can't just declare it and make it so. |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jul 6, 2023 19:45:29 GMT -5
By August, we will know what Thomas and his family think is best for him. By August if he hasn't put in the school work and time, he will not be able to reclassify. Reports have claimed McKenna is working his tail off taking courses this summer to make sure he can make that jump. The only bball game activities for him are nearby on the weekends at Kenner. Meanwhile Sorber is travelling the country to play in week-long activities on his AAU or even high school squad. I'm beginning to think people are failing to understand that a lot of work goes into reclassifying. One can't just declare it and make it so. “Decades of experience” tell us that no one knows except his close family, and maybe Cooley and staff. Let’s wait until August. |
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seaweed
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Post by seaweed on Jul 6, 2023 21:14:49 GMT -5
How much $ do you think Sorber will make playing for Archbishop Ryan next season? Compare that to what he’ll make playing for the Hoyas (I’d guess at least $500K). Then think about spending a year at the Thompson Center doing S&C at a college program compared to whatever he’d be doing at Archbishop Ryan. Then think about potentially getting paid in the NBA a year earlier. If he and his family thought that would be best for him they would have taken that opportunity. What part of that is hard to understand? Are you saying you know better than them? The rumor was out to bed by people from his HS, who may or may not know what’s in his heart or head. I don’t recall him specifically saying no way, but if he did then he did. I thought there was still a non-zero chance he reclassed. As for course work, he may be all done already. |
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