J Brown

He's still adjusting to D1 ball. He's still learning how to use his energy properly, learning his teammates, and his role.

With that said, look out for him, when things come together. He's still young. He has Oguine like upside.

He looks to be improving every game. I'm really high on this guy.

mtgrizrule said:

He's still adjusting to D1 ball. He's still learning how to use his energy properly, learning his teammates, and his role.

With that said, look out for him, when things come together. He's still young. He has Oguine like upside.

He looks to be improving every game. I'm really high on this guy.

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I agree, Rule. HIs athleticism jumps out at you. I worry that coaches all too often look at the negatives without assessing the upside. Sure, he has to adjust, and will make mistakes doing it. But with such a high upside, I think he should get way more playing time.

Others asked if Bannan could play in the NBA. I would bet on Brown ahead of Bannan because in the NBA, unless you can shoot 45% from deep, athleticism is the minimum requirement. Brown's got it.

On top of which, we are in need of a player right now that brings excitement, who can go off at any moment with a spectacular dunk. You'd like to see some sparks from our nuts-and-bolts defense and plodding offense.

citay said:

mtgrizrule said:

He's still adjusting to D1 ball. He's still learning how to use his energy properly, learning his teammates, and his role.

With that said, look out for him, when things come together. He's still young. He has Oguine like upside.

He looks to be improving every game. I'm really high on this guy.

Click to expand...

I agree, Rule. HIs athleticism jumps out at you. I worry that coaches all too often look at the negatives without assessing the upside. Sure, he has to adjust, and will make mistakes doing it. But with such a high upside, I think he should get way more playing time.

Others asked if Bannan could play in the NBA. I would bet on Brown ahead of Bannan because in the NBA, unless you can shoot 45% from deep, athleticism is the minimum requirement. Brown's got it.

On top of which, we are in need of a player right now that brings excitement, who can go off at any moment with a spectacular dunk. You'd like to see some sparks from our nuts-and-bolts defense and plodding offense.

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I agree and many of the same things can be said of Oke.

UncleRico said:

citay said:

I agree, Rule. HIs athleticism jumps out at you. I worry that coaches all too often look at the negatives without assessing the upside. Sure, he has to adjust, and will make mistakes doing it. But with such a high upside, I think he should get way more playing time.

Others asked if Bannan could play in the NBA. I would bet on Brown ahead of Bannan because in the NBA, unless you can shoot 45% from deep, athleticism is the minimum requirement. Brown's got it.

On top of which, we are in need of a player right now that brings excitement, who can go off at any moment with a spectacular dunk. You'd like to see some sparks from our nuts-and-bolts defense and plodding offense.

Click to expand...

I agree and many of the same things can be said of Oke.

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Oke is behind 2 talented bigs, with Bannan and Thomas. Also, Anderson is a glue guy. So minutes won't be as easy to find for Oke. I too like Oke's upside. He has a way to go offensively though. Love his defense and rebounding though.

mtgrizrule said:

UncleRico said:

I agree and many of the same things can be said of Oke.

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Oke is behind 2 talented bigs, with Bannan and Thomas. Also, Anderson is a glue guy. So minutes won't be as easy to find for Oke. I too like Oke's upside. He has a way to go offensively though. Love his defense and rebounding though.

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Other then one spectacular dunk, Oke has done nothing to impress me.

maroonandsilver said:

mtgrizrule said:

Oke is behind 2 talented bigs, with Bannan and Thomas. Also, Anderson is a glue guy. So minutes won't be as easy to find for Oke. I too like Oke's upside. He has a way to go offensively though. Love his defense and rebounding though.

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Other then one spectacular dunk, Oke has done nothing to impress me.

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It was just mentioned, that he appears to have good upside. I didn't see anyone say he's done much so far. I feel his contributions this season will be defensive versatility and solid rebounding, with whatever minutes he gets.

This is the 4th college basketball season for both players (although obviously the 1st at D-1). I believe both are likely 21 or 22 years old. I believe they were both here for a full summer of workouts.

Just anecdotally it seems like players with these characteristics have limited upside. It’s not like 18 year-old freshmen.

According to a quick review of Verbal Commits transfer list, Big Sky schools brought in a total of 37 players from the portal. Only 4 were from non D-1 schools. The other two are Brock McKenzie (ISU) and Divante Moffitt (UI). Granted these teams are not very talented, but both are in the Top 8 in Big Sky in scoring, McKenzie leads the BSC in 3pt% and Moffitt is among the leaders in assists (but also TOs).

The beauty of the transfer portal is that you have unlimited D-1 film in which to evaluate players. You may make a mistake in how the transfer fits in with the team, but you should never be surprised as to how that transfer matches up against D-1 competition. Picking up older players from lower levels is pretty risky, which is why I suspect only about 10% of the Big Sky’s transfers were non D-1 players.