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Dekker to the NBA

thewildcat2011

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Gold Member
Jul 25, 2011
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We will likely have a new top dog in the conference next year as UW will have to rebuild without Dekker and Kaminsky. They'll still be tough, but I don't think they'll pose a threat to win the conference. Maryland and MSU have to be favorites now.

ESPN Story
 
Michigan returns Levert and Indiana brings back most of its team plus a 5-star big man, possibly solving their biggest weakness. But I think Maryland is the early favorite for the top of the conference.

Also, it's hard not to see a possible opening in the top half for our guys ...
 
Originally posted by JournCat:
Michigan returns Levert and Indiana brings back most of its team plus a 5-star big man, possibly solving their biggest weakness. But I think Maryland is the early favorite for the top of the conference.

Also, it's hard not to see a possible opening in the top half for our guys ...
Indiana also brings back their coach tho.
 
I think Northwestern will surprise a lot of people, including those on this board next season.

We'll have some senior leadership - Olah will be the best big in the league. Demps is clutch.

Our frosh will be bigger and more experienced. Getting help from our 3 recruits. We add a 5th year senior who will clean up and defend the post.

Who do we lose? Sobo, an underused transfer from Yale, and a Cobb that was injured and didn't play for much of the year.
 
Will Olah be the best big man in the league? That sounds huge. I anticipated that he would improve and a couple of guys would graduate but I figured other guys would improve also. Will we see games next year where he can really dominate in the middle?
 
Originally posted by mikewebb68:

Originally posted by JournCat:
Michigan returns Levert and Indiana brings back most of its team plus a 5-star big man, possibly solving their biggest weakness. But I think Maryland is the early favorite for the top of the conference.

Also, it's hard not to see a possible opening in the top half for our guys ...
Indiana also brings back their coach tho.
I can't believe IU is bringing him back or he didn't leave on his own.
 
Originally posted by Deeringfish:
Will Olah be the best big man in the league? That sounds huge. I anticipated that he would improve and a couple of guys would graduate but I figured other guys would improve also. Will we see games next year where he can really dominate in the middle?
No. IMO, Haas will be the best, followed by perhaps one of the 5-star bigs coming into the league next year.
 
Haas is huge. But, man, he makes Olah look like a ballerina............Haas is SO slow and plodding. He needs to lose a few pounds so he can play more than a couple of minutes at a time.
 
Originally posted by NJCat:
Haas is huge. But, man, he makes Olah look like a ballerina............Haas is SO slow and plodding. He needs to lose a few pounds so he can play more than a couple of minutes at a time.
Really? That's not what I saw. The Haas I saw was a sure thing NBA draft pick with good feet and quickness for his size. Sort of like Woodbury but actually good. Haas will be dominant in a year or two. At least that's what I saw. He has to work on his free throw percentage, though.
 
If Hammons decides to come back, he clearly is better than either Olah or Haas at this point. There also are a couple of five-star centers coming into the league.
 
Haas is rated by one website as the #26 nba prospect of all freshman this year.

FWIW, Alex Olah isn't in the top 100 for juniors (Woodbury is #74).

Haas is a horse, and has tremendous upside. I'd take him as my center in a heartbeat.
 
Originally posted by TejasCat:
Haas is rated by one website as the #26 nba prospect of all freshman this year.

FWIW, Alex Olah isn't in the top 100 for juniors (Woodbury is #74).

Haas is a horse, and has tremendous upside. I'd take him as my center in a heartbeat.
I'm no expert, but I can't help but wonder how much of this is a product of the old adage, "You can't teach size".
Time will tell, Tejas, but count me on the skeptical side of the fence here.
 
Originally posted by Gladeskat:

Originally posted by NJCat:
Haas is huge. But, man, he makes Olah look like a ballerina............Haas is SO slow and plodding. He needs to lose a few pounds so he can play more than a couple of minutes at a time.
Really? That's not what I saw. The Haas I saw was a sure thing NBA draft pick with good feet and quickness for his size. Sort of like Woodbury but actually good. Haas will be dominant in a year or two. At least that's what I saw. He has to work on his free throw percentage, though.
I virtually never disagree with you, Glades ('cause if I did, I'd generally be wrong), but I'm not on board with this at all. The guy's the size of a condominium - even makes you look Lilliputian - but this quickness and footwork, etc. . . . I just didn't see it. Again, I'm far from an expert (and you may be laughing at me in a year or two for saying this), but more than anything else, he seems to be a clumsy, overgrown oaf with a decided size advantage. Odds are, time will probably prove you right, but let's see.
 
You didn't watch the Notre Dame game.

Yep, midway through the second half Purdue fell apart. But Haas was a huge factor in the game, looked like a man among boys. Skilled offensively. Has some work to do at the line and has to be more consistent.

AJ would be nuts to stay. But only has a couple more days to decide I believe.
 
Hammons is returning to Purdue

So that knocks Olah a little further down the best Big Ten center list.
 
Re: Hammons is returning to Purdue

Strange. He had a big year and could have cashed in with the NBA. PU will be a top 4 or 5 team in the Big 10 with him next season.
 
Re: Hammons is returning to Purdue

Not so strange. He wasn't rated a first-rounder by a lot of teams this year and could really increase his value by playing consistently for a whole season. He was unspectacular at the beginning of the past season until the light finally seemed to switch on. Another season in college and banging with Haas could benefit him.
 
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