Christopher Obekpa - PF - Our Savior New American - Centereach, NY - ST. JOHN'S

Quote from: boo3 on June 02, 2012, 07:42:28 PM

  Steve Lavin ‏@STJCoachLavin
Still in the hunt for some outstanding 2012 prospects. Six now signed in this class with 2 remaining scholarships if we elect to use them!

Cant wait for posters to still quefstion the ability to bring in more than one guy

Or question how tall the new recruits really are!

Obekpa wins MVP of IS8. Balamou impressed as well.

Has SJU re-emerged as the favorite?

http://www.zagsblog.com/2012/06/02/uncommitted-obekpa-wins-player-of-the-year-at-is8-johnnies-now-considered-the-favorite-for-the-shot-blocker/

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Sounds great.. Wish I could have made it yesterday but something came up.  I heard we had a nice amount of fans there. Also heard that Jordan Dickerson got better and played well.  With respect to you I must say that Jordan Washington is a lot more out of shape than Jayvaughn was in Hs .   Kid also dips his shoulder  every time after spinning and he is a offensive foul waiting to happen... Everything else you said about him is spot on .  I think the problem with him is .. Where does he play if he gets in shape?  Kid is used to bullying everyone in hs because of his girth.  Also did you hear that they left Felix off the all Is8 teams?  What a joke .

Quote from: TRabinowitz on June 02, 2012, 11:07:50 PM

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Sounds great.. Wish I could have made it yesterday but something came up.  I heard we had a nice amount of fans there. Also heard that Jordan Dickerson got better and played well.  With respect to you I must say that Jordan Washington is a lot more out of shape than Jayvaughn was in Hs .   Kid also dips his shoulder  every time after spinning and he is a offensive foul waiting to happen... Everything else you said about him is spot on .  I think the problem with him is .. Where does he play if he gets in shape?  Kid is used to bullying everyone in hs because of his girth.  Also did you hear that they left Felix off the all Is8 teams?  What a joke .

Felix Made the first team.
Thanks for the recap Theo! Washington has REALLY quick feet for a guy his size. Hes also got a really quick trigger in the games ive seen

Alex Kline said that there is a possibility he does a post grad year but assuming he goes to college in 2012-13 it will be SJU.

Quote from: Happy on June 03, 2012, 08:07:21 AM

Quote from: TRabinowitz on June 02, 2012, 11:07:50 PM

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Sounds great.. Wish I could have made it yesterday but something came up.  I heard we had a nice amount of fans there. Also heard that Jordan Dickerson got better and played well.  With respect to you I must say that Jordan Washington is a lot more out of shape than Jayvaughn was in Hs .   Kid also dips his shoulder  every time after spinning and he is a offensive foul waiting to happen... Everything else you said about him is spot on .  I think the problem with him is .. Where does he play if he gets in shape?  Kid is used to bullying everyone in hs because of his girth.  Also did you hear that they left Felix off the all Is8 teams?  What a joke .

Felix Made the first team.
Thanks for the recap Theo! Washington has REALLY quick feet for a guy his size. Hes also got a really quick trigger in the games ive seen

I just saw Felix made the first team.  My mistake and well deserved for him.

Alex Kline said that there is a possibility he does a post grad year but assuming he goes to college in 2012-13 it will be SJU.

if he does a post year, i don't think we see him as a johnny.  it's now or never IMO.

Can we take one or two players next year? The scholarship table says only one.

Alex Kline said that there is a possibility he does a post grad year but assuming he goes to college in 2012-13 it will be SJU.

Fordham, any idea what is holding him back ie. grades/SAT's? Or is it just that he wants to do a prep year?  I'd have thought he'd know by now if he's qualified? 

Great quote from the zags article

Asked what his upside was, Konchalski said: “I think eventually he can be very good. A year ago he was a low-major player. Two months ago, he was a mid-major player. Right now, he might be a high-major player.”

Great quote from the zags article

Asked what his upside was, Konchalski said: “I think eventually he can be very good. A year ago he was a low-major player. Two months ago, he was a mid-major player. Right now, he might be a high-major player.”

Obviously, two years ago he was a Div. II player. 

Quote from: gman on June 03, 2012, 12:10:58 PM

Great quote from the zags article

Asked what his upside was, Konchalski said: “I think eventually he can be very good. A year ago he was a low-major player. Two months ago, he was a mid-major player. Right now, he might be a high-major player.”

Obviously, two years ago he was a Div. II player. 

on this board he was a D2 Player 2 WEEKS ago.   ;-)

Quote from: gman on June 03, 2012, 12:10:58 PM

Great quote from the zags article

Asked what his upside was, Konchalski said: “I think eventually he can be very good. A year ago he was a low-major player. Two months ago, he was a mid-major player. Right now, he might be a high-major player.”

Obviously, two years ago he was a Div. II player. 

Actually it was about felix

Quote from: TRabinowitz on June 02, 2012, 11:07:50 PM

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Sounds great.. Wish I could have made it yesterday but something came up.  I heard we had a nice amount of fans there. Also heard that Jordan Dickerson got better and played well.  With respect to you I must say that Jordan Washington is a lot more out of shape than Jayvaughn was in Hs .   Kid also dips his shoulder  every time after spinning and he is a offensive foul waiting to happen... Everything else you said about him is spot on .  I think the problem with him is .. Where does he play if he gets in shape?  Kid is used to bullying everyone in hs because of his girth.  Also did you hear that they left Felix off the all Is8 teams?  What a joke .

I wouldn't compare Pinkston and Washington at all. I agree, Happy, that Washington is not in as good of shape as Pinkston nor do I feel he is as good. The only thing they may have in common is they might be Villlanova grads someday.

Obekpa had a pretty fantastic first game of the day all around.  He didn't have 13 or 16 blocks like he had a few weeks ago but he was involved on both ends of the floor.  Finished with 8 blocks in the semifinal win over Juice in which he was matched up against Jordan Dickerson.  He also made a few nice passes out of the post, crashed the offensive glass a bit and even took and hit a jumper along the baseline.  He seemed to find a good rhythm.  In addition to the 8 blocks there were countless altered shots as guys entered the lane.  Felix did a nice job scoring the ball as he finished with 19 points, hit some more midrange jumpers and nice finishes at the rim.  Some of his defensive deficiencies shined through though as he had a very difficult time staying in front of Isaiah Whitehead.  When he comes on campus he'll need to improve his ability to stay in front of guys on the ball, focus on help/recover off the ball and just being "solid" instead of always going for the steal. 

In the championship game Obekpa seemed to have a much more difficult time both offensively and defensively.  Maybe its that he had already played a game an hour before this (although kids play many games per day in AAU/grassroots all the time) but he was quite lethargic on both ends and really couldn't get in a rhythm and seemed to take some plays off.  It wasn't just Obekpa, as most players on that team were a step or so slow for much of the game. Felix started well but got some major cramps in the second quarter or so.  Came back and played some but he obviously was robbed of his ability to explode and leap.  Jordan Washington (2013 forward who we have looked at) had a MONSTER championship game. About 6'7", kind of thick body (built a lot like Jayvaughn Pinkston was in HS) that needs to be toned but his footwork is PHENOMENAL for a guy his size and he knows how to carve out space in the lane and he plays hard and has a good motor for a guy as large as him.

Theo, thanks for a great report. Now about that spelling bee ......Lol

Can we take one or two players next year? The scholarship table says only one.

I think it means Wood's ship is up for grabs. The announed class didn't include Wood.  If Chandler and Wood both become eligible this year, and Obekpa commits to SJU, who thinks Lavin takes Wood over Chandler?

Quote from: TONYD3 on June 03, 2012, 11:22:12 AM

Can we take one or two players next year? The scholarship table says only one.

I think it means Wood's ship is up for grabs. The announed class didn't include Wood.  If Chandler and Wood both become eligible this year, and Obekpa commits to SJU, who thinks Lavin takes Wood over Chandler?

Agree.  If both Obekpa and Chandler are available, then it will be those two.  We already have Balamou.  I really do like Darrick Wood, but big men are a big need for us. Especially two top 70 big guys.

Got to go yesterday with qcredman. Was very impressed with both Felix and Obekpa.

The announcer referred to Obekpa as "the game changer" and that's exactly what he is. In the semifinal game, by my very unofficial count, he had 13 points, 11 boards and 8 blocks, all of the emphatic variety (layups and 15 foot jumpers alike). The number of blocks don't do it justice, he changed countless shots out there. You should have seen some of the ridiculous floaters, reverse attempts and double pumps because of his presence. The guys might as well have been shooting from halfcourt because of the degree of difficulty he caused. His timing is unlike anything i've ever seen in person. As Theo noted, he did make a few nice passes out of the post and hit his only (i think) jumper he took in two games. Negatives, for a guy with his size and timing he doesn't look to be an impact rebounder. His hands aren't very good, lots of bobbles and tips and his shot blocking aggression takes him out of the rebounding picture often and leaves his man open for offensive boards if he doesn't get the block. the good news is he usually does.

Felix showed a nice offensive repertoire out there. He is very bouncy, both a high jumper and a quick jumper. Great elevation on his J and he seems to really love the midrange, an obvious lost art. Didn't see him really take anyone off the dribble, he needs to improve his handle at his size and also missed a bunch of free throws. Someone said he reminds of them of Paris, I could see that but he's not as good of a defender but has a better jumper coming in. He had 19 points in the semifinal.

Dickerson probably had the highlight of the semi's with a dunk on Obekpa who got his hand on the ball at the rim but Dickerson powered it home. He looked pretty decent and was at least 3 inches taller than Chris but there's no question who the better player is.

In the finals you could tell the guys on Obekpa's and Felix's team were gassed and were dropping like flies with minor injuries (calf cramps for Felix). Jordan Washington really impressed the hell out of me though. He was obviously in the worst shape of anyone on the court but he was the one putting in all the work and put the team on his back for the title. Didn't keep count but he must have had close to 30 points and a ton of rebounds, clearly the MVP of the finals. Good feet for his size and showed a nice touch at the line. Not sure where he falls in line for our priorities but if he gets in shape he looks like he can be a good back to the basket post presence in the big east.

Also was impressed with Thaddeus Hall, should be a nice pickup for South Carolina. He's pretty crafty and has a lot of heart.

Quote from: fordham96 on June 03, 2012, 10:47:35 AM

Alex Kline said that there is a possibility he does a post grad year but assuming he goes to college in 2012-13 it will be SJU.

Fordham, any idea what is holding him back ie. grades/SAT's? Or is it just that he wants to do a prep year?  I'd have thought he'd know by now if he's qualified?

I think it is a fail safe if he ultimately cannot choose a school moreso then a academic necessity.