Goodluck Okonoboh - C - Wilbraham And Monson Academy - Wilbraham, MA - UNLV

Dave says we are involved with the kid and that he's interested in SJU and speaks to Lavin.  Figured it deserves a thread.

"The first day of the LBJ Skills Academy featured lots of skill work and a little bit of scrimmaging late. Standing out in each part of the workout because of how physically and aggressively they play were the nation's No. 7 player, Johnson, and No. 32, Okonoboh.

An athletic and tough 6-foot-10 center, Okonoboh checks in at a surprisingly lean 213 pounds. However, he plays much stronger than that and wasn't backing down from anybody on Saturday. During two-on-two big man drills, he was all over the place, helping to block shots, blocking shots straight up and scoring with power around the rim.

Stanley Johnson has scheduled official visits.
"I think that's just my competitive nature," Okonoboh told Rivals.com "I think it was LeBron who said it yesterday that somebody scoring on you was kind of like taking your manhood. So I look at it like that. "

Unlike a lot of big men who want to talk about improving their faceup games, Okonoboh is more concerned with his low-post game.

"My low-post game, my offensive game is coming along," Okonoboh said about what he's been working on. "I feel like my faceup is way ahead of my back-to-the-basket game, and I need to catch that up. With my faceup game, I can use my quickness to go by other big guys."

Okonoboh was reluctant to list schools when asked who is coming at him the hardest. He showed Rivals.com his phone that is being flooded with text messages, and he said his father and coaches are handling his recruitment. He mentioned Kentucky, Duke, Indiana, Cincinnati and Connecticut among those recruiting him. He has not set visits and doesn't seem to be in a rush to end his recruitment."

- See more at: http://recruitscoop.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1522713#sthash.31BcwaRl.dpuf

Indy bias but fwiw;

“@insidethehall: Lengthy update on Goodluck Okonoboh now live on the site: http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/07/11/goodluck-okonobohs-recruitment-following-similar-path-to-that-of-noah-vonleh/ #iubb”

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

That's why we're playing with the big boys now.  Our last signee was ranked #17 and we know who that was.  We want to land the big fish, we certainly are going after them.

Quote from: paultzman on July 11, 2013, 04:32:55 PM

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

That's why we're playing with the big boys now.  Our last signee was ranked #17 and we know who that was.  We want to land the big fish, we certainly are going after them.

Great to see us in the upper stratosphere with our recruiting efforts.  I just hope that it doesn't cost us slightly lower rated top recruits like Larrier who could ultimately be great fits here.  Double-edged sword, I guess.

Quote from: MCNPA on July 11, 2013, 04:40:35 PM

Quote from: paultzman on July 11, 2013, 04:32:55 PM

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

That's why we're playing with the big boys now.  Our last signee was ranked #17 and we know who that was.  We want to land the big fish, we certainly are going after them.

Great to see us in the upper stratosphere with our recruiting efforts.  I just hope that it doesn't cost us slightly lower rated top recruits like Larrier who could ultimately be great fits here.  Double-edged sword, I guess.

When I first started posting here 3+ years ago (has it REALLY been that long?), one of the first things I mentioned that Steve Lavin would bring would be a change in mindset - for the school and it's fans.  Remember that when Steve arrived there was ONE player on the roster who'd been ranked top 100 out of high school.  Reread the highlighted part of Chudney's post.  And remember Terry Larrier is #59 on the 2014 ESPN top 100 list.    And on top of that, nobody on the board is even batting an eye at the fact for 2015 we're "on"  Stephen Zimmerman and Cheick Diallo  and Thomas Bryant - three guys with a chance to be top FIVE recruits in the 2015 class.

Mindset adjustment indeed!

Quote from: Gray Chudney on July 11, 2013, 06:35:55 PM

Quote from: MCNPA on July 11, 2013, 04:40:35 PM

Quote from: paultzman on July 11, 2013, 04:32:55 PM

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

That's why we're playing with the big boys now.  Our last signee was ranked #17 and we know who that was.  We want to land the big fish, we certainly are going after them.

Great to see us in the upper stratosphere with our recruiting efforts.  I just hope that it doesn't cost us slightly lower rated top recruits like Larrier who could ultimately be great fits here.  Double-edged sword, I guess.

When I first started posting here 3+ years ago (has it REALLY been that long?), one of the first things I mentioned that Steve Lavin would bring would be a change in mindset - for the school and it's fans.  Remember that when Steve arrived there was ONE player on the roster who'd been ranked top 100 out of high school.  Reread the highlighted part of Chudney's post.  And remember Terry Larrier is #59 on the 2014 ESPN top 100 list.    And on top of that, nobody on the board is even batting an eye at the fact for 2015 we're "on"  Stephen Zimmerman and Cheick Diallo  and Thomas Bryant - three guys with a chance to be top FIVE recruits in the 2015 class.

Mindset adjustment indeed!

As I noted in an earlier post, keep 'em coming, CR. Always look forward to reading your posts and your insights.

As long as Lavin is here -- and I pray it's for a long, long time -- our future will remain bright.

(Agree: Could it really be 3+ years? Tempus fugit and all that.)

Quote from: Gray Chudney on July 11, 2013, 06:35:55 PM

Quote from: MCNPA on July 11, 2013, 04:40:35 PM

Quote from: paultzman on July 11, 2013, 04:32:55 PM

Tough get, getting tougher;

“@jeffborzello: Hearing great things about the performance of Goodluck Okonoboh today in Indianapolis. Has become a prime target for multiple teams.”

That's why we're playing with the big boys now.  Our last signee was ranked #17 and we know who that was.  We want to land the big fish, we certainly are going after them.

Great to see us in the upper stratosphere with our recruiting efforts.  I just hope that it doesn't cost us slightly lower rated top recruits like Larrier who could ultimately be great fits here.  Double-edged sword, I guess.

When I first started posting here 3+ years ago (has it REALLY been that long?), one of the first things I mentioned that Steve Lavin would bring would be a change in mindset - for the school and it's fans.  Remember that when Steve arrived there was ONE player on the roster who'd been ranked top 100 out of high school.  Reread the highlighted part of Chudney's post.  And remember Terry Larrier is #59 on the 2014 ESPN top 100 list.    And on top of that, nobody on the board is even batting an eye at the fact for 2015 we're "on"  Stephen Zimmerman and Cheick Diallo  and Thomas Bryant - three guys with a chance to be top FIVE recruits in the 2015 class.

Mindset adjustment indeed!

I'm not at all complaining. I'm thrilled that the best players are even entertaining SJU as a destination. I do think there is an argument to be made for focusing on recruits in the 25-75 range for program continuity.

Fwiw;

“@Josh_Stirn: Heard from a source close to the situation that Goodluck Okonoboh really likes Syracuse and they could be the favorite over Duke/Indiana.”

We got in late on him, so getting him was going to be tough. Seems that all the activity around Pacsal C. and Adonis indicates it is proving difficult to land the bigger fish. Just my sense, hope I'm wrong.

Fwiw;

“@Josh_Stirn: Heard from a source close to the situation that Goodluck Okonoboh really likes Syracuse and they could be the favorite over Duke/Indiana.”

We got in late on him, so getting him was going to be tough. Seems that all the activity around Pacsal C. and Adonis indicates it is proving difficult to land the bigger fish. Just my sense, hope I'm wrong.

I think it may be more that Okonboh doesn't figure to be "one and done" - he's a terrific talent - but still below "truly elite" - and he knows that we are "on" 2015 bigs who are simply better than him, while there's a good chance that in 2014-2015 (what would be his frosh year) we're still going to have a Junior Obekpa manning his position.

You wouldn't think it, but a job listing for a basketball recruiting position should include "must be good at Jigsaw puzzles and Chess"....

Quote from: paultzman on July 14, 2013, 12:28:34 PM

Fwiw;

“@Josh_Stirn: Heard from a source close to the situation that Goodluck Okonoboh really likes Syracuse and they could be the favorite over Duke/Indiana.”

We got in late on him, so getting him was going to be tough. Seems that all the activity around Pacsal C. and Adonis indicates it is proving difficult to land the bigger fish. Just my sense, hope I'm wrong.

I think it may be more that Okonboh doesn't figure to be "one and done" - he's a terrific talent - but still below "truly elite" - and he knows that we are "on" 2015 bigs who are simply better than him, while there's a good chance that in 2014-2015 (what would be his frosh year) we're still going to have a Junior Obekpa manning his position.

You wouldn't think it, but a job listing for a basketball recruiting position should include "must be good at Jigsaw puzzles and Chess"....

Duke, cuse, and Indiana have no good big men or elite big men recruits?

Quote from: crgreen on July 14, 2013, 02:24:04 PM

Quote from: paultzman on July 14, 2013, 12:28:34 PM

Fwiw;

“@Josh_Stirn: Heard from a source close to the situation that Goodluck Okonoboh really likes Syracuse and they could be the favorite over Duke/Indiana.”

We got in late on him, so getting him was going to be tough. Seems that all the activity around Pacsal C. and Adonis indicates it is proving difficult to land the bigger fish. Just my sense, hope I'm wrong.

I think it may be more that Okonboh doesn't figure to be "one and done" - he's a terrific talent - but still below "truly elite" - and he knows that we are "on" 2015 bigs who are simply better than him, while there's a good chance that in 2014-2015 (what would be his frosh year) we're still going to have a Junior Obekpa manning his position.

You wouldn't think it, but a job listing for a basketball recruiting position should include "must be good at Jigsaw puzzles and Chess"....

Duke, cuse, and Indiana have no good big men or elite big men recruits?

We haven't reached the point where elites are likely willing to sit as they are at a Duke for Coach K.

Goodluck Okonoboh ready to dive into recruiting
It's easy to say a player should perform at his best no matter the opponent, but Goodluck Okonoboh isn't afraid to say he tries to take his game to another level when his counterpart is highly regarded.

"When I play against OK players, I tend to play down to them. But when I play against people I know who are good, I play a little bit better than I play usually," Okonoboh said. "I look forward to games like that because I know it will be competitive and fun."

Okonoboh has been one of the hottest players on the circuit this spring and summer, with his dominant defensive ability attracting nearly every college in the country. He's up to No. 26 in the 247Sports Composite ranking, and that number might only go up.

There have been some reports that the 6-foot-9 power forward from Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.) is ready to focus on five or seven schools, but Okonoboh denied those rumors.

"I don't have a list. I have no favorites," he said. "I haven't even started to think about a list."

He mentioned Florida and Indiana as two of the schools in hot pursuit, but Louisville, Duke, Ohio State, Connecticut, UNLV have made a statement with their presence at games as well.

At the end of the month, Okonoboh will be ready to start advancing the process.

"I have to sit down with my family, see what they want to do," he said. "I'm going to wait until after AAU season to really get into that, talk about schools and stuff like that."

“@jeffborzello: Kaleb Joseph is a prime target, Goodluck Okonoboh is still a hot name, and a 2013 prospect is available. Notebook: http://cbsprt.co/169yeEv”

“@RyanJamesMN: UK, KU, Duke, Cincy, St Johns, UNLV, Gonzaga, Indiana, Syracuse, Minnesota, Providence, amongst many watching Goodluck Okonoboh/Kaleb Joseph”

“@RyanJamesMN: Goodluck Okonoboh has been booted  after getting a second technical foul for trash talking. Mass Rivals coach yelling at event director.”

Smirk alert! Lol

As expected, we did not make his final list. Wonder if we will make DelaRosa's  final cut.

Next year will be a huge step back if we lose the nations leading shot blocker and dont find a quality big