Not dissing obekpa but why would he be such a loss . I think he is gone next year also . We have a year to replace him. I don't think he is bad but I don't think he is good. He is the most overrated player we have ever had.
Obekpa would have been a huge loss...much bigger than Sampson IMO. First, he can play the five. The four in college is so much more easily replaced. Teams have been successful with SFs at the four and even guards in small lineups. Certain zones like the 2-3 or 1-3-1 can almost completely hide a smaller guy at the four.
Too much was made about Obekpa his freshman year. I was not a big fan despite the block totals. I felt he should have been a 10-15 mpg guy max on a team with the proper depth. This past season he really improved. His post defnse was better,he put on a lot of size and strength (pretty much the only player to do so), he showed some offense for the first time, he screened well (most of the time) and his rebounding and positioning were much improved. Did that improvement make him an all-conference player last year? No, but if he's not this season, he'll be close. We would have been screwed withou thim. I expect him to add about 10 more pounds of muscle, develop his offense a little more, and just play smarter overall. The way the season ended should be a big learning experience for him to take into the off-season.
Carter would have been huge for 2015. He would have been a great fit next to CO and/or Diallo, and he would have been a solid veteran to lead the way. Oh well.