Who will be the most improved player ?

[seniorgolfer]

My obvious candidates would be:

Magnay-He was slowed by a nagging injury for the middle two-thirds of the
season, and while he continued to play, it was not at the level he showed
early....

Korita-He never really got confidence in that silky smooth stroke that was so
effective in HS....Is this the season for him to break out?

Artison-I got a chuckle out of I.I. relaying the coach's comments about him
'dipping his toe inside the FT line, and finding out he didn't get eaten by a
gator or something'.....He is an enigma....Good talent and good athlete...

Henderson-He improved markedly in the second semester...Is there any
room for more?

Igbanu-I remember KJ adding something new each year.....I noticed that
Igbanu added an outside shot to his in-game repertoire later in the season..
Anything else?

Anybody else??

 

[Gold*]

Taplin. He's the Dane Evans of basketball. Never respected.

I also think Magnay and Igbanu will be better.

Not sure about the other guards.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I think Magnay, Henderson, and Igbanu will make improvements. Undecided about Korita & Artison. I think what we saw last season with Wheeler is what we gots for his last year. Prove me wrong Wheeler.

 

[astonmartin708_rivals]

I'm not sold on Henderson. He still plays really poor defense and it hurts the rest of the guys on the floor. I'm most excited to see Scott + Jeffries. I think Magnay should be much improved if he can add to his offense. Igbanu is an obvious choice. Korita has a lot that he could improve on.

 

[I.I.]

The two players we need the most improvement from are Taplin and Magnay. They are the game changers IMHO

 

[rusty-c]

Magnay.... He's so young and has such an upside with what he showed last season in spite of injury I think health and maturity will give him a great opportunity to show what can be.

 

[TUcandoit]

Igbanu will be the man. He started really slow and last few games he lit it up. I think he will carry that confidence over and play the whole season like he ended the last.

 

[tupatsfan]

Not sure Korita will see a ton of time this season. We've really brought in players that may push him way down the end of the rotation.

 

[nevadanatural]

I don't expect Korita to start but if he's worked out his shot issues I expect him to be a super sub. He had the best instincts and court vision of all the freshmen last season.

 

[I.I.]

I don't expect Korita to start but if he's worked out his shot issues I expect him to be a super sub. He had the best instincts and court vision of all the freshmen last season.

Agree Nevada. Outside of his terrible shooting, he was one of our best players while on the court. Good rebounder, passer, hustles and knows everything going on. Unfortunately we recruited him for his shooting. I am hopeful it returns this year.

 

[Gold*]

Has to be a confidence issue. He looked like such a better player than Repi, for example. If he could hit that shot, he would play a role like Juice did.

 

[seniorgolfer]

Has to be a confidence issue. He looked like such a better player than Repi, for
example. If he could hit that shot, he would play a role like Juice did.

Good point.....If confidence wasn't the issue early on, it may have become that
when he didn't have initial success.....I think the unusual intensity that he played
with was a factor also....I remember pretty early on last season, that I.I. posted
that he needed to just relax and play.....I'm not sure that he ever did....

 

[t-townpod]

Good point.....If confidence wasn't the issue early on, it may have become that
when he didn't have initial success.....I think the unusual intensity that he played
with was a factor also....I remember pretty early on last season, that I.I. posted
that he needed to just relax and play.....I'm not sure that he ever did....

I still have high hopes for him. He has such a pure stroke. He is a classic 2/3 and will get playing time if he can get his range and scoring down. His defense may be an issue but his court vision and ball awareness are very good. His minutes are related to his 3 point shooting. He is a very different player than Juice but hopefully will be even a better outside shot than Juice

 

[rabidTU]

I will go along with most of you on Magnay and Taplin. IMO there was a point last year that Taplin was the solidest player we had, but he seemed to vanish right at the end. Magnay has a big upside with his length and skill set. When you go up and down the lineup, we are pretty solid imo. But my hope of post season last year vanished at the end. We needed those extra practices imo.

 

[seniorgolfer]

I will go along with most of you on Magnay and Taplin. IMO there was a point
last year that Taplin was the solidest player we had, but he seemed to vanish
right at the end.

I'm not sure he just didn't wear out...If you remember, that toward the end of the
season, he was playing +/-30 minutes a game, and for someone who has the ball
in his hands most of the time, that is very wearing.....

I was glad to hear the coach say he had put on 10 lbs. of muscle....That ought
to help....

 

[Henry Kendall]

When Magnay was playing with energy and without injury, we were a better team at both ends of the floor. If he can stay healthy we will be a much tougher team.

 

[cmullinsTU]

When Magnay was playing with energy and without injury, we were a better team at both ends of the floor. If he can stay healthy we will be a much tougher team.

That’s a great point. Just having him healthy makes us better and I believe strongly that Joiner, Jackson, Jeffries, and Scott are big upgrades over losing Birt, Atson, and Edogi.

I’m ready for basketball. First few weeks of football have been fun but basketball is my passion. Can’t wait to see how this team comes together.

 

[cmullinsTU]

My biggest questions:

1. Do the coaching changes mean we don’t leave the corner 3 wide open. Every. Single. Time.
2. Can we improve team shooting

 

[cmullinsTU]

Sorry I’ve channeled my inner TULSARISING with so many posts.

I won’t believe we’ve improved defending corner 3s until we see it. I feel confident our shooting will be improved with the new guys and improvements of the freshmen.

 

[astonmartin708_rivals]

My biggest questions:

1. Do the coaching changes mean we don’t leave the corner 3 wide open. Every. Single. Time.
2. Can we improve team shooting

1. Probably not.
2. I think Jeffries and Scott can hit the broadside of a barn unlike Birt

 

[Gold*]

Sorry I’ve channeled my inner TULSARISING with so many posts.

I won’t believe we’ve improved defending corner 3s until we see it. I feel confident our shooting will be improved with the new guys and improvements of the freshmen.

I will answer with my inner Rivalcane . . .

Will Tulsa play basketball this year? If so will we win any games? Do we has players to be good?

Dos vedonya. This bot brought to you from Russia.

 

[seniorgolfer]

When Magnay was playing with energy and without injury, we were a better
team at both ends of the floor. If he can stay healthy we will be a much tougher
team.

That’s a great point. Just having him healthy makes us better and I believe
strongly that Joiner, Jackson, Jeffries, and Scott are big upgrades over losing
Birt, Atson, and Edogi.

We also lost Battle who was not much of a factor in the season.....

I totally agree with both posts.....The losses, with the possible exception of
Edogi*, who was an active rebounder, will not be missed....The additions will,
simply said, make us a better team....

Last season, while not too hot from a W/L perspective, was a valuable source
of experience for a good share of our roster.....Korita, Igbanu, Magnay, Etou,
Henderson, Wheeler, and Artison were playing their first season for the
Hurricane....When you add back in the departed Battle and Atson, 9 of our
12 scholarship players (Scott was red shirting) were first year players...Ouch!
No wonder it was a tough year.....

The reason for the above is that Haith inherited a weird class distribution
problem....Almost everyone was in the same class, and finished their eligibility
the spring of 2016.....This has been mostly resolved, and this team will have a
much different look from that perspective:

Sr.. .(3).Etou, Wheeler, Henderson
Jr.....(3).Taplin, Jeffries, Artison,
Soph(4).Scott, Igbanu, Magnay, Korita
Fr.....(2).Jackson, Joiner
R/S..(1).Horne..W/B a soph in the 2018 season

*with Edogi not returning as a fifth yr. senior, all players are now Haith
recruits......

Overall, it is hard to criticize Haith&Co. for their redistribution of the roster,
building depth, and generally upgrading the talent level of the team.....Do
we have a couple of real studs that will allow us to compete with the top
three in the conf?? Not by reputation, but hopefully a couple will emerge...
We do have some players with upper end potential!

 

[TU_BLA]

My biggest questions:

1. Do the coaching changes mean we don’t leave the corner 3 wide open. Every. Single. Time.
2. Can we improve team shooting

#1- probably not because of the defensive philosophy of the new coach who has said he intends to limit paint touches

#2 I will be shocked if we don't...and the season will be extra long.

 

[TulsaRising1]

Sorry I’ve channeled my inner TULSARISING with so many posts.

I won’t believe we’ve improved defending corner 3s until we see it. I feel confident our shooting will be improved with the new guys and improvements of the freshmen.

They hate me cuz they ain't me!

 

[rabidTU]

1. Probably not.
2. I think Jeffries and Scott can hit the broadside of a barn unlike Birt

I'm anxious to see Curran Scott play. From what I heard from the Charlotte folks he was the real deal. And of course I'm partial to the Oklahoma kids. But I hated to see Edogi leave. I wanted to rename him "Edunki" for his thunderous slams that ignited the crowd.

 

[I.I.]

Hopefully we have replaced one "shooter" in Birt with two shooters in Scott and Joiner.

 

[astonmartin708_rivals]

Hopefully we have replaced one "shooter" in Birt with two shooters in Scott and Joiner.

How's Jackson adjusting?

 

[I.I.]

Jackson is a good looking freshman. He is everywhere on the court and plays hard. I suspect his outside shooting held back his recruiting somewhat.