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Coach Terry makes 1st UTEP offer / Basketball Recruiting

Don't know much about him except he's 6'10"...looks thin. Since it looks like we've recruited 7000 guards, nice to see a tall guy...
 
We need a rim protector and he's athletic. 3 guards Paul Thomas and him could be a fun starting 5.
If....
G- Evan Gilyard
G- Nigel Hawkins/Isaac Likekele
G-Isaiah Osborne
F- Paul Thomas
C- That guy from Canada with the Crazy name lol
 
We need a rim protector and he's athletic. 3 guards Paul Thomas and him could be a fun starting 5.
If....
G- Evan Gilyard
G- Nigel Hawkins/Isaac Likekele
G-Isaiah Osborne
F- Paul Thomas
C- That guy from Canada with the Crazy name lol
Mr nattybry!!!??!??
You are omitting Efe Odigie our first signee at 6' 8" 220lbs. I doubt he spends much time watching from the bench.
 
Mr nattybry!!!??!??
You are omitting Efe Odigie our first signee at 6' 8" 220lbs. I doubt he spends much time watching from the bench.
I didnt, that was the starting line up only. Efie will get plenty of time coming off bench yes. The Canada guy looks legit!
 
We need to land Issac at all cost. A RICE fan on the CUSA board had this to say...

I never quite understood why Rice didn't go after Hawkins harder (assuming there was any mutual interest). I think we offered him when Rhoades was head coach, but he's definitely a prime example of why Rice fans are frustrated with how we recruit our own backyard. If ya'll snag Likekele with Hawkins that's an unbelievable start for Terry. I've watched Likekele a couple times because he plays with Rice commit Chris Mullins, and the kid's an absolute bulldog. Not sure how his game translates to the college level, but I'd imagine he'll be fine if Tech and OK St want him.
 
Mr nattybry!!!??!??
You are omitting Efe Odigie our first signee at 6' 8" 220lbs. I doubt he spends much time watching from the bench.
No way Odigie is 220 lbs. He will really need to lean up to be a factor at this level in my opinion. The kid from Canada looks more physically ready for D1 early. We still have plenty of slots available, so I hope to see some involvement with some JC and D1 transfer guys.
 
Well if it came from a Rice fan on the CUSA board, let it be written in stone! Fans from a school who play in empty, small gym (although a nice one) who haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in 48 years, know good players when they see them and should be jealous.

All hail Rice fan from CUSA board and his opinion on Isaac and Nigel!
 
No way Odigie is 220 lbs. He will really need to lean up to be a factor at this level in my opinion. The kid from Canada looks more physically ready for D1 early. We still have plenty of slots available, so I hope to see some involvement with some JC and D1 transfer guys.
Efe Odigie.....
Verbal Commits.........6'7" 240 lbs
247 Sports........6' 9" 275 lbs
Rivals .........6'7" 220 lbs
Max Preps 6'8" 260 lbs
Lil Train ...fill in the blanks
 
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Efe Odigie.....
Verbal Commits.........6'7" 240 lbs
247 Sports........6' 9" 275 lbs
Rivals .........6'7" 220 lbs
Max Preps 6'8" 260 lbs
Lil Train ...fill in the blanks
I heard similar to Tirus Smith when he first got to UTEP last year.
 
6'8"; 280lbs. Big kid.
Did I misinterpret your original question? Were you thinking he was way less or way more than 220? I was assuming you thought 220 was over his actual. Now I guess you're saying he is way over.
 
Did I misinterpret your original question? Were you thinking he was way less or way more than 220? I was assuming you thought 220 was over his actual. Now I guess you're saying he is way over.
Right, way more. Probably a biscuit or two under 3 bills. Like Tirus, he will need to get himself into better condition. It took Tirus nearly until the end of his freshman year to be able to be able to make it up and down the court a couple of times.
 
Right, way more. Probably a biscuit or two under 3 bills. Like Tirus, he will need to get himself into better condition. It took Tirus nearly until the end of his freshman year to be able to be able to make it up and down the court a couple of times.
In any event, Thomas was a major disappointment last season. Hopefully with all three of these guys sharing time we might be OK. No guarantees.
 
In any event, Thomas was a major disappointment last season. Hopefully with all three of these guys sharing time we might be OK. No guarantees.
I actually spoke with Thomas. He feels he was forced to play out of his true position and admits he didn't adjust well. Not sure how much he'll be improved. However its a SR. and he'll have alot to prove.
 
I actually spoke with Thomas. He feels he was forced to play out of his true position and admits he didn't adjust well. Not sure how much he'll be improved. However its a SR. and he'll have alot to prove.
What does he feel his normal position is?
 
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I actually spoke with Thomas. He feels he was forced to play out of his true position and admits he didn't adjust well. Not sure how much he'll be improved. However its a SR. and he'll have alot to prove.

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Thank you!!!! We called it here!!! Thomas isn’t a rebounder./post big man He wants to Kevin Durant people and take them outside. More of a reason to find more big men. Hopefully Terry realizes his strengths and puts him in a position to be successful.

This makes it more imperative that we pick up someone like Ezeagu. He looks like someone who is comfortable protecting the paint and playing down low. But we definitely need to get a Juco big man too. I don’t know if I trust throwing a bunch of Freshmen at the problem and hoping that their game immediately traslates to the college game. Especially when they’re playing kids 3-4 years older and just as big.
 
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What does he feel his normal position is?
He had been a guard most of his high school career then hit a growth spurt. He was still playing guard at 6'6" or 7" when the miners recruited him. He was asked to play with his back to the basket in college. Not his best postition but I don't see that changing too much. He might get to play small forward if Efe can play the big forward. He has a really nice 10-15 foot fadeaway jump shot. He hits it consistently.
 
I actually spoke with Thomas. He feels he was forced to play out of his true position and admits he didn't adjust well. Not sure how much he'll be improved. However its a SR. and he'll have alot to prove.
So we will need a new power forward too.
I'm not sure if I can picture PT at SF, but if it allows him to break out then its all good!
 
I get that Thomas played Guard as a kid, but he’s just too big to be that. He really should accept what he is and develop his game so that he can create problems. A team wants to put a big man on you? Take him outside and use that ball handling and get to the rim. A team wants to put a smaller/more athletic guy on you? Take him down low and post up and hurt them that way. If his ball handling is at that level he can create problems offensively. But that does explain a lot as to why he is so poor hitting the boards.
 
I get that Thomas played Guard as a kid, but he’s just too big to be that. He really should accept what he is and develop his game so that he can create problems. A team wants to put a big man on you? Take him outside and use that ball handling and get to the rim. A team wants to put a smaller/more athletic guy on you? Take him down low and post up and hurt them that way. If his ball handling is at that level he can create problems offensively. But that does explain a lot as to why he is so poor hitting the boards.

My own opinion, and it’s just that...an opinion, is that he doesn’t play with much determination or fire. He plays with flat affect and never really shifts his intensity from one level to another. The kid needs to get angry and go get the damn ball. He has an advantage as an upperclassman. I just hope he taps into that advantage.
 
My own opinion, and it’s just that...an opinion, is that he doesn’t play with much determination or fire. He plays with flat affect and never really shifts his intensity from one level to another. The kid needs to get angry and go get the damn ball. He has an advantage as an upperclassman. I just hope he taps into that advantage.
He had a really good finish to his sophomore year but seemed to lose something over the summer. Almost seemed he was defunct of any confidence.
 
He had a really good finish to his sophomore year but seemed to lose something over the summer. Almost seemed he was defunct of any confidence.

Totally agree. The finish to his sophomore year had some of us thinking we had a budding star. Then he was a non-factor most of his junior year. Gawt damn, Floyd!
 
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I agree that Thomas seems to lack that fire that you would expect from a big man. And I do think that some of that could be attributed to the fact that he feels like he’s being misused, so is that the coaching staff’s fault? Or is it his fault that he doesn’t accept that he is a 6’8” Power Forward? It’s obvious that given his background he can be a dangerous weapon offensively. But will Terry give him the ball further out and then expect smaller players to hit the boards?
 
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