Hypothetical question about OSU basketball

This a JAY45 type of question


I saw this question on a KU board so I cant take full credit for it.

It was asked if one player could take an one hour session and reach their full potential right now, (this part is mine)as in they could be as good as they will be as Senior (with hard work).

I think it depends if their early entry draft in this hypothetical world?

If there is no early draft I say let Kenny Cooper have the session then we can have a dominant 6'10 center with a shoot touch. He would be 22 pts 10 rbs guy that shoots 60% from the field.

If there is a early entry draft I say Byron Eaton. He isnt an NBA early entry draft type of PG. Maybe after his Junoir year but they will question his quickness and shooting. An all american PG for 3 years would be awsome and we would be hard to beat, any time and any place.

I'd definitely go with Cooper. We have had such a weak showing at the center position lately, I'd really like to see that spot be a strength for a change.

A "JAY45 Type Question"???

I agree 100% about Cooper. I believe that, BECAUSE of Cooper, OSU will have a SHOT to contend for a National Championship next year or the year after...I've been thinking about a post along those lines...I see Cooper as giving OSU what Paul Davis gives Michigan State: A RUGGED Inside Force...I think OSU will have the CORE Look of the 1995 Final Four Team in a Year or So, only with BETTER complementary Players...

Andre Owens = Byron Eaton
Randy Rutherford = JamesOn Curry
Bryant Reeves = Kenny Cooper

To take it a Step Further, look at the 7-Man Rotation used that Final Four Season:

Terry Collins = Marcus Dove
Scott Pierce = Mario Boggan

Off the Bench on the Final Four Squad:
Chianti Roberts = Terrel Harris
Jason Skaer = Roderick Flemings

See what I mean about BETTER complementary players?? That is without even MENTIONING David Monds, Jamaal Brown, Torre Johnson...Etc., Etc., Etc.

I have seen a couple of people say Pierce = Boggan. Well Boggan is a capable 20 point scorer and maybe not quite the rebounder of Pierce but I think alot big key part of our offense. I just dont see the comparison beyond the need to find someone simliar to Peirce for the sake of camparing. :

99: The comparison was MEANT to show that THIS OSU Squad COULD develop a CORE Similiar to the 1995 Squad in term of:

1. A GREAT Point Guard to be an Extention of Coach Sutton.
2. A DANGEROUS Outside Shooter to keep defenses honest at the very least, and scorch teams on a hot night.
3. A POWERFUL Inside Force to beat teams up in the Paint.

The REST of the parrallel was simply to show how the Talent AROUND the Potential CORE is BETTER!! In NO WAY would I compare Mario Boggan to Scott Pierce. I said last year, and I still agree that Marcus Dove is a mirror image of Terry Collins, yet taller, but that is sheer coincidence in the overall comparison of this group to the 1995 group. When I was talking about the CORE being similar, I was talking more about the future of the Program. Boggan certainly is THE GUY right now, and should be next year as well. He IS in the Reeves' Inside Role; HOWEVER, when Cooper realizes his full potential, he fit the mold of Reeves closer than Boggan. I agree with what you said on the Coach's Show last night, and what we've talked about here: The offense SHOULD run through Boggan...

So the Point is, I was NOT comparing Boggan to Pierce, Roberts to Harris, Skaer to Flemings and so on...My INTENT was to say that:

A. The CORE of this Teams Future COULD Resemble the CORE of the 1995 Final Four Team...

B. The complementary Players are BETTER...

I hope no one gets confused and believes anyone here really knows what they are talking about..Hypothetically of course.

Let me start by saying that Kenny Cooper is the player I am the most excited about on this team. I think he could become a very special player. That said, you guys are expecting way too much out of him way too soon. He is miles away from rugged and when conference play starts I think we will find the speed of the Big IX to be on a level he is not prepared for. Big men develop slower than any other position. My opinion is he will not be a go to guy any earlier than his Junior year. Big Country's progression was abnormal. We are setting ourselves up for disappointment if we make very many parallels between Cooper and Reeves.

CCR: I certainly can understand your skepticism in this issue, and let me first state, that I didn't say, and I don't think that Cooper is anywhere near the finished product, much like you stated. I agree that, as of right now, he is not ready for Big 12 Play. OSU will have to have him, and he WILL play, ESPECIALLY against these teams with the big front lines. The thing about this issue is, the hype and praise around Cooper originates from the people who see him each and every day, the Coaching Staff. I understand that it would be one thing if a Coaching Staff had a history of over promising, and under delivering; HOWEVER, for 16 seasons, this Staff has operated the EXACT opposite, Mostly DOWNPLAYING each and every player to enter the Program. With Cooper, the Staff speaks glowingly, even to the point that the Staff themselves have stated that they wanted to Redshirt Cooper, but they don't even think they will have him for 4 Years, so they don't want to risk not playing him every chance that they get. Therein lies the Ying-Yang of Cooper. I agree with you 100% that Big Men are the slowest to develop; however, I think we are SLOWLY starting to see signs from Cooper that we haven't seen yet this season. Back to the Coaching Staff...AGAIN, BOTH Sean AND EDDIE say that they think Cooper is a POTENTIAL Future All-American, and that they don't think they will have him for 4 Years. If Sean AND Eddie made a habbit of making such statements, I can see cause to be even more skeptical. The fact that they almost NEVER talk about a player like this gives you even MORE reason to believe them.

I intended to be VERY clear in my posts in this thread that most of my statements are based on the POTENTIAL for these players to form the Core of a Final Four Type Team...Saying that they have the ABILITY or WILL have the Ability is a different thing than saying that they WILL Win a National Championship, Etc.

Not many squad have a 6'10" Freshman on their squad that has the raw, physical ability of Cooper. Not many squads have a 6'10" PLAYER on their squad with the raw physical ability of Cooper. The kid turned 18 on 12/26.

My statements are that, HE, more than anyone else on the squad can give OSU a LEGITIMATE SHOT at Contending for a National Championship. I do not believe that OSU fans that expect Cooper to develop into a Big-Time Player are setting themselves up for disappointment. I expressly think that that is why the Suttons normally downplay players, yet feel comfortable enough to praise Cooper like they have. In a way, it is like a Go-Ahead to get excited about this kid, KNOWING that he is young, raw, and not yet the finished product.

I think, to simply what I said, I just flat out can't believe that Eddie and Sean Sutton would do that to a kid...tell everyone that they think he could be a potential All-American that might only stay 3 years before he heads to the NBA unless they were SUPREMELY confident that that is the case. Sure, ANYTHING could happen, and Kenny Cooper could be the next Sean Pell, Ian Phillip, Ben Baum, John Nelson, or John Gillmore...there is no doubt about it...Eddie and Sean Sutton are not above being wrong...however, I just don't believe that they would do that to a kid...heap praise on him, just to set him up to disappoint Cowboy Fans everywhere. Coach Sutton has been doing this for 40 Years now. I feel pretty good about taking him up on his opinion and assessment of Kenny Cooper!!

I just don't think Cooper has the quickness to be All American. He just looks slow. And he doesn't jump very well either. He has very average quickness and jumping ability for a 6-10 guy. He does have a nice shooting touch from 12-15 feet and is strong but he needs to learn to use it.
Its just my opinion but I am not one that believes he will be All American, or even first team All Conference. I don't even expect him to start until his jr year. Monds is way ahead of him. I really hope I'm wrong.

And Cooper leaving early? I don't think that there is much value in a 6-10 center in the NBA. He'd be one of the shortest centers in the league.
Could he be an NBA power forward? He'd need to get quicker.
But I do understand he's probably the youngest player in the whole Big12.
He should still be in high school

I doubt Cooper is finished growing yet. He could potentially hit 7 feet. I agree that his speed isn't there yet, but he's very young and will continue to improve. He has shown big strides already. I think conference play will greatly accelerate his learning curve. Going head to head with Bookout and Gray and all the Redwoods at Texas will teach him more in a short time than any practice could.

You make very good points Jay45. Making me rethink my stance. I certainly don't see the same things out of Cooper as some do, but I don't have 791 D-1 wins.

All I gotta say about Cooper is he CALLS FOR THE BALL! HE HAS HIS HANDS UP AND WANTS TO SCORE AND I LOVE IT!!! He wants to play and wants to improve...he will be special.