Baylor vs. Wichita St.

[SubGod22]

At least their starting center is in the country :D

[shocks771]

This guy???

http://baylorbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/diene_mamadou00.html

[shockdawg]

Yep, might make our task/matchups a little easier, can you say schadenfrude?

[Snapshot9]

Whatever happens, I think CGM will have our team ready to play, and is relating to the team that it will be a test for them. I would think the coaching staff is already reviewing game tapes from last year on Baylor and developing a game plan to put into action.

If anything, it will 'toughen' the team up for the rest of the season.

[Aargh]

I found a link. Chronic stress fracture.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/big12/stories/MYSA102607.Briefs_1026.en.32b4d49.html

[wu_shizzle]

Diene, a junior from Yeumbeul, Senegal, has started all 43 games in his two-season career with the Bears. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots last season.

7'0 - 250lbs and all he can manage is 5 and 5? The politically correct term for that is "defensive specialist".

[wsu789]

They have a sophomore 7-0 who played in all their games and started several. His numbers were similar to the guy who went down, so I wouldn't expect much drop off.

[The Mad Hatter]

They have a sophomore 7-0 who played in all their games and started several. His numbers were similar to the guy who went down, so I wouldn't expect much drop off.

There may not be drop off in the first rotation in the post, but it will affect the second rotation.

[BostonWu]

Diene, a junior from Yeumbeul, Senegal, has started all 43 games in his two-season career with the Bears. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots last season.

7'0 - 250lbs and all he can manage is 5 and 5? The politically correct term for that is "defensive specialist".

I have this feeling that a segment of the fanbase is placing all their eggs in the EO basket. Early expectations are so high with said segment that disappointment is sure to set in when he doesn't bring a double-double.

[Wushock41]

From Big XII review today on CBS spotsline on Baylor.....

The bad: Though the backcourt is strong and experienced, it was also sloppy with the ball last season. The Bears averaged 14.5 turnovers per game, which ranked 162nd in the nation. So that must improve for them to improve.

P.J & Matt, are you ready?


;-)

[RoyalShock]

Diene, a junior from Yeumbeul, Senegal, has started all 43 games in his two-season career with the Bears. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots last season.

7'0 - 250lbs and all he can manage is 5 and 5? The politically correct term for that is "defensive specialist".

I have this feeling that a segment of the fanbase is placing all their eggs in the EO basket. Early expectations are so high with said segment that disappointment is sure to set in when he doesn't bring a double-double.

It's just that EO can help plug what appears to be a gaping hole in terms of vertical size on the defensive end (which, as we've been told, is where he can be of immediate help). Having him available makes us less vulnerable to matchup problems that involve interior height.

But you're right, there may be a few who are expecting EO to be more of a savior than a prophet.

[Aargh]

5 pts. 5 boards 1.6 blocks. That's what Baylor's 7' center got last year.

I'd be happy with those stats for Orukpe this year.

[tgcshock]

KC will do it too !!!

At this time there are to many "unknowns" to make a accurate prediction.

So I say - We can win this one and we can lose this one.

There are far more 'unknowns' on the WSU side of things than there are on the Baylor side. They have a strong nucleus coming back from a 15-16 team last year that pretty much played everyone in the Big 12 very competitively. They have four guys returning who averaged 11 points or more per game.

Although they lost to Texas 3 times last year, those losses were by a combined 11 points. The only key player they lost was a guy who averaged 6 PPG.

I believe their is enough information out there to make an accurate prediction. They are in far better shape than we are.

Of course the oddity there is that they played a good Texas team (with Kevin Durant) very close and then would lose big to teams that Texas blew out.

[The Mad Hatter]

5 pts. 5 boards 1.6 blocks. That's what Baylor's 7' center got last year.

I'd be happy with those stats for Orukpe this year.

Ditto.

[WSUwatcher]

Nigerian centers

By the way, the greatest of all Nigerian centers, Hakeem Olajuwon, redshirted his first year at Houston and averaged 8.3 pts, 6.2 rebs, and 2.5 blocks his second. Of course, the Dream had never played basketball before (hence the redshirt year), but it's still an indication that talent plus practice and coaching can take a player from relatively insignificant statistical contributions to greatness.

On a more plausible level of comparison, Patrick O'Bryant, who came to Bradley as a promising unknown because of the relatively modest level of competition he had faced in high school, averaged 10 pts, 7.4 rebs, and 2.8 blocks his first year.

Not that I'm expecting Orupke to be Son of Dream -- but assuming the level of play he's experienced in Nigeria is somewhat comparable to what O'Bryant faced in suburban Minneapolis, it isn't unreasonable to hope he can be a very worthwhile addition early on, and to have a bright collegiate future even if he does start slowly. That certainly seems to be what Marshall is hoping.