ucdave
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Awesome, this thread should reach 100 pages by then!!
'12 NY PF Christopher Obekpa
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Awesome, this thread should reach 100 pages by then!!
Thegreatone
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Its unreal how much we have talked about him on this site. This has been our most talked about thread in our history.
JackBauer151
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His situation with Oregon has been one of the more weirder situations I have seen in recruiting. New York kid heading all the way out west to check out a team that has not had a successful basketball program while many teams in Beast are recruiting him. He schedules a visit that he cancels. Then it is reported that Oregon cancelled it. Then it is reported that he is rescheduling. Then it is reported that Oregon still thinks they cant pry him away from the Big East. Then it is reported that concern is no longer an issue and the visit will take place. Now the Nike connection is being reported. Makes me dizzy. The one thing I know about his situation is that I dont know. I dont know what he is thinking, I dont know what his handlers are thinking, I dont know how much influence they have on his decision, I dont even know what his criteria is for choosing a school. I have a suspicion that he just might be waiting for a blockbuster to come along like a UK. If cronin cant land a high profile transfer then I hope he pockets the scholarship. The 2013 class is loaded with talent and our depth is fine right now. It is one of those unique years where not landing someone does not necessarily mean its a bad thing. Should be very interesting to see how this whole things shakes out....
ucdave
Well-known member
I know where you're coming from, but I put ZERO of the blame on the kid. I think it is all his handlers. So I would take the opposite approach and probably root for him even more (if he comes here).
I hope it all works out, but I think my earlier concerns have been confirmed. I had a feeling something like this would happen, although I thought UK would be the one that gets involved. They still might if Noel is declared ineligible. Oh well, it's not like he is Shaquille O'Neill or something. I'm sure he would have contributed as a Freshmen, but it's not the end of the world. I think we should pocket the scholarship for 2013, which means we would have 4 to fill (unless Ryan Taylor becomes eligble).
Thegreatone
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Seems like his handlers are waiting for a "better situation" Not saying that they looking for something illegal in terms of recruiting but they seem to be forcing his hand.
Why string this along. I think he is enjoying the process which is cool but maybe we need to give timetable.
Why string this along. I think he is enjoying the process which is cool but maybe we need to give timetable.
Thegreatone
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Wow another posts copied and pasted from our boy over at BCN who seems to be on top of things:
I'll probably get in trouble for this but here is the whole story unedited. Mods if you have to remove I completely understand.
But I do not agree that we yank the scholarship offer because this kid really sounds like he'll be a Bearcat legend if he stays all four years. If nothing else we save it for next year's class if he doesn't come here.
Cincinnati Bearcat basketball fans want Christopher Obekpa. They have been waiting for his commitment for about ten months now. The Fall Signing Period passed without a single signing.
And UC coaches and fans waited. Hoping.
During the winter junior college combo forward Titus Rubles verbally committed. He made it official during April.
In ten days the Spring Signing Period will pass too. Most likely Obekpa will not sign by the May 16th deadline.
Christopher has every right to decide on his own time. It is his life that will be impacted the most by the decision.
But extracting any information from the Obekpa Camp gets to be exhausting.
Teammates playfully warn approaching reporters that 'Careful he doesn't speak English.'
In truth Obekpa speaks eloquently. He grew up with English.
Rosters listing AAU players always display a home phone number, often a cell phone number for each athlete. For Obekpa? "C/O Coach."
Ok, so Christopher Obekpa has a gatekeeper. Fair enough. He was born on another continent and it seems like an astute decision.
"I have to be protective of the young man," said Our Savior New American High School Assistant Coach Eric Jaklitsch.
Calls to Coach Jaklitsch routinely go unanswered.
Straight to voicemail. Days later. Voicemail, voicemail, voicemail.
Text messages are met with, 'We are not answering questions right now.'
Even after official visits only a few aggressive reporters snuck in a few questions.
Known suitors
It is known that Cincinnati is very involved.
"He is very interested in Providence,' said Our Savior New American High School Assistant Coach Eric Jaklitsch. "He has been talking with them. And he has been talking with DePaul."
DePaul, Cincinnati, and St. John's have hosted the 6'8" senior for official visits. Schools including UConn and Providence have had the young man on campus unofficially.
The wildcard in the process becomes Oregon.
Coach Jaklitsch and Christopher wanted to take an official visit to Oregon April 22nd, but it did not materialize. They still want the trip to take place.
"Hopefully," said Obekpa. "They are still trying to fix it."
Oregon's program has the unique link to NIKE, giving them a branding edge over every school in the nation.
"He is visiting Oregon," affirmed Coach Jaklitsch. "The dates didn't work out."
Since the Oregon trip keeps getting postponed an early May signing appears increasingly unlikely.
The Regular Signing Period ends May 16th. Any National Letter of Intent signed after that date would be voided.
"You don't have to sign a letter of intent," reminds Coach Jaklitsch.
This is true. Most college prospects sign the National Letter of Intent to bind the school to them. A school can not back out of the commitment after signing. Of course there are loop holes that dastardly college programs use but for the most part the NLI provides a future student-athlete assurances of loyalty.
Assurances that supersede recruiter's puffery.
If they don't intend to sign during the Signing Period the deadline stretches even further into the waning days of Spring.
A decision could come soon. Or maybe after that.
"Later this month or early next month," suggests Obekpa himself.
Should Cincinnati worry?
Regardless of the timing of the decision UC fans just want to know where. Where will he choose to attend school?
Does Cincinnati lead, as some reporters claim?
"No guarantees in recruiting," said Coach Jaklitsch. "You see one school pegged as the school he is going to go to and then he winds up somewhere else. Player 'X' likes one school but winds up at another school all the time."
Does this mean Christopher doesn't like Cincinnati? Hardly. Is it an intentionally vague answer to a straight question? Absolutely.
And now you understand why no one knows where Christopher Obekpa is going to college.
I'll probably get in trouble for this but here is the whole story unedited. Mods if you have to remove I completely understand.
But I do not agree that we yank the scholarship offer because this kid really sounds like he'll be a Bearcat legend if he stays all four years. If nothing else we save it for next year's class if he doesn't come here.
Cincinnati Bearcat basketball fans want Christopher Obekpa. They have been waiting for his commitment for about ten months now. The Fall Signing Period passed without a single signing.
And UC coaches and fans waited. Hoping.
During the winter junior college combo forward Titus Rubles verbally committed. He made it official during April.
In ten days the Spring Signing Period will pass too. Most likely Obekpa will not sign by the May 16th deadline.
Christopher has every right to decide on his own time. It is his life that will be impacted the most by the decision.
But extracting any information from the Obekpa Camp gets to be exhausting.
Teammates playfully warn approaching reporters that 'Careful he doesn't speak English.'
In truth Obekpa speaks eloquently. He grew up with English.
Rosters listing AAU players always display a home phone number, often a cell phone number for each athlete. For Obekpa? "C/O Coach."
Ok, so Christopher Obekpa has a gatekeeper. Fair enough. He was born on another continent and it seems like an astute decision.
"I have to be protective of the young man," said Our Savior New American High School Assistant Coach Eric Jaklitsch.
Calls to Coach Jaklitsch routinely go unanswered.
Straight to voicemail. Days later. Voicemail, voicemail, voicemail.
Text messages are met with, 'We are not answering questions right now.'
Even after official visits only a few aggressive reporters snuck in a few questions.
Known suitors
It is known that Cincinnati is very involved.
"He is very interested in Providence,' said Our Savior New American High School Assistant Coach Eric Jaklitsch. "He has been talking with them. And he has been talking with DePaul."
DePaul, Cincinnati, and St. John's have hosted the 6'8" senior for official visits. Schools including UConn and Providence have had the young man on campus unofficially.
The wildcard in the process becomes Oregon.
Coach Jaklitsch and Christopher wanted to take an official visit to Oregon April 22nd, but it did not materialize. They still want the trip to take place.
"Hopefully," said Obekpa. "They are still trying to fix it."
Oregon's program has the unique link to NIKE, giving them a branding edge over every school in the nation.
"He is visiting Oregon," affirmed Coach Jaklitsch. "The dates didn't work out."
Since the Oregon trip keeps getting postponed an early May signing appears increasingly unlikely.
The Regular Signing Period ends May 16th. Any National Letter of Intent signed after that date would be voided.
"You don't have to sign a letter of intent," reminds Coach Jaklitsch.
This is true. Most college prospects sign the National Letter of Intent to bind the school to them. A school can not back out of the commitment after signing. Of course there are loop holes that dastardly college programs use but for the most part the NLI provides a future student-athlete assurances of loyalty.
Assurances that supersede recruiter's puffery.
If they don't intend to sign during the Signing Period the deadline stretches even further into the waning days of Spring.
A decision could come soon. Or maybe after that.
"Later this month or early next month," suggests Obekpa himself.
Should Cincinnati worry?
Regardless of the timing of the decision UC fans just want to know where. Where will he choose to attend school?
Does Cincinnati lead, as some reporters claim?
"No guarantees in recruiting," said Coach Jaklitsch. "You see one school pegged as the school he is going to go to and then he winds up somewhere else. Player 'X' likes one school but winds up at another school all the time."
Does this mean Christopher doesn't like Cincinnati? Hardly. Is it an intentionally vague answer to a straight question? Absolutely.
And now you understand why no one knows where Christopher Obekpa is going to college.
Someone asks about Cincinnati, and his handlers mention Depaul and Providence? Go figure.
It really sounds like he's going elsewhere. And this Nike connection thing makes me think his handlers are going to make the huge mistake and send him across the country to play at Oregon. Frickin' Oregon. Go figure that one out. The Pac-10 has been a joke lately. And anyone with a brain knows that if a kid wants exposure, go to one of the big name schools like UK, Kansas, Duke, UNC, etc. or go to the Big East (New York media focuses on Big East). The Pac-10 doesn't get that much exposure nationally.
I'm actually sick of the whole thing. I guess I'll start paying more attention to 2013 recruiting and let the whole Obekpa thing go. I'm about 80% sure he's going elsewhere.
It really sounds like he's going elsewhere. And this Nike connection thing makes me think his handlers are going to make the huge mistake and send him across the country to play at Oregon. Frickin' Oregon. Go figure that one out. The Pac-10 has been a joke lately. And anyone with a brain knows that if a kid wants exposure, go to one of the big name schools like UK, Kansas, Duke, UNC, etc. or go to the Big East (New York media focuses on Big East). The Pac-10 doesn't get that much exposure nationally.
I'm actually sick of the whole thing. I guess I'll start paying more attention to 2013 recruiting and let the whole Obekpa thing go. I'm about 80% sure he's going elsewhere.
CPAW29
Well-known member
we will reach the 100 page goal before obekpa makes his decisionAwesome, this thread should reach 100 pages by then!!
david aka the TYZ
Well-known member
I have two thoughts at this point:
1) If he doesn't choose UC, I hope he goes to Oregon because I don't want to have to face him every year in an opposing Big East uniform.
2) If he chooses Oregon I hope to hell they get caught for paying to get him and get in trouble...although it seems to me they don't really seem to be pursuing him too hard and his handlers are the ones that want him to go there and expecting a handout, maybe the Oregon folks will turn his handlers in to the NCAA if this is the case. I know Oregon is already in trouble with its football program so I imagine their whole athletic staff might be walking on eggshells.
1) If he doesn't choose UC, I hope he goes to Oregon because I don't want to have to face him every year in an opposing Big East uniform.
2) If he chooses Oregon I hope to hell they get caught for paying to get him and get in trouble...although it seems to me they don't really seem to be pursuing him too hard and his handlers are the ones that want him to go there and expecting a handout, maybe the Oregon folks will turn his handlers in to the NCAA if this is the case. I know Oregon is already in trouble with its football program so I imagine their whole athletic staff might be walking on eggshells.
Bcatfollower
Well-known member
Did Oregon get Anthony Bennett too?
Patrick Bateman
Well-known member
Here is my prediction based on no inside info. Nerlens Noel, who is being investigated by the NCAA is declared ineligible before next season. UK offers Obekpa and we lose another recruit to UK (Teague)
i was thinking that today as well.
If Eric Bledsoe, who "got" an A in Algebra III without taking Algebra II and getting a D in Algebra I, can be made eligible anything is possible in Lexington.
Mick will do what's best for the program. If he gets the vibe that Obekpa's not going to come to UC I'm sure he has a back-up in mind. One option could be to just pocket the scholarship and use it next year.
Btown Bearcat
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Ya its not like he makes or breaks us. I wouldn be mad if he pockets it
WAITE HOYT 2
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A couple of thoughts This young man owe's nothing to anyone on this blog. He is sorting through a overload of information and is responsible for making a huge decision that will effect him for life.Speculation he is being given bad advice by handlers is about as ignorant as it gets. Does anyone have firsthand knowledge of this. I'll answer that NO. Certainly MC has a obligation to do what is best for the program and he will. If that means going in a different direction he will. To imply Obekpa owe's MC anything because he has been working hard to secure his LOI is rediculus. If Obekpa comes here and for whatever reason he isn't the player MC envisioned, his ride can be taken.Being a major College athlete is not a picnic.My son was one and he is on rehab for his 4th knee surgery and a early in life knee replacement. Its nice to say coaches always try to do what is right for the kid but they get paid to win. In the end that is the important thing. Fill the stands and make the Dance or you will be replaced. If that means replace the kid its done. SMU and Larry Brown ring a bell. Its a balancing act and some coaches are better than others at it. As I've said before let the kid make his decision. I think he comes here. The reasoning I am using is, I think the kid is honoring a committment he made to make a visit and he is keeping it. In the end I think he opts for us for all the reasons mentioned. Big East,Playing time and the opportunity to play on a good team with the potential to be great. If someone is pressuring him to go to Oregon in hopes they have more to offer its obvious they are wrong. Tradition,opportunity,exposure and location should trump anything Oregon has to offer.If somehing else is being offered I don't want the kid here anyway. If its us and Oregon I am very confident he will be a Cat.
I think he picks another school that is rebuilding, and then transfers after his frosh year when he realizes he isn't getting much exposure and sees UC in the Big Dance, and his school doesn't make the tournament.
I admire your passion, but I don't think he is making the decision. I think his sponsors are.
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