Recruit Chuba Ohams

[MCKnight2004]

Chuba Ohams, a 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward from Putnam Science Academy (CT), is planning upcoming visits to Rutgers and VCU and is targeting a decision by April.

The Bronx native said Rutgers, VCU, DePaul, Providence and South Carolina were working the hardest, although he doesn't hold a South Carolina offer.

He has already visited Providence, UConn and Fordham.

"I plan on taking unofficial visits to Rutgers and VCU soon," he said, adding that the Rutgers visit "will most likely be over the Christmas break."

Rutgers, which doesn't yet have a commit in the Class of 2016, will also visit Ohams on Thursday at school.

"They are coming again to speak to me on Thursday after my game," he said. "I speak to coach [Dalip] Bhatia a lot. I love the [Big Ten] Conference, style of play and that they need a wing like myself to just come in and play my game right away."

Wherever he goes, Ohams said he'll bring "versatility, shooting ability and my motor."

"I can guard and play anything from 1-4," he said.

As for his upside, Putnam coach Thomas Espinosa said: "Chuba is one of the most versatile players I've ever coached here at Putnam Science Academy. Chuba is good at many things on the court and continues to improve and work hard in all areas to be great at many things."

 

[MADHAT1]

Link:
Recruiting Roundup: Naz Reid, Chuba Ohams, Nate Pierre-Louis, Hamidou Diallo | SNY
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiti...s-nate-pierre-louis-hamidou-diallo/159617210/

 

[SkilletHead2]

He sounds great and I love the name. Come to the Banks, young man!

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Sounds good to me, too! We need to find guys that believe in themselves and see an opportunity to contribute quickly.

(Although it's hard to see a 6' 8", 190# player holding up as a 4 in the B1G. Let's keep him at the 2 or 3 unless/until he gets a little more weight on his frame.)

 

[TruJerz]

Kid looks like a project. Very raw wing, needs to get a lot stronger. Like his length a lot tho

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

how is it possible that Rutgers is one of the schools recruiting him the hardest when the staff is lazy? How is it possible they are visiting him on Thursday? They should be home taking a nap.

"They are coming again to speak to me on Thursday after my game"....that means they have seen him before, probably multiple times.

 

[RUonBrain]

how is it possible that Rutgers is one of the schools recruiting him the hardest when the staff is lazy? How is it possible they are visiting him on Thursday? They should be home taking a nap.

"They are coming again to speak to me on Thursday after my game"....that means they have seen him before, probably multiple times.

It would be nice if they had time to recruit this kid AND teach rebounding during a practice, Mr. Smarty Pants!

 

[LevaosLectures]

I'll say this for Eddie...at least he isn't coaching another team.

 

[RUJMM78]

Rutgers is desperate to fill scholarships for next season.By now most fans should realize how difficult it has been to attract top tier recruits.I am in favor of players that can score especially from the 3 point line.Long scoring droughts have become too common .

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

how is it possible that Rutgers is one of the schools recruiting him the hardest when the staff is lazy? How is it possible they are visiting him on Thursday? They should be home taking a nap.

"They are coming again to speak to me on Thursday after my game"....that means they have seen him before, probably multiple times.

This says nothing about whether the staff is lazy or not. What we don't know is if the staff has identified X amount of targets and is actively identifying how many of those do they want at RU vs. taking a few and going after them without "quality control"

Let's be real honest here....what is the batting average of a Jordan commitment? How many end up not coming here or end up being players that come here that we shouldn't have. Defintely no need to name names.

Are we up to 20 basketball players that have committed to Jordan? May be a tad early, but how many pass the eye test of a B1G school?

 

[T2Kplus10]

This says nothing about whether the staff is lazy or not. What we don't know is if the staff has identified X amount of targets and is actively identifying how many of those do they want at RU vs. taking a few and going after them without "quality control"

Let's be real honest here....what is the batting average of a Jordan commitment? How many end up not coming here or end up being players that come here that we shouldn't have. Defintely no need to name names.

Are we up to 20 basketball players that have committed to Jordan? May be a tad early, but how many pass the eye test of a B1G school?

The answer is 1. Up until now, just 1.

 

[RU MAN]

I'll say this for Eddie...at least he isn't coaching another team.

True. But Eddie's not in demand as that "other" coach. [winking]

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

It is higher

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

This says nothing about whether the staff is lazy or not. What we don't know is if the staff has identified X amount of targets and is actively identifying how many of those do they want at RU vs. taking a few and going after them without "quality control"

Let's be real honest here....what is the batting average of a Jordan commitment? How many end up not coming here or end up being players that come here that we shouldn't have. Defintely no need to name names.

Are we up to 20 basketball players that have committed to Jordan? May be a tad early, but how many pass the eye test of a B1G school?

That's a basic disagreement I have with some here....People think that Rutgers should be competing for the Top Guys around. A team that has not sniffed the NCAA's in 25 years does not get Top Players !!!

A team like Rutgers has to go for guys that are a notch lower or take some chances or maybe catch a break with a top recruit.

Rutgers has about 5-7 top 100 recruits in the last 25 years......Why do people insist that we are in the position to get those guys now ????

Let's look at the core players now and their best offers: I'm not counting the recruits the staff had to scramble to get to fill the roster.

Williams - Iowa, George Washington, Rhode Island, Dayton St. Johns, Temple
Foreman - Alabama, Auburn, Iowa St, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Doorson- Pittsburgh commit at one time.
Freeman - Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Rhode Island
Laurent - Alabama, Georgia Tech, UCF
Sanders - Marquette, Tennessee, Xavier, Memphis
Nigel Johnson - Transfer with offers from: Kansas State, George Washington

There were some reaches because....that's where the program is:

Goode
Diallo
Ryan Johnson-transferred- BUT, he actually visited Minnesota right before he committed to Rutgers.

I know one guy on this board ( The HUGH Danny Hurley supporter) refer to the MAC level talent on multiple occasions. Yes, Jordan took a chance with Goode and Diallo, but, they are still Freshmen and could be serviceable role players in the years to come.

The pieces have to be built slowly over time. Anyone expecting a coach to come in and automatically start grabbing Top 100 players is smoking some really good stuff.

 

[B1GNJHoops]

It's on the HC, not the recruits.

Recruiting isn't anything to write home about, but the lack coaching and effort puts RU in limbo until changes are made.

Coaching closes the gap between the haves and have nots. Defense. Rebounding. Effort.

 

[78CollegeAve]

Zero-for-November after having to scramble to fill the '15 class in the spring?

No further questions, your Honor.

Like Eddie Jordan's guys, the defense rests.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Zero-for-November after having to scramble to fill the '15 class in the spring?

No further questions, your Honor.

Like Eddie Jordan's guys, the defense rests.

I'm right there with you.....Danny Hurley would have signed 3 top 100 guys. WOW, we missed the boat by not giving him the 7 YEARS he wanted to build the program.

 

[B1GNJHoops]

I'm right there with you.....Danny Hurley would have signed 3 top 100 guys. WOW, we missed the boat by not giving him the 7 YEARS he wanted to build the program.

You are the only one saying anything about Top 100 recruits in this thread.

 

[ruman]

We will be the most talented 6 win team in college basketball history.

Also, don't forget a couple years ago we lost by 61 with 5 top 150 recruits in our starting lineup. Tough to do.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

You are the only one saying anything about Top 100 recruits in this thread.

Here's the core group and their offer list. What else are you expecting ? Other pieces need to be added over time, up to 5-7 years because that's the timeframe that it will take. YOU may be impatient, but, that's how long it will take. I'm impatient also, but, I'm realistic.

Williams - Iowa, George Washington, Rhode Island, Dayton St. Johns, Temple
Foreman - Alabama, Auburn, Iowa St, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Doorson- Pittsburgh commit at one time.
Freeman - Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Rhode Island
Laurent - Alabama, Georgia Tech, UCF
Sanders - Marquette, Tennessee, Xavier, Memphis
Nigel Johnson - Transfer with offers from: Kansas State, George Washington

Diallo and Goode will also have a role.

I'm sure a few more pieces will be added in the Spring. Next year, a few more pieces. That's how you build. You may not have the patience for it, but, this is a marathon rebuild, not a sprint. Teams with a winning history can rebuild quickly. A team that has not been to the NCAA's in 25 years needs to do it this way.

 

[B1GNJHoops]

Here's the core group and their offer list. What else are you expecting ? Other pieces need to be added over time, up to 5-7 years because that's the timeframe that it will take. YOU may be impatient, but, that's how long it will take. I'm impatient also, but, I'm realistic.

Williams - Iowa, George Washington, Rhode Island, Dayton St. Johns, Temple
Foreman - Alabama, Auburn, Iowa St, Minnesota, Pittsburgh
Doorson- Pittsburgh commit at one time.
Freeman - Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Rhode Island
Laurent - Alabama, Georgia Tech, UCF
Sanders - Marquette, Tennessee, Xavier, Memphis
Nigel Johnson - Transfer with offers from: Kansas State, George Washington

Diallo and Goode will also have a role.

I'm sure a few more pieces will be added in the Spring. Next year, a few more pieces. That's how you build. You may not have the patience for it, but, this is a marathon rebuild, not a sprint. Teams with a winning history can rebuild quickly. A team that has not been to the NCAA's in 25 years needs to do it this way.

It's a huge rebuild. Do you progress on the court though? This staff has lost 22 of 26. And we look bad even in victories.

 

[78CollegeAve]

I'll agree. That's not too shabby a list of offers for half of a roster. For any other B1G program, those kids (except Sanders and Freeman) would be the bottom half of a roster.

Now, how about you list the offers that HC Ed Jordan and the members of his staff turned down? The most glaring lack of legitimate B1G ... or even mid-major ... talent is on the bench wearing ties and clueless expressions night after night. Even accepting your suggestion that 50% of the student-athletes were wanted by programs that are better than RU, have you seen any evidence last season or this season to date that the staff has the ability to install viable collegiate schemes and/or develop the skills and hoops IQ of that 50%? The failure to sign a kid last month is just the freakin' icing on the freakin' cake.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. We'll always have Wisconsin game ... so there's hope.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

It's a huge rebuild. Do you progress on the court though? This staff has lost 22 of 26. And we look bad even in victories.

We agree....a HUGE rebuild. Of that core group of main players above, only 4 are currently playing when you consider Doorson and Freeman are out and Johnson is a transfer. Of course Freeman has played this year and has looked pretty good.

So, I think the product on the court is the result of the talent level that needs to be built over time, 5-7 years.

Better players play better defense because they have better instincts, they have more quickness and they have better lateral movement.

We can talk Effort....I agree 100%, there are times when some of the players do not seem to play as hard as possible. Without naming names...I am referring to the Guard BD and Forward DF (The one not hurt). They seem to be moving in Slow motion at times. I'm not including the Center ID or Guard JG, because they are freshman role players forced into more action than they could probably be playing.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I'll agree. That's not too shabby a list of offers for half of a roster. For any other B1G program, those kids (except Sanders and Freeman) would be the bottom half of a roster.

Now, how about you list the offers that HC Ed Jordan and the members of his staff turned down? The most glaring lack of legitimate B1G ... or even mid-major ... talent is on the bench wearing ties and clueless expressions night after night. Even accepting your suggestion that 50% of the student-athletes were wanted by programs that are better than RU, have you seen any evidence last season or this season to date that the staff has the ability to install viable collegiate schemes and/or develop the skills and hoops IQ of that 50%? The failure to sign a kid last month is just the freakin' icing on the freakin' cake.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. We'll always have Wisconsin game ... so there's hope.

I'm starting to think that we agree more than we disagree..

I think Jordan has made a BIG mistake with his "One Voice" policy. I would like to see the assistants be more active. I know I saw Shoes Vetrone staring out into the crowd during a few time outs. However, during a recent game, I did see Macon having lots of conversations with players as they came off the court, so maybe Jordan is changing that.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Ohio,

I get it. Not looking for 4 or 5 star recruits. We need 2 and 3 star recruits that play both sides and work hard. Jordan has failed miserably here. Not naming names but is is lazy bringing some of these players in. JJ Moore a great example, he took the easy way out.

 

[B1GNJHoops]

No effort during a rebuild is inexcusable. That's the one thing you need to see.

 

[Mr Magoo]

5-7 years to rebuild a basketball program to respectability is laughable. It just means you have he wrong guy. Going backwards in the first three years also means you have the wrong guy. There has to be progress. This is the opposite of progress.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Ru chopping Ohio

I actually agree with you that Eddie has done a solid job redruiting...and given out circumstances....maybe a good job

The problem is that I am not seeing individual skill improvement now (I see some guys using inconstant form on foul shots as an example) and don't get me started on shot mechanics from a lot of guys. But worse, on defense? We have some guys who adtually are pretty decent man defenders but can't play team man defense: I have seen high school teams rotate batter that we do

I want Eddie to get it done...but I ama seeing backwards and I have been one of the few harping on the inexperience factor

Inexperience should be inconsistency, not non-performance

The sun of the parts right way exceed the whole now

Need to fix that

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Ohio,

I get it. Not looking for 4 or 5 star recruits. We need 2 and 3 star recruits that play both sides and work hard. Jordan has failed miserably here. Not naming names but is is lazy bringing some of these players in. JJ Moore a great example, he took the easy way out.

agree.....I think some things were done to fill the roster.....Moore, Campbell, Okoro, Daniels...even this year with the 5th the year senior. Craig Brown as well....but, I think he was a Mike Rice recruit.

The product on the court has been bad, very bad at time. Decent at other times.

But, next year you lose two of the most disappointing players this year in BD and GL. Shaq will be back, Johnson eligible and hopefully, you add a few more pieces. Chuba could be one of them.

As I stated earlier, this is about adding pieces over time.

I have no skin in the game, Jordan could be gone tomorrow and I would not lose any sleep over it. I'm just looking at where this program was a few years ago after the scandal and the time needed to recover. Remember, recovery, based on the average results in the 25 years is not that great...it's 14-18, 15-17.

Honestly, I'm not sure how any rational person could think that the program would NOT get worse after the Rice scandal. You just don't have a scandal and then immediately get better....you get worse and then you try to build from there. Tom Crean's rock bottom at Indiana was 6-25, 10-22 and Rutgers was in far worse shape than Indiana.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I think some things were done to fill the roster...JJ Moore, Campbell, Okoro...even this year with the 5th the year senior.

jj moore in my opinion was a huge mistake....the way he played the game was accepted...mack and jack the same...guys on this roster the same.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

jj moore in my opinion was a huge mistake....the way he played the game was accepted...mack and jack the same...guys on this roster the same.

Fig, you mention "accepted" a lot. Non- acceptance means you have to have alternatives. You don't have alternatives with limited good players. It's like taking out Mack for lack of effort on the defensive end and putting in Okoro....not a good idea....lol

I've seen a little of it.....Foreman sitting and Laurent playing. Daniels sitting.

FIG, one last question. Previously, you mentioned how you overheard some of Jordan's instructions during timeouts and how he was he stressing the right things....Just curios, what were those things and what, if anything did you ever hear to suggest that Jordan was NOT stressing the right things?

 

[cyrock3]

Coach EJ is working his tail off. He's coaching it properly. It's not his fault the kids aren't buying in. He's a coach, not a miracle worker.

We need to up the positivity around this this program if we want to get Chuba to play here. We want Chuba here, because he will be a piece in helping us turn this place around.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Fig, you mention "accepted" a lot. Non- acceptance means you have to have alternatives. You don't have alternatives with limited good players. It's like taking out Mack for lack of effort on the defensive end and putting in Okoro....not a good idea....lol

I've seen a little of it.....Foreman sitting and Laurent playing. Daniels sitting.

FIG, one last question. Previously, you mentioned how you overheard some of Jordan's instructions during timeouts and how he was he stressing the right things....Just curios, what were those things and what, if anything did you ever hear to suggest that Jordan was NOT stressing the right things?

I'd rather see Okoro taking minutes away from Mack and being worse on the court in year 1 vs. being in Year 3 and watching certain freshman, sophomore, and junior college transfers playing the game with NBA intensity. The "transition" culture we excused after Rice is still in effect......I fear there is no turning back now.

I did like what i heard in the 2 huddles during the SJU game on Fox Sports 1 when things were going our way. Lately I have been furious watching his interactions with players who aren't giving the proper effort.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Ohio....I think (actually know) this current roster in place, even without one 2015 recruit added (assuming Nigel Johnson is on the court for 2016, would run circles around any roster Rice assembled or was left with.

I know Mike Rice is kinda like foul language literally and figuratively here, but he coached his butt off night in and night out. I know people believe that recruiting is the problem, it's not my concern. I don't have a problem at all where Mike Williams, Foreman, Sanders, Daniels and Freeman are among others within the program or what I've seen.

The argument cannot be made as a defense on what EJ inherited or we aren't Kentucky with wads of cash or tradition.....but that doesn't mean we should give up 80+ every other night on defense and not look competitive. It's a reflection on the coach and has nothing to do with recruiting.

If you signed his prospect with Thiam in the spring and found a transfer or another complimentary piece, I would be OK with that. At the end of the day, it still comes down to fundamentals and coaching and when you watch numerous games night in and night out, our staff appears to be the one that is not working as a coordinated group...there isn't a communication occurring that three to four sound basketball minds should be working together. On substitution patters, matchups with opponents, trying to establish building blocks so kids work through roles on the roster and get rewarded for understanding what keeps them on the court.

Right now, it appears the reward for playing time is taking shots because you can only earn minutes, if you are putting the ball in the hoop....that's the "pressing" I see when watching kids not let the game come to them or understanding there are various other ways to earn minutes. If you then try and make a play on offense outside of what the defense is giving you and try and create your own offense, you make mistakes.

I am not saying RU is plagued with this issue, some very good "name brand" programs have this quality with some incoming kids, but it's clear that there isn't a focus that three other assistant coaches can emphasize with the roster. The recruits incoming have to be coached beyond an implementation on how you run and offense.

What isn't happening with recruiting is a target that doesn't score.....or someone that doesn't have upside....sometimes you need "role" players....defensive first kids, rebounders that would like to be at RU and don't need to score to feel important.....they might be players here in state or in region and they aren't kids that fans are going to get excited over.

Sometimes, it's not recruiting all upside all the time. Find solid kids that are very good at one thing first and work around the rest.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I am not sure I agree with all of this. When we evaluate recruits it's more than ability. How much of our players not digging in attributed to coaching vs. the person.

It really doesn't matter because either way it is on the staff for either not being able to motivate or for bringing in a kid missing a spark plug.

I truly believe if you watch a kid play 3-4 games you can identify character.

I am starting to worry about Sanders. His compete level is stating to slip. You can see it clear as day he is frustrated at times on the court.