All Things Daniel Oturu Recruiting Thread UPDATED: OTURU A GOPHER!

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Oturu and Omersma were scheduled to go head to head next Saturday. Hopefully Oturu is able to play. He was still limping but moving around infinitely better than when he was helped off the court.
 

How about we have him sit out the next two weeks and rehab....we need those ankles.
 

For those who follow Oturu closer than I, is he projected to be a four year player? He seems like quite the talent.
 


Oturu is awesome. Needs time to develop offensively but he’ll be a force on defense day 1.

He can score and make free throws but his offensive repertoire is limited right now. Can not wait for him to be a Gopher!!
 


Nice feature on Oturu from WCCO. They interview his parents, his Dad is only 5-5:

His parents are first-generation immigrants from Nigeria.

“We decided to move to the United States,” said Daniel’s mother, Deborah Oturu. “My husband moved first, then seven years after … my older daughter came to join him.”

The other thing you notice is where their son gets his size. Francis, Daniel’s father, is 5-foot-5-inches tall, while Deborah is 6-foot-1-inches tall.

Gopher Head Coach Richard Pitino remembers their first meeting.

“All of a sudden, Daniel’s father comes over to me, and I’m looking down at him, and he goes, ‘I’m Daniel’s dad.’ And I’m looking around going, ‘Is this really Daniel’s dad? Is somebody messing with me?'” Coach Pitino said. “But it’s funny, he’s a great guy, great mother, great parents.”

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/12/08/daniel-oturu-family-journey/

Go Gophers!!
 

FloHoops: Daniel Oturu & Jarvis Omersa: Rivals Now, A Dynamic Combo To Come

That’s what was on display Saturday at the Breakdown USA Tip Off Classic when Cretin-Derham Hall’s Daniel Oturu and Orono’s Jarvis Omersa squared off as adversaries a few months before becoming teammates at the University of Minnesota.

It was one Oturu’s Raiders ultimately prevailed in, toppling the Spartans, 77-76, in a closely contested tilt among two of the state’s best teams and certainly two of its best big men inside the Lindbergh Center.

“I think it was probably one of the best games anyone will see all year in the state of Minnesota,” Omersa said.

Oturu, the 2018 Flo40 No. 25 prospect, and Omersa, who was previously known as Jarvis Thomas, guarded each other for nearly the entire night, going back and forth with each notching wins and losses against the other.

“I just kept playing,” Oturu said, “thinking about my team and not really necessarily about the matchup, but getting the W.”

Still, the tête-à-tête provided some riveting basketball and a glimpse into the home-grown future of coach Richard Pitino’s program in Dinkeytown.

Oturu and Cretin Derham-Hall got the better of the matchup early with the 6-foot-9 Oturu posting 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks, as the No. 16 Raiders built a lead that reach as many as 10 points.

In the second half, though, Omersa really came alive, exerting his will by getting to the rim and suddenly taking the mantle from Oturu as the best player on the floor.

“I kind of spread it out a little bit more, started taking (Oturu) off the dribble,” Omersa said. “Obviously, I’m a little quicker with the first step than he is, and he’s a little longer than me.

“I was just like, ‘let’s spread it out and go to work.’”

https://www.flohoops.com/articles/6...vis-omersa-rivals-now-a-dynamic-force-to-come

Go Gophers!!
 

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Oturu went up against Courtney Brown and probably soon to be offered by the Gophers Ben Carlson. The front court has the potential to be special next year.
 

GopherNuts said:
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Oturu went up against Courtney Brown and probably soon to be offered by the Gophers Ben Carlson. The front court has the potential to be special next year.
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I think Oturu would already be the 2nd-best big man on our team (not counting the injured Curry). Am I crazy to think he should contribute early next year?
 



He's a little clunky on offense yet but that will develop. He has pure athleticism so his defense and rebounding should be there Day 1. I'm not expecting much for scoring for a year or two but let's hope he also spends time with Murphy figure out how to score....
 

WriterGoph said:
I think Oturu would already be the 2nd-best big man on our team (not counting the injured Curry). Am I crazy to think he should contribute early next year?
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Without a doubt. I think because he committed so early there wasn't as much publicity with him as there was with someone like Coffey but he's probably just as talented. He should be the first big off the bench next year.
 

Fire McHale said:
He's a little clunky on offense yet but that will develop. He has pure athleticism so his defense and rebounding should be there Day 1. I'm not expecting much for scoring for a year or two but let's hope he also spends time with Murphy figure out how to score....
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My thoughts exactly. The key to him contributing at the next level will be his refinement and adding range away from the basket. If he takes the practice, practice, practice approach that Murphy has used to get really good, the sky's the limit.
 

Bad Gopher said:
My thoughts exactly. The key to him contributing at the next level will be his refinement and adding range away from the basket. If he takes the practice, practice, practice approach that Murphy has used to get really good, the sky's the limit.
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Agreed. If Oturu lives up to his potential he has the body and athleticism to be a lottery pick in the NBA. His size and arm length is ridiculous. I hope he takes everything as seriously as Murphy does because he could be twice the player Murphy is now and that is not a dig at Murphy at all.
 



Fire McHale said:
He's a little clunky on offense yet but that will develop. He has pure athleticism so his defense and rebounding should be there Day 1. I'm not expecting much for scoring for a year or two but let's hope he also spends time with Murphy figure out how to score....
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His footwork and touch is light years ahead of Lynch, Diedhou, Nwankwo, Konate, EE or any other center recruit we've brought in a while.

His low post game is very advanced at this stage of his development.
 

WriterGoph said:
I think Oturu would already be the 2nd-best big man on our team (not counting the injured Curry). Am I crazy to think he should contribute early next year?
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So he's better than Lynch?
 


dpodoll68 said:
So he's better than Lynch?
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Lynch was a junior when he got here ( with a red shirt year) he has a really low release point and no game outside 5 feet from rim - Oturu has a higher upside if he can get a midrange game. lynch has a bigger body, but Oturu looks more athletic.
 

Thymanst said:
Lynch was a junior when he got here ( with a red shirt year) he has a really low release point and no game outside 5 feet from rim - Oturu has a higher upside if he can get a midrange game. lynch has a bigger body, but Oturu looks more athletic.
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Lynch isn't anything special on offense, but being the Big Ten DPOY compensates for that just a little.
 

dpodoll68 said:
So he's better than Lynch?
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He will be significantly better if he lives up to his potential. Come back and mock me in 4 years if I am wrong but I think Oturu will end up being one of the better Gophers players in recent memory. Huge fan of his game and attitude.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Lynch isn't anything special on offense, but being the Big Ten DPOY compensates for that just a little.
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Lynch is good but overrated on defense. He frequently gives up dunks and lay ups by being to aggreessive. He leaves his feet all the time. He is also slow, which leaves him out of position on help defense.

He isn't special, but he is good. He is replaceable, and we should hope to get better defensively when he leaves.
 



die hard gopher said:
Why wouldn't Murphy be considered a big man?
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I guess my statement is my statement, right? When I made the statement, I was thinking of our 5s. Murphy is 6-6. For the purposes of that specific train of thought, Murphy wasn't in my head.
 

GopherNuts said:
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Oturu went up against Courtney Brown and probably soon to be offered by the Gophers Ben Carlson. The front court has the potential to be special next year.
Click to expand...

Enjoyed the beat in that video.

It's gonna suck losing Lynch but it's going to be really nice to have such solid depth at the 4/5 next year.
 

Keep in mind that against a 6'9" Ben Carlson with P5 interest and 6'6" Courtney Brown. He just dominated both. I agree his post moves are not super fluid but he will help next year. He won't start, Stockman will but he will get time with him Curry and Thomas. . . .talk about athletic 4/5's along with Murphy.
 

abrams said:
Keep in mind that against a 6'9" Ben Carlson with P5 interest and 6'6" Courtney Brown. He just dominated both. I agree his post moves are not super fluid but he will help next year. He won't start, Stockman will but he will get time with him Curry and Thomas. . . .talk about athletic 4/5's along with Murphy.
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What do you know about Stockman that I don't? I don't think you can say this right now...
 

abrams said:
Keep in mind that against a 6'9" Ben Carlson with P5 interest and 6'6" Courtney Brown. He just dominated both. I agree his post moves are not super fluid but he will help next year. He won't start, Stockman will but he will get time with him Curry and Thomas. . . .talk about athletic 4/5's along with Murphy.
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Neither one of them are going to start. Murphy and Curry will be the 4/5 - doesn't really matter which is which.
 

Doesn't matter really who starts, the point is you'll have a nice mix of Murphy, Curry, Stockman, Oturu and Omersa at the 4/5.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Neither one of them are going to start. Murphy and Curry will be the 4/5 - doesn't really matter which is which.
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I agree, it'll be interesting to see how Pitino rotates everyone. I think Oturu can play both the 4/5 off the bench, Curry can play both, Mats is a pure five. Murph a pure four, plus will have Omersa who could redshirt if we stay healthy and everyone else can contribute. If Jelly can take the reins at PG next year with Coffey, pre and Murph still here, we should have a very nice looking squad still, but I'll miss Mason and Lynch
 

abrams said:
Keep in mind that against a 6'9" Ben Carlson with P5 interest and 6'6" Courtney Brown. He just dominated both. I agree his post moves are not super fluid but he will help next year. He won't start, Stockman will but he will get time with him Curry and Thomas. . . .talk about athletic 4/5's along with Murphy.
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I would LOVE to get McHale in to work with our bigs. One of the smoothest, most effective low-post players in basketball history, who happens to be a proud Gopher alum, and seems to have a lot of free time on his hands. I can only imagine the improvement our bigs would show after Low-Post 101, instructed by Dr. McHale.
 

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