All Things Jarvis Omersa Recruitment Thread UPDATED: OMERSA A GOPHER!

Donate To GopherHole
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Go Gophers!!
 

Fox 9: Jarvis Omersa's journey to the court

The Gophers basketball team wrapped up their regular season Sunday and although it’s been a tough run, three incoming freshman could help Minnesota next year. Jarvis Omersa is one of those freshmen, but his journey to the basketball court is a unique one.

Just a few years ago Omersa had a dream to work hard enough to get a NCAA Division I scholarship—for hockey. If not on the ice, Omersa thought football would be the next best option. Neither happened, but the 6’8 senior will still be playing at Minnesota in a sport he started playing only a few years ago.

“Five years ago I wasn’t even playing ball,” Omersa told Fox 9. “It’s kind of weird. It just happened, like, step by step by step.”

Omersa is now one of the top basketball recruits in the state and will join the Gophers next season as part of the team’s 2018 recruiting class.

“I tried it out in 7th grade,” Omersa said. “I didn’t make it and I got cut. It definitely did light a fuse and I am actually kind of grateful for that.”

http://www.fox9.com/sports/jarvis-omersas-journey-to-the-court

Go Gophers!!
 

I saw Omersa play last Friday in Delano. He had one of the best jams I have ever seen ( and I have seen a few). The lob pass was well off target - outside the backboard and about half way up the glass - and behind his momentum. He reached back with one hand and jammed it. Shocked the entire gym. Previously, about the same thing happened but he ended up throwing the ball half way up the bleachers and crashing in a pile against the wall. I have watched Omersa for the last couple years. Last year I was hoping the Gophers would not get him. Then, I saw some video of him from the summer, and started to change my mind. Now, I think the Gophers got a steal. He is MUCH better than a year ago. I am very excited for what he can become. Also, I used to go see Rodney play pretty often - I new a friend of his at the time. Omersa is much better than Rodney was in high school. I was very impressed with his basketball skills. I think he has the body to play college ball now, but if he is going to play power forward, he will benefit by adding some muscle. IMHO
 

THE SAVAGE GOPHER said:
I saw Omersa play last Friday in Delano. He had one of the best jams I have ever seen ( and I have seen a few). The lob pass was well off target - outside the backboard and about half way up the glass - and behind his momentum. He reached back with one hand and jammed it. Shocked the entire gym. Previously, about the same thing happened but he ended up throwing the ball half way up the bleachers and crashing in a pile against the wall. I have watched Omersa for the last couple years. Last year I was hoping the Gophers would not get him. Then, I saw some video of him from the summer, and started to change my mind. Now, I think the Gophers got a steal. He is MUCH better than a year ago. I am very excited for what he can become. Also, I used to go see Rodney play pretty often - I new a friend of his at the time. Omersa is much better than Rodney was in high school. I was very impressed with his basketball skills. I think he has the body to play college ball now, but if he is going to play power forward, he will benefit by adding some muscle. IMHO
Click to expand...

love this.
 

Go4 said:
love this.
Click to expand...

My thoughts on Omersa are similar. He is a physical freak who can play basketball, unlike some previous Gopher recruits. He is a huge kid with room to grow. I think he can be a Jordan Murphy type (not necessarily as good, but similar style of play) and be a beast down low. I think he is also taller than Murphy already
 


Would be great if Omersa-Oturu could be our next Murphy-Lynch. Thought that would be asking a lot but after scouting reports like this, maybe not.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
My thoughts on Omersa are similar. He is a physical freak who can play basketball, unlike some previous Gopher recruits. He is a huge kid with room to grow. I think he can be a Jordan Murphy type (not necessarily as good, but similar style of play) and be a beast down low. I think he is also taller than Murphy already
Click to expand...

Very different than Murphy. I've compared him to Courtney James, and I'm sticking to that.
 

I haven't seen Omersa play, but he sounds like a high-riser which I don't recall James being. Similarity would probably be that both play close to the basket.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Very different than Murphy. I've compared him to Courtney James, and I'm sticking to that.
Click to expand...

Courtney James was a block of granite who was a punisher in the middle. I haven't seen Omersa play other than in video, but he seems far more athletic than Courtney ever was.
 



WindyCityGopher said:
Courtney James was a block of granite who was a punisher in the middle. I haven't seen Omersa play other than in video, but he seems far more athletic than Courtney ever was.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Also seems to handle the ball more/run the floor better. James was very good but I don't see the comparison with Omersa.

He is a leaper, a hard nosed rebounder and a great athlete. He'll hammer the glass, block some shots and have some amazing dunks. I'm excited.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
Agreed. Also seems to handle the ball more/run the floor better. James was very good but I don't see the comparison with Omersa.

He is a leaper, a hard nosed rebounder and a great athlete. He'll hammer the glass, block some shots and have some amazing dunks. I'm excited.
Click to expand...

That was Courtney.
 


Zeppelin Gopher said:
Courtney James was not a leaper. He was a physical beast and built like a brick ****house, but hardly an athletic freak.

#CJPhonebook
Click to expand...

Maybe not the vertical leap of Rodney or Jarvis O., but you can't erase my memories of his putback dunks, some of which were truly awesome. He was not just some earthbound brick outhouse.
 



I would say a mix of Rodney and Courney, He jumps better than James, not a well as Williams but close. Who ever he is I'm excited. He is 100% more athletic than Hurt.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Maybe not the vertical leap of Rodney or Jarvis O., but you can't erase my memories of his putback dunks, some of which were truly awesome. He was not just some earthbound brick outhouse.
Click to expand...

LOL. Nostalgia is the best drug. Watch some videos of Courtney, then watch some videos of Jarvis. Not the same player my man, sorry. I wish he was Courtney James (on the court) because he was a really good player
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
LOL. Nostalgia is the best drug. Watch some videos of Courtney, then watch some videos of Jarvis. Not the same player my man, sorry. I wish he was Courtney James (on the court) because he was a really good player
Click to expand...

I never said he was a clone.

We lost James before finding out whether he could add the skills that would have made him all conference. Omersa will be the same way: the sky's the limit if he can complete his game.
 

Huh. A little perspective. Orono's first possession, Omersa gets the ball on the baseline near the corner. Guarded by a 6'8" player. One dribble into the defender, reverse pivot into the court and he kisses a 12 foot jump shot off the glass for 2. I was impressed. John Wooden would have loved it. Next possession, he jacks a three and hits it. Unfortunately, because he tried several more with no makes. He has a nice shot and release. He is just starting to develop. I wish he could spend this summer being coached everyday. If he plays in the pro-am summer league he is not going to develop much over the summer. I think he will be a big, strong mobile forward with an inside and mid-range game. If you think he is going to live 5 feet from the basket looking for put back dunks, I think you're wrong. Although, he can do that. BTW I am a Delano grad and have no great affection for anything Orono. Go see Orono play - they have a very nice team and Omersa is very fun to watch.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Maybe not the vertical leap of Rodney or Jarvis O., but you can't erase my memories of his putback dunks, some of which were truly awesome. He was not just some earthbound brick outhouse.
Click to expand...

Courtney was pretty athletic for a guy his size. I remember him getting his share of alley-oops.

He's nowhere close to the athlete that Jarvis is, but I don't think you were arguing that point.
 

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

This kid looks like an athletic freak. I would not compare him to Courtney James in the least. Courtney was a banger, no outside shot and not nearly as athletic as this kids looks. That said, James was a heck of a good player, good passer, great rebounder and understood the game well. He also had some dunks that about brought down the basket and loved to hollar when doing it. Loved him as a player.
 

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Go Gophers!!
 

THE SAVAGE GOPHER said:
Huh. A little perspective. Orono's first possession, Omersa gets the ball on the baseline near the corner. Guarded by a 6'8" player. One dribble into the defender, reverse pivot into the court and he kisses a 12 foot jump shot off the glass for 2. I was impressed. John Wooden would have loved it. Next possession, he jacks a three and hits it. Unfortunately, because he tried several more with no makes. He has a nice shot and release. He is just starting to develop. I wish he could spend this summer being coached everyday. If he plays in the pro-am summer league he is not going to develop much over the summer. I think he will be a big, strong mobile forward with an inside and mid-range game. If you think he is going to live 5 feet from the basket looking for put back dunks, I think you're wrong. Although, he can do that. BTW I am a Delano grad and have no great affection for anything Orono. Go see Orono play - they have a very nice team and Omersa is very fun to watch.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear and speaks to his development over the past year. That 10-to-15-foot jumper: if he can do that consistently, we've gotten a 4-star talent for a 3-star price.
 


Bad Gopher said:
That's good to hear and speaks to his development over the past year. That 10-to-15-foot jumper: if he can do that consistently, we've gotten a 4-star talent for a 3-star price./QUOTE]

I think there are better words to use here, Bad.
Click to expand...
 


<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Go Gophers!!
 

We will be rather stacked in the frontcourt next season. Hard to see many minutes available for Omersa, especially if Fitzgerald improves with a healthy offseason. From reports, Omersa' s game could use some refinement as well. It would seem he would be a prime redshirt candidate, rather than waste a year of eligibility sitting on the bench.
 

ltf said:
We will be rather stacked in the frontcourt next season. Hard to see many minutes available for Omersa, especially if Fitzgerald improves with a healthy offseason. From reports, Omersa' s game could use some refinement as well. It would seem he would be a prime redshirt candidate, rather than waste a year of eligibility sitting on the bench.
Click to expand...
Omersa will continue to get better in some areas and the best way to do that is play. He will bring elite athleticism right away and isn't near as raw as some people think. Even if it is just 6 minutes a game or so Omersa will contribute and I'd be pretty surprised if he redshirted as that just doesn't happen in major D1 basketball anymore. I'd say Omersa is alreay ahead of Fitzgerald and I'd really be kind of surprised if Fitzgerald is back next season hard to see him getting on the court at all.
 

Goldy Gopher said:
Omersa will continue to get better in some areas and the best way to do that is play. He will bring elite athleticism right away and isn't near as raw as some people think. Even if it is just 6 minutes a game or so Omersa will contribute and I'd be pretty surprised if he redshirted as that just doesn't happen in major D1 basketball anymore. I'd say Omersa is alreay ahead of Fitzgerald and I'd really be kind of surprised if Fitzgerald is back next season hard to see him getting on the court at all.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if 6 minutes a game is worth a year of eligibility - maybe. I've been kind of waiting for an announcement about Fitzgerald transferring as well. Not seeing minutes for him at this point. Not sure if hes grad transfer eligible or not.
 

ltf said:
I'm not sure if 6 minutes a game is worth a year of eligibility - maybe. I've been kind of waiting for an announcement about Fitzgerald transferring as well. Not seeing minutes for him at this point. Not sure if hes grad transfer eligible or not.
Click to expand...
If it helps you win even 1 game it is worth it. Redshirting just doesn't happen much anymore. Kids want to play right away and contribute even if it isn't a whole lot of minutes and most coaches aren't gonna redshirt a guy if the kid doesn't want to. Redshirting also gives a guy a better chance to have the opportunity to grad transfer after his JR year not implying that would happen at all with Omersa.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom