Fox 9: Daniel Oturu's message to Minnesota prep stars: 'Come to the U'

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Great to have both Daniel and Jamal commenting positively on Gopher basketball. Hope other recruits are listening. I can't help but think Daniel is planning to return next year since we have heard nothing that I am aware of on his intentions. Silence is golden. Hope that is what happens. If I am correct he has until April 26th to declare for the draft.
 

I have felt strongly that Oturu would leave for the NBA. But his draft stock is all over the place. From a top 10 pick to a 2nd round pick. That makes me think that now he may be back, unless he is a high 1st round pick. GO GOPHERS!
 

LakevilleBro said:
I have felt strongly that Oturu would leave for the NBA. But his draft stock is all over the place. From a top 10 pick to a 2nd round pick. That makes me think that now he may be back, unless he is a high 1st round pick. GO GOPHERS!
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Hope your right. I think we will also see some big improvement in Freeman next year. I know he looked a little raw this year but he has the size to be a dominate force on the inside. He should be stronger and more mentally ready to play at this level next year. If Daniel comes back that would leave him, Freeman, and Curry (assuming he can play) to shore up the middle. Not bad.
 
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jblass said:
Great to have both Daniel and Jamal commenting positively on Gopher basketball. Hope other recruits are listening. I can't help but think Daniel is planning to return next year since we have heard nothing that I am aware of on his intentions. Silence is golden. Hope that is what happens. If I am correct he has until April 26th to declare for the draft.
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With the world fallow and silent beyond COVID 19, I would not expect to hear anything about draft declarations from anyone until mid April at the earliest. Would love to have Daniel stick around, but I'm not holding my breath.
 

LakevilleBro said:
I have felt strongly that Oturu would leave for the NBA. But his draft stock is all over the place. From a top 10 pick to a 2nd round pick. That makes me think that now he may be back, unless he is a high 1st round pick. GO GOPHERS!
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Outside of the one super random site like 2 months ago that had Oturu as a top 10 pick (which I put almost 0 stock in, these are click bait sites) Where has anyone seen him as a top 10, even 20 pick? Every reputable site has him well into the 2nd round. Again, no knock of Daniel, guy is a monster of a college bball player and I think will be a good NBA player, but i really think people need to cool the jets on him being a top 15 pick, thats just not happening this year. Now, does that mean he is any more likely to stay, not at all. Amir was NEVER going to be a first round pick but he was ready so he left. I'm just telling some of you who think he is this NBA super stud lottery pick that is not the reality.
 


Last draft board I saw, from CNN, had him 36th...….
 


I've seen him mostly between 20-30. That is all the more reason he should leave right now.

According to ESPN's latest mock (from DraftExpress), they have him going at like 33. The one thing that is the most interesting is that I think there are only 2 players older than him being drafted ahead of him. Staying, even staying and dominating, is horrible for his stock.

Lastly, I don't think it's really fair to say that Daniel would be choosing the NBA for money. If Daniel chooses to leave next year, it will be to accomplish his life-long goal. It's probably a dream most of us had when we were young shooting at the park or on our driveways. Lets not forget the human element of going to the NBA. Daniel will be realizing his dreams.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I've seen him mostly between 20-30. That is all the more reason he should leave right now.

According to ESPN's latest mock (from DraftExpress), they have him going at like 33. The one thing that is the most interesting is that I think there are only 2 players older than him being drafted ahead of him. Staying, even staying and dominating, is horrible for his stock.

Lastly, I don't think it's really fair to say that Daniel would be choosing the NBA for money. If Daniel chooses to leave next year, it will be to accomplish his life-long goal. It's probably a dream most of us had when we were young shooting at the park or on our driveways. Lets not forget the human element of going to the NBA. Daniel will be realizing his dreams.
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while I get what you're saying, this is not 100% true in a vacuum. Take Obi Toppin for example (given he is 22 and Oturu is 20, thus his age would be more in line with Toppin and that is often what is cited as a reason to tell prospects to jump earlier). Came back after a middling projection and is now being talked about as a top 10 (or 5) pick. All depends on where Oturu gets the feedback he's at. If its late 1st to 2nd round, he may come back. Lots of polish he can put on his game to come in as a possible day 1 starter for someone if his 3pt % comes up and he shows he can hang with some guys with more speed. Now if he's a borderline lottery pick, yeah I'd tell him to go given the odds of him jumping up a few slots is very slim in that setting.
 



upnorthkid said:
while I get what you're saying, this is not 100% true in a vacuum. Take Obi Toppin for example (given he is 22 and Oturu is 20, thus his age would be more in line with Toppin and that is often what is cited as a reason to tell prospects to jump earlier). Came back after a middling projection and is now being talked about as a top 10 (or 5) pick. All depends on where Oturu gets the feedback he's at. If its late 1st to 2nd round, he may come back. Lots of polish he can put on his game to come in as a possible day 1 starter for someone if his 3pt % comes up and he shows he can hang with some guys with more speed. Now if he's a borderline lottery pick, yeah I'd tell him to go given the odds of him jumping up a few slots is very slim in that setting.
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Yeah, nothing is 100% true. Obi Toppin is an outlier. He also put up decent numbers at Dayton prior to his return and it improved his stock. Toppin will very likely be the only player older than Daniel drafted in the first round. That is pretty overwhelming in terms of evidence.

I don't know if you're going to find too many guys who dominated at a P5 conference and then returned to school.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I've seen him mostly between 20-30. That is all the more reason he should leave right now.

According to ESPN's latest mock (from DraftExpress), they have him going at like 33. The one thing that is the most interesting is that I think there are only 2 players older than him being drafted ahead of him. Staying, even staying and dominating, is horrible for his stock.

Lastly, I don't think it's really fair to say that Daniel would be choosing the NBA for money. If Daniel chooses to leave next year, it will be to accomplish his life-long goal. It's probably a dream most of us had when we were young shooting at the park or on our driveways. Lets not forget the human element of going to the NBA. Daniel will be realizing his dreams.
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Evidently you must know Daniel pretty well to know that his dreams are. I was hoping his dream was to be a first team all-american next year and take Minnesota to the final four. I guess that was my dream. As to staying and dominating being horrible for his stock, I doubt it. Case in point, Draymond Green played four years at Michigan State and things turned out pretty well for him.
 

Draymond did not exactly light things up Sophomore or Junior year.
 

Roland Brooks said:
Draymond did not exactly light things up Sophomore or Junior year.
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OK maybe Draymond Green was not the best example to use. As a sophomore Oturu is certainly ahead of where Green was at the same point. However, if Oturu shows the same amount of improvement next year as he did this year he he will not have to worry about his draft stock diminishing.
 
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NBA Draft at 7th
Takathon at 34th, 2nd round
NbaDraftRoom - 27th
Bleacher Report - not in first round.
CBS Sports - not in first round
MYNBADraft - 37th, 2nd round

I'm guessing he will be invited to the combine and after that get an assessment, even if he is drafted in the second round he might be okay with leaving and playing professional somewhere.
 

jblass said:
Evidently you must know Daniel pretty well to know that his dreams are. I was hoping his dream was to be a first team all-american next year and take Minnesota to the final four. I guess that was my dream. As to staying and dominating being horrible for his stock, I doubt it. Case in point, Draymond Green played four years at Michigan State and things turned out pretty well for him.
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I made an assumption that a kid who played basketball growing up dreamed of playing in the NBA. I can see why that assumption would strike a nerve with you. But yeah, since I guess it wasn't clear to you, I'm not implying that I have or had any insider knowledge to suggest I know anything about Daniel's dreams.

In general, I think it's pretty common for young basketball players to dream of playing in the NBA. I would guess that is most of their biggest dreams. I didn't think that portion of the post would garner so any backlash.

Staying and dominating probably would hurt his stock. You can keep running from that reality all you want.

Also, if you are trying to prove a point, you might not want to pick the player who was a first team All American, Big Ten Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, and a second round draft pick.

I'm beginning to think your dream is for Daniel to return and be an All American. If it hurts his draft stock, meh, write some post about how big of a shame it is and move on, it's not your money.
 

jovs said:
NBA Draft at 7th
Takathon at 34th, 2nd round
NbaDraftRoom - 27th
Bleacher Report - not in first round.
CBS Sports - not in first round
MYNBADraft - 37th, 2nd round

I'm guessing he will be invited to the combine and after that get an assessment, even if he is drafted in the second round he might be okay with leaving and playing professional somewhere.
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I think the most accurate ones are Tankathon and ESPN (now that they've acquired DraftExpress). I'm not talking about for Daniel, I'm talking about previous years. Jonathan Givony is awesome.

Daniel is a classic guy that will rise on boards because he is a super safe pick. He is clearly athletic and strong enough to have a really low ceiling and he has flashes of being a pretty special offensive special. I think he'll go in the late teens/20's.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I made an assumption that a kid who played basketball growing up dreamed of playing in the NBA. I can see why that assumption would strike a nerve with you. But yeah, since I guess it wasn't clear to you, I'm not implying that I have or had any insider knowledge to suggest I know anything about Daniel's dreams.

In general, I think it's pretty common for young basketball players to dream of playing in the NBA. I would guess that is most of their biggest dreams. I didn't think that portion of the post would garner so any backlash.

Staying and dominating probably would hurt his stock. You can keep running from that reality all you want.

Also, if you are trying to prove a point, you might not want to pick the player who was a first team All American, Big Ten Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, and a second round draft pick.

I'm beginning to think your dream is for Daniel to return and be an All American. If it hurts his draft stock, meh, write some post about how big of a shame it is and move on, it's not your money.
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I already stated that was my dream but my dream doesn't count. Whatever decision Daniel makes is his and I will support it. I am just not of the opinion that it will hurt his draft stock by staying and having a great season next year.
 


Bob_Loblaw said:
I think the most accurate ones are Tankathon and ESPN (now that they've acquired DraftExpress). I'm not talking about for Daniel, I'm talking about previous years. Jonathan Givony is awesome.

Daniel is a classic guy that will rise on boards because he is a super safe pick. He is clearly athletic and strong enough to have a really low ceiling and he has flashes of being a pretty special offensive special. I think he'll go in the late teens/20's.
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I don’t think he is a safe pick at all.
He doesn’t have the ball handing skills to play in the NBA
 

What 4/5’s handle the ball well?. Ibaka Gorgi Taj Pj Tucker Tolliver Muscala Olynk Lenard John Collins PJ Washington Rui Hachi K Love Chriss Jonathan Isaac Dario.... just a few off the top of my head who don’t have handles.. don’t think any of them would be confused for The Professor..
 

Some guy said:
I don’t think he is a safe pick at all.
He doesn’t have the ball handing skills to play in the NBA
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I tend to agree with you that his ball handling skills could be improved a bit. We all know that Daniel’s offensive game took a big leap from his freshman to sophomore season. What if his game took another big leap next year only add to it a lot better ball handling, decision making skills. Perhaps Carr could teach him some moves. Watch out then.
 

Some guy said:
I don’t think he is a safe pick at all.
He doesn’t have the ball handing skills to play in the NBA
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What did Jared Harper have to play in the NBA?
How about Tyler Cook?
Talen Horton-Tucker?
Louis King?
Sagaba Konate?
Jaylen Hoard
The list goes on and on of guys a lot of people probably haven't heard of and will never hear of who left college early.
It doesn't matter if he can't play in the NBA right now. He can get paid by somebody right now.
I hate that it is this way - but it's this way with a ton of guys now. 80-something players declared early last year - it's why the college basketball product isn't as strong as it was a few years ago.
Oturu doesn't need to be a guarenteed 1st round pick to leave school. Guys who are as good as he was, and have a shot at getting drafted at all, simply don't stick around anymore.
 

Biggsohnasty said:
What did Jared Harper have to play in the NBA?
How about Tyler Cook?
Talen Horton-Tucker?
Louis King?
Sagaba Konate?
Jaylen Hoard
The list goes on and on of guys a lot of people probably haven't heard of and will never hear of who left college early.
It doesn't matter if he can't play in the NBA right now. He can get paid by somebody right now.
I hate that it is this way - but it's this way with a ton of guys now. 80-something players declared early last year - it's why the college basketball product isn't as strong as it was a few years ago.
Oturu doesn't need to be a guarenteed 1st round pick to leave school. Guys who are as good as he was, and have a shot at getting drafted at all, simply don't stick around anymore.
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While it's common, I don't think it's universal by any means. Myles Powell. Cassius Winston. Blackshere. Stevens. Just some who could have gotten paid this year and came back. I think it really comes down to what the guy thinks he can get now versus next year and if the school experience is something he highly values. On that score, I have no idea where Daniel sits.
 

Biggsohnasty said:
What did Jared Harper have to play in the NBA?
How about Tyler Cook?
Talen Horton-Tucker?
Louis King?
Sagaba Konate?
Jaylen Hoard
The list goes on and on of guys a lot of people probably haven't heard of and will never hear of who left college early.
It doesn't matter if he can't play in the NBA right now. He can get paid by somebody right now.
I hate that it is this way - but it's this way with a ton of guys now. 80-something players declared early last year - it's why the college basketball product isn't as strong as it was a few years ago.
Oturu doesn't need to be a guarenteed 1st round pick to leave school. Guys who are as good as he was, and have a shot at getting drafted at all, simply don't stick around anymore.
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Why are you arguing against something I never argued?
I never said he wasn’t leaving. I never said he wouldn’t get paid to be a pro basketball player.

I have said he isn’t a first round pick. I have said I think his NBA career will be short or non existent. I could be wrong obviously.
 

upnorthkid said:
while I get what you're saying, this is not 100% true in a vacuum. Take Obi Toppin for example (given he is 22 and Oturu is 20, thus his age would be more in line with Toppin and that is often what is cited as a reason to tell prospects to jump earlier). Came back after a middling projection and is now being talked about as a top 10 (or 5) pick. All depends on where Oturu gets the feedback he's at. If its late 1st to 2nd round, he may come back. Lots of polish he can put on his game to come in as a possible day 1 starter for someone if his 3pt % comes up and he shows he can hang with some guys with more speed. Now if he's a borderline lottery pick, yeah I'd tell him to go given the odds of him jumping up a few slots is very slim in that setting.
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Very good post.
He also needs another year to fill in his upper body/get stronger - as he will be playing so many more games and will get abused in the paint by some grownups.
 

Just Gopher It!! said:
Very good post.
He also needs another year to fill in his upper body/get stronger - as he will be playing so many more games and will get abused in the paint by some grownups.
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If he can paid a lot of money while he bulks up, I bet he will take it.
 

Some guy said:
I don’t think he is a safe pick at all.
He doesn’t have the ball handing skills to play in the NBA
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Good think he will not be playing a position where he would be expected to handle the ball. If he had elite ball skills, he'd be the #1 pick in the draft.
 

jovs said:
NBA Draft at 7th
Takathon at 34th, 2nd round
NbaDraftRoom - 27th
Bleacher Report - not in first round.
CBS Sports - not in first round
MYNBADraft - 37th, 2nd round

I'm guessing he will be invited to the combine and after that get an assessment, even if he is drafted in the second round he might be okay with leaving and playing professional somewhere.
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Who knows. He might be pissed that Coffey left and doesn’t want to do that to the current team. His motivations seem different.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Good think he will not be playing a position where he would be expected to handle the ball. If he had elite ball skills, he'd be the #1 pick in the draft.
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If he had average ball skills he would be a safe draft pick
 


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