Oakland has added two more recruits. The first is 6′0″ point guard Matt Samuels. Yes, boys and girls, Coach Kampe has found someone able to help out Jonathon Jones after all. Rumor has it Samuels has some big-time aspirations (think NBA). I’m curious how he will adjust to a smaller role or if he can push JJ for playing time, which seems less likely.
The other new BMOC is literally a big man. 7′0″ Ilija Milutinovic of Serbia has signed on to become a Grizzly. Veteran readers of the OU hoops message board will remember his name from as far back as a year ago. Well, the trail to Rochester may have been long and winding, but Kampe got him on board. Coach will have plenty of really big guys to yell at this season.
The most hyped and possibly talented recruiting class in OU history is now up to five freshmen. Yes, OU has it’s own Fab Five. I can feel the t-shirts being made already.
Of course, landing five freshmen of potential impact is going to make playing time an issue. Rumors are circulating that some players might be looking for greener pastures and more minutes elsewhere. Can’t say that I’m terribly surprised to hear that some players aren’t embracing this incoming class with the same enthusiasm Grizzly Nation might be.
There are a couple of other rumors about would-be future Grizzlies, but only one merits some attention at this second. Larry Wright, formerly of Saginaw and St. John’s University, is back in town looking for a place to transfer to. He’s supposed to visit both Oakland and Detroit Mercy.
Does Kampe even have a scholarship left to offer? I’ve got no idea. With the number of bodies already vying for minutes in Black and Gold, I have to believe that Wright will give the Titans more serious consideration than OU, but adding a player of Wright’s ability to this group would be fascinating. Although, as locals have seen with our professional baseball team, just piling up talent doesn’t assure you of anything other than high expectations.
We will have to keep an eye and ear out to see where Wright lands. (We’d be happy to have you, Larry.) Even if Kampe can’t land Wright, he deserves credit for the depth and quality of this recruiting class. Now, we just have to see if he can distribute minutes and, most importantly, get results on the floor.
Tags: Greg Kampe, Ilija Milutinovic, Larry Wright, Matt Samuels, St. John's University
