As you guys all know, Cal men's basketball has three incoming freshmen for next season: Power forward Obinna Anyanwu, small forward Sam Alajiki, and shooting guard Marsalis Roberson.
Curious to know which of these three players you guys are most excited about. For me, Anyanwu is the most intriguing just because of his complicated back-story. Schools backed off of him because of the DUI/collapsed lung, yet prior to that, he was a highly rated 4-star recruit. If he is able to return to pre-injury form, he has a chance to be an absolute steal for this Cal program. I certainly think there should be a lot of excitement around him, though it should be tempered in that there shouldn't be a lot of pressure on him out of the gates. He's been through a lot. I expect Fox to bring him along slowly.
Alajiki I think has the most overall upside just because of his physical tools. He can leap out of the gym, has an amazing physical profile, and it looks like he can shoot from the perimeter. He has a chance to be a really good player for this Cal program. My big question with him is how much of an impact can he make right away? I have no doubt come his junior/senior year he could be really good, but I'm not sure what to expect from him in the fall.
And as for Marsalis Roberson, I think he is probably the most college ready of the bunch right now. He handles the rock well, can score in a variety of ways, gets to the cup, etc. Just has a good feel for the game and can score. I could see him being a better version of what Jalen Celestine was this past year. A more consistent version of the best of Celestine.
So, those are my quick thoughts on all three. Just wanted to start a fun discussion about them and who everyone is most excited about.
Curious to know which of these three players you guys are most excited about. For me, Anyanwu is the most intriguing just because of his complicated back-story. Schools backed off of him because of the DUI/collapsed lung, yet prior to that, he was a highly rated 4-star recruit. If he is able to return to pre-injury form, he has a chance to be an absolute steal for this Cal program. I certainly think there should be a lot of excitement around him, though it should be tempered in that there shouldn't be a lot of pressure on him out of the gates. He's been through a lot. I expect Fox to bring him along slowly.
Alajiki I think has the most overall upside just because of his physical tools. He can leap out of the gym, has an amazing physical profile, and it looks like he can shoot from the perimeter. He has a chance to be a really good player for this Cal program. My big question with him is how much of an impact can he make right away? I have no doubt come his junior/senior year he could be really good, but I'm not sure what to expect from him in the fall.
And as for Marsalis Roberson, I think he is probably the most college ready of the bunch right now. He handles the rock well, can score in a variety of ways, gets to the cup, etc. Just has a good feel for the game and can score. I could see him being a better version of what Jalen Celestine was this past year. A more consistent version of the best of Celestine.
So, those are my quick thoughts on all three. Just wanted to start a fun discussion about them and who everyone is most excited about.
