Link Kabadyundi -> Texas Arlington

[jason2486]

With recruiting, so little is known until they arrive on campus. Think about how many times we play teams in the non conference who have a decent athletic big. They could be guys like Link that get overlooked by the big schools. I love Miles' ability to spot talent regardless of who else is recruiting him. I trust Tim knows what he is doing.

[a0t0w0]

 

In Coach Miles I trust.  Perhaps he was a bit quick on the trigger with Vooch.  I guess we may have two more years to verify.  That said, at this juncture, we are not going to take a flyer on someone who cannot contribute.  If this kid is coming, he has an upside.

In defense of Miles bringing in Vooch, here was a 7 footer with skill who was not well known and available when he arrived in Lincoln.  Vooch was definitely worth taking a chance on.  Unfortunately, Vooch has not progressed the way one might have hoped.  You can see he's better than he was last year but he still has a very long road ahead before he's going to be capable of contributing at crunch time.

 

I suppose you reach a point where you have to decide whether to continue to call to see if the next card completes your straight or whether it's time to fold.  If the odds don't stack up in your favor, it may just be time to throw in your cards and wait for the next hand rather than throwing good money after bad.  And so it may be with Vooch.  If you give him another year and he still hasn't developed to the point of contributing significantly, do you give him another year after that?  How long does he have to show sufficient progress before you decide it's not a safe bet?

 

Vooch is like having pocket 6 and 8 and a flop of 5, 6 and 9.  So, now you have a pair of 6s which, by itself isn't good enough to bet, but you have an outside chance at a 9-high straight.  If the other guy raises big after the flop, do you call, hoping to get that 7?  And then pay still more to see the river if the 7 doesn't show up on the turn?  Or do you cut your losses after the flop and wait for a better hand?

 

You probably fold and feel good about the decision even if the river is a 7.  And, therefore, poor Vooch.  It's not to say he can't possibly progress enough to keep him around.  It's just that the odds are too long.  And Miles isn't playing with house money at this point.

 

How's that for a gambling analogy?

 

 

I don't mean to pee in cheerios, but I wouldn't commit chips preflop with 6 8. 

 

At the same time, Miles was more in the position of Big blind and had the small blind flat call.  Essentially nothing to lose at that point.  The question is, how big of a raise is it and how risky of a call is it after the flop (sophomore year)?  If we don't need that scholarship- stay in the hand.  Calling the raise on the flop most likely commits you to play it out.  If the turn (junior year) is a blank, you feel like shit staying in and hoping the river (senior year) magically hits. 

[The Coach]

 

True, but Shavon wasn't 7'1.   If you're that tall and your only offer is Albany, I'm sorry but you aren't very good.  Usually just being over 7-foot is enough to get at least a handful of major-conference scholarship offers.

 

Disagree.

When you're an under the radar recruit who commits early to a college...what is the point for any of the big boys to even look at him?

 

 

Probably the fact that he's taller than 99.999% of high school basketball players out there.  Sorry but you don't go "under the radar" when you are that size.  If you have any skill at that size, you're going to get major interest, no matter who you are committed to.  Like Kamdy said, look at how Jackson Davis is blowing up.

 

And I'd say the jury is still out on Miles' ability to spot talent at the post position. See Vooch, Atewe, Tummala, etc.  These guys aren't exactly lighting the college hoops world on fire.  I don't think Miles recruited any good post players at CSU (though he did get Colton Iverson as a transfer).

 

So it seems Miles has his best luck with transfer bigs like Iverson and Pitchford.  I'm really hoping for a senior transfer.

[Norm Peterson]

 

 

In Coach Miles I trust.  Perhaps he was a bit quick on the trigger with Vooch.  I guess we may have two more years to verify.  That said, at this juncture, we are not going to take a flyer on someone who cannot contribute.  If this kid is coming, he has an upside.

In defense of Miles bringing in Vooch, here was a 7 footer with skill who was not well known and available when he arrived in Lincoln.  Vooch was definitely worth taking a chance on.  Unfortunately, Vooch has not progressed the way one might have hoped.  You can see he's better than he was last year but he still has a very long road ahead before he's going to be capable of contributing at crunch time.

 

I suppose you reach a point where you have to decide whether to continue to call to see if the next card completes your straight or whether it's time to fold.  If the odds don't stack up in your favor, it may just be time to throw in your cards and wait for the next hand rather than throwing good money after bad.  And so it may be with Vooch.  If you give him another year and he still hasn't developed to the point of contributing significantly, do you give him another year after that?  How long does he have to show sufficient progress before you decide it's not a safe bet?

 

Vooch is like having pocket 6 and 8 and a flop of 5, 6 and 9.  So, now you have a pair of 6s which, by itself isn't good enough to bet, but you have an outside chance at a 9-high straight.  If the other guy raises big after the flop, do you call, hoping to get that 7?  And then pay still more to see the river if the 7 doesn't show up on the turn?  Or do you cut your losses after the flop and wait for a better hand?

 

You probably fold and feel good about the decision even if the river is a 7.  And, therefore, poor Vooch.  It's not to say he can't possibly progress enough to keep him around.  It's just that the odds are too long.  And Miles isn't playing with house money at this point.

 

How's that for a gambling analogy?

 

 

I don't mean to pee in cheerios, but I wouldn't commit chips preflop with 6 8. 

 

At the same time, Miles was more in the position of Big blind and had the small blind flat call.  Essentially nothing to lose at that point.  The question is, how big of a raise is it and how risky of a call is it after the flop (sophomore year)?  If we don't need that scholarship- stay in the hand.  Calling the raise on the flop most likely commits you to play it out.  If the turn (junior year) is a blank, you feel like shit staying in and hoping the river (senior year) magically hits. 

 

So, OK, change it and say you're the big blind and everyone called.  The point is, don't chase a pot with long odds hoping you get that one card that turns barely more than nothing into a low straight simply because you committed some chips to it already.  The smart play might be to cut your losses.  It's possible Vucetic turns into something eventually.  None of us can be for sure since we're not seeing him at practice and certainly aren't seeing him in games.  We can imagine what it must be looking like for him since he's not getting minutes.  If there's not much chance, though, for him to become a real contributor, then quit committing chips to him now and start this spring with a new hand.

[a0t0w0]

 

 

 

In Coach Miles I trust.  Perhaps he was a bit quick on the trigger with Vooch.  I guess we may have two more years to verify.  That said, at this juncture, we are not going to take a flyer on someone who cannot contribute.  If this kid is coming, he has an upside.

In defense of Miles bringing in Vooch, here was a 7 footer with skill who was not well known and available when he arrived in Lincoln.  Vooch was definitely worth taking a chance on.  Unfortunately, Vooch has not progressed the way one might have hoped.  You can see he's better than he was last year but he still has a very long road ahead before he's going to be capable of contributing at crunch time.

 

I suppose you reach a point where you have to decide whether to continue to call to see if the next card completes your straight or whether it's time to fold.  If the odds don't stack up in your favor, it may just be time to throw in your cards and wait for the next hand rather than throwing good money after bad.  And so it may be with Vooch.  If you give him another year and he still hasn't developed to the point of contributing significantly, do you give him another year after that?  How long does he have to show sufficient progress before you decide it's not a safe bet?

 

Vooch is like having pocket 6 and 8 and a flop of 5, 6 and 9.  So, now you have a pair of 6s which, by itself isn't good enough to bet, but you have an outside chance at a 9-high straight.  If the other guy raises big after the flop, do you call, hoping to get that 7?  And then pay still more to see the river if the 7 doesn't show up on the turn?  Or do you cut your losses after the flop and wait for a better hand?

 

You probably fold and feel good about the decision even if the river is a 7.  And, therefore, poor Vooch.  It's not to say he can't possibly progress enough to keep him around.  It's just that the odds are too long.  And Miles isn't playing with house money at this point.

 

How's that for a gambling analogy?

 

 

I don't mean to pee in cheerios, but I wouldn't commit chips preflop with 6 8. 

 

At the same time, Miles was more in the position of Big blind and had the small blind flat call.  Essentially nothing to lose at that point.  The question is, how big of a raise is it and how risky of a call is it after the flop (sophomore year)?  If we don't need that scholarship- stay in the hand.  Calling the raise on the flop most likely commits you to play it out.  If the turn (junior year) is a blank, you feel like shit staying in and hoping the river (senior year) magically hits. 

 

So, OK, change it and say you're the big blind and everyone called.  The point is, don't chase a pot with long odds hoping you get that one card that turns barely more than nothing into a low straight simply because you committed some chips to it already.  The smart play might be to cut your losses.  It's possible Vucetic turns into something eventually.  None of us can be for sure since we're not seeing him at practice and certainly aren't seeing him in games.  We can imagine what it must be looking like for him since he's not getting minutes.  If there's not much chance, though, for him to become a real contributor, then quit committing chips to him now and start this spring with a new hand.

 

 

I agree witcha Norm.  FWIW my hope is that we hit runner-runner 6's and Vooch turns into the Ultra-nuts. 

[cwshuskers]

At the very least we could teach this kid how to play defense and rebound, then how to get out of the way for the scores on offense. Like his size and athleticism.

[Cookie Belcher]

Could this guy be the missing link?

[jdostal]

With Vooch, you also have to factor in hitting two pair or three of a kind and the fact your opponent may have already hit a better straight than you can get.  It's unlikely you'll end up with a better hand than your opponent AND for him to have a good enough hand to make the risk worthwhile, so we should probably go ahead and raise big here to take it down now or fold.

[Huskerpapa]

Flippin 7'1" and athletic.  Think about it...there are not many of them out there.  Georgetown has built a legacy by bringing in athletic bigs, then first leveraging their defensive athletism, then building their offensive skill set.  If the kid has hand/eye coordination, and has good hands, we can build a NBA player.

 

Vooch came in with some offensive skills, but lacks the athletism to play (right now) in the Big Ten. 

 

I am not going to diss either of these kids.  But I can see why we are sniffing around Link.  He may be far from perfect today.  Yet if he owns certain skills, and he is athletic, and he is willing to work his butt off, we may get a real sleeper.

[GATA]

Flippin 7'1" and athletic.  Think about it...there are not many of them out there.  Georgetown has built a legacy by bringing in athletic bigs, then first leveraging their defensive athletism, then building their offensive skill set.  If the kid has hand/eye coordination, and has good hands, we can build a NBA player.

 

Vooch came in with some offensive skills, but lacks the athletism to play (right now) in the Big Ten. 

 

I am not going to diss either of these kids.  But I can see why we are sniffing around Link.  He may be far from perfect today.  Yet if he owns certain skills, and he is athletic, and he is willing to work his butt off, we may get a real sleeper.

 

I completely understand showing interest in a guy with an NBA body couple with good athleticism. But I wouldn't compare this guy to Ewing, Mutombo, Mourning, Othella Harrington, etc.

[The Coach]

If the kid has hand/eye coordination, and has good hands, we can build a NBA player.

 

 

 

Based on the first video that was posted, I don't think he does (see 4:38).

 

 

If we are trading this guy for Vooch, then I'm OK with it.  But if we keep Vooch and sign this guy, I'll be pretty disappointed.  We need someone with some size who can play right away.  Hopefully a senior or JUCO transfer.  They don't need to be 7'0.  I'll take an athletic, skilled 6'8 guy over a slow uncoordinated 7'0 guy any day.

[Huskerpapa]

 

If the kid has hand/eye coordination, and has good hands, we can build a NBA player.

 

 

 

Based on the first video that was posted, I don't think he does (see 4:38).

 

 

If we are trading this guy for Vooch, then I'm OK with it.  But if we keep Vooch and sign this guy, I'll be pretty disappointed.  We need someone with some size who can play right away.  Hopefully a senior or JUCO transfer.  They don't need to be 7'0.  I'll take an athletic, skilled 6'8 guy over a slow uncoordinated 7'0 guy any day.

 

The great thing or the curse of recruiting...we will see.

[hhcmatt]

The great thing or the curse of recruiting...we will see.

 

The Nebraska curse is about as real as the Red Sox curse

[Silverbacked1]

Doesn't this kid have a younger brother who is on some watch lists right now?

May be get one and the other follows, you know?

[TheKamdyMan]

Doesn't this kid have a younger brother who is on some watch lists right now?

May be get one and the other follows, you know?

 

The article talking about him being a top player is a puff piece interview from his eldest brother.  He's not in the Rivals top list for the 2016 class.  He could very well be a kid that rises over the next few years but from what I've found he's a borderline 3 star kid right now.

[Silverbacked1]

Thanks Kamdy Knew you would know.

[GATA]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume the kid was impressed.

[Swan88]

Am pretty sure Link Kabadyundi was sitting in the front row at the top of the exit where the Husker team enters and leaves the arena.  He seemed to be engaged in the experience.

[Norm Peterson]

I don't know how to say this diplomatically.  And I know I'm going to catch a little bit of heck for suggesting it.  We've talked in the past about how your big man needs to have a bit of a mean streak in him.  I realize the videos that have been posted don't provide us with a lot of information, but he just strikes me as a bit ... soft?

 

I don't know.  It's not the FACT that he was singing with his sister.  But in that video, I can't put my finger on it, really, but he just didn't seem to have much in the way of swagger.  

 

Terran Petteway is an alpha male.  I think you want your big man to have a little of that alpha male attitude in him.  Maybe this kid does, but his videos wouldn't suggest it.  And I readily admit I could be wrong.  The video might be wrong.  My take on the video might be wrong.  This kid might be alpha male numero uno.  But if he's shy, retreating, mild-mannered or whatever other euphemisms you come up with, I think I'd just as soon pass.

 

I don't want us to sign another kid like Brian Diaz that everyone bashes because he won't dunk it.  That used to tick me off (not that he wouldn't dunk but that people would bash him about his "attitude" just because of his personality) and I'd just as soon not see that happen again.

 

And truthfully, Diaz was almost certainly less effective as a post player just because he was a bit passive.  Can't we find an athletic big man who's just a little bit mean?

[TheKamdyMan]

I hope it was just a due diligence visit and they saw what they needed to and move on to the next one.

[a0t0w0]

I don't know how to say this diplomatically.  And I know I'm going to catch a little bit of heck for suggesting it.  We've talked in the past about how your big man needs to have a bit of a mean streak in him.  I realize the videos that have been posted don't provide us with a lot of information, but he just strikes me as a bit ... soft?

 

I don't know.  It's not the FACT that he was singing with his sister.  But in that video, I can't put my finger on it, really, but he just didn't seem to have much in the way of swagger.  

 

Terran Petteway is an alpha male.  I think you want your big man to have a little of that alpha male attitude in him.  Maybe this kid does, but his videos wouldn't suggest it.  And I readily admit I could be wrong.  The video might be wrong.  My take on the video might be wrong.  This kid might be alpha male numero uno.  But if he's shy, retreating, mild-mannered or whatever other euphemisms you come up with, I think I'd just as soon pass.

 

I don't want us to sign another kid like Brian Diaz that everyone bashes because he won't dunk it.  That used to tick me off (not that he wouldn't dunk but that people would bash him about his "attitude" just because of his personality) and I'd just as soon not see that happen again.

 

And truthfully, Diaz was almost certainly less effective as a post player just because he was a bit passive.  Can't we find an athletic big man who's just a little bit mean?

 

I see where you're coming from.

 

Your post reminded me of Roy Hibbert.  I think it was ESPN that did a piece on him a year or two ago when the Pacers were heating up and he basically talked about how the competitive streak wasn't in him until his last year at Georgetown. 

 

Maybe if Link has a soft side he can still be shaped into a competitor with a mean streak on the court. 

[hhcmatt]

I don't know.  It's not the FACT that he was singing with his sister.  But in that video, I can't put my finger on it, really, but he just didn't seem to have much in the way of swagger.  

 

I dare him or anyone else to out-nice Shavon Shields

[lanigan123]

Pass.

[Swan88]

No offer yet, per Robin W.

[Norm Peterson]

No offer yet, per Robin W.

We're not that desperate ... yet?