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There Are Still Goals For Benson To Reach At OU
My initial reaction to Oakland center Keith Benson exploring the possibility of entering the NBA Draft is that he should not do it.
Benson has made great progress at Oakland, but can make more by staying in college. Not sure where he'd go in this draft, but he can move himself into elite company by getting stronger and dominating next season.
But there is another way to look at it. What more is he going to accomplish at OU? The Golden Grizzlies were 17-1 and won the Summit League tournament last season. They did go to the NCAA tournament. Isn't that as far as it goes at OU?
Well, there are a couple frontiers for Benson to reach at OU. One is a victory over a top program. Oakland was blasted last season by all the big boys. Also, OU has never won an NCAA tournament game (excepting the play-in game). That would be a legitimate possibility if Benson returns.
Random Thoughts
- Moving Justin Abdelkader into the lineup for the Jason Williams is a good move by Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. He will hit people. Look for Brad Stuart to take Williams' spot on the point of the second power play unit.
- We're about to find out whether the Tigers are for real. Of their next 30 games, 27 are against teams that had winning records last season. Oh, and the West Coast is a very different place to win. The Tigers were a horrible road team for much of last season. How about that King Felix-Jeremy Bonderman pitching matchup tonight. Could be a little rough.
My Column in Friday's Oakland Press on how the Red Wings must toughen up tonight http://tinyurl.com/y43678z
Benson has made great progress at Oakland, but can make more by staying in college. Not sure where he'd go in this draft, but he can move himself into elite company by getting stronger and dominating next season.
But there is another way to look at it. What more is he going to accomplish at OU? The Golden Grizzlies were 17-1 and won the Summit League tournament last season. They did go to the NCAA tournament. Isn't that as far as it goes at OU?
Well, there are a couple frontiers for Benson to reach at OU. One is a victory over a top program. Oakland was blasted last season by all the big boys. Also, OU has never won an NCAA tournament game (excepting the play-in game). That would be a legitimate possibility if Benson returns.
Random Thoughts
- Moving Justin Abdelkader into the lineup for the Jason Williams is a good move by Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. He will hit people. Look for Brad Stuart to take Williams' spot on the point of the second power play unit.
- We're about to find out whether the Tigers are for real. Of their next 30 games, 27 are against teams that had winning records last season. Oh, and the West Coast is a very different place to win. The Tigers were a horrible road team for much of last season. How about that King Felix-Jeremy Bonderman pitching matchup tonight. Could be a little rough.
My Column in Friday's Oakland Press on how the Red Wings must toughen up tonight http://tinyurl.com/y43678z
Labels: Keith Benson Justin Abdelkader Mike Babcock Brad Stuart
posted by Pat Caputo at
12:53 PM
4 Comments:
Pat, Too many weak spots for the Tigs, Rotation is less than solid, Too many weak sticks, and not enough home run threats. I hope I'm wrong! Dave
Dave,
The bottom of their order could be a problem. I always think there has to be some long-term concern about Mags and Guillen.
Caputo
Benson: The problem for Keith Benson is implicit in your column. It is for him to do everything you enumerated. You offer no recommendations or assessment of the teammates he will play with. You offer no critique of the coaches. If he returns to Oakland, his name will only be the person critiqued by you and everyone else. If they don't achieve more than they achieved this year, his stock will go down. Basketball is a team sport. He has been at Oakland for 4 years and has earned his degree. It was not his decision to be red shirted. It was the coach's decision of how to allocate his 4 years. He has fulfilled his commitment to Oakland.
Anonymous,
The point about Benson is where he goes in the draft. At the NBA level, his size won't give him nearly the same edge. He needs to get stronger, in better shape and work on his post game. Then his stock might improve. At this point, he will likely won't be taken until late in the second round - or not at all. If he goes early second round, then it would make more sense to come out.
Caputo
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