NCAA Canadian Watch List 2020-21

[Hair Canada]

One guy who still isn't done is Eugene Omoruyi (or as Bill Walton likes to call him, like 40 times a game, "Eugene from Eugene").

For me, he's been the biggest Canadian surprise of the college season. His teammate, Chris Duarte, has been spectacular and just won player of the year in the PAC-12, maybe playing himself into the first round of the draft. Which is a great success story in itself, but it was already clear last year that Duarte has some NBA potential.

When the season started I didn't think Omoruyi had any even at his best. But I think I was wrong and I really love him as a player. I can actually see him having an Eric Paschal-like role in the NBA. They actually have similar size and build, but the similarities go even deeper.

So, what is there to like? Quite a lot. Omoruyi is just a gamer. And I think he can hold his own against bigger guys, just like Paschal does because he's both very strong and quick on his feet. Beyond just holding his own, I think he's actually a really good defender. He has great positioning and he plays with a lot of heart. Also a good nose for the ball (quite a few steals) and I didn't see any official stats, but he's also one of the best in college at drawing offensive charges.

The question then remains if he can bring offensive value. For the old Omoruyi who played for Rutgers, the answer was quite clearly "no". Till his last year, he didn't shoot at all from the perimeter and was also a bit limited in the paint because of his height mixed with mediocre athleticism. But he completely transformed both his body and his game in the year off. He's now completely trim and as a result much more dynamic and a better leaper. And he also found a perimeter game, with both the ability to put the ball on the floor (he actually has a surprisingly decent handle) and shoot it. And I think he's only getting better.

What do the numbers say? They certainly look good for the season with 17 points a game shooting almost 40% from the 3. But if you dive deeper and look at what he's done in the second part of the season, since the beginning of February (13 games our of the 25) it looks even better:

19 points per game, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists are all very solid numbers. But take a look at the shooting: Two 3-pointers a game shooting 48% (!), 5 FT attempts per game, shooting 84%. These are elite shooting numbers and I think they can translate to a the higher levels, adding to his very crafty skills around the rim. He clearly has touch and I think the shot mechanics are also very decent. He's also not a selfish player and while he's not Draymond Green, he does have good vision and willingness to share the ball.

In short, I totally see a place for him in today's NBA and I think he's still improving despite his age. If he was younger or playing for one of the blue blood colleges, I think more teams would pay attention but I think they should regardless.

[Hair Canada]

22 Canadians in the Big Dance. See ful list here:

https://northpolehoops.com/2021/03/14/the-22-canadians-who-qualified-for-the-2021-ncaa-tournament/

the notable names who might be able to make some noise:

Nembhard (Gonzaga)
Omoruyi and Duarte (Oregon)
Primo (Alabama)
Guerrier (Syracuse)
Edey (Purdue)
Moncrieffe (Oklahoma State)
Blair (Georgetown)

[aminiaturebuddha]

22 Canadians in the Big Dance. See ful list here:

https://northpolehoops.com/2021/03/14/the-22-canadians-who-qualified-for-the-2021-ncaa-tournament/

the notable names who might be able to make some noise:

Nembhard (Gonzaga)
Omoruyi and Duarte (Oregon)
Primo (Alabama)
Guerrier (Syracuse)
Edey (Purdue)
Moncrieffe (Oklahoma State)
Blair (Georgetown)

Any word on how serious Primo's injury is? He hasn't played the past couple of games, and was apparently on crutches on the sideline last game. Will he be able to play in the first weekend of the tournament?

[Hair Canada]

22 Canadians in the Big Dance. See ful list here:

https://northpolehoops.com/2021/03/14/the-22-canadians-who-qualified-for-the-2021-ncaa-tournament/

the notable names who might be able to make some noise:

Nembhard (Gonzaga)
Omoruyi and Duarte (Oregon)
Primo (Alabama)
Guerrier (Syracuse)
Edey (Purdue)
Moncrieffe (Oklahoma State)
Blair (Georgetown)

Any word on how serious Primo's injury is? He hasn't played the past couple of games, and was apparently on crutches on the sideline last game. Will he be able to play in the first weekend of the tournament?

They say he's day-to-day. I think he should be okay to go for the tournament.

[Hair Canada]

One guy who still isn't done is Eugene Omoruyi (or as Bill Walton likes to call him, like 40 times a game, "Eugene from Eugene").

For me, he's been the biggest Canadian surprise of the college season. His teammate, Chris Duarte, has been spectacular and just won player of the year in the PAC-12, maybe playing himself into the first round of the draft. Which is a great success story in itself, but it was already clear last year that Duarte has some NBA potential.

When the season started I didn't think Omoruyi had any even at his best. But I think I was wrong and I really love him as a player. I can actually see him having an Eric Paschal-like role in the NBA. They actually have similar size and build, but the similarities go even deeper.

So, what is there to like? Quite a lot. Omoruyi is just a gamer. And I think he can hold his own against bigger guys, just like Paschal does because he's both very strong and quick on his feet. Beyond just holding his own, I think he's actually a really good defender. He has great positioning and he plays with a lot of heart. Also a good nose for the ball (quite a few steals) and I didn't see any official stats, but he's also one of the best in college at drawing offensive charges.

The question then remains if he can bring offensive value. For the old Omoruyi who played for Rutgers, the answer was quite clearly "no". Till his last year, he didn't shoot at all from the perimeter and was also a bit limited in the paint because of his height mixed with mediocre athleticism. But he completely transformed both his body and his game in the year off. He's now completely trim and as a result much more dynamic and a better leaper. And he also found a perimeter game, with both the ability to put the ball on the floor (he actually has a surprisingly decent handle) and shoot it. And I think he's only getting better.

What do the numbers say? They certainly look good for the season with 17 points a game shooting almost 40% from the 3. But if you dive deeper and look at what he's done in the second part of the season, since the beginning of February (13 games our of the 25) it looks even better:

19 points per game, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists are all very solid numbers. But take a look at the shooting: Two 3-pointers a game shooting 48% (!), 5 FT attempts per game, shooting 84%. These are elite shooting numbers and I think they can translate to a the higher levels, adding to his very crafty skills around the rim. He clearly has touch and I think the shot mechanics are also very decent. He's also not a selfish player and while he's not Draymond Green, he does have good vision and willingness to share the ball.

In short, I totally see a place for him in today's NBA and I think he's still improving despite his age. If he was younger or playing for one of the blue blood colleges, I think more teams would pay attention but I think they should regardless.

Omoruyi Showcased all of this (perhaps except for the outside shooting that didn't go in that well today) in the win that brought Oregon to the sweet-16. 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists (and a bunch of other terrific passes), 2 blocks, 2 steals, draw two offensive fouls and was everywhere on the court. Great defensive reads, double-teaming, contested shots above the rim, just the whole package. Hopefully, someone is paying attention to these Paschal vibes.

Duarte was also awesome with 23 points on great shooting and 7 assists (and the usual 2 steals).

This Oregon team is giving the Brooks-Boucher-Ennis one a good run for their money as the Ducks team I most enjoyed watching. Would love to see them playing Gonzaga for the Final Four.