OSU Starting Five Next Season

• krambman

  

  Big Gain wrote: Conley was a 5 Star, Craft is a 3 Star. Conley was the #3 rated PG in his class, Craft is the #25 rated PG in his class. PLEASE DO NOT compare the two.

  Trust me, I'm not comparing the two. Behind Scoonie Penn, Mike Conley is my second favorite Buckeye of all-time. I was simply comparing them as possibly freshmen starting PG's at OSU, not their talent or skill level. I was just pointing out that Conley improved as the season went on and became a beast in the NCAA tournament. I think that because of the talent he has around him, Craft will have the same type of opportunity (if he is the starter) to improve as the season progresses and possibly have a major impact late in the year. His starting point will not be where Conley's was, and I highly doubt that he will be as good at the end of the season as Conley was at the end of his. I was just pointing out that on a team with a lot of talent, a freshman point guard has the ability to make mistakes early and grow as the season progresses, just like Conley did. I'm not sure why anything in my post made you think I was comparing the two as players.
• vball10set

  you make a valid point,dynasty,but for some reason I just don't see it happening...I just get the impression that Diebler is Matta's boy,that's all--just a feeling.
  
  edit: for the record,can Diebler's psyche could handle it? who knows...
• Nashley25

  I think you guys have Conley way over rated. When all said and done Craft will be much better then Conley. He will bust his ass, make the smart play and will be a solid player for 4 years. None of this one and done crap. Also Conley was average at best shooting from the outside, Craft is a much better shooter. Don't get me wong Conley was good but it also helped that you had a guys like Oden, Cook, Lewis, and Butler to pass it too.
• Laley23

  

  ^^^Conley will be LIGHTS YEARS better than Craft THIS YEAR. Conley would have been a great freshman without any of those guys. To think otherwise shows me that you never watched him in HS (granted, I may have been the only person on this board to watch him in HS, lol)
• thedynasty1998

  

  Nashley25 wrote: I think you guys have Conley way over rated. When all said and done Craft will be much better then Conley. He will bust his ass, make the smart play and will be a solid player for 4 years. None of this one and done crap. Also Conley was average at best shooting from the outside, Craft is a much better shooter. Don't get me wong Conley was good but it also helped that you had a guys like Oden, Cook, Lewis, and Butler to pass it too.

  Really?
• Big Gain

  Ankle Breaker wrote: Big Gain
  
  I didn't compare the two. Read closer.

  That's why if one of the returners would work as hard as Turner did on his ball handing between now and next season OSU would be MUCH better with that player at PG and craft learning what to do from a Junior or Senior.
• Big Gain

  Nashley25 wrote: I think you guys have Conley way over rated. When all said and done Craft will be much better then Conley. He will bust his ass, make the smart play and will be a solid player for 4 years. None of this one and done crap. Also Conley was average at best shooting from the outside, Craft is a much better shooter. Don't get me wong Conley was good but it also helped that you had a guys like Oden, Cook, Lewis, and Butler to pass it too.

  You are insane, will Craft be good enough to be drafted FOURTH, as Conley was, after one season of college ball???
• devil1197

  Craft must have banged Big Gain's mom.
• centralbucksfan

  Big Gain wrote:

  Ankle Breaker wrote: Big Gain
  
  I didn't compare the two. Read closer.

  That's why if one of the returners would work as hard as Turner did on his ball handing between now and next season OSU would be MUCH better with that player at PG and craft learning what to do from a Junior or Senior.

  Sorry, but they can work on their ball handling 24/7 till next season begins, and they will not be adequate enough to play the PG. It takes more then just ball handling and I don't believe anyone of the returning starters has what it takes to play that position. Lighty on occasion, and by committee on occasion as well. But if OSU wants to get better and progress...I suspect Craft OR possibly Lenzelle Smith will be at that position.
• mallymal614

  centralbucksfan wrote:

  Big Gain wrote:

  Ankle Breaker wrote: Big Gain
  
  I didn't compare the two. Read closer.

  That's why if one of the returners would work as hard as Turner did on his ball handing between now and next season OSU would be MUCH better with that player at PG and craft learning what to do from a Junior or Senior.

  Sorry, but they can work on their ball handling 24/7 till next season begins, and they will not be adequate enough to play the PG. It takes more then just ball handling and I don't believe anyone of the returning starters has what it takes to play that position. Lighty on occasion, and by committee on occasion as well. But if OSU wants to get better and progress...I suspect Craft OR possibly Lenzelle Smith will be at that position.

  I agree. Plus we must remember that Evan grew up playing point guard. It wasn't until he grew to 6'7'' that he switched to the forward position. Which is why it was so much easier to go back to the point because that is what he is used to playing.
• Big Gain

  devil1197 wrote: Craft must have banged Big Gain's mom.

  Nope, only 5-Stars like Conley.
• Ankle Breaker

  

  After seeing Craft last weekend and missing only a couple of the Ohio-Ky games in the past 19 years, seeing many OSU signees during that time, it is my humble opinion that Craft will have no problem making an immediate contribution to the Buckeyes. The shooters like Buford and Diebler will love having this kid on the floor - as well as the bigs.
• krambman

  

  Nashley25 wrote: I think you guys have Conley way over rated. When all said and done Craft will be much better then Conley. He will bust his ass, make the smart play and will be a solid player for 4 years. None of this one and done crap. Also Conley was average at best shooting from the outside, Craft is a much better shooter. Don't get me wong Conley was good but it also helped that you had a guys like Oden, Cook, Lewis, and Butler to pass it too.

  Of course Craft will have a better career than Conley because he will be there more than one year, but Craft will never have a single season better than Conley's freshman year.
• devil1197

  11 ppg
  6 apg
  3 rpg
  2 spg
  
  Not overally impressive numbers, so I'd bet money that Craft could put up similar numbers while he is at OSU. Especially the assists and steals as he is a very good distributor and defensive minded player. The kid is smart (4.0 GPA) and will do a very good job at OSU with the guys around him.
• krambman

  

  Stats alone don't tell the whole story though. Conley affected the game in so many ways because of what he could do. That entire season whenever I talked about that team I always said that Oden was the best player on the team but that Conley was the most important. If Oden was out for the NCAA tournament that team still makes a deep run. If Conley had gone down they don't go nearly as far.
  
  Craft may have a season where he puts up better numbers than Conley did, but you also have to consider the fact that Craft will likely do it in his junior or senior year and Conley did it in his freshman year. Mike Conley came in and took over the starting point guard position from a senior who started in that position the year before and did a pretty good job. The kid also elevated himself from being a likely two year minimum player at OSU when he first arrived to a late first to early second round pick late in the season, to a top 5 pick by the end of the NCAA tournament. That's what makes his one season at OSU so remarkable. Yes, Craft may have a year where he puts up better numbers, but he still will never have a better single season than Conley did in his one year at OSU.
• devil1197

  If Lewis goes down they don't go anywhere, the guy was their big shot maker.
  
  Conley was very good but overrated to be taken as high as #5 and I think his results in the Pro's show that. He was on the trading block earlier this year and hasn't made the impact that #5 picks should.
• CinciX12

  

  Nashley25 wrote: I think you guys have Conley way over rated. When all said and done Craft will be much better then Conley. He will bust his ass, make the smart play and will be a solid player for 4 years. None of this one and done crap. Also Conley was average at best shooting from the outside, Craft is a much better shooter. Don't get me wong Conley was good but it also helped that you had a guys like Oden, Cook, Lewis, and Butler to pass it too.

  Jesus God, not another one who doesn't understand logic.
  
  Apparently you can't recall Mike Conley ever playing. Aaron Craft won't ever be uttered in the same sentence as him.
• devil1197

  Its funny, because before Conley even played for OSU no one was putting him in the ranks of other great OSU PG's. Hell, no one ever imagined the 13th best SF and 4 star recruit out of HS to ever be mentioned among the elite Buckeye greats.
  
  Let's have Craft play some before saying he'll never be mentioned in the same sentences as other people.
• CinciX12

  

  devil1197 wrote: Its funny, because before Conley even played for OSU no one was putting him in the ranks of other great OSU PG's. Hell, no one ever imagined the 13th best SF and 4 star recruit out of HS to ever be mentioned among the elite Buckeye greats.
  
  Let's have Craft play some before saying he'll never be mentioned in the same sentences as other people.

  There is less than a 10% chance. Mike Conley was out of this world.
• centralbucksfan

  Not sure why people are trying to compare Conley and Craft. A player who is in the NBA, vs one who is still in high school.
  Personally, I loved Conley. The kid was an unbelievable college PG for his single season at OSU. As much as Oden and others opened things up for him, he created as much for his teammates. He was crunch, in crunch time. I could care less what he is doing in the NBA or when he was drafted...the kid was fantastic in his single season at OSU.
  
  That being said, Craft will be a four year player at OSU and just by that...he could go on to be much more remembered then Conley in his single season depending on what he does in his career at OSU.