Rapp Chat Archive: Aug. 20

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:04:48 AM)
Feel free to ask me questions about Ohio State basketball, football, Olympics or pretty much anything except football recruiting because that is not my area of expertise.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:05:09 AM)
We'll just go ahead and drop crumbs on the keyboard today and have a nice lunchlong chat.

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:05:27 AM)
What have you heard about the newcomers this summer?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:08:03 AM)
Well, I assume you mean basketball by that. I have heard good things. I thought what Michael Conley said about Noopy Crater was telling, encouraging and also a little confirming because he raved about his quickness and what a good passer he is but said he (Crater) has been reluctant to take jumpers in open gyms. I had that fear about him from what I've seen about him and what I've heard him say -- that he can get a little too content to dish the ball. We all know Matta's teams play best when the point guard is a viable option to score the ball, so hopefully Crater can at least be a threat. If so, I think he's the point guard and OSU can do pretty well. ...

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:09:14 AM)
... Mullens has looked good and is getting in better shape. Buford has played very well from what I'm hearing. Simmons is a good shooter and a fearless player. Kecman is pretty crafty -- good shooter and passer -- but not much of a rebounder. Offutt was out until early this month, although he seems to be progressing OK.

GregOdens Shoe (Aug 20, 2008 11:09:24 AM)
Anything new on the possibilities for filling out the 2010 class?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:12:17 AM)
It's been a little quiet except for Lenzelle Smith being offered and looking like he's very seriously considering OSU. I think he's a very good player and could leverage both Anthony Johnson and Jordan Sibert -- Johnson because they are from the same city (Chicago) and both consider themselves combo guards, Sibert because he is an off-guard who has very similar skills and OSU likelly wouldn't take both Smith and Sibert. Hairston is adding to his list and is going to make fall visits, so it's going to be a while with him. He could get itchy right before his junior season, though. Payne, I always say, is just very tough to read. I could see him picking UD or Xavier in all honesty.

gmoney (Aug 20, 2008 11:12:22 AM)
Will the bball bucks sign anybody in 2009?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:13:21 AM)
It's looking doubtful, because they almost have to go big if they use a schollie and there are just slim pickings there. I don't think I've ever seen a class that has been more dead to Ohio State basketball. Just a weird development.

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:13:58 AM)
I know you said Offutt was cleared to play full court at the beginning of this month. Any new info on his rehab?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:16:01 AM)
Not really, no. Although I plan to talk to Dave Richardson soon and get a full update on all the guys, so you'll want to look out for that. I know Walter has a very cautious doctor and there have been many times through this process where he felt fine but was told to lay off the knee. Some of that, I'm sure, is an anxious kid who can't wait to play and doesn't realize he still has some damage to deal with. But Offutt is a very good kid and he did arrive to camp in good shape.

gmoney (Aug 20, 2008 11:16:29 AM)
Is Trae Golden still a possibility to sign in 2010 or will his decommit close an open spot that will be taken by Johnson or Sibert?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:17:34 AM)
I just think that is all done. I don't think Ohio State is even bothering with any of that now unless Golden starts playing out of his mind and makes it clear he likes OSU above everyone else. I think there's more chance of seeing Nick Kellogg join this class before Trae Golden.

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:18:04 AM)
Do you think coach Matta foresaw the prospects for the 2009 class were slim and planned around that or was it more by chance that almost no schollies were open for the '09 class?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:18:16 AM)
I think it was a little bit of both. ...

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:22:00 AM)
... They put in some groundwork on some of the top 2009 kids in Ohio and the Midwest, guys like Desmar Jackson and Bill Edwards but their needs were more for a true PG or finding some size. Garrick Sherman emerged really quickly and Michigan State snatched him up, so there could end up being a little egg on their faces there but really this class was always relatively weak and they had to go national with their scope. When it came down to it, they either wanted guys like Renardo Sidney or John Wall or Daniel Orton or Xavier Henry or Derrick Favors or they just were't going to pursue it and move on to 2010.

Question on OSU's third wide receiver:

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:23:23 AM)
Wow, great question. This is going to be very interesting to me. Obviously, practices and scrimmages are going to decide a lot here. Here's what I see right now, though: ...

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:26:03 AM)
I think Sanzenbacher is the most reliable third option right now and will have his chances to play very regularly, especially since we don't know how this fullback experiment is going to go. I think Sanzo is a good slot guy with good hands, works the sideline pretty well and understands the spacing that is needed with the WRs. Also, I have a hunch the Jake Stoneburner is in the plans and could be a red zone option for this team. Tress certainly seems to like him. Ray Small obviously is in the doghouse and needs to work his way back to the field. That could take time. So could the development of Lamaar Thomas and DeVier Posey. ...

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:28:10 AM)
... However, I don't think there's any question that the goal is to have a national championship-contending team this year and the coaches know they are going to need a real burner to stretch the field to have a dynamic offense that can actually scare a USC or a Georgia. Therrfore, my prediction is a lot of Sanzo early, some Stoneburner mixed in and the eventual use of Posey or even splitting out Saine quite a bit. I'm probably dissing Taurian Washington but I just haven't seen enough of him to say.

gmoney (Aug 20, 2008 11:28:24 AM)
Who is the going to be the most productive true frosh playing for the Bucks this season besides T. Pryor?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:32:03 AM)
Man, that's tough. I would go with Brewster or Adams if they weren't already dinged up, so I would go with Posey or Stoneburner on offense and either Sabino or Howard on defense. Both Sabino and Howard have a lot of quality ahead of them but if they keep playing the way they have so far they are going to have to find a role for those guys.

gmoney (Aug 20, 2008 11:33:11 AM)
Will we sign 5 or 6 in 2010?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:35:51 AM)
I'm going to guess five. There's always a chance they will rope in someone for next season for whatever reason and I'm not sure if they can get Payne or Hairston. I could see something like Anthony Johnson, Jordan Sibert, Cameron Wright, DeShaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger and that would be a pretty damn good class. There are some 2011 kids they really like and could have a commitment from one or two of them before November 2009. So I would predict five sign in that class the way things look now. Plus, there is always the lingering cloud of the NCAA that could limit them.

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:36:20 AM)
It appears that OSU, on its own, has scheduled exactly zero true nonconference road games (the Miami game is part of the ACC-Big 10 challenge & those games aren't scheduled by the schools) - is this a sign that the coaches think they'll struggle early in the year again?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:37:23 AM)
I just selected a different question and the one above popped up instead, so I'll paraphrase.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:38:35 AM)
dz83ck wants to know if the schedule reflects the thought that the basketball coaches fear they will struggled early again since there is no true road game they scheduled that we know of. He pointed out the Miami game was selected as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:42:32 AM)
I think that's a good point. I know they were talking with Memphis and are willing to go there first but that got shifted to next season, possibly because the OSU coaches found out pretty fast they were going to have to go to Miami. Plus, playing Notre Dame in Indy is going to be no picnic. Matta said it was very difficult to get his team up for the Butler game at Hinkle right after the team got taken down by North Carolina and I got the impression that was something he didn't want to go through again with a young team. Plus, they had a great sked last season and missed out on the NCAA Tournament presumably by one win. That tends to make you a little gun-shy too.

gmoney (Aug 20, 2008 11:42:46 AM)
What are you expectations of Offutt (best case & worst case)?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:45:45 AM)
Best case is he plays fairly regularly off the bench. That he has the confidence and explosion to drive the ball and make good things happen and that his defense proves very valuable to the team. He's a smart, coachable player and an underrated passer. There certainly could be room for him if he can show all of his skills consistently. Worst case, of course, is that he has yet another physical setback and gets shut down. But I will add this: Even if Offutt doesn't play much this year I would not write him off. He's got the attitude and intagibles to be a very solid Big Ten player and his time will come. I really see a lot of Brian Brown in that kid.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:47:45 AM)
The questions are drying up already so lunch break could be winding up for a few of you. I'll wrap this up soon, but I was wondering -- Who is watching the Olympics and what have you found the most compelling?

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:49:48 AM)
I have been a little disappointed with the Americans in track and field but the swimming has been terrific and the gymnastics effort was very, very good. I am one of these guys who actually follows the medal count and I'm wondering there is any way we can catch China in number of golds. Last I saw it was like 43 to China to like 27 for the U.S. By the way, 27 golds and eight of them by one person. Ridiculous. I assume we can still close strong with volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball but are the Chinese too far ahead?I dunno.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:51:04 AM)
Anyone? Bueller?

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:52:50 AM)
I just wish NBC put the "Redeem team" games on its main channel instead of good morning America or whatever they have.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:53:58 AM)
Good point. I haven't watched a men's basketball game in prime time yet, to my astonishment. I don't know what the reasons for that are. I guess the games are on in the evening because the sport is so popular over there. It's world for American television not to be driving the bus, though.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:56:29 AM)
All right, I'm going to bring this to a close. Steve, Dave and I will be at the kick scrimmage later today so you can expect full coverage as usual. I am pretty excited about this football season.

Jeff Rapp (Aug 20, 2008 11:56:39 AM)
Take care, everyone.

dz83ck (Aug 20, 2008 11:56:44 AM)
Thanks, Jeff.