why the heck isn't okafor seen as a better nba prospect? he averages like 5 blocks a game and has dramatically improved his offense. You can just tell he is a hard worker and will continue to improve his game. For me he'd be right up there with james and darko for nba prospects. Please someone tell me how anthony or bosh is a better nba prospect than okafor. He'll be a star in the nba imo.
wouldn't it be a shame if he fell to where we draft, but we can't take him. Man, I'd rathar have Okafor than Boki.
Anthony and Bosh are athletic freaks, Okafor isn't. I'm a HUGE Okafor fan, from when I saw him play his Jr year at Bellaire... Okafor will be a solid pro, but he won't be anything more than like 12 ppg, 10-12 boards and 2-3 blocks. Which is still good... If he can learn to pass the ball better, then he would be much more highly rated. He's got a pretty good hook shot.
it's not just my opinion, here are some others http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/carmeloanthony.htm "Weaknesses: Athleticism is very good but a notch below the likes of LeBron, Carter, Kobe. Not overly quick" espn insider, chad ford. "Who NBA scouts are watching":"The Bad: A good but not great athlete. Doesn't have the hops of Vince Carter or the quickness of Kobe Bryant."
I don't think he is a great athlete either, but he is a really good player. Bob Ryan was on Tony Kornheisor's show earlier today and said Okafor was the closet shot blocking center in college and maybe all of basketball to Olajuwon that he's ever seen. Keep in mind, talking strictly shot blocking. And to be that good, you have to be a great athlete.
Anthony is a new and improved version of Glenn Robinson. And like "Big Dog", he's a good athlete but not a "freak." It's like comparing Lamar Odom to Kevin Garnett. Odom = good to great athlete KG = "Freak"
Okafor is a top 5 pick whenever he comes out. The reason there isn't more about him is that he's stated he isn't coming out this season. He's on the "Jay Williams graduate in 3 years" program and will come out after next season. He's a stud defensively and his offense is coming around a bit.
There's little chance we'll get him when he does come out, but it would be so awesome to have a local guy on the team. Also, it would be nice to have a guy who is as mature and has such good character.
He doesn't get enough coverage, but I agree with most of you all said. It probably has alot to do with him not leaving early.I 'd pick Bosh over him and the Anthony-Robinson comparison is good. You should have quoted Lang...
I think Okafor is rated pretty highly on nbadraft.net, and is a top pick in their 2004 mock draft. I'm a big fan of Okafor because of his defense, extreme effort, classiness and attitude, fire, great fundamentals for a sophomore, and because he's local. I get tired of people turning their noses up at players because they are not "freakish" athletes. Emeka might not be in the same class as Garnett, Lebron, or Carter, but he's definitely got some athletic skills. Not everyone has to be a "freak" in order to play high-calliber basketball in the NBA. Of course, it can really help, but sometimes those types of players rely too heavily on them, rather than strategically learning the game. I think Okafor has the potential to be a top 5 pick in his draft and could be an impact player in the NBA.
From today's Chronicle: UConn's Okafor sets sights on Ford, Longhorns By JEROME SOLOMON Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle "I owe him one." That's what Emeka Okafor says about T.J. Ford. Two years ago, Ford and Willowridge knocked off Okafor's Bellaire Cardinals in the area round of the high school basketball playoffs. It's about time to get even, said Okafor, who stars at Connecticut. And as far as he's concerned, there is no better time for payback than this week. Taking out Ford and the Texas Longhorns in front of a television audience and about 40,000 fans at the Alamodome in the Sweet 16 on Friday would be sweet revenge for going down to the eventual state champion at a sold-out Coleman Coliseum. "This is my chance to return the favor," Okafor said Tuesday before the Huskies left for their flight to San Antonio. "You have no idea how good that would be." Oddly enough, Okafor's line from his last high school game -- six points, seven blocks and nine rebounds -- is similar to what he put up in his freshman year at UConn, when he averaged 7.9 points, nine rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game. What few remember is that Okafor -- even with scoring machine John Lucas on his squad -- averaged 22 points per game during his senior season at Bellaire. He shot 59 percent from the floor last season, but got few opportunities. He averaged only five shots and scored in double figures just 10 times in 34 games, with a season high of 19 points. Things have changed this season. Okafor's average is up to 15.7 points per game, and he has doubled his shots to more than 11 per game. He has scored in double figures in all but four of UConn's 32 games and has seven 20-point games, including a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Brigham Young in which he scored 20. "I'm more confident, and I'm getting more touches," Okafor said. "The team is actually looking for me to score. "Last year I wasn't really a scoring option, so I didn't really have any plays directed toward me. This year I have a number of plays specifically for me." Okafor said he has noticed that now, even when plays aren't directed toward him, he gets more looks because teammates have faith in his ability to score. Though he is considered a defense-first player, the 6-9, 252-pound Okafor says it would be a mistake to overlook his offensive contribution. "You can't prepare for what you don't expect, so if you think I'm just a defensive player, that's your fault," Okafor said. There appears to be little chance of that this week. "He's involved in the offense, and he's improved his offensive game," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Anyone that can rebound the ball the way he does is involved in the offense. He does a great job of shooting it and going to get it." That's what Okafor did against Stanford in the second round of the Tournament. After being chastised at halftime by Huskies coach Jim Calhoun for being passive, Okafor led a second-half charge with six quick points off offensive rebounds. UConn grabbed 14 offensive boards in the half en route to the win. Few might remember that Connecticut was just a few minutes from reaching the Final Four last year. The Huskies led eventual national champion Maryland late in a regional final. There were high expectations entering this season, despite the loss of Caron Butler to the NBA. But after a 9-0 start, the Huskies hit the skids. Three times UConn (23-9) lost back-to-back games. But wins over Seton Hall and Syracuse in the Big East tournament gave the Huskies hope that an NCAA Tournament run was possible. "We didn't win the conference championship; we didn't win the conference tournament. But we're trying to make some noise in the Big Dance," Okafor said. "We're playing our best basketball so far, but we haven't really reached our peak yet." Nor has Okafor. Though he has improved, he wants to extend his range and improve his footwork to become even more of a threat. That is what he plans to accomplish next season. Oh, and while he's at it, he'll pick up a degree in finance, accomplishing the almost unheard of by graduating in three years. It's rare for the typical student, even more so for an athlete. Okafor was named the Big East defensive player of the year and its basketball scholar-athlete of the year. He carries a cumulative grade-point average of 3.73, with 70 academic credits as a member of the honors program, giving him junior academic status. He has been on the dean's list all three semesters at UConn and is an academic All-American. "You see us playing sports; you don't see us going to the library. So that's what tends to stick in people's minds," Okafor said. "We're students, too." Some are better than others. The same goes for shot blockers, and Okafor is better than most. He leads the country with 4.7 blocks per game, an average that beats all but 34 of 325 Division I teams. "He has great timing and really has a great feel for what shots to go get and which ones to leave alone," Barnes said. "I like his demeanor and the way he handles himself." Barnes said one of the reasons Texas didn't seriously recruit Okafor was because it had only two scholarships to give that year. One went to Chris Wright, who committed to UT early in his junior year. The other went to Ford. Okafor expects Ford to have many more fans behind him Friday than the Huskies, though Okafor will have a contingent of at least 30 friends and family in attendance. That includes several friends of Okafor who attend UT but will be "wearing Husky Blue." "Definitely, very few people think we can pull it off," Okafor said. "It's always Texas this, Texas that, and we're playing in Texas. At a neutral site, people root for the underdog, but we're the underdog, and San Antonio is about an hour away from Austin, so there will be a whole lot of burnt orange there. "We're not worried about that stuff. The way we play will settle everything."
Well he's getting publicity in Houston!!! I am proud to have TJ Ford and Emeka Okafor both from Houston, Texas!!! So cool!
TJ and Emeka were the 2 best HS players I've seen (in the 5 years or so that I've been watching/following it). However, I think more of Westbury Christian's Ndudi Ebi more than I do TJ and Emeka.
Did you watch the McDonalds All-American game? How did Ndudi Ebi do? I didnt get a chance to catch it.
