I was just watching video of an IMG game, and Olivier, who ordinarily comes off the bench, started the 2nd half even though IMG was only leading by the score of 56-13.
Jack, is he a couple year project or someone who could be ready to get some playing time as a freshman?
Couple year project, don't put too much expectation on this one. If he plays it will only be in short rotations because he is slow to get back down court.
Thanks Matherly that’s what I suspected. But it sure would be nice to have a 7’5” shot blocker back on defense! Look forward to reading you’re posts over on the baseball board! It’s getting closer!
Hoping, but not counting on him contributing much. Big guys at the D1 level need to be physical and able to run up and down the court. Height alone isn't enough and more than likely he'll will be a liability rather than an asset on the floor. Maybe he develops into some kind of super athlete, but I'll be skeptical until proven wrong.
Maybe, but he's certainly worth the chance. Keep in mind that he hasn't yet grown into his height physically. Priority one when he arrives on campus will be to assign him the right training and nutrition to help him get there.
I'll keep an open mind, but from what I've seen, I don't think he can impact the game much, at least not anytime soon. Not like that agile 7'-5" dude from Ole Miss that was blocking shots all over the place. That is what a real rim protector looks like. Quick on his feet. That is not Olivier. Not yet, anyway.
That is why I hope the kid stops growing (as if he can stop it...lol). Call me crazy buf that is my wish. Hs is tall enough imo. Now it is time to work on quickness and strength so he can be the best version of himself.
It was smart of Olivier's family to enroll him at IMG, where he'll compete against a better (and taller) level of player than he'd see at almost any other high school. Plus, they have some guys that know how to work with big men. I'm pulling for the young man to succeed.
I think that Olivier is a project, but he has a high basketball IQ, and he looks to be a hard worker. He is slow moving, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t eventually become a good player. He is no slower getting up and down the court than such stalwarts as Nicola Jokic and Jason Jitoboh. In other words, there are many factors, other than speed, that determine whether a big man will become a good player. Olivier is a very good passer. He hardly jumps at all, whether on offense or defense. He runs flat footed up and down the court. However, his height is an enormous positive for him that will become more positive as he develops his skill set. From the little that I have seen of him, if he stays the course, he will become a valuable player someday whether in a starting role or coming off of the bench. IMG has a basketball game against Link Academy on ESPNU today at 5 PM. I believe that Link has one of the better high school teams in the country, so Olivier might not play much if at all. Nevertheless, I am recording the game and will flip through it to see if he gets any playing time. In the game that I mentioned that was played the other day, Olivier played pretty well in the second half in his limited minutes. However, the game was against a team that should not have been on IMG‘s schedule.
I thought that Olivier looked very good in the first half. I liked his posture. I liked the way he was firmly seated on the bench. I like the way he had 2 feet solidly planted on the floor. I liked everything about him. As for the team, they might as well play the kid, because they’re going to get their asses kicked by Link if they don’t come up with some interior defense.
For O. Rioux, I believe that weight-training along with good nutrition should help with his overall cardiovascular fitness levels in playing the game. Being 7 foot-plus (7'7") could also put tremendous strain on his heart when doing any type of vigorous activity like playing basketball.
