Offer: ON–Tai Odiase (2014)

The second offer to go out, as reported earlier, is Tai Odiase.

6’8, 205 lb Pf/C from Homewood-Flossmoor (Illinois, just in case.  This is the Internet.  One can hardly assume anything any more.)

AAU Meanstreets, um, yeah, the one Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon used to play for–not to mention #1 pick Anthony Davis.  Jubril Adekoya played for them last year, everyone cool etc.  Lake Central’s Tyler Wideman is a current teammate, as is Marian Catholic’s amazing PG Tyler Ulis.  And we already mentioned Matt Holba (a 2015 playing up) and perhaps still football star Drake Harris (the next Tai Streets, about whom more shortly) if he hasn’t given up basketball entirely.

Look, there are a lot of good AAU teams in Chicago.  These guys are the best (currently ranked #4 in the country).  Why are they called Meanstreets?  Because they are coached by the great UM / NFL receiver Tai Streets, that’s why. (He also played some b-ball for the Wolverines too, in addition to winning a national title in football.  Just sayin’.)

Played “limited minutes” as a junior behind two H-F senior forwards, per chicagohoops, but at least the team was one of the best in Illinois (ranked in top 25).  WAS, until being stunned by Sandburg in the regional semi (remember, Illinois is backwards too) to finish at 21-6.

Scouting:  From Scott Burgess at ChicagoHoops.com:

When looking at the breakout candidates this spring in the class of 2014 one of the guys that jumps to mind is Homewood-Flossmoor power forward Tai Odiase. The long and angular four-man stood out in limited minutes for HF as a junior. He runs the floor great in transition. The 2014 prospect is efficient with his touches and finishes around the hoop with both power and touch.  Odiase rebounds at a good clip. His length and athleticism play well on the defensive end.

Self-analysis:

“I think this season was better than I expected. I didn’t expect to make all-conference. I used my minutes well. I played my role and did what I had to do. My explosiveness really improved. I feel myself getting a little stronger. I am running the floor better and my IQ is getting better.”

Playing behind two talented seniors in the frontcourt in Maurius Hill and Lamar Wofford-Humphrey gave Odiase a chance to learn the game and what it takes to be the best he can be. What did he pick up from them?

“That killer mindset that they have. Especially Maurius. I tried to adapt that into my game.”

(Sidenote:  It’s always good for recruits to have googlable names. I think H-F has that as a prereq for their roster.)

Interest:  Reported before the VU offer:

“UIC, SIU, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, Northern Kentucky, and Tennessee has [sic] talked to me.”

Odiase recently took an unofficial visit to UIC to learn more about them.

“The campus is nice. I talked to the coach a little more about the program. They take their education seriously. They don’t see you as a player. They see you as a young man and try to give you the tools for later in life.”

We are his first offer, as that interview is about 2-3 weeks before the offer.  He unfortunately did not tweet about said offer or anything about VU, and he tweets about, uh, let’s just say, a lot of things. As far as “the campus is nice”, well, tell that to the visiting MVC committee, why don’t you.

Just got an offer from Ball State, btw, his second (per the twitterz, link below).

Highlights (watch for 32 in the red/white H-F jerseys; 24 in the AAU games):

Athletic much? Luckily his teammates seem to miss so many layups that he has the chance to be right there for CLEAN-UP ON AISLE SEVEN. But positioning is good, and ball instincts are there. Nice basic post move at 1:11ff. Notice that he’s blocking shots, but not trying to send souvenirs into seats; he’s trying to retain possession, which is both humble, and helpful.

Check out the jumper top of the key at 2:32ff! Though on one hand you hate to see a shot like that–low percentage without the reward of the 3 pointer–it’s nice to see an easy touch and comfortable range. THEN COMES THE BLOCK PARTAY. I especially enjoy the “lather rinse repeat” of 3:45 to 4 (notice it’s the same possession it keeps happening. what did Einstein say about insanity?) Somewhere Mo Smith is smiling and nodding. He’s so athletic that even when he’s out of position, he’s not (Tai, but Mo too, or so I’m told).

Obviously the trick will be whether he can pull that off when everyone down low is his height but larger. When I was 6’8″, I could shoot over 6’3 punx all day too.

Any teammate of Holba’s has to have a dunk video (same final clip of highlights above):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIppoQv0EX0#
AND ONE!!!
Like a shark, he’s just waiting, just lying in the weeds a-mixing his metaphors, until LOOK OUT RICHARD DREYFUSS AAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHHHH THE HORROR THE HORROR

Very old but hence slightly amusing highlight tape (almost 4 years) with his brother, Ken!

Twitter “Kobe Abdul-Jordan”, which … okay.

UPSHOT

Plus-plus athleticism, defense (rebounding, shot-blocking).  “Upside” is a frequently used word, which is nice, but it is also a euphemism for “project” as well.  Like an American Vashil, though not that raw.  Let’s call that “worst-case scenario”, and “best-case” would be Georgetown / NBA Jerome Williams-type player, and “realistic-case”…halfway between? 🙂