Regarding Bjornstad
by Grady Clapp on Jun 22, 2009 11:07 PM PDT
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PrintIn case you haven't been tuned in to the recruiting services, Steven Bjornstad, the 6'10' center out of Columbia River HS in Vancouver (Wash.), is reportedly interested in WSU. And vice versa. This after getting his release from the University of Nevada (due to the coaching change) this Spring. According to Scout.com he's also interested in that one team that beat us in the NIT last season. You know, the one that plays in a glorified high school gym (also the team that loses Patty Mills to the NBA next year).
Anyway, Bjornstad is a classic big man, and we need a classic big man. It's easy to get excited about him for that reason. Furthermore, Bjornstad is in the class of 2009, and with Witherill's release and Boeke's departure there is a scholarship available (even after the one awarded to Enquist, if my math is correct). It's safe to say that Bjornstad is the only recruit capable of earning that scholly, which otherwise may sit for a year to balance out our ridiculously young classes (thanks, Tony!).
The question is this: is Bjornstad the big man we need? There is video of Bjornstad (he's the big blonde guy in white), although there's really not a whole lot to be gleaned from it:
Really only Ken Bone knows if Bjornstad is a good fit for his new style of play. The funny thing about this recruit is that he really seems more like a Tony Bennett type of player: an underrated "mid-major" prospect with physical tools and the potential to develop into something special. Of course, with his size and strength, he is a better fit for this current roster than Tony's former 2009 recruit, David Chadwick.
Here's what ESPN had to say last September:
Like most bigs Bjornstad is a late-developing prospect with a significant amount of upside. He has a terrific frame with long arms and he possesses decent bounce and better-than-average quickness for a player his size. His offensive game is still developing, but he has terrific hands and great mobility. He scores most of his points on put-backs, but he has a high basketball IQ and overall a great feel for the game. He needs to get stronger and continue to polish his post skills, but after one year getting acclimated to the college game, Bjornstad should have an outstanding career at Nevada because his upside is considerable.
Sometimes I wish I had decent bounce.
ESPN also rated him as the #35 center, if you're in to rankings and stuff.
It's becoming clear that Casto can't do it all by himself; he'll need another big body patrolling the paint and Bjornstad might be just that. Enquist can provide a lift, but I'm still unsure if he can be Robbie Cowgill 3.0 (assuming that Caleb Forrest was 2.0).
The more I think about it, the more I like it. After all, it was only a couple of years ago that the Bennetts took a chance on a big Aussie with rough skills, who couldn't catch a ball in traffic to save his life. And that player turned out to be pretty darn good. Bjornstad is already more refined than Aron Baynes was on arrival.
Now we just wait and see if Ken Bone adds one more to the class of '09.
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I will break my CougCenter silence for this topic
I’m with you, Grady; Bone needs to get this kid. The Cougs will have absolutely no depth up front next season, and Bjornstad would help in that regard. Assuming that Motum will get a lot of minutes next to Casto, and maybe Watson plays a little bit of the role Casto did last season, that only leaves Enquist. They will need more.
To your point that Baynes came in as a blundering oaf and finished as one of the best big men in the conference; the coaching staff retained Ben Johnson who is the man that made Baynes what he was. Another solid project for Johnson could yield profits for Bjornstad, and might just keep him around another four years.
Mr. Bone, get this guy!
You had CougCenter silence?
What did we do to cause that?
by Grady Clapp on Jun 23, 2009 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Sound like anyone you've ever seen?
His offensive game is still developing, but he has terrific hands and great mobility. He scores most of his points on put-backs, but he has a high basketball IQ and overall a great feel for the game. He needs to get stronger and continue to polish his post skills.
How about this guy? I’d take that.
Never would have thought it possible...
But I think he might be uglier NOW than he was then… and I consider what he’s wearing when I say that.
by TiltingRight on Jun 23, 2009 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions
A couple points Grady...
First, I’m nitpicking a bit here, but I don’t know how you can blame Tony for the young team. Akognon left, Hopson left, Taylor gave up his scholly early (then Sauls left). It’s certainly not an ideal situation, but unless you’re making the argument that Tony chased off Josh and Mac, I just don’t see how anyone can blame TB, exactly.
Second, agree 1,000,000% on Bjornstad. Skilled big guys don’t just fall into your lap, and while he may have a lot of work to do over the next 4 years, which players don’t? The difference is, you can’t teach a 6’4" to be a 6’10".
I’ve seen him play twice, and while I’d never bet everything on two views, when his supporting cast matched up at all with other team, he did well. When he was the only player out there with any amount of skill (as against Peyton Siva’s Franklin in the state championship), he was isolated and taken out of the game. The way I looked at that one was that he couldn’t feed himself the ball. He did show soft hands, though, and was a major part of them trying to break Franklin’s press.
At any rate, if he’d been granted the release sooner, he’d have a lot more suitors. If he hadn’t signed with Nevada, he’d have a lot more suitors. If we had a scholarship available earlier, we would have been recruiting him, I’m sure, and now, we’ve got a fantastic opportunity to bring this kid in.
Ok, blaming Tony for the young team is wrong
What I really blame him for is the lack of balance. For example, there was no reason whatsoever to burn Witherill’s redshirt (although it doesn’t matter now), and you could make the case that playing Harthun was wrong too. We had a huge freshman class and the only redshirt was Watson. My biggest pet peeve in college sports is when coaches blow redshirts for no good reason, and Tony was guilty of that on a couple occasions at WSU.
Man, the 34 looked great in the video!
We should be getting that guy for our PG! Did Bjornstad’s feet ever leave the ground in that video?
What the hell.
That is the most point less video I have ever seen. Basically we only got to see a few negatives from Bjornstad.
by Roy Weaver Stuckey on Jun 23, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions
If he can pass and play solid D
Get him. We will have plenty of options on O while he learns some post moves*. Even is all he does on O is put backs he will have a positive impact on the team.
We need a big. Casto will only look better with another big on the floor with him. Motum sounds more like a tall SF to me. Use him as a change of pace with that outside shot. And young bigs tend to foul more, so we will need them all
*based on the ESPN comments.
I saw him play at the 3A State tournament this year
He’s a slow player, but his big body makes him a force in the post. He’s not particularily dominant on either end of the floor, but again he’s so tall that he creates matchup problems. I think the Cougs would benefit from the depth they would have by adding him.
"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."
-Ichiro on Dice-K
by seatownsports on Jun 23, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm thinking a redshirt might be nice for him
We can always throw Watson into the fray without losing a year of eligibility on someone else.
by Grady Clapp on Jun 23, 2009 11:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Watson will be thrown into the fray anyway
That still only leaves Enquist. That’s four bigs and only two of them over 6’8". Unless you expect Casto to play 40 minutes and don’t expect Motum and Watson get into foul trouble, that means that without anyone else Enquist will be playing 20+ minutes.
I’m not sure that I’m okay with that. You have got to have 5 active bigs on a roster, especially when they are ALL underclassmen.
2 key questions:
1. Are you going to get anyone better, and
2. If you think the answer is “yes,” is it worth having to wait an extra year (with attendant effects on the player’s “polish” for succeeding years, i.e. he will be a sophomore rather than a junior during Klay Thompson’s senior season)?
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
If Klay Thompson stays for his senior season
I’d rather have players gain the experience with Thompson so they are more ready to handle the time after he leaves, if he leaves early.
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