New recruit is board certified
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
4/24/2004

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With rebounding troubles last season, TU gets help from junior college transfer.
The University of Tulsa ranked last among Western Athletic Conference basketball teams in rebounding margin last season. Problem solved?

Yusuf Baker, a 6-foot-8 forward from College of Southern Idaho, has signed a letter of intent to play at TU. Baker averaged 8.9 rebounds per game last season at the junior college and is capable of rebounding with any player in the country, according to College of Southern Idaho assistant coach Brian Dolan.

"When he decides to go get a rebound, he's a freak," Dolan said. "The guys call him 'video game hops' because he jumps like he's in a video game."

Baker has a 7-foot-3 wing span, according to Dolan.

"He's got the longest arms since Paul Pressey to play at Tulsa, and those were some long arms," said Dolan, a Tulsa-area native and former administrative assistant at Oral Roberts University. "Yusuf is a big-time
athlete. He could be a Dennis Rodman-type rebounder at the college level."

Baker took recruiting visits to Tulsa and Alabama. He canceled visits to Colorado and Nebraska because he loved his Tulsa visit, Dolan said.

Georgia also was interested, along with Oregon and Arizona State, who tried to enter the picture late, said Dolan, adding that TU assistant Steve Cooper cultivated a good recruiting relationship with the player.

Baker has Division I experience. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman at South Florida and left school following a coaching change. He started 17 of 29 games in his lone season at USF and led the Bulls in blocked shots and field-goal percentage.

Dolan said Baker rebounds well enough and blocks enough shots to change a game without scoring. But Baker averaged 12.4 points last season and, following the departure of a teammate, ended the year as College of Southern Idaho's leading scorer.

"He can figure out a way to put the ball in the basket when he catches it in the paint," Dolan said. "He can dunk on anybody. If he comes down with a rebound around the basket, somebody is probably going to get dunked on."

TU coach John Phillips can't comment on signings until he receives a letter of intent. The Hurricane has signed two forwards during the spring period, including 6-8 Vernell Davis of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Davis averaged 6.8 rebounds and close to 10 points per game last season, according to NEO coach Jason Turk.

TU still has one scholarship available.


Posted on 4/24 7:05 AM | IP: Logged

Thanks for the info!! I hope some of the people yelling about recruiting are at least a little satisfied until the Nov signing period is finished---I know I am!!!! I still think JP is going to have a heck of a time getting all these guys minutes-----but that's a great problem to have!!! It's for sure Ramsdell needs to redshirt with Davis and this guy. If Ramsdell would red shirt and let Teich and Glenn graduate, he would have a great shot at playing 3 years as a 6'10" small forward. I do have a feeling Price is getting pushed farther and farther down the bench. It would appear Davis or Baker will be the starting PF and the other one will be the 1st big man off the bench, maybe for both the center and PF position!! I'm taking bets that we don't come in last in the WAC in rebounding this year, with Gonzo, Davis and Baker. I applaud JP for looking at the present players and knowing they aren't going to become real good rebounders, even with more practice!! Now if JP can convince these guys to either stay mean or even get meaner is the question--that maybe hard for a nice guy coach?????

The guys that were bitching about recruiting on the rivals site are now slamming the players we had last year. The bottom line is that those guys will never be satisfied. I just wish that site had an ignore button. I think this recruiting period is looking good but we won't know for sure until games start. I also think our freshmen last year will be important contributors this next season and I expect price to be our starting small forward.

I agree that Kelley, McDade, Teich and Gonzo will play an important role this year---very important role!!!! I have to disagree on Price. I believe you meant he would start at power forward not small forward, Glenn and Teich pretty well have the SF position covered!! . As I mentioned in a different post, any inside player that gets 0 or 1 rebound in any game where they play a majority of the game is a liability, even if he scores 12-14 points. Price also played a few games where he didn't have a single foul-NONE- which goes right along with not fighting for any rebounds or playing much defense obviously. He used to get in foul trouble on a regular basis and he obviously decided the way to avoid that was to NOT try for rebounds or play tough defense. He stays in the game longer and scores a few more points that way, but it doesn't help the TEAM!!! If Baker and/or Davis hit the boards and pick up some trash points along with playing some decent defense, they start or play any day over Price. I know a number of people disagree with me on Price but he is just not athletic enough and doesn't have the tenacity to play inside against any good team!! Sorry, just my opinion!!

One thing that all us fans need to realize when we look at the JUCO stats of the big men, is the team they played on and who were the leading scorers on that team. Even though I've only seen about 10 or so JUCO games it isn't unusal for the big men to hardly touch the ball if they have a couple of gunners from outside. Many teams have what would be called a 3 guard offense, much like our KJ and Swanson team in 2002-3 and much like part of that year, we constantly screamed to get the ball to KJ more. When a big man only avg 10-12 pts a game doesn't mean he isn't a good low post scorer, just that he may hardly ever got the ball. Most of their points may have come from offensive put backs. We have three new highly rated JUCO big men this year but I don't believe any of them had really high scoring avgs, 20+, in Juco games but I wouldn't assume they are not good scorers. I know everyone said Gonzo just toatally controlled the boards in practice last year so I'm sure he's going to get some offensive rebounds to score on. From reports Davis and Baker are as good if not better than Gonzo, which means all three of them are better than any rebounder we had last year, no offense Teich. Now let's give them a chance to see if they can score too and just leave the center and PF position open to the two best players this year, whether they're new or not!!!!!!!!!!!

i think most people will be surprised at how these guys interact. price is going to be way better for the competition in practice, he's already an excellent ahtlete. i think both cardwell and ramsdell should redshirt personally.

the guard situation will be critical. collins can play, kelley and mcdade will fit in and glen will finally be the leader he can be w/o parker to contend with. and the teichman we saw at year end will be there for the whole season.

all in all, last year will be a memory and my blue and gold glasses will be securely in place.

I would love to see Cardwell and Ramsdell red shirt and surely Ramsdell will. Cardwell, being older to begin with, might not care to prolong the college experience another year but I sure wish he would. I do agree, if Price wants playing time he is going to have to compete hard in practice which should make him better, but I don't know about his tenacity under the boards. A player seems to have that attitude or they don't??? The player I feel sorry for is Teich!! He was the best player on last years team at the end of the season but his natural position, small forward, is pretty well taken by the team leader, Glenn. He was our only consistent big man rebounder last year but may not be as good as Davis and Baker at the power forward position, so he kind of gets left out unless he is the 6th man and plays both the SF and PF off the bench, which could get him at least 20 mins or more!! I'm not quite as worried as some people about the PG position because I think McDade could be outstanding. Even though he hasn't played in any real games, he has practiced for a full season, so he isn't a raw freshman either. I saw McDade play in HS when he averaged 27-28 pts a game and he can do everything and do it well. A PG that's a scoring threat like he will be is a big plus, since the man guarding him can't play off him and clog up the passing lanes and also makes it easier for McDade to go around him. I think he will be just fine after 3 or 4 games and surprise some people big time!! The Best part about McDade is he will be a top flight player for 4 years. I am very optimistic about this years team, with Gonzo, Davis and Baker around the basket!!!!!