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Post by blackandgold on Aug 6, 2012 23:14:39 GMT -5
Never really know how much to believe these random Tweeters who have "recruit scoops," but for what it's worth, the account @highmajorscoop Tweeted that Oakland and Bowling Green are "courting" a JUCO big man named Raphael Carter. He was listed as 6'8" and 210 pounds on Diablo Valley's website. Carter played two seasons at Diabo Valley CC in California, but he is originally from Columbus, Ohio. Doing some Googling reveals he had signed with Nevada, but as of June he was released because his academics weren't in line. This interview with a Nevada blog from December has more about his background and why he went the JUCO route: parsingthewac.blogspot.com/2011/11/feature-on-raphael-carter.htmlAnd then here's the update announcing he wouldn't be going to Nevada after all: parsingthewac.blogspot.com/2012/06/raphael-carter-parting-with-nevada.html
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Post by Germane on Aug 7, 2012 9:18:29 GMT -5
Good job with the update, B&G. Interesting that he's into automotive engineering, which Nevada doesn't have and OU obviously does. But the apparent academic issues, along with getting kicked off his HS team a couple of years ago, aren't exactly reassuring. Since we swung and missed on many of the 4-year players we've been recruiting recently, we're forced to go after more and more jucos and transfers. But if he can play, and if the staff thinks his character is solid enough, it would be great to add an athletic 6-8 guy.
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Post by blackandgold on Aug 14, 2012 23:56:13 GMT -5
From August 9 on JucoRecruiting.com: Raphael Carter, a 6-9 forward/center out of Diablo Valley CC in California, is waiting on his final summer grades to be posted before he makes a decision. Carter will know early next week whether he graduates and qualifies for the NCAA D1 level. Carter originally signed with Nevada, but was released from his NLI. He now has offers from Rhode Island, Bowling Green and Oakland. www.jucorecruiting.com/?p=1316
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Post by blackandgold on Sept 13, 2012 19:35:16 GMT -5
In another thread today, oakland94 mentioned they talked to a 6-9 player who said he is going to be on the team this year. Could this mystery player be Raphael Carter? While not officially on OUGrizzlies.com, a search of the Oakland Student Directory reveals that a student named Raphael Carter-Nowling is enrolled at Oakland. I checked this on the first day of classes and did not see such a name then. So something has changed between then and now.
It sounds like OU came out on top in the hunt for this promising juco transfer.
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Post by oudrummer on Sept 20, 2012 10:55:08 GMT -5
Hopefully he can be an immediate help up front. Is he an athletic big type or more of a down low guy?
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Post by oudrummer on Sept 20, 2012 22:48:39 GMT -5
Hmm. Seems to be an energy guy which I like. But personally, and I know few seemed to agree, but I really felt the squad missed someone who could play offensively above the rim and energize a team and crowd. Petrol can't dunk. Carter didnt show that ability in the video either.
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Post by sportsdoctor05 on Sept 21, 2012 13:57:43 GMT -5
Hmm. Seems to be an energy guy which I like. But personally, and I know few seemed to agree, but I really felt the squad missed someone who could play offensively above the rim and energize a team and crowd. Petrol can't dunk. Carter didnt show that ability in the video either. At 6'9" I don't think that will be an issue (dunking/exciting the crowd). He's no Kito, but with tip dunks & that back door lob play that we run, he seems like the perfect type 2 excite the crowd.
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Post by oudrummer on Sept 21, 2012 16:29:12 GMT -5
I agree that I would think above the rim play should be a given for him but I'm concerned there's none on his highlight reel. And Petros is 6'10" and gets blocked by the rim all the time.
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Post by sportsdoctor05 on Sept 21, 2012 22:39:44 GMT -5
I agree that I would think above the rim play should be a given for him but I'm concerned there's none on his highlight reel. And Petros is 6'10" and gets blocked by the rim all the time. lol
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Post by blackandgold on Sept 21, 2012 23:01:34 GMT -5
Still no sign of him on the official roster page. This guy would have been at Nevada right now if his grades had panned out, according to reports. So I'm hopeful he has the skill level of a typical Nevada recruit. It can't hurt to take a chance on a guy like Carter, especially since the scholarship was open for this year, so long as he keeps his grades in line at Oakland. We needed some depth for this year after Sikora transferred and both Mike Lewis and Viktoras Merkevicious failed to qualify. I would feel a lot better having a 6'9" guy with JUCO experience who can do anything in the post to back-up or supplement Petros, because if not our sole back-up would have been Korab Imami.
I am curious if Carter and Ralph Hill had any connection, seeing as they played around the same time in high school in the Columbus area.
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