New Player - Grad Transfer

[ptctitan]

From Jon Rothstein's Twitter feed.

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1337239228166664192

Buay Koka, grad transfer from Tulane. 7'1", 210-220 lbs.

[Shags-DC]

He is a three-time All Academic selection. Should help the team GPA!

[NC Titan]

He is a three-time All Academic selection. Should help the team GPA!

I'm not sure how grad students contribute to the GPA. Anyway, the team already has a 3.0 GPA.

[titanmac]

i'm alway suspicious of 7 foot + players. especially when they need to bulk up? not criticizing the young man, never saw him play and have no idea? just saying it can be a tough climb?

[JDetroitTitan]

i'm alway suspicious of 7 foot + players. especially when they need to bulk up? not criticizing the young man, never saw him play and have no idea? just saying it can be a tough climb?

I got a real good feeling that Bu-Ay will look better than Taurean Thompson in the D on the hardwood

[titandave]

Here's Buay Koka's bio from the Tulane web site. Interesting to note, he played 14 minutes per game in the first half of the 2018-19 season before he missed the second half of the season due to injury. However, last year his playing time appears to have been very limited.


2019-20: Named to the 2019-20 NABC Honors Court...Earned a spot on the AAC All-Academic Team...Entered 12 games as a reserve…Made one shot against Jackson State (11/12)…Made a pair of free throws off the bench against Mississippi State (11/21)…Had three points, two rebounds and a block at Wichita State (2/16).

2018-19: Tabbed to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team...Appeared in 15 games and made six starts…. Drew his first career start vs. Texas Southern (12/17)…Averaged 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14 minutes per game…Had multiple blocks in five games…Shot 25-for-34 (.735) overall…Ranked third on the team in dunks…Scored 11 points along with 3 rebounds and shot 5-for-5 in 24 minutes at South Alabama (12/8)…Recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA in the Fall 2018 semester…Missed the final 15 games with a broken finger.

2017-18: Named to the 2017-18 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team...Played in seven of the Green Wave’s first 10 games off the bench…Debuted with four minutes and a season-high five rebounds while making his only shot attempt in the win over Southeastern Louisiana (11/13)…Tallied one point, one rebound and a blocked shot at Georgia State (11/26)…Grabbed two rebounds and had one block in the win over Alcorn State (11/29)…Played a season-high seven minutes, pulled down two boards and had one block at 13th-ranked North Carolina (12/3)…Registered two rebounds and one steal in the win over Southern (12/6).

Before Tulane: Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN.com… Played under head coach Chris Chavannes at The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J., that was ranked No. 10 nationally in the USA Today preseason poll and No. 6 by MaxPreps…Helped the Celtics to a 29-4 overall record to finish No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20 after winning the school’s sixth NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and the 2017 South Jersey, Non-Public A title – the school’s first since 2009...Played alongside Nick Richards (Kentucky), Jamir Harris (Minnesota) and Marcus McClary (Monmouth).
Facts: Pursuing a degree in public health...Recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA during the fall 2018 semester.

[ptctitan]

Here's Buay Koka's bio from the Tulane web site. Interesting to note, he played 14 minutes per game in the first half of the 2018-19 season before he missed the second half of the season due to injury. However, last year his playing time appears to have been very limited.

Last year, at St. Bonaventure, Matt Johnson averaged 1.7 points per game, 26% 3-point shooting and averaged 9.2 minutes per game. The first 4 games this year, he's averaging 12.8 points per game, 55% 3-pt shooting, leads us in steals and is averaging 30 minutes per game. Some guys just need a chance to play in the right situation and for a coach who knows how to use their talents.

I don't think you can draw any reliable inferences from Koka's stats at Tulane. He was recruited by Mike Dunleavy as a development player. Dunleavy was fired two years ago and replaced by former Georgia State coach Ron Hunter who brought our former coach Ray McCallum with him as his assistant. Obviously, Hunter took the Tulane team in a different direction. Now, Koka has a chance to contribute here. If he's only half as productive as Johnson and gives Willy 5-10 minutes rest each game, then he will be a valuable addition to our line-up.

[NC Titan]

I don't think you can draw any reliable inferences from Koka's stats at Tulane. He was recruited by Mike Dunleavy as a development player. Dunleavy was fired two years ago and replaced by former Georgia State coach Ron Hunter who brought our former coach Ray McCallum with him as his assistant. Obviously, Hunter took the Tulane team in a different direction. Now, Koka has a chance to contribute here. If he's only half as productive as Johnson and gives Willy 5-10 minutes rest each game, then he will be a valuable addition to our line-up.

Being taller and longer than Willy, Koka's presence in the paint should change some shots. And since it's unlikely Koka will play point forward on offense, he might snag more offensive rebounds. Or even allow Willy to move to his natural SF position sometimes.