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Tracking the College Basketball Stars of the Future=====

ECU & C-USA Hoops Recruiting Report Saturday, May 10, 2003 By Thad Mumau Special Correspondent

ECU still in the picture as 'Woo' finishes visits

©2003 Bonesville.net

East Carolina had a big man — a very big one, in fact — on campus this past week, but the Pirates face some mighty stiff competition in the push to get his autograph.

Lukasz (pronounced Woo-kash) Obrsut has been offered scholarships by Kentucky and Utah as well as ECU. He followed his trip to Greenville with a visit to Lexington during the week and was scheduled to be at Utah over the weekend.

The 7-2, 240-pounder is a native of Poland who is in his first year in the United States. He averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and about two blocked shots per game at North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy, where he played behind a pair of better known frontcourt prospects.

Alexander Johnson has the biggest reputation of the two teammates, having signed with Georgia last year before falling short academically. The 6-8 power forward/center recently narrowed his field to Cincinnati, Florida State and Connecticut. He is ranked No. 41 among the country’s seniors by Prepstars.com.

The other highly regarded tall teammate is Lamont Hamilton, a 6-10 power forward who is ranked No. 108. He has signed with St. John’s.

"Woo started about half of our games," Bridgton Academy coach Whit Lesure said, "but he played a lot of basketball, and he played very well. He projects into a very good college player.

"He’s an intelligent kid — in the classroom and on the court — who has really good agility and coordination. People talk about the way he runs the floor, and he runs well. But he doesn’t just have up-and-down speed; he has good side-to-side agility, and there aren’t a lot of players his size who have it like he does."

Obrsut’s best game saw him score 18 points and grab 15 rebounds, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The performance came with neither Johnson nor Hamilton in the lineup in a game against New Hampton (NH) School, which featured 7-0 Arkansas-bound Julius Lamptey and 6-9 Oluwafemi Ibikunle, who signed with Texas Christian.

"We beat a good team by 20 that night," Lesure said, "and Woo was the single greatest reason. They ran a lot of pick-and-rolls because we were short without A.J. and Lamont, and Woo just did a terrific job of shutting it down.

"In another big game for him, we were down eight to MCI (Maine Central Institute) with four or five minutes left and were dead in the water. Woo had three consecutive put-back dunks, and we came back to win.

"Throughout the year, he did things like that. Because of A.J., we didn’t go through Woo a lot offensively, and a big guy isn’t going to have big numbers unless somebody gets him the ball. But he took advantage of his opportunities and showed that he really can play.

"He isn’t a great shot-blocker, and he has to get better at that. But the stat sheet doesn’t include shots altered, and Woo sure had a lot of those. That helps a defense as much as a block. He is also very good at closing down a quick kid who drives the baseline. He just gets swallowed up by Woo.

"He didn’t have huge numbers," Lesure said, "but there weren’t too many 7-footers around who did what Woo did. He has a good frame and is athletic for his size."

Obrsut was placed at Bridgton Academy by Bob Hill, a well respected former NBA coach who was the head man at Fordham until recently. Obrsut committed to Fordham in the fall, but didn’t sign.

When Hill was let go, the big guy decided to look elsewhere, and numerous schools have tried to become involved. East Carolina, Kentucky and Utah were the only ones chosen to receive visits.

"I was telling someone that Kentucky is a hard program to turn down," Lesure said. "A basketball player has every resource to succeed there. On the other side of the fence, you have East Carolina with Bill Herrion.

"Coach Herrion has an outstanding reputation as a teacher and for caring for his kids after they’re gone from school. Billy has been involved in good programs. I have talked with him about this situation, and it is potentially a good fit.

"Right from the start, people realized Woo was a steal for Fordham," Lesure said. "People are seeing these European kids as a vehicle to get good players. They are maybe more hungry and more attentive than some of the Americans. They are very coachable.

"Bob Hill carries a lot of weight in the basketball world, and if he thinks a kid is good, coaches know that kid is a good one to recruit.

"It was actually a freak sort of thing that Woo wasn’t signed for Fordham. He signed the letter of intent, but after his parents signed it and sent it from Poland, it didn’t arrive in time (for the November deadline). It worked out for the best, as it turned out, since Woo didn’t have to go through getting a release when Hill was no longer the coach at Fordham.

"Woo enjoyed the heck out of his visit to East Carolina," Lesure said. "He liked everything about it, and playing in Conference USA is really attractive.

"It just depends on which way he wants to go. Woo is a smart, independent kid, and he’s got to be the one to say I prefer this or that. Either way, it’s a good situation."

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02/23/2007 02:40:34 PM