Could Otule Be the Answer?

Texas big man Chris Otule takes his official visit to Marquette this weekend. Could he be the answer to Marquette Coach Tom Crean's quest to find a big man to replace Ousmane Barro next season? MarquetteHoops.com checks in with Otule's AAU coach, George Schudy from the Houston Lynx...

Texas big man Chris Otule takes his official visit to Marquette this weekend. Could he be the answer to Marquette Coach Tom Crean's quest to find a big man to replace Ousmane Barro next season?

Otule kind of came out of nowhere on the recruiting radar, but there is reason for that. He grew seven inches in one year. Growing that quickly meant he had to adjust to his new body and get used to the cooradination, but according to Houston Lynx coach George Schudy, he has adjusted.

"Chris has been with the Houston Lynx for two years and he has made more progress than anyone that we have coached and that includes Emeka Okafor."

That says quite a bit about his development, and his work ethic. "Chris is a quiet, humble, great kid. As he got into better shape and got more intense, his confidence has soared" added Schudy.

With Marquette's up-temp offense, Tom Crean needs to find big men that can run the floor, and Schudy says that Otule can do just that, "He runs well for a kid that is 6'10 and weighs 245, but his biggest strengths are his rebounding and shotblocking."

Tom Crean is sure to put the full court press on Chris Otule this weekend, hopefully he will feel as strongly about the Marquette basketball program after his visit as the Marquette basketball staff feels about him.