Oliver signs and Gonzo speaks (sort of)

Much like Punxsutawney Phil a few months earlier, Bobby Gonzalez emerged today. The occasion was the official signing to a National Letter of Intent by 6-foot-11, 340-pound center Melvyn Oliver.

Oliver led Mississippi Elite Christian Academy to a 20-5 record, averaging 20.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game during the 2007-08 season.

"We think that Melvyn Oliver has the potential to be the single-most important recruit we've signed since coming here," Gonzalez said in a statement released by the school.  "I feel that he has pro potential and with some hard work and conditioning, we believe the sky is the limit for him. Melvyn is a very unique type of player as his skill level is off the charts for a guy his size. I think he is one of the biggest sleepers in the country and now has a chance to come into the Big East Conference and really make some noise."

Gonzo declined interview requests. While Oliver certainly does have potential, I have two questions about him. Can he lose more weight so that he can be a productive player at the college level? At his present weight (he was once 375, according to reports), stamina will be a major problem.

My other question: Will Gonzalez tweak his up-tempo system to increase Oliver's potential effectiveness? At his weight, Oliver won't be filling the lane on the fast break. The Hall will need to run some inside-out, half-court sets to take advantage of Oliver's skill set, something the Pirates haven't done much in Gonzo's two seasons at the helm. Just ask John Garcia and Mike Davis, often reduced to offensive afterthoughts while other players go one-on-one or chuck 3s.