Coach Talks About Fuquas Decision
Tremaine Fuqua, a skilled 6-9, 240 pound power forward from Skyline J.C. in San Bruno, Calif., signed a letter of intent this week to attend Oklahoma State University.
Rivalshoops.com spoke with Skyline Head Coach Tony Raffetto, who confirmed that Fuqua is headed for Big 12 country next year.
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As a freshman last season for the Trojans, Fuqua averaged 13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for a squad that finished 27-10 and reached the final four of the California State JUCO playoffs.
For the season, he shot 48 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the charity stripe and 36 percent on three pointers.
One of his most impressive performances came last winter against the top ranked team in the state for much of last season, the City College of San Francisco. Fuqua pumped in 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Trojans handed CCSF its only Coast Conference defeat.
During the summer, Fuqua attended classes at Skyline and also played in one event during the NCAA live July period -- a JUCO Jamboree at Diablo Valley College in Northern California.
However, Raffetto said that Fuqua was out of shape and didn't play particularly well at DVC. He recommitted himself to get in shape after that event and his recruitment gained quite a bit of steam this fall.
Fuqua visited Oklahoma State from Nov. 1-3, and also had seen interest from Arkansas, Auburn, Fresno State and UAB.
"He's not real quick from an athletic standpoint, but he's really skilled," Raffetto said. "It's not that he's not athletic -- he gets the same height as the big leapers do, but they seem to get up there quicker than he does."
"He can catch the ball, reverse pivot, put the ball on the floor, give you a pump fake and go up and under," Raffetto continued. "He can make shots out to 20 feet, he can make threes, and with a big guy like that, you can pull him outside and get a lot of one on one matchups."
There are some things that Fuqua must address to make the successful adjustment to a league as rugged as the Big 12.
"He needs improve his conditioning and change his body from being bulky to being more muscular," Raffetto said. "A lot of that is diet."
"But he has great footwork and touch," Raffetto continued. "He gets up and down the floor OK, it just doesn't look graceful, and he could be physically stronger than he is for his size."
Many of the schools in the Southeast pursued Fuqua because his mom will be moving to Atlanta within the next year. He was slated to visit Auburn and Arkansas this fall, but both SEC programs pulled out after their recruiting needs changed directions.
The Razorbacks filled their final scholarship this fall when local product Ronnie Brewer committed to the Hogs, thus effectively knocking Fuqua out of their recruiting focus.
In the end, Raffetto thinks that things may have worked out for the best.
"Oklahoma State is not as fast as some of the other Big 12 programs," he said. "They run more of a halfcourt offense, and they set a lot of high pick and rolls for the big guys, and instead of rolling to the basket, Tremaine could step back and pop the jumper or allow the guards to penetrate."
Ultimately, Raffetto feels that Fuqua can present match up problems for many of Oklahoma State's opponents.
"If they try to match him up with a quicker 6-6 guy on the perimeter, he can post him," the coach explained. "And if you try to put a bigger guy on him, he's going to pull him 20 feet away from the basket, which opens lanes for your guards to drive, so he's a good fit for them."
A product of Skyline H.S. in San Francisco, Fuqua is expected to graduate in the summer, although there's a slight chance he could get it done in the spring.
Rivalshoops.com hopes to catch Skyline in action later this winter, and if we do, we'll provide a report on Fuqua at that time.