2023 Georgia 4* SG/SF Kario Oquendo

[ellitor 33,104]

6-4 / 220
HIGH SCHOOL Titusville
HOMETOWN Titusville, FL
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[Dunndone414 469]

13 minutes ago, ellitor said:

 

This has to be a backup plan. Oquendo can’t shoot. 

[ellitor 33,104]

17 minutes ago, Dunndone414 said:

This has to be a backup plan. Oquendo can’t shoot. 

possibly to Dunn but per JHead we are recruiting Oq harder than you would think.

[AuburnNTexas 7,151]

He is 6'4" and very athletic.  He would be a solid pickup. His shot was not great this year but he can play Defense and score. I would not mind getting him as long as he is in addition to a couple of players like Jones and Dunn. He would be a huge improvement over Zep as far as on the court play at the SG position.

Edited April 6, 2023 by AuburnNTexas

[Dunndone414 469]

In fairness to him, I seem to remember him hurting us pretty badly this season!

[JKClark 180]

16 minutes ago, Dunndone414 said:

In fairness to him, I seem to remember him hurting us pretty badly this season!

So did KD when he played for Georgia.

[Lotto 171]

1 hour ago, Dunndone414 said:

This has to be a backup plan. Oquendo can’t shoot. 

I mean he may not be able to shoot amazingly but he is a really good player.  Wouldn’t be the worst to have him on the team if we get some more shooters.

[Lotto 171]

35 minutes ago, JKClark said:

So did KD when he played for Georgia.

And kd is a good player and he’s much taller

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,674]

I don’t think literally every guard type player we get needs to be able to shoot. Aden can and Tre is trending in that direction. Jones can shoot, C-Mo can, we can afford for one wing to be good at other things 

[JKClark 180]

Oquendo = smaller Malik Dunbar.

[aubiefifty 16,807]

Auburn basketball a finalist for experienced Georgia transfer guard

Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 1:51 p.m.

4–5 minutes

Georgia guard Kario Oquendo drives past Georgia Tech guard Kyle Sturdivant during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.)AP

Auburn is a finalist for an experienced SEC guard from one of its biggest rivals as Bruce Pearl looks to restructure the Tigers’ roster this offseason.

Kario Oquendo, who was Georgia’s second-leading scorer this season, announced Thursday that he is prioritizing four schools as he makes his transfer decision this offseason: Auburn, Oregon, Utah and Nebraska.

“I am extremely grateful for all the schools that reached out showing interest in recruiting me but going forward I will be prioritizing these four schools,” Oquendo posted on Twitter.

Read more Auburn basketball: Auburn commit, Baker star Labaron Philon named 2023 Mr. Basketball

Auburn officially returning to Maui Invitational in 2024

Who does Auburn turn to at point guard next season after Wendell Green Jr. opts to go pro?

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 12.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for Georgia this season, finishing the year as the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer behind fellow guard Terry Roberts. Oquendo spent the last two seasons at Georgia after starting his career at Florida SouthWestern State College, a junior college in Cypress Lake, Fla.

In his two years with the Bulldogs, Oquendo averaged 14 points, 3.5 rebounds and nearly one steal per game. He started 59 of the 60 games he appeared in for Georgia and was the team’s leading scorer (15.2 points per game) during the 2021-22 season. While Oquendo is not the best outside shooter (just 27 percent from 3-point range at Georgia), he is a bigger attacking guard who shot 42.6 overall the last two seasons, including 53.6 percent from inside the arc.

Oquendo’s offensive numbers per 40 minutes are also noteworthy, averaging 20.4 points, five rebounds, one assist and 1.2 steals. He would not be the first transfer Pearl has plucked from Georgia, having added K.D. Johnson from the Bulldogs two seasons ago.

Oquendo is one of a handful of guard Auburn has been targeting in the transfer portal since the season ended, as the program must replace starting point guard Wendell Green Jr., starting two-guard Zep Jasper and versatile freshman Chance Westry. Green earlier this week declared for the NBA Draft, while Jasper has exhausted his college eligibility and Westry entered the transfer portal last week (along with freshman combo forward Yohan Traore). Some of the other guards Auburn has targeted in the portal, along with Oquendo, are Rice transfer Quincy Olivari, FIU transfer Denver Jones, Temple transfer Damian Dunn, Tulane’s Jalen Cook, Ole Miss’ Amaree Abram, Syracuse’s Joe Girard and Northern Arizona’s Jalen Cone, among others.

Pearl visited Olivari in Houston prior to the Final Four, according to Fox 26 in Houston, while Jones is set to take a visit to Auburn this weekend, according to On3.

Auburn currently has four scholarship spots to fill heading into the 2023-24 season -- and that’s with counting seniors Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Williams and Stretch Akingbola, each of whom have an extra year of eligibility but have yet to announce their plans one way or another. Including those three, Auburn is slated to return eight players from a team that went 21-13 this season and will add 2023 point guard signee Aden Holloway, a McDonald’s All-American.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

[ellitor 33,104]

OP created and edited. Added info including stats & highlights.

[ellitor 33,104]

Per JLee KO would be a take if he has the hours to transfer to AU.

[bigbird 60,566]

17 hours ago, ellitor said:

possibly to Dunn but per JHead we are recruiting Oq harder than you would think.

Yep

[Randman5000 4,229]

19 hours ago, Lotto said:

And kd is a good player and he’s much taller

KD could be good but KD gets in KDs way. KD is 6 foot. KO is 6-4. Seems like we're heading this direction.

[ellitor 33,104]

16 minutes ago, Randman5000 said:

KD could be good but KD gets in KDs way. KD is 6 foot. KO is 6-4. Seems like we're heading this direction.

May not be playing the same position. If he stays, KD will be the back up shooting guard KO may end up being our small forward.

[bigbird 60,566]

5 hours ago, ellitor said:

May not be playing the same position. If he stays, KD will be the back up shooting guard KO may end up being our small forward.

Yeah, KD is the back up at the 2

[Rednilla 5,391]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:56 AM, ellitor said:

May not be playing the same position. If he stays, KD will be the back up shooting guard KO may end up being our small forward.

Why is the word that we want a combo 2-3 player? Is that more a way of saying we want a big guard as opposed to a small forward, if you will, but that this player will play the 3, which is really not appreciably different from the 2 except for the need for length?

Also, with Flan likely following Wes, what are we going to do with the 4-5 scholarships that are left available? I mean, is it highly likely that we will fill those spots with bodies, or is there some likelihood that we have 1-2 open scholarships this season.

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

[ellitor 33,104]

1 hour ago, Rednilla said:

what are we going to do with the 4-5 scholarships that are left available?

Plan is to get transfers to fill most of the spots.

1 hour ago, Rednilla said:

is there some likelihood that we have 1-2 open scholarships this season.

Staff expects to fill 12 of the 13 scholly spots.

[AuburnNTexas 7,151]

I have been looking at the transfer Portal and an awful lot of the better players have already found new teams.  There are still some very good players out there but the numbers are going down quickly. We need to pick up Oquendo  while he doesn't have a great 3 point shot he has solid size and is a good scorer. He has the ability to play D, rebound, and score from SF which we need. I hope he picks us. I know E said we have backed off on Olivari but with as many open scholarships as we appear to have I still think he could help us having 2 SG's he who can hit the three and shoot for solid % can keep us fresh when you need them in 4th quarter which was one of our weaknesses this year.   

To make a run in the big dance you need at a minimum a 7 man rotation but 8 is better as long as no huge drop in talent between 1st 6 and 7 -8.

Any idea when he is planning to commit.

[ellitor 33,104]

2 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Any idea when he is planning to commit.

No. Not visiting us for a couple more weeks.

[W.E.D 11,070]

14 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

an awful lot of the better players have already found new teams.  There are still some very good players out there but the numbers are going down quickly

Yeah. Still desperate for a starting 3, back up 3, back up 4, back up 5.

 

Believe that's where we stand

[Lotto 171]

Why backup 5?  

[toddc 13,194]

2 minutes ago, Lotto said:

Why backup 5?  

There’s a chance that Cardwell could follow Wes. Not sure how accurate but if it is true then we will need one.

[ellitor 33,104]

4 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Still desperate for a starting 3, back up 3, back up 4 or 5.

Sounds like the staff sees it more like this