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We're all familiar with Chris Otule's story by now.
Born with glaucoma in his left eye, he's had a glass eye ever since he can remember. He broke his foot his freshman year on campus and missed the first 10 games of the season, and only played in nine games after that. He broke his OTHER foot three games into his sophomore season. But "adversity" is just a word for Otule, as he bounced back from that and posted one of the most dominant defensive seasons by anyone in a Marquette uniform in his third season.
The hits just kept coming for Otule in his fourth season, as he blew his knee out eight games into the season during a nationally televised game against Washington. He missed the rest of that year, but there he was on the floor and taking the opening tip for his fifth season, knee brace and all. It was clear that CO wasn't 100% on that injured knee in the early part of the season.
But by the middle of the Big East season... oh man.
He had a stretch where he hit 12 straight shots as part of a run where he shot 77%, and was personally responsible for MU assassinating Notre Dame on Senior Day, hitting all eight of his shots. Otule posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Davidson in the first second round of the NCAA tournament and had a season high four blocks. Dude's healthy and better than ever. We already know he's going to be playing without a knee brace or even so much as a sleeve this season. Watch. Out.
Minimum Expectation: Just be healthy, Chris. That's all I want. Whatever crazy strength and conditioning therapy Earnest Eugene and Todd Smith have cooked up for you, attack it with the ferocity of a thousand suns.
Wildest Dream: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks a game. If Big Chris can go for at least 20 minutes a game (he's never averaged 18), I think he can be an unholy terror on both ends at this point in his career. With Marquette's backcourt as unproven as it is from the offensive end, Otule may actually turn into a go to scorer for the Golden Eagles this season.
Worst Nightmare: Yeah, I'm not actually going to type it.