Enough amateur analysis here. There's only [B]one[/B] reason to believe in next season... we are [B]Niners[/B], and our blood (for the most part) runs [B][COLOR=green]green[/COLOR][/B].
That is the reason I continue to come out and watch the team play, and continue to have hope upon hope that things will turn around. But, we all eventually need to see something to hang our hopes on, and that would be just simple improvement. Better team defensive fundamentals, better screening, actually running offensive sets, anything that I could look at and see that something is being adequately taught to our players.
[QUOTE=bball49er;222278]Even more disturbing is the observation that this current class of freshman (outside of Dewhurst since we donāt have much to go on because he was injured) will be of little help in the future. If we are counting on Ian, Booker or [B]Phaler[/B] playing major minutes over the next couple of years, we will continue to struggle.[/QUOTE]
Enough amateur analysis here. There's only [B]one[/B] reason to believe in next season... we are [B]Niners[/B], and our blood (for the most part) runs [B][COLOR=green]green[/COLOR][/B].
I do think Andersen and Booker will progress a good bit though, Andersen is poised to become a pretty good scorer.
I don't see what some of you seem to see in Ian. I'm sure he is lights-out in a game of HORSE. People don't guard you in HORSE.
I guess Booker gets somewhat of pass because of his lack of playing time. If he turns out to be a good player, I will have to wonder why Lutz didnāt give him more minutes this season. You can learn only so much sitting on the bench.
Iāve had a chance to watch a few practices lately and it appears to me weāll certainly
be better off at point guard next season. Michael Gerrity is a gutty, hard-nosed, intelligent player
who can get to the rack and set up his teammates. He has an ugly shooting motion, so donāt count on him to shoot from outside much, but we have others who can do that. I believe heāll be eligible as soon as first semester classes are over in mid-December. Having Gerrity with Carlos as a decent backup will free Leemire to play the 2 where he belongs. So our backcourt looks pretty solid when you add Ian Andersen and incoming freshman Javarris Barnett to the mix. (I hear Barnett will be used mostly at the 2 and not the 3).
The front court will be a constant work in progress with 4 freshmen (Phil
Jones, Gaby Ngoundjo, Anjuan Wilderness, Charles Dewhurst) a sophomore (David Booker)
and probably juco transfer Lamont Mack. Expect Mack to sign as soon as his current juco season is
over and the coaches have a backup plan in case Mack goes elsewhere.
IMO weāll be more talented and athletic next season, but with the youthful lineup and very tough schedule, a .500 season would be pretty decent. Its just good to have a core of players who will actually play together for several seasons and we should be pretty good in 08-09 and 09-10
I've had a chance to watch a few practices lately and it appears to me we'll certainly
be better off at point guard next season. Michael Gerrity is a gutty, hard-nosed, intelligent player
who can get to the rack and set up his teammates. He has an ugly shooting motion, so don't count on him to shoot from outside much, but we have others who can do that. I believe he'll be eligible as soon as first semester classes are over in mid-December. Having Gerrity with Carlos as a decent backup will free Leemire to play the 2 where he belongs. So our backcourt looks pretty solid when you add Ian Andersen and incoming freshman Javarris Barnett to the mix. (I hear Barnett will be used mostly at the 2 and not the 3).
The front court will be a constant work in progress with 4 freshmen (Phil
Jones, Gaby Ngoundjo, Anjuan Wilderness, Charles Dewhurst) a sophomore (David Booker)
and probably juco transfer Lamont Mack. Expect Mack to sign as soon as his current juco season is
over and the coaches have a backup plan in case Mack goes elsewhere.
IMO we'll be more talented and athletic next season, but with the youthful lineup and very tough schedule, a .500 season would be pretty decent. Its just good to have a core of players who will actually play together for several seasons and we should be pretty good in 08-09 and 09-10
I think the key word is intelligent.This year team has low ābasketball IQā.You can coach guys all you want but its hard to stop them from making made basketball decisions.Carlos Williams comes to mind.
[QUOTE=bball49er;222437]I donāt see what some of you seem to see in Ian. Iām sure he is lights-out in a game of HORSE. People donāt guard you in HORSE.
I guess Booker gets somewhat of pass because of his lack of playing time. If he turns out to be a good player, I will have to wonder why Lutz didnāt give him more minutes this season. You can learn only so much sitting on the bench.[/QUOTE]
Oh wait a second, I forgot these guys were freshman and they wonāt progress any. Give me a break man, youāve got in the JUCO mode for too long, you expect guys to just come in and make us a tournament team. The fact is that these guys arenāt going to be seniors next year, we expect so much from Freshman these days that we donāt even give them the time of day if they donāt produce from day 1. I personally like the type of players we are getting, I would much rather have a 4 year guy that contributes a lot of his tenure here rather than a Rodney White who comes in and jets off to the NBA only to fail there.
Ianās shot will get better, his defense has improved somewhat, and he puts energy into his effort when he is out there. Ian and David arenāt going to be seniors next year, they are going to be sophomores. They will become good players just give them their time.
Ian's shot will get better, his defense has improved somewhat, and he puts energy into his effort when he is out there.
How is his shot going to get better? He will always be a defensive liability. All of our players play hard. If we get a decent 2G here in the next couple of years, Ian will be lucky to play 10 minutes a game his senior year. Right now we are looking at having two PGs next year, which will free up Lee up at the 2G. Ian may not play much next year.
[QUOTE=ice_cold49er;222358]That is the reason I continue to come out and watch the team play, and continue to have hope upon hope that things will turn around. But, we all eventually need to see something to hang our hopes on, and that would be just simple improvement. Better team defensive fundamentals, better screening, actually running offensive sets, anything that I could look at and see that something is being adequately taught to our players.[/QUOTE]
I think the ārecruiting adjustmentsā Lutz has mentioned also includes smarter players, guys who know where to position themselves and carry out assignments. Even last night, the 29th game of the season, some guys were out of place. Lutz was screeming at them. But when a play was executed, you could see it and it resulted in an open shot.
And to those who say we never run plays or execute after a time-out, see the play run for Ian at the second half. Screens were executed and he was wide open. Like the old days for Jobey.
I've had a chance to watch a few practices lately and it appears to me we'll certainly
be better off at point guard next season. Michael Gerrity is a gutty, hard-nosed, intelligent player
who can get to the rack and set up his teammates. He has an ugly shooting motion, so don't count on him to shoot from outside much, but we have others who can do that. I believe he'll be eligible as soon as first semester classes are over in mid-December. Having Gerrity with Carlos as a decent backup will free Leemire to play the 2 where he belongs. So our backcourt looks pretty solid when you add Ian Andersen and incoming freshman Javarris Barnett to the mix. (I hear Barnett will be used mostly at the 2 and not the 3).
This is very encouraging news. Gerrity sounds like an ideal candidate at point guard. Barnett sounds like a third wheel and I hope he redshirts.
T
he front court will be a constant work in progress with 4 freshmen (Phil
Jones, Gaby Ngoundjo, Anjuan Wilderness, Charles Dewhurst) a sophomore (David Booker)
and probably juco transfer Lamont Mack. Expect Mack to sign as soon as his current juco season is
over and the coaches have a backup plan in case Mack goes elsewhere.
Iām sounding like a broken record.
But the backup plan intrigues me if it involves a taller frontcourt player. Booker, Dewhurst, Wilderness - Iād like to see all of them get playing time at the 4 (even though they are a bit undersized compared to most of the rest of the conference). What would Mack offer to the team that the other 3 cannot? Iād feel so much better if Mack was about 4" taller.
IMO we'll be more talented and athletic next season, but with the youthful lineup and very tough schedule, a .500 season would be pretty decent. Its just good to have a core of players who will actually play together for several seasons and we should be pretty good in 08-09 and 09-10
:unhappy: Itās humbling to know that we havenāt hit our low-point yet with our seniors graduating. Iāll probably enjoy watching the freshman on the team play, but Iāll hate visiting the messageboard.
I think the "recruiting adjustments" Lutz has mentioned also includes smarter players, guys who know where to position themselves and carry out assignments. Even last night, the 29th game of the season, some guys were out of place. Lutz was screeming at them. But when a play was executed, you could see it and it resulted in an open shot.
And to those who say we never run plays or execute after a time-out, see the play run for Ian at the second half. Screens were executed and he was wide open. Like the old days for Jobey.
Youāre close, Lefty.
Look at the roster of players Jobey played with: Jermaine Williams, Cam Stephens, Tory Reed ā¦even Matas. I donāt know if they were āsmarterā, but they brought a different element to the team. Throw in Curtis Nash and Eddie Basden and voila! Jobey gets open looks. I bet if Phaler was surrounded by those players, heād put up awesome stats, too.
I wish it went beyond ārecruiting adjustmentsā. I wish we could learn to treasure finding those kind of players again - instead of trying to look for āthe next Jobeyā all the time.
[QUOTE=bball49er;222466]How is his shot going to get better? He will always be a defensive liabilityā¦[/QUOTE]
How will his shot get better? How about adjustments/repitition/hard work in the offseason. If players didnāt progress during the years through college, then I guess we might as well just cut a freshman that doesnāt come in and is spectacular. There is a reason they have those offseason workouts.
Also, last time I checked there isnāt too many players on our team that arenāt defensive liablities.
ādeepā is not a word I would use to describe next years team, in fact probably worse than this year in that regard. Wilderness and Jones will get a lot of playing time, that is good.
Wilderness is probably the best frontcourt freshmen offensive player we have had since Withers was a freshmen, I would expect similar type frosh numbers as Withers had. They have different type games, but Wilderness has offensive skill around the basket.
