WH posted this on the A-10 board in a thread about the Charlotte-Hofstra game…
A few observations on Charlotte:Phil Jones has nice size and athleticism, but he lacks explosiveness or polish down low. He needs to work hard with an athletic trainer. If he lost a bit of weight and added more strength, he’d be much more explosive. At the same time, he has to work on post moves. He likes to back his man down and spin to the baseline, but never makes a fake and gets more shots than he should blocked.
Goldwire is (still) a classic shoot-em-in or shoot-em-out type of guard. Being a senior, I’d expect more shot discipline out of him. This is Lutz’s fault. He always seems to have one or two shooters without a conscience. The coach has to play Wizard of Oz and give his guys a conscience. Sit them down after a terrible shot (or pass).
Ian Andersen is a good shooter, but he’s quickly learning bad habits. It really is not a crime to get your feet set or to pass up your first chance at a shot when it’s early in the shot clock. His defense isn’t terrible, but it’s not good, either.
Charlie Coley is not particularly skilled on offense. He takes some wild looking shots close to the basket. Surprisingly, more than you would expect go in.
Lamont Mack is not a super athlete and he likes to hang around outside. Not sure he should be behind the 3-point line as much as he is.
Charles Dewhurst should avoid treys for now and focus on everything else.
An’Juan Wilderness is a good player, but his offense needs plenty of work. He’s not exactly suited to a slower game and lacks the size to be a scoring force down low. Garbage baskets on offensive boards is one of his meal tickets.
Frosh bigman Gabe Ngoundjo treats the ball like a leper when he’s in the post. He doesn’t even look at the basket. If it were up to me, I would have redshirted this kid. He’s athletic and has good defensive potential, he could have used a year to work on his game and improve his conditioning. Given Lutz’s situation, however, I guess he feels like he needs all the help he can get this year.
Mike Gerrity has the weirdest hairdo in the A-10. Looks like he just rolled out of bed. He’s a crafty dribbler, however, and can get into the paint, which is exactly what Charlotte needs. So far, however, he’s not in sync with his teammates. There’s too many clearouts for him and not as many kickouts as I’d like to see. He’ll need time to find his role and get used to his teammates.
Dijuan Harris has done a great job early on, but he is not good enough to be a topline starter in the A-10. He’s quick, handles the ball pretty well and plays good D. His passing is not as crisp as I would like and he doesn’t pose a big threat offensively. You’d figure a guy with his quickness would be a better penetrator.
Overall, what I see is a team with noticeable shortcomings on offense. That’s why Charlotte really needs to sharpen its defense. It’s the key to winning this season, just as it was before the latest road trip.
Link to thread: Charlotte @ Hofstra