sleepy
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Post by sleepy on Mar 30, 2008 0:34:00 GMT -5
That what it sounds like from a lot of reports. Now Id or anyone else who has seen him play a lot, can you give a little more info on Clark, what kind of role do you see him playing next year? How many minutes etc.
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HOYAPLAYA
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Mar 30, 2008 8:34:27 GMT -5
And Playa, despite the stats you so eloquently relayed with your fantastic analysis, do you really think he had a better season this year than last year? In fact, I do think he had a better year this year then his freshman campaign. I think a lot of posters look at the Elite 8 game against UNC and act like that was the Dajuan we saw all year. He improved in a lot of areas, specifically on defense and in terms of playing under control (still has a long ways to go). The problem is that we all talked about him replacing Jeff Green in this year's lineup and for the most part, he was unable to work on those parts of his game that would have allowed him to do that this past summer. I think him at the 4 will create more favorable mathcups for us next year as our freshman get used to playing in our system and at this level. I mean Dajuan didn't have a great season by any stretch of the imagination, but his stats (excluding A:T) did compare favorably to Jeff Green's junior year when you look at the minutes played.
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GIGAFAN99
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Mar 30, 2008 10:21:57 GMT -5
And Playa, despite the stats you so eloquently relayed with your fantastic analysis, do you really think he had a better season this year than last year? In fact, I do think he had a better year this year then his freshman campaign. I think a lot of posters look at the Elite 8 game against UNC and act like that was the Dajuan we saw all year. He improved in a lot of areas, specifically on defense and in terms of playing under control (still has a long ways to go). The problem is that we all talked about him replacing Jeff Green in this year's lineup and for the most part, he was unable to work on those parts of his game that would have allowed him to do that this past summer. I think him at the 4 will create more favorable mathcups for us next year as our freshman get used to playing in our system and at this level. I mean Dajuan didn't have a great season by any stretch of the imagination, but his stats (excluding A:T) did compare favorably to Jeff Green's junior year when you look at the minutes played. Adding to this, Jeff's sophomore year wasn't exactly a shooting clinic if we recall. He also had the mid-range deficiency Dajuan has to work on and it hurt his all-around game. Now, Jeff was a better passer so he was able to impact the game in other ways on the offensive end. But Dajuan is well-positioned heading into his junior year. He was underrated on defense and rebounding all year, probably because we were expecting so much more of a jump on offense. But he has time for that, and this is a big offseason for him.
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HOYAPLAYA
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Mar 30, 2008 10:58:54 GMT -5
In fact, I do think he had a better year this year then his freshman campaign. I think a lot of posters look at the Elite 8 game against UNC and act like that was the Dajuan we saw all year. He improved in a lot of areas, specifically on defense and in terms of playing under control (still has a long ways to go). The problem is that we all talked about him replacing Jeff Green in this year's lineup and for the most part, he was unable to work on those parts of his game that would have allowed him to do that this past summer. I think him at the 4 will create more favorable mathcups for us next year as our freshman get used to playing in our system and at this level. I mean Dajuan didn't have a great season by any stretch of the imagination, but his stats (excluding A:T) did compare favorably to Jeff Green's junior year when you look at the minutes played. Adding to this, Jeff's sophomore year wasn't exactly a shooting clinic if we recall. He also had the mid-range deficiency Dajuan has to work on and it hurt his all-around game. Now, Jeff was a better passer so he was able to impact the game in other ways on the offensive end. But Dajuan is well-positioned heading into his junior year. He was underrated on defense and rebounding all year, probably because we were expecting so much more of a jump on offense. But he has time for that, and this is a big offseason for him. Good catch as I obviously meant Sophomore year instead of Junior year in my earlier post. I just think we'll be better off with an improved Summers playing a lot of minutes next year. In my opinion, the best way for this to happen would be for us to have Monroe coming in off the bench at the 4 and Summers sliding over to the 3 on occasion. I'm trying to be realistic and I just don't see how we'll be 3 for 3 with the freshman big men ready to play much next year. I'm counting on Monroe and then figuring either Sims or Braswell will contribute. I hope I'm dead wrong about this by the way.
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moe09
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Post by moe09 on Mar 30, 2008 15:36:46 GMT -5
Since this has obviously gotten off topic, I'd just like to say that for me the biggest line-up question is Vernon Macklin. Granted I was only here for the first half of the year, but I was at all of the games last year, and quite frankly, I don't understand how Macklin could be a good starter. Serviceable, maybe, but good? I'm still confused as to how he made the AA game. Maybe he'll improve, but sometimes he just seems lost out there and also not very coordinated. He does show flashes of potential as he is ridiculously athletic, but he has yet to harness that athletic ability. Can anyone say anything about his play this year? In very limited minutes, it's tough to judge, but Vern has shown some, yes, flashes. I think the hardest thing for him has been trying to come into the lineup and play Roy's position. Macklin's game is nothing like Hibb's. If Thompson can adjust the offense to utilize Vern moving towards the bucket, I think he can come in next year and really surprise people. Even if he's officially the center, he needs to play more like a super-athletic, big four. Think KG on the inside. He has also shown some brilliant interior passing this year, though he does try to make that impossible dish every now and then. So can he play the five next year? Certainly, and I think he will. We all know he has some work to do, but it's mostly just consistency stuff, and the few times he's been on the floor for long stretches, he's settled down and played pretty well. He needs to stop making a decision about what he's going to do with the ball before he gets it -- the crazy looping fade-away hooks need to go away. And he needs to learn what the rectangle on the backboard is for. But he's shown a lot of new moves this year and if G'town's game opens up a little next year, he'll have the chance to shine. Picture him killing in Kenner rather than trying to do a bad Roy impersonation. The thing Mack needs to work on most is his defense -- he's very good against smaller, quicker players, the kind of guys who usually give centers fits, but he'll have to put on some beef to be able to man up in the post. I'm not sure that's going to be solved by next season. But since there really are not a whole lot of huge bodies in college b-ball these days, I don't think it'll be a big deal. He will, though, have to figure out how to avoid picking up fouls on every other block attempt. We'll see what happens, but I will be very surprised if he isn't on the floor a lot next year. Agreed that his development determines in large part our ideal lineup next year, and that's the major reason I'm rooting for him to do great. Like other posters, I really want to see Greg at the four, Summers at the three, and Freeman at the two. So let's hope. ... Thanks, pash. Quite frankly, you read my mind about his development determining a large part of our ideal lineup next year (which is why I said he was my biggest question). If he can play the five, we won't have to shove Greg in there, and we wouldn't have to put Henry in there too early. Also, you could then put Greg at the four, and Summers at the three, which I see as ideal for us especially along the lines of rebounding. It's not Summers playing out of place at the four that worries me, I think he can do it, it's the loss in our ability to rebound the ball, which did seem to be a problem for us this year, even against smaller teams. Summers I'm not so worried about. The kid's got the talent and ability to make it happen. It's Vern, his coordination, his presence, and overall skill level that keep me up at nights. However, if he can do it, which I think he can with a great off season (he has flashes of brilliance, which make me think he could either be great or... not so great), I think Vern could fit in the Princeton system much better than Roy ever did, as he's got the mobility and the athleticism to play the part of the Princeton center, which is why I think JTIII recruited him. He saw the center that could play the role he wanted him to play. Here's to hoping he does it, because if he does it could be the key to our success next season.
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idhoya
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Post by idhoya on Mar 30, 2008 16:14:07 GMT -5
The frontline will be interchangeable in that you'll probably see the three frosh rotated alot. As for JC, I think he'll see baby doc type minutes until he gets acclimated; especially on the offensive end. His run will increase as time passes. Again, I think all the pups will see significant time this year; unlike just half of this years frosh.
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SaxaCD
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Post by SaxaCD on Mar 31, 2008 9:56:18 GMT -5
Right now, my starters would be
Wright Freeman Summers Monroe Sims
But there's a lot of time left before the season opens. I love Jessie, and I'm sure he'd play "starter's minutes" even if he didn't start, but I also love the way Wright and Freeman play when they are in at the same time - they clicked better than a lot of other combos this past year, I thought.
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idhoya
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Post by idhoya on Mar 31, 2008 10:27:35 GMT -5
No way both Sims and Monroe start. Clearly Dajuan wasn't comfortable at the 4 nor will he play that in the league. This will prob be he last year at GU, imo, so to better prepare he needs to be at the 3. Also, no way Sapp doesn't start. He brings way more positives than negatives and right now has more intangibles to his game than Chris or Austin, imo.
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SaxaCD
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Post by SaxaCD on Mar 31, 2008 11:24:59 GMT -5
No way both Sims and Monroe start. Clearly Dajuan wasn't comfortable at the 4 nor will he play that in the league. This will prob be he last year at GU, imo, so to better prepare he needs to be at the 3. Also, no way Sapp doesn't start. He brings way more positives than negatives and right now has more intangibles to his game than Chris or Austin, imo. I'm not sure I love the idea of two frosh bigs starting, either, but that does put Summers back to his usual position; I'm just not sold yet on VMack as a starter -- FT shooting aside, I would have liked for him to be a "human eraser" and rebounding machine in whatever stints he got this year, but I was frustrated many times with silly fouls and a lack of defensive presence. I agree on the Sapp intangibles, but that's why I'd have him as 6th man. I think he's the most clutch guy on the squad, but I like the chemistry the two frosh had. I realize it's almost a certainty Sapp will start -- and I have no problem with it. I am very interested to see how it will all shake out next year, because I think the team might start slow, but really round into shape with guys back playing more comfortable positions, and with a tall guy coming in able to pass over defenders or start a move (much like Jeff did) from the high post.
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hoyaboy1
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Post by hoyaboy1 on Mar 31, 2008 11:58:23 GMT -5
Clearly Dajuan wasn't comfortable at the 4 nor will he play that in the league. This will prob be he last year at GU, imo, so to better prepare he needs to be at the 3. . I just don't get this. There is major revisionist history going on with DaJuan's freshman year. In only .8 more minutes per game this year, DaJuan averaged 1.9 more points, 1.7 more boards, .4 more assists, .1 fewer TOs, .2 more steals, and shot slightly better from the field and from 3. His FT shooting was worse, but it would be tough to blame that on his position. He clearly played better, but obviously expectations were higher and this is distorting peoples' view of his development. The numbers shouldn't be surprising - the 3 and 4 are very similar in our offense, and DaJuan had an extra year of experience. On offense, he faced guys that were slower than him, which in theory should be an advantage since he doesn't post up. He should actually be better prepared for the league if he stays at the 4, since he would then try to drive more rather than just jacking up threes over shorter guys. If people were complaining about his defense or rebounding (well, some are about the latter), OK. But most people want to move him back to the 3 for his offense, which makes little sense. I'm not sure why we care about his position in the league, anyway. This isn't AAU - we need to win, not sacrifice efficiency to improve a player's stock. Now, it might end up than Monroe and Sims are awesome and Macklin makes a huge jump, in which case it would make sense to move DaJuan. But if the roster works better with DaJuan at the 4, ignoring that so he can play the 3 is foolish, since there is no reason to think doing so would improve his play.
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GIGAFAN99
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Mar 31, 2008 12:25:00 GMT -5
Clearly Dajuan wasn't comfortable at the 4 nor will he play that in the league. This will prob be he last year at GU, imo, so to better prepare he needs to be at the 3. . I just don't get this. There is major revisionist history going on with DaJuan's freshman year. In only .8 more minutes per game this year, DaJuan averaged 1.9 more points, 1.7 more boards, .4 more assists, .1 fewer TOs, .2 more steals, and shot slightly better from the field and from 3. His FT shooting was worse, but it would be tough to blame that on his position. He clearly played better, but obviously expectations were higher and this is distorting peoples' view of his development. The numbers shouldn't be surprising - the 3 and 4 are very similar in our offense, and DaJuan had an extra year of experience. On offense, he faced guys that were slower than him, which in theory should be an advantage since he doesn't post up. He should actually be better prepared for the league if he stays at the 4, since he would then try to drive more rather than just jacking up threes over shorter guys. If people were complaining about his defense or rebounding (well, some are about the latter), OK. But most people want to move him back to the 3 for his offense, which makes little sense. I'm not sure why we care about his position in the league, anyway. This isn't AAU - we need to win, not sacrifice efficiency to improve a player's stock. Now, it might end up than Monroe and Sims are awesome and Macklin makes a huge jump, in which case it would make sense to move DaJuan. But if the roster works better with DaJuan at the 4, ignoring that so he can play the 3 is foolish, since there is no reason to think doing so would improve his play. Agree with most of this but (mrsixer where are you) the inability for Dajuan to operate in the high post or short corner against the zone hampered our offense. Dajuan was just not a good enough passer to do that from the 4. If he improves on that, the rest of his offense is fine at the 4. If he can't do that, he is better suited to a face up game that originates from the perimeter.
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hoyaboy1
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Post by hoyaboy1 on Mar 31, 2008 12:42:50 GMT -5
GIGA,
Yea, I agree with that - I was just trying to say that DaJuan won't be hurt by being at the 4. The team might be better off playing someone else there, though, depending on how the incoming players develop.
In other words, if we move DaJuan to the 3, it should be because Monroe will add more at the 4 than having another guard would, and not because DaJuan will play better.
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idhoya
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Post by idhoya on Mar 31, 2008 13:28:30 GMT -5
You can throw all the stats out you want about his scoring not being that different, but the fact is he didn't look comfortable at the 4 and he wasn't. He'll prob tell you that himself. The offense runs smoother with him at the 3, plus his defensive responsibility changes at that position. He's clearly not a banger and has no desire to bang. Now, can he bang? Yes, but how willing was he to do so last year? How often was he effective? And how is the offense more effective with Austin undersized at the 3? III likes to exploit mismatches and the tables were reversed last season cause AF was often caught guarding a 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 three-man. Dajuan can implement what he learned playing the 4 into a new, revised 3 role next season, while preparing for the draft. I guess we'll see what happens, the advantage is Dajuan on the wing. He essentially could become Earl Clark, who is a three in a collegiate four's body. So is Dajuan.
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idhoya
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Post by idhoya on Mar 31, 2008 13:51:10 GMT -5
If Dajuan plays the 4, GU would essentially have no 3's on the roster.
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hoyaboy1
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Post by hoyaboy1 on Mar 31, 2008 13:53:29 GMT -5
You can throw all the stats out you want about his scoring not being that different, but the fact is he didn't look comfortable at the 4 and he wasn't. He'll prob tell you that himself. The offense runs smoother with him at the 3, plus his defensive responsibility changes at that position. He's clearly not a banger and has no desire to bang. Now, can he bang? Yes, but how willing was he to do so last year? How often was he effective? And how is the offense more effective with Austin undersized at the 3? III likes to exploit mismatches and the tables were reversed last season cause AF was often caught guarding a 6'6, 6'7, 6'8 three-man. Dajuan can implement what he learned playing the 4 into a new, revised 3 role next season, while preparing for the draft. I guess we'll see what happens, the advantage is Dajuan on the wing. He essentially could become Earl Clark, who is a three in a collegiate four's body. So is Dajuan. First off, I prefer to focus on performance rather than perception - DaJuan did play better, whether you thought he looked comfortable or not. He doesn't like to bang, and he isn't going to whether he plays the 3 or the 4. He pretty clearly prefers to be on the perimeter, and that's where he played last year. It isn't as if he was forced to play like Mike Sweetney. And, although people always forget this, more college teams have 3 guards than a big small forward. When was Freeman overmatched at the 3? In NBA terms, most college teams looks like this PG, PG, SG, SF, PF. People get too obsessed with size.
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idhoya
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Post by idhoya on Mar 31, 2008 14:06:29 GMT -5
Freeman was at a disadvantage against Louisville (Terrance Williams), UConn (Robinson), etc. I didn't say Dajuan wasn't good. All I say is that he's more comfortable at the 3. He prefers the 3. He is a 3. You can spin it however. He may not have been forced to be Sweets, but his unwillingness to "mix it up" on a consistent basis, while at the same time staying almost exclusively on the perimeter was evident. Other than the numbers, how'd he play better? Yeah he showed more of a willingness to drive, but how effective was he? He just seemed out of sinc. Still the 3 is his natural position; despite him playing the post in HS.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Mar 31, 2008 14:06:39 GMT -5
DaJuan should be an offensive mismatch for US at the four. He is quicker and still big enough not to get pushed around. He should drive right past most of these guys.
Unfortunately, he didn't. He was content to chuck threes and when he drove, he couldn't finish. I don't blame the position -- there's a development issue here.
Now, he should have been a negative for us on D. Slightly undersized, etc. But he defended well and rebounded surprisingly well for being out of position. So he improved, but I fail tot see the logic on how the position hurt him on O -- it plays just like a 3!
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So I think the argument for DaJuan to the three for offensive reasons isn't right. However, there is an argument to DaJuan to the three -- and it is rebounding. We went from a top offensive rebounding team to a poor one, and we really got hurt on the boards on defense when we lost.
That's argument for DaJuan at the three -- Freeman is not a great rebounder for a 3 (he would be for a 2) and DaJuan would be an improvement there. You'd improve every step up the ladder as the pro-Macklin crowd has pointed out.
Here's the counterpoint:
1. Usually the best team on the floor is the best five players. Tell me that isn't Wright, Sapp, Freeman, Summer and Monroe (by midseasons). How much is that rebounding worth?
2. If the extra big man is Macklin, how does that help our rebounding? I agree it helps the D, but he hasn't proven he can board at all.
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Post by hoyalawyer on Mar 31, 2008 14:37:24 GMT -5
Starter: Wright, Sapp, Freeman, Summers, Monroe Bench: Clark, Rivers, Wattad, Sims, Mackling Spices: (use sparingly) Braswell, Nikita
I think a lot of people want to see DaJuan at the 3, but all sources tell me that of our incoming "POST" players, Braswell may not be eligible, Sims doesn't have ENOUGH OF a back to the basket game, so MONROE is the only one that can play the 5 spot (besides Macklin). Plus the 4 and the 3 in our offense are largely the same so no biggie for Dajuan to be the 4. We will see some triple bigs (Dajuan, Monroe, Macklin/Sims), but we will see just as much if not more 3 guard (Wright, Sapp, Austin, Rivers, Clark, Wattad in any combination).
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Mar 31, 2008 14:37:50 GMT -5
I think that he isn't unsuited for a college four but he's not suited for a Georgetown four, meaning he isn't a point foward (aka Jeff) that can run the offense that way. I think Greg will be our four for no other reason than his size and passing ability
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Post by hoyalawyer on Mar 31, 2008 14:39:06 GMT -5
and yes, apparently we have a guy named "Mackling" according to my last post
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