Post by MCIGuy on Mar 28, 2012 23:18:59 GMT -5
First of all I wish Hollis luck. I feel it is a bit of a mistake for him to go pro but it’s his life and he knows better about what he is capable of handling more than I do. Besides the guy is going to get his degree this spring. I hope it works out well for him and I hope he achieves his dreams. So long, Hollywood.
With the departure of Hollis I have to wonder when was the last time a Hoya team did not have a returning player on its roster who was an upperclassmen during the previous season. Next season will be pretty different for sure in terms of relying on a great collection of experience. But next season will be different in other ways too. This will be III’s least finesse team in a while if not ever.
By finesse I mean a team that has wings that are better at shooting long range shots than they are at driving to the basket and skilled big men who are more effective facing up than they are at banging down low in the paint.
Regardless of who the Hoyas add on to the roster, if they add on anyone else to the roster, there is going to be a difference. I’m sure III will coach the guys up to play in the manner in which he prefers. Guys whom we don’t think as three-point shooters will emerge as just that. And big men whom we may not think possess all-around skill will probably show the all-around ability we didn’t expect from them. That being said there will sure to be some noticeable differences.
When it comes to bigs we have a lot of unproven guys. The person with the most seniority is Nate and as of now he has proven to be everything but a scorer. Will that change? Will he be forced to step up his game or will he feel comfortable taking more shots> And if he takes more shots will the majority of them come from inside the paint or from the perimeter? We’ll have to wait until next season for that answer. Mikael is a player whom I can imagine making a big leap forward if he gets a bump in playing time. He also has a lot of those skills that II likes in his big men, but he is a guy who also seems comfortable at getting the ball on the block and looking to score. I see a guy who has the ability to be better than Henry down the line but it is doubtful that will occur next season.
The intriguing duo though are Moses and Tyler. With such little playing time we don’t know exactly what to expect from them. Moses seemed to have been playing so well in last season’s KL that some felt he could leapfrog Henry as the starting center for this past season’s squad. Right now Moses and Tyler may be our greatest question marks. But from what I can tell about their play they seem to be bruisers, the type of guys who, if they live up to their high school clippings, could score in the paint with their backs towards the basket. If the Hoyas take another step back next season in three-point shooting, could interior scoring from guys like them be away to help make up for that o the offensive end? I guess that’s crazy talk until we see them play but if they are capable, shouldn’t III tweak the attack on offense when they are on the floor to take advantage of their respective abilities?
On the perimeter front the most reliable returning three-point shooter may now be Markel. If both Greg and Otto keep showing improvement on that front and if DSR lives up to his rep as a shooter the Hoyas may not end up to bad on the three-pointer front. But, again, until I see the guys play next season, I will admit I will go into next season being the most worried about the Hoyas’ three-point shooting as I have since the 2006-2007 season. Of course good things happened that year.
I think jabril will get better as a three-point shooter next season but I think it will take at least one season more before he becomes a reliable threat from that range. If I’m wrong and he accelerates his development from long range even faster then that is a very good thing for the team because I think he brings s much to the table. To me the guy’s true strength is being able to get to the hole and I don’t want him to settle for jumpers even if he starts making a lot of them. I want him driving to the hole and scoring, getting fouled, dishing to teammates. Will III give a lot of time, or possibly even a starting position, to a guard whose outside shot is not a main weapon? Well, he did that with Sapp. And in my personal opinion Jabril is a bigger, more athletic and stronger version than Sapp. Some may feel he isn’t as good a ballhandler (I’m not sure about that) but I will argue he is the superior rebounder and defender. He has the potential to be a lot more exciting too if, IF, the team runs more allowing Jabril to show off is hops and finishing ability. Sigh. A fella can dream can’t he? Most of all Jabril seems to be a real leader based upon all I’ve learned and heard. I’m eager to see him make a jump in his game.
Will Starks start? It would seem so. He is the most reliable with the ball of the guys returning. He needs to get better and needs to regain that confidence he appeared to have during December. I’m not down on him as others are. I think he can make the right pass and hit all types of shots. Consistency and confidence are what ‘s needed. Defense would be nice too but let’s be real. DSR intrigues me more and more. Surely his Oak Hill coach is hyping him by going as far to say he is better than Austin Freeman was coming out of high school. That’s big talk. If DSR is near that good then he will be a contender to be a starter or at the very least a potent weapon at the guard spot to come off the bench.
Then of course there is Otto and Greg, perhaps the two guys with the most upside. I feel both are stars in the making and could give Georgetown as versatile a one-two punch as any team in the country will have. Again all that is lacking is years of experience but that’s just how it is these days in college basketball. The good news is that players on other teams that of equal talent will be just as young if not younger. Greg is about to gain a whole lot of minutes next season and that is one good thing that comes a s a result of Hollis’ exit. Between Otto and Greg who is the most impressive. Most will side with Otto because he has the better all-around ability. But Greg is so darn explosive and so more athletic. He is quickly becoming an excellent defender too. Scary thing is Otto isn’t that far behind on defense either. Otto is an incredible rebounder. Scary thing is that when Greg applies himself he is not that far behind on that front. Simply amazing. These two could be the perimeter/forward equivalent of the M&M Boys (Mourning and Mutombo). I also expect them both to start popping up on people’s mock draft boards next year too.
One thing is clear…we are close to putting out a team that is made up of the same Tombs Kenner League squad that dominated the attention of Hoya fans last summer.
Last of all (I didn’t forget) IT’s TIME TO FREE AARON. I want to see this guy get meaningful minutes in meaningful games to see what he can or can’t do. We know he has length. We know he is athletic. We know he has a decent form on his three-point shot. What else is there? Some claim he isn’t good at driving. But can he be any more shaky at that than Hollis whom many felt was pretty bad in that area? I’m intrigued by Aaron’s possibilities. III needs to either play him or chase him off. Hate to put it that way but that’s how I feel.
I think next season’s team makes the tournament again but I think two seasons from now, if they can keep this core together, that is when they should be ready to contend for a national title (if a couple of more pieces are added).
Oooops. Looks like I did forget someone. Brandon. I guess I overlooked him because I feel with the depth of bigs he will be getting the Moses treatment next season: he will sit his frosh year. If the Hoyas were fortunate to get Noel I would redshirt BB actually.
With the departure of Hollis I have to wonder when was the last time a Hoya team did not have a returning player on its roster who was an upperclassmen during the previous season. Next season will be pretty different for sure in terms of relying on a great collection of experience. But next season will be different in other ways too. This will be III’s least finesse team in a while if not ever.
By finesse I mean a team that has wings that are better at shooting long range shots than they are at driving to the basket and skilled big men who are more effective facing up than they are at banging down low in the paint.
Regardless of who the Hoyas add on to the roster, if they add on anyone else to the roster, there is going to be a difference. I’m sure III will coach the guys up to play in the manner in which he prefers. Guys whom we don’t think as three-point shooters will emerge as just that. And big men whom we may not think possess all-around skill will probably show the all-around ability we didn’t expect from them. That being said there will sure to be some noticeable differences.
When it comes to bigs we have a lot of unproven guys. The person with the most seniority is Nate and as of now he has proven to be everything but a scorer. Will that change? Will he be forced to step up his game or will he feel comfortable taking more shots> And if he takes more shots will the majority of them come from inside the paint or from the perimeter? We’ll have to wait until next season for that answer. Mikael is a player whom I can imagine making a big leap forward if he gets a bump in playing time. He also has a lot of those skills that II likes in his big men, but he is a guy who also seems comfortable at getting the ball on the block and looking to score. I see a guy who has the ability to be better than Henry down the line but it is doubtful that will occur next season.
The intriguing duo though are Moses and Tyler. With such little playing time we don’t know exactly what to expect from them. Moses seemed to have been playing so well in last season’s KL that some felt he could leapfrog Henry as the starting center for this past season’s squad. Right now Moses and Tyler may be our greatest question marks. But from what I can tell about their play they seem to be bruisers, the type of guys who, if they live up to their high school clippings, could score in the paint with their backs towards the basket. If the Hoyas take another step back next season in three-point shooting, could interior scoring from guys like them be away to help make up for that o the offensive end? I guess that’s crazy talk until we see them play but if they are capable, shouldn’t III tweak the attack on offense when they are on the floor to take advantage of their respective abilities?
On the perimeter front the most reliable returning three-point shooter may now be Markel. If both Greg and Otto keep showing improvement on that front and if DSR lives up to his rep as a shooter the Hoyas may not end up to bad on the three-pointer front. But, again, until I see the guys play next season, I will admit I will go into next season being the most worried about the Hoyas’ three-point shooting as I have since the 2006-2007 season. Of course good things happened that year.
I think jabril will get better as a three-point shooter next season but I think it will take at least one season more before he becomes a reliable threat from that range. If I’m wrong and he accelerates his development from long range even faster then that is a very good thing for the team because I think he brings s much to the table. To me the guy’s true strength is being able to get to the hole and I don’t want him to settle for jumpers even if he starts making a lot of them. I want him driving to the hole and scoring, getting fouled, dishing to teammates. Will III give a lot of time, or possibly even a starting position, to a guard whose outside shot is not a main weapon? Well, he did that with Sapp. And in my personal opinion Jabril is a bigger, more athletic and stronger version than Sapp. Some may feel he isn’t as good a ballhandler (I’m not sure about that) but I will argue he is the superior rebounder and defender. He has the potential to be a lot more exciting too if, IF, the team runs more allowing Jabril to show off is hops and finishing ability. Sigh. A fella can dream can’t he? Most of all Jabril seems to be a real leader based upon all I’ve learned and heard. I’m eager to see him make a jump in his game.
Will Starks start? It would seem so. He is the most reliable with the ball of the guys returning. He needs to get better and needs to regain that confidence he appeared to have during December. I’m not down on him as others are. I think he can make the right pass and hit all types of shots. Consistency and confidence are what ‘s needed. Defense would be nice too but let’s be real. DSR intrigues me more and more. Surely his Oak Hill coach is hyping him by going as far to say he is better than Austin Freeman was coming out of high school. That’s big talk. If DSR is near that good then he will be a contender to be a starter or at the very least a potent weapon at the guard spot to come off the bench.
Then of course there is Otto and Greg, perhaps the two guys with the most upside. I feel both are stars in the making and could give Georgetown as versatile a one-two punch as any team in the country will have. Again all that is lacking is years of experience but that’s just how it is these days in college basketball. The good news is that players on other teams that of equal talent will be just as young if not younger. Greg is about to gain a whole lot of minutes next season and that is one good thing that comes a s a result of Hollis’ exit. Between Otto and Greg who is the most impressive. Most will side with Otto because he has the better all-around ability. But Greg is so darn explosive and so more athletic. He is quickly becoming an excellent defender too. Scary thing is Otto isn’t that far behind on defense either. Otto is an incredible rebounder. Scary thing is that when Greg applies himself he is not that far behind on that front. Simply amazing. These two could be the perimeter/forward equivalent of the M&M Boys (Mourning and Mutombo). I also expect them both to start popping up on people’s mock draft boards next year too.
One thing is clear…we are close to putting out a team that is made up of the same Tombs Kenner League squad that dominated the attention of Hoya fans last summer.
Last of all (I didn’t forget) IT’s TIME TO FREE AARON. I want to see this guy get meaningful minutes in meaningful games to see what he can or can’t do. We know he has length. We know he is athletic. We know he has a decent form on his three-point shot. What else is there? Some claim he isn’t good at driving. But can he be any more shaky at that than Hollis whom many felt was pretty bad in that area? I’m intrigued by Aaron’s possibilities. III needs to either play him or chase him off. Hate to put it that way but that’s how I feel.
I think next season’s team makes the tournament again but I think two seasons from now, if they can keep this core together, that is when they should be ready to contend for a national title (if a couple of more pieces are added).
Oooops. Looks like I did forget someone. Brandon. I guess I overlooked him because I feel with the depth of bigs he will be getting the Moses treatment next season: he will sit his frosh year. If the Hoyas were fortunate to get Noel I would redshirt BB actually.