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Post by wponds on Mar 29, 2021 14:30:41 GMT -5
With Lykes affirming that he's going to do a 5th year rather than going pro, I've been thinking about the pros and cons of recruiting him to Georgetown. Figured I'd lay out the case both ways... The Case Against Recruiting LykesWe have a good, developing point guard already on the team in Dante Harris. Harris had a stellar Big East tournament and looks like a guy who we can slot in to the starting point guard role for the next 3 years. He and Lykes are too small to play at the same time, so by and large they're going to have to split 40 minutes of point guard minutes per game. That's going to mean stunting Dante's growth, frustrating a 5th year player in Lykes who is trying to boost his pro prospects, or both. Lykes can be a bit of a hog and may not fit with a team concept, especially as he is trying to boost his stock for pro opportunities. We don't currently have any open scholarships (assuming Carey is back), and if any open up they should be used to help us at either the forward or center positions where we have mostly unproven freshmen and sophomores. Aminu Mohammed's guardian has hinted at not being a fan of Lykes' game, so that's another potential chemistry issue to consider especially in light of recent events where it didn't take much to disgruntle a handler and lose a high level player. Lykes is not a good defender, and we have little room to be going backwards in that area. The Case For Recruiting LykesHe's a difference maker. If healthy he's going to give you in the neighborhood of 21 or 22 points per 40 minutes of floor time. He can create for himself and for his teammates, he's the kind of guy who you get the ball to late in the shot clock or late in the game and know he will make a play. Having complimentary players who can fill roles is great, but a team of "glue guys" isn't winning anything in the Big East. Our current roster has a lot of guys who maybe-hopefully-kinda look like they could conceivably be starters eventually, but they aren't alphas. They are role players who could be successful playing off an alpha, but they aren't guys who can take over a game or who are going to be all-conference any time soon. But Lykes is that kind of player. He's nationally relevant and he's a guy opposing coaches have to plan for. Would it cut into Dante's playing time? Of course. But iron sharpens iron, and Dante will get better by playing with Lykes. Dante is going to be here for 4 years. Playing with an elite small guard like Lykes will be good for his long term development, even if he averages less mpg. He will learn a ton and get better as a result of all those practices and learning from a more mature player. It would be similar to the role we thought he was going to play this year under Jalen Harris, except he'd be learning from a better player and he's already a better player himself. Realistically, we need another point guard. Dante's minutes per game the back half of this year were way too many. We need somebody else to help carry the load. Maybe it could be someone like Beard or Berger, but those are near total unknowns and it's possible that neither is a point guard (or that neither is good enough to play regular minutes at the BE level altogether, at least for the time being). Maybe there's an argument that another experienced point guard isn't the TOP need, but it is A need. And the idea that we should recruit an inferior player just because we don't want to rub Dante the wrong way is silly. It assumes a certain mental fragility in him that he really hasn't demonstrated, and the idea of recruiting a worse player just to avoid hurting feelings seems like a loser's mentality. Assuming everyone is committed to team ball, get the best players you can and let them compete. Everyone will be better off for it in the end. Worst case scenario, we have two really good point guards--that's a champagne problem. Plus--brace yourself, blasphemy coming--are we SURE that Dante is everything we've built him up to be in recent weeks? His performance in New York was great and he's a very likable player, no doubt about it. But his overall body of work on the year was a mixed bag. He's quick and he plays hard, but he's got plenty of room for improvement, including minimizing turnovers and especially 3 point shooting (26% on the year on a not-insignificant number of attempts). His 3-12 from the field, 1-6 from 3 performance against Colorado wasn't exactly a total anomaly. He was actually 4-14 from the field and 0-5 from deep against Creighton and 2-10 from from the field, 0-2 from deep against Marquette at MSG. 2-11 from the field, 0-4 from deep against UConn in the regular season finale. Don't get me wrong, he was huge in MSG and will go down in history for it. But there's a reason he didn't even make the All-Freshman team despite having ~35 mpg (after Jalen left) to put up good counting stats. He'll get better and his future is bright, but as much as we like him we have to be objective about what he is right now. If there's an opportunity for us to upgrade and he has to play a supporting role as a sophomore before taking the reigns as a junior, we can't forgo that just because he is a likable kid and had a couple of good games at MSG. On top of all this, Lykes brings a certain buzz that's attractive. He is one of the most exciting local players in the last several years, well-known by just about every fan in the area. Georgetown has struggled to get that kind of buzz under the current administration. We've seen tons of local recruits give us a look but ultimately pass. Adding a guy like Lykes could help change that perception. Does he make a transfer like Timberlake more likely? Does he make a fellow small guard we're recruiting like McDaniel more likely? Or other high end WCAC talent from Gonzaga or elsewhere? There's no guarantee, but it seems like it couldn't hurt. It's an interesting debate. I'm kind of leaning one way on it, but think there's merit on both sides for sure and I don't think there's any wrong answers. This is a great write-up and I agree with most (if not all) of your points. Definitely an interesting debate and I'm really torn on it. I really wanted Lykes out of HS and I think he'd definitely bring a lot to the table. And it's not like we're in a position to turn down talent... But if he were to come here, we'd really need to make sure everyone is on board with the plan (including Lykes). Dante may be a four year player, but we need to make sure he's a four year player FOR US. PTSD from the last few years of transfers has me hesitant. It would be a lot simpler if Lykes was at least average height and an average defender for his position so they could split floor time together. Also, not to mention the potential impact bringing Lykes in would have on the incoming recruiting class - is it worth it for a rental player? Maybe. Maybe not. I was watching the Gonzaga game yesterday and the commentators mentioned how Mark Few spoke with his players one-on-one before Andrew Nembhard came aboard to make sure they were ok with another ball handler being added to the equation and potentially taking away touches. The players all said yes and it clearly worked out well for them. I have trust that Patrick will do his due-diligence in that regard, but idk. I'm still not 100% sold on this
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Post by wponds on Mar 29, 2021 14:34:11 GMT -5
Too early to talk about this guy? Assume he won't be 5'6" forever. But this is a fun watch. Just went to page one of this thread and LOL to 'assume he won't be 5'6 forever'
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Post by RockawayHoya on Mar 29, 2021 14:53:19 GMT -5
With Lykes affirming that he's going to do a 5th year rather than going pro, I've been thinking about the pros and cons of recruiting him to Georgetown. Figured I'd lay out the case both ways... The Case Against Recruiting LykesWe have a good, developing point guard already on the team in Dante Harris. Harris had a stellar Big East tournament and looks like a guy who we can slot in to the starting point guard role for the next 3 years. He and Lykes are too small to play at the same time, so by and large they're going to have to split 40 minutes of point guard minutes per game. That's going to mean stunting Dante's growth, frustrating a 5th year player in Lykes who is trying to boost his pro prospects, or both. Lykes can be a bit of a hog and may not fit with a team concept, especially as he is trying to boost his stock for pro opportunities. We don't currently have any open scholarships (assuming Carey is back), and if any open up they should be used to help us at either the forward or center positions where we have mostly unproven freshmen and sophomores. Aminu Mohammed's guardian has hinted at not being a fan of Lykes' game, so that's another potential chemistry issue to consider especially in light of recent events where it didn't take much to disgruntle a handler and lose a high level player. Lykes is not a good defender, and we have little room to be going backwards in that area. The Case For Recruiting LykesHe's a difference maker. If healthy he's going to give you in the neighborhood of 21 or 22 points per 40 minutes of floor time. He can create for himself and for his teammates, he's the kind of guy who you get the ball to late in the shot clock or late in the game and know he will make a play. Having complimentary players who can fill roles is great, but a team of "glue guys" isn't winning anything in the Big East. Our current roster has a lot of guys who maybe-hopefully-kinda look like they could conceivably be starters eventually, but they aren't alphas. They are role players who could be successful playing off an alpha, but they aren't guys who can take over a game or who are going to be all-conference any time soon. But Lykes is that kind of player. He's nationally relevant and he's a guy opposing coaches have to plan for. Would it cut into Dante's playing time? Of course. But iron sharpens iron, and Dante will get better by playing with Lykes. Dante is going to be here for 4 years. Playing with an elite small guard like Lykes will be good for his long term development, even if he averages less mpg. He will learn a ton and get better as a result of all those practices and learning from a more mature player. It would be similar to the role we thought he was going to play this year under Jalen Harris, except he'd be learning from a better player and he's already a better player himself. Realistically, we need another point guard. Dante's minutes per game the back half of this year were way too many. We need somebody else to help carry the load. Maybe it could be someone like Beard or Berger, but those are near total unknowns and it's possible that neither is a point guard (or that neither is good enough to play regular minutes at the BE level altogether, at least for the time being). Maybe there's an argument that another experienced point guard isn't the TOP need, but it is A need. And the idea that we should recruit an inferior player just because we don't want to rub Dante the wrong way is silly. It assumes a certain mental fragility in him that he really hasn't demonstrated, and the idea of recruiting a worse player just to avoid hurting feelings seems like a loser's mentality. Assuming everyone is committed to team ball, get the best players you can and let them compete. Everyone will be better off for it in the end. Worst case scenario, we have two really good point guards--that's a champagne problem. Plus--brace yourself, blasphemy coming--are we SURE that Dante is everything we've built him up to be in recent weeks? His performance in New York was great and he's a very likable player, no doubt about it. But his overall body of work on the year was a mixed bag. He's quick and he plays hard, but he's got plenty of room for improvement, including minimizing turnovers and especially 3 point shooting (26% on the year on a not-insignificant number of attempts). His 3-12 from the field, 1-6 from 3 performance against Colorado wasn't exactly a total anomaly. He was actually 4-14 from the field and 0-5 from deep against Creighton and 2-10 from from the field, 0-2 from deep against Marquette at MSG. 2-11 from the field, 0-4 from deep against UConn in the regular season finale. Don't get me wrong, he was huge in MSG and will go down in history for it. But there's a reason he didn't even make the All-Freshman team despite having ~35 mpg (after Jalen left) to put up good counting stats. He'll get better and his future is bright, but as much as we like him we have to be objective about what he is right now. If there's an opportunity for us to upgrade and he has to play a supporting role as a sophomore before taking the reigns as a junior, we can't forgo that just because he is a likable kid and had a couple of good games at MSG. On top of all this, Lykes brings a certain buzz that's attractive. He is one of the most exciting local players in the last several years, well-known by just about every fan in the area. Georgetown has struggled to get that kind of buzz under the current administration. We've seen tons of local recruits give us a look but ultimately pass. Adding a guy like Lykes could help change that perception. Does he make a transfer like Timberlake more likely? Does he make a fellow small guard we're recruiting like McDaniel more likely? Or other high end WCAC talent from Gonzaga or elsewhere? There's no guarantee, but it seems like it couldn't hurt. It's an interesting debate. I'm kind of leaning one way on it, but think there's merit on both sides for sure and I don't think there's any wrong answers. Great post. I think what I bolded is the key here. Without getting too far into speculation, I do foresee getting 1-2 open schollies to play with before this spring is over and done with. If it's 1, I'm in the camp that you prioritize a skilled big at the 4 who might also be able to eat some minutes at the 5 because Dante, as much as there are still questions about his ceiling (and certainly valid), is more of a known quantity at this point vs. Sibley or Billingsley. But if it's 2, I could see using one of them on a PG like Lykes who won't impact our flexibility for the '22 class.
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bostonfan
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Post by bostonfan on Mar 29, 2021 15:02:09 GMT -5
I think it is clear that the Hoyas could use another point guard next year, and preferably one with some college experience. At this point Dante is the only point guard/ball handler with real experience as a D1 point guard on the team. I am hopeful Tyler Beard can serve that role to some degree next year also, but hoping he is ready to step in on day one is risky. Stuff happens in the college game with injuries/foul trouble etc, and having depth at such an important position that you can count on is important. If people can agree the team could use another PG, then I would think you would want to get the best one possible, not just someone who will be happy being a back up.
I don't underestimate the importance of team chemistry and making sure the players are comfortable/accepting of their roles, but does it make sense to bring in a marginal player just so you don't hurt someone else ego/feelings? I am not saying Lykes is the only answer but hopefully the staff can find a quality point guard to add to the roster for next year. Now if all the underclassmen from last year that are still on the team stay on the team, then none of this matters because there won't be any scholarships available, but I sense there will be a few more changes before next year starts.
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thedragon
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Post by thedragon on Mar 29, 2021 16:05:15 GMT -5
With Lykes affirming that he's going to do a 5th year rather than going pro, I've been thinking about the pros and cons of recruiting him to Georgetown. Figured I'd lay out the case both ways... The Case Against Recruiting LykesWe have a good, developing point guard already on the team in Dante Harris. Harris had a stellar Big East tournament and looks like a guy who we can slot in to the starting point guard role for the next 3 years. He and Lykes are too small to play at the same time, so by and large they're going to have to split 40 minutes of point guard minutes per game. That's going to mean stunting Dante's growth, frustrating a 5th year player in Lykes who is trying to boost his pro prospects, or both. Lykes can be a bit of a hog and may not fit with a team concept, especially as he is trying to boost his stock for pro opportunities. We don't currently have any open scholarships (assuming Carey is back), and if any open up they should be used to help us at either the forward or center positions where we have mostly unproven freshmen and sophomores. Aminu Mohammed's guardian has hinted at not being a fan of Lykes' game, so that's another potential chemistry issue to consider especially in light of recent events where it didn't take much to disgruntle a handler and lose a high level player. Lykes is not a good defender, and we have little room to be going backwards in that area. The Case For Recruiting LykesHe's a difference maker. If healthy he's going to give you in the neighborhood of 21 or 22 points per 40 minutes of floor time. He can create for himself and for his teammates, he's the kind of guy who you get the ball to late in the shot clock or late in the game and know he will make a play. Having complimentary players who can fill roles is great, but a team of "glue guys" isn't winning anything in the Big East. Our current roster has a lot of guys who maybe-hopefully-kinda look like they could conceivably be starters eventually, but they aren't alphas. They are role players who could be successful playing off an alpha, but they aren't guys who can take over a game or who are going to be all-conference any time soon. But Lykes is that kind of player. He's nationally relevant and he's a guy opposing coaches have to plan for. Would it cut into Dante's playing time? Of course. But iron sharpens iron, and Dante will get better by playing with Lykes. Dante is going to be here for 4 years. Playing with an elite small guard like Lykes will be good for his long term development, even if he averages less mpg. He will learn a ton and get better as a result of all those practices and learning from a more mature player. It would be similar to the role we thought he was going to play this year under Jalen Harris, except he'd be learning from a better player and he's already a better player himself. Realistically, we need another point guard. Dante's minutes per game the back half of this year were way too many. We need somebody else to help carry the load. Maybe it could be someone like Beard or Berger, but those are near total unknowns and it's possible that neither is a point guard (or that neither is good enough to play regular minutes at the BE level altogether, at least for the time being). Maybe there's an argument that another experienced point guard isn't the TOP need, but it is A need. And the idea that we should recruit an inferior player just because we don't want to rub Dante the wrong way is silly. It assumes a certain mental fragility in him that he really hasn't demonstrated, and the idea of recruiting a worse player just to avoid hurting feelings seems like a loser's mentality. Assuming everyone is committed to team ball, get the best players you can and let them compete. Everyone will be better off for it in the end. Worst case scenario, we have two really good point guards--that's a champagne problem. Plus--brace yourself, blasphemy coming--are we SURE that Dante is everything we've built him up to be in recent weeks? His performance in New York was great and he's a very likable player, no doubt about it. But his overall body of work on the year was a mixed bag. He's quick and he plays hard, but he's got plenty of room for improvement, including minimizing turnovers and especially 3 point shooting (26% on the year on a not-insignificant number of attempts). His 3-12 from the field, 1-6 from 3 performance against Colorado wasn't exactly a total anomaly. He was actually 4-14 from the field and 0-5 from deep against Creighton and 2-10 from from the field, 0-2 from deep against Marquette at MSG. 2-11 from the field, 0-4 from deep against UConn in the regular season finale. Don't get me wrong, he was huge in MSG and will go down in history for it. But there's a reason he didn't even make the All-Freshman team despite having ~35 mpg (after Jalen left) to put up good counting stats. He'll get better and his future is bright, but as much as we like him we have to be objective about what he is right now. If there's an opportunity for us to upgrade and he has to play a supporting role as a sophomore before taking the reigns as a junior, we can't forgo that just because he is a likable kid and had a couple of good games at MSG. On top of all this, Lykes brings a certain buzz that's attractive. He is one of the most exciting local players in the last several years, well-known by just about every fan in the area. Georgetown has struggled to get that kind of buzz under the current administration. We've seen tons of local recruits give us a look but ultimately pass. Adding a guy like Lykes could help change that perception. Does he make a transfer like Timberlake more likely? Does he make a fellow small guard we're recruiting like McDaniel more likely? Or other high end WCAC talent from Gonzaga or elsewhere? There's no guarantee, but it seems like it couldn't hurt. It's an interesting debate. I'm kind of leaning one way on it, but think there's merit on both sides for sure and I don't think there's any wrong answers. This is a great write-up and I agree with most (if not all) of your points. Definitely an interesting debate and I'm really torn on it. I really wanted Lykes out of HS and I think he'd definitely bring a lot to the table. And it's not like we're in a position to turn down talent... But if he were to come here, we'd really need to make sure everyone is on board with the plan (including Lykes). Dante may be a four year player, but we need to make sure he's a four year player FOR US. PTSD from the last few years of transfers has me hesitant. It would be a lot simpler if Lykes was at least average height and an average defender for his position so they could split floor time together. Also, not to mention the potential impact bringing Lykes in would have on the incoming recruiting class - is it worth it for a rental player? Maybe. Maybe not. I was watching the Gonzaga game yesterday and the commentators mentioned how Mark Few spoke with his players one-on-one before Andrew Nembhard came aboard to make sure they were ok with another ball handler being added to the equation and potentially taking away touches. The players all said yes and it clearly worked out well for them. I have trust that Patrick will do his due-diligence in that regard, but idk. I'm still not 100% sold on this This post sums it up very nicely. Hes a talent. But he can't play with Dante. If I were Pat, I'd make 2 calls before I'd take Lykes. 1 to Harmon/Aminu as they seem less than thrilled about the propect of Lykes on the roster and 2 to Dante explaining that he's their guy, and that bringing in some help his sophomore season will only make him a better player for his upperclassmen years. Do I think those calls would occur...im not convinced. So I remain very torn about Lykes being added to the fold which has a lot of smoke in the rumor mill.
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alleninxis
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Post by alleninxis on Mar 29, 2021 16:25:07 GMT -5
We'd all be much better off if everyone stopped communicating with Harmon. Nothing good will come of it.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Mar 29, 2021 16:54:29 GMT -5
Interesting discussion and while I do not disagree that there is a need for another PG, I would prefer to see it be a younger player. To say that Dante Harris is a 4 year player misses the new reality in college basketball--no one is a four year player anymore. Anyone can transfer out at any time. With basketball free agency a new reality, having someone in the pipeline to move up the next year seems better than bringing in a 5th year senior who will certainly be one and done and will necessarily take away significant development time from the current PG. As of now, there are no openings and I remain hopeful that no one is driven off to bring in a transfer. If they want to leave--so be it, but I hate to run a kid out to create room.
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thedragon
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Post by thedragon on Mar 29, 2021 16:54:40 GMT -5
We'd all be much better off if everyone stopped communicating with Harmon. Nothing good will come of it. I agree. But his opinion matters whether we like it or not.
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hoyaguy
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Post by hoyaguy on Mar 29, 2021 16:58:13 GMT -5
It is annoying that there are so many question marks right now like bile stays that helps us a lot since Wahab is gone but I’m definitely in the camp of we need a 4 or 5 until we know more about what seniors are staying (most likely seem to me are Carey and Bile). We also don’t know how much of a handler Beard is which is extra annoying since he’s a combo and it can be either way which is a gamble to not get someone like Lykes so I just hope we hear from the seniors soon to make things more clear in terms of need.
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Post by BeantownHoya on Mar 29, 2021 17:02:00 GMT -5
This is a great write-up and I agree with most (if not all) of your points. Definitely an interesting debate and I'm really torn on it. I really wanted Lykes out of HS and I think he'd definitely bring a lot to the table. And it's not like we're in a position to turn down talent... But if he were to come here, we'd really need to make sure everyone is on board with the plan (including Lykes). Dante may be a four year player, but we need to make sure he's a four year player FOR US. PTSD from the last few years of transfers has me hesitant. It would be a lot simpler if Lykes was at least average height and an average defender for his position so they could split floor time together. Also, not to mention the potential impact bringing Lykes in would have on the incoming recruiting class - is it worth it for a rental player? Maybe. Maybe not. I was watching the Gonzaga game yesterday and the commentators mentioned how Mark Few spoke with his players one-on-one before Andrew Nembhard came aboard to make sure they were ok with another ball handler being added to the equation and potentially taking away touches. The players all said yes and it clearly worked out well for them. I have trust that Patrick will do his due-diligence in that regard, but idk. I'm still not 100% sold on this This post sums it up very nicely. Hes a talent. But he can't play with Dante. If I were Pat, I'd make 2 calls before I'd take Lykes. 1 to Harmon/Aminu as they seem less than thrilled about the propect of Lykes on the roster and 2 to Dante explaining that he's their guy, and that bringing in some help his sophomore season will only make him a better player for his upperclassmen years. Do I think those calls would occur...im not convinced. So I remain very torn about Lykes being added to the fold which has a lot of smoke in the rumor mill. Sorry I'm not following Harmon's tweet...is he saying he doesn't want Lykes here or there is nothing to the story despite the rumors?
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SDHoya
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Post by SDHoya on Mar 29, 2021 17:06:40 GMT -5
We'd all be much better off if everyone stopped communicating with Harmon. Nothing good will come of it. Seriously. I'm very pleased that Aminu is coming to the Hilltop, but the way this dude has been publicly pushing or trashing potential pick-ups is concerning.
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thedragon
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Post by thedragon on Mar 29, 2021 17:16:49 GMT -5
This post sums it up very nicely. Hes a talent. But he can't play with Dante. If I were Pat, I'd make 2 calls before I'd take Lykes. 1 to Harmon/Aminu as they seem less than thrilled about the propect of Lykes on the roster and 2 to Dante explaining that he's their guy, and that bringing in some help his sophomore season will only make him a better player for his upperclassmen years. Do I think those calls would occur...im not convinced. So I remain very torn about Lykes being added to the fold which has a lot of smoke in the rumor mill. Sorry I'm not following Harmon's tweet...is he saying he doesn't want Lykes here or there is nothing to the story despite the rumors? Should've provided more context. This tweet is from today. But in the last couple weeks he's made it clear that he does not want Gtown to pick up Lykes.
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swhoya
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Post by swhoya on Mar 29, 2021 17:52:09 GMT -5
We'd all be much better off if everyone stopped communicating with Harmon. Nothing good will come of it. Why do you say that?
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Mar 29, 2021 18:17:42 GMT -5
What's the likelihood of Lykes picking a school where he's not guaranteed a starting role?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 18:18:37 GMT -5
You all better listen to Harmon. He wants us to get Baldwin instead of Lykes. That is what he wants.
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s4hoyas
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Post by s4hoyas on Mar 29, 2021 19:03:57 GMT -5
Hey people, Harmon is FAMILY now...he reps the highest rated recruit we gotten in the last 8-10 years....you don't necessarily have to agree with all he says, but suggesting that he be ignored is completely out to lunch...in this instance he is simply saying that these situations often are surrounded by a lot of hype put out by folks with many different agendas, and they shouldn't be viewed as gospel...doesn't mean that the "smoke" around Lykes is necessarily true or false, just that it should be taken with a grain of salt until there's more validation of info...I know he only wants what's best for Georgetown going forward, and I think that should be respected...my 2cts
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Post by BeantownHoya on Mar 29, 2021 19:05:08 GMT -5
You all better listen to Harmon. He wants us to get Baldwin instead of Lykes. That is what he wants. Who wouldn't want Baldwin over Lykes?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 19:06:02 GMT -5
You all better listen to Harmon. He wants us to get Baldwin instead of Lykes. That is what he wants. Who wouldn't want Baldwin over Lykes? Exactly!! That's why they better listen to Harmon!
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Post by michaelgrahmstylie on Mar 29, 2021 19:57:26 GMT -5
With Lykes affirming that he's going to do a 5th year rather than going pro, I've been thinking about the pros and cons of recruiting him to Georgetown. Figured I'd lay out the case both ways... The Case Against Recruiting LykesWe have a good, developing point guard already on the team in Dante Harris. Harris had a stellar Big East tournament and looks like a guy who we can slot in to the starting point guard role for the next 3 years. He and Lykes are too small to play at the same time, so by and large they're going to have to split 40 minutes of point guard minutes per game. That's going to mean stunting Dante's growth, frustrating a 5th year player in Lykes who is trying to boost his pro prospects, or both. Lykes can be a bit of a hog and may not fit with a team concept, especially as he is trying to boost his stock for pro opportunities. We don't currently have any open scholarships (assuming Carey is back), and if any open up they should be used to help us at either the forward or center positions where we have mostly unproven freshmen and sophomores. Aminu Mohammed's guardian has hinted at not being a fan of Lykes' game, so that's another potential chemistry issue to consider especially in light of recent events where it didn't take much to disgruntle a handler and lose a high level player. Lykes is not a good defender, and we have little room to be going backwards in that area. The Case For Recruiting LykesHe's a difference maker. If healthy he's going to give you in the neighborhood of 21 or 22 points per 40 minutes of floor time. He can create for himself and for his teammates, he's the kind of guy who you get the ball to late in the shot clock or late in the game and know he will make a play. Having complimentary players who can fill roles is great, but a team of "glue guys" isn't winning anything in the Big East. Our current roster has a lot of guys who maybe-hopefully-kinda look like they could conceivably be starters eventually, but they aren't alphas. They are role players who could be successful playing off an alpha, but they aren't guys who can take over a game or who are going to be all-conference any time soon. But Lykes is that kind of player. He's nationally relevant and he's a guy opposing coaches have to plan for. Would it cut into Dante's playing time? Of course. But iron sharpens iron, and Dante will get better by playing with Lykes. Dante is going to be here for 4 years. Playing with an elite small guard like Lykes will be good for his long term development, even if he averages less mpg. He will learn a ton and get better as a result of all those practices and learning from a more mature player. It would be similar to the role we thought he was going to play this year under Jalen Harris, except he'd be learning from a better player and he's already a better player himself. Realistically, we need another point guard. Dante's minutes per game the back half of this year were way too many. We need somebody else to help carry the load. Maybe it could be someone like Beard or Berger, but those are near total unknowns and it's possible that neither is a point guard (or that neither is good enough to play regular minutes at the BE level altogether, at least for the time being). Maybe there's an argument that another experienced point guard isn't the TOP need, but it is A need. And the idea that we should recruit an inferior player just because we don't want to rub Dante the wrong way is silly. It assumes a certain mental fragility in him that he really hasn't demonstrated, and the idea of recruiting a worse player just to avoid hurting feelings seems like a loser's mentality. Assuming everyone is committed to team ball, get the best players you can and let them compete. Everyone will be better off for it in the end. Worst case scenario, we have two really good point guards--that's a champagne problem. Plus--brace yourself, blasphemy coming--are we SURE that Dante is everything we've built him up to be in recent weeks? His performance in New York was great and he's a very likable player, no doubt about it. But his overall body of work on the year was a mixed bag. He's quick and he plays hard, but he's got plenty of room for improvement, including minimizing turnovers and especially 3 point shooting (26% on the year on a not-insignificant number of attempts). His 3-12 from the field, 1-6 from 3 performance against Colorado wasn't exactly a total anomaly. He was actually 4-14 from the field and 0-5 from deep against Creighton and 2-10 from from the field, 0-2 from deep against Marquette at MSG. 2-11 from the field, 0-4 from deep against UConn in the regular season finale. Don't get me wrong, he was huge in MSG and will go down in history for it. But there's a reason he didn't even make the All-Freshman team despite having ~35 mpg (after Jalen left) to put up good counting stats. He'll get better and his future is bright, but as much as we like him we have to be objective about what he is right now. If there's an opportunity for us to upgrade and he has to play a supporting role as a sophomore before taking the reigns as a junior, we can't forgo that just because he is a likable kid and had a couple of good games at MSG. On top of all this, Lykes brings a certain buzz that's attractive. He is one of the most exciting local players in the last several years, well-known by just about every fan in the area. Georgetown has struggled to get that kind of buzz under the current administration. We've seen tons of local recruits give us a look but ultimately pass. Adding a guy like Lykes could help change that perception. Does he make a transfer like Timberlake more likely? Does he make a fellow small guard we're recruiting like McDaniel more likely? Or other high end WCAC talent from Gonzaga or elsewhere? There's no guarantee, but it seems like it couldn't hurt. It's an interesting debate. I'm kind of leaning one way on it, but think there's merit on both sides for sure and I don't think there's any wrong answers. This is a great write-up and I agree with most (if not all) of your points. Definitely an interesting debate and I'm really torn on it. I really wanted Lykes out of HS and I think he'd definitely bring a lot to the table. And it's not like we're in a position to turn down talent... But if he were to come here, we'd really need to make sure everyone is on board with the plan (including Lykes). Dante may be a four year player, but we need to make sure he's a four year player FOR US. PTSD from the last few years of transfers has me hesitant. It would be a lot simpler if Lykes was at least average height and an average defender for his position so they could split floor time together. Also, not to mention the potential impact bringing Lykes in would have on the incoming recruiting class - is it worth it for a rental player? Maybe. Maybe not. I was watching the Gonzaga game yesterday and the commentators mentioned how Mark Few spoke with his players one-on-one before Andrew Nembhard came aboard to make sure they were ok with another ball handler being added to the equation and potentially taking away touches. The players all said yes and it clearly worked out well for them. I have trust that Patrick will do his due-diligence in that regard, but idk. I'm still not 100% sold on this Great analysis! I agree with you.
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Mar 29, 2021 20:13:45 GMT -5
You mean the trade for Wahab for Lykes with Miami fell through? 😂
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