Hello all. I have been a regular visitor to this board for many years but this is my first post. A little about me.
I have been a Hoya fan since 1977. I watch almost every game and played a bit myself in the past, but I am not a stats guy. I comment on what I see, which in some cases may be refuted by stats, but I believe personal observations still carry weight. FYI, I do not know anyone on this board.
I attended the Battle for Atlantis and watched all three Hoya games live. I share the following, fwiw:
Josh: It has been said before, but his defenders get away with murder. The grab, crowd, push and grab, and the refs don't even allow him to turn. If this doesn't change, his effectiveness will be diminished. Still, he is the only low post threat we have.
DSR: I think he looks good as a point guard, and you can see his leadership skill when you watch the game in person. I walked by him in the casino and he really is 6'3". I hope we have another year with him.
Hopkins: I will concede that he is better defensively than in prior years, and that he is a good rebounder. That being said, Butler actually ran plays for an undersized Chrabiscz to isolate on Hopkins, and I recall 3 or 4 times when he easily spun around Hopkins for a layup. Some of those baskets were backbreakers.
White: Love this kid. He has a look on his face at all times like he does not care, but he does everything well. And he is a legit 6'9". I think we will get two years out of him but that is it.
Peak: Very disappointing showing for him at the tournament. Unforced turnovers and unable to create a lane to the basket. I still think he will be a solid performer for us.
Trawick: Man, does he talk trash. He was mocking Roosevelt Jones all night and on one play, Jones threw a lob to a big man for a slam dunk and Jones yelled back at him. I like his intensity but sometimes it is counterproductive.
Copeland: This kid jumps through the roof. He altered a number of shots with his vertical leap. What makes him unusual is that he also looked good on his 3 point shots. Put a little weight on him and he will be unstoppable.
Looking forward to this season.