Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Mar 21, 2019 9:40:29 GMT -5
His shots actually all looked good last night, but there was a lid on the basket. Needs to be able to make open threes, especially in our home gym.
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Post by Ranch Dressing on Mar 21, 2019 10:00:58 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat.
That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season.
Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end.
At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered.
Any thoughts/reaction?
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Mar 21, 2019 10:09:31 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? That is one way to look at, but then you are overlooking the sheer force of will that is Mac. I am not going to sell that kid short. In terms of ceiling, I would not be shocked if 2 years from now Mac was his own version of Powell and Howard.
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Filo
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Post by Filo on Mar 21, 2019 10:16:44 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? I don't find what you are saying to be irrational, but, personally, I am not drawing generalizations from a couple of bad performances that Mac had. I think his defense did improve a bit over the course of the season, and I don't think he was any less consistent than Leblanc. I love Leblanc and the energy he brings, but he seems to be the darling of Hoyatalk and gets very little criticism. He only had 6 points to go along with 7 rebounds against Harvard. I would have hoped by the end of the year that he would have dominated a team like that.
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NCHoya
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Post by NCHoya on Mar 21, 2019 10:27:24 GMT -5
His shots actually all looked good last night, but there was a lid on the basket. Needs to be able to make open threes, especially in our home gym. Keep in mind, they do not practice in that gym anymore. I made the mistake of thinking they would have that as a signifcant homecourt advantage.
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kettlehill
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Post by kettlehill on Mar 21, 2019 10:35:57 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? I don't find what you are saying to be irrational, but, personally, I am not drawing generalizations from a couple of bad performances that Mac had. I think his defense did improve a bit over the course of the season, and I don't think he was any less consistent than Leblanc. I love Leblanc and the energy he brings, but he seems to be the darling of Hoyatalk and gets very little criticism. He only had 6 points to go along with 7 rebounds against Harvard. I would have hoped by the end of the year that he would have dominated a team like that. As to Mac, I thought that mid season, he was improving steadily: better defense, more aggressive on the boards and better outside shots. His pull up game was terrific. I will agree that the past few games,his outside shooting has been poor, but they were better shots, he was just missing. Fact is those two wide open threes he missed last night might have cost us the game. But he surely knows this and those misses could be a blessing in ( painful) disguise because this tough gym rat will spend the off season rectifying that situation. Don’t sell this kid short.
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NCHoya
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Post by NCHoya on Mar 21, 2019 10:36:59 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? I am a very big James supporter, and I have been silent on Mac all season. I understand your take. I would have thought by game 33 he would have been able to show more self control when it came to limiting ridiculous shots that have a 15% chance of going in. He seemed to lack the self-discipline to avoid that trap, and his defense was worse than it should be. Where I do not necessarily agree is on his ceiling. One, he is very hard worker and if Ewing tells him improve this or that, he is going to give 100% to do it. Second, I think a simple improvement to his game will be a consistent 3 point shot. That should open up more opportunities for him to drive and score/dish. I really do not see anything limiting him from being an all-BE player, I think he has the raw tools to be a terrific scorer and the athleticism to be a good defender. Playing for such a small high school, he simply never had to refine his game beyond being explosive. Now, he needs to fine tune his skillset. I see no reason he will not put everything he can into doing it.
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HOYAPLAYA
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Mar 21, 2019 10:45:32 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? I don't find what you are saying to be irrational, but, personally, I am not drawing generalizations from a couple of bad performances that Mac had. I think his defense did improve a bit over the course of the season, and I don't think he was any less consistent than Leblanc. I love Leblanc and the energy he brings, but he seems to be the darling of Hoyatalk and gets very little criticism. He only had 6 points to go along with 7 rebounds against Harvard. I would have hoped by the end of the year that he would have dominated a team like that. Honestly, this is the type of assessment that I struggle with. Perhaps, Leblanc would have had a double double if Mac wasn't hoisting up 15 shots on his way to a 10 point performance. I don't even want to hear the "lid" was on the basket and he attempted some "good shots". How about driving in order to look for the best option and not just the best option for him to score. I think the original assessment of the 3 freshman this season was spot on and it will be interesting to see how they evolve over the next 12 months.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Mar 21, 2019 10:49:02 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? Agree and disagree. In a couple post-game interviews, McClung has said as much--he said he needs to get more time in reviewing films and in being smarter about his shots. He understands the gap between the Virginia "A" division and major college basketball is significant, so I think he understands that he needs to build out his game and a year in the system will do that. He's got the quickness and the handle, and needs that 10-12 foot jump shot and a little more luck from three--the shots are usually on target but didn't fall. He also needs to avoid losing his confidence in games when the shots aren't falling--remember, this kid literally carried the town of Gate City on his shoulders and I think he gets frustrated when he's not performing at a top level. Akinjo's problems seem to be a mirror image of McClung. Mac overcompensates and realizes it, Akinjo undercompensates and seems not to understand. A 36 percent average is underwhelming for a guard (for all his poor shooting in the second half of games, Mac still averaged 39 percent) and yet Akinjo continued to make many of the same decisions in games instead of using the point guard position as a distributor. Akinjo took almost twice as many shots as Josh LeBlanc when LeBlanc's 63 percent shooting was far and away the team's best option from two point range. Akinjo does not lack for confidence but he needs to listen to the coaches. My opinion only, but LeBlanc has the most upside of any Georgetown freshman since Jeff Green. LeBlanc isn't quite a 3 and he's not a 4 in the traditional Georgetown mold (at least since Jerome Williams), so how he develops is vital to whether he can continue to grow, and whether Ewing sees him as a primary versus complimentary player. As a point of recent comparison, does Ewing see him as a Mikal Bridges or an Oshae Brissett? I think the staff missed an opportunity by not giving Carter any run time. It's commonplace to use the "coaches know better, they see it in practice" line, but he played the equivalent of less than two full games all season. In hindsight, Ewing gave more time to Mourning than was probably warranted, but whether that was due to the Ewing-Mourning relationship or concern that he couldn't run with four freshmen is not the issue. Giving Carter 6-8 mins. a game in the non-conference, similar to the run Malinowski got, would have provided whether Carter could contribute in Big East play. Malinowski passed that test as a capable backup (and at 5.7 ppg and 44% shooting, he did that) and it would have been helpful to see if Carter could (or could not) do the same). A word of caution: Georgetown will be sitting right back here in First Four/NIT Land in March 2020 if Ewing cannot shake Pickett out of the fog which enveloped him this season. There is no small forward on this team capable of stepping up into that role in 2019-20 and even if you assume Yurtseven can assume Govan's 17 & 7 numbers, Georgetown loses approximately 16 points a game from the combination of Johnson, Malinowski, and Mourning. Alexander figures to be complimentary at best, owing that Will Wade wouldn't have been so quick to show him the door if he was the next Ben Simmons on that team. Fans who have Georgetown penciled in for Friday night next year at the Garden significantly underestimate what is coming back on five or six teams ahead of them in the 2018-19 standings, as well as the obvious--if Ewing keeps playing an NBA-style defense in a college game, Georgetown will not excel.
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Filo
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Post by Filo on Mar 21, 2019 11:28:08 GMT -5
I don't find what you are saying to be irrational, but, personally, I am not drawing generalizations from a couple of bad performances that Mac had. I think his defense did improve a bit over the course of the season, and I don't think he was any less consistent than Leblanc. I love Leblanc and the energy he brings, but he seems to be the darling of Hoyatalk and gets very little criticism. He only had 6 points to go along with 7 rebounds against Harvard. I would have hoped by the end of the year that he would have dominated a team like that. Honestly, this is the type of assessment that I struggle with. Perhaps, Leblanc would have had a double double if Mac wasn't hoisting up 15 shots on his way to a 10 point performance. I don't even want to hear the "lid" was on the basket and he attempted some "good shots". How about driving in order to look for the best option and not just the best option for him to score. I think the original assessment of the 3 freshman this season was spot on and it will be interesting to see how they evolve over the next 12 months. Hey, I agree, he had a bad game. But I also did see him trying to distribute - he had 4 assists and if my recollection is correct, his turnovers occurred when he tried to drive and dish off in traffic. In any event, I do agree that Mac has a lot of work to do; I just think he is the current whipping boy.
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Post by hoyas big supporter on Mar 21, 2019 11:44:37 GMT -5
Without reading recent post the kid simply has to be healthy. Even losing 2-4% of his explosive edge with a bum ankle will make him much less effective when you consider his play style. Needs to learn how to patiently nurse his injuries and nagging bruises.
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Post by hoyas big supporter on Mar 21, 2019 11:48:35 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? Generally agree but based on what I’ve heard and saw during games his ankle probably needed more time to heal and tough to do that inseason. It wasn’t just isolated to his lower ankle so that has made for more inconsistency. But I actually sill think he has a pretty high ceiling - they all do. The first frosh to play their hs type game at this level was Josh, and last night it was glaringly obvious Akinjo was also setting into his natural playstlye, unfortunately for Mac his playstlye requires more reps for him to get in a rhythm and i actually think he’s better with the ball in hands so it’ll take a solid stretch of him coming out gunnin like he did in hs and playing to those strengths and then harnessing them before the game slows down for him in the same way. You’re right, he still has a ways to go for that to happen, but once it does WATCH OUT
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Post by hoyalove4ever on Mar 21, 2019 11:50:23 GMT -5
I'll preface this comment by saying I love all 3 freshman who saw extensive minutes this year and believe they were a significant upgrade in talent and great recruiting by Coach Pat. That said, of the 3, I felt McClung showed the least development during the course of the year. Even last night, Akinjo continues to have a few head scratching turnovers, but his shooting and defense and general play I think steadily improved this season. Josh went from a bench player to a high energy starter searching for rebounds and garbage baskets, to a jump shooting forward showing signs of becoming a true offensive weapon next season. Mac, on the other hand, kind of played the same way all year. His defense never appreciably developed. His shot selection was consistently suspect. And his outside shooting, which began to show signs of tightening up mid-season, devolved toward the end. At least based on the past 6 months, of the 3 frosh, I think one could argue reasonably that Mac has the most limited ceiling and expectations for him perhaps should be tempered. Any thoughts/reaction? Agree and disagree. In a couple post-game interviews, McClung has said as much--he said he needs to get more time in reviewing films and in being smarter about his shots. He understands the gap between the Virginia "A" division and major college basketball is significant, so I think he understands that he needs to build out his game and a year in the system will do that. He's got the quickness and the handle, and needs that 10-12 foot jump shot and a little more luck from three--the shots are usually on target but didn't fall. He also needs to avoid losing his confidence in games when the shots aren't falling--remember, this kid literally carried the town of Gate City on his shoulders and I think he gets frustrated when he's not performing at a top level. Akinjo's problems seem to be a mirror image of McClung. Mac overcompensates and realizes it, Akinjo undercompensates and seems not to understand. A 36 percent average is underwhelming for a guard (for all his poor shooting in the second half of games, Mac still averaged 39 percent) and yet Akinjo continued to make many of the same decisions in games instead of using the point guard position as a distributor. Akinjo took almost twice as many shots as Josh LeBlanc when LeBlanc's 63 percent shooting was far and away the team's best option from two point range. Akinjo does not lack for confidence but he needs to listen to the coaches. My opinion only, but LeBlanc has the most upside of any Georgetown freshman since Jeff Green. LeBlanc isn't quite a 3 and he's not a 4 in the traditional Georgetown mold (at least since Jerome Williams), so how he develops is vital to whether he can continue to grow, and whether Ewing sees him as a primary versus complimentary player. As a point of recent comparison, does Ewing see him as a Mikal Bridges or an Oshae Brissett? I think the staff missed an opportunity by not giving Carter any run time. It's commonplace to use the "coaches know better, they see it in practice" line, but he played the equivalent of less than two full games all season. In hindsight, Ewing gave more time to Mourning than was probably warranted, but whether that was due to the Ewing-Mourning relationship or concern that he couldn't run with four freshmen is not the issue. Giving Carter 6-8 mins. a game in the non-conference, similar to the run Malinowski got, would have provided whether Carter could contribute in Big East play. Malinowski passed that test as a capable backup (and at 5.7 ppg and 44% shooting, he did that) and it would have been helpful to see if Carter could (or could not) do the same). A word of caution: Georgetown will be sitting right back here in First Four/NIT Land in March 2020 if Ewing cannot shake Pickett out of the fog which enveloped him this season. There is no small forward on this team capable of stepping up into that role in 2019-20 and even if you assume Yurtseven can assume Govan's 17 & 7 numbers, Georgetown loses approximately 16 points a game from the combination of Johnson, Malinowski, and Mourning. Alexander figures to be complimentary at best, owing that Will Wade wouldn't have been so quick to show him the door if he was the next Ben Simmons on that team. Fans who have Georgetown penciled in for Friday night next year at the Garden significantly underestimate what is coming back on five or six teams ahead of them in the 2018-19 standings, as well as the obvious--if Ewing keeps playing an NBA-style defense in a college game, Georgetown will not excel. The Hoyas have not played NBA-style defense under Ewing.
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HOYAPLAYA
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Mar 21, 2019 12:05:23 GMT -5
Honestly, this is the type of assessment that I struggle with. Perhaps, Leblanc would have had a double double if Mac wasn't hoisting up 15 shots on his way to a 10 point performance. I don't even want to hear the "lid" was on the basket and he attempted some "good shots". How about driving in order to look for the best option and not just the best option for him to score. I think the original assessment of the 3 freshman this season was spot on and it will be interesting to see how they evolve over the next 12 months. Hey, I agree, he had a bad game. But I also did see him trying to distribute - he had 4 assists and if my recollection is correct, his turnovers occurred when he tried to drive and dish off in traffic. In any event, I do agree that Mac has a lot of work to do; I just think he is the current whipping boy. I guess I disagree that he is the whipping boy though. I think he gets away with more than anyone else on the roster. If you follow the game threads, it is as silent when he makes a bonehead play as it was when Jesse goes on a scoring barrage. The growth I'm looking for from Mac will be him driving with his head up and the number of assists he gets on kick out passes versus last ditch under the basket highlight versions. The "no looks and wrap arounds" are a thing of beauty but the not so flashy, smart basketball plays are what you see more often from the top half of the conference and in the Top 25 rankings. For every nice wrap around dish from under the basket is another one that ends up in the hands of the defense or knocked away. If the defense has to start playing for the pass when he drives, it will just make his drives more effective. Right now, I'd just crash my play side defenders to the paint when he drives because odds are he isn't going to kick it out.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Mar 21, 2019 12:12:33 GMT -5
The Hoyas have not played NBA-style defense under Ewing. A better choice of words, perhaps: the NBA approach to defense is merely to outscore someone, whether it's 71-68 or 131-128. College demands more direct defensive pursuit, of which this team, which allowed 78.1 points a game, did not do. Example: The 2007 team held opponents to 58 points a game. Split that in half: how many games does this team win holding opponents to 68 points?
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Post by centercourt400s on Mar 21, 2019 12:27:11 GMT -5
The Hoyas have not played NBA-style defense under Ewing. A better choice of words, perhaps: the NBA approach to defense is merely to outscore someone, whether it's 71-68 or 131-128. College demands more direct defensive pursuit, of which this team, which allowed 78.1 points a game, did not do. Example: The 2007 team held opponents to 58 points a game. Split that in half: how many games does this team win holding opponents to 68 points? Outscoring your opponent seems a pretty obvious goal. If Ewing can get the Hoyas doing that consistently, regardless of the style employed, I doubt there would be much criticism.
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jester
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Post by jester on Mar 21, 2019 12:53:18 GMT -5
Defense and half-court effectiveness won on Selection Sunday. One coach pointed out that only three of the top 30 teams in tempo made the NCAA tournament, while 11 of the 30 slowest heard their names called.
And here's one, from the same coach: "Twenty-three of the top 27 teams in the country in 2-point defense made the field."
- espn
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smokeyjack
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Post by smokeyjack on Mar 21, 2019 12:56:59 GMT -5
You don’t have to be a very good defensive team to be successful. But you do need to be able to dial up great defense in must-stop situations. It’s very hard to flip the switch and impossible for young teams. And Mac was abominable on the defensive end all season. He’ll likely never be a good defender, but he’s got to improve to passable. Unlike Jessie, who never really got to passable, Mac plays the one position where you can get away with being a quasi-crap defender.
And Mac was absolutely the most culpable regular for last night’s loss. He missed a handful of utterly uncontested triples, including the one late with the game tied that was basically an unchallenged killshot. Got to make that one. That’s the only reason he’s on the floor.
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Post by hoyalove4ever on Mar 21, 2019 13:06:09 GMT -5
Yeah, I think that we all agree that defense should be improved, but if that implies a lack of attention to defense by the staff, I am not sure what would lead to that notion.
Recent recruiting strongly suggests the staff is trying to bring in good defenders, as do moves like starting Jagan Mosely.
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Post by cgallstar02 on Mar 21, 2019 16:14:33 GMT -5
In regards to saying Mac didn't develop much during the season, I would say that is simply not true. Early in the season Pat would rarely even play him for the last 5-10 minutes of a close game, by the end of the year, (last night excluded) he along with James was our most clutch player at the end of games. While he's certainly not a defensive force, his defense most definitely improved over the course of the season, and he even showed in a few particular games that when he's really focused on that end, he's actually capable of being an above average defender. Another area of improvement was his handle, it really stood out to me in last nights game. The way he weaved through traffic for that layup off the steal was a thing of a beauty. He also had a few other plays where I thought he relied on shiftiness and his handle, ala James, to get past his defender, instead of simply relying on his first step as he did earlier in the year. His passing also improved. I would go so far as to say that in last nights game he was the best passer on the team. He had 4 assists and another 3 or 4 great passes that would've been assists but the guy he passed to ended up getting fouled. He had the one bad turnover towards the end on the drive and dish to Leblanc, but aside from that his passing was money last night. His outside shot kind of went through phases during the year. Started out horrible, became pretty good, then became pretty bad. Obviously consistency is key. The potential to be a good shooter is there though, just needs to continue to work on it.
He closed the year out with 2 subpar performances and for that I think some people are unjustifiably down on him. I actually thought he played a good game last night from the standpoint of his passing and shot selection. The outside shots just weren't falling... it happens to everyone, just look at some of Markus Howard's recent performances.
As far as his ceiling is concerned I would have to say it's considerably higher than James. When you talk about ceiling, it usually involves two things, size and athleticism, two areas James is majorly deficient in, while both Mac and Josh have athleticism in abundance. Why? Because these are the two areas you can't teach or learn, you're born with it or you're not. Also you have to look at what James did this year and ask yourself how much better can he be? 13 and 5 from your PG is quite good, I would say around 16 and 7 with improved shooting percentages and lower turnovers is his ceiling. On the flip side, if Mac can improve his shooting, he absolutely could be a 20+ guy in the mold of Howard/Powell. I don't expect that for next year, as I assume Yurt will take Jessies role as the number 1 option on offense, but depending if Yurt leaves after next year and what kind of recruits/transfers they get, I could definitely see Junior or Senior year Mac in that 22-25 ppg realm. For next year I'd like to see him around 16 ppg, 4 boards, and 3 assists per game. Get the FG% close to 45 and the 3% around 35 and I'll be very happy.
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