hoyaguy
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,861
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Post by hoyaguy on May 25, 2022 0:01:18 GMT -5
It comes down to whether he can hit his Curtis Staples 3pt shot. If he shoots 25% again he won’t play much. If he can shot 33% or more he will be unstoppable. I wish this were true. Ewing will overplay Dante no matter what. It’s a head scratcher. That is a huge one because I think overall we likely have upgraded the rest of the lineup but the 1 is not where you want your least efficient and effective player to be. It is like Bile early in his season here, Dante needs to cool it with all of the shots and pick his moments instead of going into overdrive every possession. Having Q back should help as I was looking forward to the duo this past season before Q left and hopefully it can work out with Dante having more options of who can score. Also please someone tell him taking a 2 pointer in motion a foot inside the arc is not going to get us wins. Even if he is our best option Ewing has to realize he can’t overplay him which it doesn’t take 5 years of coaching to understand
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jwp91
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,040
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Post by jwp91 on May 25, 2022 4:41:51 GMT -5
Having a reliable post and a compliment of outside shooters should help Dante play more efficiently. He may have felt he had to do it all because there wasn’t enough around him, and some may argue that he was right….even if it was beyond his capabilities.
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bluegray79
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by bluegray79 on May 25, 2022 9:07:41 GMT -5
About Dante -- I hope it's true that he heard from PE or the coaches that he will have to compete for minutes. That thinking would put everything on a good track -- Dante would know that he can't do everything he did last year but could focus on what he does best and what helps the offense most. If he doesn't/can't, he'll platoon with others and learn. I also hope more depth at the PG position will keep his injuries down.
That being said, PE's loyalty to Dante seems strong. So, expect the starting PG spot to be Dante's to lose.
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78HOYA78
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
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Post by 78HOYA78 on May 25, 2022 9:22:28 GMT -5
Dante is very quick and gets to the basket very well. If I was his coach I would tell him to slow down and survey the court and don't rush your shot. Be more of a floor general and if he is not the Captain he can become one.
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bluegray79
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by bluegray79 on May 25, 2022 11:42:00 GMT -5
Dante is very quick and gets to the basket very well. If I was his coach I would tell him to slow down and survey the court and don't rush your shot. Be more of a floor general and if he is not the Captain he can become one. Agreed - he got in the most trouble when he was out of control down deep and when he took shots out of his range (15-18' seems to be his sweet spot). Granted, he made some of those shots buts they were not high percentage and he missed more than he made. Yes to slow down, read the court, be a floor general. Penetrate and dish. If the 15 footer is there, take it. Save the high energy for the defensive end, and always bring that down-to-business game face. I love a focused, chip-on-the-shoulder Dante. Would love feedback on this point: not sure what pro team it is, but I think it's the Warriors. Not important, but they came up with numbers and metrics that encourage taking that open mid-range 2-point shot instead of getting all crazy about finding someone outside the arc to take a three, often times for a less open look and shot. It makes me crazy to see that happening, and if you watch the NBA playoffs, you'll see it happening several times a game. The 3 is exciting and all that, but for efficiency and optimal, high percentage scroing, give me the open 2 9 times out of 10. (Could be the Celtics. - Marcus Smart has a beautiful pullup from 15')
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hoyaguy
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,861
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Post by hoyaguy on May 25, 2022 12:53:05 GMT -5
Dante is very quick and gets to the basket very well. If I was his coach I would tell him to slow down and survey the court and don't rush your shot. Be more of a floor general and if he is not the Captain he can become one. Agreed - he got in the most trouble when he was out of control down deep and when he took shots out of his range (15-18' seems to be his sweet spot). Granted, he made some of those shots buts they were not high percentage and he missed more than he made. Yes to slow down, read the court, be a floor general. Penetrate and dish. If the 15 footer is there, take it. Save the high energy for the defensive end, and always bring that down-to-business game face. I love a focused, chip-on-the-shoulder Dante. Would love feedback on this point: not sure what pro team it is, but I think it's the Warriors. Not important, but they came up with numbers and metrics that encourage taking that open mid-range 2-point shot instead of getting all crazy about finding someone outside the arc to take a three, often times for a less open look and shot. It makes me crazy to see that happening, and if you watch the NBA playoffs, you'll see it happening several times a game. The 3 is exciting and all that, but for efficiency and optimal, high percentage scroing, give me the open 2 9 times out of 10. (Could be the Celtics. - Marcus Smart has a beautiful pullup from 15') Absolutely prefer Dante using his energy on the defensive end more than trying to beat traffic. And yea for the scenario you described the 2 pointer may be better but that’s also the nba where basically everyone is a capable shooter and the warriors. Either way it is about reading the game and situation and maximizing players based on their abilities and Dante taking those kinds of shots is not the way imo unless it’s the best option
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
Posts: 18,396
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Post by SSHoya on May 25, 2022 12:57:17 GMT -5
Agreed - he got in the most trouble when he was out of control down deep and when he took shots out of his range (15-18' seems to be his sweet spot). Granted, he made some of those shots buts they were not high percentage and he missed more than he made. Yes to slow down, read the court, be a floor general. Penetrate and dish. If the 15 footer is there, take it. Save the high energy for the defensive end, and always bring that down-to-business game face. I love a focused, chip-on-the-shoulder Dante. Would love feedback on this point: not sure what pro team it is, but I think it's the Warriors. Not important, but they came up with numbers and metrics that encourage taking that open mid-range 2-point shot instead of getting all crazy about finding someone outside the arc to take a three, often times for a less open look and shot. It makes me crazy to see that happening, and if you watch the NBA playoffs, you'll see it happening several times a game. The 3 is exciting and all that, but for efficiency and optimal, high percentage scroing, give me the open 2 9 times out of 10. (Could be the Celtics. - Marcus Smart has a beautiful pullup from 15') Absolutely prefer Dante using his energy on the defensive end more than trying to beat traffic. And yea for the scenario you described the 2 pointer may be better but that’s also the nba where basically everyone is a capable shooter and the warriors. Either way it is about reading the game and situation and maximizing players based on their abilities and Dante taking those kinds of shots is not the way imo unless it’s the best option Yes! Defensive discipline. A number of times last year Dante went for the steal resulting in him being out of position.
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Post by footahh on May 25, 2022 19:54:25 GMT -5
POINT GUARD: (1) Dante Harris (2) Denver Anglin
The 1 is DANTE HARRIS's job. You hope that the efficiency improves but even if it doesn't, a drop in usage given better teammates should make it at least look a little better. He needs to embrace a role and become a floor general out there. If he dos that and there's any improvement in the jumpshot, he will be a real quality player. As for the defense, it needs to return to Freshman Dante - where he posted a 1.9 DBPM (dropped to -0.2 this past year). I assume this will improve with better health and a decreased workload on the offensive end. DENVER ANGLIN is the back-up here for me. I see Primo more as a gunner 2 in the mold of a young Jahvon Blair and Anglin has the potential to be a steady force. I have high hopes for him being ready to contribute as the jumper is ready made and he's spent his time in high school and AAU playing with a very high level of talent. The body looks ready from day 1 too. If he gets buried on account of Ewing's desperation, I will be disappointed.
SHOOTING GUARD: (1) Jay Heath (2) Primo Spears
JAY HEATH is better than you guys think. He's been efficient (True shooting % better than 50% all three years). He's a competent shooter. He's an improved defender (second in DBPM on Arizona St last year) which isn't surprising for a guard coached by a Hurley. And he's displayed all of this playing at a high level. If he gets a waiver, he's on the court. For me, PRIMO SPEARS is the back-up although Anglin could slot to the 2 as well. His role should be as a gunner. He is pretty advanced as an isolation scorer and I think he can be a willing passer but he is a long way from being as reliable as Heath would be at this level. And the defensive numbers are pretty bad - he had the worst DBPM of anybody in Duquesne's rotation - but that may be a result of him taking breaks on D as he was asked to do so much on O.
SMALL FORWARD: (1) Brandon Murray (2) Wayne Bristol OR Jordan Riley
So there are going to be three guard lineups almost exclusively, I'd bet, due to the personnel. And BRANDON MURRAY is going to be on the court more than anyone else. Don't think anybody on this board needs to be brought up on Murray. An elite defender that will guard the best guy in the gym. A competent volume scorer at every level he's played at as well, although he showed he didn't need to be featured at LSU. IMO, you're best player. As his back up, I put WAYNE BRISTOL or JORDAN RILEY. Quite simply, you cannot play 13 guys and some of these guys are going to have to beat each other out for time. Similarly to Spears and Anglin tussling for combo guard minutes, these two will be fighting to be depth wingers. In Bristol, you get a guy that hasn't really played in three years but when he did play, he showed he had some size (6-6) and an ability to shoot from the perimeter. The defensive metrics aren't great but no one's were on Nickleberry's Howard teams. But the body and make up is there for him to be a competent defender. In Riley, you have the biggest boom or bust guy on the team. I'd love to see him given his shot because if it does click, it's an NBA profile. But in the limited time he saw last year he was lost defensively. I wouldn't look too much into him staying as him being guaranteed a role. He got hurt and GTown stuck by him - there wouldn't have been much of a market for him in the portal.
POWER FORWARD: (1) Akok Akok (2) Bryson Mozone (3) D'Ante Bass
If AKOK AKOK is healthy, this team is good. He's a monster defensively that solves a lot of the problems by accident. He can rim run and shoot the three a bit. He's pretty much if you put Chudier in a 6-10 lengthy body and gave him a block % of 8. It's elite. UConn was pretty damn good when he was on the floor but the biggest concern is he's only played more than 20 minutes 3 times since the achilles. In BRYSON MOZONE, you probably are getting a more athletic, tougher Collin. He was pretty efficient last year, showed some ability to play on the block, and the three point shot is reliable. He'll provide valuable depth and size where Akok's workload may be a question. D'ANTE BASS is a redshirt candidate in my opinion.
CENTER: (1) Qudus Wahab (2) Ryan Mutombo OR Bradley Ezewiro
QUDUS WAHAB is going to get the lion's share of minutes as he should. The 2021 version of him would've been your best player last year. The Colorado game has soiled some thoughts on his defense. He was fine - 3rd in blocks in Big East, 6th in defensive rebounds, a 1.9 DBPM (aided by the ineptitude of his backups). And he will benefit greatly from playing next to AKok. As for the backup, I think it's a toss up. RYAN MUTOMBO has the potential but he needs to dominate the weight room and get stronger and most importantly, more agile. Q made a big jump from year 1 to year 2. Need a similar jump from Ryan. BRADLEY EZEWIRO doesn't have any tape so I don't really know what he is but I'm not ready to say he isn't above Ryan. If you dropped Ryan in that LSU frontcourt, he wouldn't have played either. But nonetheless, I doubt both these guys get worked into the rotation so it's one or the other and AKok can cover at the 5 in small ball lineups as well. I wouldn't be against a Mutombo redshirt but there is no way that's happening.
It's a good team. Some good players are going to be cut out of the rotation. That's a sign of healthy competition. Now you just have to manage the egos and make it work.
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,777
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Post by DFW HOYA on May 25, 2022 20:28:30 GMT -5
It's a good team. Some good players are going to be cut out of the rotation. That's a sign of healthy competition. Now you just have to manage the egos and make it work. Good list and point taken on the rotation. I agree that Heath will play a significant role. By conference play, Ewing's teams have posted the following rotation of players with 10 or minutes per game: 2018-19: 10 2019-20: 7 2020-21: 7 2021-22: 8 An eight man rotation will effectively bench five names on this list.
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Post by trillesthoya on May 25, 2022 20:48:52 GMT -5
POINT GUARD: (1) Dante Harris (2) Denver Anglin The 1 is DANTE HARRIS's job. You hope that the efficiency improves but even if it doesn't, a drop in usage given better teammates should make it at least look a little better. He needs to embrace a role and become a floor general out there. If he dos that and there's any improvement in the jumpshot, he will be a real quality player. As for the defense, it needs to return to Freshman Dante - where he posted a 1.9 DBPM (dropped to -0.2 this past year). I assume this will improve with better health and a decreased workload on the offensive end. DENVER ANGLIN is the back-up here for me. I see Primo more as a gunner 2 in the mold of a young Jahvon Blair and Anglin has the potential to be a steady force. I have high hopes for him being ready to contribute as the jumper is ready made and he's spent his time in high school and AAU playing with a very high level of talent. The body looks ready from day 1 too. If he gets buried on account of Ewing's desperation, I will be disappointed. SHOOTING GUARD: (1) Jay Heath (2) Primo Spears JAY HEATH is better than you guys think. He's been efficient (True shooting % better than 50% all three years). He's a competent shooter. He's an improved defender (second in DBPM on Arizona St last year) which isn't surprising for a guard coached by a Hurley. And he's displayed all of this playing at a high level. If he gets a waiver, he's on the court. For me, PRIMO SPEARS is the back-up although Anglin could slot to the 2 as well. His role should be as a gunner. He is pretty advanced as an isolation scorer and I think he can be a willing passer but he is a long way from being as reliable as Heath would be at this level. And the defensive numbers are pretty bad - he had the worst DBPM of anybody in Duquesne's rotation - but that may be a result of him taking breaks on D as he was asked to do so much on O. SMALL FORWARD: (1) Brandon Murray (2) Wayne Bristol OR Jordan Riley So there are going to be three guard lineups almost exclusively, I'd bet, due to the personnel. And BRANDON MURRAY is going to be on the court more than anyone else. Don't think anybody on this board needs to be brought up on Murray. An elite defender that will guard the best guy in the gym. A competent volume scorer at every level he's played at as well, although he showed he didn't need to be featured at LSU. IMO, you're best player. As his back up, I put WAYNE BRISTOL or JORDAN RILEY. Quite simply, you cannot play 13 guys and some of these guys are going to have to beat each other out for time. Similarly to Spears and Anglin tussling for combo guard minutes, these two will be fighting to be depth wingers. In Bristol, you get a guy that hasn't really played in three years but when he did play, he showed he had some size (6-6) and an ability to shoot from the perimeter. The defensive metrics aren't great but no one's were on Nickleberry's Howard teams. But the body and make up is there for him to be a competent defender. In Riley, you have the biggest boom or bust guy on the team. I'd love to see him given his shot because if it does click, it's an NBA profile. But in the limited time he saw last year he was lost defensively. I wouldn't look too much into him staying as him being guaranteed a role. He got hurt and GTown stuck by him - there wouldn't have been much of a market for him in the portal. POWER FORWARD: (1) Akok Akok (2) Bryson Mozone (3) D'Ante Bass If AKOK AKOK is healthy, this team is good. He's a monster defensively that solves a lot of the problems by accident. He can rim run and shoot the three a bit. He's pretty much if you put Chudier in a 6-10 lengthy body and gave him a block % of 8. It's elite. UConn was pretty damn good when he was on the floor but the biggest concern is he's only played more than 20 minutes 3 times since the achilles. In BRYSON MOZONE, you probably are getting a more athletic, tougher Collin. He was pretty efficient last year, showed some ability to play on the block, and the three point shot is reliable. He'll provide valuable depth and size where Akok's workload may be a question. D'ANTE BASS is a redshirt candidate in my opinion. CENTER: (1) Qudus Wahab (2) Ryan Mutombo OR Bradley Ezewiro QUDUS WAHAB is going to get the lion's share of minutes as he should. The 2021 version of him would've been your best player last year. The Colorado game has soiled some thoughts on his defense. He was fine - 3rd in blocks in Big East, 6th in defensive rebounds, a 1.9 DBPM (aided by the ineptitude of his backups). And he will benefit greatly from playing next to AKok. As for the backup, I think it's a toss up. RYAN MUTOMBO has the potential but he needs to dominate the weight room and get stronger and most importantly, more agile. Q made a big jump from year 1 to year 2. Need a similar jump from Ryan. BRADLEY EZEWIRO doesn't have any tape so I don't really know what he is but I'm not ready to say he isn't above Ryan. If you dropped Ryan in that LSU frontcourt, he wouldn't have played either. But nonetheless, I doubt both these guys get worked into the rotation so it's one or the other and AKok can cover at the 5 in small ball lineups as well. I wouldn't be against a Mutombo redshirt but there is no way that's happening. It's a good team. Some good players are going to be cut out of the rotation. That's a sign of healthy competition. Now you just have to manage the egos and make it work. Great post. Very much appreciate this type of analysis on the site.
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Post by footahh on May 25, 2022 21:37:09 GMT -5
It's a good team. Some good players are going to be cut out of the rotation. That's a sign of healthy competition. Now you just have to manage the egos and make it work. Good list and point taken on the rotation. I agree that Heath will play a significant role. By conference play, Ewing's teams have posted the following rotation of players with 10 or minutes per game: 2018-19: 10 2019-20: 7 2020-21: 7 2021-22: 8 An eight man rotation will effectively bench five names on this list. Seems fair. Bass, one of Riley/Bristol, and one of Mutombo/Ezewiro miss out. The winner of the Ezewiro/Mutombo back up sweepstakes probably ends up playing less than 10 mpg with Akok playing some small ball. And there will eventually be one winner of the Anglin/Primo backup role although I'd hate to bury a guy like Anglin from day 1 - as I've just stated.
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iowa80
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,402
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Post by iowa80 on May 25, 2022 21:42:42 GMT -5
POINT GUARD: (1) Dante Harris (2) Denver Anglin The 1 is DANTE HARRIS's job. You hope that the efficiency improves but even if it doesn't, a drop in usage given better teammates should make it at least look a little better. He needs to embrace a role and become a floor general out there. If he dos that and there's any improvement in the jumpshot, he will be a real quality player. As for the defense, it needs to return to Freshman Dante - where he posted a 1.9 DBPM (dropped to -0.2 this past year). I assume this will improve with better health and a decreased workload on the offensive end. DENVER ANGLIN is the back-up here for me. I see Primo more as a gunner 2 in the mold of a young Jahvon Blair and Anglin has the potential to be a steady force. I have high hopes for him being ready to contribute as the jumper is ready made and he's spent his time in high school and AAU playing with a very high level of talent. The body looks ready from day 1 too. If he gets buried on account of Ewing's desperation, I will be disappointed. Very nice post. But I think the issue of Spears v. Harris is being undersold. I see Spears as much as a challenge to Harris at PG as a 2. My guess is he'll do a bit of both. It remains to be seen if Anglin is a 1 or 2, just so he gets minutes at either.
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bluegray79
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,100
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Post by bluegray79 on May 25, 2022 22:15:55 GMT -5
Dante is very quick and gets to the basket very well. If I was his coach I would tell him to slow down and survey the court and don't rush your shot. Be more of a floor general and if he is not the Captain he can become one. Agreed - he got in the most trouble when he was out of control down deep and when he took shots out of his range (15-18' seems to be his sweet spot). Granted, he made some of those shots buts they were not high percentage and he missed more than he made. Yes to slow down, read the court, be a floor general. Penetrate and dish. If the 15 footer is there, take it. Save the high energy for the defensive end, and always bring that down-to-business game face. I love a focused, chip-on-the-shoulder Dante. Would love feedback on this point: not sure what pro team it is, but I think it's the Warriors. Not important, but they came up with numbers and metrics that encourage taking that open mid-range 2-point shot instead of getting all crazy about finding someone outside the arc to take a three, often times for a less open look and shot. It makes me crazy to see that happening, and if you watch the NBA playoffs, you'll see it happening several times a game. The 3 is exciting and all that, but for efficiency and optimal, high percentage scoring, give me the open 2 9 times out of 10. (Could be the Celtics. - Marcus Smart has a beautiful pullup from 15') Nope - not Marcus Smart. It's Jalen Brown I was thinking of. Beautiful stop on a dime pullup jumper from 15 - a thing of beauty. Right up Dante's alley.
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,488
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Post by hoyaboya on May 25, 2022 22:36:07 GMT -5
POINT GUARD: (1) Dante Harris (2) Denver Anglin The 1 is DANTE HARRIS's job. You hope that the efficiency improves but even if it doesn't, a drop in usage given better teammates should make it at least look a little better. He needs to embrace a role and become a floor general out there. If he dos that and there's any improvement in the jumpshot, he will be a real quality player. As for the defense, it needs to return to Freshman Dante - where he posted a 1.9 DBPM (dropped to -0.2 this past year). I assume this will improve with better health and a decreased workload on the offensive end. DENVER ANGLIN is the back-up here for me. I see Primo more as a gunner 2 in the mold of a young Jahvon Blair and Anglin has the potential to be a steady force. I have high hopes for him being ready to contribute as the jumper is ready made and he's spent his time in high school and AAU playing with a very high level of talent. The body looks ready from day 1 too. If he gets buried on account of Ewing's desperation, I will be disappointed. Very nice post. But I think the issue of Spears v. Harris is being undersold. I see Spears as much as a challenge to Harris at PG as a 2. My guess is he'll do a bit of both. It remains to be seen if Anglin is a 1 or 2, just so he gets minutes at either. I agree with this - I don’t think Spears came here to sit on the bench. Ewing plays favorites with Harris so I won’t be surprised if he starts at the 1 at the beginning of the season, but Harris is probably the 5th or 6th most talented backcourt player on the roster at this point. I think Spears is starting at PG by conference season.
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Post by professorhoya on May 25, 2022 22:37:08 GMT -5
POINT GUARD: (1) Dante Harris (2) Denver Anglin The 1 is DANTE HARRIS's job. You hope that the efficiency improves but even if it doesn't, a drop in usage given better teammates should make it at least look a little better. He needs to embrace a role and become a floor general out there. If he dos that and there's any improvement in the jumpshot, he will be a real quality player. As for the defense, it needs to return to Freshman Dante - where he posted a 1.9 DBPM (dropped to -0.2 this past year). I assume this will improve with better health and a decreased workload on the offensive end. DENVER ANGLIN is the back-up here for me. I see Primo more as a gunner 2 in the mold of a young Jahvon Blair and Anglin has the potential to be a steady force. I have high hopes for him being ready to contribute as the jumper is ready made and he's spent his time in high school and AAU playing with a very high level of talent. The body looks ready from day 1 too. If he gets buried on account of Ewing's desperation, I will be disappointed. SHOOTING GUARD: (1) Jay Heath (2) Primo Spears JAY HEATH is better than you guys think. He's been efficient (True shooting % better than 50% all three years). He's a competent shooter. He's an improved defender (second in DBPM on Arizona St last year) which isn't surprising for a guard coached by a Hurley. And he's displayed all of this playing at a high level. If he gets a waiver, he's on the court. For me, PRIMO SPEARS is the back-up although Anglin could slot to the 2 as well. His role should be as a gunner. He is pretty advanced as an isolation scorer and I think he can be a willing passer but he is a long way from being as reliable as Heath would be at this level. And the defensive numbers are pretty bad - he had the worst DBPM of anybody in Duquesne's rotation - but that may be a result of him taking breaks on D as he was asked to do so much on O. SMALL FORWARD: (1) Brandon Murray (2) Wayne Bristol OR Jordan Riley So there are going to be three guard lineups almost exclusively, I'd bet, due to the personnel. And BRANDON MURRAY is going to be on the court more than anyone else. Don't think anybody on this board needs to be brought up on Murray. An elite defender that will guard the best guy in the gym. A competent volume scorer at every level he's played at as well, although he showed he didn't need to be featured at LSU. IMO, you're best player. As his back up, I put WAYNE BRISTOL or JORDAN RILEY. Quite simply, you cannot play 13 guys and some of these guys are going to have to beat each other out for time. Similarly to Spears and Anglin tussling for combo guard minutes, these two will be fighting to be depth wingers. In Bristol, you get a guy that hasn't really played in three years but when he did play, he showed he had some size (6-6) and an ability to shoot from the perimeter. The defensive metrics aren't great but no one's were on Nickleberry's Howard teams. But the body and make up is there for him to be a competent defender. In Riley, you have the biggest boom or bust guy on the team. I'd love to see him given his shot because if it does click, it's an NBA profile. But in the limited time he saw last year he was lost defensively. I wouldn't look too much into him staying as him being guaranteed a role. He got hurt and GTown stuck by him - there wouldn't have been much of a market for him in the portal. POWER FORWARD: (1) Akok Akok (2) Bryson Mozone (3) D'Ante Bass If AKOK AKOK is healthy, this team is good. He's a monster defensively that solves a lot of the problems by accident. He can rim run and shoot the three a bit. He's pretty much if you put Chudier in a 6-10 lengthy body and gave him a block % of 8. It's elite. UConn was pretty damn good when he was on the floor but the biggest concern is he's only played more than 20 minutes 3 times since the achilles. In BRYSON MOZONE, you probably are getting a more athletic, tougher Collin. He was pretty efficient last year, showed some ability to play on the block, and the three point shot is reliable. He'll provide valuable depth and size where Akok's workload may be a question. D'ANTE BASS is a redshirt candidate in my opinion. CENTER: (1) Qudus Wahab (2) Ryan Mutombo OR Bradley Ezewiro QUDUS WAHAB is going to get the lion's share of minutes as he should. The 2021 version of him would've been your best player last year. The Colorado game has soiled some thoughts on his defense. He was fine - 3rd in blocks in Big East, 6th in defensive rebounds, a 1.9 DBPM (aided by the ineptitude of his backups). And he will benefit greatly from playing next to AKok. As for the backup, I think it's a toss up. RYAN MUTOMBO has the potential but he needs to dominate the weight room and get stronger and most importantly, more agile. Q made a big jump from year 1 to year 2. Need a similar jump from Ryan. BRADLEY EZEWIRO doesn't have any tape so I don't really know what he is but I'm not ready to say he isn't above Ryan. If you dropped Ryan in that LSU frontcourt, he wouldn't have played either. But nonetheless, I doubt both these guys get worked into the rotation so it's one or the other and AKok can cover at the 5 in small ball lineups as well. I wouldn't be against a Mutombo redshirt but there is no way that's happening. It's a good team. Some good players are going to be cut out of the rotation. That's a sign of healthy competition. Now you just have to manage the egos and make it work. There are alot of good parts so I don't see it being strict competition of heath vs spears, bristol vs murray. If Bristol and Murray are playing great I can see them be at the 2 and 3 in at the same time. Or if Dante and Denver are producing then they are 1-2 with Spears/Heath/Bristol going to the bench. Ezerio and Akok both seem like they can shift between the 4-5. Alot will depend on matchups and whose hot but the competition will be across the board and not limited to positions.
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beenaround
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,475
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Post by beenaround on May 25, 2022 22:39:42 GMT -5
I’ll be very disappointed if Ryan hasn’t further refined his skills and defense and isn’t playing 20 mins a game.. I think a lot of you folks are sleeping on him.
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hoyaroc
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,324
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Post by hoyaroc on May 25, 2022 23:06:30 GMT -5
CENTER: (1) Qudus Wahab (2) Ryan Mutombo OR Bradley Ezewiro
QUDUS WAHAB is going to get the lion's share of minutes as he should. The 2021 version of him would've been your best player last year. The Colorado game has soiled some thoughts on his defense. He was fine - 3rd in blocks in Big East, 6th in defensive rebounds, a 1.9 DBPM (aided by the ineptitude of his backups). And he will benefit greatly from playing next to AKok. As for the backup, I think it's a toss up. RYAN MUTOMBO has the potential but he needs to dominate the weight room and get stronger and most importantly, more agile. Q made a big jump from year 1 to year 2. Need a similar jump from Ryan. BRADLEY EZEWIRO doesn't have any tape so I don't really know what he is but I'm not ready to say he isn't above Ryan. If you dropped Ryan in that LSU frontcourt, he wouldn't have played either. But nonetheless, I doubt both these guys get worked into the rotation so it's one or the other and AKok can cover at the 5 in small ball lineups as well. I wouldn't be against a Mutombo redshirt but there is no way that's happening.
Don’t sleep on Ezewiro the kid is a beast. Ewing stated he’s excited to have a physical low post player. If Wahab gets in early foul trouble then Ezewiro will definitely play major minutes.
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,488
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Post by hoyaboya on May 26, 2022 8:05:22 GMT -5
Akok started last season with fairly consistent playing time, starting a handful of games. But it became clear in the final six weeks of the season that the staff simply did not trust him to play major minutes or in big spots. Down the line, Akok could appear midway through the first half, block a shot, hit a jumper, miss a defensive mission and/or get beaten for a rebound. He would come back to the bench after maybe five or six minutes, often only to not come back at all. And that is if he played at all. Akok did not play in any of UConn’s Big East Tournament games and saw only three minutes of action in the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament loss to New Mexico State. “I think in his mind he loved school, he loved his teammates a lot, had good relationships and was optimistic,” Pastore added. “But at the end of the day he wasn’t sure what his role would be. It’s a matter of opportunity. www.friendplans.com/akok-akoks-uconn-mens-basketball-career-started-early-and-will-end-early-its-all-about-opportunity/
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Post by hoyalove4ever on May 26, 2022 8:18:21 GMT -5
Let's see if Akok is healthy and how he adjusts to playing at GU.
There IS some real talent on this roster. We shall see how it all comes together.
Go Hoyas!
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
Posts: 18,396
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Post by SSHoya on May 26, 2022 8:20:40 GMT -5
Akok started last season with fairly consistent playing time, starting a handful of games. But it became clear in the final six weeks of the season that the staff simply did not trust him to play major minutes or in big spots. Down the line, Akok could appear midway through the first half, block a shot, hit a jumper, miss a defensive mission and/or get beaten for a rebound. He would come back to the bench after maybe five or six minutes, often only to not come back at all. And that is if he played at all. Akok did not play in any of UConn’s Big East Tournament games and saw only three minutes of action in the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament loss to New Mexico State. “I think in his mind he loved school, he loved his teammates a lot, had good relationships and was optimistic,” Pastore added. “But at the end of the day he wasn’t sure what his role would be. It’s a matter of opportunity. www.friendplans.com/akok-akoks-uconn-mens-basketball-career-started-early-and-will-end-early-its-all-about-opportunity/At minimum, I like his 3 pt % albeit at a small sample size. Here's hoping he's fully healed and gets the opportunity.
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