2024 Hoya Offseason

[SFHoya99]

Apr 19, 2024 9:51:49 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

With a likely @*^&$ pinched nerve in the neck causing all sorts of havoc with my ulnar nerve going down my right arm and hand, I didn’t want to spend too much time typing on a keyboard. But with all the discussions going on right now I feel compelled to give more expansive opinions of my own.

Now that Mack is in the fold we can assume that the Hoya backcourt will justifiably get all the attention going into next season. Nonetheless I think the team has potentially special players in the frontcourt as well who can be the real difference makers down the line. And the players I am referring to are Drew Fielder, Drew McKenna and Thomas Sorber.

Drew Fielder

I firmly believe Drew is still here because Cooley has huge plans for him and likely reiterated that to him when Cooley had all of those end of season discussions with his players. Cooley said in an interview a few weeks back that these talks were going to be honest discussions about the prospects (or lack of ) that he felt these guys had in terms of pro potential or their roles going forwards with the team. Perhaps a couple of guys were told there would be no true minutes for them and it would be best to pursue other avenues going forward; perhaps a couple were told that their roles may be diminished and that Cooley would be pursuing through the portal other options with multiple years of remaining eligibility to compete for the starter minutes at their position. This is mere speculation on my part. That being said I feel confident that when Cooley spoke with Fielder he made it clear that his role would be expanding. In the weeks leading up to the season Cooley and his coaches numerous times made bold predictions of Fielder being a Big East star down the line. Cooley actually went as far as saying a “household name” in the BE. (That is a likely reason why Fielder was included in the Hoyas Big East media day up in NYC). About a month into his tenure as head coach during a zoom session of some sort with backers of the program, Cooley reportedly claimed that the offense can be ran through Fielder. That’s a lot of high praise in regards to Fielder’s upside and I don’t feel Fielder did anything this past season that would’ve dissuades Cooley and his staff of that perception.

Fielder demonstrated that at a legit 6’10 he could reliably stretch the floor as well as display enough foot maneuverability and handling to drive to the hoop. Small sample size acknowledged, but he showed the ability to dribble to the basket with BOTH hands comfortably and most importantly to finish at the hoop with either hand once he got there. People may not recall but in early games Fielder at the top of the key was making perfect, bullet passes to teammates in the paint for scores or getting assists off the bounce when kicking out to teammates outside the paint. Media folks who visited the Georgetown practices before the season began were writing about how Fielder was a true alley-oop threat based on what they saw. We have not yet gotten a real chance to see him display his considerable athleticism. We also didn’t see him show the post moves that you can see he has in his bag just by checking out highlights of his on YouTube. That all may have been a result of Fielder not yet being strong enough or confident enough but that should all come in time. I am hyped up over the prospects of this kid but I’ll admit it is mostly from an offensive standpoint. I don’t ever see him as some dude who can lock down guys on the perimeter or be a deterrent to most opponents in the paint even if he blocks a shot or two. I am also still on the fence when it comes to accessing his rebounding capabilities. However in terms of his size, shooting, overall skill and athletic capabilities, there is no stretch big/stretch four in the portal with better tools than him. Perhaps there are those with far more experience who can make an even quicker impact, but there is no one else with his upside. His high school coach who runs that California basketball academy stated that Fielder fits the mold of the prototypical “power forwards” in the NBA these days who can stretch the floor. For those of you who don’t watch the NBA, he is not far off in that assessment.


Drew McKenna

McKenna is the forgotten man. Not just among the media but among Hoya fans. He should not be. He gets lost in the shuffle because he skipped his entire senior season as a player and therefore didn’t get his proper grading or flowers for his last run. Instead he was stuck in limbo on a Hoyas bench. Bad enough there wasn’t much highlight material of him online in the first place. What it all leads to is a player whom fans have no idea what he does or how he plays. Back in the summer after seeing him I posted this about McKenna:

My controversial opinion is that Drew’s floor is an eventual 2nd or 3rd Team All Big East during his time a Hoya uniform. His ceiling? Well, let’s say if he applies himself its pretty high.

I stand by this which is why I am so eager to see McKenna in a Hoya uniform. Based on highlights of his I have seen on Twitter and on YouTube and especially based on my first hand observations, he is a guy that can score at all three levels. And he can do this in a 6’8 body which means he can post up as well. His shot-making ability is ridiculous. I don’t think people understand that. He obviously is not going to make every shot attempt, but from my vantage point EVERY shot is in his wheelhouse. From EVERY possible angle. He has such a soft touch. Midrange pullups, stepbacks off the dribbles, log three bombs, kisses off the glass. At KL his shots were going through the net so clean. And he is money at the free throw line. Another crucial ability he brings to the table is his ability to comfortably bring the ball up the court. Not saying he can play point or that he will be used as a point forward, but in a pinch he seems capable of keeping the ball in his hands to take pressure off our primary ballhandlers.

Here's a link to one of his games. This is the one against Bishop McNamara in which McKenna went for 42 points and 18 rebounds. AS A JUNIOR. Now Bishop McNamara may not have been a dominant team but they still are a WCAC team and the WCAC is largely considered not just the best league in the DMV but one of the very best in the nation. McKenna scored 42 of his lousy team’s 62 points against that team. You don’t have to watch the entire slog of a contest btw.

[EDIT : I am including semi-timestamps (time marks) so you guys don’t have to watch the entirety of game –
14:52
15:34
21:20
21:42
38:38
59:50
1:11:12
1:11:48
1:14:35
1:15:09
1:18:40
1:20:45
1:26:30
1:30:47
1:36:08
1:39:17
1:40:12 ]

Watch those plays. Watch. I know its just high school competition so it may not translate but you can’t ignore the skill that is on display by McKenna.





McKenna’s team wasn’t all that good his junior season and at times got laughed off the court. If McKenna was already a great player at his level that type of stuff wouldn’t happen. I think McKenna needs to first walk through the gate and then take steps to be able to knock at the door of greatness. I am utterly convince he can get there though.

This is what ticks me off a little from folks here who automatically view McKenna as an afterthought (if they even remember his existence at all) because they are hoping we bring in an army of veteran forwards to suck up all the playing time. I mean do we really want to risk losing this potential in McKenna in favor of a quick band-aid to get us through next season? Its one thing to be down on freshmen these days, but McKenna spent half a year getting up to speed with the team. He may be more prepared to add high value contributions faster than people assume. Can’t speak to his defense as of yet but I should point out he may have been the youngest guy competing at KL last summer considering he had not yet entered his senior year of high school. Despite that youth he was flat out ballin’.


Thomas Sorber

The last guy on this list needs no introduction. We have fortunately been inundated with highlights, articles and tweets about Sorber since he first committed to the Hoyas. We have dissected his game and his importance to the program more times than I can count. So there is no true need to go over most of those details again. I will address though the “controversy” regarding his weight. When I first saw pictures of him leading up to first high school games of his senior year, I too was taken aback by how thin his arms look compared to pickup games he participated in mere months earlier. Now that I know he had lost all those pounds for a variety of health and performance issues, I can better understand what went down. I may have preferred how he looked in the months prior but I am also aware that one knock on Sorber’s prospects, including by knowledgeable Hoya fans, was the uncertainty of his being able to switch and guard on the perimeter. The fact that this kid demonstrated the work ethic, maturity and “professionalism” to drop such weight in order to take care of some back concerns and help with his explosiveness is a sign of great things to come. He should be able in time to put back on some mass under the supervision of the coaching staff and keep that new found explosiveness and ability to play more out on the perimeter when necessary. To be honest he always had quick feet anyway, so that works in his favor.

Don’t know where he ends up in terms of his peak capabilities but he is likely not coming in here with the same impact as freshmen Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Othella Harrington and Greg Monroe. He shouldn’t have to. But down the line? Who is to say? What I love about him is his outstanding footwork which leads to impressive reverse and post spin moves. I also admire his defense. While not at Zo’s level on this front, he may the best shot-blocking big the program has had since Roy Hibbert. And his passing may end up surpassing Greg Monroe’s.

All three of these dudes have tremendous potential and I hope it can all be properly “exploited” for the Hoyas benefit. There is so much variety to all three of their games. All can post and faceup. All have shooting capability. All can dribble…at least a bit. All can pass. If any one or all three of them were fortunate enough to make it the NBA they would be projected at different positions (Sorber- Center, Fielder – PF, McKenna – SF) so they may be able to exist on the court for extended times at college. Cooley must keep this nucleus together.

My hand is aching again. I’ll stop here.

You know it's a new day when the MCI hype machine is back even despite injury! Love these posts.

I don't know much about McKenna aside from videos like these, but in general I agree with most of what you said, and pretty much everything in regards to these three players. I do think Fielder was the priority to keep -- I think his injury down the stretch was more hampering than people think. I also noticed his nice face up game early on that sort of disappeared -- I could see a Sorber - Fielder hi-lo game just being dominant against a 2-3 or 3-2 zone. And I think we should all realize that everyone on the team and Cooley know how good McKenna is now -- did that play a role in the Styles transfer?

That said ... we're just in the wild west here. We don't know how players or competition will act. Jerry Jones just promised to pay 2x whatever Kentucky is paying for their recruits to go to Arkansas. If someone like Sorber shows a ton of promise, we could give him a ton of time, give him a million dollars, and some billionaire could simply decide to offer him double or triple.

It's not say you don't play the young guys or try to develop a culture to keep them around. I don't agree with the idea that retention is hopeless and that we should resign ourselves to playing only for the moment and abandoning freshmen and development.

But the pendulum has swung a bit. We aren't going to keep everyone. We have a good amount of NIL right now, but what about in 2 years? It's tough to keep four members of a freshmen class in the old days; it's going to be impossible now. Identifying the best of the talents now and paying them while regretfully letting other potential go when they want a payout is going to happen.

Which is why I'm in the bucket that we don't really need a wing -- Peavy, McKenna, Williams, Mulready lacks experience but there's a lot of talent there. But we do need a big. As much as I think Sorber + Fielder could be the answer ... the risk profile is too high.

And if we do bring in a wing like Seydou ... it's just a matter of letting people compete. The McKenna you describe won't have issue getting time or winning the NIL request for next season.

I don't think we owe anything to these transfers in anymore. We are paying them -- we don't have to promise playing time. Players wanted to get paid; well, you're an employee now. It's time to perform.

[SFHoya99]

Apr 19, 2024 9:46:48 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

If we can land him, I really think getting back to the tournament next season is conceivable.

After last year, I am struggling to make this leap. Then again, aside from the TCU-Georgetown game, I don't think I watched any of these transfers so maybe they are better than I think.

I also think the general lack of respect for the Big East tournament committee despite basically winning half the tourneys comes year after year.

There's a lot to sort out, I still have some significant concerns about Epps and think that a lot of our fans have done a good job talking themselves into the idea that if he just has better players around him his game will change drastically and he'll be able to be way more efficient.

Way more efficient? No, I don't think that. And maybe he doesn't change behavior at all, and then the question will be does Cooley demote him? He may just have enough talent to do so.

But I think people way overestimate the changes that need to occur for Epps to become efficient enough to be an asset.

First of all, even before that, his usage is going down. There's no way it doesn't. Mack is going to handle the ball much more, and he's a shooter, too. And while we're replacing "offensive" players like Heath and Massoud, they were not high usage -- so even if Epps doesn't appreciably improve, he's not going to hurt as much.

But efficiency-wise, most of his issue is wrapped up in his 3 pt percentage. He was 41% out of conference and 26% in conference. Now, we play in the Big East, so the taller, better defenses are always going to be there, but I think that speaks a bit to how much of this was also forced shot selection. I don't think his actual baseline is 41% -- we also have to allow for some simply variation here. But this kind of split is probably some hot / cold streak, but also just Epps forcing .

Now, will Epps still take dumb shots? Yes. There's little doubt as to that. He's a heat check guy, and since he makes a decent number, that's not going to change.

But let's say he takes two less forced threes a game and adds an open set shot three generated by Mack ... he suddenly shoots 36% for the season. The differences aren't large here. Get a bit better on making the lay-ups he generates / get to the line a bit more and viola -- he's not a star or anything but he's not an issue.

He's a high usage, short, heat check kind of guy. He's not likely to be a 120 efficiency. But 110 is in reach.

But Mack, Epps, Peavy, Fielder, Cliff, Mulready, McKenna, Sorber is a talented enough rotation to be very relevant next year and have a huge turnaround. Very exciting and I'm hoping that we can seal the deal with Cliff on his visit.

It feels a lot like a Cooley Providence squad but with a freshman class he never had.

[jackofjoy]

Apr 19, 2024 9:51:49 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

With a likely @*^&$ pinched nerve in the neck causing all sorts of havoc with my ulnar nerve going down my right arm and hand, I didn’t want to spend too much time typing on a keyboard. But with all the discussions going on right now I feel compelled to give more expansive opinions of my own.

Now that Mack is in the fold we can assume that the Hoya backcourt will justifiably get all the attention going into next season. Nonetheless I think the team has potentially special players in the frontcourt as well who can be the real difference makers down the line. And the players I am referring to are Drew Fielder, Drew McKenna and Thomas Sorber.

Drew Fielder

I firmly believe Drew is still here because Cooley has huge plans for him and likely reiterated that to him when Cooley had all of those end of season discussions with his players. Cooley said in an interview a few weeks back that these talks were going to be honest discussions about the prospects (or lack of ) that he felt these guys had in terms of pro potential or their roles going forwards with the team. Perhaps a couple of guys were told there would be no true minutes for them and it would be best to pursue other avenues going forward; perhaps a couple were told that their roles may be diminished and that Cooley would be pursuing through the portal other options with multiple years of remaining eligibility to compete for the starter minutes at their position. This is mere speculation on my part. That being said I feel confident that when Cooley spoke with Fielder he made it clear that his role would be expanding. In the weeks leading up to the season Cooley and his coaches numerous times made bold predictions of Fielder being a Big East star down the line. Cooley actually went as far as saying a “household name” in the BE. (That is a likely reason why Fielder was included in the Hoyas Big East media day up in NYC). About a month into his tenure as head coach during a zoom session of some sort with backers of the program, Cooley reportedly claimed that the offense can be ran through Fielder. That’s a lot of high praise in regards to Fielder’s upside and I don’t feel Fielder did anything this past season that would’ve dissuades Cooley and his staff of that perception.

Fielder demonstrated that at a legit 6’10 he could reliably stretch the floor as well as display enough foot maneuverability and handling to drive to the hoop. Small sample size acknowledged, but he showed the ability to dribble to the basket with BOTH hands comfortably and most importantly to finish at the hoop with either hand once he got there. People may not recall but in early games Fielder at the top of the key was making perfect, bullet passes to teammates in the paint for scores or getting assists off the bounce when kicking out to teammates outside the paint. Media folks who visited the Georgetown practices before the season began were writing about how Fielder was a true alley-oop threat based on what they saw. We have not yet gotten a real chance to see him display his considerable athleticism. We also didn’t see him show the post moves that you can see he has in his bag just by checking out highlights of his on YouTube. That all may have been a result of Fielder not yet being strong enough or confident enough but that should all come in time. I am hyped up over the prospects of this kid but I’ll admit it is mostly from an offensive standpoint. I don’t ever see him as some dude who can lock down guys on the perimeter or be a deterrent to most opponents in the paint even if he blocks a shot or two. I am also still on the fence when it comes to accessing his rebounding capabilities. However in terms of his size, shooting, overall skill and athletic capabilities, there is no stretch big/stretch four in the portal with better tools than him. Perhaps there are those with far more experience who can make an even quicker impact, but there is no one else with his upside. His high school coach who runs that California basketball academy stated that Fielder fits the mold of the prototypical “power forwards” in the NBA these days who can stretch the floor. For those of you who don’t watch the NBA, he is not far off in that assessment.


Drew McKenna

McKenna is the forgotten man. Not just among the media but among Hoya fans. He should not be. He gets lost in the shuffle because he skipped his entire senior season as a player and therefore didn’t get his proper grading or flowers for his last run. Instead he was stuck in limbo on a Hoyas bench. Bad enough there wasn’t much highlight material of him online in the first place. What it all leads to is a player whom fans have no idea what he does or how he plays. Back in the summer after seeing him I posted this about McKenna:

My controversial opinion is that Drew’s floor is an eventual 2nd or 3rd Team All Big East during his time a Hoya uniform. His ceiling? Well, let’s say if he applies himself its pretty high.

I stand by this which is why I am so eager to see McKenna in a Hoya uniform. Based on highlights of his I have seen on Twitter and on YouTube and especially based on my first hand observations, he is a guy that can score at all three levels. And he can do this in a 6’8 body which means he can post up as well. His shot-making ability is ridiculous. I don’t think people understand that. He obviously is not going to make every shot attempt, but from my vantage point EVERY shot is in his wheelhouse. From EVERY possible angle. He has such a soft touch. Midrange pullups, stepbacks off the dribbles, log three bombs, kisses off the glass. At KL his shots were going through the net so clean. And he is money at the free throw line. Another crucial ability he brings to the table is his ability to comfortably bring the ball up the court. Not saying he can play point or that he will be used as a point forward, but in a pinch he seems capable of keeping the ball in his hands to take pressure off our primary ballhandlers.

Here's a link to one of his games. This is the one against Bishop McNamara in which McKenna went for 42 points and 18 rebounds. AS A JUNIOR. Now Bishop McNamara may not have been a dominant team but they still are a WCAC team and the WCAC is largely considered not just the best league in the DMV but one of the very best in the nation. McKenna scored 42 of his lousy team’s 62 points against that team. You don’t have to watch the entire slog of a contest btw.

[EDIT : I am including semi-timestamps (time marks) so you guys don’t have to watch the entirety of game –
14:52
15:34
21:20
21:42
38:38
59:50
1:11:12
1:11:48
1:14:35
1:15:09
1:18:40
1:20:45
1:26:30
1:30:47
1:36:08
1:39:17
1:40:12 ]

Watch those plays. Watch. I know its just high school competition so it may not translate but you can’t ignore the skill that is on display by McKenna.





McKenna’s team wasn’t all that good his junior season and at times got laughed off the court. If McKenna was already a great player at his level that type of stuff wouldn’t happen. I think McKenna needs to first walk through the gate and then take steps to be able to knock at the door of greatness. I am utterly convince he can get there though.

This is what ticks me off a little from folks here who automatically view McKenna as an afterthought (if they even remember his existence at all) because they are hoping we bring in an army of veteran forwards to suck up all the playing time. I mean do we really want to risk losing this potential in McKenna in favor of a quick band-aid to get us through next season? Its one thing to be down on freshmen these days, but McKenna spent half a year getting up to speed with the team. He may be more prepared to add high value contributions faster than people assume. Can’t speak to his defense as of yet but I should point out he may have been the youngest guy competing at KL last summer considering he had not yet entered his senior year of high school. Despite that youth he was flat out ballin’.


Thomas Sorber

The last guy on this list needs no introduction. We have fortunately been inundated with highlights, articles and tweets about Sorber since he first committed to the Hoyas. We have dissected his game and his importance to the program more times than I can count. So there is no true need to go over most of those details again. I will address though the “controversy” regarding his weight. When I first saw pictures of him leading up to first high school games of his senior year, I too was taken aback by how thin his arms look compared to pickup games he participated in mere months earlier. Now that I know he had lost all those pounds for a variety of health and performance issues, I can better understand what went down. I may have preferred how he looked in the months prior but I am also aware that one knock on Sorber’s prospects, including by knowledgeable Hoya fans, was the uncertainty of his being able to switch and guard on the perimeter. The fact that this kid demonstrated the work ethic, maturity and “professionalism” to drop such weight in order to take care of some back concerns and help with his explosiveness is a sign of great things to come. He should be able in time to put back on some mass under the supervision of the coaching staff and keep that new found explosiveness and ability to play more out on the perimeter when necessary. To be honest he always had quick feet anyway, so that works in his favor.

Don’t know where he ends up in terms of his peak capabilities but he is likely not coming in here with the same impact as freshmen Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Othella Harrington and Greg Monroe. He shouldn’t have to. But down the line? Who is to say? What I love about him is his outstanding footwork which leads to impressive reverse and post spin moves. I also admire his defense. While not at Zo’s level on this front, he may the best shot-blocking big the program has had since Roy Hibbert. And his passing may end up surpassing Greg Monroe’s.

All three of these dudes have tremendous potential and I hope it can all be properly “exploited” for the Hoyas benefit. There is so much variety to all three of their games. All can post and faceup. All have shooting capability. All can dribble…at least a bit. All can pass. If any one or all three of them were fortunate enough to make it the NBA they would be projected at different positions (Sorber- Center, Fielder – PF, McKenna – SF) so they may be able to exist on the court for extended times at college. Cooley must keep this nucleus together.

My hand is aching again. I’ll stop here.

Been there - no fun.  Heal up soon, the board needs your insights!

[hoyaboya]

Apr 19, 2024 10:33:11 GMT -5 hoyas315 said:

Don’t know why he would come here to be a backup, doesn’t make any sense. Mack is not a leave early for the league kind of guy.

[HometownHoya]

About McKenna, the way of the future could be getting guys onto campus early. Gets the coaches an extra half season of work with a player in the gym without the risk of them transferring out immediately due to exposure or a slower/stunted learning curve and adjustment time. I'm excited to see what he provides and hope that he stays around for multiple years.

[michaelgrahmstylie]

Apr 19, 2024 0:45:38 GMT -5 dense said:

Apr 18, 2024 23:08:03 GMT -5 thedragon said:

Told yall we were in it

No! Don’t do that! The Georgetown visit is all you need, young man! Let’s put the winning touches on “Back to the Glory Days!”

[michaelgrahmstylie]

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Is Epps still with us?! What about Fielder? He has been known to pop a few three’s. And maybe Massoud will get his groove back!

[SSHoya]

Apr 19, 2024 13:01:54 GMT -5 michaelgrahmstylie said:

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Is Epps still with us?! What about Fielder? He has been known to pop a few three’s. And maybe Massoud will get his groove back!

Massoud is gone. Hamdullah (thank G-d).

[michaelgrahmstylie]

Apr 19, 2024 10:18:43 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Thanks for playing hurt MCI!

Yes, MCI, I am glad at least your fingers were doing well!

[michaelgrahmstylie]

Apr 19, 2024 13:06:06 GMT -5 SSHoya said:

Apr 19, 2024 13:01:54 GMT -5 michaelgrahmstylie said:

Is Epps still with us?! What about Fielder? He has been known to pop a few three’s. And maybe Massoud will get his groove back!

Massoud is gone. Hamdullah (thank G-d).

Massoud?! Yeah, I don’t know. Just really disappointed in him!

[SSHoya]

Apr 19, 2024 13:22:28 GMT -5 michaelgrahmstylie said:

Apr 19, 2024 13:06:06 GMT -5 SSHoya said:

Massoud is gone. Hamdullah (thank G-d).

Massoud?! Yeah, I don’t know. Just really disappointed in him!

He was a grad transfer so no eligibility left. I wish him the best in whatever profession he may choose! I sat near his wife at Cap One on occasion.

[MCIGuy]

Apr 19, 2024 10:18:43 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Thanks for playing hurt MCI!

Lol. That’s what the Advil is for.

[MCIGuy]

Apr 19, 2024 11:36:39 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Apr 19, 2024 9:51:49 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

With a likely @*^&$ pinched nerve in the neck causing all sorts of havoc with my ulnar nerve going down my right arm and hand, I didn’t want to spend too much time typing on a keyboard. But with all the discussions going on right now I feel compelled to give more expansive opinions of my own.

Now that Mack is in the fold we can assume that the Hoya backcourt will justifiably get all the attention going into next season. Nonetheless I think the team has potentially special players in the frontcourt as well who can be the real difference makers down the line. And the players I am referring to are Drew Fielder, Drew McKenna and Thomas Sorber.

Drew Fielder

I firmly believe Drew is still here because Cooley has huge plans for him and likely reiterated that to him when Cooley had all of those end of season discussions with his players. Cooley said in an interview a few weeks back that these talks were going to be honest discussions about the prospects (or lack of ) that he felt these guys had in terms of pro potential or their roles going forwards with the team. Perhaps a couple of guys were told there would be no true minutes for them and it would be best to pursue other avenues going forward; perhaps a couple were told that their roles may be diminished and that Cooley would be pursuing through the portal other options with multiple years of remaining eligibility to compete for the starter minutes at their position. This is mere speculation on my part. That being said I feel confident that when Cooley spoke with Fielder he made it clear that his role would be expanding. In the weeks leading up to the season Cooley and his coaches numerous times made bold predictions of Fielder being a Big East star down the line. Cooley actually went as far as saying a “household name” in the BE. (That is a likely reason why Fielder was included in the Hoyas Big East media day up in NYC). About a month into his tenure as head coach during a zoom session of some sort with backers of the program, Cooley reportedly claimed that the offense can be ran through Fielder. That’s a lot of high praise in regards to Fielder’s upside and I don’t feel Fielder did anything this past season that would’ve dissuades Cooley and his staff of that perception.

Fielder demonstrated that at a legit 6’10 he could reliably stretch the floor as well as display enough foot maneuverability and handling to drive to the hoop. Small sample size acknowledged, but he showed the ability to dribble to the basket with BOTH hands comfortably and most importantly to finish at the hoop with either hand once he got there. People may not recall but in early games Fielder at the top of the key was making perfect, bullet passes to teammates in the paint for scores or getting assists off the bounce when kicking out to teammates outside the paint. Media folks who visited the Georgetown practices before the season began were writing about how Fielder was a true alley-oop threat based on what they saw. We have not yet gotten a real chance to see him display his considerable athleticism. We also didn’t see him show the post moves that you can see he has in his bag just by checking out highlights of his on YouTube. That all may have been a result of Fielder not yet being strong enough or confident enough but that should all come in time. I am hyped up over the prospects of this kid but I’ll admit it is mostly from an offensive standpoint. I don’t ever see him as some dude who can lock down guys on the perimeter or be a deterrent to most opponents in the paint even if he blocks a shot or two. I am also still on the fence when it comes to accessing his rebounding capabilities. However in terms of his size, shooting, overall skill and athletic capabilities, there is no stretch big/stretch four in the portal with better tools than him. Perhaps there are those with far more experience who can make an even quicker impact, but there is no one else with his upside. His high school coach who runs that California basketball academy stated that Fielder fits the mold of the prototypical “power forwards” in the NBA these days who can stretch the floor. For those of you who don’t watch the NBA, he is not far off in that assessment.


Drew McKenna

McKenna is the forgotten man. Not just among the media but among Hoya fans. He should not be. He gets lost in the shuffle because he skipped his entire senior season as a player and therefore didn’t get his proper grading or flowers for his last run. Instead he was stuck in limbo on a Hoyas bench. Bad enough there wasn’t much highlight material of him online in the first place. What it all leads to is a player whom fans have no idea what he does or how he plays. Back in the summer after seeing him I posted this about McKenna:

My controversial opinion is that Drew’s floor is an eventual 2nd or 3rd Team All Big East during his time a Hoya uniform. His ceiling? Well, let’s say if he applies himself its pretty high.

I stand by this which is why I am so eager to see McKenna in a Hoya uniform. Based on highlights of his I have seen on Twitter and on YouTube and especially based on my first hand observations, he is a guy that can score at all three levels. And he can do this in a 6’8 body which means he can post up as well. His shot-making ability is ridiculous. I don’t think people understand that. He obviously is not going to make every shot attempt, but from my vantage point EVERY shot is in his wheelhouse. From EVERY possible angle. He has such a soft touch. Midrange pullups, stepbacks off the dribbles, log three bombs, kisses off the glass. At KL his shots were going through the net so clean. And he is money at the free throw line. Another crucial ability he brings to the table is his ability to comfortably bring the ball up the court. Not saying he can play point or that he will be used as a point forward, but in a pinch he seems capable of keeping the ball in his hands to take pressure off our primary ballhandlers.

Here's a link to one of his games. This is the one against Bishop McNamara in which McKenna went for 42 points and 18 rebounds. AS A JUNIOR. Now Bishop McNamara may not have been a dominant team but they still are a WCAC team and the WCAC is largely considered not just the best league in the DMV but one of the very best in the nation. McKenna scored 42 of his lousy team’s 62 points against that team. You don’t have to watch the entire slog of a contest btw.

[EDIT : I am including semi-timestamps (time marks) so you guys don’t have to watch the entirety of game –
14:52
15:34
21:20
21:42
38:38
59:50
1:11:12
1:11:48
1:14:35
1:15:09
1:18:40
1:20:45
1:26:30
1:30:47
1:36:08
1:39:17
1:40:12 ]

Watch those plays. Watch. I know its just high school competition so it may not translate but you can’t ignore the skill that is on display by McKenna.





McKenna’s team wasn’t all that good his junior season and at times got laughed off the court. If McKenna was already a great player at his level that type of stuff wouldn’t happen. I think McKenna needs to first walk through the gate and then take steps to be able to knock at the door of greatness. I am utterly convince he can get there though.

This is what ticks me off a little from folks here who automatically view McKenna as an afterthought (if they even remember his existence at all) because they are hoping we bring in an army of veteran forwards to suck up all the playing time. I mean do we really want to risk losing this potential in McKenna in favor of a quick band-aid to get us through next season? Its one thing to be down on freshmen these days, but McKenna spent half a year getting up to speed with the team. He may be more prepared to add high value contributions faster than people assume. Can’t speak to his defense as of yet but I should point out he may have been the youngest guy competing at KL last summer considering he had not yet entered his senior year of high school. Despite that youth he was flat out ballin’.


Thomas Sorber

The last guy on this list needs no introduction. We have fortunately been inundated with highlights, articles and tweets about Sorber since he first committed to the Hoyas. We have dissected his game and his importance to the program more times than I can count. So there is no true need to go over most of those details again. I will address though the “controversy” regarding his weight. When I first saw pictures of him leading up to first high school games of his senior year, I too was taken aback by how thin his arms look compared to pickup games he participated in mere months earlier. Now that I know he had lost all those pounds for a variety of health and performance issues, I can better understand what went down. I may have preferred how he looked in the months prior but I am also aware that one knock on Sorber’s prospects, including by knowledgeable Hoya fans, was the uncertainty of his being able to switch and guard on the perimeter. The fact that this kid demonstrated the work ethic, maturity and “professionalism” to drop such weight in order to take care of some back concerns and help with his explosiveness is a sign of great things to come. He should be able in time to put back on some mass under the supervision of the coaching staff and keep that new found explosiveness and ability to play more out on the perimeter when necessary. To be honest he always had quick feet anyway, so that works in his favor.

Don’t know where he ends up in terms of his peak capabilities but he is likely not coming in here with the same impact as freshmen Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Othella Harrington and Greg Monroe. He shouldn’t have to. But down the line? Who is to say? What I love about him is his outstanding footwork which leads to impressive reverse and post spin moves. I also admire his defense. While not at Zo’s level on this front, he may the best shot-blocking big the program has had since Roy Hibbert. And his passing may end up surpassing Greg Monroe’s.

All three of these dudes have tremendous potential and I hope it can all be properly “exploited” for the Hoyas benefit. There is so much variety to all three of their games. All can post and faceup. All have shooting capability. All can dribble…at least a bit. All can pass. If any one or all three of them were fortunate enough to make it the NBA they would be projected at different positions (Sorber- Center, Fielder – PF, McKenna – SF) so they may be able to exist on the court for extended times at college. Cooley must keep this nucleus together.

My hand is aching again. I’ll stop here.

You know it's a new day when the MCI hype machine is back even despite injury! Love these posts.

I don't know much about McKenna aside from videos like these, but in general I agree with most of what you said, and pretty much everything in regards to these three players. I do think Fielder was the priority to keep -- I think his injury down the stretch was more hampering than people think. I also noticed his nice face up game early on that sort of disappeared -- I could see a Sorber - Fielder hi-lo game just being dominant against a 2-3 or 3-2 zone. And I think we should all realize that everyone on the team and Cooley know how good McKenna is now -- did that play a role in the Styles transfer?

That said ... we're just in the wild west here. We don't know how players or competition will act. Jerry Jones just promised to pay 2x whatever Kentucky is paying for their recruits to go to Arkansas. If someone like Sorber shows a ton of promise, we could give him a ton of time, give him a million dollars, and some billionaire could simply decide to offer him double or triple.

It's not say you don't play the young guys or try to develop a culture to keep them around. I don't agree with the idea that retention is hopeless and that we should resign ourselves to playing only for the moment and abandoning freshmen and development.

But the pendulum has swung a bit. We aren't going to keep everyone. We have a good amount of NIL right now, but what about in 2 years? It's tough to keep four members of a freshmen class in the old days; it's going to be impossible now. Identifying the best of the talents now and paying them while regretfully letting other potential go when they want a payout is going to happen.

Which is why I'm in the bucket that we don't really need a wing -- Peavy, McKenna, Williams, Mulready lacks experience but there's a lot of talent there. But we do need a big. As much as I think Sorber + Fielder could be the answer ... the risk profile is too high.

And if we do bring in a wing like Seydou ... it's just a matter of letting people compete. The McKenna you describe won't have issue getting time or winning the NIL request for next season.

I don't think we owe anything to these transfers in anymore. We are paying them -- we don't have to promise playing time. Players wanted to get paid; well, you're an employee now. It's time to perform.

I’ll admit I don’t care much for this dystopian college landscape you paint, SF, but I cannot deny that the signs are there.

Until this system is revised (which. I believe it will be eventually), the best way to avoid losing a player or two from a recruiting class to another school may be to lose them to the NBA early if they are good enough. Opens not only a slot but salary cap space. If we have a player that has a great freshman or sophomore season, I will start doing an about-face and implore them to go pro.

[hoyaguy]

Apr 19, 2024 13:01:54 GMT -5 michaelgrahmstylie said:

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Apr 18, 2024 17:58:20 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Current roster doesn’t have a lot in terms of catch and shoot 3 pointers. Curtis had a bad season, but if he can be rehabilitated, then it could be worth the try.

Is Epps still with us?! What about Fielder? He has been known to pop a few three’s. And maybe Massoud will get his groove back!

In the BE Epps' 3 point shooting was in the 20s%. Naturally there is a hope that once he has more options and everyone is a real threat to score then he will take high quality and lower quantity. But that all remains to be seen, I am in the "wait and see" camp of Epps taking a backseat to ball handling and distribution by making it work with Mack before I claim we have a top tier backcourt (in theory maybe on offensive).

In the current projected lineup in my head (Mack, Epps, Peavy, Fielder, Center) only two players have shot 35%+ from 3 and that is Mack and Fielder. And on Mack he shot about 35% in the season I believe, but there is a difference in defenses in ivy vs BE, so I hope he takes a jump while adjusting so ideally he will be fine. Not trying to be a Debbie downer but just concerned about the 3 point shooting right now, which is why I think Fielder should start as the 4 day 1 if no other forwards transfer in (give him time and the spot to lose as he earned it with being behind Ish all last season who was invisible a lot of games but stayed in). If a frosh or McKenna (Was his shooting % good in HS?) can shoot the 3 at this level, then awesome I am far less worried. Cooley just has to be ready to pull Epps if it isn't working or he is getting smoked on defense (Then go with something like Mack, Peavy, McKenna, Fielder, Center, if the reports about McKenna are true I like the sound of this lineup on the right occasion). The team might end up being quite talented and it cannot be a place for someone who refuses to play within themselves on both ends of the court.

[hoyasaxa2003]

Apr 19, 2024 13:43:02 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

I’ll admit I don’t care much for this dystopian college landscape you paint, SF, but I cannot deny that the signs are there.

Until this system is revised (which. I believe it will be eventually), the best way to avoid losing a player or two from a recruiting class to another school may be to lose them to the NBA early if they are good enough. Opens not only a slot but salary cap space. If we have a player that has a great freshman or sophomore season, I will start doing an about-face and implore them to go pro.

It affects everyone too, even the high achieving programs. Duke had a very good team this year, and yet they are not immune. Last year their retention was excellent. Not this year.

They have now lost 6 players to transfers. They've also lost two to the NBA (a good reason, of course), and one to graduation (also a good reason). So they have already lost 9 guys. They have the best freshman class coming in in the nation, but still. Coaches simply cannot recruit like they did a few years ago and expect to win.

EDIT: Make that 7 players transferring. Duke's roster other than the incoming freshman is hugely bare.

[SFHoya99]

Apr 19, 2024 13:43:02 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

I’ll admit I don’t care much for this dystopian college landscape you paint, SF, but I cannot deny that the signs are there.

I mean, I hate it. There's a really good chance that I will stop watching college ball at some point because of it.

Until this system is revised (which. I believe it will be eventually), the best way to avoid losing a player or two from a recruiting class to another school may be to lose them to the NBA early if they are good enough. Opens not only a slot but salary cap space. If we have a player that has a great freshman or sophomore season, I will start doing an about-face and implore them to go pro.

The momentary good news is that we have a good bucket of money for now. I suspect that it will become an arms race we can't keep pace with in the long run, but for the next few years, I think we will be able to outpay quite a few programs.

[RBHoya]

Apr 19, 2024 11:53:24 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

]Way more efficient? No, I don't think that. And maybe he doesn't change behavior at all, and then the question will be does Cooley demote him? He may just have enough talent to do so.

But I think people way overestimate the changes that need to occur for Epps to become efficient enough to be an asset.

First of all, even before that, his usage is going down. There's no way it doesn't. Mack is going to handle the ball much more, and he's a shooter, too. And while we're replacing "offensive" players like Heath and Massoud, they were not high usage -- so even if Epps doesn't appreciably improve, he's not going to hurt as much.

But efficiency-wise, most of his issue is wrapped up in his 3 pt percentage. He was 41% out of conference and 26% in conference. Now, we play in the Big East, so the taller, better defenses are always going to be there, but I think that speaks a bit to how much of this was also forced shot selection. I don't think his actual baseline is 41% -- we also have to allow for some simply variation here. But this kind of split is probably some hot / cold streak, but also just Epps forcing .

Now, will Epps still take dumb shots? Yes. There's little doubt as to that. He's a heat check guy, and since he makes a decent number, that's not going to change.

But let's say he takes two less forced threes a game and adds an open set shot three generated by Mack ... he suddenly shoots 36% for the season. The differences aren't large here. Get a bit better on making the lay-ups he generates / get to the line a bit more and viola -- he's not a star or anything but he's not an issue.

He's a high usage, short, heat check kind of guy. He's not likely to be a 120 efficiency. But 110 is in reach.

Agree on your last sentence. I think if you look at his performance against high majors (so include the OOC games against actual teams in addition to the Big East stats) his shooting percentages are pretty woeful. His usage will have to be much lower next year like you said. But many (not saying you specifically) have embraced the narrative that Epps was forced into playing hero ball last year. He didn't want to take all those shots, he was just stuck on a talentless team and was the only person who could put the ball in the hole at all. And next year when the talent is much better he'll be taking only the good shots and the percentages will be much better. I'm just a touch skeptical. I have seen and known many guys who play like Epps over the years, and I don't know that I see him being content to be a supporting player. And given that he doesn't bring a ton to the table OTHER than scoring (short, not a very good defender, not a facilitator) and his scoring is not done in an efficient way, I'm not convinced he's a winning player.

But, I am more than willing to admit that I may have him pegged incorrectly. I could be wrong, I hope I am. I hope he really is a team player, and that he cares more about wins than about scoring a lot of points for himself. If he's in that mindset, he can be a valuable piece. A lot hinges on it.

[MCIGuy]

Apr 19, 2024 14:45:15 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

Apr 19, 2024 11:53:24 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

]Way more efficient? No, I don't think that. And maybe he doesn't change behavior at all, and then the question will be does Cooley demote him? He may just have enough talent to do so.

But I think people way overestimate the changes that need to occur for Epps to become efficient enough to be an asset.

First of all, even before that, his usage is going down. There's no way it doesn't. Mack is going to handle the ball much more, and he's a shooter, too. And while we're replacing "offensive" players like Heath and Massoud, they were not high usage -- so even if Epps doesn't appreciably improve, he's not going to hurt as much.

But efficiency-wise, most of his issue is wrapped up in his 3 pt percentage. He was 41% out of conference and 26% in conference. Now, we play in the Big East, so the taller, better defenses are always going to be there, but I think that speaks a bit to how much of this was also forced shot selection. I don't think his actual baseline is 41% -- we also have to allow for some simply variation here. But this kind of split is probably some hot / cold streak, but also just Epps forcing .

Now, will Epps still take dumb shots? Yes. There's little doubt as to that. He's a heat check guy, and since he makes a decent number, that's not going to change.

But let's say he takes two less forced threes a game and adds an open set shot three generated by Mack ... he suddenly shoots 36% for the season. The differences aren't large here. Get a bit better on making the lay-ups he generates / get to the line a bit more and viola -- he's not a star or anything but he's not an issue.

He's a high usage, short, heat check kind of guy. He's not likely to be a 120 efficiency. But 110 is in reach.

Agree on your last sentence. I think if you look at his performance against high majors (so include the OOC games against actual teams in addition to the Big East stats) his shooting percentages are pretty woeful. His usage will have to be much lower next year like you said. But many (not saying you egular season specifically) have embraced the narrative that Epps was forced into playing hero ball last year. He didn't want to take all those shots, he was just stuck on a talentless team and was the only person who could put the ball in the hole at all. And next year when the talent is much better he'll be taking only the good shots and the percentages will be much better. I'm just a touch skeptical. I have seen and known many guys who play like Epps over the years, and I don't know that I see him being content to be a supporting player. And given that he doesn't bring a ton to the table OTHER than scoring (short, not a very good defender, not a facilitator) and his scoring is not done in an efficient way, I'm not convinced he's a winning player.

But, I am more than willing to admit that I may have him pegged incorrectly. I could be wrong, I hope I am. I hope he really is a team player, and that he cares more about wins than about scoring a lot of points for himself. If he's in that mindset, he can be a valuable piece. A lot hinges on it.

One huge value of Epps on a TALENTED team is that he has the rare ability to have multiple games in a season in which he can scorch the nets. And if such a display comes in a post season game then it can make the difference between advancing or going home.

[HometownHoya]

Apr 19, 2024 14:59:19 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

Apr 19, 2024 14:45:15 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

Agree on your last sentence. I think if you look at his performance against high majors (so include the OOC games against actual teams in addition to the Big East stats) his shooting percentages are pretty woeful. His usage will have to be much lower next year like you said. But many (not saying you egular season specifically) have embraced the narrative that Epps was forced into playing hero ball last year. He didn't want to take all those shots, he was just stuck on a talentless team and was the only person who could put the ball in the hole at all. And next year when the talent is much better he'll be taking only the good shots and the percentages will be much better. I'm just a touch skeptical. I have seen and known many guys who play like Epps over the years, and I don't know that I see him being content to be a supporting player. And given that he doesn't bring a ton to the table OTHER than scoring (short, not a very good defender, not a facilitator) and his scoring is not done in an efficient way, I'm not convinced he's a winning player.

But, I am more than willing to admit that I may have him pegged incorrectly. I could be wrong, I hope I am. I hope he really is a team player, and that he cares more about wins than about scoring a lot of points for himself. If he's in that mindset, he can be a valuable piece. A lot hinges on it.

One huge value of Epps on a TALENTED team is that he has the rare ability to have multiple games in a season in which he can scorch the nets. And if such a display comes in a post season game then it can make the difference between advancing or going home.

A Dante Harris like run from Epps would be incredible. We’ve even seen runs from similar players (maybe slightly bigger) win a team a NCAA tournament.

[SFHoya99]

Apr 19, 2024 14:45:15 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

Agree on your last sentence. I think if you look at his performance against high majors (so include the OOC games against actual teams in addition to the Big East stats) his shooting percentages are pretty woeful. His usage will have to be much lower next year like you said. But many (not saying you specifically) have embraced the narrative that Epps was forced into playing hero ball last year. He didn't want to take all those shots, he was just stuck on a talentless team and was the only person who could put the ball in the hole at all. And next year when the talent is much better he'll be taking only the good shots and the percentages will be much better. I'm just a touch skeptical. I have seen and known many guys who play like Epps over the years, and I don't know that I see him being content to be a supporting player. And given that he doesn't bring a ton to the table OTHER than scoring (short, not a very good defender, not a facilitator) and his scoring is not done in an efficient way, I'm not convinced he's a winning player.

But, I am more than willing to admit that I may have him pegged incorrectly. I could be wrong, I hope I am. I hope he really is a team player, and that he cares more about wins than about scoring a lot of points for himself. If he's in that mindset, he can be a valuable piece. A lot hinges on it.

Was he forced into being a ball dominant scorer? Of course not.

Did he take more shots than he normally would, including basically every end of shot clock shot? Yes. Did we pound the ball out more with the intent of killing time and then just let him take more than we will next year? Yep. Did defenses key basically only on him while that won't be as likely next year. I'd say so.

Also, I think he gets something of a bad rap as a facilitator. Sure, he would go ball hog for stretches and his first priority wasn't getting everyone involved, but he actually was pretty decent at creating easy shots for guys. He has a nice pick and roll lob that would work decently, and he's pretty decent at finding an open player down low or at the 3 pt line off the drive. The dude did assist on 27% of made baskets while he was on the floor -- he's not a bad passer. He just tended to go hero ball at times.

And he'll do the latter next year. I just think less, and I think between improvement if he's working on his game and less need to be the only man, he improves efficiency-wise.