njhoya78
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Post by njhoya78 on Jan 10, 2015 16:44:22 GMT -5
We've accepted the assertion that Mikael Hopkins has been playing out of position when he is at center, and that he is a natural power forward. Okay, we have a fifteen game sample for this season of Hopkins as a power forward. I hate to say it, but we're wrong. He has played far better at center than at forward. He has nothing to offer offensively at either position, but his blocks have by and large been when he has been on the court with Joshua Smith on the bench.
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Post by professorhoya on Jan 10, 2015 16:45:08 GMT -5
Ok so tough loss, I hate playing at the DUNK. Here is my 2 cents: 1. The starting line up has to be: TRE DSR PEAK WHITE SMITH Now keep in mind Hopper and Smith are interchangable since Smith will have 2 fouls in like 5 game minutes.. 2. I dont understand why LJ and TRE are so passive on the offensive end. We need LJ to step up and shoulder the load especially if DSR is going to be passive or play the point and facilitate. Also we need to Play TRE more, and shift DSR to the of guard slot. TRE also cant pass up on open shots, the kids a player. Im not saying jack up shots but take them where they are there. 3. Clearly a poor coaching performace from JT3. Im not a JT3 hater but his in game decisions are not always great. We are never sharp out of a time out and our end game execuation is not good. 4. This was the worst ref'ing job ever. The first 2 foul calls on hopper were awful and at least 2 on Smith were equally as awful I cant tell you how many times a foul was called and it was BS or there was a non call that killed us. This was a game we should have won, Providence was sleepwalking most of the game and we just matchd there Chit energy. This game really scares me cause we have teh athletes and I know that this group of guys are capable of much better. DSR should be more aggressive, LJ should be more aggressive. I like Paul Whites game if JT3 can get him shots. Smith was good today but he's just so limited. He cannot sustain the energy to play the way we need him. Utlimately if he cant give us more minutes and avoid the stupid fouls hes going to be a negative... I hope we can sharpen up because its no longer early, its conference play and time to rack up the W'S I think LJ's lost some confidence in his outside shot adjusting to the quicker and bigger athletes in Big East play and has stopped shooting it without a conscience. That's what's hurting us the most because he was put into the starting lineup to give us that third scorer and outside shooter. If he's not shooting outside shots then he kind of duplicates what Bowen is bringing in alot of ways.
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SDHoya
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Post by SDHoya on Jan 10, 2015 16:48:01 GMT -5
I have hoped for years that Hopkins would have the Sims senior epiphany. He has not. And safe to say will not. That being said, I just don't see an alternative for his defense. Until Ike gets stronger and/or Hayes gets better, Hop is still the only real alternative we have to Smith for interior defense and rebounding. On offense, he will just need to act as the 5th option, making a simple pass as soon as he touches it, unless he has a wide open dunk (and even then, I expect a block).
I am disappointed we did not win this one, but its not a season killer either. Provy is a solid team, and Henton and Dunn are excellent, with the ability to make an impact even when they are having off days. We do need to win our next two prior to the Nova game. And coach needs to figure out someway to break a zone, or else this season will move in the wrong direction. But I still feel that the pieces are there for a nice run, its just a matter of getting everything to click.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jan 10, 2015 16:48:32 GMT -5
In all honestly, Hopkins has been a trooper playing all 4 years out of position as an undersized center instead of at his natural power forward position. On the offensive side is where playing out of position really hurts him as he isn't an explosive leaper and isn't strong enough against legit centers. Are you saying he would be better offensively from the 4? He cannot make a lay-up, the easiest shot in basketball, consistently, gets blocked or loses the ball going up or creating his shot, and is a bad FT shooter right now, yet he is somehow transformed as a 4? BTW, he always plays there for the first minutes of every game and the numbers don't lie. There is no evidence that he would be better at 4.
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GUJook97
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Post by GUJook97 on Jan 10, 2015 16:54:05 GMT -5
In all honestly, Hopkins has been a trooper playing all 4 years out of position as an undersized center instead of at his natural power forward position. On the offensive side is where playing out of position really hurts him as he isn't an explosive leaper and isn't strong enough against legit centers. Are you saying he would be better offensively from the 4? He cannot make a lay-up, the easiest shot in basketball, consistently, gets blocked or loses the ball going up or creating his shot, and is a bad FT shooter right now, yet he is somehow transformed as a 4? BTW, he always plays there for the first minutes of every game and the numbers don't lie. There is no evidence that he would be better at 4. Ha, yeah, seriously, I'm all for giving Hopkins the benefit of the doubt, but come on.Playing out of position has little to do with his lack of offensive prowess.
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Post by professorhoya on Jan 10, 2015 16:57:55 GMT -5
In all honestly, Hopkins has been a trooper playing all 4 years out of position as an undersized center instead of at his natural power forward position. On the offensive side is where playing out of position really hurts him as he isn't an explosive leaper and isn't strong enough against legit centers. Are you saying he would be better offensively from the 4? He cannot make a lay-up, the easiest shot in basketball, consistently, gets blocked or loses the ball going up or creating his shot, and is a bad FT shooter right now, yet he is somehow transformed as a 4? BTW, he always plays there for the first minutes of every game and the numbers don't lie. There is no evidence that he would be better at 4. I think he would if he received significant minutes at the 4. His offensive output seems significantly better against smaller teams and OCC lower level teams. He struggles offensively when there are bigger longer shot blockers who can block his shot from behind. Part of it may be mental but when he feels that there is a bigger athletic shot blocker behind him he panics and fumbles the ball. Also when a bigger guy can give him a nudge he falls apart on his finish or shot. Either because he has small hands or weak hands it just isn't pretty. (I think this is why he misses alot of dunks). It's weird because on defense he seems very fluid and coordinated blocking shots and rebounding but then on offense he looks really uncoordinated. So I think maybe his hands and fingers are just really uncoordinated, small, and weak and his forearms are weak. *Now having said make no mistake that he wouldn't be an offensive juggernaut at the 4. Just that he would be more servicable and not a Lubickssian conundrum on offense.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:04:18 GMT -5
His best offensive games have been vs. Texas AM (12 pts), Florida (8 OT) and MU (8). That's it. MU was tall, but he got blocked by a 6'1" guy on a baseline jumper. He is not an offensive 4. Edit: saw your edit. I'm torn with that. Anyway, I really hope it clicks for him. Since it's the easiest shot in basketball, it might, right? I believe in Zoubek!!
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njhoya78
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Post by njhoya78 on Jan 10, 2015 17:06:31 GMT -5
His best offensive games have been vs. Texas AM (12 pts), Florida (8 OT) and MU (8). That's it. MU was tall, but he got blocked by a 6'1" guy on a baseline jumper. He is not an offensive 4. I think he's offensive, but not in the manner we desire.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:08:20 GMT -5
His best offensive games have been vs. Texas AM (12 pts), Florida (8 OT) and MU (8). That's it. MU was tall, but he got blocked by a 6'1" guy on a baseline jumper. He is not an offensive 4. I think he's offensive, but not in the manner we desire. Zoubek! Zoubek! Zoubek! Hops would become a cult hero of HT if he turns it around.
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Post by professorhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:09:29 GMT -5
His best offensive games have been vs. Texas AM (12 pts), Florida (8 OT) and MU (8). That's it. MU was tall, but he got blocked by a 6'1" guy on a baseline jumper. He is not an offensive 4. 2013-2014: His best games were Lipscomb (13 pts) and unatheletic Creighton (14 pts). 2012-2013: Liberty (13 pts), Dusquene (13 pts), Mount St. Mary (13 pts), Rutgers (14), Syracuse (15 pts) 2011-2012: NJIT (12 pts)
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:11:28 GMT -5
His best offensive games have been vs. Texas AM (12 pts), Florida (8 OT) and MU (8). That's it. MU was tall, but he got blocked by a 6'1" guy on a baseline jumper. He is not an offensive 4. 2013-2014: His best games were Lipscomb (13 pts) and unatheletic Creighton (14 pts). 2012-2013: Liberty (13 pts), Dusquene (13 pts), Mount St. Mary (13 pts), Rutgers (14), Syracuse (15 pts) 2011-2012: NJIT (12 pts) Not sure what position he was playing in those games, but very few here have always said he is/was played out of position in C, so I'm guessing he was playing more C than 4 in those games... Anyone have video?
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Post by professorhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:15:55 GMT -5
2013-2014: His best games were Lipscomb (13 pts) and unatheletic Creighton (14 pts). 2012-2013: Liberty (13 pts), Dusquene (13 pts), Mount St. Mary (13 pts), Rutgers (14), Syracuse (15 pts) 2011-2012: NJIT (12 pts) Not sure what position he was playing in those games... anyone have video? My point was that he seems to do better offensively against smaller opponents like the above mentioned teams with the exception of Cuse. Power forwards for the most part are smaller than centers. So he would do better offensively against power forwards than being marked by centers where he is absolutely awful.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Jan 10, 2015 17:19:41 GMT -5
Not sure what position he was playing in those games... anyone have video? My point was that he seems to do better offensively against smaller opponents like the above mentioned teams with the exception of Cuse. Power forwards for the most part are smaller than centers. So he would do better offensively against power forwards than being marked by centers where he is absolutely awful. I get your point, I just don't see the evidence. For example, why doesn't he dominate in the first 4 minutes (before the official timeout) of games when he is playing 4 to Josh's 5?
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Post by charlietao on Jan 10, 2015 18:28:33 GMT -5
Four consecutive missed FTs plus one stupid foul cost the game. OT should not have occurred. I almost smashed my f. television. Period.
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HOYAPLAYA
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IT'S TIME FOR A RUNNNNNNN!!!!!!
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Jan 10, 2015 18:30:37 GMT -5
That isn't the point. When we come from behind and beat a team like Indiana in the 2nd half, there is no acknowledgement of coaching success but when we lose a Big East game on the road where your Senior PF goes 0 for 6 from the foul line in the second half and the whistles got extremely uneven after the 12:30 mark, the coach sucks. Sounds like you're dealing with feelings, not facts. Perhaps our wires are crossed on communications because I'm not sure what you mean. "the coach sucks" part wasn't my feelings, it was my interpretation of some of the all star posters we have on this board that just wait for something they don't like to fail and then jump on every opportunity to beat that drum. The same posters never show up and post that they don't know what they are talking about when their theory is proved to be wrong by either a specific player's or coaches performance.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Jan 10, 2015 19:11:56 GMT -5
I am not going to bash one of our players.
I will say that Hop is not having a good year offensively which is disappointing because he is senior and you would expect he is due.
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biggmanu
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Post by biggmanu on Jan 10, 2015 19:20:36 GMT -5
I wish Jabril, Peak, or Tre could initiate the offense during end of game situations it might give DSR a better chance of finding an open shot. One of the problems in this lineup is that we are playing with a bunch of shooting guards and no true point and we are underutilizing our best shooter by making him take the point guard responsibilities.
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Post by hoyalove4ever on Jan 10, 2015 19:40:27 GMT -5
Tough loss, but I thought the team played its heart out. I wish DSR would have just pulled up and chucked it on that last play. I hope the team can hold its head high and get ready for the next one.
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drquigley
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Post by drquigley on Jan 10, 2015 19:53:16 GMT -5
Enough with the JTIII bashing. He knows how to beat a 2-3 zone but he needs the players to do it. Did we forget how we manhandled Syracuse when we had Otto Porter, Jeff Green, Austin Freeman? If anything, you can fault him for not recruiting the players he needs the last few years. I'm sure he thought Hop and Lubick would fill the bill and of course he had to think Otto and Whit would be around longer. Let's see if White or Peak can step up either by the end of this year o in the future.
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EtomicB
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Post by EtomicB on Jan 10, 2015 20:01:34 GMT -5
The Dunk crowd was very disappointing without the PC students - even with PC's comeback it was relatively quiet. Agree 100% Dan.. Very subdued home crowd..
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