blueandgray
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,753
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Post by blueandgray on Nov 14, 2018 0:16:36 GMT -5
He's a killer!
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,548
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Post by DanMcQ on Nov 14, 2018 2:22:25 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 3:31:36 GMT -5
Making plays in clutch moments. Short list...
1st Half:
2nd Half:
Biggest play of the game and best part is Akinjo's face never changes. Kid is ice cold.
A lot of these plays we just don't make last year. You need guys that can create something when everything else breaks down and tonight our guards made enough plays to get us the W.
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,744
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Post by SFHoya99 on Nov 14, 2018 3:42:43 GMT -5
Last Hoya player to have court vision like James? Honestly, the last point guard to be there is Kenny Brunner. I loved Markel, Wright, and even have soft spot for Kevin Braswell. But none of them were great at driving and dishing. Hell, I'm still fairly convinced Braswell decided whether he was going to shoot or pass before he started driving and was incapable of adjusting mid-play. Not only is Akinjo probably our best since Kenny Brunner ... Mac might end up our second best since Kenny Brunner. As others have noted, Greg and Jeff were probably up there in vision.
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bostonfan
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,508
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Post by bostonfan on Nov 14, 2018 8:31:06 GMT -5
Akinjo was amazing tonight. His stat line doesn’t even show his impact. Without his handle, vision, and moxie at the end we don’t win that game. Huge performance from him! The only thing wrong with his stat line tonight was the 5 TO. 2 of those he was fouled on. 1 Josh didn't handle a pass. The other 2 were at least dead ball TOs, the push ahead where he overthrew Josh and the step out of bounds on the first drive. Everything else he did tonight was just out of this world. Without him this game isn't close. The fact that Akinjo has the ball in his hands on every possession that he is in the game, trying to make plays for himself and his teammates under pressure, means he is going to have some turnovers every night, but the good plays far out distance the bad ones. It was impressive to watch him operate last night against a really good defensive team that was trying to get the ball out of his hands at every opportunity and he still made the correct basketball play almost every time. He is going to be joy to watch for his years at the Hilltop.
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SirSaxa
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 15,620
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Post by SirSaxa on Nov 14, 2018 8:31:34 GMT -5
Hell, I'm still fairly convinced Braswell decided whether he was going to shoot or pass before he started driving and was incapable of adjusting mid-play. I thought the exact same thing at the time. Akinjo is the real deal. Made a huge debut last night. Then add Mac's two second half assists - the bail out from the drive to Blair for a three, and the inside pass to LeBlanc. We have two, very exciting and talented young kids who are just getting started. There are going to be some very frustrating moments for us as fans watching them learn, but delivering on the road in a hostile environment like last night? WOW. Tillman and Bryant anyone?
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smokeyjack
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,297
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Post by smokeyjack on Nov 14, 2018 9:58:46 GMT -5
Wow, wow, wow. Our frosh (and I'm including LeBlanc) are killers...absolute,step-on-your-throat studs. The one quality they all share, and the one we've been missing on the Hilltop for years (other than the occasional Brilly), is they are all relentless. They come at you, and at you and at you. It gives me chills.
And, yes, there are going to be TOs, but after the first two or three possessions of the game where they just flat gave it away, most of their TOs late were of the uh-huh, love-what-you-were-trying-there variety (like the drive and float pass from Akinjo to LeBlanc which Bardo stupidly explained was James going too fast.) Nah, all three of you young bulls keep your feet on the gas. We'll live with the errors of commission (as Pops used to say), and high-five ourselves silly over the next several years.
Oh, and God help the BE (Nova included) if these youngsters develop consistent jumpers. Ewing's entire focus should now be to find a slightly bigger version of LeBlanc who can run with these gazelles and defend the rim. And Pickett should sleep with a basketball and dribble it everywhere around campus like an RB with fumbleitis, because without serviceable handles that kid's future goes from NBA to MIA.
God, this is going to be fun. Once again, I apologize for my manic insanity, but I thought this is who these guys were this summer. And yeah, they are freshmen, but their first two games against decidedly inferior competition were pretty darn forgettable. And what I mean by that is neither guard showed us the engines in those games. I'm not talking about mistakes or stats, I'm talking about the jaw-dropping ability to chase down your own ill-advised 3-point miss on the opposite side of the rim (yeah, Mac doesn't have the athleticism to play at this level - LOFL) or splitting a double-team, pulling up and plunging an and-one dagger into 20,000 Illini hearts in Game 3 of your career.
Welcome to the show folks. There are no tempering expectations now, because we know what these pups can do. Will there be ups and downs? You bet. Sorry, but UMES was a down and there will be more. But the highs give us a ceiling we haven't had in years. And make zero mistake, this team will go as far as these freshmen take us. Yes, it's a team deal, but it's no coincidence that the three GU lines that jump off the boxscore all belong to frosh.
Buckle the F up!!!!
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HOYAPLAYA
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
IT'S TIME FOR A RUNNNNNNN!!!!!!
Posts: 1,329
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Post by HOYAPLAYA on Nov 14, 2018 11:57:04 GMT -5
Wow, wow, wow. Our frosh (and I'm including LeBlanc) are killers...absolute,step-on-your-throat studs. The one quality they all share, and the one we've been missing on the Hilltop for years (other than the occasional Brilly), is they are all relentless. They come at you, and at you and at you. It gives me chills. And, yes, there are going to be TOs, but after the first two or three possessions of the game where they just flat gave it away, most of their TOs late were of the uh-huh, love-what-you-were-trying-there variety (like the drive and float pass from Akinjo to LeBlanc which Bardo stupidly explained was James going too fast.) Nah, all three of you young bulls keep your feet on the gas. We'll live with the errors of commission (as Pops used to say), and high-five ourselves silly over the next several years. Oh, and God help the BE (Nova included) if these youngsters develop consistent jumpers. Ewing's entire focus should now be to find a slightly bigger version of LeBlanc who can run with these gazelles and defend the rim. And Pickett should sleep with a basketball and dribble it everywhere around campus like an RB with fumbleitis, because without serviceable handles that kid's future goes from NBA to MIA. God, this is going to be fun. Once again, I apologize for my manic insanity, but I thought this is who these guys were this summer. And yeah, they are freshmen, but their first two games against decidedly inferior competition were pretty darn forgettable. And what I mean by that is neither guard showed us the engines in those games. I'm not talking about mistakes or stats, I'm talking about the jaw-dropping ability to chase down your own ill-advised 3-point miss on the opposite side of the rim (yeah, Mac doesn't have the athleticism to play at this level - LOFL) or splitting a double-team, pulling up and plunging an and-one dagger into 20,000 Illini hearts in Game 3 of your career. Welcome to the show folks. There are no tempering expectations now, because we know what these pups can do. Will there be ups and downs? You bet. Sorry, but UMES was a down and there will be more. But the highs give us a ceiling we haven't had in years. And make zero mistake, this team will go as far as these freshmen take us. Yes, it's a team deal, but it's no coincidence that the three GU lines that jump off the boxscore all belong to frosh. Buckle the F up!!!! I think we now understand why Malcolm Wilson and Tim O were recruited. What Ewing is doing is putting his stamp on what he wants but also making sure that he has diversity of skill sets on the roster to be able to adjust based on opponent or even during the game. This is going to be fun to see how it develops this year and beyond!
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Post by FrazierFanatic on Nov 14, 2018 12:42:53 GMT -5
Never changes his expression. Never changes his intensity. The quintessential Prime Time Player.
Ice cold heart.
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gunny
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 559
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Post by gunny on Nov 14, 2018 12:44:58 GMT -5
Where is glide when you need him? We need a lesson on point guard play!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 16:33:01 GMT -5
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Post by HometownHoya on Nov 14, 2018 17:12:47 GMT -5
Where is glide when you need him? We need a lesson on point guard play! He's over on Casual reminding everyone about PG play (and other usual talking points).
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,381
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Post by drquigley on Nov 14, 2018 22:00:57 GMT -5
I know it's just one game, and yes I was not impressed with Akinjo after our first two games, but last night he showed flashes of Jalen Brunson. His ability to penetrate and hit the pull up jumper as well as his total fearlessness and end game take charge attitude was classic Brunson. Most important, like Brunson, Akinjo seems poised to be the guy who takes this team on his back and carries it for the next few years.
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Post by ewingitrust on Nov 15, 2018 1:27:43 GMT -5
It wouldn't surprise me if he led the conference in assists to be honest. He has multiple options to dish the basketball to.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2018 1:29:27 GMT -5
👨🏾🍳
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Post by HamptonHoya on Nov 15, 2018 7:05:51 GMT -5
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Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Nov 15, 2018 9:33:58 GMT -5
How many games in a row will he get exactly 7 assists? It’s 3 so far.
Last season, we had 3 games in which a player had 7+ assists. Mulmore twice (once with 8) and Mosely once.
The previous year we also had 3 of those games (though Peak had 10 against Coppin State).
DSR is the last Hoya to have more than 2 7-assist games in a season (or more than 3 in a career).
Things are feeling different.
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,381
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Post by drquigley on Nov 15, 2018 11:08:03 GMT -5
Obviously preaching to the choir but Akinjo is exactly what the doctor ordered. A true point guard. This is really obvious when you see what happens when Akinjo comes out and we expect Mosley to run the offense.
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Post by HoyaRejuveNation85 on Nov 15, 2018 11:22:55 GMT -5
Mosley becomes more valuable when he's used according to his abilities, not the team's needs. Same is true for Blair. Let them be great at what they do (Mosley -- energy on defense, etc.; Blair as a stone cold sniper) and the team will prosper. The key, of course, is Akinjo. Even Mac, who is already showing his court vision, benefits from being the second ball handler and not the featured PG. He gets to grow and get used to the competition, find success and confidence, while Akinjo plays his 30 minutes like a shark moves in the deep -- relentless, ruthless and purposeful.
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hoyas315
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,096
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Post by hoyas315 on Nov 15, 2018 18:35:56 GMT -5
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