DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by DFW HOYA on Mar 6, 2024 11:41:57 GMT -5
Of course Epps loves Cooley. Epps gets paid and is allowed to play however he feels like it, carte blanche, no matter how detrimental it is to the team concept. Based on the way he talks about Epps in comparison to how he discusses other players, Cooley may have a blind spot here, which would be harmful to the team beyond just this singular disastrous season. Epps is the best player Cooley has right now. His six 30+ point games are remarkable not only in one Georgetown season (a number matched only by Reggie Williams and Allen Iverson) but in one season he's already tied for 5th all time in that category. Yes, his defense is lacking and he is a streak shooter that defenses are quick to adjust to. The shaky defense is a function of playing out of position and his 6-2 size is vulnerable against taller guards like Devin Carter and Desmond Claude. As for overshooting, this would be a three win team without him this year. A roster relying on Jay Heath or Wayne Bristol to get 15-18 ppg every night would go nowhere.
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,352
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Post by hoyaboya on Mar 6, 2024 12:03:56 GMT -5
Of course Epps loves Cooley. Epps gets paid and is allowed to play however he feels like it, carte blanche, no matter how detrimental it is to the team concept. Based on the way he talks about Epps in comparison to how he discusses other players, Cooley may have a blind spot here, which would be harmful to the team beyond just this singular disastrous season. Epps is the best player Cooley has right now. His six 30+ point games are remarkable not only in one Georgetown season (a number matched only by Reggie Williams and Allen Iverson) but in one season he's already tied for 5th all time in that category. Yes, his defense is lacking and he is a streak shooter that defenses are quick to adjust to. The shaky defense is a function of playing out of position and his 6-2 size is vulnerable against taller guards like Devin Carter and Desmond Claude. As for overshooting, this would be a three win team without him this year. A roster relying on Jay Heath or Wayne Bristol to get 15-18 ppg every night would go nowhere. Where has the Epps "do whatever he feels like" offensive show taken us this year? We're 9-21 overall, 2-17 in the Big East. We're in the 190s in KenPom, clearly one of the worst high major teams in the country. If we run it back with Epps playing a major role in 2024-2025, I would not expect the team to have the kind of success that a $4M-$5M roster should.
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Post by HometownHoya on Mar 6, 2024 12:14:33 GMT -5
Agreed, if we see selfish and ball dominant play continue into next year when we have a deeper and hopefully improved roster then I'll be concerned. He is only a sophmore and was asked to be this teams first and second option since Styles never stepped up consistently, Heath regressed, Cook met his ceiling, and Brumbaugh and Fielder took time to grow into their roles. If he's not the only player opposing teams need to gameplan for next year, I hope we see his shooting percentages go up and if he doesn't need to force it, turnovers go down. I do hope that Cooley doesn't have a blind spot and can go to Epps over the summer and next year and let him know that he needs to play within the team, not above the team.
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,746
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Post by DFW HOYA on Mar 6, 2024 12:24:18 GMT -5
Where has the Epps "do whatever he feels like" offensive show taken us this year? We're 9-21 overall, 2-17 in the Big East. We're in the 190s in KenPom, clearly one of the worst high major teams in the country. Everyone knows the record. However, Epps singlehandedly won three games this year: 31 points in the OT win over American, 34 in a narrow win over Jackson State, and saved the ignominy of a loss at DePaul with 33 points and five of the final seven points of that game. It's not that he does whatever he feels but that the other options are so unreliable that Cooley needs someone to take these shots. If there's a shot needed at a critical point, do you give it to Epps, Heath, or Massoud? While he gets caught from behind when opponents go to the ball screen, he's still the best defender of those three. Much like a name from the recent past (Primo Spears), Epps is a volume shooter that has struggled down the stretch. But he's not taking shots away from anyone that can do appreciably better that this point. Accepting that Brumbaugh's game is still limited as a freshman, who is Epps taking shots away from? Getting some backcourt help will make Epps a more complementary player as a result--until then, much like with Spears, somebody has to shoot.
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guru
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,600
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Post by guru on Mar 6, 2024 13:28:28 GMT -5
Of course Epps loves Cooley. Epps gets paid and is allowed to play however he feels like it, carte blanche, no matter how detrimental it is to the team concept. Based on the way he talks about Epps in comparison to how he discusses other players, Cooley may have a blind spot here, which would be harmful to the team beyond just this singular disastrous season. Epps is the best player Cooley has right now. His six 30+ point games are remarkable not only in one Georgetown season (a number matched only by Reggie Williams and Allen Iverson) but in one season he's already tied for 5th all time in that category. Yes, his defense is lacking and he is a streak shooter that defenses are quick to adjust to. The shaky defense is a function of playing out of position and his 6-2 size is vulnerable against taller guards like Devin Carter and Desmond Claude. As for overshooting, this would be a three win team without him this year. A roster relying on Jay Heath or Wayne Bristol to get 15-18 ppg every night would go nowhere. Epps would be a solid sixth man to come in and provide a burst of scoring. That’s best case - let’s hope that happens.
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EtomicB
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by EtomicB on Mar 6, 2024 14:11:19 GMT -5
Where has the Epps "do whatever he feels like" offensive show taken us this year? We're 9-21 overall, 2-17 in the Big East. We're in the 190s in KenPom, clearly one of the worst high major teams in the country. Everyone knows the record. However, Epps singlehandedly won three games this year: 31 points in the OT win over American, 34 in a narrow win over Jackson State, and saved the ignominy of a loss at DePaul with 33 points and five of the final seven points of that game. It's not that he does whatever he feels but that the other options are so unreliable that Cooley needs someone to take these shots. If there's a shot needed at a critical point, do you give it to Epps, Heath, or Massoud? While he gets caught from behind when opponents go to the ball screen, he's still the best defender of those three. Much like a name from the recent past (Primo Spears), Epps is a volume shooter that has struggled down the stretch. But he's not taking shots away from anyone that can do appreciably better that this point. Accepting that Brumbaugh's game is still limited as a freshman, who is Epps taking shots away from? Getting some backcourt help will make Epps a more complementary player as a result--until then, much like with Spears, somebody has to shoot. Styles imho
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Post by michaelgrahmstylie on Mar 6, 2024 14:40:37 GMT -5
Best shooter on the team! Can be the go-to guy or the facilitator! Smart! Improving just like everybody else! Leave Epps alone!
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Post by hibernatinghoyafan on Mar 6, 2024 15:53:03 GMT -5
Epps is a stud and can be a difference maker on a top team given his ability to score. It’s not his fault he’s plan A-Z on offense so of course he’s going to press in situations. Surround him with more talent and I think he looks to pick his spots better. Clearly he’s a shooting/combo guard but he has the talent to be an all-BE player if you give him the right teammates.
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by hoyaboya on Mar 6, 2024 16:02:04 GMT -5
Epps is a stud and can be a difference maker on a top team given his ability to score. It’s not his fault he’s plan A-Z on offense so of course he’s going to press in situations. Surround him with more talent and I think he looks to pick his spots better. Clearly he’s a shooting/combo guard but he has the talent to be an all-BE player if you give him the right teammates. All of the people lauding Epps only cite his offensive game (which, by the numbers, isn't good). His defense is, to put it mildly, also not good. Illinois is a better team this year without Epps than they were last year with Epps. It's obvious Cooley/Ivan Thomas have a lot invested in Epps, but their trust in his game is misplaced, in my opinion. It should worry Hoyas fans if they value Epps highly, which it appears they do based on how they treat/speak about him compared to other players.
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Post by reformation on Mar 6, 2024 16:21:15 GMT -5
Epps is quick. His speed allows him to get a lot of shots. Don't think he, at least currently, fits into any real team concept (never passes, takes poor shots, not a good defender, small size for a 2, not a great shooter IMO). Hard to see him as a cornerstone of a good team. Hard to think I'd want to play with a guy that never passes, if I'm in transfer portal or recruit but hey none of us are really that close to the situation so maybe Cooley is right.
If he could shoot more reliably, I see him as a sixth man on a good team (instant offense if he is hot, on the bench if he is not).
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gujake
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by gujake on Mar 6, 2024 16:29:53 GMT -5
I do hope that Cooley doesn't have a blind spot and can go to Epps over the summer and next year and let him know that he needs to play within the team, not above the team. There's no reason Cooley can't do that now. Or at any point this season. I'm with boya on this one. Cooley pretty clearly has a blind spot with Epps. He's intimated at least a couple times in press conferences that he didn't think Epps's shot selection was a problem. I have no idea what Cooley is thinking here, and I don't expect it to get better next year.
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gujake
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by gujake on Mar 6, 2024 16:43:11 GMT -5
But he's not taking shots away from anyone that can do appreciably better that this point. Accepting that Brumbaugh's game is still limited as a freshman, who is Epps taking shots away from? Getting some backcourt help will make Epps a more complementary player as a result--until then, much like with Spears, somebody has to shoot. This isn't how basketball works. You don't simply take turns shooting the ball. You try to get the most efficient shot possible as a team. Epps often kills the efficiency of our offense, and it's not just from poor shot selection. He dribbles the life out of the ball. He doesn't pass to open teammates. And one thing that really hurts: he takes WAY too long to make decisions, causing all movement to stop. We have tons of possessions that start with decent ball movement and player movement, and then the ball gets to Epps and he hesitates and everything comes to a screeching halt. This is REALLY bad for efficiency, and it's something you basically never see in the NBA anymore, or on good college teams.
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AvantGuardHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
"It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something."
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Post by AvantGuardHoya on Mar 6, 2024 18:45:55 GMT -5
Aight, I'm an old man who is the complete idiot that Dan is not, but indulge me if you would and tell me is it really possible for a player who "never" passes the ball to:
1) be the only player to have a double digit assist game in the season and...
2) be the leading apg player on the team
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seaweed
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by seaweed on Mar 6, 2024 19:12:20 GMT -5
Aight, I'm an old man who is the complete idiot that Dan is not, but indulge me if you would and tell me is it really possible for a player who "never" passes the ball to: 1) be the only player to have a double digit assist game in the season and... 2) be the leading apg player on the team Don’t trouble a narrative w facts
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jackofjoy
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 225
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Post by jackofjoy on Mar 6, 2024 20:38:01 GMT -5
Epps is the best player Cooley has right now. His six 30+ point games are remarkable not only in one Georgetown season (a number matched only by Reggie Williams and Allen Iverson) but in one season he's already tied for 5th all time in that category. Yes, his defense is lacking and he is a streak shooter that defenses are quick to adjust to. The shaky defense is a function of playing out of position and his 6-2 size is vulnerable against taller guards like Devin Carter and Desmond Claude. As for overshooting, this would be a three win team without him this year. A roster relying on Jay Heath or Wayne Bristol to get 15-18 ppg every night would go nowhere. Where has the Epps "do whatever he feels like" offensive show taken us this year? We're 9-21 overall, 2-17 in the Big East. We're in the 190s in KenPom, clearly one of the worst high major teams in the country. If we run it back with Epps playing a major role in 2024-2025, I would not expect the team to have the kind of success that a $4M-$5M roster should. Source please
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by hoyaboya on Mar 6, 2024 20:42:22 GMT -5
Where has the Epps "do whatever he feels like" offensive show taken us this year? We're 9-21 overall, 2-17 in the Big East. We're in the 190s in KenPom, clearly one of the worst high major teams in the country. If we run it back with Epps playing a major role in 2024-2025, I would not expect the team to have the kind of success that a $4M-$5M roster should. Source please
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Post by reformation on Mar 6, 2024 21:23:56 GMT -5
Wonder if some of Cooley's comments are driven by the amt of NIL$ invested in Epps for which he is getting internal flak for? Obviously pure speculation + there is a big bid ask here on what Epps is worth. Just me but I would be all over him for lack of team play if I were Cooley, he just isn't nearly good enough to let run wild like he does.
When I met Cooley, I was super impressed that he remembered my HS coach from 30+ yrs ago as he had recruited my HS. I am very surprised how he handles Epps.
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jwp91
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by jwp91 on Mar 6, 2024 21:39:14 GMT -5
Aight, I'm an old man who is the complete idiot that Dan is not, but indulge me if you would and tell me is it really possible for a player who "never" passes the ball to: 1) be the only player to have a double digit assist game in the season and... 2) be the leading apg player on the team I see a player with two modes. Get others involved mode. Be a hero mode. I love the get others involved mode which explains the stats you are seeing.
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Post by reformation on Mar 6, 2024 21:53:52 GMT -5
Epps has the ball all the time and the others and coach defer to him--also look at the team stats, not just his ind stats.
Fyi Gtwn is very easy to defend when he has the ball--relatively easy to direct him to one side and force a bad shot, since he does not create and it's not like he's an elite shooter so I would not care if he gets a few baskets when he's hot as it will generally not last.
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dense
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Post by dense on Mar 7, 2024 5:18:27 GMT -5
Wonder if some of Cooley's comments are driven by the amt of NIL$ invested in Epps for which he is getting internal flak for? Obviously pure speculation + there is a big bid ask here on what Epps is worth. Just me but I would be all over him for lack of team play if I were Cooley, he just isn't nearly good enough to let run wild like he does. When I met Cooley, I was super impressed that he remembered my HS coach from 30+ yrs ago as he had recruited my HS. I am very surprised how he handles Epps. Epps isn't making that much NIL wise from the numbers I've seen. Making average good p6 player money. Put it this way I hear its just a little less than Massoud.
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