wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 10:29:39 GMT -5
I found myself having a soft spot for him as I dug into the recruitment. Hope we are all in for Cliff.
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 11:42:07 GMT -5
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hoyaguy
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Post by hoyaguy on Apr 29, 2024 12:08:31 GMT -5
Ryan in the portal is understandable, he did his time on the bench and I can totally see the appeal of wanting to get minutes for his final season. Hampton then? Or maybe trying to get a good grad degree maybe at Rice who are now in the AAC?
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Post by dariantownesvanzandt on Apr 29, 2024 13:17:28 GMT -5
We're not going to get the Cadillac frontcourt, but we still need one surefire starter at the 4 or 5. Then one other playable big.
Stewart would be my choice of possible options right now. Plug him in at the 4, and play him alongside Fielder/Sorber/mid-level-xfer C.
That means we probably don't get the shot-blocking/rim-protecting C we've been talking about, but honestly... with dead weight gone, better defensive players in the lineup (Peavy, Stewart), and more overall talent, our defense improves immensely anyway.
It sounds like Onyenso might still be in play (if Cliff goes to UA). I'd take both Onyenso & Stewart and deal with the offensive issues later... but if I got only one, I'd rather have Stewart.
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 13:23:01 GMT -5
We're not going to get the Cadillac frontcourt, but we still need one surefire starter at the 4 or 5. Then one other playable big. Stewart would be my choice of possible options right now. Plug him in at the 4, and play him alongside Fielder/Sorber/mid-level-xfer C. That means we probably don't get the shot-blocking/rim-protecting C we've been talking about, but honestly... with dead weight gone, better defensive players in the lineup (Peavy, Stewart), and more overall talent, our defense improves immensely anyway. It sounds like Onyenso might still be in play (if Cliff goes to UA). I'd take both Onyenso & Stewart and deal with the offensive issues later... but if I got only one, I'd rather have Stewart. What does Stewart give you that Fielder and Sorber don't? Seems pretty repetitive with those guys already on the roster. I get that he was a Duke recruit and is one of the few names left on the board that we're known to be recruiting, but just seems like we'd be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Apr 29, 2024 13:23:02 GMT -5
I am putting my response to this here, but it generated in the Transfers thread. But since this has nothing to do with that, I am putting my response here. I actually realized that after I hit Create Post, and so edited to add it. You were just too quick to the draw for me to do it and have it go unnoticed. Ja! No, my question is not about defense & Epps, etc… To be clear, I’ll ask it another way: do you think Epps can change his ways with coaching and depending on the roster around him? Epps played like Primo a lot and we cannot expect to have a winning team playing like that. Do you think Epps will play like that again this year? Do I think Epps can change his ways with coaching? Yes. Do I think that the roster around him might contribute to him changing his ways? Yes, I think so. The main way in which to equate Primo and Epps are their usage/number of possessions used. Both of them took a lot of shots and had the ball in their hand. Primo's usage was a bit lower, but that's because Murray was also high usage, whereas Epps was really the only guy who consistently had the ball in his hands. But, I think Epps is easily a better player than Primo, for a few reasons: Epps is clearly more talented at getting to the rim and making his own shot. Primo did have the ball in his hands a lot, but his M.O. was basically to dribble the ball, drive, not actually get to the basket, and throw a long or mid-range two (my most hated shot). The stats bear this out. Epps took 12.2% of his shots from mid-long range. Everything else was a three, at the rim, or in the paint. Primo, in contrast, took 46.4% of shots from long to mid-range! Only 53.6% of his shots were from three, at the rim, or in the paint. This is clearly because Primo felt less confident as a three point shooter, and he couldn't get into the paint or the rim at all. These are two drastically different players. And if you look at conference stats, while neither was great, Epps was clearly better. In conference play, Epps had an astronomical 30.4% usage rate and took 31.0% of our shots. His efficiency was 97.2, which I agree is not great. But Primo Spears, in contrast, had 27.8% usage, 27.3% of our shots, and his efficiency rating was 90.2. If Spears' had higher usage (or for example, wasn't playing alongside Murray), my guess is that his usage would have been higher and efficiency lower. So, I think the stats demonstrate what I saw with my eyeballs--Epps is more talented than Spears. Thus, I do think that surrounded by a better cast of characters, Epps can be more efficient, play better, and perform better. ASIDE: People always focus on Primo Spears, but Brandon Murray was arguably even worse. While his usage may have been slightly lower than Spears, in conference play his efficiency was only 87.5%. Think about this: In Big East play in 2022-2023, literally 52.4% of our total offensive shots came from Spears or Murray, both of whom were inefficient and shot horribly. This is partly why our offense under Cooley actually improved quite a bit compared to Ewing. If we had even a remotely decent defense this past year, we could have won 5-6 games.
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wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 13:39:57 GMT -5
We're not going to get the Cadillac frontcourt, but we still need one surefire starter at the 4 or 5. Then one other playable big. Stewart would be my choice of possible options right now. Plug him in at the 4, and play him alongside Fielder/Sorber/mid-level-xfer C. That means we probably don't get the shot-blocking/rim-protecting C we've been talking about, but honestly... with dead weight gone, better defensive players in the lineup (Peavy, Stewart), and more overall talent, our defense improves immensely anyway. It sounds like Onyenso might still be in play (if Cliff goes to UA). I'd take both Onyenso & Stewart and deal with the offensive issues later... but if I got only one, I'd rather have Stewart. What does Stewart give you that Fielder and Sorber don't? Seems pretty repetitive with those guys already on the roster. I get that he was a Duke recruit and is one of the few names left on the board that we're known to be recruiting, but just seems like we'd be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Stewart is a much better athlete that can guard 2-4 as well as some 1s and 5s. He's a tremendous rebounder (over 20% rebound rate last year. Stewart will play defense and get some points without running plays for him. Stewart is nothing similar to Fielder or Sorber.
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RBHoya
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Post by RBHoya on Apr 29, 2024 13:42:21 GMT -5
We're not going to get the Cadillac frontcourt, but we still need one surefire starter at the 4 or 5. Then one other playable big. Stewart would be my choice of possible options right now. Plug him in at the 4, and play him alongside Fielder/Sorber/mid-level-xfer C. That means we probably don't get the shot-blocking/rim-protecting C we've been talking about, but honestly... with dead weight gone, better defensive players in the lineup (Peavy, Stewart), and more overall talent, our defense improves immensely anyway. It sounds like Onyenso might still be in play (if Cliff goes to UA). I'd take both Onyenso & Stewart and deal with the offensive issues later... but if I got only one, I'd rather have Stewart. Agree with everything here. The dream of getting 2 studs up front is gone, but if we can get one plus a decent big for depth we'll definitely be better than we were last year. Even if that fourth big is Cook--he has his flaws for sure, but as the 4th big guy in the pecking order playing 10 minutes a game he's OK. Stewart is really the key though, he should be visiting back half of this week and we need to win that one. Fielder and Stewart as sophs + Sorber as a freshman is a nucleus with IMMENSE potential. And I think you can get each of those guys 25 min/game in the long run. Bring that group back the following year and we'd really be in business. BUT, if we miss on Stewart, and there's not much to the Onyenso interest, and we're looking at Fielder + Sorber + some random transfer from a low major, I think it could be another long year. Fielder and Sorber have high ceilings but the physical maturity isn't there yet. I think Mack is an incremental improvement over Rowan (I know there's a lot of debate about how good Rowan is/would have been as a soph, but I think it's an incremental improvement and not a "night and day" situation) and I think Peavy is an incremental improvement over Styles (mostly because he's such a good defender). I think Fielder/Stewart/Sorber would be an incremental improvement over whatever the hell we were running out there at the 4/5 last year (Massoud/Fielder/Cook, mostly). And so, big picture, incremental improvement at guard, wing and big is a good thing. We have all enjoyed the daydream of the splashy commit and a shortcut back to the top of the league, but it doesn't look like that's going to come to pass. But if we can land one high quality 4/5 for next year, get ourselves out of the bottom of the league and somewhere back toward the middle, then we can build on that next season (other than Peavy we wouldnt be graduating any key pieces) and keep building back to where we belong.
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wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 13:46:58 GMT -5
Yes, Stewart and the center from Kentucky would be ideal. That us 4 players that provide different options. Stewart is an athlete that is a tenacious rebounder. The dude from Kentucky is a rim protector. I have to say, as it stands now, 1 of the 2 is an absolute must to be competitive in the BE.
The fit of the team is significantly better this year. Its not just pick up the best player that you can get a hold of. Stewart would really help this and rolling out Stewart/Peavy with a legitimate center would be tough defense.
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 13:47:33 GMT -5
What does Stewart give you that Fielder and Sorber don't? Seems pretty repetitive with those guys already on the roster. I get that he was a Duke recruit and is one of the few names left on the board that we're known to be recruiting, but just seems like we'd be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Stewart is a much better athlete that can guard 2-4 as well as some 1s and 5s. He's a tremendous rebounder (over 20% rebound rate last year. Stewart will play defense and get some points without running plays for him. Stewart is nothing similar to Fielder or Sorber. Stewart guarding 1s and 2s - LOL. Did you watch any Duke games last year? He's 6'9, 227 pounds and averaged 2.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg game last year. He's a college 4. He's not guarding college wings. He's nothing like Micah Peavy, for example.
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 13:48:52 GMT -5
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wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 13:58:48 GMT -5
Stewart is a much better athlete that can guard 2-4 as well as some 1s and 5s. He's a tremendous rebounder (over 20% rebound rate last year. Stewart will play defense and get some points without running plays for him. Stewart is nothing similar to Fielder or Sorber. Stewart guarding 2s - LOL. Did you watch any Duke games last year? He's 6'9, 227 pounds and averaged 2.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg game last year. He's a college 4. He's not guarding college wings. He's nothing like Micah Peavy, for example. I did. And I saw him do it for USA basketball. Im not saying you purposely put him on guards, but he can do it if he gets switched. Did you not watch him guarding the perimeter players from Houston or Green from JMU?
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 14:18:27 GMT -5
Stewart guarding 2s - LOL. Did you watch any Duke games last year? He's 6'9, 227 pounds and averaged 2.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg game last year. He's a college 4. He's not guarding college wings. He's nothing like Micah Peavy, for example. I did. And I saw him do it for USA basketball. Im not saying you purposely put him on guards, but he can do it if he gets switched. Did you not watch him guarding the perimeter players from Houston or Green from JMU? Dude can’t guard wings. If you’re saying Stewart can guard wings, then you’re saying Fielder and Sorber can too (and they can’t). All three of those guys play the same position.
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wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 14:23:59 GMT -5
I did. And I saw him do it for USA basketball. Im not saying you purposely put him on guards, but he can do it if he gets switched. Did you not watch him guarding the perimeter players from Houston or Green from JMU? Dude can’t guard wings. If you’re saying Stewart can guard wings, then you’re saying Fielder and Sorber can too (and they can’t). All three of those guys play the same position. "They play the same position" Ignoring that they don't, you realize that players play differently no matter what position they play? Stewart could step out and guard perimeter players. He did an adequate job doing so. You have game film of him doing it. Fielder was getting blow by by power forwards. Who knows with Sorber but its doubtful he steps out and guards. What does they play the same position even mean? Stewart plays the same position as Collin Holloway, they must be the same player. Regardless, you dont want Stewart guarding on the perimeter, sobeit. Thats fine. But he's a very athletic defender that plays nothing like Fielder or Sorber. Here are a couple scouting reports: Sean Stewart did what Sean Stewart does. He played with a hot motor, and he played with explosion, strength, and athleticism. Stewart is a good rebounder, in and out of his area. He is also a good defender, guarding the block and moving his feet in switches out to the wing. The jump shot showed improvement, but is still a work in progress. You wonder how his free throws will look. He at his best, offensively, playing five feet and in.
The most deceptive part of Stewart’s game is his mobility and consequent defensive versatility, but it often comes in correlation to the freshness of his legs (and he was clearing running on fumes at the Peach Jam). But, with USA Basketball, he showed he could slide his feet and defend guards on the perimeter, even in open space.
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Post by Ranch Dressing on Apr 29, 2024 14:47:48 GMT -5
At the end of the day, even if a couple of your bigs share some of the same attributes, that's not a negative. We need 4 quality bigs to create a rotation of guys down low who can play phsically, guard intensely, and bang for boards. On any given night if 1-2 get 4 fouls, you need the other 2 to step up.
This is all good, in my mind.
Stewart and Onyenso look like they would be a very good haul. And maybe Cook returns for some consistency and leadership as well.
This is all good.
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Post by 401to202hoya on Apr 29, 2024 14:52:40 GMT -5
At the end of the day, even if a couple of your bigs share some of the same attributes, that's not a negative. We need 4 quality bigs to create a rotation of guys down low who can play phsically, guard intensely, and bang for boards. On any given night if 1-2 get 4 fouls, you need the other 2 to step up. This is all good, in my mind. Stewart and Onyenso look like they would be a very good haul. And maybe Cook returns for some consistency and leadership as well. This is all good. Agree with this comment. Hopefully no one else enters the portal, but I think while Cooley is focusing on filling holes, I think he is also looking to raise the floor and overhaul the overall roster by brining in better talent.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 29, 2024 15:27:06 GMT -5
We're not going to get the Cadillac frontcourt, but we still need one surefire starter at the 4 or 5. Then one other playable big. Stewart would be my choice of possible options right now. Plug him in at the 4, and play him alongside Fielder/Sorber/mid-level-xfer C. That means we probably don't get the shot-blocking/rim-protecting C we've been talking about, but honestly... with dead weight gone, better defensive players in the lineup (Peavy, Stewart), and more overall talent, our defense improves immensely anyway. It sounds like Onyenso might still be in play (if Cliff goes to UA). I'd take both Onyenso & Stewart and deal with the offensive issues later... but if I got only one, I'd rather have Stewart. Yea...but I feel like we should be able to expect more for $6M and a much larger than average NIL budget.
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wolveribe
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Post by wolveribe on Apr 29, 2024 15:53:56 GMT -5
At the end of the day, even if a couple of your bigs share some of the same attributes, that's not a negative. We need 4 quality bigs to create a rotation of guys down low who can play phsically, guard intensely, and bang for boards. On any given night if 1-2 get 4 fouls, you need the other 2 to step up. This is all good, in my mind. Stewart and Onyenso look like they would be a very good haul. And maybe Cook returns for some consistency and leadership as well. This is all good. It would not be a bad thing, though our bigs really don't do the same thing. Stewart and/or Onysenso are completely different styles than Fielder or Sorber. Sorbor has a back to the basket game. Fielder can do it a little bit of it all and step out and shoot. Stewart is an athlete/rebounder. Onysenso is a rim protector.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Apr 29, 2024 15:55:44 GMT -5
No, my question is not about defense & Epps, etc… To be clear, I’ll ask it another way: do you think Epps can change his ways with coaching and depending on the roster around him? Epps played like Primo a lot and we cannot expect to have a winning team playing like that. Do you think Epps will play like that again this year? Do I think Epps can change his ways with coaching? Yes. Do I think that the roster around him might contribute to him changing his ways? Yes, I think so. ... Thus, I do think that surrounded by a better cast of characters, Epps can be more efficient, play better, and perform better. Thanks for all the interesting stats and I think everyone here agrees that Epps is better than Primo. But, comparing Epps to Spears was an example, not the point of my question. That said, you agreed that a player "can change his ways with coaching," and the "roster around him might contribute to him changing his ways," and "surrounded by a better cast of characters, (a player) can be more efficient, play better, and perform better." You indirectly answered my question and made my point. The same can apply to Cook's defense. Give him a break.
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Apr 29, 2024 16:04:27 GMT -5
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