DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Nov 8, 2024 10:59:48 GMT -5
We haven’t seen post moves like that in a Hoya uniform in almost a decade. At this point, I somewhat feel like I am taking crazy pills here, Dan. Sorber is very promising, but he really has no post moves. He tried to spin baseline from both sides when there was nothing there, traveling at least once, and I think twice and pinning himself under the backboard multiple times. All against a smaller guy. This is all learnable; it's fine. But there's a lot to work on there, at least from this game. My comments weren't a criticism of Sorber so much as a recognition that it is going to take some time. And smokeyjack (does that work here?) - I really don't see that level of athleticism. It's not poor, but I find it hard to believe say, someone like Alonzo Mourning never had a more athletic play than the one referenced. He might be more athletic than Govan, but I haven't really seen anything that would put him above Monroe in those terms (and certainly not Green, Wes Wilson, Otto Porter, etc. in that aspect). Monroe was a decade long NBA player, so I'm not knocking him. What I really meant was the footwork, and I realize the competition. I can't think of a center on the roster in at least the last 5 years who could even make a dropstep move like that against even against this level of competition. Maybe a better way of putting it is the kid arrived with a base/floor that is several levels above what we've been used to seeing on the roster. |
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jwp91
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,382
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Post by jwp91 on Nov 8, 2024 11:05:28 GMT -5
SF, you are not wrong but the game is different now. We are going to be playing 5 out. Today a big needs much more than a back to the basket game. The skills set has to be far more diverse. And Thomas is decently skilled for that. He is going to compete well for conference freshman of the year. And yes, he has skills to continue to develop.
Between what he did in the Capitol Classic and his 1st game as a collegian, he has more than a little of the ‘it’ factor. Go Thomas!
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Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Nov 8, 2024 11:25:41 GMT -5
We haven’t seen post moves like that in a Hoya uniform in almost a decade. At this point, I somewhat feel like I am taking crazy pills here, Dan. Sorber is very promising, but he really has no post moves. He tried to spin baseline from both sides when there was nothing there, traveling at least once, and I think twice and pinning himself under the backboard multiple times. All against a smaller guy. This is all learnable; it's fine. But there's a lot to work on there, at least from this game. My comments weren't a criticism of Sorber so much as a recognition that it is going to take some time. And smokeyjack (does that work here?) - I really don't see that level of athleticism. It's not poor, but I find it hard to believe say, someone like Alonzo Mourning never had a more athletic play than the one referenced. He might be more athletic than Govan, but I haven't really seen anything that would put him above Monroe in those terms (and certainly not Green, Wes Wilson, Otto Porter, etc. in that aspect). Monroe was a decade long NBA player, so I'm not knocking him. I'm not sure about smaller guy--Sorber was up against a 6'9" 240lb player for about 2/3 of the time, and a 6'11" 260 guy for the rest of it. He sits somewhere in between those. From the 10th row, I saw a lot to be excited about in Sorber. He's definitely raw (although not as raw as I expected), and has a long way to go, and I wouldn't immediately put him in the category of the all-time Hoya greats. But for game 1, way more to be excited about than disappointed about. It might be hard to remember the last 4 seasons, but in one game as an 18 year-old, I would say the potential of Sorber is leaps and bounds beyond the likes of Qudus Wahab, Tim Ighoefe, Supreme Cook, Malcolm Wilson, and Ryan Mutombo. And his productivity on day one is right there with the best versions of those players. He has a ton to learn; he needs to get his body in better shape and get better at finishing through contact (and also finishing the bunnies when the contact doesn't come)--tons he can improve on. But he has a history of incredible work ethic over the last couple of years, and there's no reason to expect he won't improve significantly both in the season and in the off-season. Going 10-13 from the line is a great foundation and a sign of putting in the work. I'm not ready to compare us against the 1982-1987 Hoyas (or even the 2007-2010 Hoyas) this year. I'd like to get there, but for the moment, I'm breathing a sigh of relief at the potential of this team in comparison to the 2020-2024 Hoyas. |
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Post by suicideslushpuppie on Nov 8, 2024 13:09:27 GMT -5
Hate to say it but based on that performance I think it's going to be another long season, finishing near the bottom of the conference with single-digit wins again. This is the epitome of why a lot of Gtown bball fans have fled from Hoyatalk (beyond how abysmal weve been). One game. That we won. And proclamations of a single digit win season. 🤢 I'm just keeping it real and calling it like I see it. Hopefully I'm wrong. |
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Post by suicideslushpuppie on Nov 8, 2024 13:10:39 GMT -5
Hate to say it but based on that performance I think it's going to be another long season, finishing near the bottom of the conference with single-digit wins again. What a silly take. We shall see |
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Nov 8, 2024 15:01:06 GMT -5
I am not certain what the debate is about Sorber or the comments of SFHoya. Sorber is loaded with potential but at this point he still has to develop his game more before he is ready for some of the bigs in the BE. Nothing wrong with that assessment. Connecticut, St. Johns, Marquette and Creighton are a level above Lehigh. The next test for the kid is tomorrow and he needs to dominate against another squad that features a smaller lineup.
I am happy for any Hoya victory and recognize that Lehigh stepped up its game from the Northwestern debacle, but at this point all we can really say is this is an athletic group of players with potential and a number of flaws to address. Developing post moves should be on the top of the list for the post players. Staying focused on defense. Hoping (perhaps praying) that one or two players can develop a perimeter game which is at least respectable enough to force defenses not to collapse on the inside players. Excited for the season and eager to see if and how quickly Cooley can develop players like Sorber to realize their potential.
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jackofjoy
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 302
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Post by jackofjoy on Nov 8, 2024 16:14:48 GMT -5
At this point, I somewhat feel like I am taking crazy pills here, Dan. Sorber is very promising, but he really has no post moves. He tried to spin baseline from both sides when there was nothing there, traveling at least once, and I think twice and pinning himself under the backboard multiple times. All against a smaller guy. This is all learnable; it's fine. But there's a lot to work on there, at least from this game. My comments weren't a criticism of Sorber so much as a recognition that it is going to take some time. And smokeyjack (does that work here?) - I really don't see that level of athleticism. It's not poor, but I find it hard to believe say, someone like Alonzo Mourning never had a more athletic play than the one referenced. He might be more athletic than Govan, but I haven't really seen anything that would put him above Monroe in those terms (and certainly not Green, Wes Wilson, Otto Porter, etc. in that aspect). Monroe was a decade long NBA player, so I'm not knocking him. What I really meant was the footwork, and I realize the competition. I can't think of a center on the roster in at least the last 5 years who could even make a dropstep move like that against even against this level of competition. Maybe a better way of putting it is the kid arrived with a base/floor that is several levels above what we've been used to seeing on the roster. Too bad Hoyas didn't have a center in a coaching position back then. |
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kghoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,070
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Post by kghoya on Nov 8, 2024 17:14:01 GMT -5
What I really meant was the footwork, and I realize the competition. I can't think of a center on the roster in at least the last 5 years who could even make a dropstep move like that against even against this level of competition. Maybe a better way of putting it is the kid arrived with a base/floor that is several levels above what we've been used to seeing on the roster. Too bad Hoyas didn't have a center in a coaching position back then. Ugh |
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,987
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Post by SFHoya99 on Nov 9, 2024 9:25:43 GMT -5
SF, you are not wrong but the game is different now. We are going to be playing 5 out. Today a big needs much more than a back to the basket game. The skills set has to be far more diverse. And Thomas is decently skilled for that. He is going to compete well for conference freshman of the year. And yes, he has skills to continue to develop. Between what he did in the Capitol Classic and his 1st game as a collegian, he has more than a little of the ‘it’ factor. Go Thomas! No doubt! That said, I think we saw that this team struggled to generate shots at times. Being able to go down low a few times a game -- especially if the defense switches -- is a big asset. Again, not really a criticism of Sorber as much as I was hoping we had another way to generate a shot when things stagnated. People get very frustrated with hero ball, but the vast majority of those moments occur when you simply can't generate anything off your regular movement. But if I had to pick, I'd actually like to see more pick and roll. Epps and Sorber were very good in limited attempts. And he is much smoother on that. |
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