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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 21, 2024 20:10:53 GMT -5
Otto: 22% from 3 as a FR LJ: 24% Jessie Sapp: 20% Jagan: 24% Markel: 25% All total flameouts - never heard from again. Sure. But there's more who started there and never got better. Like I said ... our recent history with shooting specialists / great hs shooters is pretty godawful. I hope he simply had a bad freshmen year but certainly we'd all feel better if he had shot 40% from 3 last year? Of course. But he may not have been accessible to us had he shot 40%. My point is simply that it's absolutely worth a flyer on a kid that is a rising SO with good size and might be able to fill a need. If he doesn't, he doesn't. The way the world works now, if he shoots 22% this year he will know his PT won't be there moving forward and will end up transferring to Marist or something next year.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 20, 2024 21:48:10 GMT -5
It all just depends what the other reasonable options were. A shooter was an area of clear need. If we didn't have a good read on a top tier shooter, this makes perfect sense. A still young player, with size, that reputationally can shoot, likely didn't require much NIL, and doesn't scare off any of our current players. In some sense, this is an example of the staff perhaps learning from last year and locking in what may be a good growth option rather than swinging for the fences and getting left with really bad options
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 17, 2024 10:22:33 GMT -5
Beautiful to see the Mack commitment affirmed (seems like nothing is real in CBB until Tipton posts it). Obviously we are also in the hunt for a rim protector, with Cliff Omoruyi perhaps our top target. And we have a newfound alliance with Team Takeover, while hopefully achieving at least detente with Team Durant. Once we find a center, assuming nobody else breaks for the portal in the meantime—no guarantee of that, clearly—that would leave us with a roster of: Guards: Mack, Epps, Mulready, Guard TBD (Ben Hammond?) Wings: Peavy, McKenna, Fielder, Williams Bigs: Center TBD, [edit] Sorber, Cook, Mutombo?? Where are the remaining gaps? [deleted, transfer speculation] If Cliff O turns down our NIL bag, what other big men could we target/are we targeting? Is Hammond the right fit assuming he’d want to stick with Kenny J? It gets very, very tricky from here. You're now at a point where you of course want to upgrade, but you have at least one guy at each spot that you are either already happy with or think you can be very happy in a year or two if they stick around and develop. So signing virtually anyone may well lead an existing piece to leave.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 15, 2024 18:16:46 GMT -5
Ugh. The roller coaster of the transfer portal, man… I assume Cooley knew this was coming, which is at least in part why he prioritized a big wing like Peavy. All things considered Peavy is an upgrade to Styles (better size, defense and ball movement), but felt the two could coexist. And I do continue to believe continuity is an asset. I suppose this could mean more time for Caleb and McKenna, which isn’t the worst thing either—assuming Cooley can retain them 🙃 Anyways… hopefully Mack is confirmed soon and we start hearing about centers visiting. Why would Styles stick around until after being recruited over? That would make no sense. As I mentioned before Peavy was confirmed him and Styles, especially since Epps is not coming off the bench and will play as much as he wants, made no sense together. Styles saw the writing on the wall and left. That's what is going to happen in the current system. Exactly. Even if he would still get considerable minutes and would even be able to fight for a starting spot, it's hard to blame someone in that situation
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 15, 2024 10:42:49 GMT -5
A little surprised by Styles, but there isn't a spot on the floor where we're any deeper. Peavy, McKenna, Williams, and Mulready - plus possible additions - can go at the 3. But yeah... thought he would've had a shot at a very good senior year. Can't put Mulready at 3 with Mack and Epps at the 1 and 2. Too short and even though Mulready is strong, that's asking a lot of him to guard a big wing. Williams is unlikely to play important minutes next year. Styles is a big-time loss. Gotta wonder about the communication between the coaching staff and our players. It's a loss. But it doesn't necessarily mean anything about communication, right? I mean, you tell him "we are looking to improve wherever we can. Including your spot. We don't know how it will shake out." And when you sign Peavy, you tell him how you think that affects him. And he makes a decision.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 15, 2024 10:40:14 GMT -5
A little surprised by Styles, but there isn't a spot on the floor where we're any deeper. Peavy, McKenna, Williams, and Mulready - plus possible additions - can go at the 3. Those four players haven’t played one minute of basketball under Cooley. Three of them haven’t played college basketball. That’s not depth for success. This is the new world. There's no avoiding it. Anyone you add won't have played a minute for Cooley. And anyone you add may affect an existing players playing time, which may lead him to leave.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 15, 2024 10:36:57 GMT -5
This is the new world. If someone gets signed that seems likely to curtail expected playing time, a kid is not unlikely to look for a better opportunity. It just is what it is.
You just have to sign guys with the expectation that others will leave as a result and you have to be confident that id that happens, it's a net gain. I don't know with certainty that's the case here. It seems likely.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 13, 2024 22:16:15 GMT -5
Hard to see him, Styles and Fielder all starting together, although I guess they could at the two through four or even three through five. Lots of moving pieces still.
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Pete Wilk
Apr 3, 2024 11:54:59 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by aleutianhoya on Apr 3, 2024 11:54:59 GMT -5
A very, very good guy. And, really, what better would any of us hope to have said about us?
Rest in peace, Pete. God bless your family.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Mar 23, 2024 21:01:52 GMT -5
Wow, thought that late game call was pretty obviously Oakland’s ball, but I guess if you watch the replay with your eyes closed it goes to NC St. 🫣 I wish I could agree. But I thought it very clearly went off Oakland. NC State got a hand on it while the Oakland kid's hand was still on it and then the Oakland kid followed through and it went out. We all wish Gohlke could have come off a stagger screen for the win.....
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 27, 2024 19:32:24 GMT -5
What's fascinating defensively is just how disconnected we are. We tried a true matchup and simply couldn't communicate enough to make it work.
On M2M we seem to have gone to full 1-5 switching, which is of course the easiest system to use. And we still can't do it right.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 25, 2024 11:49:32 GMT -5
The trick with Epps is that he's undersized so ideally you would play him alongside a bigger defense-first pass-first guard. Again, Brumbaugh could be that guy in theory though I doubt it. Can we find someone that fits that mold? May not be (in fact maybe can't be) a star. At 6’2”, Epps is not short for his position. Previously , I listed 4 recent BE POY with his same height or shorter. He’s just a lazy defender. No need to excuse it. I didn't say short. He's average height at the point. But he's small. He can got bodied and moved very easily. He's an OK on ball defender. Not great but not awful. He struggles with bigger guards and with anyone that is as quick or quicker. Comine those two? That's a lot of opposing guards! Like a lot of players, his instinct is to relax for an instant once his player doesn't have the ball and that instant makes him a poor team defender. You pair him with another guard that is short or small or even an average defender and things won't go well.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 25, 2024 8:33:03 GMT -5
It's almost always better to win than lose. Especially when you hardly ever win.
We are extremely limited defensively. Styles, Brumbaugh, and Bristol seem to be competent individual defenders and understanding of the team principles. But when any of them are out of the game, we struggle mightily. We struggle with them in the game too because Cook is so poor at team defense (except the PNR hedge and recover, which he is actually quite good at) and Epps is inconsistent. But with any of Massoud, Fielder, or Heath in there, it's a defensive disaster.
You get a five that is a competent defender (which can happen any number of ways...it could be Sorber (though unlikely off the bat)...could be Fielder dramatically improves...could be a transfer), and things change drastically.
Overall, I think Cook and Brumbaugh have proven themselves to be potentially winning players on a good team in reduced roles. Rowan is way more competent and confident offensively now than he was when BE play began. He can already defend. That's a great sign for the future. Maybe he continues to develop and can be a key cog. But at minimum he can be a 15-20 mpg guy spelling both guards. Cook is limited. But he would be a perfectly good backup five on a good team. Those are both valuable pieces.
Fielder right now would be a good backup four on a good team. Can he bulk up into a five? Can he improve quickness and be a four? Don't know. He's got the most upside of this group given his shooting abilities.
The trick with Epps is that he's undersized so ideally you would play him alongside a bigger defense-first pass-first guard. Again, Brumbaugh could be that guy in theory though I doubt it. Can we find someone that fits that mold? May not be (in fact maybe can't be) a star.
The most important thing is that I don't think anything I've written is particular profound. We've clearly identified the guys that have future value and our needs (either internal or external). Don't underestimate that. It's not always that obvious.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 19, 2024 17:17:01 GMT -5
Apologies. You're correct. Looking back it was "If DePaul was removed from the equation"...they'd be #2 across the board. To be fair they'd be #1 If you removed Gtown too. Evan Miya has 4th overall. Average Net ranking is 5th overall. It’s no big deal. I just don’t see SJU as anywhere near the NCAA conversation. I mean they are 14-12, 3 games under .500 in conference play and currently sitting in 9th place…ahead of only us and DePaul. Casting them as in the same area code as the bubble is ludicrous. The objective stats like SJU much more than their record would indicate. Fifth in BE in NET and KenPom. 40s or low 50s on both. That's why they're in the mix. But obviously they are going to need to turn things around pronto.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 6, 2024 9:29:50 GMT -5
a) "I'll wait to the end of the season" is an absolute joke - you've been complaining since last July and just laid out a parade of horribles. b) Why would it affect any of those things? Parents of current players tweet over and over that things are going to be just fine, the Class of 2024 seems bought in to where their parents are tweeting telling people like you to chill the eff out. Maybe it's just you and boya that have the issues and not the players/recruits. Sorry, but this has been such a trainwreck of an initial season that it is not at all beyond imagination that it could derail Cooley’s entire time here before it even really begins. We have the 303rd ranked defense in the country - do we have the 303rd worst defensive talent in the country? We aren’t exactly talented, but we are still underachieving. And the manner of the losses, the blowouts, the losses and near-misses to bad mid-major teams? It has just been an awful year, and even the most optimistic among us on here have pretty much stopped defending what has happened so far. The only fallback left is a solid incoming class for next season. I truly hope that works to elevate us, but we have been burned by overhyped recruits/transfers for the better part of a decade and a half, so it could well be another recipe for disaster. I do think the talent is that bad defensively. I really do. I also think the loss to Holy Cross and the other near misses show where we started. We are better than that now.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 6, 2024 9:28:20 GMT -5
The bottom line: Where is player development?? What can we point to as progress?? What adjustments are being made?? What is the coaching staff instructing/preaching/teaching?? Why are the players not responding?? And lastly, what is the identify or character of the team?? 15-38 and 2 BE wins (for two seasons)/(I know we had two coaches - but you get my point). Player development: Surely, Supreme has developed. I think Fielder has too, it's just that the level of competition has increased so much that it gets lost. But he's way more confident offensively and appears to know what to do defensively even if he can't execute it. Others? Not so much that is evident. Progress: I mean, we are objectively better. The lows have been pretty darned low, but we have been "in" more games this year than last year. In any event, I wasn't expecting much this year. Adjustments: Jesus, tons. We have played a 3-2 zone for long periods. A 2-3 zone. A passive 1-2-2. We have blitzed PNR when we play man and tried to switch everything. We have tried everything under the sun defensively. We. Just. Aren't. Good. Coaching: Who knows? We never know! I will say that Cooley at timeouts (in addition to the coach speak you hear from every coach) seems to have practical thoughts. Identity: a team in transition. Right? That's what this is. There almost couldn't be any true identity at this point. But we have long experience with Cooley's teams to know what he wants....physicality, toughness, grinding.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 3, 2024 17:10:30 GMT -5
You truly think we didn't try to get more.amd better players? Of course he wanted a true PG and presumably hoped Rowan would develop. (Which he still could....but hasn't yet.) Epps isn't a PG. Didn't have a good game today. But still has more assists than turnovers (even if you just look at conference games). He's not the problem. Don’t know what Cooley looked for in the off-season other thanwhat is public. Do you? No. But then why are you saying he stubbornly refused to add guys. With a lack of information, go with the most logical explanation.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 3, 2024 16:59:22 GMT -5
Even if you think he didn't recruit as he should have, that's just a failure, not stubbornness. The defense has changed A TON all year. I mean, we have done an incredible number of things to try to account for our lack of quickness. You couldn't possibly call that stubbornness. This isn't Ewing and his PNR defense. Epps? What is stubborn about trying to get your best offensive player (and the only one that can create his own shots) lots of opportunities? He's tried to establish Supreme. Consistently. They run stuff for Massoud when he is in. Failure and stubbornness. Someone decided no to recruit more players. I agreed with you on defense… because it was so embarrassing. Epps had 1 assist and 4 TOs. He cannot run stuff for others and shoot like he does. That’s Spears. It’s a losing recipe. We needed an experienced, true PG in tbe off-season. Someone decided we were good to go. You truly think we didn't try to get more.amd better players? Of course he wanted a true PG and presumably hoped Rowan would develop. (Which he still could....but hasn't yet.) Epps isn't a PG. Didn't have a good game today. But still has more assists than turnovers (even if you just look at conference games). He's not the problem.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 3, 2024 16:43:25 GMT -5
You've avoided the question. How is he stubborn? Just because he refuses to play Ryan (whom you inexplicably believe is the answer to all problems)? He wasted the OOC with that defense. He didn’t recruit as he should have. Epps plays like Spears and he says it’s fine, which means the offense is going to be off when Epps has a bad game or cannot play. But, he’s having to change it up after all the embarrassing losses. Don’t be silly. I never said Ryan was the answer. He’s one of the alternatives, but Cooley has him nailed to the bench. A kid who played BE ball reasonably well in his freshman year cannot get off the bench this year? Stubbornness. Even if you think he didn't recruit as he should have, that's just a failure, not stubbornness. The defense has changed A TON all year. I mean, we have done an incredible number of things to try to account for our lack of quickness. You couldn't possibly call that stubbornness. This isn't Ewing and his PNR defense. Epps? What is stubborn about trying to get your best offensive player (and the only one that can create his own shots) lots of opportunities? He's tried to establish Supreme. Consistently. They run stuff for Massoud when he is in.
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Post by aleutianhoya on Feb 3, 2024 16:31:22 GMT -5
Matta? They were 9th in the league last year (his first year). They've been good (not great) this year. If we aren't in a vaguely similar place next year, you'll have an argument. Ar this point, I would love 9th in the BE this year. That's fair obviously but it's not like they were gangbusters last year, which is the point.
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