jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 8, 2024 11:48:26 GMT -5
Bizarre if accurate - how many 6'8"-6'9", 195 - 210 pound guys do we need? Still doesn't solve the massive hole we have at center. I guess the idea is to overwhelm the opposition with waves of tallish 3/4s? I think Burks is the most like a 4 of any of the 6'7-6'9" guys they have. Peavy is 3. McKenna is a 2/3. Caleb is a basketball player. We will see where he fits.. Go watch Burks highlights. He looks great in the PNR.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 7, 2024 20:15:31 GMT -5
I suspect it was a Cook decision but can’t say so confidently.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 7, 2024 17:48:35 GMT -5
Someone on Discord reports talking to someone on staff this weekend and learning that Cook returning was not in the plan. Unclear if that was Cook's plan or staff's plan.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 7, 2024 11:08:38 GMT -5
I have heard he is welcome back, but I think he is looking for promises the staff was unwilling to give at the time. I was hoping we would be successful recruiting over him but at some point you have to ask yourself if you are a better team with or without him. He was very poor defensively, but we might wish we had him.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 7, 2024 11:06:03 GMT -5
My question is this....if Cooley swings and misses on bringing in a veteran defensive big, how many on this board are NOT going to grant Fielder and Sorber the grace of being the bigs who actually want to play for this team while they develop?
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 7, 2024 5:14:41 GMT -5
How many inexperienced centers do you want on this roster? Do you miss the old days with Malcolm, Tim and Q?
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 6, 2024 10:23:26 GMT -5
NBA announces early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2024 A total of 195 players have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2024… Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 16. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered NBA Draft 2024 must withdraw by Wednesday, May 29. www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-2024-early-entry-candidates#Originally, I didn't want to wait for a player that was testing the NBA waters. But this might work out for us. Our continued lack of success finding a big might have us still looking by the time these players try to come back.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 5, 2024 20:16:01 GMT -5
Hey, they tried! All you can do is try. We fire sales reps who come back with that answer.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 5, 2024 20:13:49 GMT -5
Burke looks like an interesting possibility. Looks like our front court is going to be really, really, really green.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 5, 2024 20:11:28 GMT -5
Trilly made the point that no one is actually committed until they show up in the fall.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 5, 2024 15:34:07 GMT -5
We need a veteran, defensive first center that can play 20 minutes a game to take the pressure off of Drew and Sorber. We may not get it.
When life deals you lemons, I guess you make lemonade. We do need more big bodies. We can't play successfully with 2 bigs.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 3, 2024 15:30:52 GMT -5
Looks like Cliff or his advisors have been studying investment banking. This sure looks like a 'process' to me.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 3, 2024 15:29:32 GMT -5
Trips are over for Cliff. The good news is that he didn't appear to commit on any of them. Who knows where he is going.
I can't imagine that the staff thought they would pair Stewart and Cliff together. So I think they were separate initiatives. Maybe they set Cliff aside and pursued Stewart and now that Stewert went elsewhere will reconsider given the current circumstances.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 3, 2024 9:40:28 GMT -5
Thoughts on Moussa Cisse 7-1 senior center as our backup and anchor anchor 6-9 PF ? According to some, Cisse is going to have credit transfer issues that restrict his options.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 30, 2024 13:29:04 GMT -5
Sadly, I would take the under on .500 in conference. We would need... Sorber to not play like a freshman and be a very high impact recruit and/or Fielder to take a dramatic step forward between the end of last season and the beginning of the next season and/or Mack to play at the high end of the expected range of play and McKenna to be fully ready for prime time in a big role. I don't think you can expect these to be probable outcomes. I'm not sure why McKenna has to be the one, Here is why I specified McKenna. Mulready looks to get relief minutes for Mack and Epps and let's assume he competently does so. I don't think we would be looking for him to over-achieve. Sorber is already called out specifically. Not a lot is expected from Caleb this semester. I think this team needs another dynamic scorer to be competitive at the .500 level or better, and McKenna seems the most likely to be that guy of the non-Sorber freshmen. Meanwhile, McKenna is a freshman with 6 months in the system. This dynamic scorer could also be Curtis Williams should he over-achieve his prior production. I forgot about him.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 30, 2024 11:31:52 GMT -5
Hoyaboya: "The people advocating for Stewart seem to be more in love with the fact that we can get him rather than recognizing he doesn't solve any of our actual personnel needs. And by bringing in Stewart at this late stage, what does that tell Fielder and Sorber?" Read this carefully folks. Boya is not disparaging Stewart or his 5 stars or his athleticism ( I too am impressed that he broke Zion's Duke record for standing vertical ). Duplication. At some point I would hope Cooley would show some loyalty to someone other than Epps- like the players he recruited e.g. Sorber and Fielder out of High School. A one year, experienced, defensive Big is what this team needs, not a three year duplication of what we have.If Stewart signs with the Hoyas, how are we all going to feel if Fielder hits the portal shortly thereafter? The last day to enter the portal is today or tomorrow. So that window will close soon.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 30, 2024 11:29:51 GMT -5
If Stewart were to commit and Supreme could be coaxed back in [or replaced by a similar caliber of player], is this a team that could sniff .500 in Big East play? Guards: Mack, Epps, Mulready Wings: Peavy, McKenna, Curtis Williams, Caleb Williams Bigs: Fielder, Stewart, Sorber, Cook Would love to see more bulk inside and a little more shooting from the wing, but this does look like a roster where Cooley has added talent without robbing minutes from our last 2 classes of recruits, but rather by nudging aside last year's group of transfers. Sadly, I would take the under on .500 in conference. We would need... Sorber to not play like a freshman and be a very high impact recruit and/or Fielder to take a dramatic step forward between the end of last season and the beginning of the next season and/or Mack to play at the high end of the expected range of play and McKenna to be fully ready for prime time in a big role. I don't think you can expect these to be probable outcomes.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 30, 2024 8:59:08 GMT -5
It is increasingly looking like Stewart, Fielder, Sorber, and maybe Cook.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 29, 2024 20:37:11 GMT -5
Not saying I expect Stewart (even if he were to come) to turn into Bryce Hopkins, nor are the skill sets exactly the same, but the similarities are there: Measurables: Stewart (6’9”, 227) / Hopkins (6’7”, 220) 247 HS Rank & Grade: Stewart (22, 97) / Hopkins (44, 96) Freshman MPG: Stewart (8.4) / Hopkins (6.4) Freshman PPG: Stewart (2.6) / Hopkins (2.1) Freshman RPG: Stewart (3.2) / Hopkins (1.4) Perhaps Cooley can sell his experience developing Hopkins after a less than fulfilling first season at a Blue Blood. I think it’s certainly a risk worth taking for both sides. We can definitely land the kid, that's not really the question - he was Duke's 9th man last season and was recruited over his first year in Durham. And he has some talent and is a nice piece in college as a 6'8" athletic rim-runner. The question is do you upset the apple cart with Fielder and Sorber to bring in Stewart. And why bring in somebody like Stewart whose skills are very duplicative with Fielder/Sorber while continuing to have a hole in the "true 5" category? We would have no shot blocking rim presence defensively on the roster. We also wouldn't have much girth inside, we'd likely get killed on the boards. I'm a hard pass on Stewart unless there are other Hoya departures expected prior to the portal deadline. I am not a hard pass on Stewart but he falls short of fixing the problem we had at 5. He is a defensive 4. If we enter the season with Cook, Sorber and Fielder (or less) at the 5, Lord help us.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on Apr 29, 2024 15:30:00 GMT -5
Not a surprise. He is a square peg in world of round holes. He is just a basketball player.
I think he will over-achieve his rankings.
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