|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 25, 2020 10:20:59 GMT -5
Basically, the clock has reset for Ewing. Year four is now year one, so we need to be good by year six. Good meaning NCAAs and over .500 in the BE. The clock isn’t reset simply because Ewing recruited and then lost 4 of his better players (including one, who by all indications left because of displeasure despite having starter minutes and free reign on the court). 5 years without an NCAA bid and being under .500 would require change. Aside from DePaul every single Big East team has made the NCAA tournament at least once since 2016 except for us. That’s just unacceptable for another two years. The fact that every Big East program except DePaul is better situated than us is a problem. Ewing definitely gets more time but a complete timeline reset would be ridiculous. I think Depaul might be better situated (just not the coach). They finally have a home court that is the right size. They are getting players they just don't seem to have the coaching. I think we have the coach, we need more players, and our gameday environment still is lacking.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 25, 2020 9:41:27 GMT -5
Agree with this. You also need to hit on one or two high profile, highly ranked kids. We haven't done that. This years class is a prime example. Even if every kid is an overachiever, we are the 4th ranked class in the big east in a year we need a HUGE class due to roster turnover. This year we need a 1 or 2 ranked class period in the big east! Talent wins. Development helps. Roster continuity helps. If we keep pulling kids from the 100 to 200 range, we will be a middling team at best (vs. lower quarter that we have been in Ewing tenure). I thought this year was tournament or bust. Now next year is tournament or massive recruiting class or bust. Not an excuse. it is the reality we hired a head coach who had never been a head coach on any level. So essentially we hired a project. I did not expect to get a fully formed top level division one coach from day one I expected him to struggle with rotations and roster management. I expected him to take longer than one season to figure this out. what my expectation was was that we would see progress on the coaching fronts in some recruiting wins would follow after he showed something on the court. I did not expect Patrick Ewing's name to hold any weight with five-star recruits or even high four-star recruits we are landing about the rating of recruit that I expected youing to be able to land pre-on court success. But I guess by some of the fan bases ready bake logic Ewing was supposed to come in and year three should have been a title run or bust or top of the Big East and by that same logic Malcolm Wilson should already be starting in scoring a double-double because projects should hit the ground running right away. This makes some sense. I'm not looking at title or bust, I am simply looking at a tournament team. Let's be honest, making the tournament is pretty damn easy nowadays and we aren't doing it. To your point, I think Ewing is improving greatly but maybe he needs to revisit his staff. It just seems like he is working his ass off on the recruiting front when a lot of that lead work needs to be done by your assistants. Tony Skinn was at the Dematha/St. Paul game last night, not Kevin Willard. I know Waheed, Orr & Kirby are recruiting kids but maybe we need a guy who is a bit more tied into the AAU circuit and is a younger guy who might be a bit more relatable to these kids
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 25, 2020 9:16:16 GMT -5
Went to the Dematha/St. Paul game. We need to fill our roster with some 2nd & 3rd type guys from those schools. Yes we aren't getting Roach & Timberlake, but kids like Chuck Harris, McDaniel and the kid from Dematha (Hawkins) played a nice game. Get a roster with some of those kids on the back end of the roster and suddenly you can regain some local interest. I saw Tony Skinn there, Jay Wright. Kiels is going to be good but he definitely carries some extra weight. He will be a load though. Dickinson is hot garbage. The kid plays soft and he would make it tough for me to watch the hoyas over the next four years.
Basically we need some low profile local guys so we can build the pipeline to these schools so when we can show some on-court success, we are positioned for the next Timberlake. That kids is tough.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 24, 2020 15:49:31 GMT -5
Out of the 4 players who left, only 1 player is assumed left because of his role (Akinjo). I believe that the other substitution and rotation patterns would have worked themselves out. We have a coach that is seeing these situations as the head decider for the first time. Even after UNCG, I had confidence that Pat would figure out substitution patterns and lineups that worked and someone would have been on the bench unhappy. And maybe that player leaves. Or two players leave. But that should be because other guys outperformed them on the court. Not because we were scared of creating a competitive environment. Which Pat seems intent on doing. We are almost at three full seasons where he is the "head decider." That excuse is pretty much done, at this point. People have been saying this for three years. How much longer does he need? This season says nothing (positive or negative) about Ewing and roster management, since the 4 player departure robbed him of the ability to make choices. Agree with this. You also need to hit on one or two high profile, highly ranked kids. We haven't done that. This years class is a prime example. Even if every kid is an overachiever, we are the 4th ranked class in the big east in a year we need a HUGE class due to roster turnover. This year we need a 1 or 2 ranked class period in the big east! Talent wins. Development helps. Roster continuity helps. If we keep pulling kids from the 100 to 200 range, we will be a middling team at best (vs. lower quarter that we have been in Ewing tenure). I thought this year was tournament or bust. Now next year is tournament or massive recruiting class or bust.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 24, 2020 9:44:06 GMT -5
Good point and I am not sure. Therein lies the problem. I am still on board but need to see some significant improvement. This was supposed to be that year.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 21, 2020 15:54:29 GMT -5
Silver Hoya. Let's see. Stillwater vs. D.C., Stillwater vs. D.C, Stillwater vs. D.C. What could I possibly be thinking. Stillwater obviously is the cultural and intellectual center of the United States. But that wouldn't be an important consideration for an intelligent young man. Would it? Intelligent young men can choose to live in a small town in the Midwest. These things aren't mutually exclusive. Oklahoma ain't the midwest!
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 20, 2020 13:49:55 GMT -5
At the end of the day I get that rankings don't matter but they do indicate some things. In this class we have 3 under the radar type kids in Harris, Beard & Clark. Sibley is the only consensus top 100 kid. Maybe all three of those kids end up being really good and are good four year players but they probably aren't all world. Wahab will be good but there was a reason he wasn't top 100. I think in a big class you can also lose kids due to egos, playing time and a lack of a perceived pathway to minutes. I have no idea if the MAM kid will be any good but if we keep missing out on kids in the top 100, we can't really expect to be at the top of the league.
Player development will be critical but if you can develop higher level talent the way Nova has, now you have something. It is really unfortunate because unless Mac & Yurt recover, I can't see us pulling enough miracles to get a bid. With the roster turnover we will be young again in key positions. A lot can change between now and the end of the '20 cycle but right now we are just getting to the level of basic roster construction versus really pushing things forward.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 20, 2020 9:25:37 GMT -5
Honestly PC defends a lot like the Hoyas used to. It leads to a very long and tiring 40 minutes. That is a compliment btw. It leads to a lot of fouls too. They wore our guys down and nothing was coming easy. If I was PC, I would have put Watson back in as he was feasting on us inside early in the 2nd half. I think we win that game with two more bodies. Timmy played OK but the kid needs some development and he has been thrown into the furnace. Playing guys forty minutes just isn't sustainable.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 20, 2020 9:23:16 GMT -5
Hard to speculate here as no one on here is Ewing, the player or the trainer. We just needed bodies last night which would have been sufficient to get the W. Mac tried and frankly looked bad. He needs his bounce before coming back and even then there will be some rust. Same with Yurt. It is frustrating but with 7 minutes left I could tell that game was over. I kept looking at the bench and realized we had nobody over there.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 19, 2020 12:47:30 GMT -5
DC, South Orange or Stillwater - Advantage Hoyas Academic profile - Advantage Hoyas Arena - I'ld give that to OSU Position Need - Advantage Hoyas Connections to program - Evenly split among the 3 Recent Success - Advantage Seton Hall
Based on these limited factors I would assume Hoyas. A basketball centric conference also has to resonate and hoops is clearly sport 2 in the Big 12 part of the country.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 19, 2020 12:42:37 GMT -5
Hoyas 70, Provy 66
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 19, 2020 8:47:45 GMT -5
How can Omer go from dressed & sitting against Butler to out? Unless he tweaked it I gotta assume he is ready to play 15 minutes. No idea on Mac.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 14, 2020 12:48:33 GMT -5
There is a very slim chance Cisse makes the move into the 2020 class, but it is an option. Arguably the best shot-blocker in America, Cisse could immediately impact a high-major program from the day that he steps onto campus. Many had assumed that his move to Lausanne Collegiate School would lead to a commitment to the local Memphis program. While the Tigers are involved, the connection between prospect and program is overblown. Rather, the sweepstakes for Cisse is wide-open. He has already taken an official visit to Florida State, and is a top target for programs such as Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky and UConn. If there is a sleeper in all of this, it is LSU. If Cisse does reclassify, the Tigers would be his likeliest landing spot. I sense a "Strong ass offer" coming in from Wade. Not every kid gets paid and many programs don't have to do this. LSU just reeks of cheating though. Despite the talent, Wade hasn't been able to do much with it. He is the Mike Hopkins of the south. It's probably because they are down south I just don't notice.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 14, 2020 10:40:14 GMT -5
There is a very slim chance Cisse makes the move into the 2020 class, but it is an option. Arguably the best shot-blocker in America, Cisse could immediately impact a high-major program from the day that he steps onto campus. Many had assumed that his move to Lausanne Collegiate School would lead to a commitment to the local Memphis program. While the Tigers are involved, the connection between prospect and program is overblown. Rather, the sweepstakes for Cisse is wide-open. He has already taken an official visit to Florida State, and is a top target for programs such as Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky and UConn. If there is a sleeper in all of this, it is LSU. If Cisse does reclassify, the Tigers would be his likeliest landing spot. I sense a "Strong ass offer" coming in from Wade. Not every kid gets paid and many programs don't have to do this. LSU just reeks of cheating though. Despite the talent, Wade hasn't been able to do much with it. He is the Mike Hopkins of the south.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 14, 2020 8:53:09 GMT -5
He has that "No One Is In The Building But Me" jump shot. The kid barely hits net, let alone rim, with the D in his face. That release is repeatable and ultra quick. No doubt the kid has a pure jump shot and looks to have great range on it. As mentioned, everyone needs shooters these days. The only thing I get little concerned about from some of the highlights is that he does not seem to be a really quick, explosive athlete. He gets to the rim in his high school games OK, but not sure if he has a another gear that would allow him to play a little faster and still be comfortable. I think he is a big time prospect, but in the back of my mind I am thinking he could be the next Reggie Cameron!! Is this hoyaballa in disguise. DSR, Domingo & Cameron were all on his hit list. He was right about 2 of 3.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 13, 2020 13:10:41 GMT -5
Maybe this will go down as the Pickett/Ighoefe game. Q has a propensity to foul. Pickett breaks out of a multiple season slump and hits 8 3's. Ighoefe provides D & boards and the Hoyas escape with the dramatic W.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 11, 2020 11:44:35 GMT -5
Butler's D is below par. Hopefully Jamarko gets the scouting report this time. They only have 2 shooters. Guard those two outside, take your chances with their point guard shooting it and don't let Golden or Nze get easy looks inside. This should be a W (should have been the first go around too). I do not think it is fair to blame Pickett for the barrage of threes last game against Butler. He helped out when other players were beaten on drives to the basket. If we are not going to help on those plays, we need to sag wayyy off their ball handlers and beg them to fire away. They cannot drive to the rim with impunity. And, to be fair, Butler is going to get some good looks from three. They are a solid team, and every open three for them does not mean that one or more Hoyas somehow screwed up. Good teams get off good shots. Now, Pickett's offense may be another story. I really want him to get some confidence and turn the corner on that end. It was nice to see him make that three against DePaul; we need more of those. Hoyalove, there was a sequence where McDermott dropped I think three in a row on us. Yes the dribbler got level with the D player on him but didn't have a clear lane to the hoop. That is also where rim protection from our backside wing defender could help but rolling out the 3 guard line-ups we give that away. It's a pick your poison situation but I would rather a contested 2 at the rim than a wide open 3. Pickett opted for the wide open 3 every time and it crushed us and our tentative lead.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 10, 2020 9:35:22 GMT -5
Butler's D is below par. Hopefully Jamarko gets the scouting report this time. They only have 2 shooters. Guard those two outside, take your chances with their point guard shooting it and don't let Golden or Nze get easy looks inside. This should be a W (should have been the first go around too).
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 7, 2020 11:37:48 GMT -5
It sure would have been interesting if Ewing would have benched Akinjo last year after the Marquette game for waiving off his call and taking the final shot himself (and getting swatted and losing us the game). Extremely harsh I know because you never want to completely chain down a players creativity but that seemed like a situation where a kid willfully dismissed his coach. It would have set expectations in advance but also could have just triggered and earlier Akinjo exit (which also probably would have been a plus in hind site). Ewing did not start Akinjo the following game, so he basically did bench him. Though he ended up playing 30 minutes anywyay. I would have put him in a suit and made him watch from the bench. Not sure of the result the next game but the season amounted to a first round NIT loss at home and major turmoil in year two.
|
|
|
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 7, 2020 10:24:39 GMT -5
It sure would have been interesting if Ewing would have benched Akinjo last year after the Marquette game for waiving off his call and taking the final shot himself (and getting swatted and losing us the game). Extremely harsh I know because you never want to completely chain down a players creativity but that seemed like a situation where a kid willfully dismissed his coach. It would have set expectations in advance but also could have just triggered and earlier Akinjo exit (which also probably would have been a plus in hind site).
|
|