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Post by JazzNC on Apr 16, 2021 15:45:57 GMT -5
And our quest to becoming the least athletic P5 makes progress. I know I just posted it somewhere else, but I hate boring basketball, and we seem to heading further and further into that hole. We're not even as exciting as Notre Dame. Anyway, I know it's not the popular view point, but I really like Griffin. I liked his game and felt like he was close to something. I doubt we coached him well. I don't feel like improving on players' individually is a strength much any more. I agree we won’t be very athletic, but I did enjoy the offensive ball movement last season. Best in years. It was a more fun team to watch, but it took a Herculean effort to beat good teams. That said, I will look forward to next season. I think Q’s decision is really big because he’s really our only beef. Best case scenario I think is a sweet sixteen, but I would not be surprised if we’re on the bubble again. It is what it is, until old man JB decides to retire.
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Post by Lucas Lee on Apr 16, 2021 22:37:28 GMT -5
And our quest to becoming the least athletic P5 makes progress. I know I just posted it somewhere else, but I hate boring basketball, and we seem to heading further and further into that hole. We're not even as exciting as Notre Dame. Anyway, I know it's not the popular view point, but I really like Griffin. I liked his game and felt like he was close to something. I doubt we coached him well. I don't feel like improving on players' individually is a strength much any more. I agree we won’t be very athletic, but I did enjoy the offensive ball movement last season. Best in years. It was a more fun team to watch, but it took a Herculean effort to beat good teams. That said, I will look forward to next season. I think Q’s decision is really big because he’s really our only beef. Best case scenario I think is a sweet sixteen, but I would not be surprised if we’re on the bubble again. It is what it is, until old man JB decides to retire. With the addition of Jimmy.....I just don't know where we go. I could be wrong, but my spidey-sense says he's going to get decent playing time. We're pretty much Colgate on steroids. Which is good, because we'll be better than Colgate, but bad because I can say Syracuse and Colgate in the same sentence. I'd trade Buddy and Jimmy for Griffin - and I don't even think Griffin is worth it. I just think it would make JB actually have to coach.
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Post by deano on Apr 18, 2021 8:04:29 GMT -5
What's funny is JB would give him the hook if he missed a few defensive assignments early in game but if JG got beat on D or didn't rotate multiple times he stays in the game.
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Post by sobecuse on Apr 18, 2021 11:28:24 GMT -5
What's funny is JB would give him the hook if he missed a few defensive assignments early in game but if JG got beat on D or didn't rotate multiple times he stays in the game. That is very true. Also, JB in his sort of quasi-incoherent rant/defense of himself re:article when he called into Axe said Alan knew the defense and was a good defender in the Zone. Just had lapses at the end of the season. Uh, what?! He was bad all year in the Zone but made a couple of great help side/desperation blocks. JB is getting more looney by the minute. He also said that he likes the guards on the team and that they are “set at guard.” Unreal. 🤦♂️
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Post by deano on Apr 18, 2021 15:31:09 GMT -5
What's funny is JB would give him the hook if he missed a few defensive assignments early in game but if JG got beat on D or didn't rotate multiple times he stays in the game. That is very true. Also, JB in his sort of quasi-incoherent rant/defense of himself re:article when he called into Axe said Alan knew the defense and was a good defender in the Zone. Just had lapses at the end of the season. Uh, what?! He was bad all year in the Zone but made a couple of great help side/desperation blocks. JB is getting more looney by the minute. He also said that he likes the guards on the team and that they are “set at guard.” Unreal. 🤦♂️ Lol. He said that about the guards. Wow and wait till they get abused on D and JG can’t penetrate and get by good defenders.
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Post by cusefan2016 on Apr 19, 2021 9:14:33 GMT -5
I do not think anyone loves our guard situation with Joe being the starting PG. But the reality is we always only play 3 guards, and the best of the bunch is the coaches son.
So I am not sure what was to be expected of an answer of JB when being asked about the guards. He just better hope and pray all 3 of them make it the full season without injury. Issue is the only other type of guy we would be able to get at this point is not in the portal but a developmental 2021 kid like a Howard Washington type. Unless of course we went after a guard to move Joe to the bench, which will not be happening.
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Post by sobecuse on Apr 19, 2021 9:56:38 GMT -5
I do not think anyone loves our guard situation with Joe being the starting PG. But the reality is we always only play 3 guards, and the best of the bunch is the coaches son. So I am not sure what was to be expected of an answer of JB when being asked about the guards. He just better hope and pray all 3 of them make it the full season without injury. Issue is the only other type of guy we would be able to get at this point is not in the portal but a developmental 2021 kid like a Howard Washington type. Unless of course we went after a guard to move Joe to the bench, which will not be happening. It’s just so risky with injury potential. Besides, it’s the quality of the guards, the athleticism there/lack thereof, etc. Who the hell is going to be worried about Joe Girard or Symir Torrence? The problem is that we have been striking out SO many years with guards that JB can’t afford to play more than 2 or 3 or the level of play goes into the crapper. Had we signed Quade Green the first time around he would’ve played (probably started) a ton along with Tyus/Frank and possibly another guy. They tried Geno Thorpe and that didn’t work. I think the intention has been there to bring in more guys in the past. That’s also with better guards collectively already on the roster than this year. But, now, with these guys? We are “set?” He also said Buddy is a top 20 player in the country. That’s ludicrous. He’s a spot up shooter who doesn’t give you a ton else and is given the luxury of playing heavy minutes/high volume. He offers nothing on defense as well. Granted he has improved a ton to be somewhat serviceable against certain unathletic teams/players putting it on the floor when he doesn’t overdribble. But, the idea that Buddy is a Top 20 player in the country is delusional.
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Post by cusefan2016 on Apr 19, 2021 10:31:47 GMT -5
He did not say Buddy was a top 20 player in the country. He said if you look at his recruiting class of the guys that are still in school he is one of the best 20. Basically that the rankings do not matter as much as we make them out to.
I have not looked and have no clue if it is accurate, but I believe that is what he was saying.
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Post by sobecuse on Apr 19, 2021 10:59:52 GMT -5
He did not say Buddy was a top 20 player in the country. He said if you look at his recruiting class of the guys that are still in school he is one of the best 20. Basically that the rankings do not matter as much as we make them out to. I have not looked and have no clue if it is accurate, but I believe that is what he was saying. I’ll have to listen again and I’ll own it if wrong. I didn’t hear it that way but I’ll listen again. It was a lot of excuses and incoherent drivel at times, regardless. Back to the guards though. I would bet the staff would’ve wanted Carey/Goodine/Buddy/Joe all together. Joe would’ve been the fourth guard. Fine. Competitive practices like when you had Scoop/Triche/Dion/MCW all together. The past few years our starters are basically going against walkons. It’s no surprise that our guards are just getting usually overwhelmed in games against any good athletes/good defenders.
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Post by cusefan2016 on Apr 19, 2021 12:57:00 GMT -5
That was the way I took it and sounded like to me at least. Certainly some drivel I agree. I agreed with him that a traditional back to the basket 6.11 240 lb center is not mandatory in todays game.
But then he also referenced Jerami Grant as lesser known recruit who blossomed for us. That is just not true. He was a consensus top 60 kid. We have not been as good and have not had championship ceilings solely because of our roster/talent level IMO.
Fliers on low rated kids you like are fine. But they used to be "Low ranked" like a CJ Fair in the 80s. Not Braswell/Newton/etc in the 100-250 range.
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Post by sobecuse on Apr 19, 2021 14:00:42 GMT -5
That was the way I took it and sounded like to me at least. Certainly some drivel I agree. I agreed with him that a traditional back to the basket 6.11 240 lb center is not mandatory in todays game. But then he also referenced Jerami Grant as lesser known recruit who blossomed for us. That is just not true. He was a consensus top 60 kid. We have not been as good and have not had championship ceilings solely because of our roster/talent level IMO. Fliers on low rated kids you like are fine. But they used to be "Low ranked" like a CJ Fair in the 80s. Not Braswell/Newton/etc in the 100-250 range. Oh I agree with him about the back to basket traditional Center. If I were Axe I would’ve poked him more about that. The Baylor (and Houston) two post players Vital and the African kid however could make a simple post move. They bang and knock people around. The Gonzaga forwards and Timme did not like dealing with them. They can make a simple play down there. They can hold their position, set a good screen that actually IS an obstruction and not a weak little pick n pop attempt since that’s all our offense can do...perimeter stuff. They can be a threat downhill on a PNR. Our guys can’t do those things for years! I would’ve asked him why. Of course the honest answer (and logical one) would be that they mostly fail with the beanpole C type Zone-fit projects who are too raw/too light. Yeah, Grant was not 150 lol. Recruiting does matter. Sweet 16 is fine but the regular season performance is not good enough and not putting us in favorable positions. We are needing end of season furious rallies just to get INTO Bubble/the field as one of the last at larges year after year. Not good enough. I mean how terrible would we have been without Hughes or Griffin? Scary.
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Post by Lucas Lee on Apr 20, 2021 20:03:13 GMT -5
He did not say Buddy was a top 20 player in the country. He said if you look at his recruiting class of the guys that are still in school he is one of the best 20. Basically that the rankings do not matter as much as we make them out to. I have not looked and have no clue if it is accurate, but I believe that is what he was saying. Top 20 player? I think people, primarily mistake Buddy for a player, he's a specialist. A shooter. He's a top 20 shooter, player means you have FAR, FAR, FAR more versatility than what he brings to the table. He's pedestrian at best at any skill other than shooting - and honestly, percentage wise, his shooting doesn't probably put him in the Top 20, but I'd accept that he is.
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Post by cusefan2016 on Apr 21, 2021 8:52:29 GMT -5
Again, as stated I nor JB said Buddy was a top 20 player in college basketball. He said on the show that yes Buddy was ranked in the 300s. But if you take that entire class 3 years later of guys who are still in college he is top 20. I have no clue if that is accurate as I have not looked at the class. But that is what JB said, not that Buddy is a top 20 player in America.
Also Buddy is not a specialist. Is he the best off the dribble or on the other end? No. But he is a good offensive player. You can not like his father, but to say he is simply a 3 point specialist just aint fair.
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Post by sobecuse on Apr 21, 2021 14:01:36 GMT -5
Again, as stated I nor JB said Buddy was a top 20 player in college basketball. He said on the show that yes Buddy was ranked in the 300s. But if you take that entire class 3 years later of guys who are still in college he is top 20. I have no clue if that is accurate as I have not looked at the class. But that is what JB said, not that Buddy is a top 20 player in America. Also Buddy is not a specialist. Is he the best off the dribble or on the other end? No. But he is a good offensive player. You can not like his father, but to say he is simply a 3 point specialist just aint fair. I just listened to it again. It’s the 4:00 mark where JB starts to mention him, Swider, Braswell. I interpreted it as Buddy is now a Top 20 player in the country. JB seemed adamant about putting him there now from the 300 ranked recruit range when he was an incoming player. Regardless, that’s pretty crazy anyway you slice it. I do think he is still rather one-dimensional. He has added a lot to his game just to be able to put in on the floor a little and he has the ability to back down smaller guys. But, I think he’s a product of having the luxury of piling up numbers due to heavy usage. There were many games in garbage time in big losses him scoring points as well. When he dribbles too much it just never is good. Period. He loses it or the offense discombobulates. Sure he can occasionally drive to the rim or make a pull-up. Is that his game? Not really, IMO. He is best off screens, one dribble pull-ups, switches/pick n pop, and transition pull-up threes. Furthermore, a good defender is going to make it tough on him because he isn’t a great athlete or good enough ballhandler. Hard worker? Absolutely. Has he made improvements? Of course. Dude has a beautiful stroke and release. However, on the other side of the ball he’s a mess on defense. There is no denying that. I just think he’s somewhat a product of the high volume and green light he is given. He really shouldn’t be an option 1 or the featured guy on a true contending team. He’s not that kind of player and I think the more he gets fed the ball the more inefficient he has a chance to become.
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