Bajaden on College Hoops (merged)
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I thought I would post this as a follow up on Art Parakhouski from Radford. This is from draftexpress.com..
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Artsiom-Parakhouski-5690/
I thought the amount of years played in orginized basketball was interesting.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Artsiom-Parakhouski-5690/
I thought the amount of years played in orginized basketball was interesting.
I just finished watching the Miss. ST./UCLA game. First off let me say that UCLA is going nowhere this year. They're simply not good enough. Too much talent loss in the last few years, and they haven't recharged the system yet. Malcom Lee, a 6'5" SG is highly touted, but he couldn't shoot a pea into the ocean today. I would love to pick out one player on UCLA to rave about, but I can't.
On the other hand Mississippi St. has one player that I've now seen three times this year. Thats Jarvis Varnado, a 6'9" PF reported to have a 7'8" wingspan. His final line, and I'm going on memory was 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots. He also had three jump balls that he created. If you looking for a pure shotblocking defender, and a decent to good rebounder, he's your man. He led his conference the last three years in blocked shots and is leading again this year. He's also a smart defender. He seldom gets into foul trouble and seems to know when he can or can't do something. He appears to be a pretty good athlete. His timing on blocking shots is uncanny. Its just something you can't teach. He also has the ability to block the shot to himself quite a few times. If you want a bodytype, think Marcus Camby.
Now that I've given you the positives, here are his negatives. Your not going to get much offense out of him. Almost all of his points today were scored on dunks off the pick and roll. He has the roll part down pretty good. He does have a few nice drop step moves under the basket, but has trouble finishing. Part of his problem is lack of strength. I think adding around 10 or 20 pounds of muscle would help him finish around the basket. If he has a jump shot, I haven't seen it in any of the games I've watched. He does on occasion show a little jump hook, but seldom gets it to fall. Once again, I think its his lack of strength and light body weight that affects this shot. He's getting bumped while in the air and it just throws his shot off.
He's by no means a liability on offense. He knows position and how to set screens, so he does require attention by the other team. Today he was double and triple teamed whenever he got the ball in the post. And while his lack of bulk makes it easy for bigger man to post him up and gain position, getting the position and making the shot against him are two different things. I'll sum it up by saying, that he's the best shotblocker I've seen this year bar none. I just comes natural to him..
On the other hand Mississippi St. has one player that I've now seen three times this year. Thats Jarvis Varnado, a 6'9" PF reported to have a 7'8" wingspan. His final line, and I'm going on memory was 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots. He also had three jump balls that he created. If you looking for a pure shotblocking defender, and a decent to good rebounder, he's your man. He led his conference the last three years in blocked shots and is leading again this year. He's also a smart defender. He seldom gets into foul trouble and seems to know when he can or can't do something. He appears to be a pretty good athlete. His timing on blocking shots is uncanny. Its just something you can't teach. He also has the ability to block the shot to himself quite a few times. If you want a bodytype, think Marcus Camby.
Now that I've given you the positives, here are his negatives. Your not going to get much offense out of him. Almost all of his points today were scored on dunks off the pick and roll. He has the roll part down pretty good. He does have a few nice drop step moves under the basket, but has trouble finishing. Part of his problem is lack of strength. I think adding around 10 or 20 pounds of muscle would help him finish around the basket. If he has a jump shot, I haven't seen it in any of the games I've watched. He does on occasion show a little jump hook, but seldom gets it to fall. Once again, I think its his lack of strength and light body weight that affects this shot. He's getting bumped while in the air and it just throws his shot off.
He's by no means a liability on offense. He knows position and how to set screens, so he does require attention by the other team. Today he was double and triple teamed whenever he got the ball in the post. And while his lack of bulk makes it easy for bigger man to post him up and gain position, getting the position and making the shot against him are two different things. I'll sum it up by saying, that he's the best shotblocker I've seen this year bar none. I just comes natural to him..
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One final note on the Mississippi St. game. They have a young player named Ravern Johnson, a 6'7" SF/SG. This kid can shoot the daylights out the ball. I think he ended up with 30 points in the game and at one point he was 7 for 8 from behind the arc. I believe he's a junior. I don't know his weight, but think Kevin Martin and your close. He's absolutely deadly when allowed to get set. But he also has a great ball fake and then puts the ball on the floor for a pullup midrange jumper. He appears to be a good athlete with good hops. He only took the ball to the basket a couple of times but finished nicely both times. He has a beautiful stroke and a fairly quick release.
He also appears to be a willing defender. He has quick hands but could use a little more muscle on his frame. Anyone looking for a combo SF/SG in this next draft shouldn't have any trouble finding one. There's a lot of talent at that dual position this year.
He also appears to be a willing defender. He has quick hands but could use a little more muscle on his frame. Anyone looking for a combo SF/SG in this next draft shouldn't have any trouble finding one. There's a lot of talent at that dual position this year.
I watched the Cincinnatti/Xavior game. I wanted another look at Yancy Gates, a 6'9", 245 pound PF. He played better in this game and stayed out of foul trouble, which has been limiting his playing time. They decided not to start him in order to limit early fouls and it seemed to work. He's a big body for sure. But, a real work in progress. His main job is play defense and rebound. His offense is mostly garbage cleanup. And he's pretty good at it. Other than that, he doesn't have much offense. He has a little jump hook, but doesn't seem to have a real feel for it. His freethrow shooting leaves a lot to be desired, although he did hit two freethrows in the clutch to help put the game into overtime. He's a decent to good athlete, but not a freak athlete. Defensively he's not bad, but no where near as good a defensive player as Jarvis Varnado. If drafted, he'll be a project. But would be worth the risk as a late first, or more likely a second round pick.
The star of the game, even though they lost was Lance Stevenson, a 6'5" SG. He is the real deal. A terrific basketball player that on offense at the college level borders on unguardable. He has every move in the text book down pat. He can spot up. Pull up off the dribble. Jab step you to death and then go right past you to the basket, or step back for a fade away jumper. You name it, and he can do it. He has a Tyreke Evans type of build, and appears to be very strong. He's a very good athlete, but by no means a freak athlete. His end to end court speed is more than adequate, but not special. His lateral movement is a tad below the rest of his game. However he is a tireless defender, and tends to get himself into foul trouble at times by being a little too aggressive.
Now for the bad part. He thinks he's Michael Jordan, and expects to be treated like him. He thinks every important shot should be his shot. He doesn't believe that he ever fouls anyone, and can go into a funk or a tirade at any point. At one point in the second period after missing a shot and believing he was fouled on the shot, he simply walked back down the court by the sideline instead of running back. As he stopped on the sideline, his own coach actually got up off the bench and shoved him in the back to push him back out onto the floor and into the action.
In short, he's a head case. A dammed good basketball player, but a head case. He's also a freshman, so he's young and still has plenty of time to mature. But I would have to see dramatic improvement in his on court demeanor before I would risk a draft pick on him. Its a dammed shame, because he's a very talented kid, and obviously he knows that. He doesn't lack for confidence, nor toughness. I still like him as a player, but I'll reserve judgement on his draft status for now.
The star of the game, even though they lost was Lance Stevenson, a 6'5" SG. He is the real deal. A terrific basketball player that on offense at the college level borders on unguardable. He has every move in the text book down pat. He can spot up. Pull up off the dribble. Jab step you to death and then go right past you to the basket, or step back for a fade away jumper. You name it, and he can do it. He has a Tyreke Evans type of build, and appears to be very strong. He's a very good athlete, but by no means a freak athlete. His end to end court speed is more than adequate, but not special. His lateral movement is a tad below the rest of his game. However he is a tireless defender, and tends to get himself into foul trouble at times by being a little too aggressive.
Now for the bad part. He thinks he's Michael Jordan, and expects to be treated like him. He thinks every important shot should be his shot. He doesn't believe that he ever fouls anyone, and can go into a funk or a tirade at any point. At one point in the second period after missing a shot and believing he was fouled on the shot, he simply walked back down the court by the sideline instead of running back. As he stopped on the sideline, his own coach actually got up off the bench and shoved him in the back to push him back out onto the floor and into the action.
In short, he's a head case. A dammed good basketball player, but a head case. He's also a freshman, so he's young and still has plenty of time to mature. But I would have to see dramatic improvement in his on court demeanor before I would risk a draft pick on him. Its a dammed shame, because he's a very talented kid, and obviously he knows that. He doesn't lack for confidence, nor toughness. I still like him as a player, but I'll reserve judgement on his draft status for now.
I watched the Mississippi St./Wright St. game. Varnado had a good but not spectacular game. Most of it had to do with both Wright St. and Mississippi St. launching from three point range. Between both teams they launched 61 three's. Wright St. did try taking the ball to the basket early, but quickly changed their mind after getting their shot blocked. Varnado ended up with 17 points, 8 boards, and 6 blocks.
Kingster commented that he thought Varnado was lazy or on drugs because of loafing his way up and down the floor. I think part of the reason may be his lack of touches in the game. Mississippi St. is a three point shooting team for the most part. As a result Varnado doesn't get many chances to much on offense.. I counted 21 trips up and down the floor at one point where he didn't touch the ball. I'm not making an excuse for him, but I do think that after a while you have to wonder if your teammates know your out there. I could see him visibly disconnect there for a while and slow down, after having been running at full speed prior to that.
Its kind of a shame because in some instances he could be very effective in the post. Anyway, good game but not a great game..
Kingster commented that he thought Varnado was lazy or on drugs because of loafing his way up and down the floor. I think part of the reason may be his lack of touches in the game. Mississippi St. is a three point shooting team for the most part. As a result Varnado doesn't get many chances to much on offense.. I counted 21 trips up and down the floor at one point where he didn't touch the ball. I'm not making an excuse for him, but I do think that after a while you have to wonder if your teammates know your out there. I could see him visibly disconnect there for a while and slow down, after having been running at full speed prior to that.
Its kind of a shame because in some instances he could be very effective in the post. Anyway, good game but not a great game..
I took in the Florida St/Georgia State game. Not to be confused with Georgia Tech. Alabi, a 7'2" center, had a pretty good game. 22 points, 6 blocks, but only 4 boards. I've come to the conclusion that he's not a good rebounder at this point. Two reasons spring to mind. He needs to get stronger. He's constantly bumped out of position by smaller, or should I say, shorter players. Sometimes his own teammates. The other reason is that he tends to bring the ball down to waist high everytime he gets his hands on the ball. He'll grab it, bring it down, and its gone. I'm also starting to question his hands. I've seen him fumble passes, and have a rebound hit him right in his hands and fumble it out of bounds.
There's no question that he a formidible shot blocker. And his offensive game has shown improvement from last year. But he really needs to get stronger. By the way. He managed to log 33 minutes in this game. The most so far this year...
There's no question that he a formidible shot blocker. And his offensive game has shown improvement from last year. But he really needs to get stronger. By the way. He managed to log 33 minutes in this game. The most so far this year...
Lance Stephenson was the guy that was probably headed to Kansas and then nobody wanted because of attitude questions (as well as a questionable recruiting visit), right? I seem to remember talk on the Wildcat forums about him once Miller came to Tucson but the consensus seemed to be that the guy was a nutjob and could open up an NCAA investigation.
I honestly didn't know much about his background until I saw him play, and then I started doing some research. He's certainly a loose canon. A talented one though. Your right about recuiters not wanting anything to do with him. Easy to see why, now that I've seen him play several times. Too bad.. The best thing for him to do is stay in college for a couple of years and grow up. But I suspect he'll be a one and done. As I said, he thinks he Jordan...
Who's that kid that was drawing comparisons to Chris Webber last year? PF, intelligent play, needed some polish (have fun
). I wanna say Monroe? Help a brother out, how's that guy doing. This is assuming he didn't get drafted, and I would be a total ditz if that were the case.
Edit: this may be a drive by: My eyeballs hurt. I will be back for any expansion tomorrow.
). I wanna say Monroe? Help a brother out, how's that guy doing. This is assuming he didn't get drafted, and I would be a total ditz if that were the case.Edit: this may be a drive by: My eyeballs hurt. I will be back for any expansion tomorrow.
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Who's that kid that was drawing comparisons to Chris Webber last year? PF, intelligent play, needed some polish (have fun). I wanna say Monroe? Help a brother out, how's that guy doing. This is assuming he didn't get drafted, and I would be a total ditz if that were the case.
Edit: this may be a drive by: My eyeballs hurt. I will be back for any expansion tomorrow.
). I wanna say Monroe? Help a brother out, how's that guy doing. This is assuming he didn't get drafted, and I would be a total ditz if that were the case.Edit: this may be a drive by: My eyeballs hurt. I will be back for any expansion tomorrow.
So far he's had a few very good games and a few just so so games. While not a great athlete, I think he'll be a pretty good offensive player at the next level. I don't think he'll ever be a great rebounder, but a decent one. Its on the defensive side of the ball that I have reservations. He doesn't appear to have very good lateral movement, nor is he explosive off the floor the way Webb was. Lets put it this way. I don't have him in my top ten right now.
I watched the Florida St./Auburn game. Another decent game for Alabi. Going on memory, but I believe he had 22 points, 9 boards and 5 or 6 blocks. Don't quote me. Looks good on paper, but wasn't that impressive to watch. Auburn is a very small team. No one in the starting lineup taller than 6'8". One would think that a player like Alabi at 7'2" would simply impose his will on them. Not the case.
Once again he fumbled some easy passes. Had a couple of easy rebounds bounce off his hands out of bounds, and missed a couple of easy layups right under the basket. His worse habit is bringing the ball down to his waist everytime he has the ball. Terrible terrible habit for a guy that tall. Having said all that, he still shows promise. He does have very good shotblocking instincts. He shows good post up skills. He sets decent screens. So he's not a liability on offense. He just needs to get stronger and refine his skill set. He appears to be a decent to good athlete, but not a great athlete. He's not quite as explosive a shot blocker as Varnado is. But at 7'2" he doesn't need to be.
My biggest complaint is his rebounding. Yeah, I know he grabbed 9 boards and thats not terrible. But against undersized Auburn he should have grabbed 14 or 15 Boards. He just doesn't aggressively presue the ball. I'm not sure that its something that can be entirely corrected. Improved on perhaps. Lets put it this way. He rebounds a little better than Mikki Moore.
For those interested, his first real test of the season comes sunday on espn. Florida St. is playing Georgia Tech with Lawal and Favors. Both post players and both good rebounders. This will be a good test for Alabi. Sorry, I don't know the time...
Once again he fumbled some easy passes. Had a couple of easy rebounds bounce off his hands out of bounds, and missed a couple of easy layups right under the basket. His worse habit is bringing the ball down to his waist everytime he has the ball. Terrible terrible habit for a guy that tall. Having said all that, he still shows promise. He does have very good shotblocking instincts. He shows good post up skills. He sets decent screens. So he's not a liability on offense. He just needs to get stronger and refine his skill set. He appears to be a decent to good athlete, but not a great athlete. He's not quite as explosive a shot blocker as Varnado is. But at 7'2" he doesn't need to be.
My biggest complaint is his rebounding. Yeah, I know he grabbed 9 boards and thats not terrible. But against undersized Auburn he should have grabbed 14 or 15 Boards. He just doesn't aggressively presue the ball. I'm not sure that its something that can be entirely corrected. Improved on perhaps. Lets put it this way. He rebounds a little better than Mikki Moore.
For those interested, his first real test of the season comes sunday on espn. Florida St. is playing Georgia Tech with Lawal and Favors. Both post players and both good rebounders. This will be a good test for Alabi. Sorry, I don't know the time...
Finally a game that I had been waiting for. Texas going against North Carolina. Two college powerhouses battling it out. Mainly I wanted to see how Dexter Pittman, a 6'10" 290 lb Center from Texas, would do against Ed Davis, a 6'9" 225 lb Power Forward, and, Deon Thompson, a 6'8", 240 lb Power Forward from North Carolina. Well he did more than hold his own. They had no answer for him. He ended up with 23 points and 15 rebounds and I believe a couple of blocks. He's a big load at 290 pounds. His problem is that he has to drag that 290 pounds up and down the floor and he visibly runs out of steam. As a result it has limited his minutes on the floor. Remember, this is a guy that weighed 350 pounds as a freshman. So he has severally reduced his weight and is still in the process of losing more. Personally I think his ideal playing weight would be around 275.
Despite his weight he has surprising quickness and agility. He also has better hops than one would think, so all the weight on him isn't just fat. I think he's still just getting into game shape. I noticed that they have been gradually increasing his minutes. He's extremely strong and almost impossibe to move once in position on the block. He's someone to keep an eye on for sure, and I have no doubt he'll start climbing the draft boards if he puts up more performances like this one against top competition.
Ed Davis for North Carolina had a nice game. He's one of those quiet players that just doesn't stand out, but at the end of the game he has his 23 points and 10 or 11 boards and a few blocks. I believe he blocked around 4 shots in this game. Going on memory so don't hold me to it.
Despite his weight he has surprising quickness and agility. He also has better hops than one would think, so all the weight on him isn't just fat. I think he's still just getting into game shape. I noticed that they have been gradually increasing his minutes. He's extremely strong and almost impossibe to move once in position on the block. He's someone to keep an eye on for sure, and I have no doubt he'll start climbing the draft boards if he puts up more performances like this one against top competition.
Ed Davis for North Carolina had a nice game. He's one of those quiet players that just doesn't stand out, but at the end of the game he has his 23 points and 10 or 11 boards and a few blocks. I believe he blocked around 4 shots in this game. Going on memory so don't hold me to it.
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Hard to write about the Kentucky/Drexler game after last nights Kings game. In a way they were clones of one another, except Drexler didn't stage a comeback from being down by 50 points. John Wall, the 6'3" all everything point guard was unstoppable. He scored in every possible way. Shooting form the outside, midrange, driving to the basket and posting up. Drexler had no answer for him. Kentucky is starting to put it together. They're a very athletic team and have skills to go along with it. With all apologies to Kansas, I think Kentucky is the number one team in the nation. The only team that can beat Kentucky is Kentucky. I think Calapari would agree with that.
DeMarcus Cousins, a 6'10" C/PF had a nice game as well. Not a surprise since he was bigger than anyone on Drexler. Its hard to guard someone like Cousins when you've got a spitfire like Wall attacking you from everywhere else. Throw in Patrick Patterson, a 6'8" PF who has added a good outside jumper to his game to go along with his tenacious inside game, and you have a tough team to beat. All three of these guys will probably be first round picks. But Wall is the brightest star of the team. Maybe the brightest in college basketball..
DeMarcus Cousins, a 6'10" C/PF had a nice game as well. Not a surprise since he was bigger than anyone on Drexler. Its hard to guard someone like Cousins when you've got a spitfire like Wall attacking you from everywhere else. Throw in Patrick Patterson, a 6'8" PF who has added a good outside jumper to his game to go along with his tenacious inside game, and you have a tough team to beat. All three of these guys will probably be first round picks. But Wall is the brightest star of the team. Maybe the brightest in college basketball..
Good question about Cousins. I can't answer that yet. At least the Wall part. Is he worthy of being a top ten pick? Right now I would say no. But you never know. There's always someone willing to take a gamble on a big man with some skills. He does have a post game, but its somewhat limited right now. He's certainly a big body and appears to have a big wingspan. He needs to cut down on his fouls.
I like Jon Scheyer. One of the bright spots for Duke this year. And, he's shooting lights out this year. So yeah, I would call him a sleeper pick. He's a decent athlete who can shoot the three. He has a good midrange jumper, and can go to the basket. He has good handles and is a pretty good passer. He's having his best year from the three point line shooting over 40% and is shooting over 50% overall. He's one of those smart, savy players that help you win. Not spectacular, but very solid.
I like Jon Scheyer. One of the bright spots for Duke this year. And, he's shooting lights out this year. So yeah, I would call him a sleeper pick. He's a decent athlete who can shoot the three. He has a good midrange jumper, and can go to the basket. He has good handles and is a pretty good passer. He's having his best year from the three point line shooting over 40% and is shooting over 50% overall. He's one of those smart, savy players that help you win. Not spectacular, but very solid.
Got a chance to see Marshall play North Carolina today.. First look at Hassan Whiteside, a 6'11" C/PF. He's a long way from NBA ready. Since he's a freshman thats to be expected. He has very good shotblocking instincts and was pretty effective against NC's big men in the paint. Unfortunately thats about it. He doesn't have much of an offensive game to speak of other than dunking. He runs the floor fairly well, but isn't a sprinter. He needs to get a lot stronger. About 20 pounds of muscle would help him a lot. At times he looks lost on offense and appears to just be wandering. Other times he makes serious efforts to post up.
All in all, he's a long range prospect at this point. Probably needs to stay in school for a couple of years..
All in all, he's a long range prospect at this point. Probably needs to stay in school for a couple of years..
I took in the Tulsa/Nevada game. My first chance to see Jerome Jordan, a 7 foot senior center. While his game stats might look good, he wasn't that impressive. Tall and long and listed at 255 pounds, he's doesn't look that heavy. He allows himself to be pushed around under the basket by smaller players. He definitely needs to get stronger. He appears to be a good athlete, but nothing special. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that but for a couple of moments here and there, there isn't a wow factor to his game. When you consider that he playing against less than the top competition, you have have to wonder just how he'll translate to the next level. He was born in Jamaica, so I don't know how much of a basketball backgound he had.
This is just one game, so I won't pass judgement just yet, but one has to wonder just how good he can become when he's already a senior in college and not a freshman, which is what he looks like. At times he just appears lethargic out there. He's slow getting up and down the floor and late getting back on defense all to often to suit me. Hopefully he'll put on a better show next time. By the way, Nevada cleaned Tulsa's clock..
This is just one game, so I won't pass judgement just yet, but one has to wonder just how good he can become when he's already a senior in college and not a freshman, which is what he looks like. At times he just appears lethargic out there. He's slow getting up and down the floor and late getting back on defense all to often to suit me. Hopefully he'll put on a better show next time. By the way, Nevada cleaned Tulsa's clock..
Earlier in the week I watched the Cal/Kansas game. Cal has a pretty good team. It didn't have the star power of Kansas, but put up a great fight against the number one team in the country. They were down one at halftime, but unfortuantely they just couldn't hit open shots in the second half. Xavior Henry, a 6'6" SG for Kansas had another nice game. He's just a solid player for a freshman. I believe he had around 16 points and 8 boards. Cole Aldrich, a 6'11" C also had a nice game. He didn't score all the much with 10 points, but grabbed 10 boards and blocked 4 or 5 shots. He's actually fairly athletic, and has very good reflexes for a big man. At the moment he's more of a defensive player than anything else. But he's not totally inept on offense. He has some decent post moves, but just seems to lack the touch.
Patrick Christopher, a 6'5" SG for Cal had a terrific game. He has a very good outside shot to go along with the ability to drive to the basket. He's also a very good defensive player. He appears to be a very good athlete and plays with a lot of confidence. He's a nice compliment to Jerome Randle, a 5'11" PG. Randle doesn't get a lot of the press that some of the others get at the point guard position, but he's more than capable of running a team. He's not spectacular, but he's very effecient. He's a decent shooter from the outside and is very good at penetrating and dishing. He's also a pretty good finisher. Unfortuately Cal lacks that good big man. But I think their good enough to make the tourney and might even surprise some people once there. They'll go as far as their outside shooting takes them.
Patrick Christopher, a 6'5" SG for Cal had a terrific game. He has a very good outside shot to go along with the ability to drive to the basket. He's also a very good defensive player. He appears to be a very good athlete and plays with a lot of confidence. He's a nice compliment to Jerome Randle, a 5'11" PG. Randle doesn't get a lot of the press that some of the others get at the point guard position, but he's more than capable of running a team. He's not spectacular, but he's very effecient. He's a decent shooter from the outside and is very good at penetrating and dishing. He's also a pretty good finisher. Unfortuately Cal lacks that good big man. But I think their good enough to make the tourney and might even surprise some people once there. They'll go as far as their outside shooting takes them.
I took in the Syracuse/Seton Hall game. Seton Hall has a pretty good team. They have a good combination of a inside/outside game led by Jeremy Hazel, a 6'5" SG, who scored 38 points and had 5 steals to go along with 5 boards. He was coming off a game where he had scored 41 points. The kid is a volume shooter and his shooting percentage is around 41% overall and 33% from three point range. He's a streak shooter. He'll have one game where he shoots 16 out of 31 and another game where he shoots 3 out of 16. He does get to the freethrow line a lot, because he's not afraid to take it to the basket. He has good form on his shot and a quick release. If you happen to catch him when he hot, as Syracus did last night, you've got a problem..
Syracuse did manage to pull the game out at the end, but they certainly had a scare. Seton Hall's inside game revolves around Herb Pope, a 6'8" PF, who doesn't look like much at first glance, but just keeps on making play after play. Pope ended up with 15 points and 17 boards to go along with 2 blocked shots.
Syracuse dodged a bullet last night, and mainly thanks to Wesley Johnson, a 6'7" SF, who almost effortlessly scored 20 points, grabbed 19 boards and blocked 5 shots. I say effortlessly, because he doesn't ever seem to be the focus of their offense. He just seems to be there picking his spots, or finishing what someone else started. He's such a graceful athlete, that it just looks easy. He's usually a pretty good outside shooter, but his shot wasn't on last night. At least I think he didn't think it was on. I believe he only took three 3pt shots in the game, making one of them.
Johnson got some help from Kris Joseph, a 6'7" SF who came off the bench and scored 15 points, if memory serves. He's a nice looking player and pretty athletic. I was interested in seeing Arinze Onuaku, a 6'10", 275 Lb Center. And while he didn't play badly, he didn't do anything that had the WOW factor attached to it. He does move fairly quick for a big man, but doesn't appear to have much leaping ability. Offensively he has a little jump hook that he uses as his main weapon. He does seem to have fairly soft hands around the basket. Jury is still out on him.
All in all it was an exciting game to watch, especially since it was being played on Seton Hall's home court. Tough loss for Seton Hall, but nothing for them to hang their heads about. Syracuse is ranked number 5 in the country.
Syracuse did manage to pull the game out at the end, but they certainly had a scare. Seton Hall's inside game revolves around Herb Pope, a 6'8" PF, who doesn't look like much at first glance, but just keeps on making play after play. Pope ended up with 15 points and 17 boards to go along with 2 blocked shots.
Syracuse dodged a bullet last night, and mainly thanks to Wesley Johnson, a 6'7" SF, who almost effortlessly scored 20 points, grabbed 19 boards and blocked 5 shots. I say effortlessly, because he doesn't ever seem to be the focus of their offense. He just seems to be there picking his spots, or finishing what someone else started. He's such a graceful athlete, that it just looks easy. He's usually a pretty good outside shooter, but his shot wasn't on last night. At least I think he didn't think it was on. I believe he only took three 3pt shots in the game, making one of them.
Johnson got some help from Kris Joseph, a 6'7" SF who came off the bench and scored 15 points, if memory serves. He's a nice looking player and pretty athletic. I was interested in seeing Arinze Onuaku, a 6'10", 275 Lb Center. And while he didn't play badly, he didn't do anything that had the WOW factor attached to it. He does move fairly quick for a big man, but doesn't appear to have much leaping ability. Offensively he has a little jump hook that he uses as his main weapon. He does seem to have fairly soft hands around the basket. Jury is still out on him.
All in all it was an exciting game to watch, especially since it was being played on Seton Hall's home court. Tough loss for Seton Hall, but nothing for them to hang their heads about. Syracuse is ranked number 5 in the country.
I took in the Wake Forest/Xavior game. Close game that went to double overtime. sort of upset me because I was looking forward to the Duke/Clemson game and ended up missing almost the first half. Wake managed to pull in out at the end. Xavior, which is usually a very good three point shootin team, couldn't throw a marble into the ocean for most of the game. By the same token Ishamel Smith, a 6'0", 175 lb point guard for Wake, who has strugging all year with his outside shot, couldn't miss. Although Al-Farouq Aminu, a 6'8", 215 lb SF/PF had a very good game with, if memory serves, 22 points and 19 rebounds, Smith was the star of this game.
He was all over the court stealing the ball, driving into the lane and dishing to Aminu and Mcfarland, and repeatedly hitting a tough shot when ever it was needed. He hit back to back three's at the end of regulation to tie the game. In my opinion, Wake lucked out. I've seen Xavior play several times this year and they've been one of the best three point shooting teams I've watched. They had an off night at the wrong time.
Aminu has improved his outside game. His three point percentage is up from .179 last year to .321 so far this season. As a result, he's taking more three point shots. He's also averaging 11.5 rebounds a game. Also an inprovement from last year. This bodes well for his sucess in the coming draft. I think he still relies on his athleticism too much, but you can see the potential. I also think that having to play PF at Wake has slow his progress to some extent. Think Gerold Wallace, who played center in college. Aminu will be a SF in the NBA, so he still has a long way to go to be a solid player at the position, but I think he can contribute right away simply because of his athleticism. These guys always scare me a little bit. Think Gerold Green. He would be hard to pass up though, just on potential.
He was all over the court stealing the ball, driving into the lane and dishing to Aminu and Mcfarland, and repeatedly hitting a tough shot when ever it was needed. He hit back to back three's at the end of regulation to tie the game. In my opinion, Wake lucked out. I've seen Xavior play several times this year and they've been one of the best three point shooting teams I've watched. They had an off night at the wrong time.
Aminu has improved his outside game. His three point percentage is up from .179 last year to .321 so far this season. As a result, he's taking more three point shots. He's also averaging 11.5 rebounds a game. Also an inprovement from last year. This bodes well for his sucess in the coming draft. I think he still relies on his athleticism too much, but you can see the potential. I also think that having to play PF at Wake has slow his progress to some extent. Think Gerold Wallace, who played center in college. Aminu will be a SF in the NBA, so he still has a long way to go to be a solid player at the position, but I think he can contribute right away simply because of his athleticism. These guys always scare me a little bit. Think Gerold Green. He would be hard to pass up though, just on potential.
Hi, I have been reading this thread alot
and I think you are doing a great job and I am learning a lot from your observations Bajaden. I haven't seen any mention of Derrick Favors. I have only seen a couple of his games, but have not been very impressed. In one of the games I watched, he was doubled a lot and faced some hounding defense. If he was not mocked high and did not have the hype he had coming into the year, I would not have even noticed him while watching the game. I am wondering if you have seen him play and what you have thought of his play.
and I think you are doing a great job and I am learning a lot from your observations Bajaden. I haven't seen any mention of Derrick Favors. I have only seen a couple of his games, but have not been very impressed. In one of the games I watched, he was doubled a lot and faced some hounding defense. If he was not mocked high and did not have the hype he had coming into the year, I would not have even noticed him while watching the game. I am wondering if you have seen him play and what you have thought of his play.
I've seen him play 4 times this year. I think I've mentioned at least in one of my posts, but maybe not. For a freshman he's pretty fundamentaly sound. In other words he boxes out properly, sets screens properly etc. He's rebounding very well so far and plays pretty good defense. So far he plays under the basket for the most part. Could be all thats he capable of or it could be by design. He's a pretty good shot blocker and has been able to stay out of foul trouble for the most part.
He plays along side of Gani Lawal who basicly plays the same position, so the two of them are intechangable. Lawal is having a good season so far. His jumpshot has improved over last year, so it seems that he's the one that plays away from the basket more.
At first glance, I think most will be underwhelmed by Favor's simply because of his press clippings. He's one of those quiet players that doesn't really stand out during the game that much, but at the end of the game he's sitting there with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. And, you can't remember him doing that.
Let me say that I was disappointed when he decided to go to Georgia Tech. The school has a history of recruiting highly ranked big men who never turn out as good as you think they should. When history keeps repeating itself, then I think you have to look at the coaching staff.
He plays along side of Gani Lawal who basicly plays the same position, so the two of them are intechangable. Lawal is having a good season so far. His jumpshot has improved over last year, so it seems that he's the one that plays away from the basket more.
At first glance, I think most will be underwhelmed by Favor's simply because of his press clippings. He's one of those quiet players that doesn't really stand out during the game that much, but at the end of the game he's sitting there with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. And, you can't remember him doing that.
Let me say that I was disappointed when he decided to go to Georgia Tech. The school has a history of recruiting highly ranked big men who never turn out as good as you think they should. When history keeps repeating itself, then I think you have to look at the coaching staff.