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uneblinstu's post scrimmage chatter


uneblinstu

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18 minutes ago, hhcdimes said:

During the impromptu dunk competition Nana was throwing down....easily the most ooohs throughout the night. Roby had some big ups but Nana attacks the rim.

The two surprises there were Watson and Thorir.  Watson's throw down on an oop might have been the loudest cheer of the night.

Didn't really know what to expect from Thor but he had the moves of someone who'd been in such a competition before and ups to carry them out.  

No one got hurt so it was a lot of fun.

 

 

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9 minutes ago, khoock said:

Is Thor possibly ahead of Nana in terms of playing time? Seems like he had a somewhat impressive showing

 

Bottom line on Thor:  Not a bad pickup.  Not bad at all.  Kid has some game in him.  And to add him to the roster and get the kind of player we got at the time we got him is pretty surprising.  

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I thought that Palmer was clearly the best player on the floor - (maybe influenced by not having seen him before I guess - when I think about it Watson was the best player on the floor, but he just played like I expected).   Duby was the one that surprised me the most in a positive way - thought he was much better than I expected with the ball.  Not saying he is a guard - but just played smoother and more athletic than I thought.  Much different than other 5th year transfer bigs we have gotten - i.e. Moses Abraham.

 

Scrimmage was fairly low intensity which explains the lack of defense I think.   But overall I was pleased with what I saw.  This team is deep enough and quick enough to speed up the tempo and I do think that is what Miles wants to do this year.  Much better shooting team as well if we can get open looks for the right guys.

 

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My thoughts being there live:

 

Watson- ready to go as a top 4-5 PG In the league. Has a lot of responsibility but seems to want that. Was pesky defensively and had some really good streaks on offense. A couple of bad looking shots but mostly good. One time, he got iso'd on copeland w/ 10 on the clock, and settled for a 3 pointer with a hand in his face (good D by copeland)-- and he got lit up by the coaches. Kind of nice to see honestly.

 

ET- ready to go. Great catch and shoot corner 3. really good defense. Got to lane when he wanted and made good passes doing so. Will be our top perimeter defender so his offense will come and go. What a great addition late by the staff last year.

 

Palmer- Love what he brings to the table. He reminds me of such a combo of our recent really good players (under control like white, gets to rim with ease and size like TP, not super quick twitch but patient and controls game like shavon. He will have to have his 3 ball in the league to bring defense out but in transition- he was dominant last night. Blew right by Gill once and copeland couldn't handle him off the dribble either. Loved him and cope going at it.

 

Copeland- You can see the offensive tools. Smooth 3 point shot that will get better and better. Can put the ball on the floor. Ran some high low stuff with Jordy & Duby in practice. Finished with both hands. He should average 10-12 easy. On D is my concern- who do we want him to guard? He couldn't keep Palmer from getting right to the rim, and he couldn't keep Jordy/Duby off the glass. Has some work to do on that end but he will be much better playing with a rim protector.

 

Jordy- Dude is so big. I can't imagine how dominant he can be on the block in a year or two. Just needs to keep getting better. Had some dumb fouls and didnt have great touch but whenever the ball went in to him- we got good shots. Having Duby to spell and limit his minutes will be vital.

 

Mcveigh- Had a great night. Will be really vital to our success as we penetrate and move the ball-- he's just gotta hit threes. Looked comfortable on D albeit limited athletically. Lot to like as his shot was probably the most consistent all night.

 

Roby- The positives are easy to see. Can really run, can rebound, defended much better than last year. Still didnt look comfortable handling the ball or shooting open jump shots (Think hawkins his freshman year). One possession ET made a great drive and kick to a wide open roby who passed up a three to basically drive and kick again- ET let him have it "Shoot the ball!"... If his J ever develops, he's going to be a force. As is, a really solid 6th/7th man w/ Mcveigh

 

Okeke- Probably the most impressive player in terms of what I was expecting. Knows how to find openings and create angles when guards drive. Extremely strong with the ball. Reminds me of the good things Morrow did without the want too or desire to do the bad. Crowd went nuts when he hit a FT which was funny (for know!) I think hell play more minutes than we think. I imagine if we have a lead late-- he will be our C not Jordy--- unless he really can only shoot 30% from the line.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The top 8 are pretty much locks-- hence the line. Lots to like with the other guys though as well.

 

I think the 9th guy will be either Allen or Gill and I think there minutes will be fairly limited-- the reason I say that is because Watson, ET, and Palmer are maybe our 3 best players and I think Miles will play all three of them at or over 30 minutes a game. 

 

Allen can flat out shoot it-- looked really solid chasing watson around and playing D. Made some really careless and bad passes though.

 

Gill doesnt do much for me-- had a couple nice drives and mid range shots but he lacks range and strength to drive and finish. Knee looked healthy though.

 

Nana can fly- super athletic. Really elevates on his shot and I think will have a good shot. His d was below average on the ball and he looks like he doesnt know what to do on offense-- other than run at the rim after shots for put back slams. I like the upside though!

 

Thorir- we will see. Not the quickest dude. Can slash- vision and passing ability were better than I thought. Slow release on his three but could develop into a role guy. Guys seemed to really like him.

 

Costello/Borchardt--- PERFECT walkons! Hope they both finish there careers here. Costello can flat out shoot it. Knows how to play. Borch is a hoss. Limited but can finish with both hands and knows his role. sets screens, hits boards hard. Plays physical.

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Overall, you can see how athletic this team is.  If Miles actually does what he says and pushes the tempo a little bit, could be a really fun team to watch.

 

Thomas Allen - kid has a very smooth shot and will contribute this year

Anton Gill - about what I expected and will be a role player

Evan Taylor - Does whatever it takes to win.  Very unselfish player

Isaac Copeland - I can see him get better and better as year goes on

Jordy Tshimanga - He is going to be a load for teams to handle this year

Glynn Watson - All Conference kind of talent

James Palmer - very skilled at finding ways to score

Jack McVeigh - I can see another hot and cold shooting season for him

Isaiah Roby - If he could develop an outside shot, he would be all conference the next 2 years.  Kid has mad skills and court savy

Duby Okeke - very quick leaper and just what this team needs.  Dude can flat you block shots.

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9 hours ago, hhcdimes said:

Also, I'm all aboard the redshirt train. I think I like enough of what I've seen from Nana and Thorir to openly want them to redshirt instead of potentially just playing limited minutes.

 

I'd love to see both redshirt.  The few interviews that I've seen with Thor gave me the impression that he's just happy to be given a chance to play American college basketball, and would likely respond well (both physically and mentally) to a redshirt year.  Not sure how Nana would handle it, though.  Most borderline top 150 guys walk in with the mindset that they'll be a key part of the rotation from day 1.  Maybe he's an exception to that rule. 

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I guess the guys who told me Palmer was the best player in practice last year were right. Said he had a swagger to his game, but not in a selfish, detrimental way to the team. That seems to be the case. A big key for this year will be Roby. I think he's one of those rare guys who could likely guard every position on the floor. His defensive versatility alone is worth having him on the floor for heavy minutes. Offensively, he has the skills to be very good. It seems to me, however, that he still plays tentative - thinks too much, which leads to some awkward shots and turnovers. Just go hard, young man, and if you make a mistake, do it with authority. While it would be nice if he hit some jump shots, I think his real contribution to the team would be as a slasher who could take advantage of mismatches and create for himself and others. If and when he clears those mental barriers, we will be better.

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15 hours ago, khoock said:

I for one think we have really good walk ons. We already know Tanner will contribute to some degree this year. And if Costello can find a niche as a knock down 3pt specialist maybe he can build a role a few years down the road. Also, Trueblood is a good player for a walkon.

 

Leads me to a question: who is better Costello or Trueblood? Are they similiar players? If not, how do their games differ?

 

They're not really similar players at all. Trueblood is a slasher and Costello is a shooter.

 

Johnny had a more prolific high school career. As a senior he averaged 23 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for a state title team (Costello averaged 11 points for that squad as a sophomore). Last year, Costello put up 19, 4 and 4. Costello is a more explosive scorer who can catch fire like few others (had a 39-point game last year where he shot 9-11 from 3). He's a little bit bouncier than Johnny is, but Trueblood is longer. Trueblood holds the school scoring record I beleive and had a 40+-point game, and he's more consistent and craftier. 

 

Trueblood could have played D-II if he wanted to (but thought he was D-I). Costello's only offer (which I still don't understand) was NAIA Benedictine.

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7 minutes ago, Jacob Padilla said:

Trueblood could have played D-II if he wanted to (but thought he was D-I). Costello's only offer (which I still don't understand) was NAIA Benedictine.

Just to clarify: are you saying Trueblood thought he was a D1 prospect or you thought he was some type of D1 prospect?

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2 hours ago, Jacob Padilla said:

 

They're not really similar players at all. Trueblood is a slasher and Costello is a shooter.

 

Johnny had a more prolific high school career. As a senior he averaged 23 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for a state title team (Costello averaged 11 points for that squad as a sophomore). Last year, Costello put up 19, 4 and 4. Costello is a more explosive scorer who can catch fire like few others (had a 39-point game last year where he shot 9-11 from 3). He's a little bit bouncier than Johnny is, but Trueblood is longer. Trueblood holds the school scoring record I beleive and had a 40+-point game, and he's more consistent and craftier. 

 

Trueblood could have played D-II if he wanted to (but thought he was D-I). Costello's only offer (which I still don't understand) was NAIA Benedictine.

 

This is pretty accurate Jacob. I think JT was a better high school player but do not think his game translates to upper D1. Costello IMO has a better chance to contribute someday because he is a knockdown shooters which is always valuable. Still do not think he will be able to guard or get his shot off at this level but who knows. He comes from a good family and will work for it no doubt.

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23 hours ago, hhcdimes said:

I'm all aboard the redshirt train. I think I like enough of what I've seen from Nana and Thorir to openly want them to redshirt instead of potentially just playing limited minutes.

 

As long as Taylor and Gill stay healthy and productive I'm onboard too. Hopefully both could see it as an opportunity to gain skill without being under the microscope. Then come out as freshmen and have some serious playing time. Remember this summer when Miles wanted to go after tall guards for the class of 2018? Well that hasn't gone to plan yet. Perhaps redshirting two guard with some height can lead to an explosive year from the next year as they contend for playing time.

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From today’s news conference:

 

***As for potential redshirt candidates this year, Miles said freshmen guards Nana Akenten and Thorir Thorbjarnarson both told him they want to play this season. Miles added that he’s had players in the past change their minds after the season has started and decided to redshirt, but at this point both will be available to play starting with Saturday night’s opener.

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14 minutes ago, Swan88 said:

From today’s news conference:

 

***As for potential redshirt candidates this year, Miles said freshmen guards Nana Akenten and Thorir Thorbjarnarson both told him they want to play this season. Miles added that he’s had players in the past change their minds after the season has started and decided to redshirt, but at this point both will be available to play starting with Saturday night’s opener.

 

Big mistake.

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