2018 G Xavier Johnson - Decommit to Pitt

[Navin R. Johnson]

Going to Pitt

[FredsSlacks]

might end up being a good thing. i think amir harris has more potential.

[49r]

Pretty classy move by XJ

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[TourneyBound]

Xavier had 16 Points 5 Rbs and 6 Assists in 31 Minutes for his debut

[Huskerpapa]

33 minutes ago, ConkintheCorner said:

Xavier had 16 Points 5 Rbs and 6 Assists in 31 Minutes for his debut

Impressive...hey, we knew he was good.  

[HB]

46 minutes ago, ConkintheCorner said:

Xavier had 16 Points 5 Rbs and 6 Assists in 31 Minutes for his debut

 

Yeah, that one hurt.    Just a big kick in the nuts.    Not a new feeling for us, but still painful. 

[bigFRED]

2 hours ago, ConkintheCorner said:

Xavier had 16 Points 5 Rbs and 6 Assists in 31 Minutes for his debut

Why do I have to come on the site and see this just to make me sad

[hhcmatt]

He's going to play a lot of minutes and score a lot of points on that team because the roster basically cratered.

Both he and Harris had the same knock: can't shoot.  Johnson took 15 shots to get those 16 points and Youngstown St is not good defensively or really at all.

[Huskerpapa]

9 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

He's going to play a lot of minutes and score a lot of points on that team because the roster basically cratered.

Both he and Harris had the same knock: can't shoot.  Johnson took 15 shots to get those 16 points and Youngstown St is not good defensively or really at all.

Some of what you say is very true Matt, yet the following article along with his stat line is pretty impressive for a freshman playing in his first game.  He is going to be a good player, and to bad he is not wearing Husker red.

 

https://www.cardiachill.com/2018/11/7/18073860/pitt-panthers-basketball-xavier-johnson-trey-mcgowens-audiese-toney-season-opener-youngstown-state

 

https://pittsburghpanthers.com/boxscore.aspx?id=10674&path=mbball

[hhcmatt]

5 minutes ago, Huskerpapa said:

Some of what you say is very true Matt, yet the following article along with his stat line is pretty impressive for a freshman playing in his first game.  He is going to be a good player, and to bad he is not wearing Husker red.

 

I don't disagree.  I do think if Harris and Johnson switched places Harris starts and scores double digits for Pitt and Johnson comes off the bench and has a nice night for us. The jury is out on if we won, lost, or drew on the switch. 

[Norm Peterson]

1 hour ago, hhcmatt said:

 

I don't disagree.  I do think if Harris and Johnson switched places Harris starts and scores double digits for Pitt and Johnson comes off the bench and has a nice night for us. The jury is out on if we won, lost, or drew on the switch. 

 

I'm comfortable with the switch, and I'll tell you why.  

 

Amir Harris is long and bouncy.  He gets his hands at the ends of those long arms into passing lanes and gets deflections that lead to steals that lead to points in transition.  It happened the other night.  And it nearly happened a lot more times.  He's going to be very disruptive defensively with his length, and he seems to relish that defensive role.  I envision him becoming our defensive stopper.  He can guard 3 positions and, in a pinch, 4.  Imagine him being able to switch every screen at the top of the key.  Imagine being on the other team and trying to shoot over top of a 6'6" bouncy guy with what has to be a 7 foot wingspan.

 

He also has pretty solid handles and seems to be a good distributor.  

 

I'd like to see him rework that jumper from the ground up, but Xavier's was no better.  Maybe even worse.  Besides, have you seen what we have coming in next year?

 

Not even talking about Dachon Burke or Jervay Green. There's a video out there where Mika Adams-Woods hit something like 20 treys in a row during warmups. Kid can shoot.  Amir has time to develop that jumper; doesn't have to have it this year.  And we'll have other guys who can shoot, so ...

[hhcmatt]

Yeah I mostly agree with you @Norm Peterson

I think the one caveat I had with the switch was the thought that Johnson would be the vocal leading point guard this team hasn't really had in forever.  I don't know how much of that thought was influenced by social media/articles. I also don't know if Amir can't also bring the same sort of intangibles.

[FredsSlacks]

xavier is probably the better player right now, but i think amir has a chance to be even better down the road. i think xavier probably made the right move going to pitt. they started 3 freshman.

[HB]

People seem to assume Amir can develop a good shot.   In my experience if a guy can't shoot by 18-19 years of age,  odds are it will never happen.  Some guys just can't shoot.  Hope this guy beats the odds, but it's a concern.  

[Norm Peterson]

11 hours ago, HB said:

People seem to assume Amir can develop a good shot.   In my experience if a guy can't shoot by 18-19 years of age,  odds are it will never happen.  Some guys just can't shoot.  Hope this guy beats the odds, but it's a concern.  

 

Who said good?

 

I'd just like to see him go from "OMG THAT'S HORRIBLE!" to "Hey, that really didn't suck too badly."

 

By the way, I think people can develop jumpers.  Tai Webster, just as an example, went from shooting 17% from three as a freshman to 23% as a sophomore and then 35% as a junior.  So, it can happen.

 

Benny Parker, actually, is another one.  He went from 15% as a freshman to 0% as a sophomore (on 5 attempts) to 29% as a junior and 32% as a senior.  I'd take 32% from Amir as a senior, no question.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Norm Peterson

[Norm Peterson]

And the thing about Amir that makes him different from Benny Parker is that, if he can shoot 32% from three as a senior like Benny did, it would have an entirely different impact on how they'd have to play him.  Reason being that Amir has the ball skills and length to get to the rim and finish.  You didn't have to respect Benny's ability to drive and you could help off of him.  With Amir's ability to get to the rim, if you get him up to that same 32% shooting from outside, it's a whole different ball game.

[nustudent]

17 hours ago, TimSmiles said:

xavier is probably the better player right now, but i think amir has a chance to be even better down the road. i think xavier probably made the right move going to pitt. they started 3 freshman.

I'd lean towards this.   Johnson is a much better player now.   Harris size and length gives him a chance to be better in the long run.  

Wish we wouldn't have lost Johnson.  But think Harris is a legitimate consolation prize.

[HB]

5 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

And the thing about Amir that makes him different from Benny Parker is that, if he can shoot 32% from three as a senior like Benny did, it would have an entirely different impact on how they'd have to play him.  Reason being that Amir has the ball skills and length to get to the rim and finish.  You didn't have to respect Benny's ability to drive and you could help off of him.  With Amir's ability to get to the rim, if you get him up to that same 32% shooting from outside, it's a whole different ball game.

 

5 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Who said good?

 

I'd just like to see him go from "OMG THAT'S HORRIBLE!" to "Hey, that really didn't suck too badly."

 

By the way, I think people can develop jumpers.  Tai Webster, just as an example, went from shooting 17% from three as a freshman to 23% as a sophomore and then 35% as a junior.  So, it can happen.

 

Benny Parker, actually, is another one.  He went from 15% as a freshman to 0% as a sophomore (on 5 attempts) to 29% as a junior and 32% as a senior.  I'd take 32% from Amir as a senior, no question.

 

I stand my ground.  Comparing the look of Tai's shot as a freshman to Amir's is not even a comparable.   I am talking about the guys who, for whatever reason, have terrible shooting form and results.   Kind of like the person with a golf swing that no amount of time and lessons is going to help much.    Or lessor examples like Cedric Hunter and Jason Dureassau.  Maybe some fringe improvement, but a liability remained a liability.   I just doubt that remaking a shot once someone is already in college is going to have great success.   That's the exception rather than the rule, and I was reading some folks who were taking it for granted that the shot problem will get fixed or substantially  improved over time.   But I agree getting Amir the green light to even shoot a 3, and get to 32%, or make free throws, would be fantastic.

[uneblinstu]

Interesting you mention Jason Dourisseau. He was never a good 3 point shooter at NU. But as a pro, he's become at least acceptable. He struggled his first couple seasons in the pro ranks, took a couple years off (injury? IDK) in 2008-09 and 2009-10, but returned for the 2010-11 season and hit from .426 in just 6 games. He played the next year for a full season and hit from behind the arc at a .309 rate. He's only had one season below .325 since then and is currently shooting as well as he ever has at .389. So, if a player's willing to put in the work, it's definitely possible to improve as a shooter as you get older.

[HB]

27 minutes ago, uneblinstu said:

Interesting you mention Jason Dourisseau. He was never a good 3 point shooter at NU. But as a pro, he's become at least acceptable. He struggled his first couple seasons in the pro ranks, took a couple years off (injury? IDK) in 2008-09 and 2009-10, but returned for the 2010-11 season and hit from .426 in just 6 games. He played the next year for a full season and hit from behind the arc at a .309 rate. He's only had one season below .325 since then and is currently shooting as well as he ever has at .389. So, if a player's willing to put in the work, it's definitely possible to improve as a shooter as you get older.

 

Yes, it's possible.   Definitely possible.   But to improve substantially later in life is still more the exception than the rule. 

[Norm Peterson]

Dourisseau was an enigma.  His shooting form was really good.  He could elevate off the dribble with great balance and be in alignment.  But even on a catch-and-shoot situation, his shot would generally miss badly. I began to wonder if he needed glasses because it was like he couldn't judge where the rim was.

 

Does anyone remember the time Dourisseau banked in a trey from the corner?  I think it was against Creighton one year.  But how the hell do you bank in a trey from the corner?  Well, he did it.

[HB]

And I acknowledge, I can't spell "Dourisseau" for shit.   Never could.   Never will.  

[Norm Peterson]

1 hour ago, HB said:

 

 

I stand my ground.  Comparing the look of Tai's shot as a freshman to Amir's is not even a comparable.   I am talking about the guys who, for whatever reason, have terrible shooting form and results.   Kind of like the person with a golf swing that no amount of time and lessons is going to help much.    Or lessor examples like Cedric Hunter and Jason Dureassau.  Maybe some fringe improvement, but a liability remained a liability.   I just doubt that remaking a shot once someone is already in college is going to have great success.   That's the exception rather than the rule, and I was reading some folks who were taking it for granted that the shot problem will get fixed or substantially  improved over time.   But I agree getting Amir the green light to even shoot a 3, and get to 32%, or make free throws, would be fantastic.

 

I don't think Benny's 32% was good.

 

But I would take 32% from Amir in a heartbeat.  It wouldn't be "good" but it would reach the category of "that didn't suck too badly."

[uneblinstu]

35 minutes ago, HB said:

 

Yes, it's possible.   Definitely possible.   But to improve substantially later in life is still more the exception than the rule. 

No question.

[uneblinstu]

35 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

Dourisseau was an enigma.  His shooting form was really good.  He could elevate off the dribble with great balance and be in alignment.  But even on a catch-and-shoot situation, his shot would generally miss badly. I began to wonder if he needed glasses because it was like he couldn't judge where the rim was.

 

Does anyone remember the time Dourisseau banked in a trey from the corner?  I think it was against Creighton one year.  But how the hell do you bank in a trey from the corner?  Well, he did it.

Didn't Shavon do that on No Sit Sunday? Might not have been a 3, but I think he banked in a shot from behind the backboard.