Tai Webster - NBL

[Norm Peterson]

Just found the box score.  Tai scored 23.  The leading scorer for the other team, Bryant Markson, was also the leading scorer for Utah Utes back in the day.  That'd be upper level D1.

 

See if this chart copies:

 

 

Waikato Pistons Starter Status Pos Min FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A FIC FIC40 Off Def Reb Ast PF STL TO BLK PTS Tai Webster Starter SG 40:00 6-12 3-5 8-10 14.8 14.8 1 4 5 3 5 2 3 1 23 Garrius Holloman Starter SF 40:00 7-19 2-8 1-5 6.1 6.1 0 3 3 3 0 3 5 2 17 Marco Alexander Starter PG 33:45 6-13 3-7 1-2 6.2 7.6 1 1 2 2 4 1 2 0 16 Zach Atkinson Starter C 40:00 6-12 0-0 3-4 20.0 20.0 5 14 19 0 2 0 2 3 15 Nick Barrow Starter PF 27:28 1-2 0-0 0-0 -0.8 -1.1 2 1 3 0 4 0 2 0 2 Anamatu Haku Bench SF 14:20 1-2 0-0 0-0 1.2 3.6 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 2 Torr Woodhouse Bench PF 02:41 1-3 0-0 0-0 0.2 5.0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 Tamaki Courtney Bench   01:46 0-0 0-0 0-0 -0.2 -10.0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Team                               Totals 200 28-63 8-20 13-21 47.6   11 25 36 10 18 6 17 6 77   44.4% 40.0% 61.9%  

 

Wellington Saints Starter Status Pos Min FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A FIC FIC40 Off Def Reb Ast PF STL TO BLK PTS Bryant Markson Starter PF 33:22 10-18 2-3 5-7 21.1 25.6 5 7 12 1 2 2 2 0 27 Lindsay Tait Starter PG 38:57 7-15 1-4 6-8 21.0 22.1 2 3 5 12 0 4 6 0 21 Andrew Warren Starter SG 32:23 7-17 2-8 0-0 4.5 5.6 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 0 16 Casey Frank Starter C 25:28 6-10 0-1 0-1 12.9 20.6 2 9 11 1 2 2 3 1 12 Dillon Boucher Starter SF 27:44 0-6 0-0 0-0 5.0 7.4 3 4 7 4 3 2 1 0 0 Damien Ekenasio Bench SG 13:16 4-5 0-0 0-0 6.0 18.5 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 0 8 George Le'afa Bench PG 12:33 3-4 0-1 0-0 4.2 14.2 1 1 2 0 3 1 0 0 6 Victor Groome Bench   00:56 0-0 0-0 0-0 0.0 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kiki Kiriau Bench PG 00:56 0-0 0-0 0-0 0.0 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Arthur Trousdell Bench PF 14:25 0-6 0-0 0-0 -0.8 -2.1 2 1 3 0 2 2 1 1 0 Team                               Totals 200 37-81 5-17 11-16 74.0   18 27 45 19 17 14 14 2 90   45.7% 29.4% 68.8%  

[KZRider]

I am desperately drinking all the koolaid there is with regards to Tai Webster.  And anything anyone says that causes questions makes me nervous. SO STOP IT! This whole "let's be realistic" crap isn't all it is cracked up to be. So, at least for the next couple of months, let me live in my fairy tale world thinking Tai Webster will be the greatest basketball player ever to wear Husker Red! Otherwise, my wife will start sleeping with a gun under the pillow and I'll rack up huge credit card bills and there's a real chance I'll develop a chemical dependency that leads to a downward spiraling life of decadent crime. You really want to do this to me! I thought we were friends!

 

[Norm Peterson]

Hey, I'm pouring Kool-Aid, here.  Just not gallons of it.  Still, more than most could drink in one sitting.

[Cookie Belcher]

Norm, that write up was great.  Really appreciate it.  Good insight and well thought out.  Thanks for sharing.

[Cell]

Tai's team (the Waikato Pistons) are fairly young. I looked at the players that play in the video and six out of the eight that take the court would still be college aged. The team is in its first season back in the league after taking a year off due to money trouble, because of this the roster is completely different and the coaching staff is brand new to the league. While not an excuse for their play Im sure the lack of time to build chemistry is hurting them. Also you should know that they probably aren't paying players other than the 2 Americans; hence why the team is made up mainly of local players just out of high school in the last couple years. Other than Tai and the American imports the team would only have 1 or 2 players capable of playing low level Division 1.

 

The team Tai plays against in the video is completely different. They have several former college players in Bryant Markson (13.6ppg @ Utah), Casey Frank (11.9ppg @ N Arizona), Andrew Warren (18.8ppg @ Bradley) as well as several players that have represented the New Zealand senior national team. Tai was matched up with Lindsey Tait, a PG for the NZ team since 2003. In the Video I posted the Saints were missing Tai's older brother Corey, who was out with an ankle injury. He has been a top New Zealand player for around 5 years and would have been a quality Division One college player had he gone.

 

If I had to guess I would say the Waikato Pistons are equivalent to a very low level division 1 side and the Wellington Saints are close to a decent mid-major team

[jimmykc]

The Saints sound like Creighton without McDermott.

[MandRHusker]

Tai's team (the Waikato Pistons) are fairly young. I looked at the players that play in the video and six out of the eight that take the court would still be college aged. The team is in its first season back in the league after taking a year off due to money trouble, because of this the roster is completely different and the coaching staff is brand new to the league. While not an excuse for their play Im sure the lack of time to build chemistry is hurting them. Also you should know that they probably aren't paying players other than the 2 Americans; hence why the team is made up mainly of local players just out of high school in the last couple years. Other than Tai and the American imports the team would only have 1 or 2 players capable of playing low level Division 1.

 

The team Tai plays against in the video is completely different. They have several former college players in Bryant Markson (13.6ppg @ Utah), Casey Frank (11.9ppg @ N Arizona), Andrew Warren (18.8ppg @ Bradley) as well as several players that have represented the New Zealand senior national team. Tai was matched up with Lindsey Tait, a PG for the NZ team since 2003. In the Video I posted the Saints were missing Tai's older brother Corey, who was out with an ankle injury. He has been a top New Zealand player for around 5 years and would have been a quality Division One college player had he gone.

 

If I had to guess I would say the Waikato Pistons are equivalent to a very low level division 1 side and the Wellington Saints are close to a decent mid-major team

That really helps Cell. Thanks!!!

 

I heard the game play by play guys mention a player for one of the teams who is still in high school. Do you know which player they were referring to and if he could be a legitimate D1 prospect?

[The Polish Rifle]

  FG 2PT 3PT FT Rebounds     G MIN FGM-A FG% 2PM-A 2P% 3PM-A 3P% FTM-A FT% OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS Season 7 245:32 44 - 99 44.4 38 - 72 52.8 6 - 27 22.2 16 - 28 57.1 0.4 3.1 3.6 3.9 1.4 0.1 3.9 2.4 15.7

 

Season stats to date......lots of turnovers, poor ft%, poor 3 pt%..........those would be the things that standout negativity.

Just thought this might spark discussion.

[The Polish Rifle]

thats hard to read

 

Tai's Stats

[Norm Peterson]

No, not great stats from the foul line or beyond the arc.  I will be shocked if those numbers don't improve when he gets in a Husker uniform.  The player I saw in that recent game film (from a game played just 2 days ago) is a far better shooter than those stats suggest.  The turnovers I can believe.  As I said above, some good passes, some not so good passes.  He needs to clean that up.  But the good part is that he's looking to make the pass and he does attempt some but the execution isn't quite always there.

 

One thing that probably influences the numbers in a negative way is what Cell was saying about the players he's surrounded by.  It's a young team and they're in last place with a new coach and basically a new ball club.  Tai is probably the best player on the team and I'm sure he gets a lot of defensive attention.  Plus, some of the guys he's playing with have stone hands and when they don't catch his seam passes, that's a turnover on Tai for trying to zip them a ball they aren't ready for.

 

I'm not worried about those numbers.  Watch the film.  This is a kid who can play ball.

[uneblinstu]

Tai was pretty young for his grade level, wan't he?  

[Norm Peterson]

Just for comparison purposes, someone go check what Nathan Hawkins' 3-pt shooting stats were on the season.  He's supposed to be one of the better outside shooters in Texas.  That's his most noteworthy skill.  But I don't think his stats are much better than Tai's.

 

Also, one thing I noticed in the game was that once or twice, Tai tried to rush a shot without getting his feet set and he ended up with an off-balance 3-ptr that just clanged off the iron.  At least one of those happened when he was trying to get a shot off before the 24 second shot clock went off.

 

I don't know how often Tai has the ball when the 24 second clock is getting ready to expire but my guess is that he's usually the one looking to get the ball when the shot clock is winding down.  That is going to affect his numbers.

 

In case you didn't catch it, let me say it again:  in his current league, they play with a 24 second shot clock.  The guy most likely to have the ball at the end of a possession is going to have worse-looking numbers than his skills would suggest.

[FredsSlacks]

Tai was pretty young for his grade level, wan't he?  

he turned 18 a week ago. so yes.

 

Shavon just turned 19 today.

[uneblinstu]

 

Tai was pretty young for his grade level, wan't he?  

he turned 18 a week ago. so yes.

 

Shavon just turned 19 today.

 

Then you'd expect their decision making *should* improve while they're here.

[The Polish Rifle]

Just for comparison purposes, someone go check what Nathan Hawkins' 3-pt shooting stats were on the season.  He's supposed to be one of the better outside shooters in Texas.  That's his most noteworthy skill.  But I don't think his stats are much better than Tai's.

 

Also, one thing I noticed in the game was that once or twice, Tai tried to rush a shot without getting his feet set and he ended up with an off-balance 3-ptr that just clanged off the iron.  At least one of those happened when he was trying to get a shot off before the 24 second shot clock went off.

 

I don't know how often Tai has the ball when the 24 second clock is getting ready to expire but my guess is that he's usually the one looking to get the ball when the shot clock is winding down.  That is going to affect his numbers.

 

In case you didn't catch it, let me say it again:  in his current league, they play with a 24 second shot clock.  The guy most likely to have the ball at the end of a possession is going to have worse-looking numbers than his skills would suggest.

Yeah I agree, and he was playing against grown men as well. Turnovers will happen when you have a high school kid going against guys that have played big time basketball for some-time now. I guess my main concern would be the free throw %. Miles will get that straightened out pretty quickly is my guess.

[FredsSlacks]

Tai is going to be very good. He's going to have a lot to adjust to in a short amount of time though.

[extremehoops]

The speed of the game at a USA HS AAU level is much faster than this new zealand league.

The kids are also stronger looking.  The announcers goes crazy when a regular dunk happens makes me think a dunk isnt very common over there. I think the speed of the game will be a big adjustment and something Hawkins, Fuller and leslie are more a custom too.

[TheKamdyMan]

The speed of the game at a USA HS AAU level is much faster than this new zealand league.

The kids are also stronger looking.  The announcers goes crazy when a regular dunk happens makes me think a dunk isnt very common over there. I think the speed of the game will be a big adjustment and something Hawkins, Fuller and leslie are more a custom too.

 

disagree on the physicality.  The USA U-19 team plays a scrimmage every year in Portland before the Hoops Summit and they play a bunch of 22-26 year old guys that played at CC's, Portland, Portland State, and other surrounding colleges.  A few are guys that play in leagues like this one.  Every year that team either ties or loses by a little to the very best 5* talent in the country.  Its men against boys.  Thats the same type of thing Tai is playing against.  They arent as talented as what he will face but they are stronger and have more basketball IQ and savvy to offset a little bit of skill.

[The Polish Rifle]

The speed of the game at a USA HS AAU level is much faster than this new zealand league.

The kids are also stronger looking.  The announcers goes crazy when a regular dunk happens makes me think a dunk isnt very common over there. I think the speed of the game will be a big adjustment and something Hawkins, Fuller and leslie are more a custom too.

I looked through some rosters and found about 15 guys in that league that averaged 10+ ppg in big time D1 basketball, I think you are selling the league way short

[Cell]

 

Tai's team (the Waikato Pistons) are fairly young. I looked at the players that play in the video and six out of the eight that take the court would still be college aged. The team is in its first season back in the league after taking a year off due to money trouble, because of this the roster is completely different and the coaching staff is brand new to the league. While not an excuse for their play Im sure the lack of time to build chemistry is hurting them. Also you should know that they probably aren't paying players other than the 2 Americans; hence why the team is made up mainly of local players just out of high school in the last couple years. Other than Tai and the American imports the team would only have 1 or 2 players capable of playing low level Division 1.

 

The team Tai plays against in the video is completely different. They have several former college players in Bryant Markson (13.6ppg @ Utah), Casey Frank (11.9ppg @ N Arizona), Andrew Warren (18.8ppg @ Bradley) as well as several players that have represented the New Zealand senior national team. Tai was matched up with Lindsey Tait, a PG for the NZ team since 2003. In the Video I posted the Saints were missing Tai's older brother Corey, who was out with an ankle injury. He has been a top New Zealand player for around 5 years and would have been a quality Division One college player had he gone.

 

If I had to guess I would say the Waikato Pistons are equivalent to a very low level division 1 side and the Wellington Saints are close to a decent mid-major team

That really helps Cell. Thanks!!!

 

I heard the game play by play guys mention a player for one of the teams who is still in high school. Do you know which player they were referring to and if he could be a legitimate D1 prospect?

 

They were refering to Izayah Mauriohooho-Leafa, a 16 year old who would be a member of the 2015 class. He is a 5'10 point guard that has made some brief appearances for the Wellington Saints this season (he actually had 6pts in the video I posted). I haven't seen him play much so couldn't say if he is a Div 1 prospect, I would think he has a good chance to be though (perhaps not for a high-major though). I will defiantly keep an eye on him aswell as another 16 year old (6'9, Big man) that plays in the NBL too.

[jimmykc]

I for one would like to have a player named Mauriohooho on the Cornhuskers. Even better than Kickingstallionsims.

[Hooper]

I really didn't like hearing Miles say on Sports Nightly tonight that they're still working through some eligibility issues with Tai Webster and that he's concerned about it. He said he's not freaking out, but he is concerned. Yikes...

[FredsSlacks]

I really didn't like hearing Miles say on Sports Nightly tonight that they're still working through some eligibility issues with Tai Webster and that he's concerned about it. He said he's not freaking out, but he is concerned. Yikes...

at least we have Benny Parker for 3 years.