Mike Anderson - Recruiting, Coaching, Etc.

The problem with JUCOs is that they often come from a place where they were by far the best player on the team/court. It takes them awhile to adjust to the level of the competition, the level of the teammates, and how to share the ball and not try to do too much.

Coach Anderson is probably as good as it gets at expediting that process, plus he's selective in the character of player he brings in. So I'd expect our JUCOs to be ahead of the usual development curve.
 
Bash was a bull in a china shop early on...but he also was much more athletic than Moore and Cole IMO. They don't look very athletic to me aside from Moore being a great dunker. Again, small sample size but just being honest. I'm sure they improve a lot obviously so we will see. Bash and LJ looked fluid and could finish inside. Again, way too early...but at this moment Cole and Moore don't look fluid and have some difficulty finishing inside. Moore IMO is what we were hoping Roberts would be. A solid contributor with some offensive game and size but not a go-to. We were hoping our huge issue with bigs was solved, however Moore does not see himself as a true big and lacks inside finishing ability due at least in part to being too skinny to bang and issues hanging on to ball. Roberts hasn't really gotten much better so far. Toro looks like he doesn't belong and has been very underwhelming IMO. We don't have a true big on this team that is Big East level. That will hold us back again, because we will get killed inside.

No one in their right mind is asking for 5 star kids. No one in their right mind is even asking for a high 4 star top 50. Fans are merely asking for a few top 100 4 star kids. That is on par with what all Big East teams should be getting regardless of how many wins/losses they have or how many they sent to NBA. The only true Big East caliber players that are sure things in my mind right now are Champ, Cole (strictly as catch and shoot), Posh. Moore would be a great big to come off the bench if we had a Watson (PC) type big starting. Just calling it how I see it. Some will agree, some won't. Hope CMA turns us into a well-oiled machine.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403893]Bash was a bull in a china shop early on...but he also was much more athletic than Moore and Cole IMO. They don't look very athletic to me aside from Moore being a great dunker. Again, small sample size but just being honest. I'm sure they improve a lot obviously so we will see. Bash and LJ looked fluid and could finish inside. Again, way too early...but at this moment Cole and Moore don't look fluid and have some difficulty finishing inside. Moore IMO is what we were hoping Roberts would be. A solid contributor with some offensive game and size but not a go-to. We were hoping our huge issue with bigs was solved, however Moore does not see himself as a true big and lacks inside finishing ability due at least in part to being too skinny to bang and issues hanging on to ball. Roberts hasn't really gotten much better so far. Toro looks like he doesn't belong and has been very underwhelming IMO. We don't have a true big on this team that is Big East level. That will hold us back again, because we will get killed inside.

No one in their right mind is asking for 5 star kids. No one in their right mind is even asking for a high 4 star top 50. Fans are merely asking for a few top 100 4 star kids. That is on par with what all Big East teams should be getting regardless of how many wins/losses they have or how many they sent to NBA. The only true Big East caliber players that are sure things in my mind right now are Champ, Cole (strictly as catch and shoot), Posh. Moore would be a great big to come off the bench if we had a Watson (PC) type big starting. Just calling it how I see it. Some will agree, some won't. Hope CMA turns us into a well-oiled machine.[/quote]

What about Moore and Coles game do you not find fluid? They might not be 5 star athletes but there are few kids Moore’s size that move as fluid as he does.
 
[quote="Amaseinyourface" post=403902][quote="Mike Zaun" post=403893]Bash was a bull in a china shop early on...but he also was much more athletic than Moore and Cole IMO. They don't look very athletic to me aside from Moore being a great dunker. Again, small sample size but just being honest. I'm sure they improve a lot obviously so we will see. Bash and LJ looked fluid and could finish inside. Again, way too early...but at this moment Cole and Moore don't look fluid and have some difficulty finishing inside. Moore IMO is what we were hoping Roberts would be. A solid contributor with some offensive game and size but not a go-to. We were hoping our huge issue with bigs was solved, however Moore does not see himself as a true big and lacks inside finishing ability due at least in part to being too skinny to bang and issues hanging on to ball. Roberts hasn't really gotten much better so far. Toro looks like he doesn't belong and has been very underwhelming IMO. We don't have a true big on this team that is Big East level. That will hold us back again, because we will get killed inside.

No one in their right mind is asking for 5 star kids. No one in their right mind is even asking for a high 4 star top 50. Fans are merely asking for a few top 100 4 star kids. That is on par with what all Big East teams should be getting regardless of how many wins/losses they have or how many they sent to NBA. The only true Big East caliber players that are sure things in my mind right now are Champ, Cole (strictly as catch and shoot), Posh. Moore would be a great big to come off the bench if we had a Watson (PC) type big starting. Just calling it how I see it. Some will agree, some won't. Hope CMA turns us into a well-oiled machine.[/quote]

What about Moore and Coles game do you not find fluid? They might not be 5 star athletes but there are few kids Moore’s size that move as fluid as he does.[/quote]

Stop making sense Mase :)

Moore runs court extremely well, a bit gangly perhaps, but that asset will result in many easy buckets imo
 
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Moore is 6ft 10 and long gangly arms. He is always going to look a little herky jerky. Cole is silky smooth
 
Am I the only one who saw them lose the ball down low consistently? Either blocked by smaller players, lost ball, or had it poked away down low. That's my concern. I think getting JC back will force defenses to give him attention and Moore could be one of the guys to benefit most from that. When given space he is good.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403910]Am I the only one who saw them lose the ball down low consistently? Either blocked by smaller players, lost ball, or had it poked away down low. That's my concern. I think getting JC back will force defenses to give him attention and Moore could be one of the guys to benefit most from that. When given space he is good.[/quote]

No doubt down low he had his difficulties. He is really a SF type with big man height. They will have to use him creatively since he is not a post presence. He can shoot, runs court very well, but won’t be the guy to bump with Nate Watsons of world. That said, he’ll help offensively but he has learning curve steeper than Cole. Most Jucos always have an adjustment challenge and his hybrid profile may prolong that,but IMO he is an asset overall.
 
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Paultzman wrote:
Stop making sense Mase :)

Moore runs court extremely well, a bit gangly perhaps, but that asset will result in many easy buckets imo.

Will also result in him drawing fouls underneath and both he and Cole have sweet strokes from the line.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403910]Am I the only one who saw them lose the ball down low consistently? Either blocked by smaller players, lost ball, or had it poked away down low. That's my concern. I think getting JC back will force defenses to give him attention and Moore could be one of the guys to benefit most from that. When given space he is good.[/quote]

I think Moore can be reckless and has to hone it in a bit. But the potential is there. When I think of the term fluid I’m thinking about how well they can move on the court. The stuff you just described is more so about their feel for the game. If your a 6’10 forward beating guards down the court and ok the other end youre switching out on the perimeter to defend them, then you’re a pretty fluid athlete. Moore looks like he’s even capable of making a second move off the dribble where as Owens wasn’t capable of that, that comes down to his fluidity IMO.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403910]Am I the only one who saw them lose the ball down low consistently? Either blocked by smaller players, lost ball, or had it poked away down low. That's my concern. I think getting JC back will force defenses to give him attention and Moore could be one of the guys to benefit most from that. When given space he is good.[/quote]

A little patience is needed. Geez, they're 2 games into D-1 basketball. I think we can all agree we already saw some improvement, at least from Cole, from game 1 to game 2. Let's give the new kids at least 10 games before we label exactly what they are or aren't.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403910]Am I the only one who saw them lose the ball down low consistently? Either blocked by smaller players, lost ball, or had it poked away down low. That's my concern. I think getting JC back will force defenses to give him attention and Moore could be one of the guys to benefit most from that. When given space he is good.[/quote]

Div I isn't exactly a walk in the park for freshmen/jucos, maybe the game is to fast for them right now. It will slow down for them eventually.

Patience mike.
 
Don't know if this was posted. Borzello is tight with Matt so I take the Nebraska comments with the proverbial grain of salt.

Second-year men's hoops coaches: Who's exceeding expectations, who's in rebuilding mode

[URL]https://www.espn.com/mens-coll...oaches-exceeding-expectations-rebuilding-mode[/URL]


Mike Anderson, St. John's Red Storm

Anderson doesn't have losing seasons. It's just not what he does. And so even though St. John's faced a big rebuild last season, it managed to finish 17-15 -- and beat the likes of West Virginia, Arizona, Creighton and Marquette. And now Anderson is beginning to get more players that fit his "40 minutes of hell" run-and-press style. Coaches around the Big East have mentioned how the Johnnies were starting to get acclimated to Anderson's system by the end of the season, and another year in the program can only help. Four starters are back, there is athleticism coming off the bench and a talented recruiting class of freshmen and junior college transfers enters the fold. They are going to be a nuisance to play.

Eric Musselman, Arkansas Razorbacks

It didn't take long for Musselman to introduce his style and system to Fayetteville. While the Hogs were unlikely to land an NCAA tournament bid last season and lost Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe early to the NBA draft, there is optimism entering the season. This roster looks a lot like Musselman's Nevada rosters -- but with four ESPN 100 prospects balancing out the scholarship chart. Only two players who saw minutes on last season's team return, with three sit-out transfers and three graduate transfers joining the fold along with the freshmen. It might take some time to get everyone on the same page, but Musselman constantly reloaded his rosters at Nevada -- and wins followed every season.

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Cornhuskers

Everyone knew Hoiberg was going to try to replicate what he did at Iowa State when he took over in Lincoln. In other words, hit the transfer market in a major way, load up on talented pieces that needed a change of scenery and then strike on some under-the-radar prospects. In his first year at Iowa State, the Cyclones went 3-13 in the Big 12. In his second year, they finished 12-6 and went to the NCAA tournament. I'm not expecting that type of immediate turnaround after they went 2-18 in the Big Ten and 7-25 overall last season, but there is a good amount of talent on this team. Three transfers sat out last season, four transfers are eligible immediately and three players are back, so there's experience too. Nebraska won't be down for too long.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403893]Bash was a bull in a china shop early on...but he also was much more athletic than Moore and Cole IMO. They don't look very athletic to me aside from Moore being a great dunker. Again, small sample size but just being honest. I'm sure they improve a lot obviously so we will see. Bash and LJ looked fluid and could finish inside. Again, way too early...but at this moment Cole and Moore don't look fluid and have some difficulty finishing inside. Moore IMO is what we were hoping Roberts would be. A solid contributor with some offensive game and size but not a go-to. We were hoping our huge issue with bigs was solved, however Moore does not see himself as a true big and lacks inside finishing ability due at least in part to being too skinny to bang and issues hanging on to ball. Roberts hasn't really gotten much better so far. Toro looks like he doesn't belong and has been very underwhelming IMO. We don't have a true big on this team that is Big East level. That will hold us back again, because we will get killed inside.

No one in their right mind is asking for 5 star kids. No one in their right mind is even asking for a high 4 star top 50. Fans are merely asking for a few top 100 4 star kids. That is on par with what all Big East teams should be getting regardless of how many wins/losses they have or how many they sent to NBA. The only true Big East caliber players that are sure things in my mind right now are Champ, Cole (strictly as catch and shoot), Posh. Moore would be a great big to come off the bench if we had a Watson (PC) type big starting. Just calling it how I see it. Some will agree, some won't. Hope CMA turns us into a well-oiled machine.[/quote]

Mike, give the season some time play out. Toro is in a new system and Roberts is coming off shoulder surgery. I wouldn’t write them off after two games. Moore runs like deer and he will be fine. As far as recruits, Posh would have been a four start if he didn’t get hurt and obviously Wusu is better than his ranking. I read on here and in other places that both Pinzon and Traore would have been four star kids had there been a normal AAU season. CMA teams traditionally get better and better as the season goes on. We saw that last season. We have five new kids player big roles , it might take a little time. To be honest, I’m really looking at next season as our breakout season. Next season we will be bringing everyone back and adding Pinzon, Traore and Stanley. We will be able to hit the ground running next season. The program is in good hands and we’ll be ok.
 
[quote="NCJohnnie" post=403886]RedStormNC wrote:
Bashir Ahmed was most recent high rated JUCO.

He put up 12 & 5 over two seasons. Good to very good player, as well as some things that drove fans crazy.

I expect we'll get similar - some things we love as well as areas they may struggle with. Especially year 1. On plus side, Moore & Cole both get an extra year due to the COVID eligibility change.

RSNC, I expect Cole will be a better, more consistent player for us than Ahmed but only time will tell.[/quote]

As you say, time will tell. For me, I have no doubt he will be better (no knock on Bashir) for at least 2 reasons

1 - Cole looks to be a better outsides shooter
2 - Cole has shown that he can create space on his drives (Bashir could not)
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=403893]Bash was a bull in a china shop early on...but he also was much more athletic than Moore and Cole IMO. They don't look very athletic to me aside from Moore being a great dunker. Again, small sample size but just being honest. I'm sure they improve a lot obviously so we will see. Bash and LJ looked fluid and could finish inside. Again, way too early...but at this moment Cole and Moore don't look fluid and have some difficulty finishing inside. Moore IMO is what we were hoping Roberts would be. A solid contributor with some offensive game and size but not a go-to. We were hoping our huge issue with bigs was solved, however Moore does not see himself as a true big and lacks inside finishing ability due at least in part to being too skinny to bang and issues hanging on to ball. Roberts hasn't really gotten much better so far. Toro looks like he doesn't belong and has been very underwhelming IMO. We don't have a true big on this team that is Big East level. That will hold us back again, because we will get killed inside.

No one in their right mind is asking for 5 star kids. No one in their right mind is even asking for a high 4 star top 50. Fans are merely asking for a few top 100 4 star kids. That is on par with what all Big East teams should be getting regardless of how many wins/losses they have or how many they sent to NBA. The only true Big East caliber players that are sure things in my mind right now are Champ, Cole (strictly as catch and shoot), Posh. Moore would be a great big to come off the bench if we had a Watson (PC) type big starting. Just calling it how I see it. Some will agree, some won't. Hope CMA turns us into a well-oiled machine.[/quote]
More athletic?
Ahmed was a tough player but could not finish at the basket because he didn’t have the ability to create space on his drives and as a result was often blocked. Cole, in small sample, has shown ability to create space and has made shots that Ahmed would not.
 
[quote="usguard" post=406411]No matter what the story was at TT all that matters is coach and staffs eye for talent[/quote]

At the risk of pissing off the entire board, don't you think it's a little soon to be touting the staff's "eye for talent"? Yes CMA brought on Champ who has exceeded everyone's expectations(although I'd still like to see how he does in league play), including CMA's. Other then that, all the newcomers haven't played enough games to pass judgement. I'd say Cole, Moore and Mcgriff are probably playing somewhere around as expected. Toro below what was expected. Posh better then expected, but he was a top 150 recruit. Wusu is the biggest surprise so far. But keep in mind, we haven't started league play yet. Remember how high everyone was on Roberts early last season? Then league player started and everything changed. Point being, I think we need to give it some time before evaluating the staff's "eye for talent".
 
[quote="MainMan" post=406403]I like Josh Roberts a lot and think he's being underutilized this season.
He has holes in his game for sure but no one is a better interior defender/rebounder/shot blocker on a team that has allowed a lot of easy buckets.
He can also finish plays around the basket better than Moore or Toro.
I would hate to see him go.[/quote]

For the first two years of his collegiate basketball life, Josh has had moments that showed great promise. During freshman year, in short bursts he made you wonder why he wasn't on the court more. Sophomore year, CMA gave him major minutes in the early OOC games, and he looked so good that on here Mullin has lambasted for being such a dullard for not playing Roberts more when we needed a big man. Then the conference season started, and Roberts play fell of so radically, that it was apparent to was not ready to perform at that level.

CMA knows what he is doing. Now with at least some big men, in practice he will have to show his worth to play himself into the rotation. It's really all up to him. With a dearth of big men on our roster and available in general, if Roberts is capable he will get minutes.
 
Moor playing as expected? Nobody expected this type of production from him. He’s at 10/6 right now. Wusu way better as well.
 
To Moore’s credit he responded well to staff pushing him to better understand time and game situations better and not get shot happy early in clock. Granted SB is far worse than BYU, but he played much more intelligently and under control. Not a true big and a hybrid type, but I like him.

It will be interesting to see if CMA can get Cole to become less frustrated and avoid bad body language and move on to next play. Anderson from afar seems skilled at this corrective, motivational stuff.
 
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