NY Post Article - Takeaways/ Big Men Status
- Thread starter RedStormNC
- Start date
we are sju
Active member
Rotating the 3 not working.
Agree. Think we are going to get to a point pretty quickly where we have to worry less about what guys can't do and more about what they can. Lovett, Ponds, Ahmed, and Yawke for 30+ minutes each is probably where that analysis ends up (at least right now) in terms of our best chance to win.
Understood. I was speaking about when we are picking up 3 quarter court and we have Ponds/Lovett pressuring the ball. I was hoping with the quickness/speed they might force some turnovers before the opposition even got to the frontcourt. As of yet they have not been able to do that at all, that I can remember. I am looking for easy baskets, hell we need them any way we can get them!
postell25
Member
Hoping one of them "turned in to Delgado" is unfair because Delgado isn't a shot blocker. He is a rebounder first where Sima, Yakwe and Owens are shot blockers first. It's tough to get in to a defensive rebounding position when you leave your feet when a shot on every two point shot being taken.
And that's not a complaint. Having shot blockers is fun but it's the price you pay.
And that's not a complaint. Having shot blockers is fun but it's the price you pay.
Seth Davis chimes in (didn't want to start a whole new thread):
http://www.campusrush.com/battle-4-atlantis-baylor-louisville-michigan-state-2116052383.html
St. John's
(Lost to Michigan State, 73–62; Lost to VCU, 75–69; Lost to Old Dominion, 63–55)
The good: The Johnnies were pretty terrible last season, going 1–17 in the Big East, so there was nowhere to go but up. After watching them courtside for three days, it's apparent they are not going to be the walkover they were too often last year. Sure, they finished in eighth place in the Battle 4 Atlantis, but the team was in every game that it played. That's a start.
Coach Chris Mullin has added three high-level scorers to his roster: freshman point guard Marcus LoVett, who sat out last season as a partial qualifier; 6' 1" freshman guard Shamorie Ponds, a Brooklyn native who was named the Big East's preseason freshman of the year; and Bashir Ahmed, a 6' 7" junior swingman who was a first team All-America last season at Hutchison (Kan.) Community College. All three are natural scorers and terrific shooters, although Ahmed was often hobbled by foul trouble. I especially like that LoVett and Ponds are so proficient from the foul line, where they shot a combined 18 for 23 on the week.
Defensively, St. John's is going to protect the rim as well as any team in the country. The two sophomore forwards, Yankuba Sima and Kassoum Yakwe, were first and second last season in the Big East in blocks. Mullin has also added Tariq Owens, a 6' 11" transfer from Tennessee who had four blocks in the three games while averaging 14 minutes off the bench. Sima actually showed some improvement on the offensive end as well. He scored 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting against VCU, and his free throw shooting has improved from 38.6% as a freshman to 68.4% this season.
The Johnnies are super young and inexperienced—they do not have a single senior playing significant minutes—but they have undergone a palpable talent upgrade. I don't know how many wins that will yield, but it should make for a more competitive and interesting season.
The bad: LoVett is an intriguing player because he can shoot with deep range and he is exceptionally skilled at getting to the rim. I love the way he splits double teams off the high screen-and-roll. And he certainly enjoys his green light from the coach. LoVett scored 31 points in a loss at Minnesota, although he needed 27 shots to get there.
But for all of his potential, LoVett has no clue how to run a team. None. This is, in essence, St. John's main problem overall. They know how to play, they just don't know how to win. Against VCU, St. John's actually led for around 19-and-a-half minutes. VCU led for 16 minutes, but the Rams outscored St. John's 10–4 over the final four minutes to salt the game away. Likewise, St. John's was able to hang with Michigan State for a while, trailing by one point with 10:30 to play. But the Spartans wore them down physically and mentally during those final 10 minutes.
Here's another telling stat: Over the three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis, St. John's made 61 field goals but only had 29 assists. That's the sign that this is a collection of individuals, not a team. Not yet, anyway.
All of this is understandable given the makeup of the roster, but it is an issue that is likely to get worse once the Johnnies hit the dog days of conference play. St. John's fans have had to suffer through a pretty rough stretch lately, and I'm afraid they will have to suffer a while longer. Mullin appears to be headed in the right direction, but even if he can keep this nucleus together (which isn't easy nowadays), this program is probably still a couple of years away from being truly competitive again.
http://www.campusrush.com/battle-4-atlantis-baylor-louisville-michigan-state-2116052383.html
St. John's
(Lost to Michigan State, 73–62; Lost to VCU, 75–69; Lost to Old Dominion, 63–55)
The good: The Johnnies were pretty terrible last season, going 1–17 in the Big East, so there was nowhere to go but up. After watching them courtside for three days, it's apparent they are not going to be the walkover they were too often last year. Sure, they finished in eighth place in the Battle 4 Atlantis, but the team was in every game that it played. That's a start.
Coach Chris Mullin has added three high-level scorers to his roster: freshman point guard Marcus LoVett, who sat out last season as a partial qualifier; 6' 1" freshman guard Shamorie Ponds, a Brooklyn native who was named the Big East's preseason freshman of the year; and Bashir Ahmed, a 6' 7" junior swingman who was a first team All-America last season at Hutchison (Kan.) Community College. All three are natural scorers and terrific shooters, although Ahmed was often hobbled by foul trouble. I especially like that LoVett and Ponds are so proficient from the foul line, where they shot a combined 18 for 23 on the week.
Defensively, St. John's is going to protect the rim as well as any team in the country. The two sophomore forwards, Yankuba Sima and Kassoum Yakwe, were first and second last season in the Big East in blocks. Mullin has also added Tariq Owens, a 6' 11" transfer from Tennessee who had four blocks in the three games while averaging 14 minutes off the bench. Sima actually showed some improvement on the offensive end as well. He scored 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting against VCU, and his free throw shooting has improved from 38.6% as a freshman to 68.4% this season.
The Johnnies are super young and inexperienced—they do not have a single senior playing significant minutes—but they have undergone a palpable talent upgrade. I don't know how many wins that will yield, but it should make for a more competitive and interesting season.
The bad: LoVett is an intriguing player because he can shoot with deep range and he is exceptionally skilled at getting to the rim. I love the way he splits double teams off the high screen-and-roll. And he certainly enjoys his green light from the coach. LoVett scored 31 points in a loss at Minnesota, although he needed 27 shots to get there.
But for all of his potential, LoVett has no clue how to run a team. None. This is, in essence, St. John's main problem overall. They know how to play, they just don't know how to win. Against VCU, St. John's actually led for around 19-and-a-half minutes. VCU led for 16 minutes, but the Rams outscored St. John's 10–4 over the final four minutes to salt the game away. Likewise, St. John's was able to hang with Michigan State for a while, trailing by one point with 10:30 to play. But the Spartans wore them down physically and mentally during those final 10 minutes.
Here's another telling stat: Over the three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis, St. John's made 61 field goals but only had 29 assists. That's the sign that this is a collection of individuals, not a team. Not yet, anyway.
All of this is understandable given the makeup of the roster, but it is an issue that is likely to get worse once the Johnnies hit the dog days of conference play. St. John's fans have had to suffer through a pretty rough stretch lately, and I'm afraid they will have to suffer a while longer. Mullin appears to be headed in the right direction, but even if he can keep this nucleus together (which isn't easy nowadays), this program is probably still a couple of years away from being truly competitive again.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
It's obviously a limited sample, but after 6 games the shooting states for our bigs are abysmal.
Sima: 46%
Yakwe: 39
Owens: 40
Ali: 20
Freud: 18
Bigs like the first 3 listed that rarely leave the paint should be shooting over 50%. The good news is that the numbers should improve for each. How can they not? if you really want to get angry, you can look at Ellison's numbers. About 30% from the field and 44% from the line. I didn't bother to look at turnovers.
Sima: 46%
Yakwe: 39
Owens: 40
Ali: 20
Freud: 18
Bigs like the first 3 listed that rarely leave the paint should be shooting over 50%. The good news is that the numbers should improve for each. How can they not? if you really want to get angry, you can look at Ellison's numbers. About 30% from the field and 44% from the line. I didn't bother to look at turnovers.
Our big man stats are not good because none of them have the ability to create a high % shot for themselves. Yet, because the green light is perceived to be an approval, if not a mandate, to shoot any time they possess the ball, they routinely take shots that for them are low %.
I think they should be instructed to go after every rebound as if their life (and PT) depended on it - and take the garbage points when they come.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Yakwe, Sima and Owens are not getting bad looks, at least by the standards a division 1 player should be held to. Sima misses too many in close hooks. At the Atlantis tourney, Yakwe airballed an 8 foot wide open jumper. That is not easy to do. Owens routinely turns a layup from 2 feet into a hook from 6 feet. Each is just limited at this point.
Sadly, the shot blocking its one of the only things the AD dept can promote about the team right now
(I hope a student/intern is producing this and we're not paying for it)
[attachment]CyYAaAcWQAEw9HL.jpglarge.jpg[/attachment]
(I hope a student/intern is producing this and we're not paying for it)
[attachment]CyYAaAcWQAEw9HL.jpglarge.jpg[/attachment]