Open Pracitice 10/21

One more question to those who were there....

So, if you were a top recruit and attended the session to determine whether this was a
team and a coaching staff that evidenced a positive chemistry and the capability to
be successful and to develop your skills......what might you be thinking/feeling as you left?
 
As far as I'm concerned, CO is the X factor for this season. If he is a regular contributor on offense, can stay out of foul trouble, and has improved as a rebounder and a defender - all in all a very tall order - then we can have a very good season. If his season turns out to be a only slight improvement over his sophomore year, then the results will be similar for the team. There's no question he is a work in progress. At the beginning of last season was more active on offense but against top flight front lines later on showed to be less effective. He has good court vision, has potential to be a very good passer, and has a soft medium range jumper. An improved game and attitude and he could be the 3rd solid player that an NCAA bound team needs.
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I think the issue with CO is attitude and maturity. That got in the way of some of the skills improvement that he had in fact made last season and took him out of games. So that in order and I do think he could be a dramatically improved overall player. For the same reasons exactly why I have been thinking that Thomas is the X-Factor for the season. "If" he translates to Big East basketball his net numbers would make us a better team then last season. But even moreso I am hoping the kind of aggressiveness that makes for a world class rebounder, is infectious and some of the selfish play and chemistry killing ingredients are out of the mix this season. If by some miracle, kranmar's prayers have been working out and both of these guys come in and meet their potential (say Lavin's hyperbole over CO is only 80% accurate and Thomas is a solid 20 mpg 7+ boards/game) then we have an awesome front court to go with the awesome backcourt. And as long as we're doing the ifs... if Greene and Pointer crash the boards consistently instead of parking out on the perimeter. I am convinced that Greene could be an exceptional off guard offensive rebounder if he were positioned better similar to Bootsy or even Sharif Fordham. He's got that surprising quickness and is deceptively athletic.
 
As far as I'm concerned, CO is the X factor for this season. If he is a regular contributor on offense, can stay out of foul trouble, and has improved as a rebounder and a defender - all in all a very tall order - then we can have a very good season. If his season turns out to be a only slight improvement over his sophomore year, then the results will be similar for the team. There's no question he is a work in progress. At the beginning of last season was more active on offense but against top flight front lines later on showed to be less effective. He has good court vision, has potential to be a very good passer, and has a soft medium range jumper. An improved game and attitude and he could be the 3rd solid player that an NCAA bound team needs.
Click to expand...

I think the issue with CO is attitude and maturity. That got in the way of some of the skills improvement that he had in fact made last season and took him out of games. So that in order and I do think he could be a dramatically improved overall player. For the same reasons exactly why I have been thinking that Thomas is the X-Factor for the season. "If" he translates to Big East basketball his net numbers would make us a better team then last season. But even moreso I am hoping the kind of aggressiveness that makes for a world class rebounder, is infectious and some of the selfish play and chemistry killing ingredients are out of the mix this season. If by some miracle, kranmar's prayers have been working out and both of these guys come in and meet their potential (say Lavin's hyperbole over CO is only 80% accurate and Thomas is a solid 20 mpg 7+ boards/game) then we have an awesome front court to go with the awesome backcourt. And as long as we're doing the ifs... if Greene and Pointer crash the boards consistently instead of parking out on the perimeter. I am convinced that Greene could be an exceptional off guard offensive rebounder if he were positioned better similar to Bootsy or even Sharif Fordham. He's got that surprising quickness and is deceptively athletic.
Click to expand...

We have a # of guys that I don't have have played up to their potential thus far that could easily breakout. I think Jordan doing so is a foregone conclusion--at the very least, it is expected. Phil Greene is another. He's got one of the better outside shots we've had in the last decade and he can separate from defenders and get open shots off at will. Pointer was the #35 RSCI recruit in 2011...25 or so of those guys have left college since. He should (and could) be dominant.
CO is the one that I think is ready to explode. Two years in a row he's really improved his body. He becomes an upperclassman and enters the all-important junior season big men tend to show the most improvement. He's the guy down low now. He can't defer to Sanchez and Sampson.

Thomas has great potential. I see him as kind of a Sharif Fordham or Ty Grant glue guy that will make everyone around him better and plug some holes the team had last season. He's not a star but we will be way better with him. Just looking at the picture of him from the open practice...we haven't had a guy like since Evans. GG was jacked but he didn't have any functional strength...Evans was the last guy we had like him. Every other team seems to be loaded with them.
 
Couldn't make it as I was out of town, but thanks all for your reports and insights. I feel like I was there! Hope it will be an annual event.
 
Who were the two weirdos sitting behind Fratto who were asking questions and standing up the whole time videotaping on the IPhone. Was that Moose?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you like to know.
 
Who were the two weirdos sitting behind Fratto who were asking questions and standing up the whole time videotaping on the IPhone. Was that Moose?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you like to know.
Click to expand...

Now that's the Moose this board missed.
I saw your photo of the big fella shooting FTs. Actually looked like the form was good. What do you think of him? I'm clearly high on him...I actually think 1st Team All-Big East.
 
Who were the two weirdos sitting behind Fratto who were asking questions and standing up the whole time videotaping on the IPhone. Was that Moose?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you like to know.
Click to expand...

Now that's the Moose this board missed.
I saw your photo of the big fella shooting FTs. Actually looked like the form was good. What do you think of him? I'm clearly high on him...I actually think 1st Team All-Big East.
Click to expand...

His form has never been the issue IMO.
 
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