Agree with most of what you said except about Balamou. I realy believe that if somebody teaches him something he could be a future star on this team.. He has all the tools, he just needs to learn and be given the chance. I actually see more upside to him then DLo if he is given the chance to develop.
Playing Poker with Next Season's Roster
- Thread starter Ray Morgan
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Agree with most of what you said except about Balamou. I realy believe that if somebody teaches him something he could be a future star on this team.. He has all the tools, he just needs to learn and be given the chance. I actually see more upside to him then DLo if he is given the chance to develop.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Agree with most of the grades, except for an incomplete for Bourgault. The "confidence" argument has been overused here and I'm sure at every other school. Every rumored three point shooter is given a pass for poor play and low percentage shooting because the coach pulled them after a miss and lowered their self esteem. I heard this excuse for Marcus Broadnax, Fred Lyson, Ricky Torres, and some others that had reputations as shooters. In the end, most guys miss because they aren't good enough shooters at this level. Bourgault got enough minutes and missed enough open looks (including airballing a few and hitting the side of the backboard more than once) to convince me of what he isn't. Which is a ballsy guy with a mean jumper and a swagger to his game.
Regarding Sampson, he has a better mid range jumper than I expected. Then again, I expected that he would have no touch from beyond a few feet.
As for trying to figure out what went wrong with the recruiting, I look at it this way. Lavin was like a PGA golfer that had his clubs stolen before the start of the season. He went to his sponsor and got a bag full of drivers. Then he went on tour, and all the fans were wondering why he couldn't get out of the sand or make a putt. All power and flash and no finesse. Just like here. I guess some would argue that he didn't succeed on the tour because he needed Butch Harmon to help him with his short game. Butch Harmon couldn't teach a guy with only a driver to hit soft sand shots or make long putts. Maybe it's the culture of SJU basketball. Good shooters want no part of this program.
The problem is, when is Balamou ever going to get minutes on this team, when he's a senior? If Harrison is back, him and Greene will be taking most of the minutes at the SG spot the next two years. Then you've got Pointer and Hooper at the SF spot and possibly Sampson since we have GG, Sanchez and Obepka next year.
it's not as if balamou has to beat out AP all america's. if he works and their games remain pretty much the same then he's in and they're out. that's as it should be. as far as marco being able to shoot baskets at this level. the hoop and the three point line are in the same place. he hit 40 percent of his threes in JC...he can hit them here.
Class of 72
Active member
Those "unknown" cards from Texas must include Branch and Jones since I have no clue what they will or can do based on this year. Time to start recruiting some barn door players from Indiana that do not need an X&O coach!
Class of 72
Active member
It is just a "little" different making those 3's against D1 teams that are nationally ranked than against 6'3 JC forwards with no hope of playing D1 ball other than as a walk-on! LOL!
I agree with almost all you say except the last (Dunlap) part. We were the exact same team last year under Dunlap we were this year; to think otherwise is revisionist history IMO. My book is still out on Lavin but this year certainly was a major disappointment to me for all the reasons you cited. One last point, I cringe at the posters who say this team played hard, I just didn't see it. Is there a more half-hearted press in the country than the one our "athletic" team attempted?
Newsman, you know that the defenses are better, the players are bigger, stronger, faster, etc. I was a great shooter in pracrtice, but couldn't shoot come playin time. Some guys are great in Minnesota or Detroit, but just can't play for the Yankees. You're too smart to really believe what you wrote.
Is that the players fault or was it by designed. Some presses are put on just to delay the start of the opposing teams offense, to use up some clock. Others are designed for turnovers and to ire out the opposing team. I think for the most part ours was the former which annoyed me to no end. With these team of athletes and the shot blocker at the end, I was looking more for the Louisville type which is the latter. Deflections even if they don't result in steals can cause havoc and get into the opposing teams minds just like have a shot blocker who causes the opponents to alter shots.
The offense needs motion, too much standing around and missing guys inside (even if they didn't necessarily know what to do once they got it, you have to give it to them there). More ball movement, better spacing both in halfcourt and fast breaks. Basketball IQ definitely needs to an improve and maybe with repetition and experience it will.
What we see know is what we are going to have next year. I don't see Jordan coming. Players need to improve and I think they will along with GG. Sanchez is the wild card as we really don't know what we are going to get, especially after sitting a year and having never played at this level before.
Marco take forever to get his shot off. He could get away with that in JC, but now, playing with the big boys he is either guarded or closed out on quickly so he hesitates or just can't pull the trigger. Plus, he's a liability on the defensive end. If he's out there draining threes and opening up the inside for our bigs you can overlook the defensive shortcomings, but when he's not doing anything on the offensive end, then it's hard to tolerate his slowness at the other end.
beast of the east
Active member
I think it just took forever to go in.
that was true when players stayed for four years. now, it's one or two. there are no stars. it's not 1986 anymore. the sport is watered down. i'll reiterate. the basket and three point line are in the same place.
oh, and detroit beat the yankees in the playoffs last year. i think they swept them.
You (intentionally) missed the point I believe, but whatever.
And, yeah, that Detroit series stunk it up. Pitching was too good and Yank bats were terrible.
And, yeah, that Detroit series stunk it up. Pitching was too good and Yank bats were terrible.
westchesterjoe
Active member
Lavin's first recruiting class was suppose to include Pelle, a legitimate big man and Lindsay a heralded juco PG..
Pelle never came here and Lindsay played a few games and said, ADIOS.
Sampson didn't qualify and he and Harkless never played together which has ramifications for the wins and losses.
Lindsay was suppose to be the PG for 2 years including this past one..When he transferred Lavin brought in Branch as a transfer.. Likely telling him he would run the team as soon as he was eligible.
Even when Branch was healthy Lavin still allowed Greene to run the offense, sometimes with Branch in the game. Which was puzzling but, a lot of Lavin's Coaching is puzzling. I think Lavin does not have confidence in Branch and it shows.
Garrett, Greene, Pointer seemingly were recruited because of their athleticism and using that Athleticism to attain great heights in HS. A good spotter of talent, which Lavin has been credited with being, would have seen their upside was not going to be more than role or bench players in a league like the BE..
Harrison was a different story but, I'm not sure of his HS record, although he got the top 100 tag.. Was he a problem player in HS? I don't know but, it would seem he didn't suddenly become a problem since arriving at SJU?
Harrison is not a good % shooter, he is a scorer if he's motivated and he needs a good PG to get hm the ball in opportune spots. Greene didn't do this.. Oftentimes Greene himself took shots that should have been set up for DLO.
That's not to excuse DLO because his attitude harmed the team far more than we can possibly know. I'm not sure he should come back, maybe time to move on.
SO, a lot of the dynamics of the team Lavin thought he was building did not happen..
That being said there is no excuse for the team's horrible performance in terms of shooting, rebounding, defense and Court Savvy .. Most times it appeared this was a team with no Strategy of in game performance.
Lastly, the 8 years Lavin spent away from the game in a Coaching position, shows indications that he hasn;t adjusted to what is going on in the competitive world of college BB.. Just getting athletes won't do it if they can't throw the ball in the ocean. Nor will it cut it, if he doesn't teach defense.
Steve has also underestimated the impact of 3 point shooting in College BB TODAY!.. Getting a pure shooter,not Bougault or Hooper, is very important to succeed today. We don't have one! And, Steve's defense does not get to the opponents 3 pt shooter in enough time to disrupt that shot. We got killed this year by nearly every team that made some 3's.
Pelle never came here and Lindsay played a few games and said, ADIOS.
Sampson didn't qualify and he and Harkless never played together which has ramifications for the wins and losses.
Lindsay was suppose to be the PG for 2 years including this past one..When he transferred Lavin brought in Branch as a transfer.. Likely telling him he would run the team as soon as he was eligible.
Even when Branch was healthy Lavin still allowed Greene to run the offense, sometimes with Branch in the game. Which was puzzling but, a lot of Lavin's Coaching is puzzling. I think Lavin does not have confidence in Branch and it shows.
Garrett, Greene, Pointer seemingly were recruited because of their athleticism and using that Athleticism to attain great heights in HS. A good spotter of talent, which Lavin has been credited with being, would have seen their upside was not going to be more than role or bench players in a league like the BE..
Harrison was a different story but, I'm not sure of his HS record, although he got the top 100 tag.. Was he a problem player in HS? I don't know but, it would seem he didn't suddenly become a problem since arriving at SJU?
Harrison is not a good % shooter, he is a scorer if he's motivated and he needs a good PG to get hm the ball in opportune spots. Greene didn't do this.. Oftentimes Greene himself took shots that should have been set up for DLO.
That's not to excuse DLO because his attitude harmed the team far more than we can possibly know. I'm not sure he should come back, maybe time to move on.
SO, a lot of the dynamics of the team Lavin thought he was building did not happen..
That being said there is no excuse for the team's horrible performance in terms of shooting, rebounding, defense and Court Savvy .. Most times it appeared this was a team with no Strategy of in game performance.
Lastly, the 8 years Lavin spent away from the game in a Coaching position, shows indications that he hasn;t adjusted to what is going on in the competitive world of college BB.. Just getting athletes won't do it if they can't throw the ball in the ocean. Nor will it cut it, if he doesn't teach defense.
Steve has also underestimated the impact of 3 point shooting in College BB TODAY!.. Getting a pure shooter,not Bougault or Hooper, is very important to succeed today. We don't have one! And, Steve's defense does not get to the opponents 3 pt shooter in enough time to disrupt that shot. We got killed this year by nearly every team that made some 3's.