Questions/Concerns about this team..

[monte]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

 

[mjmaherjr]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

will msg go back to bronx pale ale after they took a hiatus 2 seasons ago

 

[Mullins Revenge]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1- Smith shot well tonight but was like 1-15 from behind the arc before that.  But he has at least been able to score going to the basket.  As of right now, Coburn doesnt look like the guy we saw in the 1st 2 games.  I will say no that he wont tep up against better comp.
2- Soriano is too slow footed and cant jump.  Any skilled big man is going to eat him for breakfast.
3- Not liking what I have seen from wheeler or stanley.  Ill say no.
4- Mathis is a slasher.  As long as he doesnt jack up 3s, he has been pretty good.
5- Our backup point guard is Pinzon.  

 

[boo haarvey]

Steph Smith has impressed me.  I think his outside shot will start to fall.  He has proven that he is not a one trick pony.  Reminds me a little of Dwight Hardy.  Hardy starter his senior year shooting poorly from outside but demonstrated an ability to score.  When Hardy started to shoot better as the year progressed, he was dynamic and one of the best players in the Big East.  My expectations are not as high for Smith, but I really think he can be a  solid scorer and ball handler.

Coburn is a terrific shooter.  Unfortunately, he seems turnover prone and his athleticism is questionable.  Jury is still out on him, but hopefully he will find his role as a sharp shooter.

I’m not worried about Posh and Champagnie.  They will both be terrific.  Hopefully Posh will stay healthy, cut down on turnovers and continue to shoot the ball with confidence.

The front court is what gives me the most concern.  Soriano and Wheeler have not impressed at all.  I don’t think we’ve upgraded there.  To the contrary, from what I’ve seen, I’d take Moore over Wheeler as a player  and it’s not even close.  I thought Wheeler had athleticism.  Haven’t seen many offensive rebounds or putbacks from him.  He seems content to launch from outside and I don’t think he’s a better shooter than Moore.

 

[monte]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1- Smith shot well tonight but was like 1-15 from behind the arc before that.  But he has at least been able to score going to the basket.  As of right now, Coburn doesnt look like the guy we saw in the 1st 2 games.  I will say no that he wont tep up against better comp.
2- Soriano is too slow footed and cant jump.  Any skilled big man is going to eat him for breakfast.
3- Not liking what I have seen from wheeler or stanley.  Ill say no.
4- Mathis is a slasher.  As long as he doesnt jack up 3s, he has been pretty good.
5- Our backup point guard is Pinzon.  

Agree with all except 5. Don't see how we can anoint Pinzon the back up PG based on such a small sample size. Hopefully he grows in to that position over the course of the season, lord knows it's his for the taking, just need to see more before I convinced. 

 

[MakingPlays]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1.  Smith I'm not that worried about, his shots look good, they'll start to fall, and he's finding other ways to score.  Coburn is starting to give me Vince Cole vibes.  Which is a streaky 3 point shooter, with bad ball handling, plays great against bad competition and struggles against good teams.

2.  The game just has to slow down for Soriano, he has good hands and finishes well around the rim, he's just to get smarter on defense and take more pride in rebounding.  

3. Not looking likely.  Purdue fans tried to warn about Wheeler.  He looks the part, but for some reason just doesn't translate in the game for whatever reason.  Stanley may be good in the future, he has the motor and will, however he looks raw out there, he's essentially an undersized center that doesn't have great explosiveness, maybe he gets that later as the game slows down for him.

4. Mathis is looking good.  Through 5 games, I'd say he's the 3rd most important player on the team.  As long as he doesn't take more than two 3's a game he'll be fine.  Right now he's averaging 38% from 3 and 73% from the line.  Obviously those numbers will drop when it gets in conference play, but if he can average 35% from 3 and 70% from the line, I'd take that from him in heartbeat.

5. Pinzon.  His absence has been noticeable.  Even as a freshman he's ahead of some guys on both the offensive and defensive end.  I think once he returns CMA probably goes down to a 9-man rotation.... Posh, Mathis, Smith, Champ, Soriano, Wusu, Pinzon, Coburn will be the main 8. Then Wheeler/Stanley will battle it out for the last few minutes, it may vary who gets them game to game.

 

 

[Amaseinyourface]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1. I think so, and more so overall I have less worries about our guards along aside Posh. I don’t think talent is an issue there. They are still working on how they fit best and figuring out their roles. All new responsibilities this year. Yesterday without Posh in a strange way might have helped some of them get going. Smith is heady, he gives a guard who would drive us crazy if he was on the other team attempting to draw those fouls. Coburn scares me whenever he’s not shooting.

2. He’s struggling but I’m still excited by him. I think he moves much better than people are all of a sudden giving him credit for. I would suggest him not guarding the basketball so far away from the paint but we now how CMA wants to play. But down low against post bigs I’m still optimistic he’ll be a big help in BE play.


3. Effective? I’m not sure. But if Soriano steps up and stays healthy, then I think they can be competent as back up bigs. More confident in Stanley.

4. If he plays his role and takes good shots, he can give us more than enough on offense. He’s not a creator, but if he picks his spots he can be a finisher.

5. Wusu is our back up “facilitator” but damn his handle has been rusty. We don’t know yet. So by committee it seems. And with Posh’s style of play, that’s not a great situation to be in.

 

[Amaseinyourface]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1.  Smith I'm not that worried about, his shots look good, they'll start to fall, and he's finding other ways to score.  Coburn is starting to give me Vince Cole vibes.  Which is a streaky 3 point shooter, with bad ball handling, plays great against bad competition and struggles against good teams.

2.  The game just has to slow down for Soriano, he has good hands and finishes well around the rim, he's just to get smarter on defense and take more pride in rebounding.  

3. Not looking likely.  Purdue fans tried to warn about Wheeler.  He looks the part, but for some reason just doesn't translate in the game for whatever reason.  Stanley may be good in the future, he has the motor and will, however he looks raw out there, he's essentially an undersized center that doesn't have great explosiveness, maybe he gets that later as the game slows down for him.

4. Mathis is looking good.  Through 5 games, I'd say he's the 3rd most important player on the team.  As long as he doesn't take more than two 3's a game he'll be fine.  Right now he's averaging 38% from 3 and 73% from the line.  Obviously those numbers will drop when it gets in conference play, but if he can average 35% from 3 and 70% from the line, I'd take that from him in heartbeat.

5. Pinzon.  His absence has been noticeable.  Even as a freshman he's ahead of some guys on both the offensive and defensive end.  I think once he returns CMA probably goes down to a 9-man rotation.... Posh, Mathis, Smith, Champ, Soriano, Wusu, Pinzon, Coburn will be the main 8. Then Wheeler/Stanley will battle it out for the last few minutes, it may vary who gets them game to game.


 

Even some SJU fans as well

 

[bucketshardy]

Solid responses to the questions posed - gonna try and put a positive spin this.... cause if I get negative this early in the season, its gonna make for a long year lol.
- St Peter's game was a solid showing against a good local team - positive
- 2nd half vs Indiana, without Mathis- this team showed the ability to persevere and showed a lot of grit
- We've beaten everyone we're supposed to....

The last two games have us feeling sour... rightfully so. BUT... fairly confident things will turn around...
- Julian- an uncharacteristic 1/11 from 3 the last two games
- Stef Smith - 3/ 17 from 3 on the season (after going 37/37/42/36% 4 yrs at Vermont)
- Missing our Floor general the last two games (dont care that he played FDU.... he was clearly hobbled)
- Pinzon/Coburn each have missed some time (solid role players who give the starters some rest)

what is a bit concerning- our 3% has dipped each game- 52->45->33->23->21%... and for a team that has preached Family/cohesiveness pre-season.... not seeing that too much the past two games.... 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving- they'll come together over the next 3 days.... put on a show Saturday, and will be ready for the biggest test of the season so far on Dec 3. 

Have a good Holiday guys

 

[billthetruth]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1- Smith shot well tonight but was like 1-15 from behind the arc before that.  But he has at least been able to score going to the basket.  As of right now, Coburn doesnt look like the guy we saw in the 1st 2 games.  I will say no that he wont tep up against better comp.
2- Soriano is too slow footed and cant jump.  Any skilled big man is going to eat him for breakfast.
3- Not liking what I have seen from wheeler or stanley.  Ill say no.
4- Mathis is a slasher.  As long as he doesnt jack up 3s, he has been pretty good.
5- Our backup point guard is Pinzon.  

Agree with all except 5. Don't see how we can anoint Pinzon the back up PG based on such a small sample size. Hopefully he grows in to that position over the course of the season, lord knows it's his for the taking, just need to see more before I convinced. 

We can anoint him the backup point guard because Mike Anderson has. Pinzon's play in a hostile environment in Indiana shows he is more than capable of solidly handling the backup job and giving Posh 10 minutes of rest time a game this year. He doesn't have to be Ja Morant to help out either.

Pinzon is not an average freshman as he has a ton of international experience and has played in high pressured games. Plus he was beyond well coached at LuHi by Coach Buck.   

 

[monte]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

1- Smith shot well tonight but was like 1-15 from behind the arc before that.  But he has at least been able to score going to the basket.  As of right now, Coburn doesnt look like the guy we saw in the 1st 2 games.  I will say no that he wont tep up against better comp.
2- Soriano is too slow footed and cant jump.  Any skilled big man is going to eat him for breakfast.
3- Not liking what I have seen from wheeler or stanley.  Ill say no.
4- Mathis is a slasher.  As long as he doesnt jack up 3s, he has been pretty good.
5- Our backup point guard is Pinzon.  

Agree with all except 5. Don't see how we can anoint Pinzon the back up PG based on such a small sample size. Hopefully he grows in to that position over the course of the season, lord knows it's his for the taking, just need to see more before I convinced. 

We can anoint him the backup point guard because Mike Anderson has. Pinzon's play in a hostile environment in Indiana shows he is more than capable of solidly handling the backup job and giving Posh 10 minutes of rest time a game this year. He doesn't have to be Ja Morant to help out either.

Pinzon is not an average freshman as he has a ton of international experience and has played in high pressured games. Plus he was beyond well coached at LuHi by Coach Buck.   

It was one game, and both Mathis and Posh were out for stretches, so CMA through him in. Kid did well but once again, it was one game.  Let's see the kid do it consistently against top flight comp, and I'll agree. Till then, it's nothing more than wishful thanking.

 

[monte]

Solid responses to the questions posed - gonna try and put a positive spin this.... cause if I get negative this early in the season, its gonna make for a long year lol.
- St Peter's game was a solid showing against a good local team - positive
- 2nd half vs Indiana, without Mathis- this team showed the ability to persevere and showed a lot of grit
- We've beaten everyone we're supposed to....

The last two games have us feeling sour... rightfully so. BUT... fairly confident things will turn around...
- Julian- an uncharacteristic 1/11 from 3 the last two games
- Stef Smith - 3/ 17 from 3 on the season (after going 37/37/42/36% 4 yrs at Vermont)
- Missing our Floor general the last two games (dont care that he played FDU.... he was clearly hobbled)
- Pinzon/Coburn each have missed some time (solid role players who give the starters some rest)

what is a bit concerning- our 3% has dipped each game- 52->45->33->23->21%... and for a team that has preached Family/cohesiveness pre-season.... not seeing that too much the past two games.... 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving- they'll come together over the next 3 days.... put on a show Saturday, and will be ready for the biggest test of the season so far on Dec 3. 

Have a good Holiday guys

Appreciate the positive spin Brian, lord knows we can all use it after our last 2 games. Also appreciate your insightful and realiity-based comments. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

 

[Andrew]

I posed these questions, in no particular  order, before the Indiana game. I modified question number 2 slightly. Other then #4, we still don't know answer to the other questions. Still early, but these are major concerns. In particular, who is our back up PG and who is going to contribute down low? 

1. Can Smith and Coburn get good looks and knock down shots against a much higher level of comp?
2. Can Soriano hold his own down low against Jackson-Davis(and other more talented big men)?
3. Can Wheeler and Stanley be effective around the rim on both ends?
4. What can Mathis give us on offense? 
5. Who is our back up PG? 

Great questions and I think particular 2, 3 and 5 hold the keys to our season. 

1. I was high on Smith as I  watched a lot of his games in the America East. Hopefully he will connect on more threes but otherwise what you have seen is what you will get. A solid but not spectacular player. As we saw against Indiana in the second half, he can play against high level competition. I remember Coburn from Cardozo but I didn't follow him much at Hofstra so for me the jury is still out on him. I can see he can shoot from the outside and has some athleticism so hopefully there will be some games where he will help us.
2. I don't know. I remember him playing against Cockburn in high school and while he was clearly outmatched he fought hard. I would like to see more of that fight every game. I think there is some hope as he has decent hands and can pass a little. His rebounding needs to get better. We got killed on the boards by St. Francis.
3. I don't think to the level that most fans desire. Wheeler doesn't seem to be a banger and on offense he has an ok shot and can dunk but don't see a post game. His size is good when we press. Stanley can develop but it is impossible to tell how long he will take. He wants to be a Power Forward which helps.
4. Seems solid. Looks great on defense. As long as he lets the game come to him he fits well in the starting backcourt with Posh and Smith.
5. Smith would be my first choice as while he is not spectacular he can be adequate in short stretches. He has 17 assists and 7 turnovers so far. I much prefer Wusu off the ball. He does so many things well but turns it over too often to be trusted at PG at this point. He is a key player for us though. Pinzon looked comfortable in the Indiana game so I am optimistic he has some role here.

Even with Posh and Pinzon healthy we look to be one good player short to be more then an NCAA bubble team. It is up to CMA to figure out how to fill that hole and prove me wrong.


 

 

[ras]

I didn’t like Pinzon the first 2 games. But IMO, based on very small sample size , the Indiana game and his international experience, he will be Poshs backup and pg of the future. He’s also long and a pesky defender. The problem is , he has a broken finger. Not on his shooting hand, hopefully he will be back soon, but I don’t know,
At the risk of being redundant, like Monte, I am concerned about the Bigs, and it seems we have no answers. Let’s hope Soriano is in a funk and will snap out of it and be serviceable.
Very happy w Montis, he is a BE starter.
For an off game Champ still played great, but Posh is the facilitator.

 

[paultzman]

Interior complement thus far has shown little to give one confidence that this unit has been upgraded;

Joel has some skills  (good passer, decent hands), but suffers on switches and finds himself out of position in that situation, negating his rebounding opportunities. He seems capable of bodying up beefy opponents, but many times he will face quicker stretch five types who will drag him away from the hole.

Stanley will be a good banger and player, but you win with experience and it is a lot to ask for a freshman to be the primary five guy. I like his upside though.

Our Texas Tech transfer. Nyiwe, appears to have been a signee there to fill out their roster and his minutes to date seem to portend him being a non factor this season. I never felt he was diamond in the rough, great athlete who was perfect for CMA’s system, but I hope I am proven wrong over time.

I still have faith we have other new  pieces like Smith and Mathis to help our two main guys. Hopefully Coburn will help on the perimeter and get out of his recent funk. Not expecting a Kansas win obviously, but hopefully we can play them tough. The one remaining OOC game I think will shed light on this team’s prognosis is Colgate outing. They are well coached and remind me of that Vermont team we stumbled against in the past. We always seem to lose one like that, but hopefully the team puts them away and help prepare for a solid BE start.

 

[Section9]

So far, Mathis, Smith and Coburn have not had a game where two of the three have an impact, especially on the scoring front.  It's early, when these three guys, who I see as key 3rd, 4th options after Julian and Posh, start to produce  we'll be much better.

 

[room112]

I think these are all very valid concerns and questions. Something I've learned in sports though, is to never get too high after wins, or too low after losses. Right now the team as a sum of its parts doesn't seem as great as we expected. Then again, without Posh playing or Julian dominating, this season was likely always going to be a struggle anyway. Personally, I do see some potential there, and just have to hold out hope these parts start to gel and come together as they play more. 

 

[billthetruth]

I think we all need to calm down a bit with Soriano. Big guys take more time to get acclimated to new systems as they play without ball and have to get used to where the other guys are on the court. He will eventually get to that point where proper spacing will be second nature. There have been a few times already where his timing with Posh on drives to hoop has been off. That will change with repetition, as he has good hands for a big.

Joel put in a lot of work during the off season getting his body up to Big East level speed and for that reason alone I am rooting hard for success for him. He has a soft touch from the free throw line, which is nice added bonus and important as he will draw a lot of fouls. I would have to look away from TV screen at times when Roberts was at free throw line as it was often cringeworthy material, though he did improve marginally last year. 

Is Soriano the next coming of Lew Alcindor, clearly no, but he has already shown me that he is far more skilled than Josh Roberts, who no offense still looked lost at times last year on the offensive end after 3 years at the college level. I also much prefer Soriano at center than the days of Marvin Clark being forced to play out of position at the 5.    

Patience is a virtue that is often lost on this board. Can we at least get to mid-January before we start killing the guys game?
In time, I believe he will prove to be a net positive for this team. 

 

[NCJohnnie]

I confess I only watched the first 10 minutes and  last 6 minutes of last night's game. When I was watching Mathis looked very good, Smith a steadying influence and Champ played hard and did lots of good things except hitting threes & foul shots. 

While all of our new guys except Mathis & Smith have been inconsistent to date, for me it's way too early (5 games in) to conclude they are not going to be what we hoped. I'm going to wait until after we play Colgate (10 games and 2 more quality opponents) before I make any judgments of whether we have a likely tourney team with this bunch.

Other than Nyiwe who I don't expect to play much at all, I've seen enough flashes of talent from the other new guys to think they have the  chance to be useful Big East players so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for the next few games.  

 

[MainMan]

So a few games in, I’m going with the notion that Aaron Wheeler is purely a perimeter player (or at least thinks he is) and will give us little to no inside help.

Am I wrong?