Yakwe Article

[quote="SJU61982" post=290915][quote="Chicago Days" post=290910]I’m not buying it about our practices. We were in most games, down to the buzzer, undermanned and sucking wind as we were.
‘Something’ was ‘taught’ to our guys that they took as gospel and will serve them well in the future: never give up and fight.[/quote]

Fran Fraschilla did some of the games in the Disney World tournament this past year. He said that he observed one of our practices, and actually felt that we were TOO intense, if that is possible. He said that we were very physical, running up and down all the time, diving for loose balls, etc.

He was questioned by the other broadcaster on the too intense comment, and said he felt that style of practice was good for defense, but not really for offense. Offense is about rhythm, timing, and togetherness, and Fran felt that you start slow with that, and that you build up speed over time.

So, I agree with Chicago Days on this one.[/quote]

Thanks SJU61982.
And the other thing is, our guys were in great shape--which explains their in-game intensity in most games. 'That' didn't come from 'lazy' or 'slowdown' practices.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=290910]I’m not buying it about our practices. We were in most games, down to the buzzer, undermanned and sucking wind as we were.
‘Something’ was ‘taught’ to our guys that they took as gospel and will serve them well in the future: never give up and fight.[/quote]

While I only attended one practice I noted the the staff was fully engaged and will leave to Panther or someone else to comment on practices.
Last season was a true anomaly with the Lovett drama and being shorthanded. I think everyone, including Chris, did the best they could.
Oddly, Yakwe usually looked univolved and was not a factor when in games. Maybe Hurley will light a fire in him that was missing while he was at St. John's but offensively the kid just developed very slowly for a team that needed immediate contributions.
 
Here's the reality of yakwe to uconn. The guy looked every bit the d3 player in a d1 body for 2 full seasons. Bad hands, bad instincts, completely lost on the court. Remember he was the guy who with us in the lead lunged at a Georgetown player, fouling him hard on a 3 pt late attempt.

With a depleted roster uconn only rents him for 1 year. No competitive d1 program would waste a 4 year scholarship on the guy based on his 2 season production - including st. Johns.

Hope he does well, but this is a kid who had a golden opportunity to prove he could play here, and instead played himself onto the bench.

Given current ruster, would not have been a big factor here, so nothing to do in storrs should suit a nice kid who didnt do much here.
 
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[quote="Eric Williamson" post=290886][quote="Mike Zaun" post=290838]Nothing to do at UConn off campus you say? Hey recruits...psssst! Hear that?[/quote]

Did you ever think that some people may enjoyv the simple, quiet lifestyle? Yes, NYC is the most exciting city in the US, but that doesn't mean that that is everyone's cup of tea.[/quote]

You make a reasonable point Eric...for retirees.
But most kids want anything but ‘nothing to do’.
So, while green and bucolic campuses are magnets to many students, ‘things to do on the weekends also rank high—to some, higher.
 
Eric, I think most would agree that such students seeking a quiet campus without much going on are in the clear minority. Not saying St. John's is some entertainment destination, but at least we are located in a global city with endless things to do.

As others have said, Yakwe had his chance but he just could not compete at this level consistently since his freshman year. If he does well at UConn, it's not a good sign for our staff. I'd rather go for 3 star type bigs with some true skill and less athleticism than raw guys from OSNA despite good athleticism. This is something that has seemed to continue from the Lavin era unfortunately.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=290917][quote="SJU61982" post=290915][quote="Chicago Days" post=290910]I’m not buying it about our practices. We were in most games, down to the buzzer, undermanned and sucking wind as we were.
‘Something’ was ‘taught’ to our guys that they took as gospel and will serve them well in the future: never give up and fight.[/quote]

Fran Fraschilla did some of the games in the Disney World tournament this past year. He said that he observed one of our practices, and actually felt that we were TOO intense, if that is possible. He said that we were very physical, running up and down all the time, diving for loose balls, etc.

He was questioned by the other broadcaster on the too intense comment, and said he felt that style of practice was good for defense, but not really for offense. Offense is about rhythm, timing, and togetherness, and Fran felt that you start slow with that, and that you build up speed over time.

So, I agree with Chicago Days on this one.[/quote]

Thanks SJU61982.
And the other thing is, our guys were in great shape--which explains their in-game intensity in most games. 'That' didn't come from 'lazy' or 'slowdown' practices.[/quote]

Anecdotally, I have some snippets from program insiders that have me concerned... I will chalk it up to a thin bench and growing pains among the coaching staff ie...learning what it takes to win in the big east
 
[quote="shecky82" post=290974][quote="Chicago Days" post=290917][quote="SJU61982" post=290915][quote="Chicago Days" post=290910]I’m not buying it about our practices. We were in most games, down to the buzzer, undermanned and sucking wind as we were.
‘Something’ was ‘taught’ to our guys that they took as gospel and will serve them well in the future: never give up and fight.[/quote]

Fran Fraschilla did some of the games in the Disney World tournament this past year. He said that he observed one of our practices, and actually felt that we were TOO intense, if that is possible. He said that we were very physical, running up and down all the time, diving for loose balls, etc.

He was questioned by the other broadcaster on the too intense comment, and said he felt that style of practice was good for defense, but not really for offense. Offense is about rhythm, timing, and togetherness, and Fran felt that you start slow with that, and that you build up speed over time.

So, I agree with Chicago Days on this one.[/quote]

Thanks SJU61982.
And the other thing is, our guys were in great shape--which explains their in-game intensity in most games. 'That' didn't come from 'lazy' or 'slowdown' practices.[/quote]

Anecdotally, I have some snippets from program insiders that have me concerned... I will chalk it up to a thin bench and growing pains among the coaching staff ie...learning what it takes to win in the big east[/quote]
Panther would have more insight re practice quality than me. That said, one local AAU coach with college experience, who has been there several times, lauded Greg for running solid practices. I respect that opinion.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=290972]Eric, I think most would agree that such students seeking a quiet campus without much going on are in the clear minority. Not saying St. John's is some entertainment destination, but at least we are located in a global city with endless things to do.

As others have said, Yakwe had his chance but he just could not compete at this level consistently since his freshman year. If he does well at UConn, it's not a good sign for our staff. I'd rather go for 3 star type bigs with some true skill and less athleticism than raw guys from OSNA despite good athleticism. This is something that has seemed to continue from the Lavin era unfortunately.[/quote]

Having attended UConn, I will say it's not some boring quiet campus. In fact it's generally pretty lively due to the sheer amount of students who live on campus. It's also one of the top party schools. College kids usually don't have much money, so being in the entertainment capital of the world isn't always a benefit. Plus, to get from St John's campus to destinations in Manhattan is well over an hour by subway and bus. You can get to plenty from Storrs in that same amount of time.
 
When I went to college most kids wanted easy access to alcohol. Today I think its their cell phones.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=290972]

As others have said, Yakwe had his chance but he just could not compete at this level consistently since his freshman year. If he does well at UConn, it's not a good sign for our staff.[/quote]

Not necessarily. I'm not sure he can ever overcome the issue of poor hands but maturity was still the biggest issue. One of the great things about college basketball is seeing a player who looked really weak coming in and then skilled and confident as a junior or senior. It reflects the coaching but a lot more to do with physical maturity and personal development. The difference between a barely 17 year old high school kid and a college senior can be dramatic.

With Yakwe in particular this was a big factor. Not only did Yakwe come in with very little basketball experience but he also came in very young. In an age where high school athletes are playing down to lower levels to look better, he played up a year. In hindsight it was a bad decision for everyone but watching how fast he got up and down the court and the spring in his legs it was an easy mistake to make. The fact that he was voted team MVP his frosh season is an indicator of just how bare we were.
 
Paul Massell wrote: Mike Zaun wrote:
As others have said, Yakwe had his chance but he just could not compete at this level consistently since his freshman year. If he does well at UConn, it's not a good sign for our staff.

Not necessarily. I'm not sure he can ever overcome the issue of poor hands but maturity was still the biggest issue. One of the great things about college basketball is seeing a player who looked really weak coming in and then skilled and confident as a junior or senior. It reflects the coaching but a lot more to do with physical maturity and personal development. The difference between a barely 17 year old high school kid and a college senior can be dramatic.

With Yakwe in particular this was a big factor. Not only did Yakwe come in with very little basketball experience but he also came in very young. In an age where high school athletes are playing down to lower levels to look better, he played up a year. In hindsight it was a bad decision for everyone but watching how fast he got up and down the court and the spring in his legs it was an easy mistake to make. The fact that he was voted team MVP his frosh season is an indicator of just how bare we were.

I recall there were many on this board last year who were mystified by Yakwe's seeming regression as the year went on (me included). It may well have been many factors, but seems like lack of confidence and maturity may have been two. In any case, sometimes a fresh start can do wonders for a kid in this situation. I, for one, am rooting for him to play well and will not see it as any reflection on our staff if that happens.
 
[quote="NCJohnnie" post=290983]Paul Massell wrote: Mike Zaun wrote:
As others have said, Yakwe had his chance but he just could not compete at this level consistently since his freshman year. If he does well at UConn, it's not a good sign for our staff.

Not necessarily. I'm not sure he can ever overcome the issue of poor hands but maturity was still the biggest issue. One of the great things about college basketball is seeing a player who looked really weak coming in and then skilled and confident as a junior or senior. It reflects the coaching but a lot more to do with physical maturity and personal development. The difference between a barely 17 year old high school kid and a college senior can be dramatic.

With Yakwe in particular this was a big factor. Not only did Yakwe come in with very little basketball experience but he also came in very young. In an age where high school athletes are playing down to lower levels to look better, he played up a year. In hindsight it was a bad decision for everyone but watching how fast he got up and down the court and the spring in his legs it was an easy mistake to make. The fact that he was voted team MVP his frosh season is an indicator of just how bare we were.

I recall there were many on this board last year who were mystified by Yakwe's seeming regression as the year went on (me included). It may well have been many factors, but seems like lack of confidence and maturity may have been two. In any case, sometimes a fresh start can do wonders for a kid in this situation. I, for one, am rooting for him to play well and will not see it as any reflection on our staff if that happens.[/quote]
Sensible man
 
I think we could all agree there are many factors that can affect a regression or potential that has never been reached. That being said, if Yakwe does well at UConn and it gets attributed to his "maturity", is anyone else going to notice the pattern of blame everything but our staff? These guys get paid lots of money and it's a business at the end of the day...I feel as if some may forget that at times. It's not all or nothing regarding factors, but it's obviously at least partially on coaches. Coaching may even be the most important factor.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=290985]I think we could all agree there are many factors that can affect a regression or potential that has never been reached. That being said, if Yakwe does well at UConn and it gets attributed to his "maturity", is anyone else going to notice the pattern of blame everything but our staff? These guys get paid lots of money and it's a business at the end of the day...I feel as if some may forget that at times. It's not all or nothing regarding factors, but it's obviously at least partially on coaches. Coaching may even be the most important factor.[/quote]

Hurley gets his boys to work. Some staffs are better at player development than others. What do people think of Arizona's staff for not utilizing Justin Simon when now he's a reliable jump shot away from being first team all BE? Are they suddenly worse than the St John's staff?
 
Yakwe was an undersized 4 that needed to basically work the whole game and get cheap baskets and rebound. He simply did not work hard enough in games to make up for the fact that being a superior jumper was his only positive as a basketball player. The real mystery for me is how no one noticed he couldn't catch the ball as a frosh. I didn't. He had such bad hands I actually wondered sometimes if he was playing poorly on purpose.
Good luck to him but it was time to move on and he was sooo bad his last 2 years that it is hard and unfair to blame staff for his shortcomings. His Frosh year was the outlier not the norm.
 
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[quote="alexander salem" post=290986][quote="Mike Zaun" post=290985]I think we could all agree there are many factors that can affect a regression or potential that has never been reached. That being said, if Yakwe does well at UConn and it gets attributed to his "maturity", is anyone else going to notice the pattern of blame everything but our staff? These guys get paid lots of money and it's a business at the end of the day...I feel as if some may forget that at times. It's not all or nothing regarding factors, but it's obviously at least partially on coaches. Coaching may even be the most important factor.[/quote]

Hurley gets his boys to work. Some staffs are better at player development than others. What do people think of Arizona's staff for not utilizing Justin Simon when now he's a reliable jump shot away from being first team all BE? Are they suddenly worse than the St John's staff?[/quote]

I'd say the difference is that Simon was never really given an opportunity. Arizona gets 5 star kids on the regular, we don't. Yakwe was given tons of chances to prove he was simply slumping and could get back to his freshman yr form. He never did. Simon got 36.1 minutes here vs. 7.5 at AZ.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=290988]

I'd say the difference is that Simon was never really given an opportunity. Arizona gets 5 star kids on the regular, we don't. .[/quote]

And, now we know one of the reasons why that happens, right?
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=290988]
I'd say the difference is that Simon was never really given an opportunity. Arizona gets 5 star kids on the regular, we don't. Yakwe was given tons of chances to prove he was simply slumping and could get back to his freshman yr form. He never did. Simon got 36.1 minutes here vs. 7.5 at AZ.[/quote]

Your argument is circular and unbalanced. Simon got major minutes at St. Johns because he deserved them. He was a mature and developed player immediately - after spending a year under Mullin & Co. Did he deserve more minutes at AZ? That is the coach's call just like anywhere else. Same goes for Marvin Clark. Did he deserve more minutes at MSU? As a matter of fact some fans felt he did but no doubt he played with maturity and for me at least I felt like he continued to improve during the season. All three guys got their opportunity at St John's. It seems to me that two guys took advantage and did really well for themselves.
 
[quote="Paul Massell" post=290992][quote="Mike Zaun" post=290988]
I'd say the difference is that Simon was never really given an opportunity. Arizona gets 5 star kids on the regular, we don't. Yakwe was given tons of chances to prove he was simply slumping and could get back to his freshman yr form. He never did. Simon got 36.1 minutes here vs. 7.5 at AZ.[/quote]

Your argument is circular and unbalanced. Simon got major minutes at St. Johns because he deserved them. He was a mature and developed player immediately - after spending a year under Mullin & Co. Did he deserve more minutes at AZ? That is the coach's call just like anywhere else. Same goes for Marvin Clark. Did he deserve more minutes at MSU? As a matter of fact some fans felt he did but no doubt he played with maturity and for me at least I felt like he continued to improve during the season. All three guys got their opportunity at St John's. It seems to me that two guys took advantage and did really well for themselves.[/quote]

Yes but Simon would have still been behind Alkins, Cartwright and Trier last year if he was at AZ. He wouldn't still be playing 7.5 but he wouldn't be playing 30+ either. It's easier to be the best cook at Olive Garden than Per Se.
 
[quote="austour" post=290996]
Yes but Simon would have still been behind Alkins, Cartwright and Trier last year if he was at AZ. He wouldn't still be playing 7.5 but he wouldn't be playing 30+ either. It's easier to be the best cook at Olive Garden than Per Se.[/quote]

Subjective speculation. It's besides the point though too. Simon last year was not the same player as Simon year one at AZ. He is more mature in every way including physically and his decision making was pretty close to flawless last season. The development was the point of the discussion. As I said most of this development as a player is at an individual, personal level. Coaching staff wherever you are sets the framework and gets credit but players can fail or succeed under those same frameworks. Some guys have done great at places like AZ and MSU, others probably would have done better elsewhere. There is a 5 star graveyard from programs like Duke, UNC, Kansas of guys who would have been major stars elsewhere but were barely ever heard from once they put on those uniforms. Or as coach Pete Gillen once said on this subject and referring specifically to a player from Duke - we would have built a statue to him here. (pp) It's criminal that these kids languish but it isn't because coaches from those programs don't know how to develop players.
 
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