What I learned from the preseason

Gazoo · #1 11-11-2008, 09:57 PM

1. ST is a career backup. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a backup PG who you can put in there in a pinch that you know won't do anything stupid and can make a respectable looking shot here and there. Again, nothing wrong with that. He's just not explosive enough to be more.

2. If we don't play balls-to-the-wall defense, we're not terribly good offensively. No Princeton offense here that will pick them apart. But hey, this is nothing new.

3. Our freshmen are all pretty darn good, and all will contribute some this year. Johnson and probably Williams will contribute a lot. Fab in spot duty but he's got to move the feet quicker on D first.

4. Wright and Johnson are not comfortable in the lead role yet.

5. Thank goodness we got a 2nd PG from JUCO. Lord would we be in trouble if we had LW and ST as our only options. But with all 3 we might just be OK.

6. CL is just not a starter. Sorry tman. He might not be a finisher if he can't produce more than he's showing right now. INTERNET DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying he's horrible or he'll never play. I'm just saying he's fairly 1-dimensional and we have other options that on many nights will outshine him. If we get 8/5 from him, his contributions will be very needed and welcome.

7. Red/blue scrimmage stats don't mean squat.

8. DS has better ball sense but KH has better defensive positioning. KH will continue to be the starter because of it I think.

9. Zone defenses will be no fun to play against. We don't scare anybody from out there. "Cover the lanky white kid!!" Other than that I think we can be contained. We can all clearly see the difference between a 3 point shooter (Fab) and a guy shooting a 3 (MJ, MP, RL, etc.). Fab doesn't even care where the line is, he just shoots it. Other people hope to squeeze in those extra few inches to help their odds.

Dirty Sanchez · #2 11-11-2008, 10:00 PM

What I learned is that Fab can shoot. Again, so early, but I think he can contribute -- originally, I was suspect on his contribution level this year.

shocka43 · #3 11-11-2008, 10:14 PM

It is going to be interesting. The depth is a plus as well as talent level in certain areas.

Being deep is good, but can produce suspect "streaks" in players. LF was left in long enough to get into a groove tonight. RL was left in long enough to get away from a groove. The substitutions, granted pre-season, hopefully don't create a situation where players don't arrive at their game potential. Anyone who has played, knows what I mean. You don't get into a groove and flow of the game after 120-180 seconds.

I think the real assessments are going to be in the future. Gannon had some players that tested us in areas. Give it two games with "in season" play and coaching and then put the pieces together.

Fudd · #4 11-11-2008, 10:23 PM

Way too early to call Fab our only shooting threat. After the first game, we were talking a whole different story. We are only going to find out after a significant number of attempts for each guy.

I had heard that Fab was the best shooter in the bunch, and tonight he looked real good. Not only is he a shooter, he is darn tough to cover. Being 6'10" and shooting that quickly is a nightmare for the perimter defender. The defender had better be right in his shorts all the time, especially if it is a smaller player.

Chris R · #5 11-11-2008, 10:29 PM

Fab really lit it up. He didnt hesitate to shoot the basketball when he got the ball which is a good thing.

Sea Bass · #6 11-11-2008, 10:39 PM

CJ is a player. His length and athleticism allows him to get to lots of balls. BG was right, the recruiting analysts missed the boat on him.

The key to success on some nights will come down to the ability to knock down some jump shots o. Hopefully the pressure defense and pushing the ball on offense can minimize the number of those nights.

There is a lot of depth.

Kurt is under-appreciated.

I could see ST and MP having to fight to stay in the playing rotation as the season moves along.

Most of the time CL just leaves me scratching my head. Not saying he is bad, it just seems he could be a lot more.

Sea Bass · #7 11-11-2008, 10:55 PM

One other thing ... CW has taken a big step forward at the defensive end of the floor. Last year he looked pretty lost at times. Tonight he was all over the place causing problems for Gannon.

San Diego Flyer · #8 11-11-2008, 11:11 PM

Who is CS?

Way too early to make a call on Fab whether the sweet stroke outweighs the rest of his learning curve.

Not to early to make a call on Stephen Thomas. Spot help for the two top knots.

Better to have a preseason than not.

Gannon might be better than Wofford.

Canonball · #9 11-11-2008, 11:16 PM

Yup ... Luke is a step slow. He's got to find a way to make up for things on the defensive end because that's a mismatch, that if I'm an opposing coach I exploit (guard him with a smaller quicker player and make him defend a quick giant down low). It's up to BG to find ways to exploit others with him offensively. It'll be interesting to see how BG uses Fab.

The mop tops have to stay healthy all year. We're lost without them, the ball and the offense just doesn't move and click with Thomas. He'll be nice in spots, but I don't see much action for him.

CW, CJ, MJ ... this is our core energy from defense to rebounding to offense. I think we know what we have with this trio.

KH ... he's still ok for me. He came out much better statistically than I thought he would tonight. He does the job I guess I just don't remember some how.

CL ... senior role player. That's your role, embrace it.

MP ... You are fighting for minutes with CJ and MJ (already lost to those 2). If Paul Williams is as advertised when healthy ... I just don't see it happening. Find your stroke and find it fast.

addicted2flyers · #10 11-11-2008, 11:17 PM

I thought ST looked pretty good. He looks to get the ball down low first and had two nice finishes, including one at the end of the first half where he crossed over two people.

OH, and if mickey and Breezy can both knock it down from outside, we will be ok against zone.

I am going to hold out my reviews of the bigs for the most part until they play some real bigs. However, KH's hands concerned me a bit.

FREBREEZE IT!!! SPRAY IT FROM ALL OVER THE COURT!!! SMELLS LIKE BUCKETS!! OF RAIN!!

Flyer2 · #11 11-11-2008, 11:38 PM

The interview with BG after the game and he was talking about the range of Luke. Luke told BG that his range is from when he gets off of the bus! He shoots way out past the NBA 3 point line. Nice stroke and I like how he works-

UDBrian · #12 11-12-2008, 05:37 AM

I think we have four legitimate three point shooters Luke, Chris J, Mickey and Paul Williams (who we haven't seen much of yet). And Marcus was good last season. Luke has the kind of range where you can set a screen for him against a zone defense and give him a look. The biggest problem is that these guys haven't played in big games at the college level, But all of them have played in big games in high school where they were expected to produce points.

It is great to have three point guards. London has his good nights and his not so good nights. Now we have another option if he is having a bad night. But, the turnovers need to be kept under control

rollo · #13 11-12-2008, 07:16 AM

It's going to be a long season for Little and Perry. Little looked lost on offense, passive in transition and - for lack of a better term - bored. With the talent at the #2, I just don't see a whole lot of playing time for Perry.

Chris Johnson has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. But of all our freshman, Luke is going to be the biggest surprise.

keats '91 · #14 11-12-2008, 08:24 AM

I learned that the odds of winning the free pizza increase when I put my 7 year old girl dressed in full UD RED on my shoulders and have her yell and wave her arms....

I does increase the game experience .... free pizza ..... is good....

rollo · #15 11-12-2008, 08:46 AM

I've tried that trick with my daughter with no luck at all. Then last night I took my 9-year old son and two of his friends. As soon as they announced free pizza the boys started doing jumping jacks from their seats. With no room to move, all they could do was collide with each other, which only caused them to laugh and scream louder. It was impossible to miss these three, who were excitedly rewared with a pizza!

Which saved me at least $15 in popcorn, pretzels and drinks.

smitch425 · #16 11-12-2008, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by keats '91

I learned that the odds of winning the free pizza increase when I put my 7 year old girl dressed in full UD RED on my shoulders and have her yell and wave her arms....

I does increase the game experience .... free pizza ..... is good....

Are you the guy who won in 402 that offered us some pizza??? They haven't even come up the aisle between 401 and 402 with anything yet. Also, I didn't even see any chicken come up to the 400s last night

We got there early (before the doors were even open) and took advantage of the #2 Rudy Special. You can't beat 2 pretzels w/ cheese and 2 cokes for $5. What a bargain!

Gazoo · #17 11-12-2008, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by UDBrian

I think we have four legitimate three point shooters Luke, Chris J, Mickey and Paul Williams (who we haven't seen much of yet). And Marcus was good last season.

I still think there's a big difference between a 3 point shooter and a guy shooting a 3. The guys you mentioned can hit a 3 kind of like Andres Sandoval and JB could hit 3's. When they shot it you usually just hoped it would come close enough to keep the defense honest, and sometimes it went in.

When Luke shoots it you think "oh thank heaven he got a clean look, that's going to go in." You're more surprised when it doesn't because the stroke is so clean and efficient.

And in defense of Luke defense, let's all remember he's 6'9" or so. There are just certain laws of physics that must be considered. It's not humanly possible that he'll ever be able to guard a quick guy 6'2" and that's a problem we'll live with for the next 4 years. He's never going to put on 60 pounds and play in the post. He's a matchup problem, both for us and the opponent.

Canonball · #18 11-12-2008, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by shocka43

You don't get into a groove and flow of the game after 120-180 seconds.

BG does seem to be too quick with the hook. I understand now a bit more why he does (run people out of the gym), but I think he could use to stretch floor time a bit to allow players to get a better feel for what's going on.

Figgie123 · #19 11-12-2008, 09:08 AM

An interesting two games. I agree with alot of what's been said.

Charles Little is just not showing it much. Like I said in another post, it almost seems like BG is making him the Point Forward. He did have a few received passes at the free throw line, dribble once and put it up from 10 feet or so. It looks like that will be his role. When the others are guarded hard, give it to Little at the line, and he can hit a soft one in the middle.

Luke was on tonight. Wow. He just took it and went. I think they were going to try and set him up for the final 3 point shot at the buzzer, but instead he inbounded the ball, and they did nothing. Don't know what went on there. Not sure if it was supposed to be a hook and ladder play or what. (Or does Luke have better inbound vision then the other players?)

Wright with 13 points, a few on some fast break dunks, and the rest seemingly in mopping up plays. Like someone else mentioned, he's all over the place. If we could figure out how to plan an offense around him, he'd be getting 20 points a game. But, then, isn't that the BRob dilemma again?

The game was getting a bit sloppy at times, but I think that was because they were trying to get going a bit with a running offense, but couldn't get the pieces put together. When Marcus intercepted the inbounds at half court, Wright and someone else were already in the frontcourt waiting for the pass, but Gannon had gotten the ball back. It was a sloppy set of possessions there.

I was thinking, 32, 33, 34 ... those are the high jump guys on our team. I really think Devin is going to replace Kurt in the starting lineup in the middle of the season. Kurt, to me, still has some issues with going hard with the ball. I don't think it's that he's timid there, but he can't seem to get up in the middle of 3 tall guys around him. If he's not one-on-one with a guy, he's not the guy to be taking a shot. He needs to kick it out for a better shot, because he'll almost always get shut down.

One good PG game, one bad PG game. Now answer me this. When ST went down with a twisted ankle, the trainer jogged out to him. When Warren went down, the trainer didn't move an inch. Do they think Warren was playing possum? Is there more to it?

Now, I can make my pick for how many games we win.

Figgie

BlueMiniS · #20 11-12-2008, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Figgie123

One good PG game, one bad PG game. Now answer me this. When ST went down with a twisted ankle, the trainer jogged out to him. When Warren went down, the trainer didn't move an inch. Do they think Warren was playing possum? Is there more to it?

I think they wanted to play it safe. As ST was coming off the court, LW took a look at how he was walking and stopped him from going to the end of the bench. LW told ST to sit down near the front of the bench and that he was fine. LW told the coaches/trainers that ST wasn't hurt and to put him back in. Immediately after, BG told him to lace it up and suck it up, and put him back in the game.

It was a very entertaining sequence, but it showed to me that LW can be a team leader. Even in street clothes, he was talking to the guys on the bench the whole game and was paying attention to the plays, the clock and the flow of the game. He means more to this team than this board gives him credit for.

San Diego Flyer · #21 11-12-2008, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Figgie123

I was thinking, 32, 33, 34 ... those are the high jump guys on our team. I really think Devin is going to replace Kurt in the starting lineup in the middle of the season.
Figgie

Not at the rate of 4 silly fouls in 15 minutes. I recall Kurt (and most other bigs) had to learn that lesson. Can't guard a guy from the bench. Sometimes young players just have to concede that their man just beat them to the blocks and they need to ease off to stay in the game.

I don't ever see Gregory not starting Kurt. But I could see at some point Searcy playing more minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble.

As for Little, those who predicted a monster year from our only senior--try not to be disappointed. He will have an important role being the Charles we have seen before.

I think there are two psychological issues playing out with Gregory( maybe more):

1) GOOD Freshman can get minutes here.
2) We don't give up on Seniors.

Both of these mindsets are important to young players.

keats '91 · #22 11-12-2008, 10:16 AM

I was slightly disappointed in our 'dedication to running'. While I understand opponent was significantly better than Capital, I was still disappointed that I did not feel ST or Lowery were really looking to force the issue by passing the ball ahead on 'fast breaks'. I only saw a handful of time where the bigs were in position, but when they were the guards were not even looking for the opportunity (from what I could see).
Runouts and passing ahead can certainly be a turnover waiting to happen, but I thought/was hoping to see these continue from first exhibition game.

Smitch425 - Yes it was us in 402. And I agree your aisle is a low priority for freebies. We won the pizza from the aisle on the other side of our section.... 'advantage' of sitting in the middle seats, not the aisle seats.

Canonball · #23 11-12-2008, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by San Diego Flyer

1) GOOD Freshman can get minutes here.
2) We don't give up on Seniors.

Even in years when we are top heavy freshman get minutes if you do a few things well .... hustle, play defense, and rebound.

UDFLYERS2K · #24 11-12-2008, 10:52 AM

I was very impressed with the intesity of last nights game. Aside from the weak crowd (7,000) this did not feel like an exhibition game against a DII team. In recent years we've had a tendency to play to the level of our competition. Last night we got after them on the defensive end and we were able to dictate the pace of the game. Hopefully we can keep it up for the entire season.

Figgie123 · #25 11-12-2008, 11:10 AM

Here we go, for fun and amusement.

[html]
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
00 Perry, Mickey....... 2-7 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 5 5 3 2 0 0 28
01 Warren, London...... 4-6 0-1 3-3 0 3 3 2 11 6 1 1 2 15
03 Lowery, Rob......... 4-11 3-7 0-0 0 0 0 5 11 7 5 0 1 31
04 Johnson, Chris...... 6-14 0-3 4-7 8 2 10 4 16 4 2 0 2 38
11 Thomas, Stephen..... 4-5 1-2 3-4 0 1 1 2 12 4 4 0 1 39
15 Little, Charles..... 6-10 0-0 4-4 1 4 5 2 16 3 2 2 0 36
22 Williams, Paul...... 0-1 0-1 4-4 1 1 2 2 4 0 1 0 1 13
23 Fabrizius, Luke..... 7-13 5-10 0-0 1 4 5 2 19 0 0 1 1 29
24 Hendrick, Luke...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
30 Fox, Dan............ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
32 Johnson, Marcus..... 3-10 1-2 3-6 3 5 8 1 10 4 3 0 1 47
33 Wright, Chris....... 10-18 0-2 5-9 5 7 12 6 25 4 4 5 3 45
34 Searcy, Devin....... 7-10 0-0 2-2 5 6 11 8 16 0 2 0 0 37
41 Huelsman, Kurt...... 8-11 0-0 4-9 1 9 10 6 20 2 1 3 2 40
TEAM................ 1 3 4 2
Totals.............. 61-116 11-32 32-48 28 45 73 45 165 37 29 12 14 400
52.6% 34.4% 66.7%
[/html]

My comments. Wow, Chris Johnson 8 offense rebounds! And Luke's 3 point barrage last night, put him in 3rd place in points scored. If the minutes played is any indication of things, Marcus, Wright, Huelsman are going to be there a bunch, and then Devin and Chris Johnson. And we still need some help in the free throw line. I know, it's better than last year, but when Charles and London hit their combined 7 shots, we need the rest of the team better than 61%. Okay, maybe I'm hoping for too much...

Anyway...back to your regular banter...

Figgie

steve · #26 11-12-2008, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Gazoo

1. ST is a career backup. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a backup PG who you can put in there in a pinch that you know won't do anything stupid and can make a respectable looking shot here and there. Again, nothing wrong with that. He's just not explosive enough to be more.

2. If we don't play balls-to-the-wall defense, we're not terribly good offensively. No Princeton offense here that will pick them apart. But hey, this is nothing new.

3. Our freshmen are all pretty darn good, and all will contribute some this year. Johnson and probably Williams will contribute a lot. Fab in spot duty but he's got to move the feet quicker on D first.

4. Wright and Johnson are not comfortable in the lead role yet.

5. Thank goodness we got a 2nd PG from JUCO. Lord would we be in trouble if we had LW and ST as our only options. But with all 3 we might just be OK.

6. CL is just not a starter. Sorry tman. He might not be a finisher if he can't produce more than he's showing right now. INTERNET DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying he's horrible or he'll never play. I'm just saying he's fairly 1-dimensional and we have other options that on many nights will outshine him. If we get 8/5 from him, his contributions will be very needed and welcome.

7. Red/blue scrimmage stats don't mean squat.

8. DS has better ball sense but KH has better defensive positioning. KH will continue to be the starter because of it I think.

9. Zone defenses will be no fun to play against. We don't scare anybody from out there. "Cover the lanky white kid!!" Other than that I think we can be contained. We can all clearly see the difference between a 3 point shooter (Fab) and a guy shooting a 3 (MJ, MP, RL, etc.). Fab doesn't even care where the line is, he just shoots it. Other people hope to squeeze in those extra few inches to help their odds.

Just a bit confused by #8.DS has zero offensive low-post skills or court sense.Sure,he will get a couple tip dunks and a couple weak side stick backs but he is not good at all on low-post positioning.I cringe when he cals for the ball.
KH is looking very aggressive and pretty darn quick in the low post.He is getting the ball and ,unlike last year,not dribbling feebly towards the basket but being decisive,making his move, and jumping rather quickly.KH is looking very confident out there.Is he ready to be an all-league player?No,not at all,but I feel confident he can give us 7-9 ppg and 5-6 boards a game.We need DS to step up.

Fudd · #27 11-12-2008, 12:21 PM

All of our big men are scoring very efficiently this year. And the free throw shooting is promising. So far, the underacheivers from last year are looking good and our best guys have struggled some.

shocka43 · #28 11-12-2008, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by steve

Just a bit confused by #8.DS has zero offensive low-post skills or court sense.Sure,he will get a couple tip dunks and a couple weak side stick backs but he is not good at all on low-post positioning.I cringe when he cals for the ball.
KH is looking very aggressive and pretty darn quick in the low post.He is getting the ball and ,unlike last year,not dribbling feebly towards the basket but being decisive,making his move, and jumping rather quickly.KH is looking very confident out there.Is he ready to be an all-league player?No,not at all,but I feel confident he can give us 7-9 ppg and 5-6 boards a game.We need DS to step up.

Depends on what game plan they go with. DS has excelled so far in running the court. If press and transition is what they are looking for DS is the man. If walking it up and running half court is the plan, KH is the man. Two different players.

KH is playing with more of a set. That was his main problem last year and it looks to be corrected.

Gazoo · #29 11-12-2008, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by steve

Just a bit confused by #8.DS has zero offensive low-post skills or court sense.Sure,he will get a couple tip dunks and a couple weak side stick backs but he is not good at all on low-post positioning.I cringe when he cals for the ball.
KH is looking very aggressive and pretty darn quick in the low post.He is getting the ball and ,unlike last year,not dribbling feebly towards the basket but being decisive,making his move, and jumping rather quickly.KH is looking very confident out there.Is he ready to be an all-league player?No,not at all,but I feel confident he can give us 7-9 ppg and 5-6 boards a game.We need DS to step up.

"Ball sense" is one of those things like PG skills. You and I can effectively argue both sides and neither one of us ever prove anything.

But what I see is that DS can move more creatively, find gaps, create lanes. . . basically be a "basketball player" better than KH. But technical skill is lacking such as proper form on his post moves (which costs you turnovers, baskets, and fouls) or defensive positioning.

KH can go to the spot coach tells him he's supposed to be in, at the time coach told him he's supposed to be in that spot. And mechanically if he gets the ball he'll do everything with it he's supposed to do (but not necessarily score because of it). Or mechanically he'll execute the defensive strategy he was told to execute. Don't ask KH to freelance or make it up as he goes along. If things go pear shaped he might get a little lost.

I'd love to have both in one person but given the choice with this team I'll have to go with KH's attributes. DS is no slouch as a backup.

steve · #30 11-12-2008, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gazoo

"Ball sense" is one of those things like PG skills. You and I can effectively argue both sides and neither one of us ever prove anything.

But what I see is that DS can move more creatively, find gaps, create lanes. . . basically be a "basketball player" better than KH. But technical skill is lacking such as proper form on his post moves (which costs you turnovers, baskets, and fouls) or defensive positioning.

KH can go to the spot coach tells him he's supposed to be in, at the time coach told him he's supposed to be in that spot. And mechanically if he gets the ball he'll do everything with it he's supposed to do (but not necessarily score because of it). Or mechanically he'll execute the defensive strategy he was told to execute. Don't ask KH to freelance or make it up as he goes along. If things go pear shaped he might get a little lost.

I'd love to have both in one person but given the choice with this team I'll have to go with KH's attributes. DS is no slouch as a backup.

Fair enough there.To add to your assessment of DS,which I really did not think of earlier,if the Flyers are going to push the ball as much as we think they will then DS is a better fit as he has shown that he can run the floor and catch pretty well on the break to finish.Alot better body control than KH.

steve · #31 11-12-2008, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by shocka43

Depends on what game plan they go with. DS has excelled so far in running the court. If press and transition is what they are looking for DS is the man. If walking it up and running half court is the plan, KH is the man. Two different players.

KH is playing with more of a set. That was his main problem last year and it looks to be corrected.

Good point.I just posted that in reply to Gazoo without reading your post.No doubt we'll need lots of productive minutes from both to have success.

TheDuke2003 · #32 11-12-2008, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Gazoo

"Ball sense" is one of those things like PG skills. You and I can effectively argue both sides and neither one of us ever prove anything.

But what I see is that DS can move more creatively, find gaps, create lanes. . . basically be a "basketball player" better than KH. But technical skill is lacking such as proper form on his post moves (which costs you turnovers, baskets, and fouls) or defensive positioning.

KH can go to the spot coach tells him he's supposed to be in, at the time coach told him he's supposed to be in that spot. And mechanically if he gets the ball he'll do everything with it he's supposed to do (but not necessarily score because of it). Or mechanically he'll execute the defensive strategy he was told to execute. Don't ask KH to freelance or make it up as he goes along. If things go pear shaped he might get a little lost.

I'd love to have both in one person but given the choice with this team I'll have to go with KH's attributes. DS is no slouch as a backup.

With how it appears UD is going to run this year (at least as long as both LW and RL are healthy) then it will be imperritive that both of them play well, as I can't even see one getting more than 25 minutes in a game with that much running. At least to start I think it will be more 25 to KH, and 15 to DS, with maybe a couple minutes each game with both on the floor if they want to go big and slow it down. How the minutes shift from the initial 25/15 distribution will be how each performs.

San Diego Flyer · #33 11-12-2008, 03:34 PM

This is an example of preseason stats:

Free throws:
-------------

Wright, Huelsman, Marcus 12/24 =50%

Warren, Little 7/7 = 100%

Go figure.

Until the brightlights go on, I don't know how one can conclude anything from the stats.

Gazoo · #34 11-12-2008, 04:00 PM

I'm surprised no one commented about the red/blue game reference.

IAFlyer · #35 11-12-2008, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Gazoo

I'm surprised no one commented about the red/blue game reference.

Why would I? I agreed with the cut 'em in half assessment.

Gazoo · #36 11-12-2008, 04:25 PM

That's still a comment, isn't it??

UDBrian · #37 11-12-2008, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Gazoo

I'm surprised no one commented about the red/blue game reference.

You almost have to cut the stats in half, there were twice as many minutes available in the REd/Blue game.

Gazoo · #38 11-12-2008, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by UDBrian

You almost have to cut the stats in half, there were twice as many minutes available in the REd/Blue game.

I wish I had thought of that.

DanMc1969 · #39 11-12-2008, 07:27 PM

Some thoughts after the two exhibitions...we appear deeper,quicker and more athletic...sometimes that combo results in exciting plays and sometimes we try and execute plays that aren't there...either way it is fun to watch. How's our foul shooting going to be? Incredibly poor foul shooting cost us 2-3 games last year and probably a bid. CL is 4 for 4. I noticed in the game last night that after he made his first shot, he seemed to be concentrating on not moving his feet and changing his position at all...and he made the second shot. many years ago a coach told me "if you make the first shot, don't move". Maybe CL has bought into that idea...time will tell. I missed LW last night...you can love him and hate him all in 30 seconds but he does bring energy and intensity.

Glen Clark · #40 11-12-2008, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by DanMc1969

Some thoughts after the two exhibitions...we appear deeper,quicker and more athletic...sometimes that combo results in exciting plays and sometimes we try and execute plays that aren't there...either way it is fun to watch. How's our foul shooting going to be? Incredibly poor foul shooting cost us 2-3 games last year and probably a bid. CL is 4 for 4. I noticed in the game last night that after he made his first shot, he seemed to be concentrating on not moving his feet and changing his position at all...and he made the second shot. many years ago a coach told me "if you make the first shot, don't move". Maybe CL has bought into that idea...time will tell. I missed LW last night...you can love him and hate him all in 30 seconds but he does bring energy and intensity.

Welcome to the board, old timer!

(from the class of '72)

oldfan · #41 11-12-2008, 08:40 PM

1. Huelsman is the only center the team has. Searcy is faster, has better moves and maybe a better shot but that is as a power forward. He is not a back to the basket player and certainly not near the defender against a big center that Huelsman is. It would be nice if DS could play power forward with Huelsman staying in as center but the problem for the team is it needs a back up center. Maybe Benson could have filled that role or maybe we wait till next year for Kav.

2. I do not doubt that Perry is a good three point shooter but last night he tried to drive to the basket for his shots at which he is only a average guard. When he was open outside he should have released the shot rather than drive. My theory is you practice to eliminate your weaknesses but you play to your strengths. (Note - see Fab who never drove to the basket but played to his strength.)

3. The weaknesses we complained of in LW last year seem to be even more glaring in the JC transfer ie errant passes only he seems more likely to take the three point shot even at inappropriate moments.

4. The motion offense still seems to lack motion. From my observation it was mostly players at the perimeter waiting for one to get the ball and drive to the basket. All too often the driver was so far away from the basket he lost the ball before he got to the basket. Or in the case of CL while he would get the ball near the basket he would settle for the jump shot rather than the two step drive to the basket. See my theory on playing to your strengths in item 2.

5. Finally reading rereading this post I realize I am only concentrating on the negative. Huelsman and Wright both played with skill and poise. C Johnson played like a very talented freshman, that is he was excellent except for some expected freshman mistakes.

San Diego Flyer · #42 11-12-2008, 09:13 PM

Ironically I thought the same when Perry had that open look, then to my surprise he made a nice move, clear to the bucket--and missed the gimme!!

Fudd · #43 11-13-2008, 12:30 AM

- I have no idea of what to expect this year. We are treading new ground with this more aggressive style of play.

- I do not believe that we have a perimeter shooting problem this year. Various guys will look good and bad on any given night, but that is the nature of the 3pt shot. I do think Fab is our best right now.

- I was not discouraged by Lowery's 3's last night. Bucky said he thought they were bad shots on the post-game show. I thought they were good open looks. I think he is every bit as valuable as London. Just a bad night, IMO.

- This team is still trying to get the feel for the running game. It sometimes feels as akward to watch as it seems on the court. Maybe this is because I have not seen it in my lifetime at UD Arena.

- We are going to cause a lot of turnovers this year.

- The Huelsman losing weight experiment looks good so far.

- Mickey Perry has decent driving skills and I don't mind him driving to the hoop sometimes.

- I was disappointed that we did not pound thos guys from Gannon. But they were a good team. Maybe my expectations are up subconsciously.

- How many times since Gregory has been here have you heard him talk up the team in the press? Normally, he is cautioning fans not to get the hopes up too high. This year, he is making comments like, "I love this team" and "We could be very good by the end of the year". I sense that he has much more confidence in this group, and that intrigues me. Chris R had leaked us some information on PridePlus, before the beginning of the scrimmage season, that BG was saying that Chris Johnson was ready to play at this level right away and Fab was the best shot on the team needing to only round out his other skills, and that was right on the money. So I take the little comments from BG very seriously.

- I love the energy, defense and rebounding that BG teams always bring. But I think our rebounding will suffer a bit from the defnse where we are pressuring the ball so much.

- I am almost certain that the hot dogs at the concession stands have been shrunk this year.

TerryK_67 · #44 11-13-2008, 05:32 AM

My $.02:
- This UD team is the first in a very very long time that is using the preseason to just look at the new guys! BG already knows what the vets can do and this team is good enough to use the preseason opportunity to get extended playing time to the newbees.
- Have you ever seen BG looks so un-animated on the sideline? Has he matured or is he that confident?
- I have never understood the fans that seem to think London needs to be replaced. Rob Lowery is a decent player but he is not going to replace London – complement him, yes; but replace him, no. Steven Thomas is also going to get equal time with London & Rob.
- OldFan makes a good observation on the 5 spot. Without Josh Benson we are pretty thin there! Against Gannon, with the intense “D”, Devon had 4 fouls and I believe that Kurt had 3 – and no legitimate backup behind them. Not good!

GO FLYERS!

Gazoo · #45 11-13-2008, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by TerryK_67

Steven Thomas is also going to get equal time with London & Rob.

I'll eat my hat if he does. I'll be very surprised if he averages 10 MPG. RL and LW will not "ever" be on the court at the same time (save for extreme situations). Same goes for ST. So equal time would mean that RL and LW would each play 13-14 MPG.

I could see RL and LW splitting time pretty equally at about 18 MPG and ST playing the extra 4.

Canonball · #46 11-13-2008, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Fudd

- Chris R had leaked us some information on PridePlus, before the beginning of the scrimmage season, that BG was saying that Chris Johnson was ready to play at this level right away and Fab was the best shot on the team needing to only round out his other skills, and that was right on the money.

- I am almost certain that the hot dogs at the concession stands have been shrunk this year.

CJ and Fab observation I think is right on target. CJ in particular has impressed me with his all around game, timeliness, and nose for the ball. Fab impresses me shooting the ball ... however, he doesn't strike me as being ready for the speed of the college game and the size of the players he'll be facing a the D1 level. It's one thing to blast through capital and gannon ... entirely different when it's Marquette, the players are big and fast, and it's loud!!!.

The economy is even shrinking the dogs!!

shocka43 · #47 11-13-2008, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by TerryK_67

Rob Lowery is a decent player but he is not going to replace London – complement him, yes; but replace him, no.

I think he has the ability to play at the same level as LW, maybe even better due to his J.

From what we have seen, LW is the choice at this point. Depending on future matchups, RL may be the guy.

I believe the Gannon game showed that RL may not be comfortable playing the lead role yet. He had a ton of pressure at that point, mentally thinking he had to be the man on Tuesday. These two are going to compliment each other well, but RL does have the ability to exceed expectations and LW once he finds his comfort zone.

as_4 · #48 11-13-2008, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by TerryK_67

Against Gannon, with the intense “D”, Devon had 4 fouls and I believe that Kurt had 3 – and no legitimate backup behind them. Not good!

I don't think that we will see many Centers as good as the kid from Gannon. Not that it is an excuse, but I think we will be just fine at Center/Forward on D. We have a pretty solid group this season.

San Diego Flyer · #49 11-13-2008, 01:42 PM

So far what I have seen of Thomas is that he could provide good relief if one of the other two goes down or gets in foul trouble. But we would be reduced to a half court offense with him in the game. His in-game mentality seems to be to protect the ball at any cost. That translates to about 18 wins in my book if he sees 20 minutes a game.. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

steve · #50 11-13-2008, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by San Diego Flyer

So far what I have seen of Thomas is that he could provide good relief if one of the other two goes down or gets in foul trouble. But we would be reduced to a half court offense with him in the game. His in-game mentality seems to be to protect the ball at any cost. That translates to about 18 wins in my book if he sees 20 minutes a game.. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Pretty spot on there.I just think his confidence is not there.When he wants to it seems like he can get to the rack in the half-court.

IAFlyer · #51 11-13-2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by as_4

I don't think that we will see many Centers as good as the kid from Gannon. Not that it is an excuse, but I think we will be just fine at Center/Forward on D. We have a pretty solid group this season.

That team down south has a good frontcourt. I would like for us to force about 20-30 turnovers out of their PGs to avoid needing to worry about it much.