JB's Presser after UNC

[tbonezone]

the staff had more than ample time to develop and assess chukwu's actual low post abilities and gauge his contributions. and given all we know about dajuan coleman's history here it was certainly possible if not highly likely he wouldn't last the season. the coaching staff surely had due cause to anticipate this hole in the middle given these vacancies a full 12 months ago and construct an alternative model. that plan seemed to be all along sliding tyler lydon into the 5 spot. well NC proved again Lydon's not a D1 5.
at least not in the 2/3 zone sense of the model.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Enough of a sample size with Chukwu to see he would and could not contribute, IMO. Boeheim was telling us this in pressers with comments like, "...hopefully in my lifetime" and such.

He played in six consecutive games from Colgate to Wisconsin averaging 16mpg in that stretch. Then DNPs against North Florida and UConn before his final cameo for 10mpg against BU.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Enough of a sample size with Chukwu to see he would and could not contribute, IMO. Boeheim was telling us this in pressers with comments like, "...hopefully in my lifetime" and such.

He played in six consecutive games from Colgate to Wisconsin averaging 16mpg in that stretch. Then DNPs against North Florida and UConn before his final cameo for 10mpg against BU.

Wonder why we didn't go out and get someone else though as suggested above. I'm guessing they thought Coleman could contribute after all. Sucks all around.

 

[RF2044]

Wonder why we didn't go out and get someone else though as suggested above. I'm guessing they thought Coleman could contribute after all. Sucks all around.

I think that they expected BOTH to be able to contribute, but have also heard that coaches were scratching their heads about heading into last offseason over Chukwu's lack of development.

 

[tbonezone]

well we pay these guys to make informed decisions. not cross fingers and hope for the best.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think that they expected BOTH to be able to contribute, but have also heard that coaches were scratching their heads about heading into last offseason over Chukwu's lack of development.

Sounds like a story...

I like your point about him not putting on weight either. Wonder what happened there - not enough work with weights, or couldn't they get him to eat enough.

 

[br801]

Wonder why we didn't go out and get someone else though as suggested above. I'm guessing they thought Coleman could contribute after all. Sucks all around.

Coleman didn't miss a game last season while averaging 17.5 minutes per game and was seemingly even healthier heading into this season. I don't think it was unreasonable to expect him and Chukwu to gobble up most of the minutes at the 5. Instead, it is possible that the two will play a combined total of one minute in ACC games.

 

[NYCSUGrad]

I think that they expected BOTH to be able to contribute, but have also heard that coaches were scratching their heads about heading into last offseason over Chukwu's lack of development.

Well I'm just a girl who never played organized basketball outside of HS and a little time on a CYO club in the 70s, which is to say I didn't know crapola about the Xs and Os the coaches use on their little magic erase boards every stoppage of play to try to set up the next play the best way possible

But posting and lurking and posting here has MADE me understand so much about the game, because of your collective knowledge and of course devouring every single college basketball game I could watch and not just SU but the Friday night MAAC double headers too and the women's games too even when there were maybe 4 or 5 decent teams only, that combined with maybe call it a knowledge of human psychology acquired the hard way plus a dash of women's intuition and compassion and I really think the SU coaching staff was also BLIND to how much an eye injury in the second game of this season could have hurt Chuckwu's development too.

JMO

 

[NYCSUGrad]

Sounds like a story...

I like your point about him not putting on weight either. Wonder what happened there - not enough work with weights, or couldn't they get him to eat enough.

Some people have very fast metabolisms.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Some people have very fast metabolisms.

I used to...

 

[RF2044]

Well I'm just a girl who never played organized basketball outside of HS and a little time on a CYO club in the 70s, which is to say I didn't know crapola about the Xs and Os the coaches use on their little magic erase boards every stoppage of play to try to set up the next play the best way possible

But posting and lurking and posting here has MADE me understand so much about the game, because of your collective knowledge and of course devouring every single college basketball game I could watch and not just SU but the Friday night MAAC double headers too and the women's games too even when there were maybe 4 or 5 decent teams only, that combined with maybe call it a knowledge of human psychology acquired the hard way plus a dash of women's intuition and compassion and I really think the SU coaching staff was also BLIND to how much an eye injury in the second game of this season could have hurt Chuckwu's development too.

JMO

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. He's not a freshman like you claimed--he's a third year player who had game experience. He had a year off to physically develop, learn the system, acclimate to new teammates, and improve his skill set. None of those things happened.

I haven't seen one person in this thread claim that the eye injury wasn't a setback. But said eye injury occurred a full year after he'd been on campus, working with our coaches, with full access to the Carmelo K. Anthony center on a daily basis.

This injury didn't happen to a frosh center entering college to begin his career--it happened to a guy about to begin his third year playing at the collegiate level. The coaches have had plenty of time to appraise him. His struggles didn't just begin with the eye injury.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Louisville gets guys like Mahmoud, Mathiang, Dieng a few years ago. Not real 'elite talents' but these guys look like they belong and look like All-Americans compared to our guys. We're bringing in Chinos and Chukwus.

 

[RF2044]

Sounds like a story...

I like your point about him not putting on weight either. Wonder what happened there - not enough work with weights, or couldn't they get him to eat enough.

I think he actually has a reputation for being a hard worker in the weight room [he's actually cut for being so scrawny], he just can't keep any weight on. I don't believe that work ethic is the issue.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think he actually has a reputation for being a hard worker in the weight room [he's actually cut for being so scrawny], he just can't keep any weight on. I don't believe that work ethic is the issue.

Wonder if he has religious diet restrictions. Or maybe he just can't eat enough. That happens.

 

[iommi]

I think he actually has a reputation for being a hard worker in the weight room [he's actually cut for being so scrawny], he just can't keep any weight on. I don't believe that work ethic is the issue.

JB said he can't bulk up his legs. His arms are actually pretty ripped, as you said. And as you said, his eyes have nothing to do with his lack of progress over the past year-and-a-half.

One of the reasons I thought Chukwu would've helped us this year is that Ed Cooley- a coach I respect a great deal- was publicly dismayed when PC left PC. I figured he would've had some basic skills and would've been able to score 4-5 PPG on just put backs and maybe the occasional lob. Instead, he was useless. On top of his lack of basic skills, he had zero court awareness or hoops IQ. The guy would routinely run past halfcourt in our press when he was supposed to be a rim protector.

It's quite a dark mark on our staff, to be blunt. He looked completely lost. He was barely better than Cat Rescuer.

 

[tbonezone]

"CHUKWU...table for one !!!!"

 

[iommi]

Louisville gets guys like Mahmoud, Mathiang, Dieng a few years ago. Not real 'elite talents' but these guys look like they belong and look like All-Americans compared to our guys. We're bringing in Chinos and Chukwus.

Deng Adel will be good too. He's been banged up. He's already a nice contributor. Sidibe reminds me of Deng Adel.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Deng Adel will be good too. He's been banged up. He's already a nice contributor. Sidibe reminds me of Deng Adel.

Yup, he's good too. Really excited about Sidibe. Looks like a major gem.

 

[iommi]

Yup, he's good too. Really excited about Sidibe. Looks like a major gem.

Sidibe is quite a bit taller than Adel but similar athletic ability and motor.

 

[tbonezone]

" Chinos and Chukwus"

page 35 LL bean...

 

[TCuse99]

Writing off Chukwu now is premature. He has two years left. He is 7 feet tall.

Rak Christmas was a joke until his senior year. I know different skill sets, but Chukwu will be our starting center next year.

 

[iommi]

Writing off Chukwu now is premature. He has two years left. He is 7 feet tall.

Rak Christmas was a joke until his senior year. I know different skill sets, but Chukwu will be our starting center next year.

Don't agree with your last two sentences at all. Rak was not a joke his first three years. Didn't play much but showed a lot of promise. Thompson will start at center. If Thompson is at PF, then even Sidibe would start. I don't expect Sidibe to start but he's light years better than PC and a legit shot blocker and athlete.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Rak Christmas was a joke until his senior year. I know different skill sets, but Chukwu will be our starting center next year.

That's just a terrible evaluation. Ridiculously bad.

 

[AlaskaSU]

The key to rebounding is establishing position and carving out space. In other words, having a big ass. EVen if Chewy had a dozen eyes he would not have a chance against Meeks.

 

[tbonezone]

position.timing.desire. rebounding really has nothing to do with the booty.