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Message: [QUOTE="RF2044, post: 1240400, member: 40"] This is an example where hyperbole gets in the way of an otherwise reasonable argument--but one that isn't supported by the data. Trevor Cooney DID play and DID garner significant playing time, if for no other reason than there was nobody else on the team to provide backcourt reserve minutes. Cooney played in 39 games that year as the only reserve guard on the team. He averaged 11.2 minutes per game--which means that he was on the court for more than 25% of every game, on average. He was also playing behind MCW--who was a lottery pick--and a four year starter in Brandon Triche. Cooney also didn't perform very well offensively, in terms of shooting the ball. So is it really a legitimate argument to clamor for him to have played more that year, ahead of MCW and / or Brandon? C'mon. Cooney is a four year program guy who has gotten [and will continue to get] better every season. The added versatility off of the dribble drive this year is the latest addition to his diversification, and his confidence handling the ball will be a valuable asset to the team these next two years, and make him even more difficult to defend over the remainder of his career. But do you really think that playing an extra minute or two per game in 2012 would have made him a more confident, capable ball handler capable of making a play in the Final Four after BOTH OF OUR STARTING GUARDS had fouled out? That's the same flawed logic as claiming that Dashonte Riley would have somehow magically transformed into a better player in 2010 if only he'd played more. [Hint: it wouldn't have mattered how many minutes Riley played that season; while it might have helped his nerves / confidence a bit, it wouldn't have made an appreciable difference in his readiness to contribute--let alone fill in Arinze's big shoes] [/QUOTE]

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