SWC75
Bored Historian
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Talking about next year's team is suddenly almost worthy of the off-topic board but a friend asked me what to expect next year, (he never thinks we'll be any good, so I try to cheer him up). I was describing Chukwu to him and saying that I hoped he would have the impact in the middle of the Zone that Fab Melo did in 2012, when we had a 30-1 regular season with the only loss coming when he was suspended. The one team to beat us was Cincy in the BET when they went off from three. Then we lost to the Buckeye in the Big Dance without Melo and with a blizzard of referee whistles. We wound up with our best numerical record ever, (in terms of wins - losses), 34-3. I figure with a shot blocker like Chukwu in a zone surrounded by guards who are 6-5 and 6-6 and forwards who are 6-9 and 6-8, we might be able to play the kind of defense next year we did in 2012, (and maybe get out and run on offense as a result, as we did in 2012), and maybe get similar results.
Melo was listed as 7-0 244 on the roster that year. Chukwu is listed as 7-2 226 but I've read they are trying to get him up to 240. So Melo was stronger but Chukwu is taller, the tallest player we've ever had. I saw Obokoh standing next to him and the top of the 6-9 Obokoh's head seemed to be parallel with the bottom of Chukwu's chin. So we could be a very physically imposing team next year.
One thing I could not do for my friend is describe what Chukwu did in his one year at Providence, (he has potentially three years at SU so this could be quite an era).. So, naturally, I looked it up.
Chukwu played in all 34 of his team's games that year, a total of 335 minutes. He was 33 for 50 from the field, an astronomical 66% field goal percentage. obviously those were all dunks and lay-ups and mostly put-backs but we haven't been very good at dunks and lay-ups this year and an offensive rebound has often been a excuse for Coleman to put on a dribbling exhibition, so 66% looks pretty good to me. He shot 24 for 40 at the foul line, 60%. But we've seen worse. He had 83 rebounds, 5 assists, 9 steals and 23 blocks. He turned the ball over 19 times and committed 63 fouls. Here is his his line based on those numbers:
9.9m 10.7p 9.9r 0.6a 1.1s 2.7b = 25.0+ 2.0mfg 1.9mft 2.3to 7.5pf = 13.7- = 11.3np 6.8oe 4.5fg
I decide to compare that to both of Fab Melo's years here: his highly disappointing first year and his tremendous second year:
2010-11:
9.9m 9.4p 7.8r 1.0a 1.2s 3.1b = 22.5+ 2.7mfg 2.0mft 3.1to 7.3pf = 15.1- = 7.4np 4.7oe 2.7fg
Chukwu played exactly the same number of minutes. He scored and rebounded a little better. , didn't pass quite as well or block quite as many shots. He also didn't miss quite as many shot but neither big many shot the ball much. Melo had more turnovers. Neither guy could stay on the floor because they committed way to many fouls, always a sign of a player who, in JB's words, doesn't know where he has to be on defense.
2011-12:
25.4m 12.3p 9.2r 1.1a 0.8s 4.6b = 28.0+ 3.9mfg 1.2mft 2.3to 4.5pf = 11.9- = 16.1np 7.2oe 8.9fg
Melo greatly reduced his fouls so he played many more minutes, (even if he never became a 35 minute guy). He got more shots off and his scoring went up but I don't recall him ever becoming a post-up type scorer. His rebounding improved but was still short of what Chukwu did at Providence. Melo's blocked shots dramatically increased and were well ahead of Chukwu's rate. That, like the reduced fouls, would be a product of learning where where he has to be on defense, although it's interesting that his steals went down. What is not shown is all the charges Melo took, which delighted JB. I don't really like a center taking charges because if he doesn't get the call, he's taken himself out of the play with the flow, (and Melo learned to flop from soccer). But he always seemed to get the call. He did reduce his turnovers, even thought he was getting the ball more. Melo improved his free throw shooting from 36% in 2011 to 63% in 2012.
Chukwu will have had a year practicing with the team and already had his first year at this level against Providence. Like Melo, he'll have some talented athletes around him. It's not obvious that he'll be able to do what Melo did in 2012 or that we will be that good next year, but it certainly seems possible.
Melo was listed as 7-0 244 on the roster that year. Chukwu is listed as 7-2 226 but I've read they are trying to get him up to 240. So Melo was stronger but Chukwu is taller, the tallest player we've ever had. I saw Obokoh standing next to him and the top of the 6-9 Obokoh's head seemed to be parallel with the bottom of Chukwu's chin. So we could be a very physically imposing team next year.
One thing I could not do for my friend is describe what Chukwu did in his one year at Providence, (he has potentially three years at SU so this could be quite an era).. So, naturally, I looked it up.
Chukwu played in all 34 of his team's games that year, a total of 335 minutes. He was 33 for 50 from the field, an astronomical 66% field goal percentage. obviously those were all dunks and lay-ups and mostly put-backs but we haven't been very good at dunks and lay-ups this year and an offensive rebound has often been a excuse for Coleman to put on a dribbling exhibition, so 66% looks pretty good to me. He shot 24 for 40 at the foul line, 60%. But we've seen worse. He had 83 rebounds, 5 assists, 9 steals and 23 blocks. He turned the ball over 19 times and committed 63 fouls. Here is his his line based on those numbers:
9.9m 10.7p 9.9r 0.6a 1.1s 2.7b = 25.0+ 2.0mfg 1.9mft 2.3to 7.5pf = 13.7- = 11.3np 6.8oe 4.5fg
I decide to compare that to both of Fab Melo's years here: his highly disappointing first year and his tremendous second year:
2010-11:
9.9m 9.4p 7.8r 1.0a 1.2s 3.1b = 22.5+ 2.7mfg 2.0mft 3.1to 7.3pf = 15.1- = 7.4np 4.7oe 2.7fg
Chukwu played exactly the same number of minutes. He scored and rebounded a little better. , didn't pass quite as well or block quite as many shots. He also didn't miss quite as many shot but neither big many shot the ball much. Melo had more turnovers. Neither guy could stay on the floor because they committed way to many fouls, always a sign of a player who, in JB's words, doesn't know where he has to be on defense.
2011-12:
25.4m 12.3p 9.2r 1.1a 0.8s 4.6b = 28.0+ 3.9mfg 1.2mft 2.3to 4.5pf = 11.9- = 16.1np 7.2oe 8.9fg
Melo greatly reduced his fouls so he played many more minutes, (even if he never became a 35 minute guy). He got more shots off and his scoring went up but I don't recall him ever becoming a post-up type scorer. His rebounding improved but was still short of what Chukwu did at Providence. Melo's blocked shots dramatically increased and were well ahead of Chukwu's rate. That, like the reduced fouls, would be a product of learning where where he has to be on defense, although it's interesting that his steals went down. What is not shown is all the charges Melo took, which delighted JB. I don't really like a center taking charges because if he doesn't get the call, he's taken himself out of the play with the flow, (and Melo learned to flop from soccer). But he always seemed to get the call. He did reduce his turnovers, even thought he was getting the ball more. Melo improved his free throw shooting from 36% in 2011 to 63% in 2012.
Chukwu will have had a year practicing with the team and already had his first year at this level against Providence. Like Melo, he'll have some talented athletes around him. It's not obvious that he'll be able to do what Melo did in 2012 or that we will be that good next year, but it certainly seems possible.
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