CJ Fair - A Matchup Nightmare

[Doc5120]

Seth Greenberg gave his list of top 10 matchup nightmares. (Just FYI - this is an insider article.)

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-col...ranking-matchup-nightmares-college-basketball

CJ Fair checked in at #2 behind Russ Smith. I'm not sure why Smith is #1. Personally, I'd put Marcus Smart there. He came in at #4. List is below along with write-up on CJ.

The list in order is: Smith, Fair, Doug McDermott, Smart, Jahii Carson, Gary Harris, Dwight Powell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jordan Adams, Bryce Cotton.

2. C.J. Fair, , Syracuse Orange
What makes Fair so difficult to prepare for is his versatility and the way Orange head coach Jim Boeheim uses him. He is a 6-foot-8 hybrid forward who is as comfortable playing on the perimeter as he is in the paint. He shoots the ball with great accuracy (47 percent from the field, including 46 percent from 3-point range last season), but is also very effective at accepting screens for midpost catches, and can operate effectively both on the elbow and on the baseline.

 

[edowd26]

I also think jerami grant will be a nightmare to defend as well.

 

[jekelish]

I really don't get the Russ Smith pick. He's tiny, and can't really beat you in a variety of ways. I'm not saying CJ needs to be #1 but it seems a whole lot easier to stop Smith than Fair. CJ can beat you inside or out, Russ is a freaking Oompa Loompa, and that limits the ways he can beat you. He's a great player, don't get me wrong, but being a nightmare matchup? Don't see it.

 

[Lawrinson14]

I also think jerami grant will be a nightmare to defend as well.

The real matchup nightmare is the combination of CJ and Grant. There are very, very few teams that will have 2 guys with the necessary size and athleticism to guard them when they are on the court together.

 

[jekelish]

The real matchup nightmare is the combination of CJ and Grant. There are very, very few teams that will have 2 guys with the necessary size and athleticism to guard them when they are on the court together.

If they end up starting together, or at least playing the bulk of the minutes together. The combination of Fair and Grant would have to be the most athletic 3/4 combo in the country, rivaled MAYBE by, who, Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, maybe?

 

[Doc5120]

If they end up starting together, or at least playing the bulk of the minutes together. The combination of Fair and Grant would have to be the most athletic 3/4 combo in the country, rivaled MAYBE by, who, Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, maybe?

Let me preface this by saying, I HATE, really really HATE UK...but if they run Young & Randle or Poythress & Randle out there, I have to imagine they'd stack up well athletic wise against CJ & Jerami.

 

[jekelish]

Let me preface this by saying, I HATE, really really HATE UK...but if they run Young & Randle or Poythress & Randle out there, I have to imagine they'd stack up well athletic wise against CJ & Jerami.

Very fair point.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I really don't get the Russ Smith pick. He's tiny, and can't really beat you in a variety of ways. I'm not saying CJ needs to be #1 but it seems a whole lot easier to stop Smith than Fair. CJ can beat you inside or out, Russ is a freaking Oompa Loompa, and that limits the ways he can beat you. He's a great player, don't get me wrong, but being a nightmare matchup? Don't see it.

Russ is almost impossible to stay in front of. Luckily, he tends to lose it a bit during games and starts launching 30 footers.

 

[realorange]

Let me preface this by saying, I HATE, really really HATE UK...but if they run Young & Randle or Poythress & Randle out there, I have to imagine they'd stack up well athletic wise against CJ & Jerami.

Watched their blue vs white game a couple nights ago. Those freshman are good and they will only get better. James Young is very good.

 

[orangefog]

Watched their blue vs white game a couple nights ago. Those freshman are good and they will only get better. James Young is very good.

Some would say "the best that money can buy".

 

[4evaOrange]

Watched their blue vs white game a couple nights ago. Those freshman are good and they will only get better. James Young is very good.

I think someone here posted a link to where someone was saying they dont know how young got an offer, beacuse he isn't good at all. So this is surprising.

 

[jordoo]

I agree woth those saying the combination of of CJ and Jerami will be very hard on opposing teams especially if we can get enough offense out of our 3 big guys that the other team can't leave them to help.

 

[realorange]

I think someone here posted a link to where someone was saying they dont know how young got an offer, beacuse he isn't good at all. So this is surprising.

The word is that the NBA scouts are all talking about Young more than any of the others.

I didn't watch the whole thing because it was over the top butt kissing by our favorite announcer Dykes.

Here's a link about the game: http://www.courier-journal.com/arti...ht-Kentucky-basketball-s-Blue-White-Scrimmage

 

[LGO85]

If they end up starting together, or at least playing the bulk of the minutes together. The combination of Fair and Grant would have to be the most athletic 3/4 combo in the country, rivaled MAYBE by, who, Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, maybe?

I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling they won't be. I could see JG being the 6th man as DW was.

 

[jekelish]

I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling they won't be. I could see JG being the 6th man as DW was.

I don't think there's any doubt that JG will start the season as the 6th man. But he'll get the second most minutes at forward.

 

[Oakland]

I really don't get the Russ Smith pick. He's tiny, and can't really beat you in a variety of ways. I'm not saying CJ needs to be #1 but it seems a whole lot easier to stop Smith than Fair. CJ can beat you inside or out, Russ is a freaking Oompa Loompa, and that limits the ways he can beat you. He's a great player, don't get me wrong, but being a nightmare matchup? Don't see it.

The first half of last season, Russ looked like the best player in college.

 

[jordoo]

The first half of last season, Russ looked like the best player in college.

He's always looked like a guy you'd never want to play with to me.

 

[CU44SE]

I agree, Grant is the 6th man this year bringing the energy off the bench like Joseph did his sophomore year. Other than Grant, there is no one else that would bring that type of game off the bench, and its become apparent the past few years that Jimmy likes to do that stuff. Grant will be 6a and Silent G will be 6b.

 

[realorange]

I agree, Grant is the 6th man this year bringing the energy off the bench like Joseph did his sophomore year. Other than Grant, there is no one else that would bring that type of game off the bench, and its become apparent the past few years that Jimmy likes to do that stuff. Grant will be 6a and Silent G will be 6b.

More likely Kieta will be 6b. G will be 6c.

 

[orangefan13]

Nobody knows what we will get from Grant yet. Nobody.t

I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling they won't be. I could see JG being the 6th man as DW was.

I don't think there's any doubt that JG will start the season as the 6th man. But he'll get the second most minutes at forward.

Good posts it really got me brainstorming.

 

[Oakland]

He's always looked like a guy you'd never want to play with to me.

I think all of his team mates were very happy with him as they were cutting down the nets, and I'm pretty sure that most are very happy to have him back this season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The real matchup nightmare is the combination of CJ and Grant. There are very, very few teams that will have 2 guys with the necessary size and athleticism to guard them when they are on the court together.

Especially if they play us man-to-man. I think that, like last year, we are going to see a fair amount of zone unless our guards can command respect from the 3 point line.