Cooney

[Knicks411]

One area where Cooney has been contributing has been on the defensive end. Cooney has show good defensive potential, for the most part. He's certainly contributing in that way, whether he's scoring or not. Has he been inconsistent? Sure--but he's also a freshman getting his first dose of PT.

Knicks is correct about his shooting performance thus far, but let's also keep that in perspective. He went through that abysmal multi-game stretch early in the season where he couldn't BUY a bucket. Would be interesting to see what his percentages look like factoring those games out [not that these games shouldn't count statistically, but he has played / shot better offensively after breaking that slump.

Guess it depends on where you draw the line. In the first 6 games he played, he was 7-29 (4-22 from 3). Since then, he's at 18-45 (12-33). Even factoring out the first half of the season, he's been pretty bad shooting the ball. Pretty much any way you slice it, he's shot the ball poorly this year. It doesn't make him a write off, but I have definitely toned down my expectations for what he may provide this year.

Edit: I take it back a little bit; since the first 6 games he's shot enough 3's where he effective FG isn't too bad. But you also can't throw out half the sample. One thing worth pointing out is his TO% is really low, his offensive rating is actually around 114.

 

[pfister1]

One area where Cooney has been contributing has been on the defensive end. Cooney has show good defensive potential, for the most part. He's certainly contributing in that way, whether he's scoring or not. Has he been inconsistent? Sure--but he's also a freshman getting his first dose of PT.

Knicks is correct about his shooting performance thus far, but let's also keep that in perspective. He went through that abysmal multi-game stretch early in the season where he couldn't BUY a bucket. Would be interesting to see what his percentages look like factoring those games out [not that these games shouldn't count statistically, but he has played / shot better offensively after breaking that slump.

He shot well against Alcorn State (5 of 9) but only (2 of 6) from three. Over his last 5 games he's only been 34.6% from the floor. You could also take your point the other way and say he shot well against Eastern Michigan, Monmouth and Long Beach and see what his percentages are like without those three games...also not really fair.

Bottom line is that I don't think we've seen an up trend from him yet. I hope we do because we will surely need him.

 

[Gabjon]

My concern with Cooney is that teams are letting him shoot. That is clearly the scout on him right now. That is why he is so open and why he is shooting so much. He is open and he is still missing. Once he starts making open 3s then he has to start making contested 3s. That is a big leap to happen in a short amount of time especially when he plays for a coach who has a short leash and only cares about winning this game. (as he should)

 

[dasher]

About the only thing in this thread that I agree with is that he will see less time in the Big East. This kid can really shoot.

 

[cusetown1]

My concern with Cooney is that teams are letting him shoot. That is clearly the scout on him right now. That is why he is so open and why he is shooting so much. He is open and he is still missing. Once he starts making open 3s then he has to start making contested 3s. That is a big leap to happen in a short amount of time especially when he plays for a coach who has a short leash and only cares about winning this game. (as he should)

He seems better at making contested 3s.

 

[anomander]

the only way we see him 8min + in big east play is if triche/mcw get suspended/hurt/foul trouble

 

[anomander]

and just how do you come to this conclusion?

 

[ORRange]

if he didn't already burn a redshirt, maybe he would with the players we will have coming in the next 2 years.

i wouldn't be so hard on him if he was a true fr, but being a rs fr your he should be producing. your biggest jump is from your fr yr to your so. yr, and i don't care if he didn't play last year or not, mcw basically didn't play. he still practiced every single day against guys like dion waiters, scoop, triche, mcw. we should be seeing a lot more right now. i know everyone wants to see the next great white hope, but you guys are stretching it...big time

Listen, you asked previously what game I was watching. I guess it's the last two games where he was instrumental in turning the Alcorn St around and today when we were struggling in the first half and came into the game for Brandon. Then we totally broke the game open. Did he do something miraculous? No. But he didn't make any headscratchers ala Louie. He played solid ball. That's all I want out of him, not to be a great white dope. I understand he's not Jerry West, but he's not hopeless like you make him out to be.

 

[pfister1]

About the only thing in this thread that I agree with is that he will see less time in the Big East. This kid can really shoot.

But what are you basing that on, the scouting report? We certainly haven't seen it in games yet. I am thinking he seems a lot like James (in prior years) to me. Looks like a great shooter, but is way too streaky to be considered same.

 

[Gabjon]

He seems better at making contested 3s.

LOL! when has he been contested? The first few games he could buy a bucket and teams stopped guarding him.

 

[RF2044]

He shot well against Alcorn State (5 of 9) but only (2 of 6) from three. Over his last 5 games he's only been 34.6% from the floor. You could also take your point the other way and say he shot well against Eastern Michigan, Monmouth and Long Beach and see what his percentages are like without those three games...also not really fair.

Bottom line is that I don't think we've seen an up trend from him yet. I hope we do because we will surely need him.

I think I qualified my point sufficiently, pfister [see my last post]! I agree--you can't take those off-games out of the overall statistics. The point I was making was that Cooney started off the year atrociously--I mean, it was like there was a lid on the basket for the kid. Since then, he's shot the ball better from three. Per Knicks's post above, 40% overall, 36% from three point range. The former is subpar no matter how you cut it; the latter is respectable.

Kid needs to up both percentages--no question. But I'm hopeful that he can continue to offer a reasonable complimentary threat from three. Make no mistake: we need it. Other than Southerland, this team hasn't shot the ball as well as I expected, top to bottom.

 

[dasher]

But what are you basing that on, the scouting report? We certainly haven't seen it in games yet. I am thinking he seems a lot like James (in prior years) to me. Looks like a great shooter, but is way too streaky to be considered same.

practice. I know more than a few people that have watched him in practice and think he is amazing. Not just one person mind you. At least three.

 

[anomander]

But what are you basing that on, the scouting report? We certainly haven't seen it in games yet. I am thinking he seems a lot like James (in prior years) to me. Looks like a great shooter, but is way too streaky to be considered same.

ill tell you one thing the scouting report is saying right now, and it's not that he can shoot. but i know what you mean, his reputation. but like i said mcw was labeled as an elite shooter, and i don't see anyone saying that is his strength

 

[anomander]

practice. I know more than a few people that have watched him in practice and think he is amazing. Not just one person mind you. At least three.

i have heard exact opposite, and is part of my reasoning, even before the season. i hear he can shot in drills, but not in scrimmage/game situations, which has been 100% dead on.

 

[dasher]

ill tell you one thing the scouting report is saying right now, and it's not that he can shoot. but i know what you mean, his reputation. but like i said mcw was labeled as an elite shooter, and i don't see anyone saying that is his strength

I have never heard anyone ever say MCW was an elite shooter. Just that he could make a 3. Time will tell. But this does sound just like Andy Rautins. It's scary it's so much alike.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

sorry, but i don't think this kid can play a lick. it's a tell when JB barely plays him in these non-conf games when he is the only other guard, and he needs some serious development. not to mention there is a HUGE difference between rs fr, and true fr. everyone is waiting for his shot to start to drop, but i have a feeling we are going to be saying the same thing in 4 years. mcw was touted as an elite shooter coming out of hs too, and that is arguably the weakest part of his game. yes cooney hustles, but he needs to do something. below avg defender, poor ball hander, above avg athlete, who can't knock down shots. i just don't see him helping at all throughout his career. i hope i'm wrong though

You were way off with both of these comments. I'm not impressed with his offensive game at all but I see the possibility of it. But making the two comments I bolded shows me that you don't really pay attention to the defensive end.

 

[anomander]

You were way off with both of these comments. I'm not impressed with his offensive game at all but I see the possibility of it. But making the two comments I bolded shows me that you don't really pay attention to the defensive end.

watch closely next time. reaches way too much, gets beat off the dribble rather easily, and is prone to a stupid foul every other game it seems in limited minutes. sure he hustles his ass off, and is good at contesting shots, but in no way is he an above avg defender.

 

[rrlbees]

This thread.

Wow.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[RF2044]

watch closely next time. reaches way too much, gets beat off the dribble rather easily, and is prone to a stupid foul every other game it seems in limited minutes. sure he hustles his ass off, and is good at contesting shots, but in no way is he an above avg defender.

He also anticipates well, seems to tip a lot of passes away, and shows good defensive instincts.

Every player fouls--c'mon.

 

[Gabjon]

Yeah active hands are part of any zone...

 

[SUbear]

sorry, but i don't think this kid can play a lick. it's a tell when JB barely plays him in these non-conf games when he is the only other guard, and he needs some serious development. not to mention there is a HUGE difference between rs fr, and true fr. everyone is waiting for his shot to start to drop, but i have a feeling we are going to be saying the same thing in 4 years. mcw was touted as an elite shooter coming out of hs too, and that is arguably the weakest part of his game. yes cooney hustles, but he needs to do something. below avg defender, poor ball hander, above avg athlete, who can't knock down shots. i just don't see him helping at all throughout his career. i hope i'm wrong though

No offense but Cooney will see significant minutes in his career.

 

[leftytg]

ill tell you one thing the scouting report is saying right now, and it's not that he can shoot. but i know what you mean, his reputation. but like i said mcw was labeled as an elite shooter, and i don't see anyone saying that is his strength

Can you provide a link on the assertion that MCW was considered an elite shooter? I follow recruiting pretty closely and never remember hearing/reading anything that claimed he was anything more than a capable shooter. Elite shooter is high praise coming out of high school.


On the other hand, Cooney was considered an elite shooter coming out of high school. I think his mechanics look great and, as I posted on the first page, when he is square, not rushing, and not drifting he is automatic. The kid red shirted and worked his ass off, chomping at the bit to play this season. He knows his rep is as a shooter and that he is the only reserve scholarship guard. He's obviously an intense player. Is it really that hard to believe that, for the first time in his life, playing in front of huge crowds and intensely desiring to excel at his main skill, he's having to learn how to slow himself down, play with this kind of adrenaline, and pick his spots. This is conjecture of course, but it seems obvious to me that Boeheim is telling him to shoot and shoot often. I think Boeheim realizes it is just a freshman adjustment, and not the kind of adjustment one can make in a red shirt year.

I guess I see it as analogous to freshmen shooting free throws. Take Grant this year, or CJ Fair, or any number of other freshmen who really struggled at the line. You could see in their stroke they could shoot free throws, but they weren't used to doing it in college on that kind of stage and they were erratic. They keep playing, keep shooting, and they mature. Just like Cooney will.

 

[SUbear]

He had a tonsilectomy, not surgery on his legs.

Again, I am not writing him off, I think he will be good, but I am not sure he is going to be as good as we need him to be this season. He is the only guy who can really be relied on to spell BT or MCW. We are very reliant on our guards for offense so I think it will make it tough to use him as the opponents get tougher unless he can get it together because we won't be able to afford to have him on the floor.

And as for the comment that he has started to hit threes his last few games. He hasn't started to hit them at a reasonable percentage yet. He has had three good games percentage wise this season Wagner (.400), Long Beach State (.429) and Monmouth (.556). He hit no threes in consecutive games against Canisius, Detroit and Temple and he was just 2 of 6 against Alcorn and 2 of 7 today against CCSU.

Cooney scored 12 against Alcorn so I guess he made two six pointers, huh?

 

[pfister1]

Cooney scored 12 against Alcorn so I guess he made two six pointers, huh?

Even Trevor can score on shots other than threes. He was 3 of 3 on shots inside the arc against Alcorn. I am simply reciting stats, might want to read more carefully next time.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Did you notice the threes he hit were not the ones where he was wide open, they were him running behind a screen with a pretty damn quick release. Much more difficult shot.

The Andy Rautins Shot. He was incredible shooting off a screen.