Cuse player with the highest Court IQ

[GooseMutt]

Would it be Sherman? How about our most tenacious junkyard dog defender?

 

[Eric15]

Despite his limitations (mediocre athlete, mediocre shooter, personal issues) I always thought Billy Edelin was an extremely smart player.

 

[MSOrange]

Paul Harris of course

 

[Eric15]

Most tenacious defender is Jason Hart by far. It's the only reason he played in 23 NBA playoff games.

 

[OrangeDW]

Despite his limitations (mediocre athlete, mediocre shooter, personal issues) I always thought Billy Edelin was an extremely smart player.

Agreed. Josh Pace too. Both guys really played to their strengths and hardly ever did anything dumb. GMac was another smart player on those teams. Carmelo too. Those 4, I basically never got mad at in the championship season.

Coleman and Owens both were smart players IMO.

Senior Lazarus Sims did a great job running the team and controlling the game.

Though he could get a bit wild, I thought Flynn had major “it” factor related to b-ball IQ.

 

[OttoMets]

I'll second Edelin, among others. Rautins was careless, but he knew the game.

I'm also hard-pressed to identify someone savvier than Dolezaj, though he's good for one "are you kidding me?!" foul per game.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Z Sims, Rautins and Coleman.

 

[sutomcat]

Would it be Sherman? How about our most tenacious junkyard dog defender?

Sherm was really smart.

Pearl was extraordinary. Almost never made a mental error. Great instincts.

Moten had a great feel for the game from day one. Even if he made a giant mental error at the end.

Dale Shackleford was really smart.

Tyler Ennis belongs in this group too.

 

[OttoMets]

Sherm was really smart.

Pearl was extraordinary. Almost never made a mental error. Great instincts.

Moten had a great feel for the game from day one. Even if he made a giant mental error at the end.

Dale Shackleford was really smart.

Tyler Ennis belongs in this group too.

Moten's a little like Dolezaj (no offense to Moten). Absolute 99th-percentile hoops IQ, so savvy. But when he made a mistake (not just against Arkansas, how about the deer-in-the-headlights five second call against Seton Hall), it was an epic one.

 

[Trueblue25]

Im tempted to come out of left field and say Scoop but he just had too many random clueless errors. His street ball iq was great and at times meshed effortlessly onto the court. A lot of beautiful offense when he was on, but a lot of scream at the tv moments as well.

 

[OttoMets]

Im tempted to come out of left field and say Scoop but he just had too many random clueless errors. His street ball iq was great and at times meshed effortlessly onto the court. A lot of beautiful offense when he was on, but a lot of scream at the tv moments as well.

I was going to but didn't want to get into the back-and-forth. He made errors (though not nearly as many as some claim) but he was a natural basketball player with all the intelligence you'd want from a guard. Guy scored when nobody else wanted to take a shot, he had a knack for knowing when he had an advantage on his defender (much like Battle does), and he had good vision as a passer.

The drop-off after he graduated was noticeable. We went from having point guards who knew how to play basketball to having a point guard who'd learned how to play basketball. There's a huge intangible difference. Always thought Carter-Williams could've used more time on the playground.

 

[Trueblue25]

I was going to but didn't want to get into the back-and-forth. He made errors (though not nearly as many as some claim) but he was a natural basketball player with all the intelligence you'd want from a guard. Guy scored when nobody else wanted to take a shot, he had a knack for knowing when he had an advantage on his defender (much like Battle does), and he had good vision as a passer.

There have been players over the last two decades that created offense when others did not or could not. Scoops one of them. Coincidence that multiple were from philly? I dont think so. Miss the street ballers we’d recruit and think Carey has the potential.

 

[OttoMets]

There have been players over the last two decades that created offense when others did not or could not. Scoops one of them. Coincidence that multiple were from philly? I dont think so. Miss the street ballers we’d recruit and think Carey has the potential.

I do too. And I'm the guy who mocks "warrior," "big heart," "more intensity" sorts of intangibles, but I think there's something to the idea that inner-city playground kids got a different skillset drilled into them that helps at the college level - ability to finish through contact, finish with both hands, play off teammates or score one-on-one. Essentially it's a more well-rounded game, and it's instinctive rather than mechanical.

SU hasn't had enough of those kids in the 2013-2019 era, and I believe it's contributed to the crappy play. If we need anything, it's a drought-buster - somebody who can score in ten different ways, even if he's the focus of the opposing defense, somebody who doesn't get frustrated with that because he learned as a seven-year-old that you can't whine and want to take a poke at a bigger kid on the court.

I can think of so many times when Scoop filled that role (UConn at MSG, Nova at the Dome, Butler, even though that didn't work out). I hope Carey can show something similar.

 

[Trueblue25]

I do too. And I'm the guy who mocks "warrior," "big heart," "more intensity" sorts of intangibles, but I think there's something to the idea that inner-city playground kids got a different skillset drilled into them that helps at the college level - ability to finish through contact, finish with both hands, play off teammates or score one-on-one. Essentially it's a more well-rounded game, and it's instinctive rather than mechanical.

SU hasn't had enough of those kids in the 2013-2019 era, and I believe it's contributed to the crappy play. If we need anything, it's a drought-buster - somebody who can score in ten different ways, even if he's the focus of the opposing defense, somebody who doesn't get frustrated with that because he learned as a seven-year-old that you can't whine and want to take a poke at a bigger kid on the court.

I can think of so many times when Scoop filled that role (UConn at MSG, Nova at the Dome, Butler, even though that didn't work out). I hope Carey can show something similar.

Most kids now come from AAU super teams in which they spend their developing high school years playing ISO look at me ball or with different teammates every other week. I just don’t think it encourages the same growth until they either develop with an established p5 coach or not. I think jb’s offenses are natually iso/pick and roll offenses and it may not be well suited for non developed low team iq prospects.

 

[Orange Barrel]

I worked on an interview with Larry Brown in 2001 when he was coaching the 76ers. One of the questions was, "Who is the smartest player you've ever coached?" Without hesitating or elaborating, he answered, "Derrick Coleman."

 

[hungrychuck]

Moten's a little like Dolezaj (no offense to Moten). Absolute 99th-percentile hoops IQ, so savvy. But when he made a mistake (not just against Arkansas, how about the deer-in-the-headlights five second call against Seton Hall), it was an epic one.

You guys beat me to it, but I would second -- or third -- Moten as my choice. One of the most savvy, instinctive players I've ever seen, and from Day One. And yes, his rare mistakes were quite something.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Marek reminds me of Fair, a lot. CJ just knew where to be at most times even as a frosh. He was a natural.

 

[OttoMets]

You guys beat me to it, but I would second -- or third -- Moten as my choice. One of the most savvy, instinctive players I've ever seen, and from Day One. And yes, his rare mistakes were quite something.

It was a different era, of course, but imagine: the Big East's all-time leading scorer was 6'4" with no vertical leap, was a mediocre shooter, and had almost a 50% field goal percentage over 4 years. That guy has a head on his shoulders.

 

[OttoMets]

Marek reminds me of Fair, a lot. CJ just knew where to be at most times even as a frosh. He was a natural.

Funny, because young Fair reminded me of a more athletic and left-handed Moten. There's a commonality here.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Gerry.

 

[xc84]

Would it be Sherman? How about our most tenacious junkyard dog defender?

I'd go with Sherman. He did a lot of little things that were really smart and sometimes unnoticed by many.

 

[kcsu]

Bing, Pearl, Sherm, Jimmy Lee, Melo and Gmac all had great court awareness.

 

[kuethstheman]

Agreed. Josh Pace too. Both guys really played to their strengths and hardly ever did anything dumb. GMac was another smart player on those teams. Carmelo too. Those 4, I basically never got mad at in the championship season.

Coleman and Owens both were smart players IMO.

Senior Lazarus Sims did a great job running the team and controlling the game.

Though he could get a bit wild, I thought Flynn had major “it” factor related to b-ball IQ.

My comment on Billy Owens high BB IQ: He had it except when he didn't.

Great court vision and mostly good decision making but there were a two things he used to do that made my head explode:

• Dribble high into double and triple-teams
• Throw up a wild shot when he got bumped because he assumed there'd be a whistle. I don't think it worked even once in his time here.

 

[djmlaw]

Leo Rautins.

 

[orangecuse]

As far as our best defender, I'd place that on Stevie Thompson. Back when we played man to man, I remember when we would place Stevie on the opposing team's best offensive weapon/threat. JB would play the box and 1 as well, with Stevie being the 1. And, I recall the vast majority of the time, Stevie winning that battle...