Elijah Hughes

[Trueblue25]

Brings a fraction of certainty and a years experience to a position we've essentially swung and missed on for years in a row. Not eligible for a year but color me a light shade of relieved.

 

[cuseattle]

What I'm talking about! Bring me no nonsense kids who like us!

Drama: you go thataway.

Boom!

 

[EastCoast2]

I get that he was apparently a decent high school player, but consider me skeptical that a guy that was pretty terrible at ECU will blossom with us. Here's to hoping though; certainly seems to have the type of body you look for in a recruit and the form on his jumper is there. Hard to really explain why he was so bad for ECU.

What makes you say he was terrible at ECU? He missed time and averaged 7.8 points in 20 minutes... That's "terrible" for a freshman????

 

[Jeremy L.]

This scares me only because no other big teams had much interest. Don't know much about the guy. What's the potential we could see in this kid?

 

[Jasoncuse]

I agree, at worst he is a quality backup at the 2 and 3. He also has the upside to be a high level starter so I think this is a very good move.

I believe the AAC is a good defensive league too, so showing some ability when he got healthy and more comfortable was a good sign. I think this year to develop his game further will be huge for his future success. If he had to play this year, I wouldn't be very confident, but since he seems like a late bloomer, this should be hugely beneficial to him and the program.

 

[SacKingCuse]

To me it shows we're going for the 2018-2019 season. We could have offered Marek who could have helped this year but chose to offer Hughes who has to sit a year.

This season will be what it is but we'll be back legit top 15 in 2018-2019.

 

[Cusefan0307]

What makes you say he was terrible at ECU? He missed time and averaged 7.8 points in 20 minutes... That's "terrible" for a freshman????

It has nothing to do with being a freshman.

For me it is the concern around his shooting percentages in a weaker league.

Not disagreeing his physical attributes scream high upside though. He did have a couple good games right at the end of the year as well.

 

[JLine]

To me it shows we're going for the 2018-2019 season. We could have offered Marek who could have helped this year but chose to offer Hughes who has to sit a year.

This season will be what it is but we'll be back legit top 15 in 2018-2019.

Marek is still an option, once Tucker makes it official.

 

[SacKingCuse]

Marek is still an option, once Tucker makes it official.

I see...hope we land Marek too if that's the case

 

[jordoo]

To me it shows we're going for the 2018-2019 season. We could have offered Marek who could have helped this year but chose to offer Hughes who has to sit a year.

This season will be what it is but we'll be back legit top 15 in 2018-2019.

What makes you say we didn't offer Marek Solezaj? He isn't on social media, flew in and flew out so who was he going to tell?

 

[Lucid]

Good get. Kudos to the staff.

 

[EastCoast2]

It has nothing to do with being a freshman.

For me it is the concern around his shooting percentages in a weaker league.

Not disagreeing his physical attributes scream high upside though. He did have a couple good games right at the end of the year as well.

7.8 ppg in 20mpg is nearly 12ppg if he played 30 mpg, which most starters do. 12ppg as a freshman is pretty darn good, even in the AAC.

 

[jordoo]

7.8 ppg in 20mpg is nearly 12ppg if he played 30 mpg, which most starters do. 12ppg as a freshman is pretty darn good, even in the AAC.

He could be dynamic by the time the 2018 season starts.

 

[phil77]

7.8 ppg in 20mpg is nearly 12ppg if he played 30 mpg, which most starters do. 12ppg as a freshman is pretty darn good, even in the AAC.

Shooting 35% from 2 27% from 3 and 68% from the line isn't good.

 

[Cusefan0307]

7.8 ppg in 20mpg is nearly 12ppg if he played 30 mpg, which most starters do. 12ppg as a freshman is pretty darn good, even in the AAC.

No doubt. I wasn't looking at PPG, just efficiency.

I also think skepticism exists because some of our misses over the past 3-4 years.(Joseph/Chino/BJ/Ron/Robey to a degree/Chukwu so far...etc)

 

[Lucid]

68% from the line

Fits the program though

 

[CraigForth]

No doubt. I wasn't looking at PPG, just efficiency.

I also think skepticism exists because some of our misses over the past 3-4 years.(Joseph/Chino/BJ/Ron/Robey to a degree/Chukwu so far...etc)

This is exactly why skepticism surrounds this player. I admit this is the first recruit I have ever felt disappointed about landing. Glad we were able to fight off Iona though.

 

[JLine]

Shooting 35% from 2 27% from 3 and 68% from the line isn't good.

If it was 45, 30, and 70 would that be alright for you as a freshman? I'm pretty sure he can do better than that. As does the staff. He played at ECU, and was banged up. I'm gonna assume he improves. Especially with a year of practicing against high level competition. Not being a freshman thrown out there on a bad team.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Embrace it. Hope for the best. When was the last time we took a transfer from a lesser, non-P5 program? Ethan Cole?

John Gillon?

 

[SacKingCuse]

I didn't see any of his games at ECU but freshman just take stupid shots sometimes that are not in the flow of the offense. That may have something to do with it. Trying to earn minutes as a freshman and putting up shots from anywhere.

 

[Melancer46]

He wasn't necessarily terrible. I believe he had an injury issue early in the year, came on in AAC play and showed some scoring chops that we'll need in the future. He's got prototypical size and good athleticism. If his shot can develop over the next year, he should be a real nice component for his 3 years here.

He barely shot over 30% from the field. Even with his hot finish, he shot 33% over the last 11 games (last 11 because that's the last two months). He had two good games to end the year and that's it. There's really no argument that he was anything but terrible; if you want to say he was only terrible because of the adjustment to college/the injury, that's fine, but you still have to acknowledge that you're just coming up with excuses for his play.

Again, I'm fine with giving him the offer; as I mentioned before, he has the exact kind of body you look for and has the look of a good shooter. But I'll remain skeptical given the lack of results.

Edit: To be clear, I agree 100% with the bolded. I know I'm coming off like an ass because I'm skeptical, but I do understand the attraction to him.

 

[jordoo]

I didn't see any of his games at ECU but freshman just take stupid shots sometimes that are not in the flow of the offense. That may have something to do with it. Trying to earn minutes as a freshman and putting up shots from anywhere.

I completely agree shot selection alone could be 5-10% difference from freshman to sophomore. Especially on a bad team because you aren't pulled as much for you bad shots.

 

[skurey]

East Carolina

 

[Cusesky8214]

JB has liked him for a little while now. He knows talent so I'll trust him and the staff on this one

 

[phil77]

If it was 45, 30, and 70 would that be alright for you as a freshman? I'm pretty sure he can do better than that. As does the staff. He played at ECU, and was banged up. I'm gonna assume he improves. Especially with a year of practicing against high level competition. Not being a freshman thrown out there on a bad team.

I dont know "if" he can do better we will see I guess. But I throw major caution out to a player that wasn't heavily recruited out of high school and ended up at ECU. Then showed flashed but overall had a average to below average season when you look at more than PPG as a freshman in the AAC. Then hits the transfer market and no P5 school comes looking? We are battling IONA? There is alot of reasons for alarm bells to go off.


As with everyone that will put on the Cuse jersey I will support him now and hope that he has the up most success on and off the court.