First chance I had to look at the team this year my thoughts..

[orangefan13]

Gillon

Honest assessment Best single game performance from one of our guards in years. Did he do anything bad out there, anything on any play?

As good as, if not better than anything we ever saw from scoop dion mcw rautins gbinije cooney. Some players have good nights, others they "just get it". This guy plain out gets it, and its blatantly clear. Smoother then Wes Johnson out there. He was in march form tonight, you can’t play better than that. Both his oops were spot on. All stats aside curious what his plus minus was. What a treat! No point in writing anything else after that.


White- He's got blow by speed, pull up potential, spot up. and finishes confidently around the rim. The jumpers weren’t falling but I really enjoyed his game. Like gillon the kind of guy that can finish like a bull in a china shop which like athleticism cannot be taught.

Roberson- stronger, more ability to dribble around his man and finish around the rim. He’s going to have to develop the mental mantra “I can knock down three jumpers a game” or else he won't be a 3rd scoring option. Everything else he needs he has. Everything! He should run extra laps every game he knocks down only two jumpers a game and double the laps if he knocks down only one. He needs to forget the rebounding and take it personally when he doesn't knock those jumpers down we owe it to him as a senior. Can't understate that.

Howard- Huge jump from last year very solid. Knocked down a trifecta of threes and one from the corner. He is clearly better than last year.

Battle- I am just going to give him a dnp today he was lost playing himself into the game and the 9th man out as we have alot of talent. Having him and white running the transition all year is going to be a huge plus with 6'7 guard like speed. With the bounce of gillon howard and white he has his work really cut out for him, but I say that only seeing him one game. White and battle in transition, with gillon and howard's ability to finish on top of Roberson lydon trailing. We are the best finishing in transition team in the ncaa. Nobody is slowing our transition down all the way to the rim. Let’s figure out a killer press to add to it as basketball is a game of tempo.

paschal- Hoping Chuck only gets coined to his blocks not his free throws. I give him credit for hustling more the second half as his footspeed was much slower the first. Footspeed and movement needs to be solid for us to overcome a defensive hole at center. His change of direction sliding needs work. He also could use a lower wide stance like keita at times with Lydon Roberson Thompson and battle around him. Hes 7'2 spread that long frame out some. If he doesn’t learn that we won’t be able to trap much inside which leads to some transition, and blocking finesse.

Coleman- left off where he was last year. Same dajuan, different team. Injuries make it tough for him but this Man is all Heart!

Thompson- He is not the 9th man in the rotation. just a fresh behind a senior. I get the feeling he is going to contribute nicely this year. He has nba potential in him. I never got to see billy owens but for some reason his name popped in my head when I watched him out there.

Lydon- He doesn’t quite know his position this year I imagine. Just hanging around the court today. True leaders on the court do things that other players can’t. Most importantly, I don’t think we will be seeing lydon at the pf this year just a sf/center combo as thompson has the potential to play backup pf if he can extend some on defense. Sf’s are going to hate guarding Lydon, and playing center/sf will only give him advantages all game long. When they try to guard him with a pf then in comes white or battle at sf and a three guard lineup that would make nova jealous.

I really look forward to seeing our whole frontcourt in a high low game. There is to much potential there, and with all the perimeter bounce it just makes sense. We have three guys that can make stuff happen from a perimeter dribble to the free throw line and then from a free throw line to the rim. Gbinije and cooney didn't have that by comparison.

The press got a trap or two in, But it needs a lot of work. It was comforting to see we got three guys around someone at one point but nobody was near the crosscourt pass on that play. Nobody was cutting off or pushing the ballhandler in a different direction well enough for a successful press today. Slowing down the ball handler is key for a successful press.

69 points with 10:30 to go and we took the foot off the gas. Only 11 points after and a red jr three. The basketball game starts with 8 minutes left in the 2nd.

Go Cuse!
.

 

[DNABB5]

It was also my first time seeing them and I greatly heartened for the chances of our preferred swan song exit from the top for Mr. James Arthur Boeheim.

 

[Trueblue25]

I love how White started driving by defenders and finishing at the rack/drawing fouls when he knew his shots weren't all falling.

Big difference between him and other "shooters" the past 5-6 years.

 

[NKR1978]

I love that this was a really good opening game...with so much room for obvious and achievable improvement.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Gillon

Honest assessment Best single game performance from one of our guards in years. Did he do anything bad out there, anything on any play?

As good as, if not better than anything we ever saw from scoop dion mcw rautins gbinije cooney. Some players have good nights, others they "just get it". This guy plain out gets it, and its blatantly clear. Smoother then Wes Johnson out there. He was in march form tonight, you can’t play better than that. Both his oops were spot on. All stats aside curious what his plus minus was. What a treat! No point in writing anything else after that.


White- He's got blow by speed, pull up potential, spot up. and finishes confidently around the rim. The jumpers weren’t falling but I really enjoyed his game. Like gillon the kind of guy that can finish like a bull in a china shop which like athleticism cannot be taught.

Roberson- stronger, more ability to dribble around his man and finish around the rim. He’s going to have to develop the mental mantra “I can knock down three jumpers a game” or else he won't be a 3rd scoring option. Everything else he needs he has. Everything! He should run extra laps every game he knocks down only two jumpers a game and double the laps if he knocks down only one. He needs to forget the rebounding and take it personally when he doesn't knock those jumpers down we owe it to him as a senior. Can't understate that.

Howard- Huge jump from last year very solid. Knocked down a trifecta of threes and one from the corner. He is clearly better than last year.

Battle- I am just going to give him a dnp today he was lost playing himself into the game and the 9th man out as we have alot of talent. Having him and white running the transition all year is going to be a huge plus with 6'7 guard like speed. With the bounce of gillon howard and white he has his work really cut out for him, but I say that only seeing him one game. White and battle in transition, with gillon and howard's ability to finish on top of Roberson lydon trailing. We are the best finishing in transition team in the ncaa. Nobody is slowing our transition down all the way to the rim. Let’s figure out a killer press to add to it as basketball is a game of tempo.

paschal- Hoping Chuck only gets coined to his blocks not his free throws. I give him credit for hustling more the second half as his footspeed was much slower the first. Footspeed and movement needs to be solid for us to overcome a defensive hole at center. His change of direction sliding needs work. He also could use a lower wide stance like keita at times with Lydon Roberson Thompson and battle around him. Hes 7'2 spread that long frame out some. If he doesn’t learn that we won’t be able to trap much inside which leads to some transition, and blocking finesse.

Coleman- left off where he was last year. Same dajuan, different team. Injuries make it tough for him but this Man is all Heart!

Thompson- He is not the 9th man in the rotation. just a fresh behind a senior. I get the feeling he is going to contribute nicely this year. He has nba potential in him. I never got to see billy owens but for some reason his name popped in my head when I watched him out there.

Lydon- He doesn’t quite know his position this year I imagine. Just hanging around the court today. True leaders on the court do things that other players can’t. Most importantly, I don’t think we will be seeing lydon at the pf this year just a sf/center combo as thompson has the potential to play backup pf if he can extend some on defense. Sf’s are going to hate guarding Lydon, and playing center/sf will only give him advantages all game long. When they try to guard him with a pf then in comes white or battle at sf and a three guard lineup that would make nova jealous.

I really look forward to seeing our whole frontcourt in a high low game. There is to much potential there, and with all the perimeter bounce it just makes sense. We have three guys that can make stuff happen from a perimeter dribble to the free throw line and then from a free throw line to the rim. Gbinije and cooney didn't have that by comparison.

The press got a trap or two in, But it needs a lot of work. It was comforting to see we got three guys around someone at one point but nobody was near the crosscourt pass on that play. Nobody was cutting off or pushing the ballhandler in a different direction well enough for a successful press today. Slowing down the ball handler is key for a successful press.

69 points with 10:30 to go and we took the foot off the gas. Only 11 points after and a red jr three. The basketball game starts with 8 minutes left in the 2nd.

Go Cuse!
.

Easy big guy: it was Colgate

 

[OttosBestFriend]

Thompson- He is not the 9th man in the rotation. just a fresh behind a senior. I get the feeling he is going to contribute nicely this year. He has nba potential in him. I never got to see billy owens but for some reason his name popped in my head when I watched him out there.


.

Thompson is a very good college frosh and I agree he can and will contribute this season.

That said, he is no Billy Owens.

Billy was the #1 or #2 recruit in the nation in 1988 (Alonzo Mourning was the other in that debate - depending on your source) and he dominated at Cuse from DAY 1.

Like Lydon, Owens played multiple positions (mainly the 4 as a frosh but also some spells at 2, 3 & 5) and he could do it all - rebound, pass, dribble, shoot.. you name it.

As a sophomore and junior, he, Stephen Thompson and David Johnson were an interchangeable and unstoppable 3-headed monster at the 2,3 and 4.

While I think we all like Thompson, please refrain from comparing him to an Orange legend - a legend that, admittedly, you'd never seen play.

 

[orangefog]

Thompson is a very good college frosh and I agree he can and will contribute this season.

That said, he is no Billy Owens.

Billy was the #1 or #2 recruit in the nation in 1988 (Alonzo Mourning was the other in that debate - depending on your source) and he dominated at Cuse from DAY 1.

Like Lydon, Owens played multiple positions (mainly the 4 as a frosh but also some spells at 2, 3 & 5) and he could do it all - rebound, pass, dribble, shoot.. you name it.

As a sophomore and junior, he, Stephen Thompson and David Johnson were an interchangeable and unstoppable 3-headed monster at the 2,3 and 4.

While I think we all like Thompson, please refrain from comparing him to an Orange legend - a legend that, admittedly, you'd never seen play.

I agree, you can't compare Taurean Thompson and Billy Owens. But, if I were to pick a player from that era that he reminds me of, it would be Richard Manning. Manning always impressed me, especially offensively, when he got into games. He struck me as a guy that would be a big contributor by the time he was done at SU. Hopefully Taurean will have a better ending at SU than Manning.

 

[SoBristol]

Had to search my memory (and research stats) on Richard Manning. He was on some very good SU teams and played 10 minutes per game as a reserve center/PF -- but only posted 2 rebs and 4 pts a game as a frosh and again as a soph. More an offensive player, than a defender. Transferred to Washington and blossomed.

Manning might not be the best analogy to Thompson. TT will likely double that output in rebounding and have much more impact.
But who else? We have had only a few 6ft 10in players, with forward skills -- Chris McCullough, Donte Greene, Derrick Coleman -- and some others with limited skills (Keita). McCullough & Greene were both more advanced on offense. As a lanky freshman, Derrick was a top 20 recruit (and better than projected), dominating on the boards, a fierce competitor, and a fixture in the starting line-up from day 1. Taurean is a top 75 recruit (and better than projected) and pretty good on the boards.

 

[orangefog]

Had to search my memory (and research stats) on Richard Manning. He was on some very good SU teams and played 10 minutes per game as a reserve center/PF -- but only posted 2 rebs and 4 pts a game as a frosh and again as a soph. More an offensive player, than a defender. Transferred to Washington and blossomed.

Manning might not be the best analogy to Thompson. TT will likely double that output in rebounding and have much more impact.
But who else? We have had only a few 6ft 10in players, with forward skills -- Chris McCullough, Donte Greene, Derrick Coleman -- and some others with limited skills (Keita). McCullough & Greene were both more advanced on offense. As a lanky freshman, Derrick was a top 20 recruit (and better than projected), dominating on the boards, a fierce competitor, and a fixture in the starting line-up from day 1. Taurean is a top 75 recruit (and better than projected) and pretty good on the boards.

I am judging based upon how he looked. He was behind DC. Manning showed some serious potential. Potential that he used at Washington and eventually it got him to the NBA.

 

[HoustonCuse]

TT looks good, but yeah the Billy Owens talk is lunacy. I don't agree with many of the takes in the OP but appreciate the enthusiasm. One other thing on the TT topic: he doesn't really look 6'10" to me. Maybe it's an optical illusion but when lined up in the FT blocks, he didn't tower over the Colgate guys next to him like you'd expect from 6'10". Is it a legit height?

 

[Dave85]

I love how White started driving by defenders and finishing at the rack/drawing fouls when he knew his shots weren't all falling.

He had me at his step-back jumper.