Goodbye Benny?

[Orangezoo]

I'm just saying this was last October before we even played a game. Not sure JB had time to do anything to ruin him yet. I think he may have been overrated because the rankings during Covid were a crapshoot.

The rankings thing I think is overlooked a lot. One of the most critical summers for evaluation he spent working out at home vs out against his peer competition. Never a guarantee that you will see those things but I would anticipate some of it would show up. You could see those things in the European tour this past summer so have to figure it would have shown up.

 

[Orangezoo]

I never thought Benny was good the first time I saw him. It was strange because so many were raving about him. I was confused, maybe I just couldn’t see it? But, it appears he’s not very good. So, it raises another question that has been raised before, what’s up with our scouting? We’ve had a lot of misses over the past several years. I mean, Benny was a prime target of the staff. Again, some of our prime targets just have not materialized in recent times. It’s concerning.

A lot of his tape we got to see was highlights only and then him playing against shorter defenders both outside and around the rim. It was deceiving to say the least based on the player that arrived on campus.

 

[RF2044]

Benny seems like a great kid.

But he came in with a lofty ranking [5-star] and vastly underachieved during his freshman year, not coming close to living up to expectations.

Then, he was given every chance to start and play his way into a consistent level of productivity this season, but failed to do so.

Beyond the hit to depth, is there really a significant impact here if he departs?

No disrespect to Benny. He wouldn't be the first player to be driven out by JB turning him into the whipping boy.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Cry me a river. How many schools let student reporters participate at all in pressers?
I get a kick over all the “I’m amazed“ comments about JB being snarky. Next they’ll be telling me the Pope is Catholic.

This post is dumb. We’re one of the premier journalism schools in the country. We are not one of the premier basketball schools in the country.

 

[MikeSU02]

 

[MikeSU02]

 

[MikeSU02]

 

[MikeSU02]

 

[MikeSU02]

We aren't getting the right pub after any game.

It needs to be fixed.

 

[pwong]

You forgot this one lol

 

[Willy75]

This post is dumb. We’re one of the premier journalism schools in the country. We are not one of the premier basketball schools in the country.

Whatever you say. If they want an easier interview maybe they should be covering something like Ivy League womens' swimming.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Whatever you say. If they want an easier interview maybe they should be covering something like Ivy League womens' swimming.

Ok boomer

 

[SUMJF]

Last week the kid asked a slanted negative question to elicit a negative response.
I get Coach not responding to that.
This question was legitimate and didn’t deserve the passive aggression.
Benny Williams absence was a question the fans would want asked and it wasn’t asked rudely.

Coach needs a snickers.

 

[rrlbees]

Not completely defending JB but he did say pregame that he would address the Benny situation after the game. So why ask him about it. Did the kid think JB might forget?

 

[rrlbees]

You forgot this one lol

Clueless people.

 

[kcsu]

Benny seems like a great kid.

But he came in with a lofty ranking [5-star] and vastly underachieved during his freshman year, not coming close to living up to expectations.

Then, he was given every chance to start and play his way into a consistent level of productivity this season, but failed to do so.

Beyond the hit to depth, is there really a significant impact here if he departs?

No disrespect to Benny. He wouldn't be the first player to be driven out by JB turning him into the whipping boy.

Confidence is tricky. Most people respond better to positive encouragement than negative. I had a mentor tell me that when addressing someone always try to point out two positives for every negative.

 

[newmexicuse]

I never thought Benny was good the first time I saw him. It was strange because so many were raving about him. I was confused, maybe I just couldn’t see it? But, it appears he’s not very good. So, it raises another question that has been raised before, what’s up with our scouting? We’ve had a lot of misses over the past several years. I mean, Benny was a prime target of the staff. Again, some of our prime targets just have not materialized in recent times. It’s concerning.

He has very funky form on his shot, hence his shooting is inconsistent.

His athleticism is off the charts.

The real issue is that he doesnt have a feel for the game and he doesnt know how to consistently use his athleticism to make plays. His handle is so-so. He cant dribble thru traffic, but he does fine if he has an open lane. Feel for the game can improve over time. The really good players have certain instincts that Benny lacks and IMHO will never develop, but he can certainly develop to a serviceable level.

I do not see him as a hopeless project, but clearly he has to improve a lot of he wants to be a D1 caliber starter. Maybe he could get to that point as a senior if he sticks it out and works hard.

 

[MSOrange]

And he’s worse the lower down you are in importance. He’s always rough on the Newhouse kids.

That's a good point. I used to be in a position where I worked with a lot of executives, but was far from one myself. I definitely remember the ones who treated me in a less than kind way "just because they could." By that same token, I remember the ones who didn't use their position in that way at all and were very kind.

 

[orangefog]

He has very funky form on his shot, hence his shooting is inconsistent.

His athleticism is off the charts.

The real issue is that he doesnt have a feel for the game and he doesnt know how to consistently use his athleticism to make plays. His handle is so-so. He cant dribble thru traffic, but he does fine if he has an open lane. Feel for the game can improve over time. The really good players have certain instincts that Benny lacks and IMHO will never develop, but he can certainly develop to a serviceable level.

I do not see him as a hopeless project, but clearly he has to improve a lot of he wants to be a D1 caliber starter. Maybe he could get to that point as a senior if he sticks it out and works hard.

I agree with all of this. He does have a little issue with his shooting form, but it worked for him in high school. I was high on him coming in because he shot decent from three and obviously around the rim his athleticism really shined. But, he had one hell of a turn around jumper. Once he got here, that jumper just flattened out and was ugly. I really feel like Benny could be a more consistent player next year, if he comes back. But, who knows. He is so inconsistent and it all seems to be psychological. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs. I would like to think that he decides to stay and toughen up and play with a chip on his shoulder and with something to prove and we get "good Benny" all the time.

 

[orangezen]

Maybe hypnosis will help Benny. 5 Sports Hypnosis Techniques To Alleviate Performance Anxiety & Trigger A Success Mindset– 2nd Edition

 

[orangefog]

Maybe hypnosis will help Benny. 5 Sports Hypnosis Techniques To Alleviate Performance Anxiety & Trigger A Success Mindset– 2nd Edition

I think he needs to hang out with Dion Waiters for a week.

 

[RF2044]

Confidence is tricky. Most people respond better to positive encouragement than negative. I had a mentor tell me that when addressing someone always try to point out two positives for every negative.

Sometimes. Maybe most of the time. And maybe it is also attributable to a generational disconnect between JB and today's players.

But we've had plenty of players who responded favorably to JB's burning glare. Jason Hart is a great example -- JB was really hard on him freshman year [trust me, his freshman year he was JB's whipping boy], but Hart used it as motivation and didn't wilt, because that's how he's wired.

Harris, Roberson, Williams -- not so much.

 

[Manleymen]

I agree with all of this. He does have a little issue with his shooting form, but it worked for him in high school. I was high on him coming in because he shot decent from three and obviously around the rim his athleticism really shined. But, he had one hell of a turn around jumper. Once he got here, that jumper just flattened out and was ugly. I really feel like Benny could be a more consistent player next year, if he comes back. But, who knows. He is so inconsistent and it all seems to be psychological. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs. I would like to think that he decides to stay and toughen up and play with a chip on his shoulder and with something to prove and we get "good Benny" all the time.

I was thinking about your last sentence that Benny could bulk up and became a bada** rebounder Both ends of the court. Really hit the weights and lower body too. With all our shooters we need all the rebounders we can get.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Sometimes. Maybe most of the time. And maybe it is also attributable to a generational disconnect between JB and today's players.

But we've had plenty of players who responded favorably to JB's burning glare. Jason Hart is a great example -- JB was really hard on him freshman year [trust me, his freshman year he was JB's whipping boy], but Hart used it as motivation and didn't wilt, because that's how he's wired.

Harris, Roberson, Williams -- not so much.

Just to further illustrate your point, Jason Hart is old enough to be benny’s father.

 

[two3zone]

Whatever you say. If they want an easier interview maybe they should be covering something like Ivy League womens' swimming.

This is just stupid.