Honest question. Is Swider everything we expected?

[MikeSU02]

He is what I would have bet on, but not what I hoped.

I really wish his role was 7th or 8th man where we could gauge if he was on or off shooting the ball and flex his minutes that way.

I will say this to his credit, it feels like he is sort of on the outside looking in with his skills versus our starting five structure. Now, I'm not sure if that's a case of JB not using him properly, him not performing or both. Right now I think mostly it's on him.

 

[OrangeDW]

Sir, I watched James Southerland play. I watched his senior year and he was a weapon. Cole Swider is no James Southerland.

He is basically Alan Griffin better rebounder but worse athlete.
He has been fine.

He just isn’t what the HC and GMac hyped him to be.

Yup.

If Southerland played 35 minutes per game and jacked shots the whole time, he would’ve put up better counting stats than Cole.

Southerland was also a WAY better defender.

But as Eric was saying, they are similar in style offensively. Tall jump shooters with no handle.

 

[Consigliere]

Plays solid, fundamental basketball but seems confortable taking a back seat to the other options on the court. Midset of a complementary bench player. Almost like Marek in that regard. We need him to be more and he has the tools. Those baseline turnarounds he hit down the stretch last night were big time shots. He also has a decent handle for a 6'9" kid and has some ability to put the ball on the floor and get into the lane. If he is more aggressive on offense it will open the floor up for everyone else. I think he was so locked into a role at Nova that he never developed any degree of alpha personality on the floor.

 

[Eric15]

Guys I was just referring to their respective lack of ball-handling ability, specifically. I know they aren't totally the same player, and I agree that James is better, and also probably more flatulent.

 

[Alsacs]

Guys I was just referring to their respective lack of ball-handling ability, specifically. I know they aren't totally the same player, and I agree that James is better, and also probably more flatulent.

James Southerland role was to be a catch and shoot guy.
He got great service from his PGs.
He never was asked to drive the ball
The guy could drive if that was asked.
At the end of the Michigan Final Four game Southerland faked a shot and drove a dunk.
He had that game.

I don’t see the comp to Swider at all. There games are not alike unless you want to say you think Swider is a catch and shoot guy.
I don’t see Swider as a catch and shoot guy. If he is then the PGs need to service him better.

 

[two3zone]

James Southerland role was to be a catch and shoot guy.
He got great service from his PGs.
He never was asked to drive the ball
The guy could drive if that was asked.
At the end of the Michigan Final Four game Southerland faked a shot and drove a dunk.
He had that game.

I don’t see the comp to Swider at all. There games are not alike unless you want to say you think Swider is a catch and shoot guy.
I don’t see Swider as a catch and shoot guy. If he is then the PGs need to service him better.

James also moved without the ball, Swider moves less on offense without the ball than he does on defense, which is saying a lot.

 

[Marty McFly]

He just looks so awkward out there... stumbles, hesitates, out of position or slow to recover and just doesn't play confidently at all. Not sure what I was expecting but I was looking for more.

 

[orangepassion]

Wish he'd do that turnaround fadeaway mid-range jumper more often. It's usually money. Like a lot of guys on our team, he'd be a great 6th man.

 

[ssbriefcase]

Yeah the reports of his handle and ability to drive last summer, were greatly exaggerated.

 

[IthacaMatt]

And those are made up numbers but yup they are Gugliotta type numbers. Next year he won't get the absolutely wide open 3 pt looks he misses this year.

"Made Up Numbers"??
He's averaging 13 points right now as the 4th option behind the Boeheim Boys and their cousin Joe.

The 8 rebounds are just 1 more than he's averaging right now.

As poor as we think Cole is shooting, he's at 36% right now from three, and 86% from the line.

So, you don't think he can improve 2% from 3? Have you watched the games? He has a great stroke.

 

[IthacaMatt]

He’s redundant with Jimmy on the team. I think we would have been better off going with Benny and Keeping Braswell.

Jimmy provides some great "old man game" in the lane, kind of like Josh Pace used to do.
Great glue guy, really excellent in that role.
Swider needs to learn some moxie from Jimmy, and he can turn into a hell of a player.

 

[IthacaMatt]

This is the issue. Jimmy and Cole have the same deficiencies, especially on defense. We’d be ok if they played 10min together, but not 30. We really need someone like Q on the other side when Cole/Jimmy are on the wing.

Cole is better than Jimmy on defense. Jimmy gets tips and steals and loose balls, and does a pretty nice job on the boards (6 a game). But Swider doesn't just get shoved out of the way underneath the rim like Jimmy does. Swider is also a pretty good rebounder. I also like his developing mid-range game.

 

[phil77]

Cole is terrible and should be playing 20 minutes off the bench but he has to start and should be playing no more than 30 minutes a game. He doesn't do enough on the court to deserve those minutes at all. Maybe he is really good in practice

 

[IthacaMatt]

James Southerland role was to be a catch and shoot guy.
He got great service from his PGs.
He never was asked to drive the ball
The guy could drive if that was asked.
At the end of the Michigan Final Four game Southerland faked a shot and drove a dunk.
He had that game.

I don’t see the comp to Swider at all. There games are not alike unless you want to say you think Swider is a catch and shoot guy.
I don’t see Swider as a catch and shoot guy. If he is then the PGs need to service him better.

OK, how about using Ryan Blackwell as a comp for Swider? Another guy with clear basketball skills, solid but not spectacular rebounder, could shoot the three.

Blackwell was a starter for all 3 years with us. He averaged about 12 points a game on a very balanced team. He averaged about 7.5 rebounds and in his best 2 years shot 34% from three. Blackwell was a guy who turned it over sometimes (around 3 a game). His steal and assist numbers are about the same.

Would anybody on this board not want Ryan Blackwell on their team? He was a very good player for us in the post-Wallace transition, and was part of that wonderful 2000 team that blew the big lead against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. That was a hell of team.

 

[two3zone]

OK, how about using Ryan Blackwell as a comp for Swider? Another guy with clear basketball skills, solid but not spectacular rebounder, could shoot the three.

Blackwell was a starter for all 3 years with us. He averaged about 12 points a game on a very balanced team. He averaged about 7.5 rebounds and in his best 2 years shot 34% from three. Blackwell was a guy who turned it over sometimes (around 3 a game). His steal and assist numbers are about the same.

Would anybody on this board not want Ryan Blackwell on their team? He was a very good player for us in the post-Wallace transition, and was part of that wonderful 2000 team that blew the big lead against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. That was a hell of team.

I’m not sure there is a comp for Swider that played any minutes for us, he is one of the worst defenders I’ve seen in Orange.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Swider can dribble?

That’s been my biggest concern with him. He has no ability to get by any defender at all.

 

[SUMinistry]

I love his hustle, but his lack of athleticism makes his hustle somewhat moot at times. Overall, though, about what I expected.

 

[IthacaMatt]

That’s been my biggest concern with him. He has no ability to get by any defender at all.

I think he's beginning to try shooting over them, like Buddy and Jimmy do. Using the same moves. Probably taught to them by Devo.

 

[Scooch]

He's by far the best aggressive-clapper on the team. So he's got that going for him. Which is nice.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

He's by far the best aggressive-clapper on the team. So he's got that going for him. Which is nice.

This is weird to admit, but I’ve found myself doing the same danged thing when I play now. And yes, I want to slap myself when I do it.

 

[two3zone]

This is weird to admit, but I’ve found myself doing the same danged thing when I play now. And yes, I want to slap myself when I do it.

If we ever play against each other, I got you haha. Swider looks creepy with that intense look, when he doesn’t have the intense look he looks like the alien on American Dad.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

If we ever play against each other, I got you haha. Swider looks creepy with that intense look, when he doesn’t have the intense look he looks like the alien on American Dad.

You’re way too big for me to guard. I prefer young guys who don’t pay much attention to me until I bang 3 threes in their mugs. You’d put me under the basket and score repeatedly

 

[two3zone]

You’re way too big for me to guard. I prefer young guys who don’t pay much attention to me until I bang 3 threes in their mugs. You’d put me under the basket and score repeatedly

You have me pegged all wrong, I’m the three drainer who only goes inside after I’ve banged a few myself and I can get away with my old man pump fake and get the easy layup. The older I get the more I enjoy passing at every opportunity, I tell all the young guys, I’m a better passer then you and I’m not moving, you get open you’ll have the ball. They listen, it works and we usually run the court for hours, all while I rarely leave the top of the key. Defense, I say “I’m under the hoop, don’t be afraid to let them go by you, let them take shots”. Haha

 

[CuseFaninVT]

You have me pegged all wrong, I’m the three drainer who only goes inside after I’ve banged a few myself and I can get away with my old man pump fake and get the easy layup. The older I get the more I enjoy passing at every opportunity, I tell all the young guys, I’m a better passer then you and I’m not moving, you get open you’ll have the ball. They listen, it works and we usually run the court for hours, all while I rarely leave the top of the key. Defense, I say “I’m under the hoop, don’t be afraid to let them go by you, let them take shots”. Haha

Now we’re talking!

 

[Alsacs]

He's by far the best aggressive-clapper on the team. So he's got that going for him. Which is nice.

JBA gives him a run for his money but JBA is on the bench.