IUP Rewatch- thoughts/nuggets

[Orangezoo]

I always enjoy the replays especially after a few days. I like to put a game on when doing a lighter workout ( treadmill hike) as a nice distraction.

Some thoughts on the game on rewatch.

Chris Bell had 4 triples that missed just slightly. Ball came off his hands good and feet were set while also being wide open. JB mentioned IUPs misses but two open ones from Joe and Bells misses would have made even the first half look a lot different too. Also Bell made 3 nice defensive plays and showed off his athleticism a few times on breaks where he didn't quite get there to make a play. When he is hitting its going to change games for this team and help them settle into games.

You could see some things in the first half with all the guys where it almost warranted throwing out that first half. Just nerves, not playing together vs another team etc. It was like an open gym or practice scrimmage. Thus I was really more keyed in on the second half.

Carey did some nice things in his limited stint. His positioning was pretty good and he only got overzealous trying to block a shot once. He moves so well- and he also is far less skinny than I expected. He is far from Marek out there.

Copeland is going to have a triple double in an SU uniform. He gets great position on the boards, his passing we know about and on the baseline teams are going to help on Jesse and Benny where Quadir can attack the rim. He stood out all over the court.

Once Jesse gets his conditioning back he will be even better. His base on post ups is stronger and he just is stronger overall. That shoulder fake was gorgeous on the inbounds play.

Benny was impressive on offense. He made several pro level moves even though he missed one of the looks. On defense he needs to stay locked in. He gets lost and caught ball watching too much. He also is noticeably bigger even a bit more since the summer. He could be a monster on the glass if he stays on track.

Mintz is special. He reminds more of a UConn guard than any of our former guards. He definitely gets a little too selfish but he started moving the ball more after several conversations with the coaching staff and his little drop off to Joe was really pretty. We don't need him to be pass first or even pass second he just needs to commit to finding the open man when teams help on him or there is a wide open shooter. His chemistry with Joe and Jesse will continue to develop but its not there yet. That will be a rough patch against better teams for a bit. Symir will be really important for us I think because of this.

Brown didn't get a lot of run but both he and Taylor are really good fundamental players. Brown is good on the glass and finishing inside and Taylor does a bit of everything. His frame and movement on defense in the mtm shut down IUP 3 or 4 times. Both of these guys looked the part vs being over matched. Their tendency to be shy on offense likely will limit their minutes to an extent.

Hima showed he adds value in short stints defensively. He isn't going to confuse anyone for a starting quality ACC big but he blocked a shot and ate up space. He probably will have some foul issues as he had two that weren't called.

Symir will have to play but his minutes are going to vary a lot I think unless he really shows improvement in his shooting. There is no one as good as he is feeding the post either which will play a role too.

The next exhibition will be telling for this groups trajectory. It will be key to see if the team looks like the second half version of IUP now that the first game is out of the way.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'm probably in the minority, but Benny's shot still concerns me as it is very flat and I don't understand why Edwards isn't in shape. There always seems to be one guy each season that comes in at less than peak conditioning. It's disappointing when it comes from someone who's expected to be our best player.

 

[Orangezoo]

I'm probably in the minority, but Benny's shot still concerns me as it is very flat and I don't understand why Edwards isn't in shape. There always seems to be one guy each season that comes in at less than peak conditioning. It's disappointing when it comes from someone who's expected to be our best player.

Yeah- I'm going with result over form with Benny at this point being so early. His FT shooting looks a lot better as well which is a good sign. It's a weird shot in general but if he is successful then not going to harp on it.

Jesse's trip was definitely a disappointment. That Dutch team isn't good so it was puzzling he didn't get more run

 

[rhcuse]

I had the same feeling in first half — that it was kinda like JB’s pre-game locker room speech was “Okay boys, just get out there and run up and down, get a bucket for yourself, get the dome jitters out of the way and in the second half we’ll play real ball. “

Our 12th guy got in the game at about 6 minutes(?), it was throw them all out there to make them happy.

 

[Newhouser]

I'm probably in the minority, but Benny's shot still concerns me as it is very flat and I don't understand why Edwards isn't in shape. There always seems to be one guy each season that comes in at less than peak conditioning. It's disappointing when it comes from someone who's expected to be our best player.

I agree on the Benny shot and offense. His main impact is going to be on the glass and on D. I also agree on conditioning - this is a job, come ready to play.

 

[Consigliere]

Got to remember that the primary objective in an exhibition game, especially the FIRST exhibition game, isn’t necessarily to win the game. It’s to get tape, on the new guys particularly, and to see how the team reacts in a less controlled environment than an inter squad scrimmage or practice. First half was dedicated to get as many guys out there for as many minutes as possible. No screens set for Joe, no pick and rolls with Jesse, who hardly played in the first half. Second half was more about getting some cohesion and building continuity with a tighter rotation. I think the results were pretty evident

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I always enjoy the replays especially after a few days. I like to put a game on when doing a lighter workout ( treadmill hike) as a nice distraction.

Some thoughts on the game on rewatch.

Chris Bell had 4 triples that missed just slightly. Ball came off his hands good and feet were set while also being wide open. JB mentioned IUPs misses but two open ones from Joe and Bells misses would have made even the first half look a lot different too. Also Bell made 3 nice defensive plays and showed off his athleticism a few times on breaks where he didn't quite get there to make a play. When he is hitting its going to change games for this team and help them settle into games.

You could see some things in the first half with all the guys where it almost warranted throwing out that first half. Just nerves, not playing together vs another team etc. It was like an open gym or practice scrimmage. Thus I was really more keyed in on the second half.

Carey did some nice things in his limited stint. His positioning was pretty good and he only got overzealous trying to block a shot once. He moves so well- and he also is far less skinny than I expected. He is far from Marek out there.

Copeland is going to have a triple double in an SU uniform. He gets great position on the boards, his passing we know about and on the baseline teams are going to help on Jesse and Benny where Quadir can attack the rim. He stood out all over the court.

Once Jesse gets his conditioning back he will be even better. His base on post ups is stronger and he just is stronger overall. That shoulder fake was gorgeous on the inbounds play.

Benny was impressive on offense. He made several pro level moves even though he missed one of the looks. On defense he needs to stay locked in. He gets lost and caught ball watching too much. He also is noticeably bigger even a bit more since the summer. He could be a monster on the glass if he stays on track.

Mintz is special. He reminds more of a UConn guard than any of our former guards. He definitely gets a little too selfish but he started moving the ball more after several conversations with the coaching staff and his little drop off to Joe was really pretty. We don't need him to be pass first or even pass second he just needs to commit to finding the open man when teams help on him or there is a wide open shooter. His chemistry with Joe and Jesse will continue to develop but its not there yet. That will be a rough patch against better teams for a bit. Symir will be really important for us I think because of this.

Brown didn't get a lot of run but both he and Taylor are really good fundamental players. Brown is good on the glass and finishing inside and Taylor does a bit of everything. His frame and movement on defense in the mtm shut down IUP 3 or 4 times. Both of these guys looked the part vs being over matched. Their tendency to be shy on offense likely will limit their minutes to an extent.

Hima showed he adds value in short stints defensively. He isn't going to confuse anyone for a starting quality ACC big but he blocked a shot and ate up space. He probably will have some foul issues as he had two that weren't called.

Symir will have to play but his minutes are going to vary a lot I think unless he really shows improvement in his shooting. There is no one as good as he is feeding the post either which will play a role too.

The next exhibition will be telling for this groups trajectory. It will be key to see if the team looks like the second half version of IUP now that the first game is out of the way.

On Symir... I'm worried how effective he'll be this season. Last season he had the advantage of coming into the game with at least two legitimate deep threats.

That's just not the team this season. Symir isn't going to have the same kind of room to operate he did last season, where his ability to set guys up for shots stood out.

Anyway, it's something I'm watching for.

 

[Orangezoo]

On Symir... I'm worried how effective he'll be this season. Next season he had the advantage of coming into the game with at least two legitimate deep threats.

That's just not the team this season. Symir isn't going to have the same kind of room to operate he did last season, where his ability to set guys up for shots stood out.

Anyway, it's something I'm watching for.

I honestly think Quadirs development will heavily factor into how things play out with Symir.

 

[Sbucketball]

I honestly think Quadirs development will heavily factor into how things play out with Symir.

Agreed. JB said in the press conference Symir's PT will depend on what the other guys are doing. Obviously if Judah and Joe are playing decent Symir won't get many minutes in the first place, and if Quadir logs minutes at the 3 and racks up assists there's even less reason to sub out our scoring guards for a change of pace pass-first PG.

 

[MikeSU02]

I always enjoy the replays especially after a few days. I like to put a game on when doing a lighter workout ( treadmill hike) as a nice distraction.

Some thoughts on the game on rewatch.

Chris Bell had 4 triples that missed just slightly. Ball came off his hands good and feet were set while also being wide open. JB mentioned IUPs misses but two open ones from Joe and Bells misses would have made even the first half look a lot different too. Also Bell made 3 nice defensive plays and showed off his athleticism a few times on breaks where he didn't quite get there to make a play. When he is hitting its going to change games for this team and help them settle into games.

You could see some things in the first half with all the guys where it almost warranted throwing out that first half. Just nerves, not playing together vs another team etc. It was like an open gym or practice scrimmage. Thus I was really more keyed in on the second half.

Carey did some nice things in his limited stint. His positioning was pretty good and he only got overzealous trying to block a shot once. He moves so well- and he also is far less skinny than I expected. He is far from Marek out there.

Copeland is going to have a triple double in an SU uniform. He gets great position on the boards, his passing we know about and on the baseline teams are going to help on Jesse and Benny where Quadir can attack the rim. He stood out all over the court.

Once Jesse gets his conditioning back he will be even better. His base on post ups is stronger and he just is stronger overall. That shoulder fake was gorgeous on the inbounds play.

Benny was impressive on offense. He made several pro level moves even though he missed one of the looks. On defense he needs to stay locked in. He gets lost and caught ball watching too much. He also is noticeably bigger even a bit more since the summer. He could be a monster on the glass if he stays on track.

Mintz is special. He reminds more of a UConn guard than any of our former guards. He definitely gets a little too selfish but he started moving the ball more after several conversations with the coaching staff and his little drop off to Joe was really pretty. We don't need him to be pass first or even pass second he just needs to commit to finding the open man when teams help on him or there is a wide open shooter. His chemistry with Joe and Jesse will continue to develop but its not there yet. That will be a rough patch against better teams for a bit. Symir will be really important for us I think because of this.

Brown didn't get a lot of run but both he and Taylor are really good fundamental players. Brown is good on the glass and finishing inside and Taylor does a bit of everything. His frame and movement on defense in the mtm shut down IUP 3 or 4 times. Both of these guys looked the part vs being over matched. Their tendency to be shy on offense likely will limit their minutes to an extent.

Hima showed he adds value in short stints defensively. He isn't going to confuse anyone for a starting quality ACC big but he blocked a shot and ate up space. He probably will have some foul issues as he had two that weren't called.

Symir will have to play but his minutes are going to vary a lot I think unless he really shows improvement in his shooting. There is no one as good as he is feeding the post either which will play a role too.

The next exhibition will be telling for this groups trajectory. It will be key to see if the team looks like the second half version of IUP now that the first game is out of the way.

Benny needs to keep focusing on being Scottie Barnes, not Kevin Durant. His shot isn't clean enough to be a great shooter right now, imo. Athleticism and length on D, understanding where he needs to be, calculated chances, living above the rim on O, boarding, that stuff. I don't mind the close jumpers, but keep leaning into his natural attributes.

I love Jesse. To me, the center situation will be two fold: 1) when Jesse is in, minimally we will get efficient offense and maximally it will be him getting more looks/having the O centered around him more and 2) how long can he stay out there (whether it be endurance, foul trouble etc). I'm VERY nervous about the non-Jesse minutes when we're playing D1 teams, especially in conference. Not banking on meaningful production from Hima or Carey when we are playing real teams.

I think the more reps Joe gets with Judah, the better that tandem will be on O. Both looked very good at times, both forced shots at times. Not too worried on the offensive side outside of endurance for last five mins of close games. Defense, we'll see. Mintz' shot isn't pure and Joe's shot is great when he's set and can get square, but he drifts a bit at times.

Love Q's moxy and what he brings. JB will figure out where he fits. Others have said it, he's Pace-like. You need those guys. But remember, during our title year, I believe Pace sat for a number of consecutive games, DNP - CD. I can see that happening.

JT / Bell - these two have to solid. Not great, not very good, just solid. They have to know where to be and make the right decisions.

Brown nothing to say. I guess TBD.

Sy will be needed. He's just going to have to stay ready at all times. I'm guessing his PT gets whiplashed around. He's a vet. I think he'll be fine.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I honestly think Quadirs development will heavily factor into how things play out with Symir.

Maybe.

The cynic in me says it has less to do with Copeland's development and more to do with how comfortable JB is having Copeland on the floor.

I'm hoping JB is very comfortable with Copeland being out there. Quadir brings an edge that we really need and have been missing for a long time.

 

[alphaorange]

Yeah- I'm going with result over form with Benny at this point being so early. His FT shooting looks a lot better as well which is a good sign. It's a weird shot in general but if he is successful then not going to harp on it.

Jesse's trip was definitely a disappointment. That Dutch team isn't good so it was puzzling he didn't get more run

Maybe is just isn't as good as many here think? IMO, he is a long way from being an elite center in P5

 

[Orangezoo]

Maybe.

The cynic in me says it has less to do with Copeland's development and more to do with how comfortable JB is having Copeland on the floor.

I'm hoping JB is very comfortable with Copeland being out there. Quadir brings an edge that we really need and have been missing for a long time.

His comments, especially around practice I think are telling.

 

[Orangezoo]

Maybe is just isn't as good as many here think? IMO, he is a long way from being an elite center in P5

Wow. You are on a lonely island with that take.

 

[pearl31]

Benny needs to keep focusing on being Scottie Barnes, not Kevin Durant. His shot isn't clean enough to be a great shooter right now, imo. Athleticism and length on D, understanding where he needs to be, calculated chances, living above the rim on O, boarding, that stuff. I don't mind the close jumpers, but keep leaning into his natural attributes.

I love Jesse. To me, the center situation will be two fold: 1) when Jesse is in, minimally we will get efficient offense and maximally it will be him getting more looks/having the O centered around him more and 2) how long can he stay out there (whether it be endurance, foul trouble etc). I'm VERY nervous about the non-Jesse minutes when we're playing D1 teams, especially in conference. Not banking on meaningful production from Hima or Carey when we are playing real teams.

I think the more reps Joe gets with Judah, the better that tandem will be on O. Both looked very good at times, both forced shots at times. Not too worried on the offensive side outside of endurance for last five mins of close games. Defense, we'll see. Mintz' shot isn't pure and Joe's shot is great when he's set and can get square, but he drifts a bit at times.

Love Q's moxy and what he brings. JB will figure out where he fits. Others have said it, he's Pace-like. You need those guys. But remember, during our title year, I believe Pace sat for a number of consecutive games, DNP - CD. I can see that happening.

JT / Bell - these two have to solid. Not great, not very good, just solid. They have to know where to be and make the right decisions.

Brown nothing to say. I guess TBD.

Sy will be needed. He's just going to have to stay ready at all times. I'm guessing his PT gets whiplashed around. He's a vet. I think he'll be fine.

Great post.

 

[cuseincincy]

I saw many of the same things and came away optimistic. WARNING!!! I feel the need to proclaim that after the exhibition games last year I had Benny as a freshman AA so...

Chris Bell - I missed what you saw and it makes me feel even better. If he finds his role as a shooter and plays hard on D he will fill some of the team's perceived weaknesses. After seeing Copeland and Taylor and knowing the coaches picked Bell to start tells me something. Those other 2 are going to play so he better make shots if he doesn't want them coming in for him.

Benny - I guess I need to see it against better competition. He doesn 't need to be a 3 point or even 15 ft shooter. I'd love to see him work hard within 8 feet of the rim and run the floor. One of the Matt's called him "bouncy." Reminded me of when Rafferty used to call Conrad McRae "lively!" Benny is kind of a forward version of Conrad and he keeps working as hard as Conrad did will be a special player still.

Jesse - Last night was just getting in playing shape for Jesse. Had to be good for his confidence. I expect him to be a little better in every area.

Judah - I'm having a hard time finding an SU guard he's similar to. Best I can come up with is a more athletic, faster, quicker version of Scoop. He's going to throw some passes into the 3rd row (like Sherm did) and leave some guys searching for their jock strap (like Pearl did, and a couple IUP guys still are), ands he's going to be on the receiving end of some alley oop slams (like...no other SU PG I can remember, not even MCW). This kid is going to light up the Dome.

Joe - I liked what I saw from Joe. I was one of the biggest complainers about him playing PG and I thought he filled his new role very well without going 1 v 5. He is the senior leader and as a 2G is a plus ball handler and plus passer. He'll lead the team in scoring and not be expected to drive to create for anyone else. If he ends up actually playing PG this year something has gone really wrong.

Taylor - I think he is first man off the bench for anyone other than Jesse. I think he played a pretty reserved game but nothing looked too much for him. He can shoot and isn't shy, if he's open its going up. Very surprised at his frame, looks bigger than Buddy and ARaut did when they were seniors. Easily has the frame to play forward. Kind of reminds me of a Wisconsin or IU type of player. I have a feeling he'll be on court at end of games.

Quadir Copeland - Once the kid learns to shoot the 3 he's an NBA player. There I said it. I don't know how much he is going to play but he is going to play, there is no question about that anymore in my mind. Let's see how the first few games go but Quadir brings a ton of versatility. That floater along the baseline behind the backboard was just stupid. Surprised by his build, expected him to be skinnier (thanks IMG). I think JB will stick with a shooter as a starter at the 3 but I think Q is the first guard off the bench but can really come in for the 1-4. I think we will see lots of minutes with 2 out of Bell, Copeland, Taylor as the forwards.

That's the 7 in my opinion. I do think 8 and 9 are much more likely to play because none of the other 5 are really an ideal replacement for Benny or Jesse. Brown looks skilled enough to give some minutes at the 4 and flip a coin right now on Carey/Hima. Carey did not look out of place when he was in. He could really surprise.

Sy - He'll find some time but it won't be easy or often. His role becomes bigger if we see SU want to push the ball more.

Rebounding - We'll see. I think we have some active athletes that will compete hard for rebounds. This is really where Benny is needed most. But other than JG3 I think most of the rest of the team will rebound well, for their position.