Just imagine if Gillon comes in and shoots 39% from 3 like he did his first 2 years.

[cusetown1]

we'd literally be unstoppable. I know I'm getting ahead of myself but man we are going to be good!

 

[iommi]

Our floor spacing this year should be lethal. If White can be even a slight threat to take if off the bounce, wow. One of the things I'm most excited for is Battle slashing to the rim. We have other guys who can finish if he doesn't have a clear lane, plus others who will be available for the kickout. This team will be hard to guard no matter what combination is out there.

Gillon will be a dual threat, as a playmaker and a scorer. He can set up or get his own, but as you said, if he's above average from deep...scary.

 

[EastCoast2]

Not to mention our FT shooting should be pretty good this season also.

Gillon 88%
White 78%
Lydon 77%
Coleman 66%
Roberson 58% (Story about him working on his shot all summer. Hopefully he can make 65%)

I expect Battle to be near 80%. Chukwu won't be taking many FTs, and I hope Howard can be near 65%.

Pending Battle, we should have 4 guys shooting 80% from FT. I think we'd all take that right now.

 

[Brooky03]

The 2010 team would put 3 40% 3 point shooters on the court with Triche, Rautins, and Wes. Even Scoop was almost at 40%. We all know how good that team was.

Gillon, White, and Lydon could match that, with Battle possibly getting into that territory, too. If they all shoot that well, other teams should probably just kill themselves.

 

[RF2044]

The 2010 team would put 3 40% 3 point shooters on the court with Triche, Rautins, and Wes. Even Scoop was almost at 40%. We all know how good that team was.

Gillon, White, and Lydon could match that, with Battle possibly getting into that territory, too. If they all shoot that well, other teams should probably just kill themselves.

There's nothing better than having multiple shooters to space the floor / make defenses pay for cheating. Shooters coupled with guys who can drive make for a lethal offense--if the team gels, they are going to be multi dimensional and very difficult to guard.

 

[RandygoCuse]

Good Nunes article on Gillon today. With White coming, I feel like Gillon has gotten lost in the shuffle. didn't realize how well built he is.

 

[RF2044]

Good Nunes article on Gillon today. With White coming, I feel like Gillon has gotten lost in the shuffle. didn't realize how well built he is.

When we first landed Gillon, I was relieved. We only had two guards on scholarship [Frank and Battle], which wouldn't cut it. We'd missed out on the grad transfer Mullins [who ended up at Cal], Mali had semi-unexpectedly stayed in the draft, and we needed a warm body.

But as more information came out about Gillon, it was pretty clear that he was far more than just a warm body / depth guy. It was interesting to read that article on Nunes, because it noted several of the attributes that have me very excited to see Gillon in Orange this season. Kid has serious game.

 

[Dave85]

we'd literally be unstoppable. I know I'm getting ahead of myself but man we are going to be good!

I can't get the vision of White hitting a game winning 3 against Duke in the Dome this season out of my head. If it happens I will claim to be a psychic!

 

[Dave85]

When we first landed Gillon, I was relieved. We only had two guards on scholarship [Frank and Battle], which wouldn't cut it. We'd missed out on the grad transfer Mullins [who ended up at Cal], Mali had semi-unexpectedly stayed in the draft, and we needed a warm body.

But as more information came out about Gillon, it was pretty clear that he was far more than just a warm body / depth guy. It was interesting to read that article on Nunes, because it noted several of the attributes that have me very excited to see Gillon in Orange this season. Kid has serious game.

If he can drive to the rim, draw fouls, make free throws, and get our opponent's players into foul trouble is a HUGE weapon.

 

[supp]

we'd literally be unstoppable. I know I'm getting ahead of myself but man we are going to be good!

The Waters' article a few days back about how some mid-major transfers did at bigger schools should temper expectations. Most of the transfers he lists from last year took a step back statistically, with higher level of competition and better surrounding talent probably the main reasons. If he can come close to his numbers from last year, that would be great. White is less of a question mark.

 

[Cusefaninvirginia]

That would be awesone if gillon could go back to those shooting numbers, but wasn't he primarily a sg when he shot 39% and playing off the ball, and then his numbers dipped a little when he became a pg with more ball handling responsibilities? Hope I'm wrong about that. Would love to have 3 guys all shooting over 35%.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Gillon and Andrew White also have to learn the 2-3.

But there's a bigger question amid our sudden wealth of talent.
Who will be the team leader(s)?

Every SU Final Four team has had upperclass leadership.
This season the only upperclass returnees are Coleman and Roberson.
But are they the leader type?

Dillon and White are experienced upperclass one year "hired guns."
Can new guys be the leaders?

Who will emerge?
It's hard to see how a team can be successful without an experienced leader.
(Yes, Fab 5 and Kentucky...but they're the rare exceptions).

 

[Jack Hall]

Gillon and Andrew White also have to learn the 2-3.

But there's a bigger question amid our sudden wealth of talent.
Who will be the team leader(s)?

Every SU Final Four team has had upperclass leadership.
This season the only upperclass returnees are Coleman and Roberson.
But are they the leader type?

Dillon and White are experienced upperclass one year "hired guns."
Can new guys be the leaders?

Who will emerge?
It's hard to see how a team can be successful without an experienced leader.
(Yes, Fab 5 and Kentucky...but they're the rare exceptions).

Who was the upperclassman leader of the 2003 Natl Champ team? Well there was Duany, but the most prominent leaders of that team were freshmen and sophs imo...

 

[Cusefaninvirginia]

I think gillon and battle emerge as the key leaders on this team.

 

[br801]

Gillon and Andrew White also have to learn the 2-3.

But there's a bigger question amid our sudden wealth of talent.
Who will be the team leader(s)?

Every SU Final Four team has had upperclass leadership.
This season the only upperclass returnees are Coleman and Roberson.
But are they the leader type?

Dillon and White are experienced upperclass one year "hired guns."
Can new guys be the leaders?

Who will emerge?
It's hard to see how a team can be successful without an experienced leader.
(Yes, Fab 5 and Kentucky...but they're the rare exceptions).

Coleman is fully capable of leading this team, by virtue of his experience in the program and his work ethic, with Roberson and Lydon assisting.

 

[omniorange]

Gillon and Andrew White also have to learn the 2-3.

But there's a bigger question amid our sudden wealth of talent.
Who will be the team leader(s)?

Every SU Final Four team has had upperclass leadership.
This season the only upperclass returnees are Coleman and Roberson.
But are they the leader type?

Dillon and White are experienced upperclass one year "hired guns."
Can new guys be the leaders?

Who will emerge?
It's hard to see how a team can be successful without an experienced leader.
(Yes, Fab 5 and Kentucky...but they're the rare exceptions).

Our 2003 NC team says hello.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[kcsu]

Lydon Coleman white robby gillion all leaders

 

[tee1222]

I think Lydon is our leader on the court. Big voice, settles them down and pumps them up - you name the cliche, he probably has it!
Serious, we have a few guys, seniors and underclassmen that fit the bill, keister their meister, fric to their frac.

 

[SWC75]

Gillion might revert to 39% because he won't be the only guy the defense has to worry about, which I suspect was his situation last year. He won't be Trevor Cooney, with a guy in his face all the time. And he could take advantage of it if there was such a guy, by blowing by him.

 

[RF2044]

Gillion might revert to 39% because he won't be the only guy the defense has to worry about, which I suspect was his situation last year. He won't be Trevor Cooney, with a guy in his face all the time. And he could take advantage of it if there was such a guy, by blowing by him.

Agreed.

Floor spacing should be advantageous for guys like Gillon / Battle / Howard, with Lydon on one side and White on the other. I'd expect Gillon to shoot a much higher percentage than last year, due to not being the focal point of opposing defense or having to do too much carrying the offense, like he was forced to do last year at CSU.

 

[realorange]

Some of you keep taking about Gillon blowing by people. Even if he does, he'll find much bigger and tougher men waiting for him than when he played for Colorado State.

 

[SWC75]

Some of you keep taking about Gillon blowing by people. Even if he does, he'll find much bigger and tougher men waiting for him than when he played for Colorado State.

And he can pass to them for dunks.

 

[jordoo]

Gillion might revert to 39% because he won't be the only guy the defense has to worry about, which I suspect was his situation last year. He won't be Trevor Cooney, with a guy in his face all the time. And he could take advantage of it if there was such a guy, by blowing by him.

Agreed.

Floor spacing should be advantageous for guys like Gillon / Battle / Howard, with Lydon on one side and White on the other. I'd expect Gillon to shoot a much higher percentage than last year, due to not being the focal point of opposing defense or having to do too much carrying the offense, like he was forced to do last year at CSU.

And this is why I am so excited about this years team. I feel like we have a collection of talented players who's skills are spread out in a way that will make it easier for each other and gives JB the ability to match up with any and all other teams in a way that favors his squad. Its going to be a very entertaining season as an SU fan!

 

[RF2044]

And this is why I am so excited about this years team. I feel like we have a collection of talented players who's skills are spread out in a way that will make it easier for each other and gives JB the ability to match up with any and all other teams in a way that favors his squad. Its going to be a very entertaining season as an SU fan!

Agreed. I mean, lots of new faces--so we need to see how things gel and how long it takes for them to morph into a high performing team [assuming they do]--but the pieces of the puzzle are highly complimentary. It isn't common in college basketball these days to see teams that don't have flaws, and our squad might be one of those examples. We literally check all of the boxes -- size, depth, shooters, playmakers, versatile components.

I even think inside scoring--which wasn't a strength of last year's squad--will be at least average this year, with Lydon / Roberson / Coleman, plus penetrators like Howard / Gillon / Battle setting guys up inside, with defenses unable to pack it in due to our three point shooting. I think we're going to see lots of easy scoring opportunities inside with our bigs [including Chukwu and Thompson], finishing easy buckets inside when our guards penetrate and draw defenders.

 

[RF2044]

Some of you keep taking about Gillon blowing by people. Even if he does, he'll find much bigger and tougher men waiting for him than when he played for Colorado State.

Not worried about that--at all. If you'd seen any game film of Gillon, you would have seen that he excels at:

1. Finishing through contact with EITHER hand
2. Pulling up in the lane and hitting short / mid-range jumpers
3. Making defenses pay by finding teammates open on the baseline when their defender rotates off to cut off his penetration

The curve up to the ACC isn't going to be quite as steep as some envision. Gillon's skill set / strengths are highly translatable. Just watch.