Kaleb

[Madbiker]

Kaleb is somewhat like a faster, more athletic young Scoop. He is not a natural PG and his decision making needs a lot of work. But he may be the type of player that really develops after 2 years into a very good player and leader. But those first 2 years are going to be a pull your hair out type of thing. If he is having trouble running the offense against cupcakes it's going to really be a challenge against ACC teams.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I don't think he's that far away from being really good. I think he needs to be a little more assertive looking for his own shot when he drives, get his arms and hands at least up to shoulder level on defense, and be more accurate with his bounce passes. Those three things, plus a little bit better general caretaking with the ball to cut those turnovers down just a little bit, and we've got a pretty good point guard.

 

[DoctorBombay]

JB said it in his presser the other day:
"Kaleb has never played pure PG- he was a scoring/lead guard in HS and now has to LEARN the PG spot. Its gonna take some time, but he's gonna get better".
Can we give the kid a little leeway as he learns his new position at this level? Tyler the Creator was a once-in-a-lifetime-type, pass-first PG, and he'd been playing the position his entire life.
Naturally the adjustment came easier for him than it will for Kaleb.
The level of almost irrational pessimism being displayed towards this team is a little weird, IMO.
Its almost like some folks FORGET what we have in front of us...a young, inexperienced, emerging team looking to gel and find its identity.
Honestly, a little less entitlement and a little more maturity are in order around here or to paraphrase- grow the , already!
JMHO

 

[sufandu]

Grant's time here was good for us. we had a gazillion wins and a final four run. it was good for him (he's getting paid to play basketball). if we were getting 18 wins/season and this was happening i would lament it but we're just under the duke/kentucky/kansas tier during his time here. and duke lost to mercer/kentucky lost to robert morris in nit. we have a lot to be proud of/happy about but we seem to weigh sentiment towards the lamenting instead of that.

I suppose you can look at it that way except the season we made the final four run he only averaged 3.9 points and 3 rebounds per game and much of his playing time came during the Southerland suspension, so I don't know that he's all that memorable in regards to that season, and the 12 points and 6.8 rebounds per game he had last year puts him thoroughly in the group of players that were decent but easily forgettable. Contrast that with Hakim Warrick, the player he was most similar to, and there are all kinds of memories on his way from unheard of player to a guy that averaged 21 and 8 as a senior along with all kinds of highlights.

Seeing the potential in a player like Grant is exciting. Watching the potential develop is entertaining. Seeing him become a decent player and the third best player on an ok team and then leave knowing he was no where near done is a let down.

 

[Cuse117]

This post is, for the most part, rubbish.

still think its rubbish?

 

[pearl31]

still think its rubbish?

For the most part, yes.

 

[jncuse]

I have to admit I have been watching the season from way to far this year -- only seen snippets of the Cal and the end of the Michigan game (which Kaleb was a disaster in). I have been way to busy with work, did not get the College Basketball Game Pack in Canada, and have been spending my limited time with the Raptors.

But I look at this team, and does somebody else deserve some credit for making the Bigs on our team so efficient and more importantly at a good volume -- Rak at 60%, Chris at 54%... it can't be all them.

Then I see the rest of the team is shooting 37%. 37%! How is that even possible given that some of our opponents in preseason are dogshit. Our 3rd leading shooter is shooting a measly 42%. Looking at our shooting stats is depressing.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

Seems like a typical response around here, you say its rubbish but do nothing to refute it. A pgs job is to make the players around him better... for every instance where he has done that i can give you mistakes he made that just aren't even remotely acceptable. I still have faith in him, hes gonna get better and he has the skill set to become a good college player but right now hes playing poor basketball. He almost always seems to be a second slow on his decision making and it costs us on the offensive end. Once he adjusts to college ball i think we will see a lot of that disappear.

When you slam an 18 year old and pretty much call him a piece of trash you're going to get called on it. The kid is a freshman with no backup...the mistake he's making are freshman mistakes. I'm all in with Kaleb as are most of us here...And I completely disagree that he's playing poor basketball. If our TEAM starts making some shots, his mistakes will start going WAY down.

 

[sufandu]

I have to admit I have been watching the season from way to far this year -- only seen snippets of the Cal and the end of the Michigan game (which Kaleb was a disaster in). I have been way to busy with work, did not get the College Basketball Game Pack in Canada, and have been spending my limited time with the Raptors.

But I look at this team, and does somebody else deserve some credit for making the Bigs on our team so efficient and more importantly at a good volume -- Rak at 60%, Chris at 54%... it can't be all them.

Then I see the rest of the team is shooting 37%. 37%! How is that even possible given that some of our opponents in preseason are dogshit. Our 3rd leading shooter is shooting a measly 42%. Looking at our shooting stats is depressing.

The key must be that former big man player that we hired as a big man coach. Wait. What do you mean we never hired a different big man coach? Whatever. I absolutely know the answer to our shooting problems. We need to hire some former guards to coach our guards. Huh? What do you mean that our guards are coached by a former guard? Ok, but we need them to be coached by a guard that could shoot. What!?!? They're coached by GMac? Ok, I got nuthin.

 

[PhatOrange]

people must not remember Jason Hart's freshman year.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

people must not remember Jason Hart's freshman year.

I've been sayin that all along. Some of Jason's early games were adventures.

 

[Cuse117]

When you slam an 18 year old and pretty much call him a piece of trash you're going to get called on it. The kid is a freshman with no backup...the mistake he's making are freshman mistakes. I'm all in with Kaleb as are most of us here...And I completely disagree that he's playing poor basketball. If our TEAM starts making some shots, his mistakes will start going WAY down.

I didn't call him a piece of trash, I was simply stating that he's very subpar RIGHT NOW. If you would have actually read my entire post I said that I like his upside and that I think he will be a good player here eventually. Of course I want the kid to succeed, I always root for that of our players, but the fact still remains that he just isn't ready to be a starting point guard in a big time college program as his game is right now. I realize that he was thrust into a spot he wasn't supposed to be in, but he just has not played well. Anyone who thinks otherwise currently just isn't watching the games.

Is the pg problem our only issue, obviously not... But it's still a huge issue. I'm not saying it's his fault, ennis leaving early put him in a position to struggle since he's being relied on to do things he just isn't capable of doing yet.

 

[Col. Bleep]

I don't think anyone can say what anyone else "should" be excited over. I remember the days when someone could be a great player and you could look forward to seeing them the following year. Now, in order to enjoy them for more than one year, I have to hope they don't get too good. A guy doesn't even have to be dominant to leave. Grant wasn't even close to being a dominant college player and he left. It's tough hoping a guy gets better... but not too much better.

Following college basketball just isn't as much fun as it used to be. The players that you want to watch the most are gone before you get to know them.

That's the way of he college basketball world now.
Some schools do have a little more success in retaining guys who could get drafted.
But getting a guy like CJ Fair is becoming a rare luxury...someone who stays and develops over 4 years...improves every year (except in 3pt. %) and becomes an excellent college player.

Just look back a few years: Onuaku, Jackson, Kris Joseph, Jardine, Triche, Rautins.
Seems it was a lot more common.

 

[sufandu]

That's the way of he college basketball world now.
Some schools do have a little more success in retaining guys who could get drafted.
But getting a guy like CJ Fair is becoming a rare luxury...someone who stays and develops over 4 years...improves every year (except in 3pt. %) and becomes an excellent college player.

Just look back a few years: Onuaku, Jackson, Kris Joseph, Jardine, Triche, Rautins.
Seems it was a lot more common.

And if it's a guy that has legitimate NBA prospects it's even more rare. All of the guys you listed have spent very little time there. We may never see a Hakim Warrick again.