Henny & Coke
2nd String
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- Aug 26, 2011
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What will determine how good this year's team is? Here are my opinions.
1.) Integration of new players / managing depth & impact on team.
It is of course wonderful that SU now has a lineup that goes 8-9 deep. The benefits are obvious:
* faster pace of play / more aggressive style - Want to see the team running more on offense. And take more chances on defense. Having more guys means more fouls to give...so use it to your advantage. Play more aggressively. Let the refs call fouls (because in some cases they wont & SU may get away with bumping/attacking their way to turnovers).
* ability to sub out someone who isn't playing well
* more competitive practices
But there are also things to manage, like making sure people feel involved & engaged still. Getting our stars enough shots. Finding our best lineups.
How the team deals with this newfound depth will be integral to determining success this season.
2.) Improvement of returning players.
In a way, not much improvement is needed of our top 3 guys (Battle, Howard, Brissett) - all three were pretty/very good players last year and improvements in their games needs to be more targeted.
* Can Howard be even better at running the point, cutting down on turnovers, making plays for others and taking better shots? Can he be a great leader?
* Can Brissett finish better inside & take better shots? Can he continue to rebound at a high level or make gains here too?
* Can Battle become a more well-rounded & efficient player? Can he become the centerpiece of a truly great team? Can he be a great leader?
But improvement in the "second tier" of players is what will be most important. Guys like Dolezaj, Chukwu, & Sidibe.
* Can Dolezaj continue playing like he did at end of last year? (Play with more confidence, take his shots, etc.) Can he take it to another level even? I think the answer is yes, but it's def not a given.
* Can Sidibe maintain his health & build off a decent enough FR year? Can he be a force on the glass for us? Can his offensive game take a step forward?
* And, maybe most critical of all, is the recent reporting about Chukwu being much improved for real? Because if so...if he can become a legit option on offense & really own that back/middle of the zone on defense...well, that would be freaking huge for SU's chances in 2018-19. I cannot stress this enough.
3.) How ready are the newcomers?
* Is Hughes ready to play right out of the gate? Will the reports about his offensive potential be proven correct? Frankly, will his first year here be more Wes Johnson (hit ground running, a top player immediately) or more Michael Gbinije (still had to play through a year where he averaged only 3.4 PPG in 14.6 MMP his first year at SU)?
This is one of, if not THE most interesting thing in my mind...as I'm cautiously optimistic that Mr. Hughes is as good as advertised this season. If so, it would go a long way toward SU's chances at being great this season.
* What will Jalen Carey provide this season? From early reports, this young man is immensely talented - maybe even much better than his high recruiting ranking would indicate. If this is the case, and if he gets enough meaningful playing time (a big question, since this is not a guarantee with so much more experience in front of him - see Carter-Williams, Michael) then the impact of integrating such an offensive talent could be extremely important.
Conclusion: I think that #1 will be only a positive. The players on this team seem way too mature & invested in winning to allow something like this to become a negative.
So then, #2 & #3 are the biggest question marks in my mind. And, within those categories, the most important parts boil down to:
A.) How good will Elijah Hughes be right out of the gate this season? Can he provide the offense this team sorely needs and step right in to become an integral part of the lineup? Can he join the cast of "stars" (Battle, Howard, Brissett)?
B.) Can Marek continue to play like the guy we saw late last year? Can he play with confidence on the offensive end (in taking shots and making the smart plays in almost every situation) & continue to be that pitbull who dives on floor for loose balls?
I think that these first two have a good enough chance at happening - and thus, ensuring that SU has a pretty damn good season this year. This should enable the team to at least get back to a Sweet Sixteen, if not further. But then there are the other wildcards...
C.) How much did Paschal Chukwu really improve since last year? Can we really count on him to become a legit offensive contributor (which would be a good #4/5 option, which is fantastic) & be a true lock-down player on defense?
D.) What will Carey provide? Is he as good as the early reviews indicate? And if so, can he get enough playing time to make a difference? Will he lead us back into being the "run & gun" teams that we all loved to watch?
If either of these last two things turns out in SUs favor...watch out. A Final Four would not be surprising in the least. And if both of these things come true...
These are my keys to the season & will be what I am looking to find out most of all this year. Cannot wait. Could be a special season.
1.) Integration of new players / managing depth & impact on team.
It is of course wonderful that SU now has a lineup that goes 8-9 deep. The benefits are obvious:
* faster pace of play / more aggressive style - Want to see the team running more on offense. And take more chances on defense. Having more guys means more fouls to give...so use it to your advantage. Play more aggressively. Let the refs call fouls (because in some cases they wont & SU may get away with bumping/attacking their way to turnovers).
* ability to sub out someone who isn't playing well
* more competitive practices
But there are also things to manage, like making sure people feel involved & engaged still. Getting our stars enough shots. Finding our best lineups.
How the team deals with this newfound depth will be integral to determining success this season.
2.) Improvement of returning players.
In a way, not much improvement is needed of our top 3 guys (Battle, Howard, Brissett) - all three were pretty/very good players last year and improvements in their games needs to be more targeted.
* Can Howard be even better at running the point, cutting down on turnovers, making plays for others and taking better shots? Can he be a great leader?
* Can Brissett finish better inside & take better shots? Can he continue to rebound at a high level or make gains here too?
* Can Battle become a more well-rounded & efficient player? Can he become the centerpiece of a truly great team? Can he be a great leader?
But improvement in the "second tier" of players is what will be most important. Guys like Dolezaj, Chukwu, & Sidibe.
* Can Dolezaj continue playing like he did at end of last year? (Play with more confidence, take his shots, etc.) Can he take it to another level even? I think the answer is yes, but it's def not a given.
* Can Sidibe maintain his health & build off a decent enough FR year? Can he be a force on the glass for us? Can his offensive game take a step forward?
* And, maybe most critical of all, is the recent reporting about Chukwu being much improved for real? Because if so...if he can become a legit option on offense & really own that back/middle of the zone on defense...well, that would be freaking huge for SU's chances in 2018-19. I cannot stress this enough.
3.) How ready are the newcomers?
* Is Hughes ready to play right out of the gate? Will the reports about his offensive potential be proven correct? Frankly, will his first year here be more Wes Johnson (hit ground running, a top player immediately) or more Michael Gbinije (still had to play through a year where he averaged only 3.4 PPG in 14.6 MMP his first year at SU)?
This is one of, if not THE most interesting thing in my mind...as I'm cautiously optimistic that Mr. Hughes is as good as advertised this season. If so, it would go a long way toward SU's chances at being great this season.
* What will Jalen Carey provide this season? From early reports, this young man is immensely talented - maybe even much better than his high recruiting ranking would indicate. If this is the case, and if he gets enough meaningful playing time (a big question, since this is not a guarantee with so much more experience in front of him - see Carter-Williams, Michael) then the impact of integrating such an offensive talent could be extremely important.
Conclusion: I think that #1 will be only a positive. The players on this team seem way too mature & invested in winning to allow something like this to become a negative.
So then, #2 & #3 are the biggest question marks in my mind. And, within those categories, the most important parts boil down to:
A.) How good will Elijah Hughes be right out of the gate this season? Can he provide the offense this team sorely needs and step right in to become an integral part of the lineup? Can he join the cast of "stars" (Battle, Howard, Brissett)?
B.) Can Marek continue to play like the guy we saw late last year? Can he play with confidence on the offensive end (in taking shots and making the smart plays in almost every situation) & continue to be that pitbull who dives on floor for loose balls?
I think that these first two have a good enough chance at happening - and thus, ensuring that SU has a pretty damn good season this year. This should enable the team to at least get back to a Sweet Sixteen, if not further. But then there are the other wildcards...
C.) How much did Paschal Chukwu really improve since last year? Can we really count on him to become a legit offensive contributor (which would be a good #4/5 option, which is fantastic) & be a true lock-down player on defense?
D.) What will Carey provide? Is he as good as the early reviews indicate? And if so, can he get enough playing time to make a difference? Will he lead us back into being the "run & gun" teams that we all loved to watch?
If either of these last two things turns out in SUs favor...watch out. A Final Four would not be surprising in the least. And if both of these things come true...
These are my keys to the season & will be what I am looking to find out most of all this year. Cannot wait. Could be a special season.
