Kiyan deserves to be the starter | Page 3 | Syracusefan.com
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Kiyan deserves to be the starter

As a coach, you don’t replace a guy due to injury. JJ will start, but he’s not going to be an iron man. This is a hugely positive development for the team. We have an easy decision for Red if JJ doesn’t play well.

At the end of last year, Red was clearly frustrated with JJs decisions when the ball was in his hands in late game situations. You could see it in their interactions.

I was absolutely floored a couple games ago when Matt Park suggested that Red’s plan was to go to JJ in game winning situations. I don’t think that’s the plan. I think
Red will play the hot hand.
I said all last year put it in Petar's hands and let him cook! Seriously though just looking at the rosters won the floor to close out games it's crazy.
 
The BEST Cuse teams we’ve had have a strong punch off the bench. The last several years we’d be happy if we got even 10-15 points off the bench. JJ comes back. We’ll have Kiyan, Betsy and Sadiq off the bench. We’d be averaging 20-30 pints off the bench with that. Just because you don’t start doesn’t mean you don’t get starter minutes. If Kiyan doesn’t start he’ll still get plenty of minutes. It makes the opposing team gameplay for our started and then 2-3 guys off the bench. It’s a big advantage.

Think of Waiters when he was here. Or Kris Joseph early in his career, Jerami Grant Freshman year, or CJ Fair early in his career, etc. those were some of our better players and they were coming off the bench. It’s good to have and takes your team to the next level.
2003 you had Billy, Josh, and Jeremy off the bench, good offense and defense. That's what makes good to great teams.
 
You know who Kiyan reminds me of...
It really is Moten, though it feels both icky and premature to say so.

But, Kiyan glides. He isn’t super quick or fast. He isn’t powerful.

But he is crafty enough to get by people and to exploit spaces. He’s strong enough and effective with the body to get shots off on balance against the contact that he initiates. He has an all-court game.

I wish we could go back to see what we were saying about Moten back then. I think I was probably skeptical, that he could do what he was doing (as a freshman) all year long, against bigger and better competition. When I first saw Moten, I thought his effectiveness and efficiency was a mirage that would quickly vanish. But… nope!
 
If you need a metric that describes how smooth and in control he is, Kiyan has 0 turnovers in 57 minutes.

He's shooting 67% from the field.
Which includes 43% from 3.
(FT's "only" 3/8, but that should improve)

2nd on team in scoring at 17 per.
He's averaging 3.5 dimes to 0 TO's, and also 3 boards / game.

All while leading the team w 29 minutes/game.
As a true Frosh.

That'll do, rook. That'll do.
 
It really is Moten, though it feels both icky and premature to say so.

But, Kiyan glides. He isn’t super quick or fast. He isn’t powerful.

But he is crafty enough to get by people and to exploit spaces. He’s strong enough and effective with the body to get shots off on balance against the contact that he initiates. He has an all-court game.

I wish we could go back to see what we were saying about Moten back then. I think I was probably skeptical, that he could do what he was doing (as a freshman) all year long, against bigger and better competition. When I first saw Moten, I thought his effectiveness and efficiency was a mirage that would quickly vanish. But… nope!

To me he has a lot of Moten in his game but paired quite a bit with Kyle Andersons game just Kiyan is definitely quicker than Kyle was.
 
Kiyan is better in the half-court offense. We need him against the good teams becuase he is a creator. JJ is a offensive rythym killer and bad at defense. He needs to be a sixth man.
 

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