My Take

[sutomcat]

Usual reminders. This was an exhibition game. JB did not handle it like a regular game. There was clearly some experimenting going on. Take anything you see with a large grain of salt.

Agree, this was not a pretty game to watch. The team doesn't have great chemistry right now. It is a bunch of individuals out there on offense. The defense, whether is was man or zone, was inconsistent. There wasn't much focus and it seemed like we made a lot of fouls after getting beaten/put out of position.

There was more focus on getting the ball to Jesse down low. But he didn't do a great job converting despite playing against much smaller opponents. It looks like he has a brace on his right shoulder. Did he have a dislocation recently? Has this been discussed?

Judah continues to focus on getting off shots. Rarely looks around for pass opportunities, rarely passes it. Was off on his shooting as well. The PG for SNH abused him pretty badly and I think Judah tried to get him back and missed forced shots. Not good. He needs to be more of a team player.

But it wasn't all bad last night.

Symir continues to look good offensively and defensively. Probably deserved more playing time. Probably will get more playing time in real games. I think JB knows what he brings to the table and wanted to use this as a way to get more insights into what some of the less experienced guys are capable of.

To my eyes, it looks like Symir should probably be playing most of the minutes at the point. There are going to be issues getting the guards enough minutes to keep everyone involved and relatively happy.

I think a big focus for Buddy last year was to get him inside more and drawing more fouls. Pretty sure JB has asked Joe to do a similar thing this year. So far, against these smaller teams in exhibitions, it is working. Joe is drawing a lot of fouls. Can he continue to do it against ACC level programs?

Quadir is an interesting player. He plays hard and without fear and that is a great starting point for a young player. I am getting the feeling he is a heady player who has good instincts and might be someone we can rely on even as a true frosh. His passing skills are really good, he can handle the rock and it looks like he might be able to get to the paint a lot. I see him coming in when our half court offense is stagnating. It looks like he likes to get out and run and might help us play fast too when that is needed.

Maliq Brown isn't flashy and isn't going to make a lot of highlight reels but he makes plays and just seems to know how to play. One of those guys that can finish if he gets the ball in scoring position. Seems really advanced defensively for a frosh. Looks like he can rebound well and we all know he can pass it too. I think he ends up playing more than many expect.

Chris Bell did a lot more than stand around the perimeter and launch a 3 every time he touched the ball last night. He might be a top level athlete but he looks kind of raw right now. Maybe he is playing a little tight and will loosen up but he doesn't seem like he is going to be a big factor when he is in games right now. I would like to see him slash to the basket, set some picks, work a give and go. Right now he looks pretty tentative to me.

Benny was like a lab puppy out there, running around with a lot of energy. Sometimes did good things, sometimes did bad things but he brings some athletic ability this team needs. I guess I am glad to see him so much more aggressive on offense but he missed a lot of shots. Most were good shots that he hopefully will start hitting. Don't want to see him trying 3s right now.

Jesse looked a little tentative shooting and missed a few shots he normally makes but he made a couple nice moves to get easy baskets, got some blocks and moved around well. Worried about that thing he is wearing and disappointed he got in foul trouble again. A big key for us this year is Jesse learning how to play games without getting into foul trouble.

Mouhir seems very serviceable as a backup center. He can block shots, seems to rebound decently and when he has the ball in scoring position, he has been able to make the shot. I like what I am seeing from him so far.

Peter Carey looks like a really raw guy who has rarely played against top level competition. Which is to be expected. Griff is going to have a challenge to get him ready to play at this level. On the positive side, he looks like the most athletic big guy we have, and that is saying a lot with Jesse on the team.

Justin Taylor looks to me like he knows how to play. Seems a bit tentative, doesn't want to be too aggressive right now. Hope he becomes more aggressive. He looks like he could be a big scorer for us down the road and I think that will happen. He is physically ready today. My guess is that he has a really inconsistent season with some great games, some good games and lots of no so good games. It is what freshman do.

Thought our man was crappy in the second half and it was not a surprise to see us go to the zone when SNH made a game of it. Expected to see the zone 90% of the time but it is interesting to see us experimenting with man so much for 2 exhibition games.

First time hearing Matt Park do a basketball telecast. It worked better for me than listening to him on the radio.

 

[RF2044]

Symir is the best lead guard on the team, by a mile.

A couple of weeks ago when I pointed that out, I got backlash stating that he was the odd man out. So much for that. Mintz has shown during exhibition season that he isn't the answer -- it takes more than a good handle to be a point guard. Love Copeland's long term potential, but he needs a year.

Benny looks extremely mechanical. Brown looked more comfortable.

Hima seems adequate as a backup center -- agree with your take on that.

Bell... well, this is exactly how I expected things to go. Streak shooter, who doesn't do much else. And when he isn't hitting shots [which he was better last night], then he doesn't contribute much value.

Carey looks like he was a great pickup, and a kid who could be a high major caliber starter. But like many of the other frosh, he needs a year.

Jesse had some dumb fouls, but he's going to have a terrific year. I fear it is going to be squandered, in a year where we have too many new parts and lots of guys who need a year of seasoning.

 

[rrlbees]

Usual reminders. This was an exhibition game. JB did not handle it like a regular game. There was clearly some experimenting going on. Take anything you see with a large grain of salt.

Agree, this was not a pretty game to watch. The team doesn't have great chemistry right now. It is a bunch of individuals out there on offense. The defense, whether is was man or zone, was inconsistent. There wasn't much focus and it seemed like we made a lot of fouls after getting beaten/put out of position.

There was more focus on getting the ball to Jesse down low. But he didn't do a great job converting despite playing against much smaller opponents. It looks like he has a brace on his right shoulder. Did he have a dislocation recently? Has this been discussed?

Judah continues to focus on getting off shots. Rarely looks around for pass opportunities, rarely passes it. Was off on his shooting as well. The PG for SNH abused him pretty badly and I think Judah tried to get him back and missed forced shots. Not good. He needs to be more of a team player.

But it wasn't all bad last night.

Symir continues to look good offensively and defensively. Probably deserved more playing time. Probably will get more playing time in real games. I think JB knows what he brings to the table and wanted to use this as a way to get more insights into what some of the less experienced guys are capable of.

To my eyes, it looks like Symir should probably be playing most of the minutes at the point. There are going to be issues getting the guards enough minutes to keep everyone involved and relatively happy.

I think a big focus for Buddy last year was to get him inside more and drawing more fouls. Pretty sure JB has asked Joe to do a similar thing this year. So far, against these smaller teams in exhibitions, it is working. Joe is drawing a lot of fouls. Can he continue to do it against ACC level programs?

Quadir is an interesting player. He plays hard and without fear and that is a great starting point for a young player. I am getting the feeling he is a heady player who has good instincts and might be someone we can rely on even as a true frosh. His passing skills are really good, he can handle the rock and it looks like he might be able to get to the paint a lot. I see him coming in when our half court offense is stagnating. It looks like he likes to get out and run and might help us play fast too when that is needed.

Maliq Brown isn't flashy and isn't going to make a lot of highlight reels but he makes plays and just seems to know how to play. One of those guys that can finish if he gets the ball in scoring position. Seems really advanced defensively for a frosh. Looks like he can rebound well and we all know he can pass it too. I think he ends up playing more than many expect.

Chris Bell did a lot more than stand around the perimeter and launch a 3 every time he touched the ball last night. He might be a top level athlete but he looks kind of raw right now. Maybe he is playing a little tight and will loosen up but he doesn't seem like he is going to be a big factor when he is in games right now. I would like to see him slash to the basket, set some picks, work a give and go. Right now he looks pretty tentative to me.

Benny was like a lab puppy out there, running around with a lot of energy. Sometimes did good things, sometimes did bad things but he brings some athletic ability this team needs. I guess I am glad to see him so much more aggressive on offense but he missed a lot of shots. Most were good shots that he hopefully will start hitting. Don't want to see him trying 3s right now.

Jesse looked a little tentative shooting and missed a few shots he normally makes but he made a couple nice moves to get easy baskets, got some blocks and moved around well. Worried about that thing he is wearing and disappointed he got in foul trouble again. A big key for us this year is Jesse learning how to play games without getting into foul trouble.

Mouhir seems very serviceable as a backup center. He can block shots, seems to rebound decently and when he has the ball in scoring position, he has been able to make the shot. I like what I am seeing from him so far.

Peter Carey looks like a really raw guy who has rarely played against top level competition. Which is to be expected. Griff is going to have a challenge to get him ready to play at this level. On the positive side, he looks like the most athletic big guy we have, and that is saying a lot with Jesse on the team.

Justin Taylor looks to me like he knows how to play. Seems a bit tentative, doesn't want to be too aggressive right now. Hope he becomes more aggressive. He looks like he could be a big scorer for us down the road and I think that will happen. He is physically ready today. My guess is that he has a really inconsistent season with some great games, some good games and lots of no so good games. It is what freshman do.

Thought our man was crappy in the second half and it was not a surprise to see us go to the zone when SNH made a game of it. Expected to see the zone 90% of the time but it is interesting to see us experimenting with man so much for 2 exhibition games.

First time hearing Matt Park do a basketball telecast. It worked better for me than listening to him on the radio.

Jesse has been wearing a wrap on his left shoulder for awhile. He had it on during the first exhibition too. No idea why.

 

[MDCuse]

We can talk about it being an exhibition, sure. BUT, you cannot go 8, 9, 10 minutes without a basket against anyone, let alone a mediocre D2 program. That is just inexcusable. I'm really struggling to see where the offense is going to come from on this team.

 

[721Comstock]

We can talk about it being an exhibition, sure. BUT, you cannot go 8, 9, 10 minutes without a basket against anyone, let alone a mediocre D2 program. That is just inexcusable. I'm really struggling to see where the offense is going to come from on this team.

144% THIS.

The inexplicable inability to get an entry pass into Jesse, when the opponents are all under 6'7", is mindboggling.
That should be like taking candy from a baby.

And then, once that miraculous task is completed, have him make a move, or kick it back out to a shooter if he gets doubled.

It's Basketball 101. And we're failing it, so far.

 

[Newhouser]

We can talk about it being an exhibition, sure. BUT, you cannot go 8, 9, 10 minutes without a basket against anyone, let alone a mediocre D2 program. That is just inexcusable. I'm really struggling to see where the offense is going to come from on this team.

I agree and I'm not really sure what we are running.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I expect this rotation to close games early on-

Joe
Symir
Taylor
Benny
Edwards

 

[Ozone!]

Usual reminders. This was an exhibition game. JB did not handle it like a regular game. There was clearly some experimenting going on. Take anything you see with a large grain of salt.

Agree, this was not a pretty game to watch. The team doesn't have great chemistry right now. It is a bunch of individuals out there on offense. The defense, whether is was man or zone, was inconsistent. There wasn't much focus and it seemed like we made a lot of fouls after getting beaten/put out of position.

There was more focus on getting the ball to Jesse down low. But he didn't do a great job converting despite playing against much smaller opponents. It looks like he has a brace on his right shoulder. Did he have a dislocation recently? Has this been discussed?

Judah continues to focus on getting off shots. Rarely looks around for pass opportunities, rarely passes it. Was off on his shooting as well. The PG for SNH abused him pretty badly and I think Judah tried to get him back and missed forced shots. Not good. He needs to be more of a team player.

But it wasn't all bad last night.

Symir continues to look good offensively and defensively. Probably deserved more playing time. Probably will get more playing time in real games. I think JB knows what he brings to the table and wanted to use this as a way to get more insights into what some of the less experienced guys are capable of.

To my eyes, it looks like Symir should probably be playing most of the minutes at the point. There are going to be issues getting the guards enough minutes to keep everyone involved and relatively happy.

I think a big focus for Buddy last year was to get him inside more and drawing more fouls. Pretty sure JB has asked Joe to do a similar thing this year. So far, against these smaller teams in exhibitions, it is working. Joe is drawing a lot of fouls. Can he continue to do it against ACC level programs?

Quadir is an interesting player. He plays hard and without fear and that is a great starting point for a young player. I am getting the feeling he is a heady player who has good instincts and might be someone we can rely on even as a true frosh. His passing skills are really good, he can handle the rock and it looks like he might be able to get to the paint a lot. I see him coming in when our half court offense is stagnating. It looks like he likes to get out and run and might help us play fast too when that is needed.

Maliq Brown isn't flashy and isn't going to make a lot of highlight reels but he makes plays and just seems to know how to play. One of those guys that can finish if he gets the ball in scoring position. Seems really advanced defensively for a frosh. Looks like he can rebound well and we all know he can pass it too. I think he ends up playing more than many expect.

Chris Bell did a lot more than stand around the perimeter and launch a 3 every time he touched the ball last night. He might be a top level athlete but he looks kind of raw right now. Maybe he is playing a little tight and will loosen up but he doesn't seem like he is going to be a big factor when he is in games right now. I would like to see him slash to the basket, set some picks, work a give and go. Right now he looks pretty tentative to me.

Benny was like a lab puppy out there, running around with a lot of energy. Sometimes did good things, sometimes did bad things but he brings some athletic ability this team needs. I guess I am glad to see him so much more aggressive on offense but he missed a lot of shots. Most were good shots that he hopefully will start hitting. Don't want to see him trying 3s right now.

Jesse looked a little tentative shooting and missed a few shots he normally makes but he made a couple nice moves to get easy baskets, got some blocks and moved around well. Worried about that thing he is wearing and disappointed he got in foul trouble again. A big key for us this year is Jesse learning how to play games without getting into foul trouble.

Mouhir seems very serviceable as a backup center. He can block shots, seems to rebound decently and when he has the ball in scoring position, he has been able to make the shot. I like what I am seeing from him so far.

Peter Carey looks like a really raw guy who has rarely played against top level competition. Which is to be expected. Griff is going to have a challenge to get him ready to play at this level. On the positive side, he looks like the most athletic big guy we have, and that is saying a lot with Jesse on the team.

Justin Taylor looks to me like he knows how to play. Seems a bit tentative, doesn't want to be too aggressive right now. Hope he becomes more aggressive. He looks like he could be a big scorer for us down the road and I think that will happen. He is physically ready today. My guess is that he has a really inconsistent season with some great games, some good games and lots of no so good games. It is what freshman do.

Thought our man was crappy in the second half and it was not a surprise to see us go to the zone when SNH made a game of it. Expected to see the zone 90% of the time but it is interesting to see us experimenting with man so much for 2 exhibition games.

First time hearing Matt Park do a basketball telecast. It worked better for me than listening to him on the radio.

Love your analysis!
Jessie’s shoulder separation really affects his shooting and ball handling which makes him look like he has regressed.

Yesterday, our first years looked like deer in the headlights and trying to find their footing in the college game.

Symir needs more playing time at PG until both Judah and Copeland figure out the college PG position.

With Jessie’s shoulder and most of our inside players still adjusting to the college game we are hurting in rebounding.

Colgate may well beat us again this year unless the learning curve for the new players somehow shortens!

Ready of not, the season is at hand!

 

[rrlbees]

Love your analysis!
Jessie’s shoulder separation really affects his shooting and ball handling which makes him look like he has regressed.

Yesterday, our first years looked like deer in the headlights and trying to find their footing in the college game.

Symir needs more playing time at PG until both Judah and Copeland figure out the college PG position.

With Jessie’s shoulder and most of our inside players still adjusting to the college game we are hurting in rebounding.

Colgate may well beat us again this year unless the learning curve for the new players somehow shortens!

Ready of not, the season is at hand!

Has someone confirmed Jessie separated a shoulder? I know he has a wrap on but it’s on his left shoulder.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

Jesse has been wearing a wrap on his left shoulder for awhile. He had it on during the first exhibition too. No idea why.

Almost looks like a tennis elbow type wrap, but for a shoulder

 

[Cuse_NYC]

Judah’s defense also seems a bit concerning. I expected a really good defender at the top of the zone. He seems capable, but often overplays and is late to recover. Allowing d2 guards to get by him and into the paint is sort of scary. Even Buddy and Joe sort of did better with that.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

Symir is the best lead guard on the team, by a mile.

A couple of weeks ago when I pointed that out, I got backlash stating that he was the odd man out. So much for that. Mintz has shown during exhibition season that he isn't the answer -- it takes more than a good handle to be a point guard. Love Copeland's long term potential, but he needs a year.

Benny looks extremely mechanical. Brown looked more comfortable.

Hima seems adequate as a backup center -- agree with your take on that.

Bell... well, this is exactly how I expected things to go. Streak shooter, who doesn't do much else. And when he isn't hitting shots [which he was better last night], then he doesn't contribute much value.

Carey looks like he was a great pickup, and a kid who could be a high major caliber starter. But like many of the other frosh, he needs a year.

Jesse had some dumb fouls, but he's going to have a terrific year. I fear it is going to be squandered, in a year where we have too many new parts and lots of guys who need a year of seasoning.

Going back to the last month of the last years season - it was obvious that Symir was our best guard - and pure PG - he should be starting with Judah with Joe subbing in for both of them but primarily Judah - Joe looks like a 6th man that could come in and confuse the defense for a few mins

 

[jdubs30]

Judah is going to play all year. JB basically compared him to Flynn. It’s hard to imagine benching him

 

[RF2044]

Judah is going to play all year. JB basically compared him to Flynn. It’s hard to imagine benching him

I agree that he is going to play a ton -- he's the top recruit we've landed in years.

But that doesn't change the fact that he isn't a lead guard., and is best suited to play off the ball. The comparison to Flynn was about athleticism, not playmaking aptitude. With respect to the latter, there IS no comparison between the two.

 

[SWC75]

I think Torrence and Copeland should be at the point, Girard and Mintz at the 2, Taylor and Bell at the 3, Williams and Brown at the 4 and Edwards, Hima and Carey at the 5, (and we'll need all three of them). Sorry, JBA.

 

[MDCuse]

I agree and I'm not really sure what we are running.

LOL I don't think they know what they're running either

 

[Doc5120]

We can talk about it being an exhibition, sure. BUT, you cannot go 8, 9, 10 minutes without a basket against anyone, let alone a mediocre D2 program. That is just inexcusable. I'm really struggling to see where the offense is going to come from on this team.

I don't want to type it...but, I don't think this team is very good, at all. So many deficencies on both ends of the floor. I honestly don't know what our best lineup is, but I do think it includes Symir. Joe forces shots and Judah is out there acting like my 6 yr old son (who seems to think that passing is not even an option).

I like Justin Taylor and think once he gets some confidence, he'll be a very good player for us. Unfortunately I doubt he gets the minutes to make that happen this season.

I expect a lot from Jesse & Benny, but at this point Jesse is going to be in foul trouble too often to make an impact and Benny is hot & cold.

This is a lot of rambling for me to say I don't think this team's ceiling is very high.

 

[SWC75]

I don't want to type it...but, I don't think this team is very good, at all. So many deficencies on both ends of the floor. I honestly don't know what our best lineup is, but I do think it includes Symir. Joe forces shots and Judah is out there acting like my 6 yr old son (who seems to think that passing is not even an option).

I like Justin Taylor and think once he gets some confidence, he'll be a very good player for us. Unfortunately I doubt he gets the minutes to make that happen this season.

I expect a lot from Jesse & Benny, but at this point Jesse is going to be in foul trouble too often to make an impact and Benny is hot & cold.

This is a lot of rambling for me to say I don't think this team's ceiling is very high.

I don't know what their ceiling is but we've just had a look at their floor.

 

[SUbear]

Judah is going to play all year. JB basically compared him to Flynn. It’s hard to imagine benching him

Judah is no Flynn, at least not now. Flynn ran the point from the get go with his athletic ability as a bonus. Judah is not anywhere near ready as a point, and his shooting has been bad. Potential is there I think but he needs a lot of coaching up.
This whole team will struggle to find itself, the question is how long it takes.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Going back to the last month of the last years season - it was obvious that Symir was our best guard - and pure PG - he should be starting with Judah with Joe subbing in for both of them but primarily Judah - Joe looks like a 6th man that could come in and confuse the defense for a few mins

SMH

 

[Tony DeFranco]

SMH

Im grasping at straws - I just don't want to see Joe playing huge mins - if we go back to back seasons with a losing record than we are hardly a basketball power - last years team was the worst we could collectively put together - each player individually was fine - I was hoping we could get back to playing defense, getting steals and pushing the ball - but from what I'm reading this team is in worse position

 

[SWC75]

Going back to the last month of the last years season - it was obvious that Symir was our best guard - and pure PG - he should be starting with Judah with Joe subbing in for both of them but primarily Judah - Joe looks like a 6th man that could come in and confuse the defense for a few mins

Mintz should be the 6th man, perhaps used the way Dion Waiters was used back in 2012 -an instant offense guy off the bench who could play in rotation with Torrence, Girard and maybe Copeland.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

Fine by me - Torrence is PG that looked like he was ready to take over the lead roll

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I just don't want to see Joe playing huge mins

Um, I mean...

 

[orange79]

I just don't want to see Joe playing huge mins

Well, I don't want to pay taxes either, but...