Need Otis Hill or A. O. to coach the Bigs

[RobNJOrange]

These type of big men, who developed a strong ability to score in the low post, will be able teach our Bigs to get involved in the offensive flow. (We can no longer just call upon the coach who taught Otis or Arinze anymore , because I percieve that was Bernie). D C started off college this year with a better array of moves than either one of them had when they came here. The sky will be the limit after working out with a "hands on" big man coach. Let's not worry about the past. Let's get it in place for the future.

 

[Marsh01]

These type of big men, who developed a strong ability to score in the low post, will be able teach our Bigs to get involved in the offensive flow. (We can no longer just call upon the coach who taught Otis or Arinze anymore , because I percieve that was Bernie). D C started off college this year with a better array of moves than either one of them had when they came here. The sky will be the limit after working out with a "hands on" big man coach. Let's not worry about the past. Let's get it in place for the future.

These suggestions make little sense. You dont hire an assistant coach to just "coach". Can he recruit? What type of AAU connections does he have? Does he have any actual coaching experience?

You dont just bring a former big man in because you want them to work with the bigs.

 

[seanmac1844]

Serious question. Who coaches Duke's bigs? You look at their assistant coaches and they are all guards too as far as I can tell. Wojo, Chris Collins, Jeff Capel. Am I missing someone? Their bigs seem to play at a pretty high level. At some point, the honus is on the players to perform.

 

[orangecuse]

Serious question. Who coaches Duke's bigs? You look at their assistant coaches and they are all guards too as far as I can tell. Wojo, Chris Collins, Jeff Capel. Am I missing someone? Their bigs seem to play at a pretty high level. At some point, the honus is on the players to perform.

Well, now this dude had some 'honus'...let alone the onus to perform.

 

[Hoov50]

Just because you can play doesn't mean you can coach and vice versa.

 

[Stevenson]

We need to recruit bigs before we can coach them. We recruit beanpoles

 

[orangejunkie]

Coleman, and especially Christmas need to go to a serious big man camp over the summer. They lack fundamental post moves which I have to believe can be taught. I am not being critical of the current coaches as I'm sure they are spending significant practice time on the fundamentals of the position. Coleman seems to have some basic fundamentals but needs more cardio and muscle toning. After almost 2 seasons Christmas is still very limited in his skill set.

 

[Hoov50]

We need to recruit bigs before we can coach them. We recruit beanpoles

The interesting thing is other than Coleman who did have an offensive game in HS a lot of the highly ranked centers we recruit and sign don't even have offensive games in HS! I remember watching Keita and Christmas playing in HS on television and thinking to myself, "how can these guys be ranked high (mostly Christmas) and have no offensive game?" Even Fab only showed offense in the one practice/scrimmage film. If I was 6-10 and had the basketball skills I have now, which are nothing great, but I do understand the game, I would be rated the top center in the country by some of these recruiting "experts."

 

[cuseattle]

Seems like the big guys get overlooked for coaching spots and even speculation. Coach Onuaku would be pretty interesting.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

These suggestions make little sense. You dont hire an assistant coach to just "coach". Can he recruit? What type of AAU connections does he have? Does he have any actual coaching experience?

You dont just bring a former big man in because you want them to wok with the bigs.

People are talking about the vacancy left by Bernie. Bernie didn't recruit, his primary responsibility was with the bigs. Bernie wasn't on the road.

The staff reconfigured with adding/promoting GMac and Hopkins. That's the issue, that change is what needs to be adjusted. Do you think Fab, JS, or however is next like Rak will really confide in GMac/Hop about issues?

 

[orangefan13]

We have had 2 bigs with a face up post up game in the last decade warrick and to a lesser extent Rick.
There just isn't alot of seasoned scoring bigs out there though. Scoring bigs aren't like guards or forwards. You can find a guard on any big east team that can put up 13 plus ppg. You can find a forward that can put up 12 plus points per game on 12 of 16 of big east teams each year. With bigs though you rarely will find a year with scoring bigs on more then 5-7 BE teams. Thats just the ratio these days. I think thats something that can be easily overlooked.

Just guessing, I would think Getting bigs who can face up in the post, know when to bump, have the proper footwork to go left right, know when to put the ball high and low, know when to step in or away from their defender, and how to lay the ball in softly at 2 inches below the rim instead of 8 is advanced teaching. Its not something you can just watch and observe like Arinzes old backdown move. Maybe it would be good to have a big teaching those things.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I think we should hire Derrick Coleman
and Sherman Douglas as assistants. Can you imagining starting 3 Coleman's and two generals. We would win the national title every year.

 

[SWC75]

These type of big men, who developed a strong ability to score in the low post, will be able teach our Bigs to get involved in the offensive flow. (We can no longer just call upon the coach who taught Otis or Arinze anymore , because I percieve that was Bernie). D C started off college this year with a better array of moves than either one of them had when they came here. The sky will be the limit after working out with a "hands on" big man coach. Let's not worry about the past. Let's get it in place for the future.

Again, Bernie was a student manager. He never even played. Yet he was our "big man" coach for years. It kind of proves that you have to have been a big man to coach them.

 

[Marsh01]

People are talking about the vacancy left by Bernie. Bernie didn't recruit, his primary responsibility was with the bigs. Bernie wasn't on the road.

The staff reconfigured with adding/promoting GMac and Hopkins. That's the issue, that change is what needs to be adjusted. Do you think Fab, JS, or however is next like Rak will really confide in GMac/Hop about issues?

No but he had coaching experience going back to 1970. I am pretty confident that neither AO or Otis have any coaching experience.

 

[orange2win]

Jim Boeheim - guard at SU for 4 years - 2 yrs assist. and 36 yrs HC at SU
Mike Hopkins - guard at SU for 4 years - 17 yrs assistant at SU
Gerry McNamara - guard at SU for 4 years - 4 yrs assistant at SU
Adrian Autry - guard at SU for 4 years - 1 yr assistant at SU
Lazerous Sims - guard at SU for 4 years - 5 yrs player development at SU

Sean Williams - bust
Devin McBride - bust
DeShonte Riley - bust
A. Onuaka - Injury prone
Fab Melo - Underperformed
BM Keita - Offence undeveloped
Christmas - Struggling
Coleman - Underperforming

Is there a connection between these two lists?

 

[Libero2]

I seriously doubt Fab Melo should be considered underperforming. He was a key cog on an elite team, and was the most important player we had. The fact he's an idiot should have no bearing on that.

Also Coleman is a frosh and has been out for about a month, the meat of the BE season where he would have seen his most progression. So I don't think it's fair to include him in that list.

I don't disagree with your premise, a Big Man coach would likely help us, but it's imperative we get a big man who can coach and recruit as well. You can't just grab a big man from the recent past and expect him to be a great coach. That's not how it works at all.

 

[orange2win]

I seriously doubt Fab Melo should be considered underperforming. He was a key cog on an elite team, and was the most important player we had. The fact he's an idiot should have no bearing on that.

Also Coleman is a frosh and has been out for about a month, the meat of the BE season where he would have seen his most progression. So I don't think it's fair to include him in that list.

I cannot agree. Fab Melo was the #1 big man recruit in the nation, a 5 star recruit and a McDAA. He never came close to those expectations. It is early with Coleman, but he certaily does not look like the top McDAA big man of his class so far. At a minimum, he is developing much slower that we would have hoped.

 

[Marsh01]

Jim Boeheim - guard at SU for 4 years - 2 yrs assist. and 36 yrs HC at SU
Mike Hopkins - guard at SU for 4 years - 17 yrs assistant at SU
Gerry McNamara - guard at SU for 4 years - 4 yrs assistant at SU
Adrian Autry - guard at SU for 4 years - 1 yr assistant at SU
Lazerous Sims - guard at SU for 4 years - 5 yrs player development at SU

Sean Williams - bust
Devin McBride - bust
DeShonte Riley - bust
A. Onuaka - Injury prone
Fab Melo - Underperformed
BM Keita - Offence undeveloped
Christmas - Struggling
Coleman - Underperforming

Is there a connection between these two lists?

AO was solid and the injury at the end was a freak accident
Melo only underperformed in the classroom
BMK - wasnt brought in to be an offensive player.
DC will make the leap next season

Dont give up on DC because he has the foundation offensively to be a decent player with some work.

 

[Marsh01]

I cannot agree. Fab Melo was the #1 big man recruit in the nation, a 5 star recruit and a McDAA. He never came close to those expectations. It is early with Coleman, but he certaily does not look like the top McDAA big man of his class so far. At a minimum, he is developing much slower that we would have hoped.

Wasnt Fab the BE defensive player of the year? Thats pretty damn good and if he stayed he would have been an all american this season

 

[orange2win]

Wasnt Fab the BE defensive player of the year? Thats pretty damn good and if he stayed he would have been an all american this season

Trevor Cooney has already played more minutes this year than Fab Melo did his whole Fr. year. I do not think that was anything to do with academics. Not what you would expect from one of the top recruits in the nation.

 

[Libero2]

Trevor Cooney has already played more minutes this year than Fab Melo did his whole Fr. year. I do not think that was anything to do with academics. Not what you would expect from one of the top recruits in the nation.

The point isn't where he started its where he was his sophomore year. Fab came in oozing potential, but having no idea how to play college hoops. A year later he got moe athletic and became one of the best bigs in the country. He may not have reached every ounce of his potential, but he lived up to his 5 star expectations by the start of his second year on campus. His idiocy is almost assuredly what cost us a final four trip and possibly a title.

If your point is about freshman bigs struggling, then you have more of a point with your list, but if you are trying to say that Fab never improved you are delusional.

 

[Libero2]

Wasnt Fab the BE defensive player of the year? Thats pretty damn good and if he stayed he would have been an all american this season

I would suggest if he wasn't academically a moron, he would have had a pretty good shot at being an All-American last year.

 

[Wallo]

Well, now this dude had some 'honus'...let alone the onus to perform.

Hans "Honus" Wagner did not drink or smoke. The reason the above photo card became the most valuable baseball card ever was because the tobacco company did not have permission from the non-smoker[ or chewer ] Honus. The cards were pulled from the stores,causing a card shortgage of the future Hall of Famer...Sorry Yankee fans, but "Honus" is the all time greatest shortstop !!

 

[CuseCrew08]

I don't remember ever seeing AO get the ball on the block with his back to the basket and make a post move. 90% of his points were on dump offs and offensive rebounds. He was always in the correct position and was looking for the ball, I will give him that. But if we're looking for a coach that will teach footwork, I don't think he is the guy.

The way he is playing in the D league I would bet he gets a cup of coffee in the NBA by the end of the season anyway.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

AO was solid and the injury at the end was a freak accident
Melo only underperformed in the classroom
BMK - wasnt brought in to be an offensive player.
DC will make the leap next season

Dont give up on DC because he has the foundation offensively to be a decent player with some work.

Seems to be some confusion over the time frame of the change. By the results I think Bernie was actually on top of his game when asked to leave. That was after AO, and the conveniently forgotten RJ, and the Fab transformation. Those were players that improved significantly under Bernie's watch. Since then, not so much. It has been after Bernie's tenure that we have had the Fab and JS disasters. Coincidence? I'm not so sure.

I want a bigs coach that can coach and can mentor. Hop may have some coaching ability but it is not solely directed to the bigs, Hop is the coach in waiting and has more on his plate than Bernie did. GMac is not the answer for the bigs. This position does not need to recruit, although having name recognition would not hurt.

DC2 oozes with potential and seems like he will improve for next season regardless of the coach. But who would help more, Hop out recruiting the AAU circuit with GMac in 'Cuse, or a real mentoring big who DC2 and Rak can actually relate to? Who will help with the motivation and help with actual hands on advice?