Class of 2022 PF Maliq Brown (VA) COMMITTED/SIGNED TO SYRACUSE

[Niastri]

I think the coaches may have as much to do with next season as the players do. Last year was a flawed team and I personally believe the staff underperformed last season because of it. Next years team...the parts are there. But other than Jesse, and to a lesser extent Joe, none of them have done it before. I'm looking forward to the exuberance of youth and athleticism.
My prediction is 2 out of Brown, Bunch, Taylor and Copeland are going to open eyes next season. To be honest we need it.

One of Brown, Bunch and Taylor are going to be starting at forward opposite Benny Williams. Another of those three is going to be the first forward off the bench.

I highly doubt Copeland gets many minutes this year.

Edwards, Hima

Williams, Brown/Bunch/Taylor, Brown/Bunch/Taylor

Girard, Mintz, Torrence

That's our team next year. Anybody else is only getting minutes due to injury or blowout basketball.

Of course, surprises do happen.

 

[Windyfly]

One of Brown, Bunch and Taylor are going to be starting at forward opposite Benny Williams. Another of those three is going to be the first forward off the bench.

I highly doubt Copeland gets many minutes this year.

Edwards, Hima

Williams, Brown/Bunch/Taylor, Brown/Bunch/Taylor

Girard, Mintz, Torrence

That's our team next year. Anybody else is only getting minutes due to injury or blowout basketball.

Of course, surprises do happen.

I know it’s easy to write off JBA, since he hasn’t had many meaningful moments or shown that he can play at an ACC level for that matter, but I personally believe he will be a contributor for us next year.
He is going to be 4 years into our system next season, which automatically makes him a valuable asset, with our young forward group and with another season of training and preparing with our coaches, we could be looking at a coming out party of sorts for him.
I heard a report a few weeks back on here, that JAB was saying that he has been practicing very well and to me this a very good sign and possible indication that the staff will be looking for him to take that next step and the spot is for the taking as the only upperclassman.

Anyway I’ll certainly be routing for him to do so...everybody on the team has always seemed to love him, he’s a great person with a great story and I think if healthy, he could end up being a fan favorite and good energy/rotational player for us.

 

[walsh2012]

I went to a farm boy school- ain't nothing wrong with that and we could ball

100% meant that as a compliment

 

[Niastri]

I know it’s easy to write off JBA, since he hasn’t had many meaningful moments or shown that he can play at an ACC level for that matter, but I personally believe he will be a contributor for us next year.
He is going to be 4 years into our system next season, which automatically makes him a valuable asset, with our young forward group and with another season of training and preparing with our coaches, we could be looking at a coming out party of sorts for him.
I heard a report a few weeks back on here, that JAB was saying that he has been practicing very well and to me this a very good sign and possible indication that the staff will be looking for him to take that next step and the spot is for the taking as the only upperclassman.

Anyway I’ll certainly be routing for him to do so...everybody on the team has always seemed to love him, he’s a great person with a great story and I think if healthy, he could end up being a fan favorite and good energy/rotational player for us.

If JBA had shown any indication that he could shoot, I wouldn't be writing him off like I have. Right now he is an undersized center playing forward from deep in the bench because he lacks that critical ability.

I'd love to be proven wrong, JBA becoming a rotation piece at /C makes this team a lot deeper when things go wrong.

 

[Orangezoo]

I know it’s easy to write off JBA, since he hasn’t had many meaningful moments or shown that he can play at an ACC level for that matter, but I personally believe he will be a contributor for us next year.
He is going to be 4 years into our system next season, which automatically makes him a valuable asset, with our young forward group and with another season of training and preparing with our coaches, we could be looking at a coming out party of sorts for him.
I heard a report a few weeks back on here, that JAB was saying that he has been practicing very well and to me this a very good sign and possible indication that the staff will be looking for him to take that next step and the spot is for the taking as the only upperclassman.

Anyway I’ll certainly be routing for him to do so...everybody on the team has always seemed to love him, he’s a great person with a great story and I think if healthy, he could end up being a fan favorite and good energy/rotational player for us.

JBA is a great teammate and good practice asset. The game moves too fast for him still and he seems to struggle with focusing on his role when on the floor. Crazier things have happened but in general he still has a steep curve he hasn't climbed very high on. Love the kid and his energy though and very glad he is part of the program.

 

[Orangezoo]

If you have any concerns about offense next year, rewatch this highlight. Then go watch the pick and roll clinic Edwards and Girard put on against Louisville before Edwards got injured.

In fairness Louisville was a complete mess last year.

Now the thing we have to keep in mind expectation wise is that teams will aim to be physical with Mintz as a frosh while also having someone crowding Joe all game long. It will look different without that second true shooter on the floor as there will be less space for the entry pass to Jesse and kick outs will be there more for Benny and a frosh. Thus Judah will have to work with Benny and Jesse on throwing the lob off penetration as well as Benny being an effective cutter on the baseline.

So offense on paper may seem strong but it will take time and really is going to rely on the target guys being ready for the extra attention and teammates helping them out by hitting the open looks they get. I expect the frosh who play ( say Taylor and Bunch) will get a lot of decent looks given the attention elsewhere kind of like what we saw Cole and Joe get because of the attention to Buddy.

If the frosh surprise and are hitting their looks and defending well that would definitely make a huge difference. Right now the 4th option is Benny who we really don't know much about or what to expect. Was Duke a true cameo of what he is able to do or was it more like the few games we saw from Kaleb Joseph and then Matt Moyer that were just anomalies.

 

[the villager]

I sure hope J B expands his 7.5 man rotation pattern in the early games to give all the new players a chance to show us if they are ready or not.

 

[Goin' Deep]

I sure hope J B expands his 7.5 man rotation pattern in the early games to give all the new players a chance to show us if they are ready or not.

I wanna see JB send the team out in the exhibition games and the "Slippery Rock U." games to play defenses we don't see the rest of the season...

 

[Sbucketball]

I get what you're saying but if, say, the Mintz/Girard/Edwards combo really flourishes (not a stretch to think that'll be the case) then we'd really only need Benny to be solid, not elite.

edit - but I certainly think he *can* be elite if the mental part comes together for him

If that group plays to our high expectations, I agree that all we need is for Benny to be solid to be a tournament team. But I believe to rise to the next level (i.e. the highest level of college basketball and a real contender), I still think we need a forward to be better than solid on both ends of the floor. The reason I mention it is because the potential is there for Benny. And I think it's especially necessary if the forward playing opposite of him will play a 3 and D role next year.

 

[Sbucketball]

I understand why this seems likely - losing cole, buddy, and jimmy - seems like the offense will be in shambles and the team will have zero chance of scoring. i mean, how can you lose that many points and still be okay??? from a 16-17 team no less...

i think the offense will be fine and likely even better than last year. better balance and less iso. i think the team will have a better offense this season and "rock fights" wont be necessary, or preferred. I hope that isnt the intention from the coaches...

1st option - jesse
2nd option - joe
3rd option - judah/symir
4th option - benny
5th option - bunch/taylor/brown/carey/qc etc
6th - any surprise players

how good do the 4th and 5th options really need to truly be????

there's gonna be at least 4 or 5 players that can score next year. the offense will be fine.

I think the offense will be OK and I'm not too worried. I think we can rely on Joe, Jesse and Symir to add a few points or more to their averages. Benny should take a leap. Judah is hopefully as billed. And Bunch/Taylor should be able to shoot and score. Also we should get more bench points than last year (which was close to none). Like you said, hopefully more ball movement with a different point guard and less iso ball. I'm just not sure we could consistently win shoot-outs. With the added athleticism, and reported willingness to buy into defense, I think the best recipe for this team is to focus on defense and keep the scores low. Because the offense will be ok, that should translate to consistent wins.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think the offense will be OK and I'm not too worried. I think we can rely on Joe, Jesse and Symir to add a few points or more to their averages. Benny should take a leap. Judah is hopefully as billed. And Bunch/Taylor should be able to shoot and score. Also we should get more bench points than last year (which was close to none). Like you said, hopefully more ball movement with a different point guard and less iso ball. I'm just not sure we could consistently win shoot-outs. With the added athleticism, and reported willingness to buy into defense, I think the best recipe for this team is to focus on defense and keep the scores low. Because the offense will be ok, that should translate to consistent wins.

I'm not trying to be a Debbie downer but I think expectations need to level out for the offense next year, at least out of the gate. Joe is a 6-0 shooting guard who will have to spend a good bit of time running his tail off from screen to screen to get open looks. Defenses will be focused on him as the primary deep threat until another emerges.

Penetration is going to be the key. Judah and Joe must be able to get into the paint to pull defenders and create passing lanes to get the ball to Jesse. He is going to have a help defender shading him until we make teams pay for it. This is where Benny is critical. He must be active and effective as that 4th option making himself available and both making his jump shots and finishing strong at the rim. Furthermore Taylor and or Bunch must be able to make open shots at minimum.

So I think the focus needs to be on the defense and let the team find itself offensively as they play together. Just have to be practical here in that the offense is going to take time to gel and may struggle for a bit with fewer shooters and less experience on the court.

 

[Sbucketball]

I'm not trying to be a Debbie downer but I think expectations need to level out for the offense next year, at least out of the gate. Joe is a 6-0 shooting guard who will have to spend a good bit of time running his tail off from screen to screen to get open looks. Defenses will be focused on him as the primary deep threat until another emerges.

Penetration is going to be the key. Judah and Joe must be able to get into the paint to pull defenders and create passing lanes to get the ball to Jesse. He is going to have a help defender shading him until we make teams pay for it. This is where Benny is critical. He must be active and effective as that 4th option making himself available and both making his jump shots and finishing strong at the rim. Furthermore Taylor and or Bunch must be able to make open shots at minimum.

So I think the focus needs to be on the defense and let the team find itself offensively as they play together. Just have to be practical here in that the offense is going to take time to gel and may struggle for a bit with less shooters and less experience on the court.

Good points. And I totally agree that there will be growing pains in the offense, so they should focus on playing good defense while ironing out the kinks in the offense. That's why I said they should keep scores low to win consistently. My realistic hope is that they play tough defense all year, and start cooking offensively in the latter part of the season, just in time to make a post-season run.

With Joe, it's tough to forecast. On the one hand, he should score more off the ball. On the other hand, he'll likely see tougher defenders next year without Buddy there. He also has to emerge as the clutch take-the-last-shot type of guy (which I think he has more of that killer competitive instinct in him than anyone else on the team the last few years).

Jesse should also improve and build off last year, and also stay on the court longer, but he might not have as much space to operate if deep threats don't make their presence known.

Also tough to forecast Benny, who needs to vastly improve during the off-season, and with the freshman, who are . . . freshman. Benny being all-around solid is critical to the team on both ends of the court, as is Bunch or Taylor (or both) being able to shoot and defend.

Judah's game should elevate everyone on the team as he creates for people. Hopefully he plays to expectations. Symir should also create for others, and hopefully he's also a better scorer. Effective and consistent penetration was missing last year and will be key next year.

Lot's of potential, but there's definitely going to be growing pains. Hopefully they don't find themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole created in the first half of the season.

 

[Orangezoo]

Good points. And I totally agree that there will be growing pains in the offense, so they should focus on playing good defense while ironing out the kinks in the offense. That's why I said they should keep scores low to win consistently. My realistic hope is that they play tough defense all year, and start cooking offensively in the latter part of the season, just in time to make a post-season run.

With Joe, it's tough to forecast. On the one hand, he should score more off the ball. On the other hand, he'll likely see tougher defenders next year without Buddy there. He also has to emerge as the clutch take-the-last-shot type of guy (which I think he has more of that killer competitive instinct in him than anyone else on the team the last few years).

Jesse should also improve and build off last year, and also stay on the court longer, but he might not have as much space to operate if deep threats don't make their presence known.

Also tough to forecast Benny, who needs to vastly improve during the off-season, and with the freshman, who are . . . freshman. Benny being all-around solid is critical to the team on both ends of the court, as is Bunch or Taylor (or both) being able to shoot and defend.

Judah's game should elevate everyone on the team as he creates for people. Hopefully he plays to expectations. Symir should also create for others, and hopefully he's also a better scorer. Effective and consistent penetration was missing last year and will be key next year.

Lot's of potential, but there's definitely going to be growing pains. Hopefully they don't find themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole created in the first half of the season.

Hopefully scheduling is friendly enough such that we can get a decent start and build confidence.

 

[Sbucketball]

Hopefully scheduling is friendly enough such that we can get a decent start and build confidence.

It appears to be shaping up easier than last year, but last year was brutal. I think JB understands he needs to ease his young team into it next year.

 

[RF2044]

Good points. And I totally agree that there will be growing pains in the offense, so they should focus on playing good defense while ironing out the kinks in the offense. That's why I said they should keep scores low to win consistently. My realistic hope is that they play tough defense all year, and start cooking offensively in the latter part of the season, just in time to make a post-season run.

With Joe, it's tough to forecast. On the one hand, he should score more off the ball. On the other hand, he'll likely see tougher defenders next year without Buddy there. He also has to emerge as the clutch take-the-last-shot type of guy (which I think he has more of that killer competitive instinct in him than anyone else on the team the last few years).

Jesse should also improve and build off last year, and also stay on the court longer, but he might not have as much space to operate if deep threats don't make their presence known.

Also tough to forecast Benny, who needs to vastly improve during the off-season, and with the freshman, who are . . . freshman. Benny being all-around solid is critical to the team on both ends of the court, as is Bunch or Taylor (or both) being able to shoot and defend.

Judah's game should elevate everyone on the team as he creates for people. Hopefully he plays to expectations. Symir should also create for others, and hopefully he's also a better scorer. Effective and consistent penetration was missing last year and will be key next year.

Lot's of potential, but there's definitely going to be growing pains. Hopefully they don't find themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole created in the first half of the season.

Don't forget about Symir. He really came on at the end of the year and produced.

 

[orangefog]

Don't forget about Symir. He really came on at the end of the year and produced.

He needs to be shooting 500 jump shots every day.

 

[OrangeDW]

Don't forget about Symir. He really came on at the end of the year and produced.

Yup. The Symir we saw late in the year…..loved his game. If he can build off that and continue to finish better and knock down a few outside shots, he could really surprise. I love the way he runs point and gets people the ball when they should get it, and hustles on defense.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Don't forget about Symir. He really came on at the end of the year and produced.

I think the coaches may have as much to do with next season as the players do. Last year was a flawed team and I personally believe the staff underperformed last season because of it. Next years team...the parts are there. But other than Jesse, and to a lesser extent Joe, none of them have done it before. I'm looking forward to the exuberance of youth and athleticism.
My prediction is 2 out of Brown, Bunch, Taylor and Copeland are going to open eyes next season. To be honest we need it.

no doubt there are a lot of question marks...but i totally agree that there will be some players who step up and shine...maybe even some who aren't expected to...maybe some who aren being overlooked at the moment...what are the odds that all of the question marks flop??? very very low.

I agree about the coaching job last year...there was some great individual improvements...I think people are kinda overlooking how much better Symir got...I thought he played very well in the final game vs Duke. But yeah, hopefully the cohesiveness will be there in terms of game plan and strategy and it wont be nearly as formulaic and seemingly pre-determined as it was last few seasons...game plan needs some unpredictability injected and it needs to fit the actual roster not the idealized roster the coaches want. there was a bit of a mismatch at times last season in terms of what the team was doing, trying to do and what would increase winning chances, imo...and especially just not getting away from what doesnt work...the stubbornness needs to go.

Whatever the case, The team will basically always have a solid PG on the floor next year...which will be huge. I really think that will make such a difference for the offense. *fingers crossed*

 

[Niastri]

Yup. The Symir we saw late in the year…..loved his game. If he can build off that and continue to finish better and knock down a few outside shots, he could really surprise. I love the way he runs point and gets people the ball when they should get it, and hustles on defense.

Looked a bit like Rajon Rondo on the Celtics championship team. Can't shoot, but does everything else you want a point guard doing.

 

[rhcuse]

So....what do the last 50 posts have to do with Maliq Brown? Focus people. Focus. Stay on topic.

 

[jordville]

OMG, OMG Maliq is is in da house...