Class of 2022 PG Quadir Copeland (PA/IMG) COMMITTED/SIGNED TO SYRACUSE

[Niastri]

The kid can get to the hoop, but the defense is nonexistent.

Good thing you only need long arms in the Tavern League

 

[orangefog]

Good thing you only need long arms in the Tavern League

I wasn’t talking about his defense, I was talking about the defense in all of those clips.

 

[721Comstock]

Kadary always projected to be a very good defender IMO. His hands and anticipation were pretty remarkable in high school.

Well yeah - but it was also said that he didn’t have the “biggest motor” in terms of consistent effort on D.

So - nobody knew if or how that would actually translate to college and the 2-3 zone.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

He pulls a “God-Shamgod’ move by pushing the ball forward to get around his man. That counts as a carry but it’s hard to catch.

I had to give you a like for the God Shamgod reference. I'm hoping now that someone will drop Dan Callandrillo in a post.

 

[Melancer46]

Well yeah - but it was also said that he didn’t have the “biggest motor” in terms of consistent effort on D.

So - nobody knew if or how that would actually translate to college and the 2-3 zone.

I remember that too, but the motor issues never showed up in any of the games I watched of his. Granted I only watched 5 or so games, but I kinda wonder if it was one of those things where people just see a guy playing at his own methodical pace and think it's low motor.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

Kadary always projected to be a very good defender IMO. His hands and anticipation were pretty remarkable in high school.

He's the best on the ball defender we have EVER had - he is also a great defender at the top of the zone - make every pass a threat to be stolen - gone for a local YMCA player (those are not my words - those are the words of coaches of the teams we play against)

 

[721Comstock]

He's the best on the ball defender we have EVER had - he is also a great defender at the top of the zone - make every pass a threat to be stolen - gone for a local YMCA player (those are not my words - those are the words of coaches of the teams we play against)

Um, yeah.
Jason Hart would like a word with you, on Line 1.
MCW is waiting on Line 2.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Um, yeah.
Jason Hart would like a word with you, on Line 1.
MCW is waiting on Line 2.

Hart came to mind for me too.

 

[RF2044]

He's the best on the ball defender we have EVER had - he is also a great defender at the top of the zone - make every pass a threat to be stolen - gone for a local YMCA player (those are not my words - those are the words of coaches of the teams we play against)

Don't know about that, but he was definitely pretty good.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Um, yeah.
Jason Hart would like a word with you, on Line 1.
MCW is waiting on Line 2.

Triche was veryyyyy underrated also

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Triche was veryyyyy underrated also

Agreed, and though we're talking about what they did in a Syracuse uniform, both Hart and MCW hung around in the NBA thanks to their defense.

 

[721Comstock]

Triche was veryyyyy underrated also

And Scoop averaged 2 steals / game for his entire career.
He's 2nd all-time at Cuse behind Hart.
(shockingly, GMac is 3rd)

Pearl had an excellent per-game steals average of 2.3.

Syracuse Orange Basketball Top 100 Steals

Rank of Syracuse University Basketball All-Time Top 100 steals for the Orange.

orangehoops.org

 

[TampaLaker]

Um, yeah.
Jason Hart would like a word with you, on Line 1.
MCW is waiting on Line 2.

Eddie Moss was also a pretty good on the ball defender...

 

[Melancer46]

I can't speak for Hart as he was just before I started watching. I'd definitely take MCW over anyone I've seen at the top of our zone. Kadary is probably #2 though.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Eddie Moss was also a pretty good on the ball defender...

Fast Eddie was the first one that I thought of.

 

[mark79]

Although here for only one year, Tyler Ennis was way up there at 2.1 per game

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Being the next god?

shamgod

 

[longtimefan]

shamgod

That's pretty much what most of us can aspire to.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

That's pretty much what most of us can aspire to.

Speak for yourself

 

[Cuseball]

I can't speak for Hart as he was just before I started watching. I'd definitely take MCW over anyone I've seen at the top of our zone. Kadary is probably #2 though.

I think MCW is far and away #1

Hart is #2

Kadary had the potential for #3 but I’ll give it to Triche for bigger impact

Frank (when he wanted to give effort) and Battle we’re pretty good too

 

[Orangezoo]

He's the best on the ball defender we have EVER had - he is also a great defender at the top of the zone - make every pass a threat to be stolen - gone for a local YMCA player (those are not my words - those are the words of coaches of the teams we play against)

No- and while he was very good he doesn't crack the top 10. He was one of the best threats to pick off a pass at the top of the zone sure. But best on ball no.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Triche was veryyyyy underrated also

Senior year Andy Rautins was a beast at the top of the zone. Kadary was definitely top 5 though.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Ummm, if Eddie Moss isn’t leading the discussion, it’s not worth having.

 

[alphaorange]

Getting steals at the top of the zone is not indicative of being a good on the ball defender. They simply are not the same thing. AI was great at getting steals but nobody would ever say he was a good on the ball defender. It would be different if all the steals cam from picking the ball handlers pocket instead of anticipating passes from other players and intercepting them. Both are great players but indicate different abilities. I always pictured a great on the ball defender as a guy that could just harass a ball handler into either a mistake or just giving the ball up, not even mentioning limiting the ability to get a shot off. Some guys, like MCW, can be both.

 

[General20]

I think a helpful oversimplification when judging how guards defend in the zone, is to divide them into 4 categories.

1) Guys who play good positional D and who also create a lot of turnovers.
2) Plays good positional D but doesnt create many turnovers.
3) Doesn't play good positional D, but makes up for it by creating a lot of turnovers.
4) Doesn't play good positional D or force many turnovers.

The fourth group is usually the domain of freshemn and most freshmen fall into it.

I think of GMac as the best example of group three. He was undersized and was never going to be a blanket defender, but he understood the zone really well, knew when he should take chances on going for a steal and got a lot of them. Enough to be a nusciance that offenses needed to worry about.

Triche is the perfect group 2 example. He understood the zone from day 1. Was tall and strong and always in the right place, but didn't steal the ball often.

For group 1 Ill give you my defensive Mount Rushmore (for the zone) ... Heart, Rautins, MCW, Gbinije.

I would put Richmond in group 3 (though the elite side of group 3). He got tons of steals, but didn't understand the rotations well and gave up a ton of open shots. There are, of course really good reasons for this. His team had no preseason and only about half the regular season practice time that a normal team gets. And at the end of the year when he should have been figuring everything out, instead he was hobbled by a knee injury. I have little doubt he would have jumped up to group 1 had he stayed. But just judging from productivity and not potential, Richmond doesn't touch the top 10 defensive SU guards.