Possible Portal Point Guards

[UpstateSM]

Basing your portal recruiting on the following season's high school recruiting class is certainly a decision in modern college basketball.

 

[Domedog84]

I’ve seen multiple people make these comparison and I hate it tbh

Spencer played at Rutgers as you mentioned, LEVELS above MT. St Mary’s, averaged over 10 a game on 40% shooting in his career at Rutgers. He was a quality player in one of the best conferences in the sport.

Knect is an outlier, not the norm and not even close to something that should be looked at to be replicated because it’s simply not possible, the whole thing is already a crapshoot. But to play the same game, he averaged 20+ a game on almost identical shooting numbers as his last season at northern Colorado. 40% from 3 on 6 attempts s game, 59 ts%, etc while also putting in some other good numbers like 7 boards a game. The big sky was 19th in net last season, The maac 23rd, while this year they were 22nd and 24th.

We’ve been over Leffews numbers. A pretty good shooter, likes to shoot off screens, on the move, step backs, etc. he has a better ast% than his tov suggest so thats promising almost with the climb in that area in general. He’dbe the second best pure shooter and scorer in this roster I believe. He’s got some decent hands and gets some steals and blocks and I think In our system the steals would go up even more.

My biggest worry with Leffew is even though the assist numbers(4.3a game this season) have gone up some, they aren’t the prettiest, with a 1.37 a/t. Watching tape the handle worries me. He’s crafty and got some inside game getting to the basket, can throw it down but I just don’t see an actual point guard out of his play. And this is where my concern and judgement comes from. We need a point guard I don’t think Leffew is really a point guard, nor did his team until this season unless of course it was out of necessity as well.

All in all I like this game, i think he can help us but i dont know how well, and how well it’ll translate coming from one of the bottom leagues in the country, and being the only big fish in a small pound could be a positive or a negative for him in his next step, I hope for our sake it’s positive. I trust red and I trust the staff and have really like their jobs so far but I’m worried about the point guard and roster management around it still.

I agree with what you are saying here, but doesn't Mack have some concerns as well? He is not the perfect version of a pg we are suddenly making him out to be now that we are probably not getting him.

 

[littlereg]

I agree with what you are saying here, but doesn't Mack have some concerns as well? He is not the perfect version of a pg we are suddenly making him out to be now that we are probably not getting him.

Oh yeah I hear you man there may not be a perfect fit at all. I think thats one of the human elements we sometimes forget in this. Some things just don’t work out, some things just don’t fit. Sometimes you can’t find the perfect fit or match so you have to go with what you think can fill that hole the best, if that’s either cus gong course to find someone to closely fits(Leffew) , or dropping your standards to some degree in other areas to find that pin you need to fill that hole (an example of what I mean by this is someone like Carlos from Hofstra)

 

[Melancer46]

I’ve seen multiple people make these comparison and I hate it tbh

Spencer played at Rutgers as you mentioned, LEVELS above MT. St Mary’s, averaged over 10 a game on 40% shooting in his career at Rutgers. He was a quality player in one of the best conferences in the sport.

Knect is an outlier, not the norm and not even close to something that should be looked at to be replicated because it’s simply not possible, the whole thing is already a crapshoot. But to play the same game, he averaged 20+ a game on almost identical shooting numbers as his last season at northern Colorado. 40% from 3 on 6 attempts s game, 59 ts%, etc while also putting in some other good numbers like 7 boards a game. The big sky was 19th in net last season, The maac 23rd, while this year they were 22nd and 24th.

We’ve been over Leffews numbers. A pretty good shooter, likes to shoot off screens, on the move, step backs, etc. he has a better ast% than his tov suggest so thats promising almost with the climb in that area in general. He’dbe the second best pure shooter and scorer in this roster I believe. He’s got some decent hands and gets some steals and blocks and I think In our system the steals would go up even more.

My biggest worry with Leffew is even though the assist numbers(4.3a game this season) have gone up some, they aren’t the prettiest, with a 1.37 a/t. Watching tape the handle worries me. He’s crafty and got some inside game getting to the basket, can throw it down but I just don’t see an actual point guard out of his play. And this is where my concern and judgement comes from. We need a point guard I don’t think Leffew is really a point guard, nor did his team until this season unless of course it was out of necessity as well.

All in all I like this game, i think he can help us but i dont know how well, and how well it’ll translate coming from one of the bottom leagues in the country, and being the only big fish in a small pound could be a positive or a negative for him in his next step, I hope for our sake it’s positive. I trust red and I trust the staff and have really like their jobs so far but I’m worried about the point guard and roster management around it still.

Their starting PG got injured early on, which ended up forcing him to play PG.

 

[MikeSU02]

So we're all just going to be cool with settling for the lead guard position and are ok with it because of who we *might* get next year as a high school recruit that we can't scare off?

That is some serious rationalizing. I like Leffew, truly, but come on.

BTW, our starting lineup is going to get ran through like a hot knife through butter. We better hope this is the most efficient offense we've ever had because we are looking awful on the defensive side of the ball with our starting five. Awful.

We keep planning for next year, we'll never have a this year.

 

[littlereg]

Their starting PG got injured early on, which ended up forcing him to play PG.

I said it “unless of course it was out of necessity”

And that reinforces my point. He was never a lead guard until he HAD to be.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

So we're all just going to be cool with settling for the lead guard position and are ok with it because of who we *might* get next year as a high school recruit that we can't scare off?

That is some serious rationalizing. I like Leffew, truly, but come on.

BTW, our starting lineup is going to get ran through like a hot knife through butter. We better hope this is the most efficient offense we've ever had because we are looking awful on the defensive side of the ball with our starting five. Awful.

We keep planning for next year, we'll never have a this year.

It appears to be money. Write the check.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Basing your portal recruiting on the following season's high school recruiting class is certainly a decision in modern college basketball.

Agreed. Have we learned nothing over the years about expecting HS PG's to commit to us and be able to run the show immediately?

 

[Cuse2023]

and we are after a couple high end HS PGs.

That's what you call damage control.

 

[Orangezoo]

So we're all just going to be cool with settling for the lead guard position and are ok with it because of who we *might* get next year as a high school recruit that we can't scare off?

That is some serious rationalizing. I like Leffew, truly, but come on.

BTW, our starting lineup is going to get ran through like a hot knife through butter. We better hope this is the most efficient offense we've ever had because we are looking awful on the defensive side of the ball with our starting five. Awful.

We keep planning for next year, we'll never have a this year.

We will see in terms of defense next year. I’ve never seen a lead guard let people just drive past them at mid court like Judah did many times last year just as much as watching him watch when JJ was trying to D up and didn’t shade over to help. It was maddening. I’m not saying JJ and Bell weren’t problems on D but Judah playing matador was at times in a league of its own.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think Leffew will score and shoot fine, but the defense might be all time bad with the team Red is building. We are going to need to score 80 a game.

I’ll eat crow if I’m wrong but tape I’ve watched makes me feel much better about him defensively than the metrics say.

 

[littlereg]

I’ll eat crow if I’m wrong but tape I’ve watched makes me feel much better about him defensively than the metrics say.

I didn’t really touch on it much in my little breakdown but I agree with this. Lengthy kid, good, active hands uses his body and size pretty well.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I’ll eat crow if I’m wrong but tape I’ve watched makes me feel much better about him defensively than the metrics say.

It would be a lot more ideal if the coaches could bring these kids in for workouts and in person evaluation.

 

[Scotch]

That's what you call damage control.

Yea, I believe in Red but this doesn't seem like the time to put all of our eggs in the Tyler Jackson basket. I just don't understand how we can't package Judah's salary with whatever remaining NIL we have left and make a big play for Mack at the only starting spot we need serious help at.

 

[littlereg]

Another thing I haven’t seen mentioned much that I’d like to point out is that Leffew likes to operate and does well at handling the ball in the ball screen, p&r and p&p. It feels like with addition of Lampkin along with Eddie’s words himself, that they’re really looking to run a lot of the offense off the ball screen and post and the coaching staff is assembling a unit that excels in it. Lampkin on the block with bell on the perimeter and Leffew either on the perimeter prior or after operating the ball screen. Then you have Donnie on the perimeter or at the free throw line and the 5th starter would be jj I assume.

 

[Cuse2023]

Yea, I believe in Red but this doesn't seem like the time to put all of our eggs in the Tyler Jackson basket. I just don't understand how we can't package Judah's salary with whatever remaining NIL we have left and make a big play for Mack at the only starting spot we need serious help at.

I believe we made the play, but from what I'm hearing this morning, we may have swung and missed.

 

[djcon57]

It appears to be money. Write the check.

Then say that. Clearly the story is being spun otherwise

 

[hoopsupstate]

I find it interesting that we might not be able to afford Mack but we can afford Jackson. I understand we are INVOLVED with quality point guards in the 2025 class, but no one has committed. HS recruiting is a total crap shoot and handlers can turn on a dime. If we lose out on a hs point guard recruit because of Mack, so be it. Mack stays longer or you go back in the portal to find someone else. Several five star guards have crapped the bed this year. I would always go with the known vs a hs kid.

 

[jsshap]

Then say that. Clearly the story is being spun otherwise

Why?

 

[Nicknack]

I find it interesting that we might not be able to afford Mack but we can afford Jackson. I understand we are INVOLVED with quality point guards in the 2025 class, but no one has committed. HS recruiting is a total crap shoot and handlers can turn on a dime. If we lose out on a hs point guard recruit because of Mack, so be it. Mack stays longer or you go back in the portal to find someone else. Several five star guards have crapped the bed this year. I would always go with the known vs a hs kid.

But don't you think Red and staff feel the same? I can't imagine they don't.

This isn't directed at you (hoopsupstate) but there are a lot of assumptions going on here.

 

[OmahaCuse]

I believe we made the play, but from what I'm hearing this morning, we may have swung and missed.Sounds

Sounds like he wanted to stay home in DC. I doubt the money is that different. Both great schools. Would be hard to pass up playing in the dome but the Big East can brag about UCONN/ Nova and Cooley is a hot coach.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Sounds like he wanted to stay home in DC. I doubt the money is that different. Both great schools. Would be hard to pass up playing in the dome but the Big East can brag about UCONN/ Nova and Cooley is a hot coach.

Yes, but Georgetown has been absolutely dreadful for years, including this past year with Cooley.

 

[Orangezoo]

I believe we made the play, but from what I'm hearing this morning, we may have swung and missed.

I honestly was surprised after getting wind of the #s his camp is looking for. Great if we could get it done but overpaying would be a pretty clear assessment with anyone who lands him.

 

[im4cuse]

I agree with what you are saying here, but doesn't Mack have some concerns as well? He is not the perfect version of a pg we are suddenly making him out to be now that we are probably not getting him.

We might get to see them head to head if Mack goes to Hoyas. Not looking forward to that.

 

[RF2044]

Yes, but Georgetown has been absolutely dreadful for years, including this past year with Cooley.

Yes, but $$$ / elite academic institution / ability to play in front of family close to his hometown.

Those are the factors potentially driving him to georgetown, or either school in the DMV [Maryland is a good school, but not elite like gtown].