So... Rak's going to have a big year. I said it

[RF2044]

Just like how he put out CJ, Dirty, and Grant out last year? Oh, wait, he didn't...No, Grant, Roberson, and McC can't play center, and they won't, no matter how much you like the offensive possibilities. There is a lot involved in the center position defensively. You can't just throw someone in there. DC2 was a McD center in HS and he struggled his frosh year.

And there is nothing critical involved in Rak's development. I actually don't expect much more now. But the Rak we have now and next year is miles ahead of Chino, or god forbid, any desperation Grant or McC move. We lose less going from Grant to Roberson than we do going from Rak to Chino.

No, he didn't--because Grant weight 203 pounds. DC struggled because he was too heavy, lacked lateral mobility, and was a defensive liability. I don't know whether that will be the case with McCullough or not; maybe he'll have the same struggles. Or maybe he'll come in around 220 pounds and be a stud rebounder / shot blocker. We'll see.

But if McCullough is capable of producing more than Rak, Coleman, or both, then he's going to play. Those two need to step up and start living up to the potential that made them both McD's all americans.

Regardless, having Coleman and Rak both returning next year [I'll just assume that they both do] is a lot different than your original premise that Rak will be the starting center, with Chinoso only behind him.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

No, he didn't--because Grant weight 203 pounds. DC struggled because he was too heavy, lacked lateral mobility, and was a defensive liability. I don't know whether that will be the case with McCullough or not; maybe he'll have the same struggles. Or maybe he'll come in around 220 pounds and be a stud rebounder / shot blocker. We'll see.

But if McCullough is capable of producing more than Rak, Coleman, or both, then he's going to play. Those two need to step up and start living up to the potential that made them both McD's all americans.

Regardless, having Coleman and Rak both returning next year [I'll just assume that they both do] is a lot different than your original premise that Rak will be the starting center, with Chinoso only behind him.

No, I believe Rak will be the starting center with DC2 behind him. I believe Rak will be the best defensive center and JB will use him in that capacity. I believe it is a huge dropoff from Rak and DC2 down to Chino.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

FWIW, I wasn't onboard with Grant jumping to the NBA after this season, but after these exhibitions I think he's viewed as the clear #2 on the team and will have the opportunity to make enough of a name for himself to go.

That doesn't make us thin at forward in 2014-2015 by any means, but I agree with the sentiment that Rak is quietly a very, very important guy for our frontcourt.

One positive going in our favor with Grant is he has shown a history of not taking the easy or first opportunity. He seems to be advised well. He has demonstrated delay of gratification in choosing to come here even without immediate minutes.

It is possible that although he could get drafted at the end of the year and get an immediate payday, he may deem it more advantageous to his long run development to come back another year. He would be the main man on a NC contending team, could propel himself into the lottery, and maybe increase his odds for a long NBA career.

Hopefully CJ can become a good, close to home, example of the benefits of playing an extra year.

 

[RF2044]

FWIW, I wasn't onboard with Grant jumping to the NBA after this season, but after these exhibitions I think he's viewed as the clear #2 on the team and will have the opportunity to make enough of a name for himself to go.

That doesn't make us thin at forward in 2014-2015 by any means, but I agree with the sentiment that Rak is quietly a very, very important guy for our frontcourt.

Definite possibility, if he continues to play at the level he demonstrated in Canada. Here's hoping that he'll respond to the prospect of being the main focal point of the offense as a junior and come back for one more go around.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Definite possibility, if he continues to play at the level he demonstrated in Canada. Here's hoping that he'll respond to the prospect of being the main focal point of the offense as a junior and come back for one more go around.

Would he though? I think McCullough will be the go to guy regardless of who else is on the roster.

 

[RF2044]

Would he though? I think McCullough will be the go to guy regardless of who else is on the roster.

I'd have to think so, as a junior who is the clear #2 this year, with a diversified offensive game. If [and this is no given] he does come back, I'd have to believe that it would be for the opportunity to be THE MAN in our offensive attack.

If McCullough is that good offensively, then we're in for a big year. Very exciting to see what he can do. Would love for Grant to stick around [a la CJ this year] to help lead the team.

 

[orangefan13]

I predict Rak will drive better against PF's, suprise people with his off the ball movement, and attacking the basket off the dribble on the offense end with the speed that can be compared with alot of SF's.

While DC2 is better scoring against centers Rak will be better against PF's. And I don't say that because thats what we hoped for, but because thankfully its the way it is.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I predict Rak will drive better against PF's and suprise people with his off the ball movement, and attacking the basket off the dribble on the offense end. While DC2 is better scoring against centers Rak will be better against PF's just the way we hoped.

I think that's in play.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

Would he though? I think McCullough will be the go to guy regardless of who else is on the roster.

Wow, I think people are getting way over-hyped on McCullough.

In the recruiting thread, Francis had commented he didn't think McC would be a one and done based on production. He thought he might do it based on the potential clause. That while he oozed talent, McC was too raw at this stage.

For instance, right now, for this upcoming season I would take Grant over McC. So, in my opinion, McC, is a ways behind on next years chart.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I see Rak being a solid 8 and 8 kind of player. He needs to get involved early, and I think we have the team make up to reward him when he fights for position early in games. I think from our 3 bigs he's going to average the most total minutes per game and swing between the 4 and 5. Next season he'll team with Coleman and CM to form the most physically imposing frontline in college hoops.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

The fact 8 and 8 is a big year for Rak says where he is at.

 

[orangefan13]

In SWC's net points post Rak had the second most on the team at 50 behind grant, 10 ahead of ennis 40, and doubling Keitas, Cooneys, Gbinijes and nearly Colemans 30 also.

Funny how many are down on Rak yet he Doubled Cooney Gbinijes and Keitas net points and they are technically jr's and seniors, but they get more slack for redshirting a year?

Christmas is technically playing his first true pf ever. Yeah he played it before, but he was a center playing pf. Give him some time to adjust.

 

[Francis03]

Wow, I think people are getting way over-hyped on McCullough.

In the recruiting thread, Francis had commented he didn't think McC would be a one and done based on production. He thought he might do it based on the potential clause. That while he oozed talent, McC was too raw at this stage.

For instance, right now, for this upcoming season I would take Grant over McC. So, in my opinion, McC, is a ways behind on next years chart.

McCullough's strengths are running the floor and being a beast in transition, finishing well around the rim, and is very long and athletic. Negatives, has no back to the basket game, needs to get stronger to hold his own inside, can knock down an occasional jump shot but not somebody you want to jack up shots on the perimeter too much. He'll definitely make an impact during his freshman year but he's not a player that you're going to just hand the ball to and say get me 20pts every night at this point. Ennis and Joseph will mean as much to him as he will to them as far as offense production.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

McCullough's strengths are running the floor and being a beast in transition, finishing well around the rim, and is very long and athletic. Negatives, has no back to the basket game, needs to get stronger to hold his own inside, can knock down an occasional jump shot but not somebody you want to jack up shots on the perimeter too much. He'll definitely make an impact during his freshman year but he's not a player that you're going to just hand the ball to and say get me 20pts every night at this point. Ennis and Joseph will mean as much to him as he will to them as far as offense production.

Thanks for the input, you're where I get a lot of my insight/expectations.

Based on that description, I think if Grant is still here he would be option 1. And that is even before factoring in JB's usual tendency to give the upperclassmen the benefit. And then add-in how appreciative JB will be to have Grant back, I can't see any way Grant wouldn't get the featured treatment.

 

[Jeremy L.]

Rakeem Christmas is an athletic freak. That being said, he needs his you-know-whats to drop and be aggressive on offense.

 

[billsin01]

I watched as the lightbulb went on for Rick Jackson, BMK (last postseason), Melo, AO, Craig Forth, heck all the way back to Danny Schayes.
At some point, predictably, some of the knee-jerk "experts" in our fan-base wrote them off as busts, when all they were experiencing were growing pains. More often then not after a little seasoning, you start to see the play and consistency improve- and viola...
Rak will be fine and by year's end, we'll look back on posts like this and mock them!

I can't speak to Schayes as that was before my time, but I take some issue with everyone on that list outside of Melo. I hammered Melo after his frosh season and am still completely and utterly shocked at the transformation in his sophomore year. Sure, he lost weight, but he also improved -- in some cases dramatically -- in every facet of the game. The light indeed went on (though I suppose we could argue it subsequently went off).

But for the others?

RJ averaged 8 and 6 on 62% shooting with 1.6 blocks in just 22 mins as a sophomore. He got more PT and did an admirable job at the 4 the following season going 10 and 7 with 2 blocks per game as a junior in 26 mpg and on a team that was absolutely loaded with talent (making him generally the 4th or fifth offensive option each time down the floor). He was great as a senior, obviously, with the most impressive number being the sheer minutes logged (almost 36 per game) along with 13 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2.5 blocks. But the only real difference in his actual game was the massive quantities of weight he dropped. Either way, he was a really good player for three years.

AO -- was similarly a really good player for three years and, in fact, statistically had his best year as a sophomore (though injuries were a big part of that).

Forth -- Wasn't he just basically Craig Forth for four years? His rebounding and points were virtually identical for four years and his minutes ranged from ~18 mpg to ~23 mpg.

Anyway, big guys have had breakthroughs a lot later in their careers and we can hope that happens for Rak. I'm just not sure any of the aforementioned guys are good comps.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Forth -- Wasn't he just basically Craig Forth for four years?

That made me laugh.

 

[billsin01]

I would love for your prediction to come true. I think that Rak plays best at the 5, and he clearly is the top shotblocker out of our trio of pivots. 8 and 8, though? I don't see it. Even with his rudimentary offensive skills, scoring 8 points wouldn't be that difficult. That's a basket or two each half, which he could get running the floor in transition or getting an occasional putback. Toss in a couple of free throws a game and he could get there. COULD--not saying he will.

I also think he has the raw materials to be a decent rebounder. Not a great one necessarily, but a pretty good one. Snaring 8 caroms a game would be pretty damn outstanding, however.

Ultimately, I believe he's too inconsistent to deliver those numbers every game. I think he could have some games like that, but I think a more likely outcome is that he and Coleman both start, one gets the quick hook [a la AO / Rick in 2010], depending on matchups and whoever happens to be playing better any particular game. And I'd also expect that Keita will finish a lot of games. He seems to produce [especially defensively] in close games, and he seems to have JB's full confidence.

It will be really interesting to see how Rak / Coleman build upon this summer tour. Both looked good in the fourth game, they were invisible in the third [which was the only competitive matchup], and were basically non-factors in the first two games. Will they use these tune-up games to help set the foundation this year, and carve out niches as bigger contributors, or will JB continue to go with Keita as the closer? We'll see.

I love Otto's enthusiasm but I tend to feel 8 and 8 is going to be really, really tough for Rak this year. Not impossible, but tough. To me the key is two-fold:

-- How much does Rak like basketball? For better or for worse, the guys that really excel at this level in this sport are the guys who basically live basketball. They can take different forms -- the GMac "underdog gym rat who works really hard and oozes competitiveness" or the Carmelo "unbelievable athlete who has basically focused primarily on basketball since he was 6" or the Rautins/Fair "good kids who always seem to add a new dimension to their game" type of guys. But at the end of the day, those guys all live for basketball. I just don't get that sense from Rak. I think he plays because he's too talented not to, but I'm not sure he loves it enough to leave it all out there (horrible cliche alert) every game and work tirelessly in the off-season. He needs to learn the game and learning the game often means loving it b/c, well, it's boring. Film, drills, solo work in the gym ...

-- Can Rak stay focused long enough to be a good 25-30 minute guy night in and night out? To be fair, plenty of young players face this but I really think an issue with Rak is how often he seems surprised to get a pass or unaware that someone is beating him to a rebound or a step slow to a loose ball. A lot of that is focus, IMo, and I just think it wanes for him often.

Can he be a good player? I think a lot of it comes down to the hustle plays and the subtle stuff like being ready to receive a pass or hold his position to finish down low or finishing with his left, etc. It's going to take work. We'll see.

 

[SmilinBob]

I agree with a lot of what you said billsin01. I see a lot of frustration by Rak and when you're a big guy and you don't touch the ball it's hard. Add to that, being frustrated and not continually working hard on offense makes him disappear. I see some solid games and some games he doesn't show up on the scoreboard. I'm not really impressed with his finishing ability either. What may be possible is he sees himself as a role player and the 4th or 5th option on offense and that hinders his aggression on offense. That type of mindset is difficult for a lot of players.

 

[RF2044]

I love Otto's enthusiasm but I tend to feel 8 and 8 is going to be really, really tough for Rak this year. Not impossible, but tough. To me the key is two-fold:

-- How much does Rak like basketball? For better or for worse, the guys that really excel at this level in this sport are the guys who basically live basketball. They can take different forms -- the GMac "underdog gym rat who works really hard and oozes competitiveness" or the Carmelo "unbelievable athlete who has basically focused primarily on basketball since he was 6" or the Rautins/Fair "good kids who always seem to add a new dimension to their game" type of guys. But at the end of the day, those guys all live for basketball. I just don't get that sense from Rak. I think he plays because he's too talented not to, but I'm not sure he loves it enough to leave it all out there (horrible cliche alert) every game and work tirelessly in the off-season. He needs to learn the game and learning the game often means loving it b/c, well, it's boring. Film, drills, solo work in the gym ...

-- Can Rak stay focused long enough to be a good 25-30 minute guy night in and night out? To be fair, plenty of young players face this but I really think an issue with Rak is how often he seems surprised to get a pass or unaware that someone is beating him to a rebound or a step slow to a loose ball. A lot of that is focus, IMo, and I just think it wanes for him often.

Can he be a good player? I think a lot of it comes down to the hustle plays and the subtle stuff like being ready to receive a pass or hold his position to finish down low or finishing with his left, etc. It's going to take work. We'll see.

Good post. I'll add that he doesn't seem to have a good innate feel for the game. Some guys do [CJ / Moten], others don't seem to have those same instincts. I think that can hamper player development, as well.

 

[orangefan13]

imo, It is possible Raks troubles were more lack of mobility then lack of feel as a undersized athletic center who couldn't dribble very well.
And I quote were.

 

[moqui]

I see Rak being a solid 8 and 8 kind of player. He needs to get involved early, and I think we have the team make up to reward him when he fights for position early in games. I think from our 3 bigs he's going to average the most total minutes per game and swing between the 4 and 5. Next season he'll team with Coleman and CM to form the most physically imposing frontline in college hoops.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

We don't know exactly how it is going to play out, but his production will be function of minutes available. We can estimate that CJ & JG are probably going to suck up 70 or more of the available 80 mpg at the forward spots. If the center minutes split roughly 15/13/12 (with variation from game to game, but on average), then at most he gets 23 mpg. With his low usage rate (less than 15% of offensive possessions, which is below even role player level) it is hard to see him getting 8 and 8 in 23 minutes.

 

[orangefan13]

We can estimate that CJ & JG are probably going to suck up 70 or more of the available 80 mpg at the forward spots. .

imo, If so Rak gets the other 10 and Roberson or Grant play some SG on the defensive side of the ball, or BJ really breaks out. I think Roberson will be to good to keep off the floor, and our bigs need to play.

No way JB doesn't give Rak a few good minutes at the four. Rak and Dajuan are mcdonalds all americans (not freshmen) who work hard and Keita is a 4 year loyal senior leader. Its in JB's blood and heart to honor that. And with Rak at the four Gbinije and ennis will disect defenses that extend and leave holes to find our bigs.

I see a glaring hole at the 2 with Cooney being a backup SG at best(even if he starts) Gbinije being more a point guard or point forward and BJ being a freshmen.

I love Cooney and Gbinije but if Roberson comes around I wouldn't be suprised to see them getting beat out for some minutes this year. You got to play your best players. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gbinije and Cooney only eat around half the SG minutes, and Gbinje to spell Ennis 5-10 at point both getting around 17 mpg. You got to play your best players, and Gbinije and Cooney haven't earned more then 15 mpg just because they are guards.

 

[DoctorBombay]

I can't speak to Schayes as that was before my time, but I take some issue with everyone on that list outside of Melo. I hammered Melo after his frosh season and am still completely and utterly shocked at the transformation in his sophomore year. Sure, he lost weight, but he also improved -- in some cases dramatically -- in every facet of the game. The light indeed went on (though I suppose we could argue it subsequently went off).

But for the others?

RJ averaged 8 and 6 on 62% shooting with 1.6 blocks in just 22 mins as a sophomore. He got more PT and did an admirable job at the 4 the following season going 10 and 7 with 2 blocks per game as a junior in 26 mpg and on a team that was absolutely loaded with talent (making him generally the 4th or fifth offensive option each time down the floor). He was great as a senior, obviously, with the most impressive number being the sheer minutes logged (almost 36 per game) along with 13 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2.5 blocks. But the only real difference in his actual game was the massive quantities of weight he dropped. Either way, he was a really good player for three years.

AO -- was similarly a really good player for three years and, in fact, statistically had his best year as a sophomore (though injuries were a big part of that).

Forth -- Wasn't he just basically Craig Forth for four years? His rebounding and points were virtually identical for four years and his minutes ranged from ~18 mpg to ~23 mpg.

Anyway, big guys have had breakthroughs a lot later in their careers and we can hope that happens for Rak. I'm just not sure any of the aforementioned guys are good comps.

That's the point- each name I mentioned matured and "got IT" at some point, despite some of our fanbase declaring them busts.
The bottom-line is that "fans" are quick to make declarative statements, long before they're valid.
Most every major star at SU had at some point, self-appointed Einstein(s) saying they wouldn't amount to much.
Fans are impatient-and every name I mentioned certainly experienced that dynamic BEFORE making their breakthrough.

 

[orangefan13]

Keep in mind Rak and Dajaun were both slated to be PF's. . Alot different developing offense at the 4 then the 5.
A big reason why I think Rak will score better against PF's then Dajuan is because of his immensly improved speed, dribble, motor and transition offense at the four. Dajuan will still get his here and there but against real tough 7'0 centers slashers like Rak and Grant are going to be real valuable.

 

[TBCuse11]

Wow, I think people are getting way over-hyped on McCullough.

In the recruiting thread, Francis had commented he didn't think McC would be a one and done based on production. He thought he might do it based on the potential clause. That while he oozed talent, McC was too raw at this stage.

For instance, right now, for this upcoming season I would take Grant over McC. So, in my opinion, McC, is a ways behind on next years chart.

No chance. McC is one and done. We all knew Melo was, and we all know this kid is. He will be gone in the top 5. Many people disliked MCW last year, but without him we wouldnt have sniffed the Final 4. We all knew he was gone, and he was.

I believe Grant is gone. He will play well enough to be guaranteed top 20 by scouts. The kid is our best player in all reality. CJ is just steady as can be... If CJ and Grant leave, as expected, we will still be just fine.

Ennis, pick your 2 guard (loaded), Roberson, McC, Rak.
Bench of DC, multiple 2 guards, incoming frosh, etc...

Next year, if Grant comes back, we will be a consensus top 5 pre-season team. Will be special.

This, of course, all assumes Ennis doesnt leave. That is something we dont even want to think about.