The Cooney Conundrum

[kuethstheman]

What would you call it? You think if Cooney has another 10 game stretch like he did at the end of the year where he goes 26-95 (27%) from the field, 16-69 from 3 (23%), 7.8 ppg, 2 rbs, .5 assts, 1.3 steals, that he will still be playing 30+ minutes a game at the end of it? JB felt like he didn't have any choice but to ride with him last year and hope he started making shots. No way, in my opinion, that his leash, or whatever you want to call it, is as long this year.

I like Trevor, and I think we all want him to succeed, and I agree with your points that the way the team was constructed last year contributed to his struggles, but...he needs to be better if he wants to keep playing. If he isn't, he won't be playing.

That's fine. Leash is a term that implies he's out of control, that's all. I realize that's not what you meant.

 

[Antiprodigy]

I would do the same had I known he would stink, but you could say that about any player in the starting lineup.

A lot of people on here seem to forget that Cooney wasn't the only one who's shot wasn't falling. CJ never even found his 3pt range, and his mid-range game, his bread and butter, fell apart as well. Gbinijie stopped hitting 3's and Ennis' shooting % dropped as well. Grant couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at any point. So, it was a collective failure of the entire team.

Cooney gets most of the flak because he was the designated shooter, but that is why I am really hopeful for not only an improvement in shooting from Cooney, but also BJ & Buss. It is vital that the team have multiple shooting options. Both from a viewpoint of giving players a rest, and having multiple shooting options on the floor.

As for the question of whether Cooney will start or not, do people really question this? Let's see, he is a redshirt Jr this year. He started every game last year. He was dynamite for the entire first half of the season. And no other players that might possibly usurp his place are anything but unknowns. I would go so far as to say that not only will he start, there is probably no other player who is More certain to start, except for Xmas!

 

[SUskibum]

My stupidity never ceases to confound me.

I thought it was a no brainer that the SL would be KJ2, TC, MG, TR, Roc with my only doubt being CM instead of TR. I saw buss backing up 1,2 BJ backing up 2,3 CM/TR splitting the 4 time and Obokoh backing up the 5

 

[kuethstheman]

A lot of people on here seem to forget that Cooney wasn't the only one who's shot wasn't falling. CJ never even found his 3pt range, and his mid-range game, his bread and butter, fell apart as well. Gbinijie stopped hitting 3's and Ennis' shooting % dropped as well. Grant couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at any point. So, it was a collective failure of the entire team.

Cooney gets most of the flak because he was the designated shooter, but that is why I am really hopeful for not only an improvement in shooting from Cooney, but also BJ & Buss. It is vital that the team have multiple shooting options. Both from a viewpoint of giving players a rest, and having multiple shooting options on the floor.

As for the question of whether Cooney will start or not, do people really question this? Let's see, he is a redshirt Jr this year. He started every game last year. He was dynamite for the entire first half of the season. And no other players that might possibly usurp his place are anything but unknowns. I would go so far as to say that not only will he start, there is probably no other player who is More certain to start, except for Xmas!

To two3zone's point. Would you start Cooney if you knew he was going to have the same kind of year that he did this year?

 

[Antiprodigy]

To two3zone's point. Would you start Cooney if you knew he was going to have the same kind of year that he did this year?

38% 3pt season average? I think that most coaches would probably take that. The next thing you will say is, the way Cooney ended up with the %? Right? Very high early on, horrible end. Nobody complained about his results at mid-season. It was only the last third of the season that everyone started complaining.

But, is it fair to even suggest the hypothetical of no improvement? It happens, but there are far more examples of kids improving throughout their careers at SU, than stagnating.

As a fan, in my view, you should be rooting for the kids to improve every year, rather than saying they stink and verbally tearing them down, like some posters on here. (I am not saying that you did this "kuethstheman")

Was I 100% satisfied, as a SU fan, with Cooney's season? No. Do I hope he improves his game and further develops some of his other skills besides his 3pt shooting? Sure. Do I hope he gets more rest and that the team has options that allow this to happen? Of course. But, I don't think he stunk. I do think that he played his heart out all season long. And I do think that he played so much each game, because JB rightfully felt that a tired/cold Cooney was better than the other options on the bench.

 

[kuethstheman]

38% 3pt season average? I think that most coaches would probably take that. The next thing you will say is, the way Cooney ended up with the %? Right? Very high early on, horrible end. Nobody complained about his results at mid-season. It was only the last third of the season that everyone started complaining.

But, is it fair to even suggest the hypothetical of no improvement? It happens, but there are far more examples of kids improving throughout their careers at SU, than stagnating.

As a fan, in my view, you should be rooting for the kids to improve every year, rather than saying they stink and verbally tearing them down, like some posters on here. (I am not saying that you did this "kuethstheman")

Was I 100% satisfied, as a SU fan, with Cooney's season? No. Do I hope he improves his game and further develops some of his other skills besides his 3pt shooting? Sure. Do I hope he gets more rest and that the team has options that allow this to happen? Of course. But, I don't think he stunk. I do think that he played his heart out all season long. And I do think that he played so much each game, because JB rightfully felt that a tired/cold Cooney was better than the other options on the bench.

I agree with absolutely everything you said including that you would expect Cooney to improve. My thought was given his "inconsistency" and that he's so great in practice, how do you know? How do JB and Cooney know?

 

[SmilinBob]

Here's my opinion. Cooney plays unless somebody else is better. Occam's Razor.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

So you're both assuming he starts?

He definitely starts. He's our best two guard option. Who else starts over him? As far as Trevor not adjusting last year, I think it had as much to do with CJ and Jerami not being consistent enough as it did with Trevor's lack of adjustments.