Without Lydon how do we get to 60 PPG next year?

[jordoo]

Frank is pretty tall but he's not a good defender. He's lazy up there and doesn't move well. Moyer practiced all year.

Yep I know people like length up top but to me Frank was just as ineffective as Gillon at contesting shots and may have been worse at stopping penetration. I actually feel like both of them made Battle look bad quite a bit because he was swinging over to cover them way too much. Give Battle someone who understands the positioning of the 2-3 and he's going to be a terror as a defender next year. Brandon Triche! What I wouldn't give for a steady heady player like that these days.

 

[jordoo]

I think the starting lineup as of right now would look like this:
PG-Howard
SG-Tyus
SF-Oshae
PF-Moyer
C-Thompson
We will absolutely bring in another player or 2 and we will bring in a scorer to go along with Tyus and Thompson. Tyus is going to be an absolute nightmare for opponents, we goes everything very well. Thompson has a great offensive game for a big man at his stage, needs to work on D. Lastly, think Howard takes a step up if he stays, if he can just give us 8 PPG and 5 APG we should be fine. I think most people are underestimating Moyer and Brissett on the wings, these are prototypical Syracuse wings and both can rebound the hell out of the ball. Think Osage will score more than people think as well. I expect around 10 PPG from him.

I wonder if Thompson will get a look at the 4 in the zone. Maybe JB starts Sidibe next to him as the 5 and then Thompson slides to the 5 when he sits.

 

[iommi]

Yep I know people like length up top but to me Frank was just as ineffective as Gillon at contesting shots and may have been worse at stopping penetration. I actually feel like both of them made Battle look bad quite a bit because he was swinging over to cover them way too much. Give Battle someone who understands the positioning of the 2-3 and he's going to be a terror as a defender next year. Brandon Triche! What I wouldn't give for a steady heady player like that these days.

Battle was one of the best high school guard defenders I've ever seen in person. This year, he was a shadow of that. Maybe you have nailed the reason why.

 

[iommi]

I wonder if Thompson will get a look at the 4 in the zone. Maybe JB starts Sidibe next to him as the 5 and then Thompson slides to the 5 when he sits.

Maybe but I'm confident Sidibe has the mobility to play either slot. He'd probably be better at the 5. He's going to be a solid weak side shot blocker.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Screwed again by guys leaving early, really can't say that im shocked, its a joke.

I'm going to recommend you start preparing now for when Thompson & Battle go the draft after next season.

 

[jordoo]

Maybe but I'm confident Sidibe has the mobility to play either slot. He'd probably be better at the 5. He's going to be a solid weak side shot blocker.

I was wondering it more in terms of if Thompson has a better chance at being a decent defender playing on the wing. He was so ineffective at times at the 5. Sidibe looks like a very good prospect to me.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Did you get that impression? Watching the presser, I got the impression JB was trying to inflate FH's value, as he will be on the team next year.

Maybe, but he used the words "best defensive player at the other end." Not sure how to parse those words any more than that. Watch right from the 12:40 mark.

 

[jordoo]

I'm going to recommend you start preparing now for when Thompson & Battle go the draft after next season.

If they don't then we have probably had the worst season under JB ever.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Yep I know people like length up top but to me Frank was just as ineffective as Gillon at contesting shots and may have been worse at stopping penetration. I actually feel like both of them made Battle look bad quite a bit because he was swinging over to cover them way too much. Give Battle someone who understands the positioning of the 2-3 and he's going to be a terror as a defender next year. Brandon Triche! What I wouldn't give for a steady heady player like that these days.

I feel like you are thinking of the Frank Howard from early in the season and not how he finished. Gillon was the worst defensive guard to finish. Rarely had his hands up at all, and we was terrible at stopping the penetration. Frank was way better.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Battle was one of the best high school guard defenders I've ever seen in person. This year, he was a shadow of that. Maybe you have nailed the reason why.

Yeah, I don't see that. I was honestly surprised at the number of shots Battle gave up from his side, without even thinking of times when he was sliding over to cover the middle on behalf of another guard. His positioning was often bad (too deep without reason) and he did the thing that bothers me the most our players do. Wait until they get to the shooter and then put their hands up to contest the shot. Which is too late.

 

[iommi]

Yeah, I don't see that. I was honestly surprised at the number of shots Battle gave up from his side, without even thinking of times when he was sliding over to cover the middle on behalf of another guard. His positioning was often bad (too deep without reason) and he did the thing that bothers me the most our players do. Wait until they get to the shooter and then put their hands up to contest the shot. Which is too late.

Yep, I agree. He was such a tough on-ball defender in man-to-man in high school. You nailed his issues this year.

 

[iommi]

Maybe, but he used the words "best defensive player at the other end." Not sure how to parse those words any more than that. Watch right from the 12:40 mark.

I wasn't saying JB didn't say it, I was trying to give a reason why.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Yep, I agree. He was such a tough on-ball defender in man-to-man in high school. You nailed his issues this year.

He is certainly athletic enough to be a Dion like defender out there, and actually blocking shots. Maybe he was concerned about covering for the other guards and that's why we didn't see what you expected to see.

I think he was actually our best defensive guard all year.

 

[iommi]

He is certainly athletic enough to be a Dion like defender out there, and actually blocking shots. Maybe he was concerned about covering for the other guards and that's why we didn't see what you expected to see.

I think he was actually our best defensive guard all year.

That's what jordoo said a few posts back and I believe it to be true.

I think our zone would be so much better if we emphasized guys putting their hands up, especially our guards. Very frustrating to watch.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

That's what jordoo said a few posts back and I believe it to be true.

I think our zone would be so much better if we emphasized guys putting their hands up, especially our guards. Very frustrating to watch.

My kid's team plays 2-3 zone. He's a guard out top, and he watches SU with me. So he gets it. He's also super active with his hands and pretty tall for a guard. So he gets a ton of batted balls and steals. The other kid however, is a shrimp, and for some reason starts off every defensive possession with his hands on his knees, maybe reverting back to getting into an athletic position. But there's no reason for him to actually make himself smaller to even more easily pass over.

 

[dollarbill44]

Howard is going to avg double figures? I have to see this.

Why is it hard to imagine him averaging 10 ppg if he's getting 30+ minutes as the starting PG? He showed an ability to score in games where he's given real playing time.

 

[cuseguy]

Howard won't start at PG next year. Oh, he may begin the year as the starter. But in short time, either Battle will move there or a transfer/new recruit TBA will take over.

It's inevitable.

 

[SWC75]

we need two grad transfers to be somewhat competitive.

We wouldn't have scored 60 this year without our grad transfers. You can't judge a team until you know who is on it.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Remember in the movie Coach Carter, when Samuel L. is holding tryouts, and he says something some guys don't like, and so they leave, and Rob Brown/Ernie Davis says "those were our leading scorers last year," and then Samuel L. says "I guess we'll have new leading scorers this season," and it turns out he was right, and Rob Brown becomes one of those leading scorers, and also scores off the court because he dates Ashanti?

Remember that?

I think getting to 60 points will be like that

I couldn't help but give this more thought during lunch today, which led to me drawing parallels between those Richmond Oilers & our team next year. Frank Howard, for better or worse, actually has quite a bit of "Timo Cruz" in him. Hopefully he can follow a similar career trajectory. Also, like Richmond, our best overall player will be named Battle.

 

[two3zone]

Howard won't start at PG next year. Oh, he may begin the year as the starter. But in short time, either Battle will move there or a transfer/new recruit TBA will take over.

It's inevitable.

Who plays SG then? We don't have one outside of Battle.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Who plays SG then? We don't have one outside of Battle.

Not sure why people think Battle is a PG anyway. He averaged the same amount of assists per 40 as Roberson in conference play.