Now we're on to the meat and potatoes.
Oshae Brissett: A
The Grade: One of the tougher guys to grade because the raw numbers are at once phenomenal (A frosh going for 15 and 9 while playing 38 mpg without a ton of talent around him) and leaving a bit to be desired (shooting 35% overall and 36% on two-point FGs ain't pretty). Decided to knock a few points off (as in not an A+) b/c there is plenty of room for improvement, but dude did everything we could have asked and more.
The Good: Biggest compliment for Oshae is that you basically forgot all aobut his being a freshman. No talk of hitting 'a wall' or getting caught in the moment. Dude just played and produced. His ACC numbers are basically identical to his OOC numbers (14.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg). Physically he's a nightmare for opponents -- explosive, physical, aggressive, confident, etc. Quietly shot 38% from three in ACC play so he can kill you from anywhere. Fit into the zone nicely even if he's not a huge difference-maker there. A max effort player, which is sort of a trend for these guys.
The Bad: Really basically comes down to some struggles with the finer points of the game. Obviously needs to be more efficient inside the 3-point line and particularly inside 12 feet. Would love to see him consistently work on that 12-to-15-foot jumper so he can do that in addition to attacking the rim. Also love to see him go straight up instead of contorting the body a little bit.
The Future:It's bright. Not a whole lot more to say. Doubt the numbers will take a huge leap since there's a very real chance that Bazely, Carey and Dolezaj will be solid contributors offensively and we could see more offense out of the C position. But in an ideal world it's possible this is a kid who puts up 16 or 17 a game on 45% shooting overall and maybe close to 40% from three while also being a nice option at the end of close games due to his ability to go inside and out and knock down FTs.
Marek Dolezaj: A-
The Grade: I'm sure people will hate that I have him in the same range as a much more productive player in Brissett, but I think most people here thought he would give us absolutely nothing this season. It's also Dolezaj's late-season improvement that took us from being a team that could give good team fits to being a team that could actually close out some wins against good teams.
The Good: I love the kid's game. That turnover he had early against Duke (when he threw it directly to Duval) stands out to me b/c it's the type of play I think he basically never makes -- a silly turnover after a bad decision. Very instinctive on the court. Started playing more aggressively late and made a ton of key buckets and plays in general from the clemson game on. Just one of those guys who does a lot of things to help you win even if many of them don't show up in the stat sheet (like a Josh Pace type). I always love those guys.
The Bad: Weak, obviously. Range on the J is a little iffy though it looked better from 15 later in the season. A little loose when he puts the ball on the deck. Could be more aggressive when looking to finish.
The Future: I think he's going to play a big role next year regardless of who's on the roster. JB loves players he trusts and he trusts Dolezaj in a big way. The beauty of that would be if Bazely is as advertised and Brissett is improved AND we have a healthy Sidibe and Chuckwu. You could see JB get five guys PT in the front court on the reg. God that would be a nice change. I would think there are two big keys for Dolezaj -- weight room and jumpers. Handle is a thing that could use help, but I don't see it as absolutely necessary. A little stronger, a little more consistent with the J, he's going to be a handful.
Frank Howard: B-
The Grade: This will infuriate people, I know. But at the end of the day, the dude logged 40 mpg on a team with zero depth and really only one reliable scorer (Frank was OK and Brissett great for a frosh, but pretty inefficient). And that team wound up in the sweet 16 and gave a really talented duke team all it could handle. I'm not sure how you crush a guy for that.
The Good: The key to this for me is what are you asking of a player? We have had very few guys here who put up pretty numbers when asked to be the primary ball-handler, the primary facilitator, a key cog on defense, one of our shooters and play 40 minutes a game. There are the sherms and johnny Flynns but the guys put into that role by and large, have had trouble with putting up pretty numbers -- GMac (the most overrated player in the league), J Hart (who played 9 or 10 years in the league), MCW (rookie of the year), etc. Those guys all had pretty poor shooting numbers and struggled (maybe not quite to Frank's extent) with turnovers. And the key thing for Frank is that he's not actually a true PG. Probably never will be.
But, at the end of the day, dude had some big games in some key wins (UMD, UB, L'ville, MSU), played really well to give us a chance against Carolina (and was great against Kansas) and played well enough overall for a limited team to limp into the tourney. Can you ask that much more of a kid who played sparingly as a frosh and struggled mightily as a soph.?
The Bad: Handle and decision-making. We all would have liked to see this team play at a faster clip but I think that's a bit more on the decision made by the staff to limit possessions and fast break opportunities. We all would have LOVED to see some actual player and ball-movement, but again, not really sure that's on Frank. The handle is far too loose for a lead guard and should be the focus for the summer. Thought sutomcat made a great point in his wrapup of the duke game that Frank needs to become a better shooter when the shots are contested. If he's wide open he's really solid. If not, he really struggles. Not sure we'll ever love the decision-making but it should get better after all the minutes logged this season and it should look better with more talent around him next year. Would also love to see Frank make a concerted effort to move shooters off a spot even if it's from 25 feet. Watched a lot of deep bombs dropped right over his head by being a step late.
The Future: Frank's back and it will be really nice to have a meaningful senior on a team. I'd have to imagine he'll be at point again and I have to imagine that will continue to lead to some angst among those of us fans. Doubt the kid's game will go from excruciating to watch at times, to smooth and mistake-free, but I'm absolutely in the camp of thinking he will have a very solid senior season and, most importantly, benefit from being in a situation where he shouldn't A) have to play 40 mins. and B) have to wear quite so many hats.
Tyus Battle: A
The Grade: You can nitpick his game and many of us did over the course of the season, but this kid was also asked to shoulder a monstrous load and he did so pretty well.
The Good: you can go through the numbers and Tyus was impressive in many ways but to me it boils down to one stat and one stretech. The stat: Battle averaged 40.1 mpg in ACC play. Think about that. Never came off the floor for all intents and purposes. The stretch is the stretch of games from the Clemson finale to the final game against Duke. Goes for 17 (an ugly 17, but 17 nonetheless) in an absolute must-win against Clemson, then puts up a super-efficient 18, 6 and 3 against Wake. Struggles mightily against Carolina but is literally chasing down backcourt passes with 40 seconds left in a 20-point blowout. Key to our win against ASU, struggles against TCU but bounces back with a huge stretch run against MSU (played under control in that one) and puts together his best performance of the year, IMO, against Duke. Kid grinded all year and came up big in big spots more often than not. Tomcat also pointed out that Battle improved in terms of creating for teammates as the year wore on as well.
The Bad: There's certainly room to improve. Spotty shooter who desperately needs to address the hitch, IMO, to increase his range a little bit. The only time I got frustrated with Battle was when he'd get a wide-open look and clank it off the side of the rim. Just feel like that's a sign of a guy who needs to smooth out his mechanics. Could be better off the bounce as well. But, again, a pretty impressive player overall.
The Future: We all know it's likely he's gone and if he is, I hope he does really well. Not sure what I think of his prospects at the next level but, I know this is a shocker, I've been wrong before so who knows? If he were to return, it would be a lot of fun to see a more finished product with more talent around him. That would be something.
JB: B+
The Good: JB always works magic when the roster is a bit limited (it was really the most surprising part of the first half of last season -- that it took him half a season to figure it out). This year was no exception. The run in the NCAAT is great, but the biggest credit I give him is the fact that this team was really only run out of the gym about four times in 37 games. At Duke, at BC -- two games I thought ended the season -- Round 2 vs. UVA and Kansas. That's a miracle considering what he was working with. Fought extremely hard all season.
The team didn't let injuries and departures slow them down. They doubled down on what they did best -- defend and, surprisingly, rebound (for the most part, MSU excluded). And, as much as anything else, they didn't give up on the season at any point.
There will be things you can pick apart with most every Orange team, but I'll remember this one fondly ... even if the style was atrocious.
The Bad: I actually don't hammer JB too much for the roster construction -- I see that as a confluence of a few things (Those things are, for reference: The sanctions hurt the depth by reducing the schollies; the transition plan which teams are going to pounce on again a few years down the road ... it's the way of the world; the cumulative effect of a ridiculously fluid world of college hoops where continuity is tough to come by; and what I see as a slight shift in recruitment -- I know they wanted quade and jordan tucker, but taking HW, Hughes, Sidibe and Marek always seemed like an effort to bring in guys you were likely to see for 3-4 years even if it hurt a bit in the this, the 'transition' year.).
What I think JB could have done is handle personnel situations better. Not really sure why the Geno blowup happened but it could have been avoided. Not really sure why the Moyer thing happened but it shouldn't have happened to begin with and if it did get to that point it shouldn't have been handled through the media. What's done is done with both, but the Moyer situation is pretty painful, IMO. A guy with some bulk and length along with decent athleticism and a phenomenal motor/attitude may not hurt this coming year but we could feel it in '19-'20 and beyond.
The Future: The wolves that were closing in at the end of the season uttering that '2018-'19 better be a good year or else' stuff are at bay thanks to the last two weeks. The old man who let the game pass him by proved, again, that the game actually hasn't passed him by and is in good position to coach for I'm guessing at least 3-4 more years.
That said, it'll be interesting to see what we look like the next few years. It would be awfully nice to see the return of some tempo next year when we should have some pretty impressive depth. It would be awfully nice to see an offense with more sophistication and more movement. But the biggest thing for me is that I would love to see us avoiding some of the transfer situations. Maybe that means we never see a Taurean Thompson. Maybe that means we have to be more sensitive dealing with Moyer's injury. whatever it takes, it would be nice to see a bit of a tweak in management of the personnel -- a staff that is in lock-step with it's players instead of seeming to be at odds quite often.
Either way, we should do our best to enjoy the remaining years of the JB era.
Oshae Brissett: A
The Grade: One of the tougher guys to grade because the raw numbers are at once phenomenal (A frosh going for 15 and 9 while playing 38 mpg without a ton of talent around him) and leaving a bit to be desired (shooting 35% overall and 36% on two-point FGs ain't pretty). Decided to knock a few points off (as in not an A+) b/c there is plenty of room for improvement, but dude did everything we could have asked and more.
The Good: Biggest compliment for Oshae is that you basically forgot all aobut his being a freshman. No talk of hitting 'a wall' or getting caught in the moment. Dude just played and produced. His ACC numbers are basically identical to his OOC numbers (14.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg). Physically he's a nightmare for opponents -- explosive, physical, aggressive, confident, etc. Quietly shot 38% from three in ACC play so he can kill you from anywhere. Fit into the zone nicely even if he's not a huge difference-maker there. A max effort player, which is sort of a trend for these guys.
The Bad: Really basically comes down to some struggles with the finer points of the game. Obviously needs to be more efficient inside the 3-point line and particularly inside 12 feet. Would love to see him consistently work on that 12-to-15-foot jumper so he can do that in addition to attacking the rim. Also love to see him go straight up instead of contorting the body a little bit.
The Future:It's bright. Not a whole lot more to say. Doubt the numbers will take a huge leap since there's a very real chance that Bazely, Carey and Dolezaj will be solid contributors offensively and we could see more offense out of the C position. But in an ideal world it's possible this is a kid who puts up 16 or 17 a game on 45% shooting overall and maybe close to 40% from three while also being a nice option at the end of close games due to his ability to go inside and out and knock down FTs.
Marek Dolezaj: A-
The Grade: I'm sure people will hate that I have him in the same range as a much more productive player in Brissett, but I think most people here thought he would give us absolutely nothing this season. It's also Dolezaj's late-season improvement that took us from being a team that could give good team fits to being a team that could actually close out some wins against good teams.
The Good: I love the kid's game. That turnover he had early against Duke (when he threw it directly to Duval) stands out to me b/c it's the type of play I think he basically never makes -- a silly turnover after a bad decision. Very instinctive on the court. Started playing more aggressively late and made a ton of key buckets and plays in general from the clemson game on. Just one of those guys who does a lot of things to help you win even if many of them don't show up in the stat sheet (like a Josh Pace type). I always love those guys.
The Bad: Weak, obviously. Range on the J is a little iffy though it looked better from 15 later in the season. A little loose when he puts the ball on the deck. Could be more aggressive when looking to finish.
The Future: I think he's going to play a big role next year regardless of who's on the roster. JB loves players he trusts and he trusts Dolezaj in a big way. The beauty of that would be if Bazely is as advertised and Brissett is improved AND we have a healthy Sidibe and Chuckwu. You could see JB get five guys PT in the front court on the reg. God that would be a nice change. I would think there are two big keys for Dolezaj -- weight room and jumpers. Handle is a thing that could use help, but I don't see it as absolutely necessary. A little stronger, a little more consistent with the J, he's going to be a handful.
Frank Howard: B-
The Grade: This will infuriate people, I know. But at the end of the day, the dude logged 40 mpg on a team with zero depth and really only one reliable scorer (Frank was OK and Brissett great for a frosh, but pretty inefficient). And that team wound up in the sweet 16 and gave a really talented duke team all it could handle. I'm not sure how you crush a guy for that.
The Good: The key to this for me is what are you asking of a player? We have had very few guys here who put up pretty numbers when asked to be the primary ball-handler, the primary facilitator, a key cog on defense, one of our shooters and play 40 minutes a game. There are the sherms and johnny Flynns but the guys put into that role by and large, have had trouble with putting up pretty numbers -- GMac (the most overrated player in the league), J Hart (who played 9 or 10 years in the league), MCW (rookie of the year), etc. Those guys all had pretty poor shooting numbers and struggled (maybe not quite to Frank's extent) with turnovers. And the key thing for Frank is that he's not actually a true PG. Probably never will be.
But, at the end of the day, dude had some big games in some key wins (UMD, UB, L'ville, MSU), played really well to give us a chance against Carolina (and was great against Kansas) and played well enough overall for a limited team to limp into the tourney. Can you ask that much more of a kid who played sparingly as a frosh and struggled mightily as a soph.?
The Bad: Handle and decision-making. We all would have liked to see this team play at a faster clip but I think that's a bit more on the decision made by the staff to limit possessions and fast break opportunities. We all would have LOVED to see some actual player and ball-movement, but again, not really sure that's on Frank. The handle is far too loose for a lead guard and should be the focus for the summer. Thought sutomcat made a great point in his wrapup of the duke game that Frank needs to become a better shooter when the shots are contested. If he's wide open he's really solid. If not, he really struggles. Not sure we'll ever love the decision-making but it should get better after all the minutes logged this season and it should look better with more talent around him next year. Would also love to see Frank make a concerted effort to move shooters off a spot even if it's from 25 feet. Watched a lot of deep bombs dropped right over his head by being a step late.
The Future: Frank's back and it will be really nice to have a meaningful senior on a team. I'd have to imagine he'll be at point again and I have to imagine that will continue to lead to some angst among those of us fans. Doubt the kid's game will go from excruciating to watch at times, to smooth and mistake-free, but I'm absolutely in the camp of thinking he will have a very solid senior season and, most importantly, benefit from being in a situation where he shouldn't A) have to play 40 mins. and B) have to wear quite so many hats.
Tyus Battle: A
The Grade: You can nitpick his game and many of us did over the course of the season, but this kid was also asked to shoulder a monstrous load and he did so pretty well.
The Good: you can go through the numbers and Tyus was impressive in many ways but to me it boils down to one stat and one stretech. The stat: Battle averaged 40.1 mpg in ACC play. Think about that. Never came off the floor for all intents and purposes. The stretch is the stretch of games from the Clemson finale to the final game against Duke. Goes for 17 (an ugly 17, but 17 nonetheless) in an absolute must-win against Clemson, then puts up a super-efficient 18, 6 and 3 against Wake. Struggles mightily against Carolina but is literally chasing down backcourt passes with 40 seconds left in a 20-point blowout. Key to our win against ASU, struggles against TCU but bounces back with a huge stretch run against MSU (played under control in that one) and puts together his best performance of the year, IMO, against Duke. Kid grinded all year and came up big in big spots more often than not. Tomcat also pointed out that Battle improved in terms of creating for teammates as the year wore on as well.
The Bad: There's certainly room to improve. Spotty shooter who desperately needs to address the hitch, IMO, to increase his range a little bit. The only time I got frustrated with Battle was when he'd get a wide-open look and clank it off the side of the rim. Just feel like that's a sign of a guy who needs to smooth out his mechanics. Could be better off the bounce as well. But, again, a pretty impressive player overall.
The Future: We all know it's likely he's gone and if he is, I hope he does really well. Not sure what I think of his prospects at the next level but, I know this is a shocker, I've been wrong before so who knows? If he were to return, it would be a lot of fun to see a more finished product with more talent around him. That would be something.
JB: B+
The Good: JB always works magic when the roster is a bit limited (it was really the most surprising part of the first half of last season -- that it took him half a season to figure it out). This year was no exception. The run in the NCAAT is great, but the biggest credit I give him is the fact that this team was really only run out of the gym about four times in 37 games. At Duke, at BC -- two games I thought ended the season -- Round 2 vs. UVA and Kansas. That's a miracle considering what he was working with. Fought extremely hard all season.
The team didn't let injuries and departures slow them down. They doubled down on what they did best -- defend and, surprisingly, rebound (for the most part, MSU excluded). And, as much as anything else, they didn't give up on the season at any point.
There will be things you can pick apart with most every Orange team, but I'll remember this one fondly ... even if the style was atrocious.
The Bad: I actually don't hammer JB too much for the roster construction -- I see that as a confluence of a few things (Those things are, for reference: The sanctions hurt the depth by reducing the schollies; the transition plan which teams are going to pounce on again a few years down the road ... it's the way of the world; the cumulative effect of a ridiculously fluid world of college hoops where continuity is tough to come by; and what I see as a slight shift in recruitment -- I know they wanted quade and jordan tucker, but taking HW, Hughes, Sidibe and Marek always seemed like an effort to bring in guys you were likely to see for 3-4 years even if it hurt a bit in the this, the 'transition' year.).
What I think JB could have done is handle personnel situations better. Not really sure why the Geno blowup happened but it could have been avoided. Not really sure why the Moyer thing happened but it shouldn't have happened to begin with and if it did get to that point it shouldn't have been handled through the media. What's done is done with both, but the Moyer situation is pretty painful, IMO. A guy with some bulk and length along with decent athleticism and a phenomenal motor/attitude may not hurt this coming year but we could feel it in '19-'20 and beyond.
The Future: The wolves that were closing in at the end of the season uttering that '2018-'19 better be a good year or else' stuff are at bay thanks to the last two weeks. The old man who let the game pass him by proved, again, that the game actually hasn't passed him by and is in good position to coach for I'm guessing at least 3-4 more years.
That said, it'll be interesting to see what we look like the next few years. It would be awfully nice to see the return of some tempo next year when we should have some pretty impressive depth. It would be awfully nice to see an offense with more sophistication and more movement. But the biggest thing for me is that I would love to see us avoiding some of the transfer situations. Maybe that means we never see a Taurean Thompson. Maybe that means we have to be more sensitive dealing with Moyer's injury. whatever it takes, it would be nice to see a bit of a tweak in management of the personnel -- a staff that is in lock-step with it's players instead of seeming to be at odds quite often.
Either way, we should do our best to enjoy the remaining years of the JB era.
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