Leaderboard

I think this is a good post but I do disagree with your comment on Isabell.(me first) Isabell in my opinion started the year trying to fit in. Later in the year he started playing with the me first attitude and we became a much better team. Like you I do think if the pieces fit we can compete for the top of theA-10.

One of the most impressive things from Coach Ford’s radio discussion, was how they track players and the results from the practice scrimmages. He noted that GJ was on the winning team around 80%of the time in the scrimmages. No matter the combination. This is really an aggregated +\- system, and it points to the idea that GJ is the thing that turns the dial. Other teams can’t stop him, and he is not a major liability. We definitely did not hear anything like this about any freshmen in the Ford era. It seems like GJ will be a big part of the future of the Bills, this year and beyond.

Excellent posts and comments today. Moy. Good point: UD's transfers have been on the team and in their coach's "system" for a year now - advantage UD though Old Guy correctly points out the others must still get used to playing with them and them with the others. I recall of prior Billikens who sat out a year and there being talk about them being "rusty"... Also, their transfers have prior D1 experience - not coming straight out of high school , though, 72 makes good comment about sometimes it being easier for youngsters learning rather than partially seasoned guys (transfers) needing to "re-learn". RM did not like JUCOs and transfers... Other teams are returning quite abit and their new guys simply need to not mess things up - and that's true. And as 3 Star provides in his good summary of prior stats and figures, past performance sometimes does indicated future performance. Do not disagree with any of these points. Again, though, Spoon showed us year in and year out how talented guys can gel when they are well coached and play as a team. Honestly, I think bad personalities (Gordon) hindered our team and either a distracted (due to family issues) or a defiant (me first) Isabell also prevented our team from coming together last year. I guess where I am coming from is this: I promised not to talk about the program's setback from 2 years ago - and trying to abide by that. With that said, 2 years ago our team was diverse and our players complemented each other. We had old and young, experience and young energy, skill and raw talent, we had interior and perimeter shooting, we had a returning PG with experience and new youngster PG with unlimited potential. Not only was that season ruined but last season was diverse. Last week, Frank C asked CF on the podcast/radio interview if Yuri Thatch, Goodwin and French could play together at the same time b/c of the lack of shooting. CF responded - yes - but then pointed out that Thatch is better this year and also that our team will also use Jimerson, Perkins and Weaver to help shoot. These past 2 years, we could have really used perimeter shooting - but we lacked it. In fact, we played a lineup very similar to Frank's comment this year of Thatch, Goodwin, French, Foreman and a poor shooting Isabell for most of last year - and yet we still played OK. In the OOC when teams did not scout us as much and played us man to man, we had alot of success. When our rivals scouted us, packed the lane and played zone against us, we struggled a lot. Then, it sure seemed that when Isabell's shots fell, team's guarded him and us on the perimeter and also allowed our "non-shooters" of Goodwin, French, Foreman and Thatch to operate -- and we sure did. Am I putting too much pressure on this year's team? I don't think so. Instead, I am pointing out that Goodwin, French and Thatch might really be far better than their peers at the top of the A10 when they are defended honestly - as opposed to a packed-in lane with zones. If Weaver, Perkins and Jimerson hit from the perimeter, if Thatch, Goodwin and French attack the basket and if Yuri develops into a D1 playmaker, then I think we will towards the top of the A10.

On the plus side our new guys, mostly, are young and wide open to learning from the coaches and the vets. Transfers may have some embedded habits or thoughts that need to be deleted. Of course, that might have occurred during their year of ineligibility. Will UD hit the ground running, hard to say? We didn't last year when we thought we were loaded. As stated before, hopefully this squad starts finding their groove in mid January and by A10 tourney time are capable of upsetting some folks.