SluSignGuy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Stu's Article is up http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...hibition+opener He had this to say about Johnson and Husak: Notes: Redshirt freshman forward Justin Johnson didn't dress for disciplinary reasons. ... Freshman center Bryce Husak didn't dress because he has decided to redshirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Nice to know. I really hpoe Johnson can turn it around, but I have a feeling he won't be here next year and may never see time on the court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 After watching him at practice and in the scrimmage I have to agree with you. I know others still hold out hope but I have real questions. For his sake I hope he can get it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I'm concerned about us getting through the first 10 games this season with Ian ineligible, Bryce redshirting, and Johnson deep in Brad's doghouse already. That makes us aweful thin at 4 and 5. Given that Tom Frericks appears to throw his body around on the court, making him susceptible to foul trouble, I am even more concerned about 6 of the 10 games which are against non-cupcakes. Ross Varner, who I assume we shall have to rely upon heavily in the absense of Ian (and potentially JJ as well), is another guy who can rack up fouls in a hurry. Until Ian comes back, my guess is that Izik will be playing a fair amount of 4 with us in a 3 guard set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobile-iken Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I have no idea what prompted JJ's suspension but I do know that Soderberg really got after him a few times at the operation first look last week. I would definitely NOT give up on JJ yet, if Soderberg didn't see anything in him then he probably wouldn't have gotten after him like he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I think JJ is going to be another Jason Edwin....not acedemically, but on the court. Edwin always had the "potential" but never did anything with it because he was just lazy. From what I hear, JJ could be the same way. He is definetly somebody we need and who can really help us offensively....hopefully his heart and head are in the right place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I would bet Brad is just making a point. He wants JJ to learn early that you have to give all you have ... every time you step on the floor. This was an exhibition game ... while we still have everyone ... he wants to make sure JJ gets the message as we will need him to play some minutes when Ian's suspension starts. I trust Brad I think he knows what he is doing. JJ may end up being one of those players that Brad has to ride all the time. Sometimes it is good to have someone like that on your team ... the other guys see it and don't want to be in the same boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 as much as the temptation will be there to move izik back inside, i hope that brad resists. he becomes a below average pf because of his style of play, but he is a weapon outside. let's not weaken two positions. if varner has to play 30 minutes until ian is back, so be it. hopefully johnson gets his head on straight. he has an unbelievable opportunity in front of him and is blowing it by not playing by brad's rules. what makes it all the more painful, is it appears that johnson might be about as athletic as anyone on the team. so this apparently is all about attitude and effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I agree Roy with undesirability of moving Izik back inside (where he is less effective) but I am just counting up the bodies, getting a sense of Frericks game (with what we know of Varner), and coming to the conclusion that on a not too infrequent basis during the first 10 games foul trouble is going to leave us short-handed at 4-5. Do you over-expose Varner or does Izik play some down low? Neither option is appetizing. If JJ can respond mentally to coach and be counted on for 10-15 minutes on a night when Tom and/or Ross find themselves in foul trouble, it would really help this picture. When the schedule first came out I was upset at all the light cupcakes but now I am beginning to see the wisdom of our softer schedule this year (only softer compared to last year, not to CUSA teams on a whole). Also, compared to all the holes we had on the team last year, this is not such a bad deal to contend with but it is a situation to keep an eye on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I think it's even simpler than that. JJ is fundamentally unsound. He turns the ball over a lot when he puts the ball on the floor and he has poor shot selection. Those things can be corrected. I've never questioned his heart in practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 when you talk about strictly the pf position, i almost think that varner can do about as much as izik can. izik will always get pushed around in there and his defensive intensity isnt off the chart by any means. thus what ross lacks in skills might be made up there with grit and muscle when comparing him and izik inside. now i am not saying that varner is as good of a basketball player as izik. my gosh, i think izik is a poor man's george gervin from the wing. izik can end up being the difference maker on this team. but that difference maker happens from the wing, not getting lost inside. let varner deal with it. frericks and johnson need to step it up and play smarter and more effective so that varner only has to play 10 minutes per game spelling both frericks and sloan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 >>I've never questioned his heart in practice.<< You are the first person I have heard say that. I have only seen him practice twice (this was last year) and thought he played hard, liked the hops and the mid-range jumper, but he got pushed around underneath. With the extra weight this year, I had hopes that he would be a contributor. If he is trying hard at practice, then I am wondering what has got him in coach's dog house ... skipping class??? Who knows. Hopefully he shall take the punishment to heart because the team could sure use minutes from him early in the season. Ross can't guard what he can't catch and the sight of Frericks and Varner on the court at the same time for any extended period would not be pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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