Barry Eberhardt's Expected Contribution

[TheA_Bomb]

We are all well aware that the main question marks in this team are in the front court. As we only return 4 scholarship players and 3 of them are backcourt players. Most JUCO's take a year to get into the swing of things. Will Barry Eberhardt be a contributor next year? What do we define as a contributor? I'm thinking 7 ppg and at least 5.5 rpg is a contributor as a Senior. Can we expect at that? Will he start?

He avg 6ppg 3.8 rpg last season. He started 11 of 31 games and none of the last 20. He met my benchmark of at least 7 ppg in only 5 of the last 20 games. He had at least 5 reb in 11 of the lat 20 games. He actually did much better in the first 11 games of the season. You would think that he would catch on more and contribute more as the season progressed. Was this a degression on Barry's part or Majerus going in a different direction IE playing different players or strategy?

I don't think he will meet my benchmark. Maybe he'll start at the beginning of the year and then lose it to one of the up and comers fairly quickly.

[slufanskip]

We are all well aware that the main question marks in this team are in the front court. As we only return 4 scholarship players and 3 of them are backcourt players. Most JUCO's take a year to get into the swing of things. Will Barry Eberhardt be a contributor next year? What do we define as a contributor? I'm thinking 7 ppg and at least 5.5 rpg is a contributor as a Senior. Can we expect at that? Will he start?

He avg 6ppg 3.8 rpg last season. He started 11 of 31 games and none of the last 20. He met my benchmark of at least 7 ppg in only 5 of the last 20 games. He had at least 5 reb in 11 of the lat 20 games. He actually did much better in the first 11 games of the season. You would think that he would catch on more and contribute more as the season progressed. Was this a degression on Barry's part or Majerus going in a different direction IE playing different players or strategy?

I don't think he will meet my benchmark. Maybe he'll start at the beginning of the year and then lose it to one of the up and comers fairly quickly.

I don't think I'd use the word expect, but maybe hope. For Barry it seems it all boils down to whether or not Barry sheds the 15-20 lbs RM wants him to. I think if he does he will probably score over 7 ppg, but I don't see him ending up with 5.5 rpg either way. I'd say if he does lose the weight 9ppg and 4-4.5 rpg. If he doesn't probably in the same area as last year unless it just pisses RM off that he didn't do it and ends up rarely seeing the floor. If I was betting I'd say he does and ends the year at 9 ppg and 4.5 rpg. while playing 25 mpg.

[Quality Is Job 1]

I think we need 10 ppg, 6 rpg from Eberhardt. If he loses the weight and gets in better condition, as Coach Majerus expects of him, I don't think those numbers are unreasonable. I'm thinking that his conditioning had a lot to do with the coach's decision to trim his PT last season.

[moytoy12]

I think we need 10 ppg, 6 rpg from Eberhardt. If he loses the weight and gets in better condition, as Coach Majerus expects of him, I don't think those numbers are unreasonable. I'm thinking that his conditioning had a lot to do with the coach's decision to trim his PT last season.

Agree with with everything in this post.

[GOSLU68]

Agree with with everything in this post.

10 and 6 is minimum for a starter at the 4 or 5 and 25 minutes per game in my opinion; if as you say he is a juco and they take two years to settle in well he has had his year; but he certainly could finish; his defense was our worst on the floor; he was the slowest man out there to a point where AK looked more agressive and more attentive for the few minutes he got-problem with AK was he was a very undersized 5 and I hope the new guys make

BE redundant from day one

[Iggy]

It's been four months since RM said that he wants Barry to drop some weight. How much has he dropped? Are there any insiders that can give us an update? He should have dropped significant weight by now if he's on track.

[jimbofive]

It's been four months since RM said that he wants Barry to drop some weight. How much has he dropped? Are there any insiders that can give us an update? He should have dropped significant weight by now if he's on track.

I wouldn't be surprised if Barry's lost considerable weight. We all know that guys named Barry have weight swings that could rival Oprah's...

[jimbofive]

I do feel bad about posting this one, but it's too funny not to.

[Taj79]

Here's the way I look at it ....

Sounds like Barry was given a marker, lose weight. If he meets that marker, he gets in the door ---- on the roster. Then I think it comes down to just what does that lost weight mean. Does it make him quicker or whatever it was his deficiency was or what. That's up to RM. If he doesn't meet the marker, maybe he's not even on the roster. Could be some sort of "mutual decision" or something. That way, RM goes --- no matter how dangerous this might seem --- with the kids he recruited.

Makes no sense for him to invest much time in a kid that doesn't meet his first marker. And one who will be here for only one year. Taking development time away from a preferred recruit. Just my thought.

Let's see if BE makes the marker. Then let's seem what that means. Then you can talk about what contributions to expect. Right now, I expect nothing. I actually expect more from Reed, Thompson and Conklin at this point. BE would be gravy.

[Guest BillikenReport]

If I remember correctly, Barry said he had lost 15 pounds when somebody asked him at the SLU Elite Camp.

I don't think anyone has to worry about Barry losing the weight he needs. He should be more productive this season because of that.

[kshoe]

Here's the way I look at it ....

Sounds like Barry was given a marker, lose weight. If he meets that marker, he gets in the door ---- on the roster. Then I think it comes down to just what does that lost weight mean. Does it make him quicker or whatever it was his deficiency was or what. That's up to RM. If he doesn't meet the marker, maybe he's not even on the roster. Could be some sort of "mutual decision" or something. That way, RM goes --- no matter how dangerous this might seem --- with the kids he recruited.

Makes no sense for him to invest much time in a kid that doesn't meet his first marker. And one who will be here for only one year. Taking development time away from a preferred recruit. Just my thought.

Let's see if BE makes the marker. Then let's seem what that means. Then you can talk about what contributions to expect. Right now, I expect nothing. I actually expect more from Reed, Thompson and Conklin at this point. BE would be gravy.

Taj, you've taken RM's quotes that he wants BE to lose weight and made the leap that if he doesn't make a certain weight he won't even be on the roster. I think that is quite a leap.

There is no danger that BE is not on next year's team.

[Taj79]

I think you are right in pointing out my "leap", kshoe. It is QUITE a leap. But is it that far-fetched? Look -- I'll be the first to admit I've never talked to Majerus and have no inkling of what he is thinking. All I'm saying is what I'm saying --- opinion. But in my mind, it is similar to someone else's opinion that believes Barry is going to go out and throw down 10 ppg and 6 rpg a game. Based on what? Some numbers pulled out of a rabbit's hat? I'll believe it when I see it but I will wait until then.

I respect the Billiken Report as a solid piece of information but he has made the leap in the post ahead of this one that says Barry has lost 15 pounds according to Barry and "he should be more productive this season because of that." Again, I'm not betting for or against that, only again to wait and see. At this point, I don't believe he will but that's based on who evaluated him and who signed him to this school. I guess the good thing is he didn't get run off so maybe there is hope there. Losing weight doesn't make up for a lack of skill, that's all I'm saying. And my jury is out on BE because of the one year caveat I recognize with JUCOs. I'm just not expecting a lot from him so let him surprise me.

Otherwise, if I am the coach and I have the minutes, would those minutes be better spent on coaxing marginal out of a final year player or better spent on developing the young kid I brought in and might be here for this year and three more beyond? I think Majerus very much knows and recognizes the "win now" situation he finds himself in. Okay, maybe not win now as in this year, but didn't he himself set that timetable for some time in the next five? And one is down and gone already?

I hope Barry knocks my socks off and is a solid 4 man and full season starter. I hope he averages 10/7 and we are here next year figuring out how the hell we're going to replace that kind of production. Just call me skeptical right now and playing that card close to the vest.

[kshoe]

I think you are right in pointing out my "leap", kshoe. It is QUITE a leap. But is it that far-fetched? Look -- I'll be the first to admit I've never talked to Majerus and have no inkling of what he is thinking. All I'm saying is what I'm saying --- opinion. But in my mind, it is similar to someone else's opinion that believes Barry is going to go out and throw down 10 ppg and 6 rpg a game. Based on what? Some numbers pulled out of a rabbit's hat? I'll believe it when I see it but I will wait until then.

According to the opening post he average 6 and 4 last year. Its really not that crazy to think that with a little more playing time and another year in the system he could improve to 10-6. Its certainly a lot more probable then him getting cut from the team prior to the season starting.

Lets not forget, there aren't exactly a lot of options to replace him. The most likely option is BT, who has played small schools all his life and will for the first time be consistenetly battling D1 caliber big-men. WR is another option yet he hasn't played organized ball in over a year. Nobody this side of the Rockies has ever seen BC play so who knows if he's a PF, SF or if he's ready at all.

IMO, if RM throws the towel in on BE and were to cut him as you suggest he's be throwing the towel in on the whole season and that just isn't going to happen as long as KL and TL are on this team.

[Box and Won]

If I remember correctly, Barry said he had lost 15 pounds when somebody asked him at the SLU Elite Camp.

I don't think anyone has to worry about Barry losing the weight he needs. He should be more productive this season because of that.

Good. Any college basketball player who can't burn off 15 pounds is pretty damn lazy (and Barry doesn't strike me as being lazy at all).

[moytoy12]

I respect the Billiken Report as a solid piece of information but he has made the leap in the post ahead of this one that says Barry has lost 15 pounds according to Barry and "he should be more productive this season because of that." Again, I'm not betting for or against that, only again to wait and see. At this point, I don't believe he will but that's based on who evaluated him and who signed him to this school. I guess the good thing is he didn't get run off so maybe there is hope there. Losing weight doesn't make up for a lack of skill, that's all I'm saying. And my jury is out on BE because of the one year caveat I recognize with JUCOs. I'm just not expecting a lot from him so let him surprise me.

I guess we watched a different BE. He seemed to have a decent skillset, especially his low post moves. My prob with him was his overall lack of athleticism. One would assume that if he lost weight (or developed more lean muscle mass) this would help with the lack of athleticism, ergo, BE would be more productive.

[Box and Won]

I guess we watched a different BE. He seemed to have a decent skillset, especially his low post moves. My prob with him was his overall lack of athleticism. One would assume that if he lost weight (or developed more lean muscle mass) this would help with the lack of athleticism, ergo, BE would be more productive.

I thought his athleticism was decent, but he needed to be more aggressive.

[NashvilleBilliken]

I thought his athleticism was decent, but he needed to be more aggressive.

That's my take as well. I thought his footwork with his back to the basket was pretty solid. I also thought his athleticism was just fine. I know he had one just monster dunk that even took the team by surprise (i think the quote was something like "i didn't know barry could get that high")...and the radio guys went crazy over it. I think the problem was more a lack of aggressiveness and disappearing at times.