Dwayne's_World Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I think we've all been disappointed by the sophomores thus far, but I still believe they are vital for our success down the road. Reggie has been on the rise with solid post play and rebounding. That crossover yesterday was a sign, though we've only ever seen him do it twice. I'd like to see him be more aggressive in the paint, that will draw the defense in and open the outside shots up more. The basis of disappointment has mainly been Crawford and Lancona. Honestly, I was one who thought Crawford would be a starter at the 3, but he hasn't yet shown that he even deserves minutes off the bench. After seeing solid play from him last year subbing in for Dwayne, it seemed like he was going to be a huge factor in our offense. He was creating good drives and had a very high 3 pt %, but that has not been the case so far this year. No idea why he has appeared lost on offense and defense. I refuse to believe that he has simply gotten worse, there's no way in hell anyone can just "get worse" in the offseason. He needs to get his head on straight and start being more of a factor. We need him to be a leader once the current juniors graduate. Tanner has also been disappointing thus far, especially after his solid minutes at the end of last season and in the NC State game. I thought we were going to see another Cody Ellis/stretch 4 this season, but he appears too hesitant on offense to be effective. No moves in the paint, hardly any threes, definitely not the 4 we were hoping to see.... Still, I refuse to believe that he simply "got worse." He will hopefully come around and find his role. I hope the coaches have him watching old film of Cody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I wonder if Crews' stubbornness to stick with the seniors through everything last year kind of stunted the growth of the sophomore class. Understand Lancona was hurt early, but he was healthy by January yet didn't see minutes until about March. Crawford was left out of the rotation at Lancona's expense come stretch time and I think we all thought he could take minutes from Barnett earlier in the year anyway. Agbeko was hurt almost the whole season. But still, I wonder if Lancona and Crawford getting more playing time early would've helped them more for this year. Those 5 seniors wore down last year and I think those guys playing could've been beneficial for both this year and last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 The SOPHs have me scratching my head, they look like FR. That should not be the case after a year of D1 practices and games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NH Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 None of the sophomores can create their own shot. Right now, the offense does not create many open shots. It's hard to judge any individual so far when collectively we are incapable of generating anything resembling good offense. By the end of the year we will have a decent sense of the sophomores, but not yet. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I think we've all been disappointed by the sophomores thus far, but I still believe they are vital for our success down the road. Reggie has been on the rise with solid post play and rebounding. That crossover yesterday was a sign, though we've only ever seen him do it twice. I'd like to see him be more aggressive in the paint, that will draw the defense in and open the outside shots up more. The basis of disappointment has mainly been Crawford and Lancona. Honestly, I was one who thought Crawford would be a starter at the 3, but he hasn't yet shown that he even deserves minutes off the bench. After seeing solid play from him last year subbing in for Dwayne, it seemed like he was going to be a huge factor in our offense. He was creating good drives and had a very high 3 pt %, but that has not been the case so far this year. No idea why he has appeared lost on offense and defense. I refuse to believe that he has simply gotten worse, there's no way in hell anyone can just "get worse" in the offseason. He needs to get his head on straight and start being more of a factor. We need him to be a leader once the current juniors graduate. Tanner has also been disappointing thus far, especially after his solid minutes at the end of last season and in the NC State game. I thought we were going to see another Cody Ellis/stretch 4 this season, but he appears too hesitant on offense to be effective. No moves in the paint, hardly any threes, definitely not the 4 we were hoping to see.... Still, I refuse to believe that he simply "got worse." He will hopefully come around and find his role. I hope the coaches have him watching old film of Cody. There was one play with Reggie where he caught just inside the elbow, turned and faced (something I'd like to see him do every catch) and had a chance to attack the rim, but pivoted back and just passed the ball out. I want him to be agressive going to the hole right there. His f/t shot also looks better, so he could have also just shot as the defender was an arm and a half away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenboy Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Yes...it is true the Sophomores needed more time last year but the coaching staff did not force the issue. So for that we are now seeing basically a Sophomore class playing like freshmen a year later. They could have gotten meaningful minutes throughout and would be leaders on the current team. As for Lancona....might just be a confidence thing but he has been inconsistent. I still think it is too early but he will get better as the season rolls on. Crawford is primed to be a stud but sometimes when I watch him I still cannot believe he has the 2nd highest vertical leap on the team. He plays tentative but deadly when given a true open shot. Contested 3s is not his thing. So getting him in open spot is where he thrives but with so many offensive minded guards on this team the open shot is losing its glory plus the lack of true postgame to RA, MY, and JM is a recipe we need to add quickly to sure up our bigs scoring. As for RA, more minutes last year would have been helpful but with that shoulder surgery I imagine that his right arm is still something he is getting use to. So he is starting over! During the course of the year it should start to feel normal again so he can regain his moves and quickness going right...ie crossover. I think people have to realize although he is 100% healthy, the arm is new and ankles are just getting back to normal. The shoulder needs to be stretched, strenghtened, and developed slowly to avoid reaggravation. Last I heard he was now benching just slightly over 200 for a guy who left prep school benching over 300+. So he is a work in progress but he will contribute more as time goes on. After such a surgery the kid has to not only deal with the physical changes but also the psychological issues that come with it. Just keep playing and stay healthy. More learning along the way this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I didn't watch or listen to the game today, but the GDT has some generally positive comments about RA. He has been fairly consistent the last couple of games and it seems that the more he plays the better he gets. The crossover against MSU was sweet and I think the more he is on the court, the more we are going to see his game grow. TL and MC seem like lost causes right now. I believe they have the ability and ethic, so hopefully they push through this slump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayne's_World Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Good to see some serious improvement from Reggie. I believe he'll be a regular starter from this point on. Crawford showed some signs in life in this one, but I'm still hoping to see more from him. I think he's adjusting to having to play without all of the seniors surrounding him. As for Lancona, obviously can't say anything there except that he might not have played because of his lackluster performances as of late. It also might be an attitude problem, but we should not speculate. I'm sure Crews has his reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabills Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I wonder if Crews' stubbornness to stick with the seniors through everything last year kind of stunted the growth of the sophomore class. Understand Lancona was hurt early, but he was healthy by January yet didn't see minutes until about March. Crawford was left out of the rotation at Lancona's expense come stretch time and I think we all thought he could take minutes from Barnett earlier in the year anyway. Agbeko was hurt almost the whole season. But still, I wonder if Lancona and Crawford getting more playing time early would've helped them more for this year. Those 5 seniors wore down last year and I think those guys playing could've been beneficial for both this year and last. +1 I think you have it right. I didn't really start following SLU basketball seriously until last season, and as an outsider, the thing that caught my attention the most was how little playing time the freshmen (sophomores this year) would get. Late in the season you could tell that because Crews had relied so heavily on the upper clansmen that there was no depth on the bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 None of the sophomores can create their own shot. Right now, the offense does not create many open shots. It's hard to judge any individual so far when collectively we are incapable of generating anything resembling good offense. By the end of the year we will have a decent sense of the sophomores, but not yet. Just my opinion. I don't completely agree. Agbeko can create his own shot (at the hoop), and Crawford is at his best when he mixes up his game by attacking the basket off of the dribble. That's creating a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Remember our sophomores had a great surrounding cast last year. All they needed to do was provide fill in roles. Now they are supposed to be the experienced group, leading a group of six freshmen into battle. This surrounding cast is no where near as accomplished as last year's. Give them time. They are feeling their way throw this also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenboy Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I don't completely agree. Agbeko can create his own shot (at the hoop), and Crawford is at his best when he mixes up his game by attacking the basket off of the dribble. That's creating a shot. I am confident in RA creating his own shot but for him it may have more to do with being offensively aggressive. He can do so at the hoop and from the 3 pt line down. It is in his game to do so, so he will have to adjust to demanding that ball and attacking when the opportunity is there. That is hard to do when all your playing career the ball has been delivered to you in prime spots. Surprising how today there was a concerted effort to feed the ball to the post. Build on it and this kid becomes the beast we know he is in no time. MC can be a good slasher and shot creator as well. We saw glimpses of it last year. What I see is a kid who is unsure of what to do once he commits. I say go hard, go strong, and use your ups every chance you get. He will be living at that line soon enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettFlight5 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 The sophomores are really a great unknown just like the freshmen. There weren't many minutes to go around for young guys last year. I was hoping Crawford would have beaten out JB last year, but it didn't happen. I see some good in his game, but I think he needs to earn more floor time to show it off. Lancona just isn't confident with anything right now. Reggie can get on the glass (a rough spot right now), and I think he's got the skills to have a pretty good offensive game one day. We really have 9 freshmen in terms of PT out there, so there's a lot of guessing going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soderball Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Tanner's problem is that he is just plain soft. Cody was soft early on too, it remains to be seen if Crews is up to the level of Rick. Tanner's softness on both offense and defense is just inexcusable, D1 players shouldn't get pushed around like he does. I think Crawford is suffering from lack of a point guard on this team. AM is a decent shooter when he's open, but he is very short for D1 play, and lacks passing/ball handling capability compared to say McCall or Mitchell. We've been spoiled on guard play. Crawford is a set up shooter and needs plays prepared for him. You all watch this offense. You all see whatever "plan" is going on out there. I'm glad we haven't stooped to the level of blowing up against MVC bottom feeders, but this team needs a lot of coaching. We also suffer inside, since JM is just what he is. We don't have Dwight Evans out there to pull off incredible feats of superhuman basketball play like we used to. I was hoping AY would be better. He's not bad, but I was really hoping he would be a stud. He hasn't been. yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doowop Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Some of the posters are expecting too much too soon from this team. The talent is there and if thy all stay together the team will be very good. However, the team could use a big who is a BANGER. RA and AY need help on the boards and it does not look like help is coming with next year's bigs if they are stretch big men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Some of the posters are expecting too much too soon from this team. The talent is there and if thy all stay together the team will be very good. However, the team could use a big who is a BANGER. RA and AY need help on the boards and it does not look like help is coming with next year's bigs if they are stretch big men. Rebounding is not the big problem. The lack of an offense is the overriding problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Some of the posters are expecting too much too soon from this team. The talent is there and if thy all stay together the team will be very good. However, the team could use a big who is a BANGER. RA and AY need help on the boards and it does not look like help is coming with next year's bigs if they are stretch big men. I don't buy the idea that where a big gets his offense from should affect whether he is a good defensive rebounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettFlight5 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I don't buy the idea that where a big gets his offense from should affect whether he is a good defensive rebounder. I agree. Rebounding is about out-working an opponent to get to a spot. It's more effort than size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARon Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 I think we will see better things, especially from MC, as they get used to the new make-up of the team. Kwamain slumped a bit at the beginning of his sophomore year. Majerus said it took him a while to stop looking for Lisch and TL3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenboy Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Rebounding is partly effort, mostly position and anticipation. You can outwork everyone in the post but yet have no idea where the ball lands. Seldom do you have a dominant rebounder with all those characteristics. That is why rebounding requires alot of teamwork so while you are outworking your man the ball is either landing in the hands of your teammates if the team is working together or worse into your opponent's hand because not every did their jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Can you have a slump if you never were? We know very littel about these guys. We have essentially nine freshmen and one transfer. Of th eother three, two have to drastically overachieve. We knew this coming in. They all likely need and will get more time -- probably this whole season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 At times the best work on the boards is done by the player who blocks out his opponent and allows someone else to get the ball. This act doesn't appear in the stats but is a "rebound allowed". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 If you watch great rebounders they somehow manage to get in the right position more times then not so it is not simply luck if they guess where the ball is going. You have to block out your man no matter what - what I see some of our players doing is when the shot goes up they do not move to get in front of their man to block him they simply turn towards the basket and let the guy who was guarding them have the inside. If you do not get yourself on the basket side of your man then you have significantly reduced chance of getting the rebound. Unless we start doing this we will continue to get beat on the board. By the way, I understand it is not easy to get to the basket side of your man but this is where the effort and desire part comes in - you simply want to be in that place more than the other guy. On the defensive side, we are simply letting the man we are guarding get in the more desirable position once the shot goes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmbilliken Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Quickness also comes into play when rebounding and besides Grandy and Reggie our big guys are not quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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