HF to the 3

[AnkielBreakers]

I am making the argument that HF should spend the off-season practicing at the small forward position.

Assuming at least three of the suspensions are maintained next year, it is pretty clear that we will be short on guards.  Assuming all 4, well, we would have 1 freshmen guard.  Even assuming that we get some grad transfers at guard, the odds are strong that we will still be very light at those positions.  

It seems reasonable that Bess would slide over to the 2 guard position at least at times next year, and conventional wisdom would assume that Mickey Pearson would then take his place at the SF positiom. This may be the best answer, and I have hope that it will be.  However, I think the staff should build in some contingency options.  Especially with all of the Forwards we are going to have next year.  Having HF train at the SF would provide another person that can play the SF position in case Pearson isn’t ready for Prine Time.  

HF has shown that he has the athleticism to play the 3.  I think he can defend a guard with the needed quickness.  He has shown that he has some handles and can pass.  He doesn’t have a shot.  I have never seen him drive like a guard, mostly just in the open court.  He lacks experience and it could be a rough transition. The summer time would be a good place to test whether has the ability to play on the outside.  It would also benefit his game as he might learn some useful skills for next year that he could even apply as a post player.

[MattyMo213]

Just now, AnkielBreakers said:

I am making the argument that HF should spend the off-season practicing at the small forward position.

Assuming at least three of the suspensions are maintained next year, it is pretty clear that we will be short on guards.  Assuming all 4, well, we would have 1 freshmen guard.  Even assuming that we get some grad transfers at guard, the odds are strong that we will still be very light at those positions.  

It seems reasonable that Bess would slide over to the 2 guard position at least at times next year, and conventional wisdom would assume that Mickey Pearson would then take his place at the SF positiom. This may be the best answer, and I have hope that it will be.  However, I think the staff should build in some contingency options.  Especially with all of the Forwards we are going to have next year.  Having HF train at the SF would provide another person that can play the SF position in case Pearson isn’t ready for Prine Time.  

HF has shown that he has the athleticism to play the 3.  I think he can defend a guard with the needed quickness.  He has shown that he has some handles and can pass.  He doesn’t have a shot.  I have never seen him drive like a guard, mostly just in the open court.  He lacks experience and it could be a rough transition. The summer time would be a good place to test whether has the ability to play on the outside.  It would also benefit his game as he might learn some useful skills for next year that he could even apply as a post player.

You think HF at the 3 is more likely than CG at the 3?

[billikenfan05]

I think DJ Foreman is more of a 3 than Hasahn.

[billiken_roy]

french has shown he really cant shoot beyond about 5 feet.   until he can make some shots outside of the lane, talk of his leaving the "bigs" is not sensible imo.   as mattymo wonders, it would seem gordon would be a better choice if you had to move one or the other.   personally, between thatch and person, and those returning we should be fine on the wings.   

my bigger worry is that if some sort of punishment comes down that sends goodwin away starting this coming season, we have a point guard problem big time.   that should be ford's biggest immediate concern.  i dont see bess as a point guard at all.  

[AnkielBreakers]

2 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think DJ Foreman is more of a 3 than Hasahn.

I don’t think they (DJ or CG) have the quickness,

[billiken_roy]

3 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think DJ Foreman is more of a 3 than Hasahn.

foreman also cannot shoot beyond the lane.   foreman and french are two of the worst free throw shooters to play a lot for any recent billiken squad.   if they cant make a free throw how are they going to score from the wing?

[dlarry]

I don't want to move our best interior defender to the wing. 

He showed some nice skills for a big leading the break last night but other than that i don't see him as much of a ball handler. 

French is the power forward we have been wanting for 20 years let's not move him away from what he excels at.

 

[billikenfan05]

4 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

foreman also cannot shoot beyond the lane.   foreman and french are two of the worst free throw shooters to play a lot for any recent billiken squad.   if they cant make a free throw how are they going to score from the wing?

 

4 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

I don’t think they (DJ or CG) have the quickness,

I disagree with the quickness comment regarding DJ, the dude is so smooth and quick to the hoop for his size. DJs FT shooting has really come around as well. I don’t think either DJ or HF should be a 3 to be clear 

[HoosierPal]

22 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

I am making the argument that HF should spend the off-season practicing at the small forward position.

Assuming at least three of the suspensions are maintained next year, it is pretty clear that we will be short on guards.  Assuming all 4, well, we would have 1 freshmen guard.  Even assuming that we get some grad transfers at guard, the odds are strong that we will still be very light at those positions.  

It seems reasonable that Bess would slide over to the 2 guard position at least at times next year, and conventional wisdom would assume that Mickey Pearson would then take his place at the SF positiom. This may be the best answer, and I have hope that it will be.  However, I think the staff should build in some contingency options.  Especially with all of the Forwards we are going to have next year.  Having HF train at the SF would provide another person that can play the SF position in case Pearson isn’t ready for Prine Time.  

HF has shown that he has the athleticism to play the 3.  I think he can defend a guard with the needed quickness.  He has shown that he has some handles and can pass.  He doesn’t have a shot.  I have never seen him drive like a guard, mostly just in the open court.  He lacks experience and it could be a rough transition. The summer time would be a good place to test whether has the ability to play on the outside.  It would also benefit his game as he might learn some useful skills for next year that he could even apply as a post player.

Yeah, it's fun to play what if, look to the future, or whatever.  Nobody is wrong at this point of time.  

I really can't see French moving to the SF. I can't remember French hitting anything outside the lane.  His FT form to be shows he is a ways away from being able to put in 10 to 15 feet jumpers.  And I'm not sure he is quick enough to guard a SF.  Maybe some, but not all.  Plus, why would we want Hasahn away from the bucket where the French Rejection lives?  Guarding a perimeter player would dramatically impact our rim protection.    

A five of Gordon, French, Bess, Goodwin and Foreman doesn't work.  Your best three point shooter would be Bess at 25%.

[moytoy12]

18 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

I am making the argument that HF should spend the off-season practicing at the small forward position.

Assuming at least three of the suspensions are maintained next year, it is pretty clear that we will be short on guards.  Assuming all 4, well, we would have 1 freshmen guard.  Even assuming that we get some grad transfers at guard, the odds are strong that we will still be very light at those positions.  

It seems reasonable that Bess would slide over to the 2 guard position at least at times next year, and conventional wisdom would assume that Mickey Pearson would then take his place at the SF positiom. This may be the best answer, and I have hope that it will be.  However, I think the staff should build in some contingency options.  Especially with all of the Forwards we are going to have next year.  Having HF train at the SF would provide another person that can play the SF position in case Pearson isn’t ready for Prine Time.  

HF has shown that he has the athleticism to play the 3.  I think he can defend a guard with the needed quickness.  He has shown that he has some handles and can pass.  He doesn’t have a shot.  I have never seen him drive like a guard, mostly just in the open court.  He lacks experience and it could be a rough transition. The summer time would be a good place to test whether has the ability to play on the outside.  It would also benefit his game as he might learn some useful skills for next year that he could even apply as a post player.

Completely disagree.  French needs to focus on FT shooting and extending his range a little.  I'd also like to see less fouls but I don't know how you really work on that and he also seems to get called for a lot of ticky tack fouls.  

9 minutes ago, dlarry said:

French is the power forward we have been wanting for 20 years let's not move him away from what he excels at.

 

This.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Jalen Johnson would be a more likely candidate to play more 3 than French.

[STL Hoops Insider]

Why not JJ work on being more of a 3? Gordon, French and Foreman should share the 80 minutes at the 4 and 5.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Just now, STL Hoops Insider said:

Why not JJ work on being more of a 3? Gordon, French and Foreman should share the 80 minutes at the 4 and 5.

Aren't you the poster who said Jalen Johnson should never be a 3?

[HoosierPal]

Just now, Quality Is Job 1 said:

Aren't you the poster who said Jalen Johnson should never be a 3?

He is also the poster that said Bess would keep Roby on the bench.  How has that worked?

[billiken_roy]

1 minute ago, HoosierPal said:

He is also the poster that said Bess would keep Roby on the bench.  How has that worked?

if not for S2, i say roby would have been the player most affected with a lessened role as someone would have lost gigantic minutes to henriquez.   since our 3 suspended players havent played a minute, we greatly needed roby's minutes and he has indeed performed far better than i expected.   roby is having a decent going out season.  good for him.  

[Quality Is Job 1]

3 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

He is also the poster that said Bess would keep Roby on the bench.  How has that worked?

In fairness, though, if Henriquez hadn't been suspended, he likely would have relegated Roby to sixth man.

[STL Hoops Insider]

5 minutes ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

Aren't you the poster who said Jalen Johnson should never be a 3?

Yes, however I could not foresee a season long Title IX investigation completely changing the entire roster composition and forcing people to play out of position. I don’t think he should play the 3, but this thread is about French playing the 3, and if someone has to do it, let it be JJ instead of French for obvious reasons.

[slufan13]

Let's keep this thread about French at the 3 and not get people started on Crews recruits again.

[brianstl]

Why do we have to move DJ, CG, or Foreman to the 3?  There is 80 minutes total for the bigs to play in the game.  An equal split would work out to about 27 minutes each a game.  I would say that is about perfect if you want to keep your bigs fresh and out of foul trouble.

[HoosierPal]

10 minutes ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

In fairness, though, if Henriquez hadn't been suspended, he likely would have relegated Roby to sixth man.

You never know do you.  A guess is a guess.  Everyone can have one.

But even in your scenario, Bess hasn't kept Roby on the bench.

[Zink]

Johnson and Pearson seem the obvious candidates to get extra minutes at the 3 next year. I can see those two splitting time, with Bess primarily playing the 2, and Thatch backing up both guard spots. 

 

French as a 3 highlights his weaknesses and detracts from his strengths. 

[STL Hoops Insider]

8 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

You never know do you.  A guess is a guess.  Everyone can have one.

But even in your scenario, Bess hasn't kept Roby on the bench.

How could he be on the bench with 3 scholarship guards that would’ve fought him for minutes suspended?

[NH]

I can’t see French, Gordon or Foreman ever really transitioning to the 3. Heck, Dwayne Evans never fully transitioned to the 3 and he had more perimeter skills than those guys.

We have good bigs who will all get minutes. What we need is some shooters to surround them with.

[Littlebill]

59 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

I am making the argument that HF should spend the off-season practicing at the small forward position.

Assuming at least three of the suspensions are maintained next year, it is pretty clear that we will be short on guards.  Assuming all 4, well, we would have 1 freshmen guard.  Even assuming that we get some grad transfers at guard, the odds are strong that we will still be very light at those positions.  

It seems reasonable that Bess would slide over to the 2 guard position at least at times next year, and conventional wisdom would assume that Mickey Pearson would then take his place at the SF positiom. This may be the best answer, and I have hope that it will be.  However, I think the staff should build in some contingency options.  Especially with all of the Forwards we are going to have next year.  Having HF train at the SF would provide another person that can play the SF position in case Pearson isn’t ready for Prine Time.  

HF has shown that he has the athleticism to play the 3.  I think he can defend a guard with the needed quickness.  He has shown that he has some handles and can pass.  He doesn’t have a shot.  I have never seen him drive like a guard, mostly just in the open court.  He lacks experience and it could be a rough transition. The summer time would be a good place to test whether has the ability to play on the outside.  It would also benefit his game as he might learn some useful skills for next year that he could even apply as a post player.

Wild

[NH]

A grad transfer or juco guard make a ton of sense for our team next year. 

We’ll need Jalen to take another step up to become a high-quality wing player.