slu72 Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 ...from West Pine. Anyone in STL been viewing the pickup games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Not a particularly inspired game of pick-up yesterday. Drejaj played most of the time at the point in the three pick up games I saw and Polk played the off-guard. The veteran team they played against, which included Baniak, Braun, a sharpshooter who I didn't recognize and either Newborne or Meyer was beating them like a drum. Needless to say, Polk needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Drejaj had a few nice passes but he is clearly a scorer first. Baniak threw down a one-hand alley-oop jam on the fast break. Wish he would done more of that when he was here. The good news is Newborne was putting on a shooting clinic yesterday. He scored on post ups, spot-up mid-range jumpers as well as jumpers he created by breaking his man down with the dribble. I guess we'll see what Brad decides but it certainly looks like Newborne can play small forward for extended minutes. And of course he rebounded. Meyer is starting to get into the groove in these pick-up games. He finally started taking it to the hole like I saw him do in high school. And armed with that confidence, his three-pointer started to drop. In between games, Danny Brown was goofing around with bouncing the ball off the backboard and throwing it down with two hands. He missed a couple but then threw one down with authority. Darren Clarke still has that hand taped up but he was there for about a half hour. Maybe my eyes deceived me but he does look like he's grown an inch and picked up about 10 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Thanks for the report 3Star. I wonder if Drejaj pulled seniority on Polk and demanded to play point? Good news on the skill-set Newborne brings to the table. We've needed a legit 3 for some time. If Darren has picked up weight and strength, I could see him as a candidate for minutes at 3 as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Don't we see Newbourne being mainly a rebounding 4 for the majority of his minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 I think so, but it looks like he has the versatility to play the 3 as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 >Don't we see Newbourne being mainly a rebounding 4 for the >majority of his minutes? Well, if Newborne is a rebounding 3, then Ohanon can be the 4 (and we probably don't expect as much rebounding from Izik). If the two are on the floor together and the Bills rebound well, then it doesn't really matter which position, nominally, either is playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted September 10, 2004 Author Share Posted September 10, 2004 Thanks 3 star your usual fine job. Getting a little excited about Newburn. Don't mean to be pushy, but we are hearing nada abou JJ. Is he the invisible man? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 i especially like the continued good reports on newborne. play him at the 3 and play izik at the 4. i think they would definitely create some matchup problems with their versatility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 tseugnekillib has pointed out a number of times, that one of these inside players besides frericks has to set some picks. while newborne has shown some scoring skills that i didnt expect, either him or izik or ian or jj someone has to be willing to throw their body around a little bit. it might end up deciding who is on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted September 10, 2004 Author Share Posted September 10, 2004 But why is it JJ is NEVER or HARDLY ever mentioned in these reports. What did he do over the summer...go to the beach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 johnson stayed in st louis i believe over the summer and went to school. i know he was assisting at brad's camps. if justin isnt being mentioned in the workout reports, i would take that to mean he is studying which is not a bad thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Sounds like the kid is pretty athletic. Is he a project, or does he have a chance at being a contributor this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 I'm guessing Brown is insurance in case someone gets hurt. Thank goodness that Philip Hunt came up big at the end of last year but I don't feel comfortable having to depend on former walk-ons in case of injury. I don't have any inside info but if we sign anybody other than Lisch and Liddell in November, I'll be surprised. Coach seems to prefer evaluating big men for as long as possible until offering, i.e. the spring semester. Regionally, this is a really weak class for big men so there's no need to rush. Especially if Dennard Abraham is still interested in the Billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 If we knew for certain Liddell would not wander off into the arms of another program this season, I doubt Brad takes a flier on Brown. But with all that weird street agent jazz that went down, having another tall, athletic guard in the stable is not bad thing. Something of a lottery pick--whose knows what we have with Brown? Nobody has seen him play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamontcranston Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 I too saw some of the action on Thursday 3 things I need to add: 1.Dre played the point and tried to be pushing the action a little too much.He took many bad shots and missed a lot of open men on his drives.--- of course it was a pick up game so take for what it's worth. 2.JJ was there but he just sat on the sideline the whole time I was present, about 5:30-6:15.Maybe injured?? 3.I think everyone is going to love Newborne, besides what was said above,I will reinterate, he has a great rebounding body, a shooting touch that is very soft--- but I believe his two best assets are going to be his soft hands, and one of the best intagibiles you always look for on the basketball court--he always seems to be around the ball when a shot comes off the hoop!!! GO BILLS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 it sounds like we have the reincarnation of quitman dillard in newborne. imo that is a good thing. dillard was one of my favorite billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 I don't remember Dillard being a voracious rebounder, though. These descriptions of Vas'shun Newborne make him sound like a player who can average 7.5 to 8 boards a game. Maybe Newborne is a taller version of Donnie Dobbs or Jeff Harris (but a better shooter). Of course, consider who Newborne is matched up against in these pick-up games: his teammates and some former Billikens -- not exactly comparision material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 I'm really looking forward to what Brad decides. Does Izik come off the bench as a senior to maximize Newborne's minutes on the floor? Or does Brad play him at the three? Newborne's impact on the boards is reduced signicantly if he only plays 20 minutes a game as a backup 3/4. Brad has been quoted as saying "We become immediately better by adding him to our program" but I'm not sure what that means in terms of minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 If Izik is coming off the bench who is going to play the 3? Unless we go small and use 3 guards in the lineup I think both VN and IO will start and both sound like they could play the 3 or 4 position. As many of us have discussed throughout the summer we are relatively thin at the 4 spot and unless owe go to a 3 guard offense I think we are going to see a lot of VN, IO, and JJ. We will miss the minutes and stability that CS gave us. Sight unseeen I think VN will have to play 25-35 minutes a game because we have nobody else to play there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 I really think it depends on how much Darren Clarke has improved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 If Newborne is Jeff Harris, we are going to have a really good team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 What has IO done to warrant a spot in the starting lineup. I know the new players haven't proven themselves either, but I would rather build the future around them than a guy who has been a disappointment. Maybe this will be IO's breakout year. Who knows, but I am getting tired of waiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 >If Izik is coming off the bench who is going to play the 3? >Unless we go small and use 3 guards in the lineup I think >both VN and IO will start and both sound like they could >play the 3 or 4 position. I think the potential 3 guard lineup was 3Star's alternative to VN at 3. We went with a 3 guard set significantly more minutes last year than we did having IO in the lineup as the 3. If Darren Clarke is bigger and stronger this year, he could guard the 3 and we could run a three guard set as our base. Best guess on how we start the year (or maybe Drejaj starts a few games at point until the job is turned over to Dwayne): 5--TF 4--IO 3--VN 2--RB 1--DP Alternative #1: 5--TF 4--VN or IO (whoever wins the job in practice) 3--DC 2--RB 1--DP Drejaj is the first player off the bench if he does not start. I like him better off the bench as his fire smolders while he sits and bursts onto the court when coach finally injects him into the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 dillard averaged about 6 rebounds pg while a billiken and had a nose for scoring. plus surely everyone can remember his enthusiasm and leadership on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 while i too an tired of waiting, we have all seen glimpes of incredible play by izik. the question is why is it so infrequent? why does he disappear? he is more than the athlete that we need. why cant he be motivated to do it all the time? izik and newborne are the keys to this team imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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