slubaseball42 Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 I have seen JJ struggle from the first day he was on campus. He has shown VERY little sign of being a valuable member of next years team. If I see him fire up another 16 foot jump shot, from the baseline, with a hand in his face and 15 seconds left on the shot clock that leads to a fast break for the other team I am going to scream! I think Bryce, Obi and the oncoming freshman all are better options than a fifth years senior who has contributed nothing. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Any >thoughts? Yes. I think you are wrong. We have had this debate 17 too many times by now. Go check out some scrimmages and tell me who you think is the most effective 4--in scrimmages. Then, let's see how the year pans out for JJ. it would not be the first time in NCAA history that a senior had a marked improvement over every other year. I just think there is no need to be so hard on JJ. I am pretty sure he is going to be way ahead of any freshmen at that position. This new guy being mentioned is an interesting possibility--if he comes-- but he will still be a freshman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShoe Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 rumor has it that JJ has been getting pushed around all over the place by Knollmeyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 maybe AK will be the red hot poker that was lacking till now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Develop the young guys. They'll struggle at times, but I have more faith in their struggles than JJ. Anyone who thinks JJ is suddenly going to provide us with anything after four years (including the redshirt) of nothing is being completely irrational. This shouldn't be a debate anymore because there is no debate- there is no argument that you could possibly make that JJ has helped the program, and if he all of a sudden does (which he won't), it won't be much. In addition to nothing on the court, he doesn't have the mentality of a senior leader, either. He's the perfect example of why you don't need to always scramble in the late signing period to use all your scholarships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 JJ is a tease for Bills fans. Got the body, got the hops, flashes of brilliance, and then pulls a Houdini, he disappears. The way we have to view the #4 spot this year, since there are so many question marks, ie Obi's knee, AK being a frosh, and JJ an enigma, is may the best man win. What scares me is there will be no best man, and LM ends up there again...no slam on LM...but he's not a legit #4. Convinced, we are going to be beating our chests about ever seeing a decent #4 in SLU Blue for the rest of our born days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Maybe if this Horace Dixon kid comes through, he could be our solution for this season. He sounds like a nice fit for us, and that would give all our baby PF's a chance to come along without immediate pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 He disappears because coach takes him out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 coach takes him out because he isnt doing his job. the games that justin johnson brought the effort and produced, he played extended minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I don't totally agree. There were a few games that JJ play well and his minutes were still limited. He only played extended minutes when Brad had no other choice either by the size of the other teams 4 ,or foul trouble. Brad just doesn't trust JJ and thats probably not going to change.And yes maybe JJ hasn't done anything to gain that trust. In any event it's sad because I think he has the ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 >Maybe if this Horace Dixon kid comes through, he could be >our solution for this season. He sounds like a nice fit for >us, and that would give all our baby PF's a chance to come >along without immediate pressure. If we get Horace Dixon and he really is 6'8" 220 as opposed to the previously listed 190 with the reported athleticism, I'd be surprised to see JJ for more than 5 minutes in any game absent foul trouble or injury. Coach likes players who stay focused and play within the system ... which doesn't describe JJ. Last year, I would have given JJ the minutes that went to Newborne. But this year, with Dixon and Knollmeyer, the case for JJ gets harder to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 willie said, "In any event it's sad because I think he has the ability." i agree. what is even more sad, jj just refused to conform to what his coach wanted him to do and that cost him a college basketball career. one year to make the best of it. it is never too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slubaseball42 Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Nobody has ever questioned his ability. It is his maturity (mainly), focus, unselfishness, and decision making ability that is in question. Like I said, JJ has been in the dog house with the coaching staff from the first day he stepped on campus because he makes bad decisions on the court and does stupid stuff off the court and gets in trouble. He is in no way an asset to this program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Trust in JJ might change; I am not guaranteeing that it will, but I fervently hope it does. If you go to practice regularly, it is true, you will see more loss of focus, particularly (I have noticed) failure to block out and/or to help out on defense. this can account for a lack of trust. But if a player does finally get it, that trust can be rebuilt and reborn. I have not given up on old JJ, and I know the coaching staff has not. It is weird that some on this board even suggest cutting him loose, or that Horace Dixon (who is not even signed, or that almost nobody has seen actually play) is already being awarded JJ's possible minutes. If Dixon were truly an impact player in Div. I, he would be long gone. I hope we get him, from the sound of it (I have never seen him), but I would expect almost zero the first year or 2. Possible red-shirt, if Knollmeyer is stepping up. Trust is a wonderful thing, but it must be earned. Can JJ earn it? Go JJ! I (some of us, we??) are hoping for and expecting a terrific senior season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Can JJ earn trust? In a word, no. He blew that a long time ago with multiple bad decisions off the court, and a complete failure to develop on it. Let's focus on the youth at this position and develop it for the long term. A good, tough PF would be huge in Brad's system, so let's work on developing a few instead of wasting yet another year worrying about JJ. He should get comfortable in a seat next by Wendell Bennett and Payton Jacks this year. If anything, he should be grateful for a free ride to college without doing anything in return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slubaseball42 Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 I'm with Pistol. Maybe this board can all pitch in a quarter a piece and buy him a nice extra pad for his seat on the bench this year. Can we get another Tom Frericks, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Amen to that- Frericks would have been so valuable if he didn't get 3 concussions. I'll take another one of him any day. The only reason he dinged up his head is because he played so hard out there. JJ knows nothing about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 "If Dixon were truly an impact player in Div. I, he would be long gone. I hope we get him, from the sound of it (I have never seen him), but I would expect almost zero the first year or 2." So you're expecting him to be another JJ? That's encouraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I would find it hard to believe that our staff would recruit another JJ. Even if he's similar in stature, his game and mentality are probably much different. You can make a recruiting mistake once, but not twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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