TangoAlphaLima
Member
Rock Chalk Jayhawk, it's a ball night.
I hear this Wiggins kid is supposed to be pretty good...
I hear this Wiggins kid is supposed to be pretty good...
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2013-2014 NCAA Men's Basketball |OT|
- Thread starter Grover Cleveland
- Start date
Grover Cleveland
Member
I miswrote when I said Kevon Looney scheduled another Duke visit for this weekend. He's actually announcing Thursday morning.
Insiders are currently pointing Looney, Winslow, Okafor, and Jones all to Duke. Which assures me that Justice is going to Arizona, Tyus and Jah are going to Kansas, and Looney to Florida.
Insiders are currently pointing Looney, Winslow, Okafor, and Jones all to Duke. Which assures me that Justice is going to Arizona, Tyus and Jah are going to Kansas, and Looney to Florida.
Looks like he's going to Duke according to all the media. Your recruiting class is going to be motherphuggin' good next year.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Naw, it ain't a Duke recruiting year until we lose a blue chipper to UK/UNC.
James Young is the truth. Not sure he missed a single 3. Same with Aaron Harrison.
I remember some UK fans hoping Young would be around for more than one year. Not a chance for that imo. Dude is too good offensively and his length will do a lot for him on defense. Had some great steals tonight.
I remember some UK fans hoping Young would be around for more than one year. Not a chance for that imo. Dude is too good offensively and his length will do a lot for him on defense. Had some great steals tonight.
The big name guys all were impressive, Randle is a beast driving to the basket, James Young is a scoring machine, etc. I especially liked the 4 straight possessions by Dakari when WCS was on the bench and Lee was guarding him. He recognized the mismatch and used his size advantage to score 8 straight easy points. Lots of teams are not going to have a guy like WCS or Randle who can match up physically with Dakari. If he and the team can recognize those situations and take advantage like that he will create a lot of space for Randle.
But the big thing that stood out to me was Willis. He already looks better than Wiltjer ever did offensively, but he has the athleticism and mobility to actually stay on the court maybe. If that guy is 9th or 10th on your depth chart, you have an awesome team.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
Yup, pretty much everyone looked awful, or at least not very good. But everybody getting minutes on this team is brand new (i.e. freshmen, redshirt freshmen, or sophomores who didn't get minutes last year), outside of Naadir Tharpe and Perry Ellis, so some growing pains are definitely to be expected.
As a Kansas fan, last night was a very strange experience. I can't remember having so many new faces play so many meaningful minutes at the start of a season before. Self has generally had a handful of veterans on all of his teams. This team will be pretty rough the first few months, but as per usual, I expect Self to mold them into a contender by the start of conference season.
Grover Cleveland
Member
Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 51m
The word coming out of the Duke camp from several people is that freshman Matt Jones is the team's top perimeter defender -- over Sulaimon.
hmmm.
Sulaimon and Jones' games are very similar (good shooters from range who can slash, lockdown defenders)
The word coming out of the Duke camp from several people is that freshman Matt Jones is the team's top perimeter defender -- over Sulaimon.
hmmm.
Sulaimon and Jones' games are very similar (good shooters from range who can slash, lockdown defenders)
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Michigan won it's first exhibition game last night 117 - 44 without Mitch McGary. At one point GR3 was up 30 - 27 on Concordia.
I'm worried that Sheed may be the odd man out this year because Matt Jones is much better than anyone figured. I don't think he'll transfer, but he's not going to see the floor as much.
That kind of surprises me. I watched some of him in AAU last year since he was on Julius Randle's team and I'd say Sulaimon has a pretty decent athletic advantage over him. But Jones is a super smart player, so that may cancel out some of Sulaimon's athleticism.
edit: speaking strictly on-ball D. Overall I'm not too surprised. Jones can light it up on offense.
edit: speaking strictly on-ball D. Overall I'm not too surprised. Jones can light it up on offense.
Suilamon has K's trust on D for the most part, but he got a bit erratic towards the end of the year, especially when his shot wasn't falling. He was a freshman and it happens. His role on this team is going to be strictly defense, with occasional shooting, so he has to be prepared to make that his focus. Next year his role could be different again.
Grover Cleveland
Member
I think everyone will get some burn. K has to open up his rotation if he plans on actually playing the style he wants to play this year.
A 7 man rotation while pressing for 60 feet on every play might last them until...January. If anyone were to lose minutes it would be Dawkdog, because whatever they might lose in shooting by putting on Jones or Sheed on the floor they would gain in much better defending on the perimeter.
Randolph Freelander
Member
I'm hoping to see it like it was in 98 and 99, when Duke could bring 4 or 5 guys in off the bench and play just as well.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
You're hoping for 1 of the 5 best CBB teams of the last 30 years?
Talk about expectations.
Randolph Freelander
Member
Well, that squad had 2 starting fives that were among the best in the nation.
But I mostly just want to see depth, particularly when 2 or 3 rotation players inevitably go down with a leg or foot injury, as seems to be the norm in Durham.
Grover Cleveland
Member
Starting 5:Cook Sulaimon Parker Hood Jefferson
Sixth Man: I think it'll start off as Dawkins, but I could see either Jones or Semi take this spot
Bench: Thornton Jones Ojeyele MVPHairston MP3 Murphy
I think all of these guys could contribute in some capacity (hell even if its just rebounding for Marshall or absorbing fouls for MVPHairston). But knowing K it'll be:
Starters: Cook Sulaimon Parker Hood Jefferson
Bench: Dawkins Thornton MVPHairston
The rest of the dudes should have to pay for tickets because they are sure as hell not playing.
Sixth Man: I think it'll start off as Dawkins, but I could see either Jones or Semi take this spot
Bench: Thornton Jones Ojeyele MVPHairston MP3 Murphy
I think all of these guys could contribute in some capacity (hell even if its just rebounding for Marshall or absorbing fouls for MVPHairston). But knowing K it'll be:
Starters: Cook Sulaimon Parker Hood Jefferson
Bench: Dawkins Thornton MVPHairston
The rest of the dudes should have to pay for tickets because they are sure as hell not playing.
I was watching the stream off and on. Obviously the team they played was awful so there is that caveat but here are my thoughts.
GRIII and Stauskas dominated. Definitely looked like future NBA players and will be the stars along with McGary. You can tell they put in work in the offseason.
Levert impressed, seemed to really improve his shot, got to the hoop at will and had 10 assists, a bunch of defensive pressure and steals. Seems like he could actually live up to the Jamal Crawford/Hardaway Jr practice hype. Spike started at point and was efficient as always, broke the press with ease had a couple threes and couple nice fast break assists I saw.
Morgan and Horford look like Morgan and Horford. Horford is long and athletic can be a force on defense and rebounding but missed some bunnies on put backs. Morgan solid but sometimes frustrating with a couple missed uncontested layups. A lineup with Mitch and Horford at the same time could be a scary for other teams defensively with how active they both can be. But they all need to stay healthy.
For the freshmen Walton already looked confident and quick, had some flashy assists, picked a couple pockets and knocked down a few open jumpers. Irvin seemed like he was a little unsure and forced a couple shots but had a couple fast break layups and a nice putback. Donnal didn't play much but had a nice block and hit a smooth jumper when they left him open.
Overall looked like they are really going to run this year, will be mixing up the lineup with multiple bigs, a lot of half court defensive pressure using all the length.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Today's the day!
If you're into disappointment.
If you're into disappointment.
bucknuticus
Member
I forgot to subscribe and wondered why I hadnt seen any updates in the old one.
Think we're too high at 10, we'll struggle to get to 20 wins.
Think we're too high at 10, we'll struggle to get to 20 wins.
Grover Cleveland
Member
Kevon Looney's press conference was just canceled at last notice and then rescheduled for 1 PM CST/ 2PM EST
This tomfoolery combined with all of the rumors that Billy Donovan put on a last-minute full court press for him leads me to believe that he's changed his mind to UF.
This tomfoolery combined with all of the rumors that Billy Donovan put on a last-minute full court press for him leads me to believe that he's changed his mind to UF.
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Which would be weird since UF just got a guy who plays the same position. Though maybe Looney still thinks he's a 3.
I'm just ready to get it over with. Especially with Booker. Been following his recruitment for 3 years now.
Same.
I sound so doom and gloom, despite us having a good team this year that hasn't even begun its season yet, my wife would kill me if she saw these posts :lol
But this class really isn't great for Calipari compared to his previous four years here. I'm really not used to so much uncertainty about recruiting. It's no bueno.
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Yeah it's gonna be a weird class for you guys with Towns being the only real 1 and done threat.
Yeah. In a way I kind of like that we may not lose our entire team in 2015. So if we bring in a few guys that UK "seems" to be in good position for then we could have another contending team in '15, but next year will be rough if we miss out on Booker, Blackmon and Johnson.
I'm curious as to how in it Duke supposedly was because everyone on TDD thought he'd got to Tennessee for sure. Don't care about Looney. His decision to go elsewhere won't bring the doomsday scenarios that Jones/Okafor to KU will.
Randolph Freelander
Member
Well, there you go.
his handlers got a lot of money
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
I wonder if it was Alford's pro-rape stance that won him over.......
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
It's okay guys.
Jabari will stay another year. BELIEVE.
Jabari will stay another year. BELIEVE.
Grover Cleveland
Member
the check cleared.
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Is that who his AAU team is sponsored by? Fuckers should have been pushing him to Michigan!
jakefromstatefarm
Member
Sooooo AP polls out:
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Booker to UK as expected. For the record if I had a 24/7 crystal ball it would have said UK dating back to February. He was clearly smitten with Cal from the very beginning.
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
Better you than Indiana.
Randolph Freelander
Member
I'm assuming Looney is a good kid, a good basketball player. He's ranked #11, after all. But maybe dude at ESPN.com could have started with a better comparison than he did.
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruitingon-the-trail/post/_/id/7008/scouts-take-looney-to-ucla
Oh well. Lance was certainly a good defender. But, man, was he frustrating to watch on offense. Pump-faked himself out of so many shots, it was ridiculous.
Keep Looney away from jewelry stores, at least.
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruitingon-the-trail/post/_/id/7008/scouts-take-looney-to-ucla
Oh well. Lance was certainly a good defender. But, man, was he frustrating to watch on offense. Pump-faked himself out of so many shots, it was ridiculous.
Keep Looney away from jewelry stores, at least.
Grover Cleveland
Member
I think so.
The irony is that UT is a adidas school too.
Oh well, UCLA is slowly but surely rebuilding into a national threat. But I agree with truly, losing Looney isn't a bad loss. Losing Jah would be...devastating.
truly101 said:
As of about 36 hours ago, he was seen to be a heavy Duke lean. Obviously something changed (which we can now cynically assume was adidas throwing money at his handlers if they pushed him to UCLA), and that led insiders to believe that it UT first, UF second, and Duke a distant third.
Yep, Blackmon recommits.
Now Crean needs to hire Tom Lyles as director of basketball operations so Trey Lyles come back.