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Post by Chuck on Apr 18, 2014 8:00:42 GMT -5
The biggest battle will be at the SG position. It will be fun to watch those guys battle each other for the spot I agree with Tasty. Everyone remembers Gather's game winning 3 against St. Louis, but do you realize Jordon struggled with his shot during conference games. In fact Jordon's shooting percentage of 34.4% from the field was by far the worst on the team. Rest of the team all shot above 40%. Throw in Jordon committing more turnovers then assists (38/35) you realize Jordon struggled offensively during conference games. His stats were even worse during A-10 Tournament. Then again you can't discount his defense and leadership role. Jordon is going to get a stiff challenge from following. --- With his shot Marcus Posley will be seeing starter minutes. His game sounds a lot more of a SG than a point. --- Jalen is not your typical first year player as he has been practicing with the team and word is Jalen has been really impressive. Small forward is also an interesting battle. After being the 3rd leading scorer during non-conference games, Andell averaged only 6.2 ppg during conference games. Last 3 games Andell averaged just 10 minutes a game. Andell will be challenged by following. --- Jalen is probably going to start some where and he is my favorite to start at small forward. Of the returning players he is the best at taking it to the basket, which is an important skill for the SF. Jalen also has a much better shot than has been portrayed. --- I bet it would surprise everyone to hear that during conference games Denzel had the best shooting percentage on the team at an impressive 57.1%. Denzel's athleticism allows him to get a lot of easy baskets. He just needs to add a jump shot to become a starter at SF. statsheet.com/mcb/teams/st-bonaventure/players?&stats=conference |
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Post by thesenator on Apr 18, 2014 8:48:10 GMT -5
The biggest battle will be at the SG position. It will be fun to watch those guys battle each other for the spot i wish i could share everyone's optimism for next year's squad, but, to me, there are so many questions that have no answer at this point...questions like who's going to play the point as in breaking the opponent's pressure "d" (we all know our opponents know we have very little experience returning at the point and that our opponents are going to try to exploit this)?...who's going to be the intimidator in the middle when youssou gets in foul trouble (we all know our opponents are going to get the ball down low to their bigs in order to get youssou on the bench with fouls)?...who's going to hit the mid-range jumper or the shot from 3 (we're not going to be surprised when the opponent comes out in a sagging defense, cutting off our inside game and forcing us to make the outside shot)?... right now we have a lot of young kids with potential...if that potential turns into real-time (i'm talking vs a-10 competition, not vs ooc opponents) production, then i don't care how much snow/how cold it gets next winter in the enchanted mts, the sun is gonna be shining on bona basketball...on the other hand, if all that young potential is gonna need all next season to learn the ropes of playing in a tough mid-major conference, then we're back to treading water at the 14-15 win mark...i'm not gonna predict, i'm just gonna hope...i'm gonna hope we play some ooc competition that will get us ready for a-10 competition...ooc opponents who will challenge us to break their pressure d so that our guards (whoever they'll be) will go into a-10 play knowing that they can handle the pressure, beat the pressure, and create easy baskets...i'm gonna hope that youssou learns how to dominate down low and stay away from foul trouble...i'm gonna hope that this summer becomes the summer when mid-range and 3 pt shots go thru the hoop with a consistency that carries over to the ooc sked and into a-10 play...i'm gonna hope because isn't that what we bonnies do from 1 season to the next?... |
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Post by kcSBU03 on Apr 18, 2014 10:12:37 GMT -5
The biggest battle will be at the SG position. It will be fun to watch those guys battle each other for the spot i wish i could share everyone's optimism for next year's squad, but, to me, there are so many questions that have no answer at this point...questions like who's going to play the point as in breaking the opponent's pressure "d" (we all know our opponents know we have very little experience returning at the point and that our opponents are going to try to exploit this)?...who's going to be the intimidator in the middle when youssou gets in foul trouble (we all know our opponents are going to get the ball down low to their bigs in order to get youssou on the bench with fouls)?...who's going to hit the mid-range jumper or the shot from 3 (we're not going to be surprised when the opponent comes out in a sagging defense, cutting off our inside game and forcing us to make the outside shot)?... right now we have a lot of young kids with potential...if that potential turns into real-time (i'm talking vs a-10 competition, not vs ooc opponents) production, then i don't care how much snow/how cold it gets next winter in the enchanted mts, the sun is gonna be shining on bona basketball...on the other hand, if all that young potential is gonna need all next season to learn the ropes of playing in a tough mid-major conference, then we're back to treading water at the 14-15 win mark...i'm not gonna predict, i'm just gonna hope...i'm gonna hope we play some ooc competition that will get us ready for a-10 competition...ooc opponents who will challenge us to break their pressure d so that our guards (whoever they'll be) will go into a-10 play knowing that they can handle the pressure, beat the pressure, and create easy baskets...i'm gonna hope that youssou learns how to dominate down low and stay away from foul trouble...i'm gonna hope that this summer becomes the summer when mid-range and 3 pt shots go thru the hoop with a consistency that carries over to the ooc sked and into a-10 play...i'm gonna hope because isn't that what we bonnies do from 1 season to the next?... First off, as a board we need to utilize the 'enter' key a little bit more. Posts like this are very tough to read. Last year we didnt have a rim protector when You was on the bench. Most teams do not have multiple guys that can protect the paint like that. Dees and Tyson should at least be able to do an adequate job there when You is in foul trouble. We have unknowns sure, but we brought in these players to address needs. Any PG worth his salt should be able to handle some on ball pressure. I dont doubt Alston and Jaylen can do this. Otherwise, what are they doing here? We brought in Posley who has the reputation of being a shooter. Gathers, even with his struggles, shot the ball pretty well last year, just not consistently. From all accounts, Jalen is a darn good player who will fill in some gaps for us and he has had a year in the system. The staff has proven they have been able to recruit decent players here and develop them so I am confident things will go in the right direction. My question is how are teams going to handle our athleticism? How are they going to handle the 1-3-1 press we are going to throw at them with Jalen, Dion, Batch, Gathers...etc? How are they going to handle the grind it out team we should have? How are they going to handle traveling to the Himalayas in mid January? When the thread "How did the Bonnies get so good?" appears on the A 10 board, we will know we made it. |
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Post by gdub2009 on Apr 18, 2014 11:35:36 GMT -5
I am really not that worried about our offense next year. Schmidt's teams always find a way to score the ball at a good rate. If we can use the added athleticism to make our defense better than the team can be pretty good next year. Look at some offensive and defensive efficiency rankings from the past 5 years.
13-14: Off 60th Def 143rd
12-13: Off 58th Def 246th
11-12: Off 44th Def 96th
10-11: Off 106th Def 228th
09-10: Off 110th Def 176th
Our tourney run was the only year we had a defense under 100 nationally. I am hoping going forward that better athletes = better defense.
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Post by MM77 on Apr 18, 2014 11:53:15 GMT -5
I would not call myself delusional about the Bonnies expectations for next year, but I believe we have the best recruiting class in years from what I have read and youtube videos observed here. I know that is not much to go on in reality, but I cannot help but feel extremely optimistic about the future of Bonnie basketball. First off just knowing coach Schmidt is coming back and should be with us for a few more years is in itself a major plus. My realistic hope is for the Bonnies to qualify for the NIT's next year, maybe win twenty games and have a strong OCC schedule. We have point guards now who can break pressure with the dribble or the pass, and hit three's, and I also believe Youssou will be the best center in the league next season. A player I will always miss besides the Professor is Matt Wright. Matt's composure and character in games was superb, a great example of what I think we would want in a Bonnie basketball players mental approach to the team and fans. If these news guards coming into their journey have Matt Wright's behavior on the court and off and add more speed to the game we will have some fantastic memories of Bona hoops.
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Post by ceharv on Apr 19, 2014 10:21:02 GMT -5
IMO, the best news is that the staff will have options. Before the signing of the 2 latest PGs, we were in a situation where if Alston could not get the job done, we'd have had to have used Gathers at PG, which would have impacted the options at other positions, plus reduced his effectiveness on D. Now we are not so dependent on the development of just one kid - we have options. I have to think one of the three will come through and learn the system, freeing the others to learn over time and not requiring that we rely on Gathers to essentially play something other then where he is at his best - which I think is more of a free-lance guard. At the same time, we will have many more fouls to give before we get into real trouble, so we can be more aggressive on D throughout the line-up.
And kcSBU03, I understand your caution, but I think the fact that there are unanswered questions is exactly what allows people to be optimistic as to how they will be answered - there is potential at every position - and based on the progress we have seen the past several years from multiple players during the summer months, why not be optimistic about this group? Look at the progress Youssou and Dion made from last year - whey not believe they will improve some more - same for kids like Dees and the others at that position, plus Gathers and Cumberbatch. I think the staff has demonstrated that it can communicate to the players what they need to work on over the summer to get more PT in the Schmidt system, and they seem to be recruiting the type of kid who takes that to heart and comes back ready to contribute to the program better then when the previous year finished - so go ahead and allow yourself the optimism that that has not been a fluke or accident and will happen again and that the "new" players (including Jalen A - who's had a year in the system already) will do their parts.
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Post by wgt on Apr 19, 2014 16:46:22 GMT -5
13-14: Off 60th Def 143rd
12-13: Off 58th Def 246th
11-12: Off 44th Def 96th
10-11: Off 106th Def 228th
09-10: Off 110th Def 176th
Gdub2009…….Great stats & excellent point about the disparity in our ability to score as compared to giving up points. Prior to the start of the 13-14 season most were concerned about all the points lost to graduation from Conger, Mosley & Johnson.
Concern for stopping the other team was rarely mentioned even though the stats demonstated that our defense (after Drew) plummeted to 246th from 96th. I guess its natural to focus on scoring & who will step up to replace what was lost.
Replacing all those points from the departing trios was essentially accomplished this season. We were ranked #4 in scoring in the A10 (72.3ppg) conference games & although our D improved dramatically, (jumping 103 spots)the DISPARITY remains and must be closed to advance higher in the A10.
Offensively this year we were #5 in FG%, #1 FT% & #11 in TREY %. Dead last in TREYS made. Matt was our only Trey threat making 39%. Only thing missing from our offense was hitting treys.
Defensively this year we were the #11 Defense (allowing 74ppg), & #10 defending the TREY. Also grabbing rebounds on our defensive glass was lacking. The positive in our D was being #2 in steals. Mostly due to team steal leader Jordan who was #5 in the conference in spite of playing less mins than the leaders above him.
With 6 new players there may be more question marks than last year. Remains to be seen how our returning players & new additions will step up on both sides of the ball.
I see us once again scoring the ball. How we advance in th A10 standing will most likely hinge on how we can improve the D.
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Post by Chuck on Apr 20, 2014 8:23:43 GMT -5
i wish i could share everyone's optimism for next year's squad, but, to me, there are so many questions that have no answer at this point... With losing 3 starters I can understand your concerns. At this point last year I thought the Bonnies were going to be near the bottom of the A-10 by losing their 3 leading scorers. If you compare the scenarios you can see the reason for the optimism for the upcoming season. 1. Unlike the previous year of losing team's 3 leading scorer's, Bonnies losses are not as severe. --- Youssou significantly improved during conference games with both his offenses and defense. Second leading scorer during conference games shows the dramatic improvement in his game. --- Freshman season Dion was near the end of the bench with Toupane and Runs. He finishes the conference games as Bonnies 4th leading scorer and Youssou just edges him out as Bonnies leading rebounder. Marquise was the starter, but Dion finished the season as the better player. 2. At this time last year with Jalen Adams being declared academically ineligible Bonnies had just one incoming player (Andell) that was expected to play significant minutes. This year the Bonnies have 3 with Jalen, Posley and Alston. I expect all 3 players to be starters. 3. Most important factor was displayed last year. Look at the dramatic improvements from Youssou, Dion, Charlon, Matthew and Jordon. A team that was predicted to be the 2nd worse team in the A-10 made it to the semifinals of the A-10 tournament and was just a couple victories from an NIT bid. I fully expect the Bonnies will be predicted to finish near the bottom of the A-10 again this year, but we know something the experts do not know. Unlike last year the Bonnies have a talented group of incoming players. I'm not going to underestimate Schmidt's ability to develop players again this year. I'm looking forward to a very enjoyable season. statsheet.com/mcb/teams/st-bonaventure/players?&stats=conference |
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Post by fjs64 on Apr 20, 2014 18:47:42 GMT -5
We always discuss the starting five, but what might be more important is the "ending 5", those on the floor during end of game situations. These are the players that Coach feels can "seal the victory" or make the comeback.
So who would these players be:
Gathers will be one of them, his experience, his "having done it before", his defense (steals) are critical elements in any end game situation.
Posley is a unknown, but what we hear about his shooting, his ability to extend the floor, he will be playing when we need to make a comeback.
Taqqee may be a surprise name, but he comes to Bona's with a reputation as a defensive stopper with his tenacity and length. Expect Coach to use him to stop an opponents best guard when the game is on the line.
D Wright is always in the "right" place at the "right" time, getting offensive or defensive rebounds and somehow gets the ball to fall. He needs to be in there at crunch time.
Gregg can be one of the "ending 5", but there are some caveats. First, we know he has an eye for the ball (rebound) and we know that he will be able to score underneath. He needs strength, he needs confidence, he needs to be able to shoot from the outside. This summer is critical to his development.
Too early to make the calls on the overall "ending 5". Yousou was somewhat of a liability at crunch time during the early part of the season, but with his improvement during the 2nd half of the season and what I feel will be him becoming an impact player will require him to be on the court at "crunch time". Jalen Adams could also fit into the equation. Alston is a question mark until I see him in the Brown & White. I have purposely not yet mentioned Cumberbatch because he is an anomoly to me. I expected much more from him last year, expecially after watching him in the OOC. The tougher A10 competition slowed him down and his game (slashing & rebounding) was stopped....is he good enough to provide the the offense & defense that we need from this senior. Let's hope he dedicates himself to becoming the best he can be.
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Post by marylandbonnie1 on Apr 20, 2014 19:17:25 GMT -5
Chuck and Fjs,
I believe the PF is really still up for grabs. I don't believe Dion finished strong at all. Against the better and bigger power forwads late in the season he almost disappeared for what ever reason. Maybe he wore down or just could not handle ther better PF in the A-10. Below are Dion's last 10 games stats wise:
Team
Fordam 10pts, 3rb, 25min
GM 15pts, 7rb, 26min
Duq 16pts, 7rb, 26min
RI 3pts, 2rb, 10min
Lasalle 11pts, 5rb, 29min
SJU 2pts, 2rb, 15min
VCU 4pts, 3rb, 10min
Lasalle 9pts, 2rb, 19min
StL 4pts, 2rb, 21min
SJU 4pts, 3rb, 18min
PF could also be an interesting battle.
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Post by sbu79 on Apr 20, 2014 20:04:08 GMT -5
Dion was in foul trouble in a lot of the games down the stretch. He was picking up 2 real quick and a third to keep him on the bench for long stretches. Maybe that's fixable.
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Post by kcSBU03 on Apr 21, 2014 7:29:53 GMT -5
And kcSBU03, I understand your caution, but I think the fact that there are unanswered questions is exactly what allows people to be optimistic as to how they will be answered - there is potential at every position - and based on the progress we have seen the past several years from multiple players during the summer months, why not be optimistic about this group? Look at the progress Youssou and Dion made from last year - whey not believe they will improve some more - same for kids like Dees and the others at that position, plus Gathers and Cumberbatch. I think the staff has demonstrated that it can communicate to the players what they need to work on over the summer to get more PT in the Schmidt system, and they seem to be recruiting the type of kid who takes that to heart and comes back ready to contribute to the program better then when the previous year finished - so go ahead and allow yourself the optimism that that has not been a fluke or accident and will happen again and that the "new" players (including Jalen A - who's had a year in the system already) will do their parts. I think you got me mixed up with the poster I was quoting. I think you and I agree on the subject! |
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Post by thesenator on Apr 21, 2014 8:19:38 GMT -5
IMO, the best news is that the staff will have options. Before the signing of the 2 latest PGs, we were in a situation where if Alston could not get the job done, we'd have had to have used Gathers at PG, which would have impacted the options at other positions, plus reduced his effectiveness on D. Now we are not so dependent on the development of just one kid - we have options. I have to think one of the three will come through and learn the system, freeing the others to learn over time and not requiring that we rely on Gathers to essentially play something other then where he is at his best - which I think is more of a free-lance guard. At the same time, we will have many more fouls to give before we get into real trouble, so we can be more aggressive on D throughout the line-up. And kcSBU03, I understand your caution, but I think the fact that there are unanswered questions is exactly what allows people to be optimistic as to how they will be answered - there is potential at every position - and based on the progress we have seen the past several years from multiple players during the summer months, why not be optimistic about this group? Look at the progress Youssou and Dion made from last year - whey not believe they will improve some more - same for kids like Dees and the others at that position, plus Gathers and Cumberbatch. I think the staff has demonstrated that it can communicate to the players what they need to work on over the summer to get more PT in the Schmidt system, and they seem to be recruiting the type of kid who takes that to heart and comes back ready to contribute to the program better then when the previous year finished - so go ahead and allow yourself the optimism that that has not been a fluke or accident and will happen again and that the "new" players (including Jalen A - who's had a year in the system already) will do their parts. it was me, ceharv, who was the "doubting thomas", not kcSBU03...and you're right, kcSBU03, i should've used the "enter" key a few times instead of thinking i was st paul writing an epistle to the bandwagonians... |
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Post by thesocalkid on Apr 21, 2014 12:00:55 GMT -5
OK five new guys coming in, does this mean that Coach will change up his offense? With all of the rabbits we will have next season, will Coach go to a West Coast style shake and bake offense with a lot of running plays to the wing man (Diion)? But, who will play the Kloof role of driving down the lane ?
Go Bonnies
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Post by ceharv on Apr 23, 2014 16:37:59 GMT -5
kcSBU03 and senator - sorry about the mix-up guys. I guess I got excited about the recent signings and our future and didn't pay attention close enough.Either that or I had a stroke 3 years ago and just miss these things too easily - or maybe both.
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