I think he is better than PJ Brown was a freshman...
Kyser had to PLAY as a freshman - Joniah had the luxury of being eased in
Folks need to remember that
Plus he dealt with a sick infant child most of the season
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I think he is better than PJ Brown was a freshman...
Kyser had to PLAY as a freshman - Joniah had the luxury of being eased in
Folks need to remember that
Plus he dealt with a sick infant child most of the season
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
What do yall think of Merill Holden?
Early on, he was stiff. Had to become adjusted to the speed of the game from juco to D-1. Showed more flashes late in the year. Again, played behind Mike. Suffered from lack of playing time but its to be expected. You have to earn time! Will be on him this offseason to get that desired playing time next season. My hope is that he and Joniah and BSheppard and whomever the staff brings in battle it out to get better this offseason. In one of the post game interviews, CMW said our weakness this year (physicality in the paint) may be a strength next year. I hope so.
What are your thoughts on PG next year? Will Alex be able to run the show or does he have too much 2guard mentality? Is one of the freshman capable?
You could tell that after Joniah got pushed around early in the season, someone must have let him know he would get a reputation for being soft. At his height, if other players get real physical with him, the refs are just going to let it go. Later in the season you could tell he was making a concerted effort to really get physical inside and make sure he showed the opponent they better not expect a pushover. He certainly showed glimpses at the end. It will be interesting to see if he develops an offensive game and whether it will be mid range, lobs, or actual post moves.
I like Merrill and I think he will start next year...
He has great feet and quick hands and can move both with and without the ball
He will be the one we go to when we want to press
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
As far as the PG position I think it is the position Alex is more suited for. He is an average shooter at best, but with the ball in his hands he is excellent. If we can surround him with good shooters, with his ability to get in the lane he could be the best PG in the conference in my opinion.
We have had the luxury of having a point guard the past couple of years who understands that the 1 assist on his stay sheet can be more powerful than 2 points. Alex is not Speedy and that can be a great thing for us. The fear could be that the ball gets glued to his hand a bit more since he is a scoring threat.Originally Posted by TrueBulldog1962
I really like Alex. If he is point and can maintain the understanding he had this year of moving the ball then the sky is the limit for him. I wouldn't be shocked if he is the CUSA POY next year. He does have a flat shot which probably causes his 3p% to be down. But the way he attacks the basket reminds me of a couple of former great CUSA guys in Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade. Having that from a primary ball handler will only open up the offense so much more than we've seen.
I agree he has the skillset to be an all league point guard, but I'm not convinced he has the right mindset to be our starter at that position for the entire season. Granted he was Speedy's back-up this year and brings tons of experience. He seems to be more of a scorer than a facilitator to me but I would love for him to embrace the role. Think about this line-up out of the gate...
1--Hamilton (6'3)
2--Cobi (6'5)
3--Stapleton (6'6)
4--McCree (6'8)
5--Holden (6'8)
Again, we wouldn't start a true center but would play with alot of length and athleticism.
Have you considered those Dogs?
I love that lineup. Part of me wants Cobi off the bench to help the second group scoring, but man that starting lineup would be long and deadly defensively.
I think Boxer's lineup is what we will see game one but I don't like Alex at the point exclusively. I think it's a good change for a few posessions but he's a much better 2/3 guard. I have heard White say numerous times it will be hard to take the ball away from him as a SR but it wouldn't surprise me if 10 games in we have another FR PG starting or if Dayon grows into that role. I am intrigued by White's recent comments about change of style as well, since the CUSA tourney on several interviews he has talked about changing styles with new personnel and with Speedy, Kyser, and Raheem gone. Makes me wonder if we will be more traditional and bigger, maybe play McCree at 3 instead of 4 and add Holden or new PF to White at center more than we have seen in the past. Looking forward to next year already, can't wait to see how Xavian, White, McCree, Boykins, etc produce in increased roles and new players coming in.
The more I think about this comment, the more I'm becoming convinced of it. It's not just that Alex (if he embraced the role) could be an excellent point guard, it's because I think he might have maxed out at the 2. He has alot more growth potential at point. It would also allow us to keep our best players on the court. Just another thought...
Have you considered those Dogs?
I agree with 62 also...
I think Zeke can be a 7 asst, 15 pt, 3 stealth and 5 Rebs per game machine...
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
I'm starting to be won over to the idea and his size could be a big advantage. I know coach White is thinking Alex is the PG so that is what you'll see. His ability to get in the lane could be huge for Boykins to get open looks and he's pretty good at throwing the lob already so now he just needs an off season to get it down w White and Holden! One thing I have been excited to see is how much pressure we could out on other teams with a scoring threat at PG and he certainly gives us that. I hope he lives at the line next year regardless of whether he plays the 1 or 2.
With the transfer of Leo, there are two available scholarships for next year with the signing period beginning 4/15/15.
1 Davis, Qiydar 6-6/200 G SR 1L Red Springs, NC Indian Hills CC
2 Hamilton, Alex 6-4/190 G SR 3L Chipley, FL Chipley HS
3 McCree, Erik 6-8/220 F JR 1L Orlando, FL Murray State
4 Holden, Merrill 6-8/215 F JR 1L Lincoln, NE Pratt Community College
5 Jackson, Dominic 6-3/175 SG JR TR Lafayette, LA Olney Central College
6 White, Joniah 7-00/210 C SO 1L Grenada, MS Grenada HS
7 Stapleton, Xavian 6-6/190 G SO 1L Madison, MS Madison Central HS
8 Boykins, Jacobi 6-6/160 G SO 1L St. Petersburg, FL Lakewood HS
9 Griffen, Dayon 6-5/188 G SO 1L St. Petersburg, FL St. Petersburg HS
10 Sheppard, Branden 6-7/225 F FR RS Shreveport, LA Huntington HS
11 Derric Jean 6-2/170 PG FR HS Hollywood, FL McArthur HS
************************************************** ************
Committed, not signed
12 Jeremiah Martin 6-1/155 PG FR HS Memphis, TN Mitchell HS
I could see Mike White really allowing Alex to embrace the James Harden role next year. He'll likely bounce back and forth between the 1 and the 2. I'd like to see him start off the ball, but still get about half of his minutes at the point. We could actually run a two ball-handler system when he's on the floor, and certainly during crunch time I want the ball in his hands. His ability to get to the free-throw line will be our greatest weapon next season.
the bold, the beautiful, theprofessor
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