If roundball is your blood, this is the place to discuss the Flames as they move into the Ritchie McKay era for the 2nd time.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

By coolhandluke
Registration Days Posts
#233367
jcmanson wrote:Luke, Duke is not a mid major. Lovedale is no more of a big than Austin Smith, and hopefully Austin will continually to develop. If he does he can be just as productive as Lovedale is by his senior year. Austin Daye is alot like Carter. Yes, he’s 6’11”, but if he wasn’t he would be playing on the wing and he doesn’t play the 5 for Gonzaga he plays the 4 and sometimes the 3. Monroe is a true big. When VCU beat Duke it was because of some point named Eric Maynor, yeah he’s pretty good. Their next top 2 players were guards – Jesse Pellot Rosa and B.A. Walker.
I wasn't saying Duke is a mid major, just using Thomas to show how a true big man doesn't have to be over 6'9".

Lovedale is a big. He may not be a back to the basket big, but he gets rebounds and plays big on D. I just picked Daye off of the zags because he leads them in rebounds. Heytvelt is the same height and is second in rebounds. He is their star. But both are 6'11" and they don't play like centers on offense but they provide good D down low.

And yes, Maynor is special and Pellot Rosa and Walker were the next best players on the team. But they also had two 6'7" guys in Fameni and Anderson who were pulling down around 5 rebounds a game each. They gave Duke a fit down low on D.

What I am saying, is that to be successful in the NCAA we need to have a guy who can guard bigs down low. Brolin may be able to do it, but he is usually guarding the perimeter. Maybe Austin or Tyler can step up this year and give us that presence on D. Maybe next year Vander Pol or Carter can give us that. But we just need a guy with some height down there playing D and getting rebounds, IMHO... Right now having Anthony, Kyle, and Jesse playing our D down low and leading the team in rebounds is working. But if we win the tourney, I just don't see that working against a major team with a legit threat down low. Maybe it will and I hope that it will, but I just don't see that happening.
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#233377
Luke, you just said what me and LUMU11 have been saying the entire time.
By coolhandluke
Registration Days Posts
#233394
SuperJon wrote:Luke, you just said what me and LUMU11 have been saying the entire time.
No. I am saying that if one of these guys is going to step up and help us out by playing like a big on defense and grabbing rebounds, then we will be fine. But we need some height accompanied with some fight. The few times I have seen Carter play D was getting pushed around down there. Austin has potential to fill this role for us. And Tyler, if he can get his confidence back, can be that guy. He plays hard down low. He's not a legit big man, but he has potential to give us a post defense presence.

What I am saying is the same thing I have been saying all year... If we are going to win at the major level, we need to have a guy in the line up that is over 6'6" and can muscle with big guys down low. If we can get that from Austin or Tyler, then great. But the problem is neither of them start and neither plays enough to do that for us this year.

I like all of the guys in our starting line up right now, but if we win the Big South tourney and make the NCAA tourney, then Kyle Ohman is not going to be able to handle a guy like Luke Harangody or Tyler Hansbrough down low. We need a guy to step up and give us height and muscle on D.
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#233395
So I hear we have a kid down in SW Florida who is taller than the average high school senior and who has signed his John Hancock on a letter of intent that was received by some nice folks located in the Vines Center.
By coolhandluke
Registration Days Posts
#233401
LUMU11 wrote: Lance Thomas is hardly a back to the basket player and I know bc I follow Duke. He also fits the bill of a 6'8 athletic guy that is a presence on DEFENSE, he is not a consistent back the basket scorer.
Exactly! We need the post presence on defense. I'm not saying we can't succeed if we don't have a dominant back to the basket post player. I'm not complaining about our offense. I think it can be successful with the small lineup we have. It was successful at UVA and Clemson. But what lost us the game was the lack of a post defense.
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#233404
I give up.

:lol:
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#233406
coolhandluke wrote:
LUMU11 wrote: Lance Thomas is hardly a back to the basket player and I know bc I follow Duke. He also fits the bill of a 6'8 athletic guy that is a presence on DEFENSE, he is not a consistent back the basket scorer.
Exactly! We need the post presence on defense. I'm not saying we can't succeed if we don't have a dominant back to the basket post player. I'm not complaining about our offense. I think it can be successful with the small lineup we have. It was successful at UVA and Clemson. But what lost us the game was the lack of a post defense.
SuperJon wrote:We're going to play a very European style of basketball. I've said it for the past year. Looking at these guys, they're mainly guys who can bang on defense, block shots, and take up space, but they're athletic enough on offense to get out and run and all have a mid-range game and possibly even a 3-pt game.
What are we arguing about?
By LUMU11
Registration Days Posts
#233434
I think somehow we all came full circle. Sly, this kid out of SW Florida, he's a big kid, athletic, Ritchie says his numbers may be inflated due to some of the competition, but he's got skill and we like him! :D
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By Schfourteenteen
Registration Days Posts
#233435
coolhandluke wrote:
SuperJon wrote:Luke, you just said what me and LUMU11 have been saying the entire time.
No.
LUMU11 wrote:I think somehow we all came full circle.
Lumu

You cant read
By LUMU11
Registration Days Posts
#233438
He may have said "no" but the fine print relays everyone saying the same thing, in different ways.
By coolhandluke
Registration Days Posts
#233625
okay... what I am saying, is that we need to get a big man who will find a place in our starting line up. Right now I think what will probably happen is Minaya will take over Smitty's spot in the starting line up next year and we will still not have a tall guy down low to block shots and get rebounds. I know Minaya is 6'6", but I think we need a player to start with more height.

My opinion is that Kyle would be great off the bench. I think Kyle is the ideal 6th man. Maybe next year our line up will look like this...

Jesse 6'3"
Seth 6'3"
Minaya 6'6"
Brolin 6'6"
Carter 6'11" or maybe Austin, Tyler, or Vander Pol...

with Kyle coming off the bench at 6'4".

I just think we need a starter that is tall and can rebound. I guess that is what I am saying.
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By jcmanson
Registration Days Posts
#233630
Kyle will be starting next year. He is a legitimate scorer, and has proven that. He will be our 2nd leading returning scorer, and since we only have 3 proven scorers this year we will need Kyle's scoring.

Not saying some of the other guys won't step up as scorers, but Kyle will be starting and one of our go to guys.
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By ToTheLeft
Registration Days Posts
#233639
Jesse
Seth
Kyle
Austin
VanderPol

Stephene
Jeremy/Lee
Minaya
Brolin/Tyler
Carter

I'm thinking this is more like it.

I think Austin is slowly taking over Brolin's minutes/ starting spot. I think that Lee might come in and play the three and move Kyle to the four Austin gets in foul trouble, or to match up better with different teams.
By sweetnahmah1
Registration Days Posts
#233648
jcmanson wrote:Kyle will be starting next year. He is a legitimate scorer, and has proven that. He will be our 2nd leading returning scorer, and since we only have 3 proven scorers this year we will need Kyle's scoring.

Not saying some of the other guys won't step up as scorers, but Kyle will be starting and one of our go to guys.

Yeah, he'll be starting over Brolin I would think.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#233650
I don't think we know nearly enough about Vander Pol to put him in the starting lineup. I see all 4 of our bigs battling for one starting position. We may play 2 at a time occasionally, but I doubt it will be at the start of the game. Minaya should challenge Brolin.

Jesse
Seth
Kyle
Brolin/Minaya
Austen/Tyler/Carter/Vander Pol


My gut feeling is that we will start one big man, but if Brolin and Minaya are both clearly playing better, it could be 5 guards again.

Add in Stephene and Wheeler, along with Lee coming in, and Jeremy returning, and one thing is clear. We will have a lot more depth. I suspect Seth will still play huge minutes, but if anyone really needs rest, we will have options.
By TIMSCAR20
Registration Days Posts
#233652
I don't know or really want to talk about next season with so much of this one still left. But one thing I do know is that David Minayah is going to challenge for a starting position. He is a really good shooter and every time I have been to practice this season he appears to be at times the best player on the floor.
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By jcmanson
Registration Days Posts
#233655
JVP's team lost last night in the district semifinals.
ECS senior Joel Vander Pol had 18 points, with 11 rebounds and eight blocks in limited playing time due to foul trouble. Vander Pol ends his career with 1,270 points and more than 900 rebounds and 540 blocks.
He was also battling the flu last night.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#233658
That's great to hear from SCAR, who unlike most of us has some actual credibility when it comes to evaluating basketball talent. Considering that Minaya does a lot of the same things as Anthony, having him in the wings, along with the development of our young players, should ease the loss of a terriffic 4 year starter.
By TDDance234
Registration Days Posts
#233665
JVP is probably going to find himself on the bench for most of next season. At this point Austin, Carter, TB and even to some extent Minaya is going to be ahead of him on the depth chart.

It can't hurt to give him a year to bulk up a bit.
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By jcmanson
Registration Days Posts
#246353
This kid hasn't even graduated from HS, and TTL is already putting the curse on him. Thanks bud. :roll:
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By ToTheLeft
Registration Days Posts
#246357
jcmanson wrote:This kid hasn't even graduated from HS, and TTL is already putting the curse on him. Thanks bud. :roll:
:) He's representing the SWFL man, I can't help but be excited. He's a good kid, too. And I'm not putting a curse on him. Noah Greenbaum did just fine when I had NoahGreenbaumIsGreat active...
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By jcmanson
Registration Days Posts
#246358
As long as TBGB is not admitted into the club
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By ToTheLeft
Registration Days Posts
#246361
Well, he's going to have a fan club... I am just hopping on board now as the President, and his Press Manager. :P
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