Cumberland
 

I am very excited to see what Cumberland will end up doing this year. By the numbers his season was extremely good when you consider he was just a frosh. The key here is "just a frosh".

Cumberland had the highest EFG% on the team. He also led the team in the category of 2 pt %. His points scored per 40 minutes were only 2nd to Washington for the season and in conference. He lead the guards/wings at getting to the foul line per 40 minutes. He led the team in steals per 40. He shot the ball reasonably well from 3, assisted very well, didn't turn the ball over at a high rate, rebounded and blocked shots pretty well for a guard/wing. His instincts are off the charts.

All of this and he wasn't really being that aggressive for most of the season. His fouls were a little high and he could stand to improve his FT%.

All in all it is not a common thing to have a frosh leading or high in that many categories for a 30 win team. Especially when you consider we had very solid players like Washington, Clark, Evans, and Caupain on the team as D1 veterans. He was somewhat shy to take the spotlight early on but his confidence grew as the season progressed. If he comes out this year confidently entrenched in the starting lineup and knowing he is a key player it will be interesting to see how he operates and what he can achieve.

I don't think he will be scared if we put the ball in his hands if we need to get a shot off when the shot clock is running down or the game is on the line. Most importantly I think he will be effective at it. We all thought Evans might be a guy to take that roll but Cumberland seemed to be more comfortable with it. I think Broome will add another option in these scenarios as well. We need these "go to guys" on the perimeter.

I feel pretty much the same way. While he isn't the most athletic player on the roster, he just has a knack for making plays. Reminds me of Larry Birds game. Not a lot of flash just in the right spot and makes plays. Even on defense he seems to be very disruptive and gets his hands on a lot of balls. I agree he does need to cut down on his fouls but I suspect he will, simply by understanding the college game a bit better. Very excited to see if he has slimmed down in the off season. Having a year in our conditioning program should do wonders for him.

Broome is going to add so much to this team if he can keep the TO's to a acceptable rate. His ability to get to the rim and either score or dish is going to impact every other player on the floor. His abilities will leave guys wide open and as the opposing bigs try and play help defense on him it should open a ton more offensive rebounding opportunities for Gary Clark and company. I expect to see a bunch of put back slams this year. This by far should be our most exciting team in the Cronin era.

I agree. The fans will certainly have more fun watching the product. There will almost certainly be a faster pace, more high flying dunks, and more exciting plays in general. Wins will always be most important but getting the fans excited to come out and watch can be a nice lift for the players.

Especially since we won't be playing in Clifton this season

Im interested to see how much Cumberland is dedicated to his body after a full year. I know Cronin says he has some bad eating habits. My nephew works at cane's in clifton and says Jarron is there once or twice a week.

That said, we have one of the best strength coaches in the country. Cane Broome came to UC weighing 147 pounds and now weighs 167. He came in benching 95 pounds and now maxes out at 185.

Thats a huge transformation and buy in

As much as I like to hear about body transformation I would like to hear more about skills transformation. A guy like Thomas should not have gone 4 seasons before adjusting the loft on his shot. Scott is in a similar boat. We have been pretty bad at FT shooting during Cronin's tenure. That can and should change. If repetition at the line is not getting it done we need to adjust routine or technique for certain players.

I think we can do a lot more on offensive player development in the off season.

I'll be honest, I'd rather the players be spending their own time shooting free throws and coaches spend the bulk of the time on other skills. Free throw shooting should not be something Cronin has to spend a ton of time on.

Outside of a form change, I completely agree with you. Free throws are free points. When I played ball when I was a kid, I was pissed at myself if I missed a free throw and left points on the table. Free throws are mental as much as physical.

And by the way, I think waterhead mentioned Shaq Thomas' flat shot earlier. I recall that the coaches worked diligently with him to improve the loft on his shot but ultimately, he just couldn't seem to improve it. Is that on the coach or the player? Who knows. Probably a case by case thing.

I agree with you on the skill part. We've seen guys with great bodies before that have zero skill. That doesn't help. Being in great shape is important but doesn't win games

Ya I cant wait I would like to add Evans into this as well. The thing people are overlooking though is our fast break is going to be unbelievable. As good a finisher in fast breaks and passer and as strong as Caupain was he wasn't very fast for a PG. Broom on the other hand is one of if not the fastest guards in the country according to Cronin. Our fast break this year is going to be likely one of the best in the country. You get Broom, Cumberland, and Evans in transition and I just dont see how you are going to stop it.

No doubt in my mind all things considered that Cumberland and Evans will be vastly improved this year as I think our offense will fit them like a glove with Broome running the show. Evans and Cumberland are going to be such a great 1/2 threat. Our offense is looking like it could be the real deal and consistent for once. I truly think even tho we lose Caupain's leadership and floor generalship and also KJ's defense that we will be better this year and prob by a good amount especially on the offensive end. I do think Cumberland will end up being the star of this team going forward though and probably wont make it to his senior year in my opinion.