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Old 05-02-2011, 06:30 PM   #1
bearcat jeff
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'11-'12 Scholarship Players

Let's take a look at next seasons scholarship players:

Point Guards
Cashmere Wright - When healthy Cash is a diference maker. Look for him to be an offense difference maker next season if his knee holds up.

Jeremiah Davis - Can knock down open looks and get to the rim. Has very good court vision and is also a very good passer. The question is can he guard athletic, quick Big East guards. Could slide over and play some at the 2 against zone defenses and at other times depending on match ups.

Ge'Lawn Guyn - Pass first point guard who is excellent on the break and has a really good floater in the lane. Has the attitude and tools to be an excellent defender. He is much stronger than his wiry frame would indicate. The battle for minutes between he and Davis is the most interesting for me.

Shooting Guards
Dion Dixon - Pencil him in at the starting position again. If he has another off-season like last year watch out. Needs more consistency on his outside shot. Would like to see him work his left hand and use his athleticism to attack more. One of the best rebounding guards in the Big East.

Jaquon Parker - Moving over to the 2 will really benefit him next season. Looking for his shooting percentages to more closely resemble his freshman season than last seasons. Won't be surprised to see him play the 3 at times as well.

Sean Kilpatrick - My initial guess is he will start along with Cash and Dion in a 3 guard set on the perimeter. Expect to see Killa as the first or second option on offense. His outside shot needs to be more consistent and he needs to develop the mid-range game.

Small Forwards - As stated above I believe Parker and SK will see some minutes here too.

Jermaine Sanders - Has the physical attributes to play in the Big East right away. 'Maines shot is smooth and he can score inside or outside. Like Davis, the question is can he defend? With a concentration on losing body fat and becoming leaner this question should take care of itself and he may be able to play both wing positions. Has a very solid overall game.

Shaquille Thomas - Probably has the most potential of any of the incoming recruits. Shaq has off the charts athleticism. He needs to gain weight and strength but his leaping ability and athleticism will allow him to compete. Big questions with Shaq is where will his head be and will he do what's necessary to meet his potential. If he does the sky's the limit.

Low Post Players
Yancy Gates - If we see the same effort from him as we did the last 10 games of last season and he puts time in this off-season we could see something special. Continued improvemet at the free throw line, a more consistent mid-range shot and a concentration on being strong in the post should be his focus.

Justin Jackson - All he needs to do is gain good weight and get stronger. His energy and effort are unquestionable. Has the ability to take people off the dribble and has a nice 12-15 foot shot he didn't display last season. He has to put time in at the charity stripe and get his percentage to at least 60% next season.

Kelvin Gaines - Admittedly raw but the consensus is he is the most athletically gifted big man on the team and with Jackson and Gates on the roster that's saying something. Will be a rebounding and defensive specialist with shot blocking ability. Anything we get offensively from him will be a bonus.

Cheikh Mbodji - The great unknown. If you believe what you read and what his coach says, he has a very solid fundamental base. Said to be able to play inside and step out and hit shots as well. He is a good passer that knows how to play high post/low post. He didn't have great rebounding numbers as a juco so the question is can he rebound in the Big East? Bearcats will need some contribution from him.

Octavious Ellis - Is simply not physically ready for the Big East. He can be lazy, a quality he cannot afford to play on this level with his physical deficiencies. I believe he will be redshirted.

For the first time since Mick's arrival I think we are solidly 2 deep at each position. With good talent returning and the probable starting five in place all this team needs is some solid contributions from 2-3 of the bench players. The Bearcats will have reliable scorers. The loss of Bishop will hurt on defense and the team will have to come together in that regard. With the incoming talent next season could be something to watch.
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Old 05-02-2011, 07:00 PM   #2
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great overview of the team Bearcat Jeff...i am hoping this team will be faster and even more conditioned than last years team, which in my opinion, will make up for the lack of size...
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Old 05-02-2011, 08:03 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bearcat jeff View Post
Let's take a look at next seasons scholarship players:

Point Guards
Cashmere Wright - When healthy Cash is a diference maker. Look for him to be an offense difference maker next season if his knee holds up.

Jeremiah Davis - Can knock down open looks and get to the rim. Has very good court vision and is also a very good passer. The question is can he guard athletic, quick Big East guards. Could slide over and play some at the 2 against zone defenses and at other times depending on match ups.

Ge'Lawn Guyn - Pass first point guard who is excellent on the break and has a really good floater in the lane. Has the attitude and tools to be an excellent defender. He is much stronger than his wiry frame would indicate. The battle for minutes between he and Davis is the most interesting for me.

Shooting Guards
Dion Dixon - Pencil him in at the starting position again. If he has another off-season like last year watch out. Needs more consistency on his outside shot. Would like to see him work his left hand and use his athleticism to attack more. One of the best rebounding guards in the Big East.

Jaquon Parker - Moving over to the 2 will really benefit him next season. Looking for his shooting percentages to more closely resemble his freshman season than last seasons. Won't be surprised to see him play the 3 at times as well.

Sean Kilpatrick - My initial guess is he will start along with Cash and Dion in a 3 guard set on the perimeter. Expect to see Killa as the first or second option on offense. His outside shot needs to be more consistent and he needs to develop the mid-range game.

Small Forwards - As stated above I believe Parker and SK will see some minutes here too.

Jermaine Sanders - Has the physical attributes to play in the Big East right away. 'Maines shot is smooth and he can score inside or outside. Like Davis, the question is can he defend? With a concentration on losing body fat and becoming leaner this question should take care of itself and he may be able to play both wing positions. Has a very solid overall game.

Shaquille Thomas - Probably has the most potential of any of the incoming recruits. Shaq has off the charts athleticism. He needs to gain weight and strength but his leaping ability and athleticism will allow him to compete. Big questions with Shaq is where will his head be and will he do what's necessary to meet his potential. If he does the sky's the limit.

Low Post Players
Yancy Gates - If we see the same effort from him as we did the last 10 games of last season and he puts time in this off-season we could see something special. Continued improvemet at the free throw line, a more consistent mid-range shot and a concentration on being strong in the post should be his focus.

Justin Jackson - All he needs to do is gain good weight and get stronger. His energy and effort are unquestionable. Has the ability to take people off the dribble and has a nice 12-15 foot shot he didn't display last season. He has to put time in at the charity stripe and get his percentage to at least 60% next season.

Kelvin Gaines - Admittedly raw but the consensus is he is the most athletically gifted big man on the team and with Jackson and Gates on the roster that's saying something. Will be a rebounding and defensive specialist with shot blocking ability. Anything we get offensively from him will be a bonus.

Cheikh Mbodji - The great unknown. If you believe what you read and what his coach says, he has a very solid fundamental base. Said to be able to play inside and step out and hit shots as well. He is a good passer that knows how to play high post/low post. He didn't have great rebounding numbers as a juco so the question is can he rebound in the Big East? Bearcats will need some contribution from him.

Octavious Ellis - Is simply not physically ready for the Big East. He can be lazy, a quality he cannot afford to play on this level with his physical deficiencies. I believe he will be redshirted.

For the first time since Mick's arrival I think we are solidly 2 deep at each position. With good talent returning and the probable starting five in place all this team needs is some solid contributions from 2-3 of the bench players. The Bearcats will have reliable scorers. The loss of Bishop will hurt on defense and the team will have to come together in that regard. With the incoming talent next season could be something to watch.
i think everything is on point. i think biggest thing for jackson is him being able to sustain minutes by not fouling.

i have a question about the 2 deep statement- dont you think last year we were deeper? we had experience last year- and all the freshmen you listed are unknowns. i think its hard to count any of them, and gaines as "legit depth yet". we might have more athletes, but i dont think theres anyways we are deeper this year than last year.

depth isnt bodies able to play. depth means bodies you can play without a drop off in execution. right now we have 5 returning contributors, 1 guy who hardly played last year, 1 redshirt, and 6 newcomers. that doesnt really ooze depth to me.
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Old 05-02-2011, 08:30 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dp3113 View Post
i think everything is on point. i think biggest thing for jackson is him being able to sustain minutes by not fouling.

i have a question about the 2 deep statement- dont you think last year we were deeper? we had experience last year- and all the freshmen you listed are unknowns. i think its hard to count any of them, and gaines as "legit depth yet". we might have more athletes, but i dont think theres anyways we are deeper this year than last year.

depth isnt bodies able to play. depth means bodies you can play without a drop off in execution. right now we have 5 returning contributors, 1 guy who hardly played last year, 1 redshirt, and 6 newcomers. that doesnt really ooze depth to me.
Your points are valid ones. Most coaches will tell you that will take talent over experience any day. I believe you need a mix. The only place I think UC will see a drop off is in the variety of ways Bishop contributed. Mick is smart enough to alter style to fit the roster. If the top 6 or 7 have to play more minutes he will set tempo to do that. If the freshman pg's can't handle their role Dixon will play some point. Jackson played a key role as a frosh and you won't convince me he played near the competition in HS that Davis, Thomas, Guyn and Sanders played against. Defense is my major concern. Not depth.
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Old 05-02-2011, 08:46 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bearcat jeff View Post
Your points are valid ones. Most coaches will tell you that will take talent over experience any day. I believe you need a mix. The only place I think UC will see a drop off is in the variety of ways Bishop contributed. Mick is smart enough to alter style to fit the roster. If the top 6 or 7 have to play more minutes he will set tempo to do that. If the freshman pg's can't handle their role Dixon will play some point. Jackson played a key role as a frosh and you won't convince me he played near the competition in HS that Davis, Thomas, Guyn and Sanders played against. Defense is my major concern. Not depth.
i agree for the most part on talent over experience- but you need a mix.

however, my point is that the talent needs to be able to come in and not let there be a big drop off to constitute depth. we do have more talent. can they come in and play d? know the sets? guard without fouling? make the right pass? understand how to play the zone press?

we definitely have more talent and more big east caliber players. i just dont think we have legit depth that exceeds last year, even though our seniors were not a very talented group.
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Old 05-02-2011, 09:17 PM   #6
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We both agree for the most part. All valid points.
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Old 05-03-2011, 07:48 AM   #7
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Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.
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Old 05-03-2011, 08:21 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonS View Post
Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.
I will not be surprised at all to see more zone/press next season. If the frosh can't play strong enough m2m I fully expect them to 3/4 court press and zone.
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Old 05-03-2011, 08:21 AM   #9
bearcat jeff
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonS View Post
Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.
I will not be surprised at all to see more zone/press next season. If the frosh can't play strong enough m2m I fully expect them to 3/4 court press and zone.
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Old 05-03-2011, 09:15 AM   #10
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I agree with maybe ellis not being strong enough physically, but sometimes kids frames will not hold weight like others. I for one think Ellis will be very good and dont think that they should necessarily red shirt him unless skill wise he is behind. there is to much emphasis on bulk and not skill. darnell for example could of been redshirted 10 times and still would not of added bulk to him. Wilks needed a better understanding of the game more than he needed weight. i would love to see Ellis next year playing. And all though i believe he should gain some weight, i wouldnt risk what he brings to the table for a legitimate elite eight team.
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