Early Thoughts

david aka the TYZ · 12-06-2014, 06:38 PM

Clark has been the biggest surprise for me. I know its not a large sample size but I would've been happy if he looked this good by late in his sophomore year much less 8 games into his freshman year. I'm really excited to watch him grow.

Ellis has kind of emerged as the most consistent. If nothing else he is the guy on the team the opponent will have the most trouble defending due to his size/athleticism.

Caupain's numbers are solid and I am happy with his performance overall but he definitely needs to sure up his ball handling. He still doesn't seem great against pressure. As far as assists go, yeah he's the facilitator of the offense but until this offense as a whole passes the ball better and moves without the ball assists will be hard to come by.

Guyn and Sanders seem to have owned the leadership role well according to various things I've read and that's what we need most from them. I was hoping to see both of them step up their production this year some though.

Shaq is Shaq. I don't think he'll ever be the explosive player we all want.

The rest of the guys seem to have all shown flashes with no consistency. KJ and Morman and Moore are all young and I think will have solid careers. Moore really needs to work on his footwork. How to move his feet on offense and to be more agile and light-footed on defense. KJ needs to be better with his passing and not turn the ball over. As a shooter he can only be effective when his shots are falling. Same goes for Cobb. I like his quickness, although sometimes he has too quick a trigger to shoot. But when his shot isn't falling what will he bring to the table? KJ at least can finish around the rim some, which is nice if he could drive or on offensive rebounds. Morman really excites me. I like his fearlessness and aggressiveness. Once he can control that, watch out. DeBerry just needs to get in better condition. He will help this year especially when we need size down low. He is really strong around the rim with a soft touch. A year in our program and another offseason of conditioning and I'm hoping he's a beast next year.

I definitely like the upside of our team. Hopefully the Ole Miss game was an anomoly and a wake up call. Last game looked light years better. I just want to see continued improvement as the year progresses. I don't think heart or desire will be an issue with this team. If they find their identity on offense and sure up some defensive issues there's no reason to think they can't compete for another conference title. These next three games are interesting. I'm not sure if I'm scared or excited to watch them...

bearcat8290 · 12-07-2014, 05:18 AM

Positive:

Clark has been a very nice surprise. He was nervous the first couple of pre season games, but he now understands that he belongs. Moore looked really good last week. I think he made two threes and grabbed some nice rebounds. He's has good foot work, just needs some schooling and when to put the ball on the floor (too much dribbling) and posting up. Apparently, he did not do alot in high school according to Mick. Caupain has looked good. I think he tends to take a couple of possessions off, then comes back hard. If he played hard all the time, he'd be outstanding. He penetrates nicely and runs the team well. Moorman has looked outstanding over the past two games. He got in the seams in the zones recently, passed well, played enthusiastic defense, scored when the opportunity presented itself and has provided a spark to the team. Looking forward to watching him play. Deberry filled in nicely for Ellis against Stony Brook.

Negative:

Ellis did not have a good game against Stony Brook. Not sure what happened. Johnson has been inconsistent in all phases of his game. I'm waiting for Cobb to be a consistent scorer from the outside. Thomas had a good 2nd half against Stony Brook, but up to that point, he is shooting off balance shots, not playing good consistent defense and does not appear to be focused ie (poor foul shooting and rebounding).

**waterhead** · 12-08-2014, 08:27 AM

Ellis and Clark!! Sounds like a super-hero duo or historic expedition

I was worried coming into the season that we would be strong at guard and weak at the 4-5. Boy was I wrong! So far I would say just the opposite which is a great thing because we have so many guard options that some of them are bound to step forward.

We need to run our offense through Ellis and Clark and not around the perimeter. If Moore and DeBarry can solidify their defense and conditioning they will be more than serviceable. Moore will be a star some day!

The big question is what to expect from our guards. Obviously Caupain is going to get 30 minutes or so. The only thing holding him back is his high (slow) dribble which affects his ability to be quick and change direction.

Our seniors? I am not expecting much change here except for they need to be as vocal as possible and be leaders for the young kids. We know what they bring to the table.

So...that leave us with Cobb, Johnson, Morman, and Thomas. We need two of these guys to step up and become the clear consistent starters at the 2 and 3. If not we have 6 guards fighting for back up point guard minutes and minutes at the 2 and 3. We can play matchups or we can run with the hot hand for the night.

WAITE HOYT 2 · 12-08-2014, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterhead

Ellis and Clark!! Sounds like a super-hero duo or historic expedition

I was worried coming into the season that we would be strong at guard and weak at the 4-5. Boy was I wrong! So far I would say just the opposite which is a great thing because we have so many guard options that some of them are bound to step forward.

We need to run our offense through Ellis and Clark and not around the perimeter. If Moore and DeBarry can solidify their defense and conditioning they will be more than serviceable. Moore will be a star some day!

The big question is what to expect from our guards. Obviously Caupain is going to get 30 minutes or so. The only thing holding him back is his high (slow) dribble which affects his ability to be quick and change direction.

Our seniors? I am not expecting much change here except for they need to be as vocal as possible and be leaders for the young kids. We know what they bring to the table.

So...that leave us with Cobb, Johnson, Morman, and Thomas. We need two of these guys to step up and become the clear consistent starters at the 2 and 3. If not we have 6 guards fighting for back up point guard minutes and minutes at the 2 and 3. We can play matchups or we can run with the hot hand for the night.

Mick would love to run the offense inside out. Our guards have a hard time delivering the ball to the post. Every game i've been to this year i have seen the guards miss open men. Hopefully they get better as the year goes on.

The most impressive thing about Clark is, he knows what to do with the ball. He can post up or make a close quarter pass or kick the ball out.

jacobkdoyle · 12-08-2014, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearcat8290

Moorman has looked outstanding over the past two games. He got in the seams in the zones recently, passed well, played enthusiastic defense, scored when the opportunity presented itself and has provided a spark to the team. Looking forward to watching him play.

Ellis did not have a good game against Stony Brook. Not sure what happened.

1. It is Morman
2. Umm...he got kicked out of the game...?

BCM · 12-08-2014, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacobkdoyle

1. It is Morman
2. Umm...he got kicked out of the game...?

He's on UC, he should have the ability to metaphysically and spiritually alter the results of the games when not actually present. Why Mick can't recruit this type of player is beyond me.

jacobkdoyle · 12-08-2014, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCM

He's on UC, he should have the ability to metaphysically and spiritually alter the results of the games when not actually present. Why Mick can't recruit this type of player is beyond me.

Ha yeah we've needed an Antoine Tyler type for years.

BCM · 12-08-2014, 11:05 AM

I didn't even know I was making a reference, talk about obscure.

**waterhead** · 12-08-2014, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WAITE HOYT 2

Mick would love to run the offense inside out. Our guards have a hard time delivering the ball to the post. Every game i've been to this year i have seen the guards miss open men. Hopefully they get better as the year goes on.

The most impressive thing about Clark is, he knows what to do with the ball. He can post up or make a close quarter pass or kick the ball out.

I agree. I would almost rather see someone other than Caupain running point because he's long and is a good crisp passer and should be able to get the ball down there better from the wing than a few of the other guys. I think Morman might be better at it than Cobb, KJ, or Thomas. Sanders is also decent at it. There is no reason Thomas shouldn't be our best entry passer from the wing but he's probably the worst.

If we are up against zone I would almost rather see KJ and/or Cobb up top and Caupain on one of the wings with Morman or Sanders.

Ryno99 · 12-08-2014, 01:22 PM

See I would disagree, Sanders has been horrible at the entry pass this year, refusing to even look inside most of the time.

12-06-2014, 06:38 PM	#11
david aka the TYZ Epic Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Mason area Posts: 3,086	Clark has been the biggest surprise for me. I know its not a large sample size but I would've been happy if he looked this good by late in his sophomore year much less 8 games into his freshman year. I'm really excited to watch him grow. Ellis has kind of emerged as the most consistent. If nothing else he is the guy on the team the opponent will have the most trouble defending due to his size/athleticism. Caupain's numbers are solid and I am happy with his performance overall but he definitely needs to sure up his ball handling. He still doesn't seem great against pressure. As far as assists go, yeah he's the facilitator of the offense but until this offense as a whole passes the ball better and moves without the ball assists will be hard to come by. Guyn and Sanders seem to have owned the leadership role well according to various things I've read and that's what we need most from them. I was hoping to see both of them step up their production this year some though. Shaq is Shaq. I don't think he'll ever be the explosive player we all want. The rest of the guys seem to have all shown flashes with no consistency. KJ and Morman and Moore are all young and I think will have solid careers. Moore really needs to work on his footwork. How to move his feet on offense and to be more agile and light-footed on defense. KJ needs to be better with his passing and not turn the ball over. As a shooter he can only be effective when his shots are falling. Same goes for Cobb. I like his quickness, although sometimes he has too quick a trigger to shoot. But when his shot isn't falling what will he bring to the table? KJ at least can finish around the rim some, which is nice if he could drive or on offensive rebounds. Morman really excites me. I like his fearlessness and aggressiveness. Once he can control that, watch out. DeBerry just needs to get in better condition. He will help this year especially when we need size down low. He is really strong around the rim with a soft touch. A year in our program and another offseason of conditioning and I'm hoping he's a beast next year. I definitely like the upside of our team. Hopefully the Ole Miss game was an anomoly and a wake up call. Last game looked light years better. I just want to see continued improvement as the year progresses. I don't think heart or desire will be an issue with this team. If they find their identity on offense and sure up some defensive issues there's no reason to think they can't compete for another conference title. These next three games are interesting. I'm not sure if I'm scared or excited to watch them... __________________ representing the C

12-07-2014, 05:18 AM	#12
bearcat8290 Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 150	Positive: Clark has been a very nice surprise. He was nervous the first couple of pre season games, but he now understands that he belongs. Moore looked really good last week. I think he made two threes and grabbed some nice rebounds. He's has good foot work, just needs some schooling and when to put the ball on the floor (too much dribbling) and posting up. Apparently, he did not do alot in high school according to Mick. Caupain has looked good. I think he tends to take a couple of possessions off, then comes back hard. If he played hard all the time, he'd be outstanding. He penetrates nicely and runs the team well. Moorman has looked outstanding over the past two games. He got in the seams in the zones recently, passed well, played enthusiastic defense, scored when the opportunity presented itself and has provided a spark to the team. Looking forward to watching him play. Deberry filled in nicely for Ellis against Stony Brook. Negative: Ellis did not have a good game against Stony Brook. Not sure what happened. Johnson has been inconsistent in all phases of his game. I'm waiting for Cobb to be a consistent scorer from the outside. Thomas had a good 2nd half against Stony Brook, but up to that point, he is shooting off balance shots, not playing good consistent defense and does not appear to be focused ie (poor foul shooting and rebounding). Last edited by bearcat8290; 12-07-2014 at 05:30 AM.

12-08-2014, 08:27 AM	#13
waterhead Senior Moderator Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 9,298	Ellis and Clark!! Sounds like a super-hero duo or historic expedition I was worried coming into the season that we would be strong at guard and weak at the 4-5. Boy was I wrong! So far I would say just the opposite which is a great thing because we have so many guard options that some of them are bound to step forward. We need to run our offense through Ellis and Clark and not around the perimeter. If Moore and DeBarry can solidify their defense and conditioning they will be more than serviceable. Moore will be a star some day! The big question is what to expect from our guards. Obviously Caupain is going to get 30 minutes or so. The only thing holding him back is his high (slow) dribble which affects his ability to be quick and change direction. Our seniors? I am not expecting much change here except for they need to be as vocal as possible and be leaders for the young kids. We know what they bring to the table. So...that leave us with Cobb, Johnson, Morman, and Thomas. We need two of these guys to step up and become the clear consistent starters at the 2 and 3. If not we have 6 guards fighting for back up point guard minutes and minutes at the 2 and 3. We can play matchups or we can run with the hot hand for the night.

12-08-2014, 11:05 AM	#18
BCM Epic Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,229	I didn't even know I was making a reference, talk about obscure.

12-08-2014, 01:22 PM	#20
Ryno99 Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 506	See I would disagree, Sanders has been horrible at the entry pass this year, refusing to even look inside most of the time.