|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Dec 1, 2020 12:00:00 GMT -5
Jermaine Thomas made a third team all A10. Darnell Harris made a second team. So you have the two time conference player of the year, a top 15 guy and a future top 10 guy on your roster. Ash inherited nothing like that. John Glaser once told me Thanks for the cash John.
|
|
|
Post by a10champion15 on Dec 1, 2020 12:41:34 GMT -5
Some of you guys are getting really carried away.
I totally understand some of your frustration. The 1st two games were unacceptable down to basic fundamentals. Also, I wasn't a fan of Ash's post conference comments. However, it is way too early to be hitting the panic button and making generalizations or odd comparisons of other or prior coaches. Criticism is warranted but the the fire comments and others of the sort are wild, we all knew this program is and was a HUGE project. It going to take some time.
Yes, Ash has his players but 10 out of the 13 players have only been playing or in the program for what...a little more than 1 season? I really want to see how this sophomore and freshmen class progress before I make any assumptions that Ash can't get it done. I have some concerns but more often than not I've seen more positives than negatives over the last two years and I think its irrational to make any conclusions two games into a season that is far from normal. I'm much more interested in how this team performs during A10 play than non-conference.
Let's just let this play out.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2020 12:55:26 GMT -5
Obviously firing Ash isn't going to happen, nor should it right now. But this is maybe the worst this team has been in a long long long time. And there is nothing even remotely encouraging. Please quote this post when we finish in the middle of the pack in the A10. But I don't see it.
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,441
Likes: 6,366
|
Post by MisterD on Dec 1, 2020 13:01:09 GMT -5
I'm choosing not to worry about traveling to play back-to-backs over Thanksgiving during a pandemic. Lets give this season a little more time to breathe.
|
|
|
Post by a10champion15 on Dec 1, 2020 13:40:42 GMT -5
Obviously firing Ash isn't going to happen, nor should it right now. But this is maybe the worst this team has been in a long long long time. And there is nothing even remotely encouraging. Please quote this post when we finish in the middle of the pack in the A10. But I don't see it. I agree with you. There wasn't anything encouraging about the first two games with maybe the exception being Brickus. It's only two games into the season....let's see how they progress. I still think right around .500 should be the benchmark or an 8th/9th place finish with everyone's eyes on next season seeing how we will have a good mix of upperclassmen, experience and hopefully some talented sophomores. We will definitely need to add a transfer. As opposed to just giving you guys crap about some the boards comments these are the points I will be watching and evaluating from Ash. 1. Hikim and Brickus play the point exclusively. I don't want to see Beatty or whomever playing it. You have consistency from the point this will help reduce turnovers. Hikim and Brickus most likely will get better but you have to put them in their appropriate roles to do so. 2. Non stop free throw practicing. Not sure how this wasn't the attention or maybe it was but it needs to be a #2 if not #1 point of emphasis in practice. 3. Attack the basket, stop looking for long range shots. 4. Moore needs to play exclusively inside which should help spread the offense. Every team is creating pressure on the perimeter, you won't have open shots if you can't attack the basket or don't have an inside presence. 5. Continue with the defensive intensity. I prefer this team playing man to man or pressing. I'm not sure if there is an advantage for this team playing much zone. From what I seen in the past those two style of defensive schemes have allowed them to create turnovers and protect the perimeter which is an area where this team has done okay or even well. 6. With Croswell gone, rebounding was a concern of mine but there seems to be a genuine effort in team rebounding so they aren't getting killed on the boards. However, this team often takes quick threes without anyone inside the paint to allow for any team rebounding. You only take quick shots when you get out in transition or have a wide open shot. 7. It probably isn't fair to put this point last but this team needs someone to step up. A strength to this team is their depth but without a legitimate star you can't push a team over the edge. While Jack Clark struggled the first two games I really believe it's just a matter of time before he turns it on. He's one of the most athletic guys I've seen on this team since BJ, his shooting form is excellent but it's clear due to his lack of play, he doesn't take care of the ball, he has no rhythm to his play and his role is up in the air. If he becomes an all A10 caliber guy it benefits the rest of the players on this team as many of them are great shooters, Spencer or solid shooters, Ray and Beatty.
|
|
|
Post by 23won on Dec 1, 2020 14:51:25 GMT -5
I think we can make a dramatic difference offensively if we can execute on a few things. I'd like to see:
1) Ayinde and Jig in together, driving relentlessly from each side; this is great since one is a lefty and one a righty
2) Moore outside the lane 10' fromt the hoop on the side Ayinde or Jig drive on and then set a light pick and roll off to the lane. Inevitably the big drags to the driver and the driver's man gets clogged leaving Moore with an open finish off a dish, either immediately or after a dribble or two.
3) Less 4 man around the arc waiting for the ball and more a)picks and cuts around where the ball is or is going and b)attacking with angled drives to the hoop when the floor is spread (StJo did this well against KU and when they went away from this and settled for 3s due to fatigue, they gave up the game). We go 10 deep so we could sustain an attack like that if we ever rolled it out
4)Moving the ball enough off of 1, 2 or 3 above to reverse the ball to an open Jack or Scott. Need to get the 3 game going with good open 3s.
5) More finishes when the ball is near the hoop instead of pushing a long pass out for three. We've had a lot of steals when we do that and I'd rather miss a 4' shot than have a steal and run out for a pass going AWAY from the hoop. We also don't shoot the 3 like NOVA, so the math on that strategy may work for Nova but it does not for us
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Dec 1, 2020 15:05:57 GMT -5
Call me crazy but I really don't want to lean on the kid with two ACL reconstructions too heavily. I hope he can contribute, but I'm looking to the future.
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,441
Likes: 6,366
|
Post by MisterD on Dec 1, 2020 15:30:39 GMT -5
Why wouldn't he be a big part of the future? He's got the same eligibility going forward as Hikim and that class.
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Dec 1, 2020 16:08:44 GMT -5
Why wouldn't he be a big part of the future? He's got the same eligibility going forward as Hikim and that class. Because he's had two ACL surgeries. I hope I'm wrong.
|
|
|
Post by diehardexplorer on Dec 1, 2020 16:22:21 GMT -5
Obviously firing Ash isn't going to happen, nor should it right now. But this is maybe the worst this team has been in a long long long time. And there is nothing even remotely encouraging. Please quote this post when we finish in the middle of the pack in the A10. But I don't see it. I agree with you. There wasn't anything encouraging about the first two games with maybe the exception being Brickus. 1. Hikim and Brickus play the point exclusively. I don't want to see Beatty or whomever playing it. You have consistency from the point this will help reduce turnovers. Hikim and Brickus most likely will get better but you have to put them in their appropriate roles to do so. 2. Non stop free throw practicing. Not sure how this wasn't the attention or maybe it was but it needs to be a #2 if not #1 point of emphasis in practice. 3. Attack the basket, stop looking for long range shots. 4. Moore needs to play exclusively inside which should help spread the offense. Every team is creating pressure on the perimeter, you won't have open shots if you can't attack the basket or don't have an inside presence. 5. Continue with the defensive intensity. I prefer this team playing man to man or pressing. I'm not sure if there is an advantage for this team playing much zone. From what I seen in the past those two style of defensive schemes have allowed them to create turnovers and protect the perimeter which is an area where this team has done okay or even well. 6. With Croswell gone, rebounding was a concern of mine but there seems to be a genuine effort in team rebounding so they aren't getting killed on the boards. However, this team often takes quick threes without anyone inside the paint to allow for any team rebounding. You only take quick shots when you get out in transition or have a wide open shot. 7. It probably isn't fair to put this point last but this team needs someone to step up. A strength to this team is their depth but without a legitimate star you can't push a team over the edge. While Jack Clark struggled the first two games I really believe it's just a matter of time before he turns it on. He's one of the most athletic guys I've seen on this team since BJ, his shooting form is excellent but it's clear due to his lack of play, he doesn't take care of the ball, he has no rhythm to his play and his role is up in the air. If he becomes an all A10 caliber guy it benefits the rest of the players on this team as many of them are great shooters, Spencer or solid shooters, Ray and Beatty. i agree with all of the above. 1. beatty still needs to play a lot. the kid is a gamer. but he should only play the point in an emergency. give the keys to jhamir and ayinde. if ash wants to go big on occasion, i would actually try jack clark at the point. he played it in high school before his growth spurt. 2. i just don't understand the problems with the free throw shooting. i'm sure they practice it a lot. can't help but think it's a confidence issue that snowballs after they miss a few. 3. attacking the basket is my biggest issue, especially when you're playing teams like st john's and st peter's who overplay you. use that to your advantage. you can't be tentative. give the players the freedom to take their men off the dribble if the defender is up in their grill. a quick first step and you get by them which causes other defenders to help and leaves people open. as long as the ball goes to the open man, that should open up easier scoring opportunities. i know he's only a freshman and we haven't seen him in game action yet, but i believe this is something anwar gill will really help with. that kid can get to the rim and finish with the best of them, and he's a plus defender. once he's healthy, they need to find some minutes for him.
|
|
|
Post by gymrat67 on Dec 1, 2020 17:11:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by 23won on Dec 1, 2020 19:02:34 GMT -5
Anwar looked good in the zoom scrimmage. If he can attack the hoop and score, he's good in my book
|
|
|
Post by walkon on Dec 1, 2020 19:08:58 GMT -5
St. John pray for us against Howard 🙏🏻. Boy this board will be a fun time if we lose tomorrow!
|
|
|
Post by gymrat67 on Dec 1, 2020 19:21:47 GMT -5
St. John pray for us against Howard 🙏🏻. Boy this board will be a fun time if we lose tomorrow! durenduren and MisterD pray for us !
|
|
|
Post by gymrat67 on Dec 1, 2020 21:58:28 GMT -5
So you think the coaching is fine? Really? Well luckily you dont have to look far to see what a good coach looks like. St Peter's should have beat st johns yesterday, beat us convincingly today. Clearly are playing up to their opponents. As a team last year they surprised every one by finishing 2nd in MAAC. This was only after Shaheen Holloway 2nd Year. They also lost their conference rookie of year to Oregon and are still playing unselfish and discipline basketball. What are you watching? What are you blaming our failures on? Because Holloway is proving you dont need to be in a power 6 conference or have world class facilities to show you know how to coach. I think St. Peter’s builds a roster to win the MAAC and sometimes that works out against other teams in better conferences. La Salle has to build a very different roster to try and win in a much better league and with all those risks comes a lot more downside. The idea that we could put their roster in our conference is a non-starter. So big picture, no, I don’t think coaching is our problem and hasn’t been our problem for ~25 years. I’m sure Jay Wright could win here but the vast majority of coaches can’t because we’re a program that through a combination of can nots and will nots makes winning nearly impossible. Only someone too deep inside the program wouldn’t see the real issue and the forever misplaced blame.
( underlining added ) Clue #1 -- [ Note : Present Administration specifically excepted / excluded ] The former 150 years old provision ( up until late - 2013 : cbsloc.al/17mcaEH#.X8n435nyh7Q.mailto ) incorporated in the La Salle College / University's Charter -- and presumably up until fairly recently in the Charters of the several other Christian Brothers -affiliated colleges and universities nationwide -- that mandated that the President must always be a Christian Brother, long beyond the time when the number of new vocations had declined to the point that the pool of middle-aged, potentially qualified candidates with the ( aspirational ) combination of high intelligence, charisma, leadership, administrative experience, sound judgement, tact, temperament, personality, inter-personal skills, business acumen, political savvy, fundraising / development ability, imagination, creativity and foresight had largely dried-up ( i.e., dearth of " new blood "), leading to almost 25 years -- from approx. 1992 to 2014 -- of fiscally-conservative, inward-looking, passive, reactive ( rather than proactive ) " caretaker " Presidents, largely concerned with seeking to preserve and maintain on their watch the University as it was and had been in years past, rather than focusing upon what it was capable of becoming. Clue #2 -- The Christian Brothers egalitarian philosophy and principles -- as exemplified by their decision in the 1970's not to act upon the opportunities presented at that time to purchase a large tract of land in the suburbs and move the University out of North Phila. See, for example, jellybean's March 7, 2019 thread / post entitled " Article on campus crime and La Salle's decision not to move " ( newspaper article dated March 2, 2019 by former La Salle administrative employee Joseph Batory, PhD in the Delaware County Daily Times ) on the Other Discussion / Off Topic board, which included the following quote: " In the 1970s I was working at La Salle College ( then not yet a university ) in administration. At a meeting of La Salle's leaders at which I was present, there was a serious discussion about moving the campus out of it's city environs to an available spacious green suburban area. As a young man, I thought this idea made great sense. But this idea never got off the ground. The Christian Brothers at this meeting argued that La Salle's egalitarian philosophy and principles should never be about running away from it's inner-city neighborhood. End of discussion. " Clue #3 -- the ill-fated decision by the Christian Brothers to construct the 2500 seat capacity Joe Kirk Pool / Natatorium on the ground floor of Hayman Hall ( 1971-72 ), with the basketball gymnasium above it on the third floor. Considerable Athletics Dept. internal political influence and alumni fund-raising clout was wielded at that time by the historically very successful men's swimming and diving Program, heightened and exacerbated emotionally by the sudden and unexpected death on March 23, 1970 at the age of 56 of long-time ( 26 yrs. ) swim team coaching legend Joe Kirk. Four-time All-American swimmer Joe Verdeur ' 50, who had set a new Olympic record in winning the gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke at the 1948 London Olympics, was equally revered and emulated on campus at that time as the men's swimming Program's ' Tom Gola '. goexplorers.com/honors/hall-of-athletes/joseph-verdeur/17goexplorers.com/honors/hall-of-athletes/joseph-kirk/131goexplorers.com/honors/hall-of-athletes/john-lyons/130John Lyons retires after 37 years goexplorers.com/news/2019/12/17/mens-swimming-and-diving-inside-the-l-four-decades-in-the-lyons-den.aspxspark.adobe.com/page/h3cctX0CVlSPh/ [ EPILOGUE : Ironically, the once - dominant men's swimming and diving program is among the sports recently dropped by the University. ]
|
|
|
Post by a10champion15 on Dec 1, 2020 22:01:35 GMT -5
Call me crazy but I really don't want to lean on the kid with two ACL reconstructions too heavily. I hope he can contribute, but I'm looking to the future. Fair point. Everyone's injury and recovery is different so we should be cautious initially how much time he plays seeing his history. I'm just saying I have an inclination that he's going to be more than a contributor.
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,441
Likes: 6,366
|
Post by MisterD on Dec 1, 2020 22:16:08 GMT -5
I think I’ve said this elsewhere, but in the little preview we got his freshman year, he just looked different. The only “recent” direct recruits I can remember thinking had similar “best player on a roster with major conference transfers” were Duren and Wright and before them Murray. He might not hit his potential because of the injuries, but I see him as a guy you build around until you can’t.
|
|