Joebird, I was told that Gomez is hurt. And, imo, we would have had a bunch more assists if we hadn't missed so many in close shots. But kidding aside your main PG has to put up big assist numbers, if we're going to beat tough tams. IW had a VERY IMPRESSIVE stat line, and I think he'll lead the team in scoring. JMO.
IW is the total package. He is a very unselfish player and his style fits in with Cluess system. He has huge potential.
I kinda hinted at that throughout the summer! He will be tough to handle in the MAAC since he has much more game to show. We did not even really see him in the full court game today.
IW is the total package. He is a very unselfish player and his style fits in with Cluess system. He has huge potential.
I kinda hinted at that throughout the summer! He will be tough to handle in the MAAC since he has much more game to show. We did not even really see him in the full court game today.
I knew how good he was from high school and prep but he has really matured. Very unselfish, and loved his shot selection. If he puts on some more muscle this kid will be unstoppable. His release is just sick.
Wofford game notes..........1...We went from 4 point guards to the use of a walk-on who did not make many mistakes, but contributed little...In fact whole team was just passing the ball in the first half without any purpose just looking for another man to pass to.....2. Another disappointing game for Poole...He has no offensive game, and creates very little...He had constricted time in 2nd half, and team ended with many assists...3...Bowman plays a ''secret'' game, but watch him closely and you will see his value...English getting better and better as confidence grows...4. I. Williams a ''Diamond in the rough'' will be a MAAC player of the year shortly...5. Solid game from Armand...Seems to play better after having a so-so stretch and getting mad at himself...5...Lowery needs a guard that can get the ball inside to him...Has very good moves around basket...
Wofford equal to a middle level MAAC team...Its a victory but nothing to write home about...
We have something to be concerned about--a 10 man team with a long grueling season ahead....
Not much to add that hasn’t been covered already by the board. Some observations from the game:
1. Wofford is pretty bad, and will probably be one of the few teams we’ll ever play in the Cluess era that is seriously undersized against us. Tough to get a realistic gauge of the team against them.
2. In Laury, Williams, and Robinson we have 3 players who are luxuries for the MAAC, all for different reasons. DL3 because he is a versatile big man that creates match-up problems for most 4s or 5s. Williams because he can play 3 positions and dominate inside or outside. And Robinson because of his sheer size, although it will take some time for him to come along. Can't find too many other teams in the conference who can come close to saying the same thing.
3. Think it’s safe to say Isaiah Williams had his “breakout” game today. Kudos to Super in particular, who’s been giving us a spot-on scouting report on him since we were first recruiting him.
4. Great to see Robinson get meaningful minutes so early on in his career. The kid is definitely a luxury for the MAAC, it’s just a matter of when, not if.
5. This would have been the perfect game to start Gomez, since Wofford tried to get us in the half court set as much as possible. Hopefully he’s healthy soon. I think he’ll be a major contributor when we’re playing against teams that try to slow down the tempo against us.
6. Best lineup on the floor is either English/Armand/Bowman/Williams/Laury or Poole/Armand/Bowman/Williams/Laury.
7. Seems like English worked on his penetration in the offseason. He looked much more comfortable driving the lane than I remember him last season.
8. Despite being one of our better defensive performances, still saw some laziness and defensive lapses late in the game that led to open shots for Wofford. This team simply can’t do these things no matter what the score is, they need to commit to defense for 40 minutes.
9. Picked up on a few well drawn plays coming out of timeouts, so kudos to the coaching staff for that.
10. Nice job with the Hynes reconfiguration, and best student we’ve had that I can remember in at least 15 years or so. Changes the whole atmosphere completely.
Not much to add that hasn’t been covered already by the board. Some observations from the game:
1. Wofford is pretty bad, and will probably be one of the few teams we’ll ever play in the Cluess era that is seriously undersized against us. Tough to get a realistic gauge of the team against them.
2. In Laury, Williams, and Robinson we have 3 players who are luxuries for the MAAC, all for different reasons. DL3 because he is a versatile big man that creates match-up problems for most 4s or 5s. Williams because he can play 3 positions and dominate inside or outside. And Robinson because of his sheer size, although it will take some time for him to come along. Can't find too many other teams in the conference who can come close to saying the same thing.
3. Think it’s safe to say Isaiah Williams had his “breakout” game today. Kudos to Super in particular, who’s been giving us a spot-on scouting report on him since we were first recruiting him.
4. Great to see Robinson get meaningful minutes so early on in his career. The kid is definitely a luxury for the MAAC, it’s just a matter of when, not if.
5. This would have been the perfect game to start Gomez, since Wofford tried to get us in the half court set as much as possible. Hopefully he’s healthy soon. I think he’ll be a major contributor when we’re playing against teams that try to slow down the tempo against us.
6. Best lineup on the floor is either English/Armand/Bowman/Williams/Laury or Poole/Armand/Bowman/Williams/Laury.
7. Seems like English worked on his penetration in the offseason. He looked much more comfortable driving the lane than I remember him last season.
8. Despite being one of our better defensive performances, still saw some laziness and defensive lapses late in the game that led to open shots for Wofford. This team simply can’t do these things no matter what the score is, they need to commit to defense for 40 minutes.
9. Picked up on a few well drawn plays coming out of timeouts, so kudos to the coaching staff for that.
10. Nice job with the Hynes reconfiguration, and best student we’ve had that I can remember in at least 15 years or so. Changes the whole atmosphere completely.
Three more things to add to the above:
1. Need more people at the Goal Club receptions. It was opening day and we were lucky to have a dozen or people in the room. It was pretty much a ghost room. 2. While the student section was packed and noisy, the season ticket side remains a problem. Seats were half empty. 3. Saw Glover and Machado at the game yesterday. I know Machado is a free agent right now but what's Glover's deal? Shouldn't he be overseas right now?
Goal Club thing is an issue. How do we attract more people to the event? I believe each member needs to think about bringing someone or encouraging others to attend. It's a mystery to me. Should the event always be scheduled after games, even for day games? This probably should be a separate thread.
PS Thanks for the kudos on the Williams thing. He really wasn't that involved in the running game yesterday. When he is--watch out. He can go to the hoop very quick & strong. You saw the unorthodox but effective 3 point shot. When he has the ball on the wing on the break, the defenders will just never know what to expect--including a great pass.
Goal Club thing is an issue. How do we attract more people to the event? I believe each member needs to think about bringing someone or encouraging others to attend. It's a mystery to me. Should the event always be scheduled after games, even for day games? This probably should be a separate thread.
PS Thanks for the kudos on the Williams thing. He really wasn't that involved in the running game yesterday. When he is--watch out. He can go to the hoop very quick & strong. You saw the unorthodox but effective 3 point shot. When he has the ball on the wing on the break, the defenders will just never know what to expect--including a great pass.
We've experimented with pre-game receptions several time and we've had little success. I, for one, would like to have it after the games when we can get some face time with the coaches.
Akintoye Ojo - Can't find anything on him except this from NERR: Plays U16 for New Heights and for Cardinal Hayes. He is a 2015 target.
"New Heights (NY) – Akintoye AK Ojo is as raw as they come, but the 6-foot-10 is also a tantalizing prospect. In his first year of organized basketball, the Nigerian native is still very much coming into his own. His incredible length already allows him to be a factor on the defensive end and his speed gives him the benefit of being able to outrun equal-sized players. As his offensive repertoire is honed, which, according to coaches, includes a jump hook, drop step to the right/left and plenty of head and shot fakes, high majors are sure to come calling."
Aaron Ray- Aaron Ray is a 6'1" SG from Middletown High School (NY) who plays AAU with BC Eagles. Complete player who can score, rebound, pass and play D. He averaged 17.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as a soph. His older brother Allan, starred at Villanova and played in the NBA for the Celtics . His other brother Kendrick is playing at Quinny. His sister Brittany starred at Rutgers.
Review from the Iona Elite Camp: "Ray’s offensive prowess was on full-display on Saturday. A 6-1 guard, Ray proved capable of scoring in various fashions. With the ball, the rising junior displayed a sharp handle, bypassing opponents en route to the rim. The rising junior finished in the lane with relative ease while exhibiting a solid shot from beyond the arc. All-in-all, Ray turned in an impressive showing, establishing himself as a prospect to keep an eye on in the New York City-area."
Steve Enoch - a 6'7" PF out of Norwalk High School:
From NERR: Enoch is a Prospect on the Rise "It was last September that Steve Enoch arrived at the New England Elite 75 Showcase – Frosh/Soph Edition as a virtual unknown, but by the time the day had come to an end it was clear that he was a talented youngster with a bright future. Enoch’s performance at the Elite 75 – Frosh/Soph Edition earned him an invitation to this summer’s 8th annual New England Elite 75 Showcase, where he took the court along with 74 of the other top prospects in New England. While his selection was initially met with some skepticism after playing very few minutes during the high school season, he quickly proved his worth, even as one of the youngest players in the field, with his combination of size, length, athleticism, and signs of skill.
In the one month since, Enoch showed that same talent and upside to a growing list of college coaches, as the rising junior added his first three division I offers by virtue of his play during the recent July evaluation period. “The fact that stands out to me is that he hasn’t even really played varsity basketball yet and he’s improved so rapidly in the last four or five months,” Team Up head coach George Matthews said. “He’s worked so hard every day and now he’s starting to see the rewards of that.”Enoch opened his July evaluation period at the Hoop Group Elite Camp, where college coaches were already tracking his scent based on the reports coming out of the Elite 75, and it was just one day after camp came to an end that Sacred Heart became the first division I school to offer him a scholarship. The second offer wouldn’t be far behind, and this time it came from another local school. Fairfield had already hosted Enoch for their Elite Camp in late June, and after watching him at Hoop Group and then again with Team Up at AAU Nationals, they decided they had seen all they needed to see to pull the trigger. The third and latest offer didn’t come until yesterday, Sunday, when Enoch attended the Iona Elite Camp. This was his second trip to the MAAC campus after he and his Norwalk team attended the Iona Team Camp in late June. This time, he wouldn’t be able to get off campus before claiming his latest offer. With three offers now in the bag and additional interest from the likes of Northeastern, Hofstra, and Norfolk State, Enoch’s recruitment could very possibly get a lot busier before it starts to slow down. After all, he’s yet to play any serious minutes at the high school level and still has his best basketball very clearly still in front of him. "
Kahari Beaufort - 6'4" Combo Guard out of East Hartford High School and Genesis Academy. Has interest from Baylor, UConn, Drexel, Fordham, Hofstra, Kansas, Manhattan, UMass, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia. With offers from Baylor, Drexel, Hofstra,Miami and Providence. He’s the cousin of former UConn guard Doug Wiggins. MaxPreps Class of 2014 Top 50.
Nathan Ekwe - 2014 Cardinal Hayes. 6'7" 220lbs. SF/PF, Has offers from Duquesn. Fairfield, Iona, CCSU, Stony Brook, Quinny and interest from BC, George Mason, Minn, Providence and Temple.
From the Fordham Elite Camp:
"Ekwu sports a terrific frame, standing in at 6-7 220 lbs. With an improving offensive skill-set, Ekwu displayed superb hands on the floor, handling the ball well in the post, while hauling in rebounds on both ends on a consistent basis. Ekwu ran the floor well, racing back to the paint to protect the basket following an offensive possession. While on the defensive end, Ekwu contributed superb pressure around the basket."