lillurk

Roster construction probably makes it easier to put JG at the 3 some on this squad. The guards who figure to get the bulk of the minutes are average-or-better handlers for their position, and some of the other forwards are pretty good too. So you can put him out there, say, with the starters, in Kopp’s spot. He can catch-and-shoot, run the baseline for dunks and Orebs, rebound on D…doesn’t have to be a playmaker.

Have not watched but this tracks with the twitter reaction too. Seems he’s a little “light in the butt,” as CMW said about Bates last year, and will benefit from a full year of college S&C (plus some high calorie off-season meal plans). I have a soft spot for a long-limbed shooter at 2/3. It’s funny that Archie’s last recruit is the sort of player he never had enough of.

How is it even possible the best defender in HS regardless of class is a guard? High praise

Not visiting Kansas with that offer list is… i n t e r e s t i n g

This certainly makes sense but as a playmaker for others, Scoop showed almost nothing last year; his assist rate was under 8, which is Kopp/Geronimo territory. By contrast Phinisee and Galloway were more than double that, and X was at a whopping 36%.

I made the lineup fit case earlier but I would also say bringing Bates off the bench fits when you start the two guys you plan to play 100% of the PG minutes. I’d expect one of the PGs to see early rest so their minutes can be more easily staggered. Having Bates as a 6th man who spells, say, JHS say the 16 minute mark allows JHS to give X a breather at 12, rather than both of them sitting at the same time. You could manage that if you start Bates, though not in such a straightforward fashion, unless at 16 you rest both Bates AND a PG.

Yes, when he was healthy last year that lineup (w/Phin in the JHS spot) closed leads. Extra ball-handler, good decision-maker, maybe your best wing defender (JHS and/or Geronimo have a chance to pass him on the last point).

Need more Pro Day intel leaks, Goodman’s tweet is not enough

This probably came up in the hysteria thread but the starters were also the starters Friday night. I think this makes sense — Kopp fits with the starters as a catch-and-shoot guy who plays good team defense. On a second unit his limitations would be more glaring. Sometimes fit matters more than strictly five best, and other guys might close.

Oh the shot’s coming around??

Seems like a nice guy, like you’d be happy to have your son play for him, and they’ve been good enough that OSU’s football fans aren’t crowing about him. But I agree, he’s at a weird time in his tenure there to suddenly stack top classes. Three ways to do that: 1. be very good — on court, or specifically at the task of recruiting. 2. Be new. 3. Pay up. Seems likely this is a situation where #3 explains most of things.

Lol reminded me of the same. I think Clark can at least shoot it a bit.

Maybe I’m not the only one bearish on Illinois! They might be good but Kofi and Frazier were the sun moon and stars. Like some of the pieces, not sure I like the team.

Check the note at the end here re: Bidunga/Cincy/Adams. If that’s the word, I wonder if IU’s recent push is related to fending off a quick move.

Right, especially since Buck hits back with “captain Bruin”

Physically there’s some Troy Williams, though the skill set is totally different. ”plus defense Hornsby/Kopp and wired to score” is eventually an all-conference player. Let’s hope.

I bet we see some flashes pretty early, and that in one cupcake game he hits double figures. If he gets up to speed on defense there’s a role to be earned

I had told someone — maybe my brother? Maybe I posted it here somewhere? — that someday he’d get under an opposing star’s skin in a big game and throw him off, swinging the game I realized this offseason that he already did! Obviously Ivey had a great second half when PU lost at IU last winter, but part of the reason IU hung in there in the first half was that Ivey was off his game, got a T throwing Trey to the ground, etc. And yes, his jumper is a swing skill for him as a player and for the team.

I just love the combo of a big-bodied, rim-attacking 2 like Jakai next to Cupps, a 1 you can’t leave open when he’s off the ball.

It’s correct to say some folks saw Bates, Lander, etc. as one and done, so maybe this is splitting hairs…but I’m gonna split them anyway. You can find one or two folks on any message board saying “[top 100 recruit] is OAD.” Sometimes they’re right: I would’ve thought you were crazy to say it about Blake Wesley, but it was correct in that case. However — and I’m not trying to criticize folks who thought this about Lander or Bates or whomever — more often they’re wrong. OADs tend to be too ~15-20 in their class, and usually they’re particular player types: a lead guard with NBA size, 3-and-D wing 6’8” or above with some projection, skilled front court player, defensive big with athleticism and so on. They’re typically not underweight reclassing up PGs, or 2-guards who need to put on 40 pounds. So yes, some folks might’ve said that in the past. I haven’t thought it about a Hoosier since Romeo. And it may not be true about JHS — of course I hope he has a great year AND sticks around for a second one. But a highly ranked PG with size, a pro-ready body, and a base of skills as broad as his…that’s at least the TYPE of player a team would use a 1st round pick on, theoretically.

Thanks for the response. I’m on the same page.

Stuhoo, if you think JHS is one and done, I’m curious 1. How good you think he’ll be this year and 2. How good you think IU will be this year.

Not a betting man but I would wager that any such suspension will be done at least one game before the first big game, 11/18 at Xavier. That way his first action back isn’t there. I would not be surprised if any internal discipline is already complete, though.

I love a unique name

The other thing I’ll add is that I don’t see anyone defending the bad/cringe/gross stuff Avi brings up on their own merits. Like, no one is saying “objectifying that statue immaturely was good, actually.” They’re just suggesting Avi and other critics are jealous, or have some axe to grind. I think that Avi was actually very fair, and it’s telling that the minor pushback has been name calling or “lighten up,” not really engaging with the valid critique.