Evan Fitzner to IU

[Old Friend]

4 hours ago, btownqb said:

Davis isn't a good defender. He has no jump shot. He doesn't rebound overally well. He seems like at least an average passer. I am worried about him playing next to Romeo and Morgan.. I like Fitzner a lot more in that aspect. Moving goal posts is laughable. If Morgan becomes a much more of a knock down shooter, then yeah.. he might be able to give us more mins. But I don't see many teams that play two big guys consistently that don't stretch the defense. And again.. be struggles big time defensively. His advanced analytics... two things are far as those are concerned he only played against basically the non conf... obviously that portion is going to be much weaker than the BIG will.be, and multiple times he just didn't play much at all because he was so ineffective, so basically... he plays in the games where he can help us. I'm good with that. Will he be though?

Seriously.    You truly need to step back and look at what you just wrote.   Then think about what you just wrote.  Davis has played consistently better competition by accident than Fitzner ever has.  Romeo Langford and Juwon Morgan will be Martians to Fitzner for a while.   He is an insurance policy; not a major minutes guy.  We're not getting Max Bielfelt, here.  We're getting a guy from the West Coast Conference.  He played Gonzaga and...nobody.  He has some skills, but writing what you did and how you did looks like you believe he's walking in here to play major minutes and contribute stats.   The guy averaged 5 PPG playing 15 minutes a game against a schedule which included exactly 3 games against teams from BCS conferences.  Yet you like him better than DeRon Davis, who had his best game against a top 5 team with 2 lottery pick front court players.   Evan Fitzner can shoot.  We do not need DeRon Davis to shoot.   We need him to be a tough, athletic big guy.

You've claimed he isn't a good rebounder, but he played 18.8 MPG and averaged 4.3 RPG.  Extrapolate that into 40 minutes, and it's 9.1 RPG.  I'll take that all day.   He also averaged 1.5 blocks and 1 steal/game in his 18 minutes.  Fitzner over 40 MPG averaged 7.2 RPG; and was 0.2 blocks and 0.2 steals/game.   

Other than the ability to shoot (which Tim Priller could also do, by the way....might give you some perspective), Fitzner provides nothing at any level better than Davis does.   (All of this is assuming Davis is healthy, and if he's not, he nor any player can produce)  Not all systems need big men to "stretch the defense."   Indiana has a lightning quick point guard, an NBA caliber 2 guard, the best back to the basket/versatile big man in the conference in Morgan, and plenty of options in both front and back court.  God, how I hope we don't need our bigs to step out and make 3's in order to contend or compete nationally.  If we do, we're already in trouble.  Give me a junior who's 6'10" 250 with a chip on his shoulder over a Euro style west coast big man any time in the Big Ten.

[RaceToTheTop]

3 hours ago, MoyeNeeded said:

Yeah that's fine. But the problem was he didn't spend enough on the floor and it was early in the season when were struggling to find that 2nd and 3rd scorer.

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And he's likely going to spend those kinds of minutes on the floor again even if he's healthy.....and when he was on the floor, he was that 2nd or 3rd scorer.  There were match ups and foul trouble that forced him out of the game.  That isn't going to change.  

I'm just trying to figure out why people are so down on a guy who gives you 10 and 4 in 18 minutes/game.  

[CSP]

6 hours ago, Old Friend said:

Seriously.    You truly need to step back and look at what you just wrote.   Then think about what you just wrote.  Davis has played consistently better competition by accident than Fitzner ever has.  Romeo Langford and Juwon Morgan will be Martians to Fitzner for a while.   He is an insurance policy; not a major minutes guy.  We're not getting Max Bielfelt, here.  We're getting a guy from the West Coast Conference.  He played Gonzaga and...nobody.  He has some skills, but writing what you did and how you did looks like you believe he's walking in here to play major minutes and contribute stats.   The guy averaged 5 PPG playing 15 minutes a game against a schedule which included exactly 3 games against teams from BCS conferences.  Yet you like him better than DeRon Davis, who had his best game against a top 5 team with 2 lottery pick front court players.   Evan Fitzner can shoot.  We do not need DeRon Davis to shoot.   We need him to be a tough, athletic big guy.

You've claimed he isn't a good rebounder, but he played 18.8 MPG and averaged 4.3 RPG.  Extrapolate that into 40 minutes, and it's 9.1 RPG.  I'll take that all day.   He also averaged 1.5 blocks and 1 steal/game in his 18 minutes.  Fitzner over 40 MPG averaged 7.2 RPG; and was 0.2 blocks and 0.2 steals/game.   

Other than the ability to shoot (which Tim Priller could also do, by the way....might give you some perspective), Fitzner provides nothing at any level better than Davis does.   (All of this is assuming Davis is healthy, and if he's not, he nor any player can produce)  Not all systems need big men to "stretch the defense."   Indiana has a lightning quick point guard, an NBA caliber 2 guard, the best back to the basket/versatile big man in the conference in Morgan, and plenty of options in both front and back court.  God, how I hope we don't need our bigs to step out and make 3's in order to contend or compete nationally.  If we do, we're already in trouble.  Give me a junior who's 6'10" 250 with a chip on his shoulder over a Euro style west coast big man any time in the Big Ten.

We see basketball in a completely way. I also completely disagree on your assessment of Fitzner, oh well. 

I do hope De'Ron recovers from his injury.. he seems like a really good kid, I hate he's had to battle some injuries. 

[RaceToTheTop]

I have to say there seem to be a lot Evan Fitzner experts that have likely never seen him play more than a handful of minutes at most.

[Alford Bailey]

Again, Im trusting the staff on this one. Must be something to like with Fitzner. Just dont think they bring in a grad transfer to take Prillers spot on the bench.

[yogisballin]

I have to say there seem to be a lot Evan Fitzner experts that have likely never seen him play more than a handful of minutes at most.

That’s why I’ve been so quiet. Not enough footage for me to make a judgement on the kid. I’m gonna trust the staff on this one. He’s a shooter and we have a need for another shooter so I’m happy with it.


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[HooHooHoo22]

FWIW when I searched him on twitter, a lot of St Mary fans were puzzled on why Fitzner’s minutes were cut. Most people thought he was treated unfairly


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[Brass Cannon]

8 minutes ago, HooHooHoo22 said:

FWIW when I searched him on twitter, a lot of St Mary fans were puzzled on why Fitzner’s minutes were cut. Most people thought he was treated unfairly


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It sounds like they went away from the system he was recruited for. Same problem as davis just main difference is Fitz didnt occur after a cosching change

[CSP]

25 minutes ago, HooHooHoo22 said:

FWIW when I searched him on twitter, a lot of St Mary fans were puzzled on why Fitzner’s minutes were cut. Most people thought he was treated unfairly


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You should their message board that was posted. Lot of nice things to say about him. He did have 20 and 6 vs. a power 5 conference team in the nit

[HoosierHoops1]

3 hours ago, brumdog45 said:

I have to say there seem to be a lot Evan Fitzner experts that have likely never seen him play more than a handful of minutetzner s at most.

I doubt we have a single Evan Fitzner expert on here who knew the name 14 days ago.

[Uspshoosier]

I doubt we have a single Evan Fitzner expert on here who knew the name 14 days ago.

I’m definitely not an Fitzner expert but I knew who he was and watched a lot of St Mary’s games over the years he played and now I will get a chance to watch all of his games for IU. I’m interested in seeing how he will play in a system where they play more offensive possessions and run a little more.


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[HoosierAloha]

I’m definitely not an Fitzner expert but I knew who he was and watched a lot of St Mary’s games over the years he played and now I will get a chance to watch all of his games for IU. I’m interested in seeing how he will play in a system where they play more offensive possessions and run a little more.


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I remember watching that UW NIT game but Fitzner never jumped out at me. I've seen St. Mary's play a handful of times over the last couple years.


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[theriverpilot]

That’s why I’ve been so quiet. Not enough footage for me to make a judgement on the kid. I’m gonna trust the staff on this one. He’s a shooter and we have a need for another shooter so I’m happy with it.

 

 

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Reading this thread has given me some serious deja vu back to when Biefeldt was coming in. “He only scored x points in x minutes per game with UM, “ etc. He (Biefeldt) ended up earning 6th man of the year with us...and under Crean’s tutelage. Archie can coach and he’s proving that he can recruit. I’ll sit back and let this one play out

 

 

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[Brass Cannon]

Something i wonder is if our guards had been getting better pressure on the ball carrier if Derons deficincies in the defense look as glaring. 

[ray]

22 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Something i wonder is if our guards had been getting better pressure on the ball carrier if Derons deficincies in the defense look as glaring. 

My guess is that he would have played more minutes and by doing so he may have recorded at least one 20-point game, which I guess is what it takes to be viewed as a basketball player with any skill.

[RaceToTheTop]

2 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

Something i wonder is if our guards had been getting better pressure on the ball carrier if Derons deficincies in the defense look as glaring. 

Maybe, but I don't see how that really changes with Fitzner.  I haven't seen him play, but I have to doubt that he really offers any kind of rim protection when he blocked a grand total of 28 shots in three years.  One thing striking to me is that St.Mary's employed just a seven man rotation and that Fitzner was one of only two players over 6'6".  He was set to be the only returning big.  From what I've seen the only recruit they have for 2018 is one player.....a nice recruit, #87 ranked overall player a post.  But it seems strange to me that if we are expecting him to come in and be our starting center, it would seem strange to expect that of a guy who by all means left a situation where he should have been getting big minutes somewhere else after not getting that much last year.

I expect him to be in the mix for minutes but I think that I were to set the over/under on minutes he would  get I would put it at about what he got last year at St.Mary's ....15 mpg.

[HoosierHoops1]

6 hours ago, Uspshoosier said:

I’m definitely not an Fitzner expert but I knew who he was and watched a lot of St Mary’s games over the years he played and now I will get a chance to watch all of his games for IU. I’m interested in seeing how he will play in a system where they play more offensive possessions and run a little more.


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Well, yeah, you would. Retry: I doubt anyone on this board besides Uspshoosier even knew the name before 2 weeks ago.

[RaceToTheTop]

10 hours ago, yogisballin said:

That’s why I’ve been so quiet. Not enough footage for me to make a judgement on the kid. I’m gonna trust the staff on this one. He’s a shooter and we have a need for another shooter so I’m happy with it.


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Exactly.  Arguing over whether Davis or Fitzner should be on the court is useless. They both have their own skill sets and because they are very different, matchup will dictate who is on when assuming they are both healthy.  But what we did do by gaining him.is give ourselves an option and another look.  For all we know at this time, Race Thompson could be in the middle more often than either one.

[yogisballin]

Exactly.  Arguing over whether Davis or Fitzner should be on the court is useless. They both have their own skill sets and because they are very different, matchup will dictate who is on when assuming they are both healthy.  But what we did do by gaining him.is give ourselves an option and another look.  For all we know at this time, Race Thompson could be in the middle more often than either one.

I don’t think Fitzner is a play “in the middle” type of player. What little I’ve seen of him, it looks like he is guarding a wing player. So to me, he is a big 3 or stretch 4. Just my 5 cents


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[HoosierAloha]

I don’t think Fitzner is a play “in the middle” type of player. What little I’ve seen of him, it looks like he is guarding a wing player. So to me, he is a big 3 or stretch 4. Just my 5 cents


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On offense, that should help spread the floor for Morgan to work in the post. On defense, we'll need to help from with Morgan or Smith, if Fitzner is defending the post.


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