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Since every player is getting their own thread here's KF's.

WTF is up with this guy? How is he in All-American?

Can't play D, can't pass, can't drive, can't finish at the rim, can't shoot in traffic, needlessly tries to be too flashy, creates too many turnovers. He's like the anti-Ben Moore, just not a smart player. He should NOT be starting over Emelogu or Sterling.

He doesn't look good so far this year---he may well be a dud.

I can get on board with the idea that he has huge 'nerves' issues. I don't think the talk of him being great in practice is all talk, Larry wouldn't start him if he didn't earn a starting spot.

He just needs his sea legs still, a year plus into it

Sports psychologist?

Coaches yell at him or shake their head 90% of the time he touches the ball. Is that psychology?

Have you watched his interviews with Ponyfans? Looks really nervous on camera, can only imagine how he feels before a game?

I certainly see the same things you guys see, and I have the same frustrations. But I'm trying to remind myself that we aren't going to play Gonzaga every night, and so the rest of the games are a good chance to get Keith over the proverbial hump without risking much in terms of W-L record. Hope it happens. Love the kid. Just don't like what we're seeing on the court.

I really would have liked to see him develop a little bit of a penetration game if nothing else just to get people off him a little and improve his 3 point looks. Only so many times you can count on open 3s due to a drive and kick from another player.

Love me some Keith, but I'm starting to agree with some of these concerns.

Yes, we aren't playing Gonzaga talent every night, but he looked just as nervous against Lamar. Compare to Ben Emelogu who just looks comfortable and attacks on the court.

I think there are unrealistic expectations on the kid and he feels it (I bet it's coming a lot from his "handlers"). He obviously is working hard as hell to live up to the hype and do what LB wants of him. But I feel he's a type of kid that needs to just be left alone and play more of a "wide open" game and as the coach, you maybe have to deal with some really terrible, crazy play for a while to ultimately see him shine (not comparing him to Kobe, but anybody remember Kobe's first couple of years with the Lakers - he took more bad shots and missed than almost anyone I've seen, but they stuck with him and let him "play through it"). Some react better to a pat on the back than a kick in the [deleted]. Not sure which he is. If I were his coach, I'd keep everything positive with him as much as I could and pick the spots for him to shine (the problem is that he's not "starting material" at the moment and by not starting him, it probably makes it worse from his perspective).

No doubt we need him and he has potential.

But high school is not college. Plenty of "all american" HS types that "flamed out" in college. I'm still pulling hard for the kid. I would either start him and give him the green light and deal with the bumps and bruises or not start him and pick "his spots" to put him in. Personally, I'd let him have a green light and if he has to shoot it 20 times / game for a while so be it. But I'm (obviously!) not a bball coach and know very little about bball Xs and Os.

Overly high expectations + trying to play to expectations + nerves = lack of confidence and shaky play.

I equate it to a baseball player who gets a big contract with the Yankees and then struggles in a pressure environment trying to prove the contract was worth it.

He has plenty of time to develop if everybody remains patient.

It's great that someone comes along and starts one of these KF threads every week during the season. We are so good to our own.

The SMU v Gonzaga box score was one of the most misleading ever---but Keith WAS 2 for 3 from the 3 point line. Could have been worse. Emelogu was 1 for 5 from the 3 point line and Moreria was 1-11 from the field. It was his 3 first half turnovers and perimeter defense that hurt-but I'm not sure he should be at the top of the list of players to point at. He definitely needs to calm down though

LA_Mustang wrote:It's great that someone comes along and starts one of these KF threads every week during the season. We are so good to our own.

give me a break. they're big boys, they can handle criticism, especially when warranted

ojaipony wrote:I think there are unrealistic expectations on the kid and he feels it (I bet it's coming a lot from his "handlers"). He obviously is working hard as hell to live up to the hype and do what LB wants of him. But I feel he's a type of kid that needs to just be left alone and play more of a "wide open" game and as the coach, you maybe have to deal with some really terrible, crazy play for a while to ultimately see him shine (not comparing him to Kobe, but anybody remember Kobe's first couple of years with the Lakers - he took more bad shots and missed than almost anyone I've seen, but they stuck with him and let him "play through it"). Some react better to a pat on the back than a kick in the [deleted]. Not sure which he is. If I were his coach, I'd keep everything positive with him as much as I could and pick the spots for him to shine (the problem is that he's not "starting material" at the moment and by not starting him, it probably makes it worse from his perspective).

No doubt we need him and he has potential.

But high school is not college. Plenty of "all american" HS types that "flamed out" in college. I'm still pulling hard for the kid. I would either start him and give him the green light and deal with the bumps and bruises or not start him and pick "his spots" to put him in. Personally, I'd let him have a green light and if he has to shoot it 20 times / game for a while so be it. But I'm (obviously!) not a bball coach and know very little about bball Xs and Os.

I fully acknowledge that I have only seen him in both TV games this year and one practice in person several weeks back. Yes, he was the constant target of LB's attention and instruction at the practice. I do think he is pressing, nervous and seeks to do the right things and please. My own personal concerns are that he is not very instinctive and frequently does not understand or see the obvious. As a result, he fails to anticipate, does not see the full picture and resorts back to his old habits and ways of doing things. The learning curve is steep as LB has had to rectify so many aspects of his game both physically and mentally. In the interim, our expectations are high and he is simply progressing at a much slower rate than anticipated.