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Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby ponyswim » Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:51 am

I think sometimes we forget how little college basketball some of our guys have played.
Only Williamson, Efie, and Nutall, I think have really played a lot. You can seem how much improvement a lot of the other guys have made this year. Lanier's son looks very different than he did 15 games ago.
I think the following could have an impact on a team that could win a conference championship:
Major impact: Phelps, Williamson (if his shooting is fixed), KEH; Moderate: Smith, Todo; Possibly: Wright, Njie. Unknown: Foster, Koulibaly.
Njie has played just a little the last couple of games - but he has made surprisingly good plays. Maybe he can be a player.
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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby Charleston Pony » Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:55 pm

ponyswim wrote:I think sometimes we forget how little college basketball some of our guys have played.
Only Williamson, Efie, and Nutall, I think have really played a lot. You can seem how much improvement a lot of the other guys have made this year. Lanier's son looks very different than he did 15 games ago.
I think the following could have an impact on a team that could win a conference championship:
Major impact: Phelps, Williamson (if his shooting is fixed), KEH; Moderate: Smith, Todo; Possibly: Wright, Njie. Unknown: Foster, Koulibaly.
Njie has played just a little the last couple of games - but he has made surprisingly good plays. Maybe he can be a player.


Excellent point about how relatively inexperienced this roster is so the question becomes what potential do some of these guys have and what roster turnover should we expect in the offseason. Our most experienced guard (Nutall) has not turned out to be the prolific scorer I'd hoped he might be (after watching him light us up in Moody when he was with SHSU) so there's an opportunity for a roster upgrade at the 2 guard but I sure hope Lanier can bring in a transfer PG who will gel with these guys and be an immediate impact player. Zhuric is a talented guy but I think in his 1st year getting major minutes he's feeling too much pressure (or putting it on himself) to be "Mr All Everything" for this team. I'd love to see Zhuric become another Sterling Brown for this team and think he has that potential.
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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby DC-Pony » Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:50 pm

ponyswim wrote:I think sometimes we forget how little college basketball some of our guys have played.
Only Williamson, Efie, and Nutall, I think have really played a lot.


I think folks may differ on the definition of "little college basketball" (experience).

Efie and Nutall have historically anomalous amounts of experience because of the COVID waiver, and now have played almost 5 full seasons of college basketball. Williamson has played almost 4 full seasons.

Five others have either more than or close to two full seasons of games under their belt (below), to the point that we're starting to see who they are going to be. Every college coach I've heard discuss player development has always emphasized that far and away the biggest development jump is from freshman to sophomore years, and these players have already passed that.

Player (College games played)
Lanier (46 - across 3 seasons)
Njie (48)
Todorovic (48)
Smith (55)
Phelps (54)
Wright (71)

It's not like these guys are first year players.
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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby ponyswim » Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:37 pm

Phelps, Todo, and Smith just did not play that much, last year. Jalen played a decent amount - basically as a defender of big guards/small forwards. He average 11 minutes a game. Now he is being asked to be a point guard, and guard point guards - a totally different role. Phelps played a little - averaged 15 minutes a game, now is being asked to be a key scorer. Todo averaged 8 minutes a game - basically as a spot up shooter.
They have all gotten a lot better in some areas, but I don't think are near where they could be later this year or next year.
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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby DC-Pony » Fri Feb 10, 2023 7:10 pm

Yeah, fair points. Jalen is effectively learning not only a new position, but the most demanding one. And Phelps is having to bear the burden of scoring a bunch. And both those things are new to them, at least at the college level.
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Re: Why did we hire Rob Lanier?

Postby Charleston Pony » Fri Feb 10, 2023 7:12 pm

Yes, minutes vs games are important and invaluable for guys gaining experience
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