open practice/scrimmage

[Smulaw90]

Jank loves the team and you can tell, he's really excited about what they might become. I think he said of the 9 scholarship players, he's comfortable with 7 of them shooting the 3. Shake, Semi and Ben are all capable of 1st team all-AAC. Shake has a certain "air" about him that suggests the reins are off
On him. Be prepared to see Ben Moore fill every role to create matchup problems.

Harry's hands are a little slow and you can tell he's still adjusting to the speed. Wilson seems very cool and confident with his game and shot.

Didn't see sterling do too much, but that was probably because he knows his
Role already.

Foster tweaked his knee and didn't practice. McDowell has his highs and lows Jank said, but works really hard.

I think it's Shake, BenM, Semi, BenE, and Sterling to start. Froling not ready, yet (to start). But you can see some talent in his game.

[mustangxc]

How did Ben Emelogu look?

[BleedSMUPride]

He didn't really stand out. Didn't make any flashy plays or any mistakes. I think he went like 1 for 2 on three's. He moved the ball well and what I could tell he looked like he was moving fine. I definitely think and I pray that he can become a similar player to sterling this year. Not a flashy player but is a solid defender who moves the ball well and takes smart shots.

[Smulaw90]

He didn't really stand out. Didn't make any flashy plays or any mistakes. I think he went like 1 for 2 on three's. He moved the ball well and what I could tell he looked like he was moving fine. I definitely think and I pray that he can become a similar player to sterling this year. Not a flashy player but is a solid defender who moves the ball well and takes smart shots.

I agree relative to Ben E. HArd to tell if he's back fully. But he does seem more confident. I always felt he played tentative because of Coach Brown.

[PonyLawExpress]

I doubt Ben E plays big mins this year, but if he can be a poor man's Sterling and give us 14-18 mins of good hustle, ball movement and hitting open shots that would be a HUGE help. I think Jarrey will end up starting in the backcourt with Sterling and Shake, until Fro is ready to start or depending on the matchup.

Which of the 3 freshman looked best to you guys who were there?

[BleedSMUPride]

PonyLaw is absolutely incorrect. You need Ben E to play big minutes cause you have a lot of inexperience in the guard position. Sterling is more of a small forward/wing, Shake is taking over PG full-time for the first time, you have freshman in wilson and McDowell, and Jarrey did well for a freshman but never really played big moments and showed flashes of solid play but was inconsistent at times. Like I said, you need to hope Ben E can stay healthy and play big time minutes for this team.

Harry will never start this year unless there is an injury to Ben Moore or Semi. You can't start all three of them cause you then have no bigs to come off the bench. In my opinion, Jarrey should be the 6th man on the team and Ben E should start. Ben E has more experience and adds more on the offensive end and can spread the floor. Jarrey is a solid defender but still lacks a consistent jump shot. I believe you'll see Ben M-Semi-Sterling-Ben E-Shake start it and Harry will be your big swap and then Jarrey and Tom Wilson w ll be first guards off the bench.

Tom might have looked a little better than Harry out there. Tom looked pretty smooth and had a few nice 3's. At the same time, Harry hit some great turnout hooks in the key but Coach Jank was trying to fix some positioning with him. Deshawn was fine. Hard worker, but I didn't notice to much standout play which isn't necessary a bad thing

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

All comments are based on what I saw yesterday, prior performance not withstanding.
The email I got said practice was at 4:30, I got there at 4 and it was well underway, probably started at 3:00. People who came after 4:30 didnt get to see much. Concession stands were open, though, so at least we got popcorn.

I wont comment on Ben Moore or Sterling Brown, we should all be familiar with them already.
Milton and Wilson got the most time at point guard, with Jimmy Whitt playing a little point, as well, but Whitt is not a factor this season. Wilson is a tough hard nosed kid who goes hard to the basket when he drives. He isnt the fastest guy on the court, but he's quick enough. Shake will most likely start at point, and I will be honest that it's not something I'm comfortable with. I think Shake is much better off the ball, where he can work to get open and look for his own shot. He's our best perimeter shooter and will still take alot of 3's, but I think he would get more open looks if he wasn't also expected to be the primary ball-handler and distributor. He is the best option we have at the point, though, so the job is his by default.

Semi is the teams best pure athlete, he gets up and down the court quickly, rebounds very well for a player his height, and most of his baskets are dunks. Yesterday he also dropped in 2 3-point shots, and it looked like he could hit that consistently when he has the space to get his shot off. He has a somewhat slow release, though, and definitely needs space and time to get it off. Both of the shots he hit came after the ball went into the post, the defense collapsed on the post player, and the ball was kicked back out to the open man on the perimeter. I think he will be able to hit that shot consistently. I dont think he will create his own shot, and I didnt see a mid-range game. His ability to get open outside will also depend on the effectiveness of our post players, because he needs the defense to sag to give him space.

Harry Froling was the biggest player on the court, 2 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than any of his teammates. He played well in the post, established good position, took up space on defense and put the ball back in when he got an offensive rebound. Coach Jankovich warned him about spending too much time in the lane on offense, and about securing the ball and keeping it out of reach of the defense. He took one 3-pointer, but it didnt fall, all of his offense came under the backboard, and most of it was on offensive rebounds. I think Harry is also still adjusting to the speed of the game, and reacting instead of thinking, that's something that will only come with experience. He'll play alot this year, he is our biggest player, and we have no depth inside. There are still some questions in my mind about his ability to hold his position, down low. Yesterday he was working mostly against Leon Kontopoulas, who he outweighs by 50 pounds. Other teams we play will have bigger, stronger and older players inside.

Deshawn McDowell had a bad day. Coach Jankovich says DeShawn is up and down alot, and yesterday was a down day. He was consistently out of position during a defensive drill and Coach told him to get out of the drill and let Wilfong take his place. When they went 5-on-5 he did score once a strong drive to the basket, and knocked Froling over along the way. Otherwise it wasnt his best day.

Jarrey Foster has a sprained knee and did not participate. When I came in he was doing some physical therapy exercises on the sideline. He seemed to walk around without limping, and Coach Jankovich said that it was minor. This is just speculation, but he should be ready for the opening game.

I watched Ben Emelogu alot to see if he favored the injured knee, and it didn't seem to bother him, he ran, cut and jumped without any hitch or hesitation. He hit one 3-point shot, but otherwise it was a quiet day for him.

Leo Kontopolous is a 6'9" freshman, born in Greece, went to school in Germany, and a little bit of a mystery. He needs time in the weight room, but he will probably get minutes this year when the other posts have foul trouble.

Overall, this was a fast and athletic team that will push the pace, but I think will also turn the ball over more than last year. We wont really know what we have though, until the games at MSG. Game speed and intensity is different from practice, and this group will need a good opponent that will push them, to really show what we have. The first 2 games may be blowouts. Coach Jankovich said several times that they are playing a very tough schedule, so we'll see how that works out.

[insideualr]

The lack of bigs stood out to me but may not be that big an issue as the refs are going to be calling more Hand checking this year. That could be good for a team of skilled players but maybe a free throw shooting contest.

Anyway it was a big turnout of fans for 30 minutes of practice as it was in full swing when I got there about 4pm.

[PonyLawExpress]

PonyLaw is absolutely incorrect. You need Ben E to play big minutes cause you have a lot of inexperience in the guard position. Sterling is more of a small forward/wing, Shake is taking over PG full-time for the first time, you have freshman in wilson and McDowell, and Jarrey did well for a freshman but never really played big moments and showed flashes of solid play but was inconsistent at times. Like I said, you need to hope Ben E can stay healthy and play big time minutes for this team.

Harry will never start this year unless there is an injury to Ben Moore or Semi. You can't start all three of them cause you then have no bigs to come off the bench. In my opinion, Jarrey should be the 6th man on the team and Ben E should start. Ben E has more experience and adds more on the offensive end and can spread the floor. Jarrey is a solid defender but still lacks a consistent jump shot. I believe you'll see Ben M-Semi-Sterling-Ben E-Shake start it and Harry will be your big swap and then Jarrey and Tom Wilson w ll be first guards off the bench.

Tom might have looked a little better than Harry out there. Tom looked pretty smooth and had a few nice 3's. At the same time, Harry hit some great turnout hooks in the key but Coach Jank was trying to fix some positioning with him. Deshawn was fine. Hard worker, but I didn't notice to much standout play which isn't necessary a bad thing

Guess we shall see. I don't think with the injuries Gu has had that they are gonna throw "big" minutes on him, from what I've heard. Also, Gu hasn't proven he he adds tons on the offensive end (outside of his stats at Va. Tech over two and half years ago). We need him to contribute this year for sure and I think he can, but from all of the scrimmages Jarrey played more and better than Gu. You can disagree with me, but unless you're going to tell me you know from sources we are giving "big" minutes to Ben E don't tell me I am "absolutely incorrect" But we will see you are entitled to your opinion.

Great stuff Balatro.

[BleedSMUPride]

my comment was more directed on the Harry comment at the end, so I apologize on that note. And at the end of the day, I could be wrong about the Ben E and Jarrey portion and I will give you credit for being right.

[PonyLawExpress]

my comment was more directed on the Harry comment at the end, so I apologize on that note. And at the end of the day, I could be wrong about the Ben E and Jarrey portion and I will give you credit for being right.

It all good man. We are all hoping for the same result. You make a good point regarding Fro not starting since we only have 3 Bigs. We will see, but regardless I hope whomever is successful.

[Rebel10]

my comment was more directed on the Harry comment at the end, so I apologize on that note. And at the end of the day, I could be wrong about the Ben E and Jarrey portion and I will give you credit for being right.

It all good man. We are all hoping for the same result. You make a good point regarding Fro not starting since we only have 3 Bigs. We will see, but regardless I hope whomever is successful.

Very glad to have Fro but I don't think he would have started over Semi or B. Moore even if we had 4 or 5 bigs imo.

[Rebel10]

Go Stangs.

[JasonB]

Does Semi have the handle to drive the lane?

Do Wilson, Shake, and McDowell have the ability to break a team down on the dribble and create shots for others?

I wish I had been able to make practice to see for myself. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

That is what I worry about - someone needs to get the ball movement going. It is great that we have a lot of players who can drain shots, but we either need to be able to play inside out or have players who can beat people off the dribble, draw help and create open looks.

Nic did that the last few years AND we had inside out ball movement. Not only are we small, but Ben doesn't really like to post up and I am guessing Semi isn't hat guy either. That means to get open shots we are going to have to rely on dribble penetration.

That's the difference to make a team that will be able to score in conference and tournament play.

[sadderbudweiser]

Does Semi have the handle to drive the lane?

Do Wilson, Shake, and McDowell have the ability to break a team down on the dribble and create shots for others?

I wish I had been able to make practice to see for myself. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

That is what I worry about - someone needs to get the ball movement going. It is great that we have a lot of players who can drain shots, but we either need to be able to play inside out or have players who can beat people off the dribble, draw help and create open looks.

Nic did that the last few years AND we had inside out ball movement. Not only are we small, but Ben doesn't really like to post up and I am guessing Semi isn't hat guy either. That means to get open shots we are going to have to rely on dribble penetration.

That's the difference to make a team that will be able to score in conference and tournament play.

I thought I saw a quote somewhere from the Horn scrimmage that said nobody could stop Shake. Wilson is reputed to be fearless and likes to go baseline. McDowell...who knows, but I think we'll actually have better dribble penetration and finish than last year. If that's the case then the kickouts should be there as well.
Last year's ball movement seemed a bit over the top at times. I found myself yelling SHOOT quite often when Sterling passed up a three. With all the added guns I'm guessing that doesn't happen as much this season.

I think we score alot more on the run than last year and alot less from the halfcourt sets.