Losing some height next year but gaining some shooters

[SMU 86]

I think he means an elite 7 footer to help the front cour not just a stiff. They would probably need 3 to beat Kentucky though. Their back court is decent but there front court needed help. Wisconsin and Gonzaga have the size to play with Kentucky imo. I think if SMU gets Edwards that they could develop him at the post.

[hoopmanx]

Hey Hoopmanx, how are those lack of 7-footers working for West Virginia?

They'd still be losing this game if they had a 10-footer.

That's not the point. The point is that you need centers if you want to play competitively against elite teams.

The point is nobody has beaten Kentucky for a reason. Can we get out of the first round, or at least get one lottery type talent, before we're gauging ourselves on what we need to beat the most dominant team of our era? It's true, we're not going to beat the Sixers w/6'7 guys, is that what you want to hear?

[MFFL02]

The point is nobody has beaten Kentucky for a reason. Can we get out of the first round, or at least get one lottery type talent, before we're gauging ourselves on what we need to beat the most dominant team of our era? It's true, we're not going to beat the Sixers w/6'7 guys, is that what you want to hear?[/quote]

You're being silly. We easily should have gotten into the Sweet 16 this season and everyone on this board as well as the players and coaching staff wants and believes we can make an Elite 8 run next season. It's hard to do without legitimate bigs, that's my point.

[MFFL02]

That's not the point. The point is that you need centers if you want to play competitively against elite teams.

No, you need elite players if you want to play competitively against elite teams. WV has shown all year long that they don't have elite players. Adding a 7 footer to the mix wouldn't change that at all.[/quote]

Obviously your bigs have to be talented...What are we talking about?

[JasonB]

That's not the point. The point is that you need centers if you want to play competitively against elite teams.

No, you need elite players if you want to play competitively against elite teams. WV has shown all year long that they don't have elite players. Adding a 7 footer to the mix wouldn't change that at all.

Obviously your bigs have to be talented...What are we talking about?[/quote]

Just saying if you have a bunch of elite players and lack size at center, you are going to win a bunch of games. Don't worry about a 7 footer, because if that is your point of emphasis you end up forcing yourself to play with Mark Eaton, Manute, or Bradley. I'd rather have better skilled 3s and 4s trying to figure out the post than to have someone who can't really play the game.

Just to cause a [deleted], I'll summarize the point like this: I think you win more games with LJ than Koncack.

[Rebel10]

LJ did not play center. I think a teams need quality at every position. But it just depends on what the goals are. If the goal of to just be competitive in the AAC then it we can do that with mid range players and not that big of a team. If the goal is to win the national champion then we need elite guards and bigs. Just depends on what your goals are.

[MFFL02]

LJ did not play center. I think a teams need quality at every position. But it just depends on what the goals are. If the goal of to just be competitive in the AAC then it we can do that with mid range players and not that big of a team. If the goal is to win the national champion then we need elite guards and bigs. Just depends on what your goals are.

This all began when Hoopmanx seemed to indicate that SMU would be fine down low even though we don't have a true center. I disagree, I don't think Semi, Tolbert, MK and Moore provide the same level of rim protection as we had this year.

[JasonB]

LJ did not play center. I think a teams need quality at every position. But it just depends on what the goals are. If the goal of to just be competitive in the AAC then it we can do that with mid range players and not that big of a team. If the goal is to win the national champion then we need elite guards and bigs. Just depends on what your goals are.

This all began when Hoopmanx seemed to indicate that SMU would be fine down low even though we don't have a true center. I disagree, I don't think Semi, Tolbert, MK and Moore provide the same level of rim protection as we had this year.

Exactly my point, Rebel. LJ wasn't a true center. But you win more games in college with LJ as a post than with Koncack.

If you have improved play on the perimeter you can get away with undersized players who are skilled and physical like MK and Tolbert down low. That is the point. You don't need a stud 7 foot player inside to win a championship. But you do absolutely have to have great guard play. If you can get both, that is great, but it doesn't happen too often.

Hell, I'll even argue that YM and CC aren't physical players, so we will actually be MORE physical low with Tolbert and more weight on Ben than we were this year.

Get some great guards, and get a couple of skilled, physical, albeit undersized players down low and you will be fine.

Our roster size next year:
Nic - 5'9
Sed - 6'2
Shake - 6'4
Keith - 6-5
Gu - 6-6
Sterling - 6-6
Tolbert - 6'7
Ben - 6'8
Semi - 6'8
MK - 6'9

No true big, but very long on the perimeter.

Cincy gave us problems with their length this year and had one guy at 6'10, a 6'9, a 6'8, and two 6''7 and nobody at 6'6.

[Rebel10]

Are you talking about national championship or AAC championship? I would hope most on this board would want to be more than just competitive in the AAC and I think people like MFFL want to be more than just competitive in the ACC. Also I don't think MFFL is saying the team would be undersized if MK comes back just not as long of a team. But it would be nice to have an athletic 7 footer to help when a national championship. Cincy had muscled up guys that were more physical so to mention Cincinnati and say that we will be just as good is nonsense. You mean that you would try for athletic physical undersized guys first before you try to get athletic physical guys that are not undersized (JJ school of thought). I think everyone realized that if MK comes back we will be fine but if he does not come back then Tolbert is your only really physical big that likes to play inside. And no you probably will not win a national championship with two 6'7 guys in the post. Sweet 16 maybe but that would usually be about it like Dayton for the most part not counting the few exceptions. I think you need at least one physical athletic big at around 6'9 or better. Now the problem is really in 2016 when MK and Tolbert are gone. That is why I was hoping to get a big or two this year to start developing when they leave. As far as guard play goes no none knows what the freshmen guards will do until they step on the court in Coach Brown's system. And MK is not undersized as a PF at 6'9 and I don't think LB would turn down a good 7 footer to get a 6'6 center.

[PonySnob]

Let's get out of the first round before we worry about the Sweet 16


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Rebel10]

Let's get out of the first round before we worry about the Sweet 16


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

True that.

[Rebel10]

All this while Diamond Stone commits to Hoopmanx's school. The irony. Maybe he should tell Turgeon to tell him to commit somewhere else. That is after Hoopmanx gets through partying. LOL.

Scott Sanford retweeted
Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 5m5 minutes ago
Diamond Stone, Scout's No. 4 player in 2015, has verbally committed to Maryland | Story: http://foxs.pt/1G0LX2s

HoopmanX ‏@Hoopmanx
Is next year the best Terps team since '02?

HoopmanX retweeted
Alex Kline ‏@TheRecruitScoop
Maryland is ready to compete for a National Championship next year after landing All-American Diamond Stone - https://recruitscoop.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1751407 …

[Ponyneighbor]

Interesting to watch Notre Dame go toe-to-toe with Kentucky last night with a line-up of one 6'10" guy, three 6'5", and one 6'1". The key, though, was that all 5 guys for ND had the offensive skills to make them a threat to score (inside or outside) at all times, whereas we generally only have two such players on the court. Hopefully that will change next year.

[jpe747]

No doubt you need shooters that are quick and aggressive. However, this year our big guys were a strength that helped SMU get into the NCAA tournament. I think we are adding some good guards. However, we are loosing big guys. I like balance. Good guards PLUS some muscle in the middle that can rebound and block out the middle. I would like to see another big or two 6'9" or more. Sinking defenses help free up the guards. And, bigs are great on defense.

[ojaipony]

Personally, I'm old school, and I like a true power forward coupled with a long center like a Yanick (except with stronger hands). I felt like MK and YM together were ideal, but you need about 3 long guards who are consistent scoring threats from the perimeter and a slasher or 2. We would have had that IF KF was lights out AND Eman came - that's what LB thought, too (most likely we'd still be playing in the tourney).

Next year, of course, we lose Yanick (and CC) and our slasher in Ryan and best on ball defender. If MK comes back, I'd still like to see us get a long 6'11" type to get around the rim at both ends of the court. Do that and if both freshmen guards can heat up by AAC time ("heat up" here being getting into the flow of college BB and be legit scoring threats, solid defenders, and not TO machines), this could be that same type team as I described above. I think Sed will for sure. And, although Shake was higher regarded as a recruit, I think he's going to have a tougher time adjusting (the physicality of it). With Sterling and Tolbert (2 tough dudes who are very versatile), we gonna be good! (will be interesting to see how Semi fits in once he starts playing).