GT vs. Ga Sou

[bke1984]

Well, any of them expected to be close? We’re 5-1, was hoping we’d not end up 5-5.

Fwiw ESPN predicts we will beat Wisconsin and uNC and lose to LSU and USC

 

[jbix80]

I’m glad to see us close out these tight ones, especially after the first game of the season. Since the ACC tournament a year ago, Devoe has been at a different level. He literally willed us to that win. Maybe I missed it, but was Saba sick? I thought he played very well the other night, but he only got 3 minutes yesterday. I was only able to catch bits and pieces of the game because of work, so I was just curious if he was sick, bad matchup for him, or if CJP just stuck with a rotation that got us back in the game throughout the second half?? Another good win…all wins are good wins. Several top conference tests coming up the next couple weeks. Let’s go get some wins!!!

 

[Fatmike91]

How many times do you have to see this staff develop players before you get some faith in the future?

What's starting to stand out as exceptions at this point are the small number of players who haven't developed. We've done an impressive job developing players everywhere on the floor.

/

 

[Fatmike91]

I’m glad to see us close out these tight ones, especially after the first game of the season. Since the ACC tournament a year ago, Devoe has been at a different level. He literally willed us to that win. Maybe I missed it, but was Saba sick? I thought he played very well the other night, but he only got 3 minutes yesterday. I was only able to catch bits and pieces of the game because of work, so I was just curious if he was sick, bad matchup for him, or if CJP just stuck with a rotation that got us back in the game throughout the second half?? Another good win…all wins are good wins. Several top conference tests coming up the next couple weeks. Let’s go get some wins!!!

I think Saba's game has developed and he's playing well. Saba's issue getting playing time is Howard is too good.

I think Howard is already at James Bank's level in terms of impact.

Watch CJP's press conference last night (there is a lot of good stuff in it), and he talks about how he couldn't even put Howard on the floor at all last year at times and now we can't take him off the floor...

Controversial early take: Howard has a shot to make an All-ACC team this year.

/

 

[Connell62]

Sorry, I love your enthusiasm but you are dreaming.Unless we get some top transfers next yr ,without Ush and Devoe, we will struggle BIGtime. That first half was an idea of what happens w/o Devoe.As bad a half as Pastner has had and not nearly vs a ranked team If you think this yr is a high point lets see what happens when we play a top team.

LOL

 

[LibertyTurns]

What's starting to stand out as exceptions at this point are the small number of players who haven't developed. We've done an impressive job developing players everywhere on the floor.

/

You have to like the development of the team. Hard to say how this season turns out. If our defense improves, we could be pretty good.

 

[orientalnc]

Controversial early take: Howard has a shot to make an All-ACC team this year.

As much as I like what Howard has done this year to improve his game, he won't even make HM on the All-ACC team. Next year? We'll see if he makes the same progress as the guys before him.

 

[gt02]

No it isn't. I swear some of you want to be miserable. It's year 6. We've seen time and time again what this staff can do with development, and you're going to act like somehow we're getting a glimpse of what next year will be like as if a bunch of our players won't be significantly different even by the end of the year much less after an offseason to reflect? There is a very big difference in playing after you have prepared and practiced for having a guy vs playing with an entire offseason knowing you won't have a guy. The first half wasn't a glimpse for next year. It was an idea of what this team will be missing something like 5 players with how many others trying to play through the flu and nothing more.

Yep. Howard is a prime example. He is light years ahead of where he was last year. Heck, if Howard plays like this last year, we win that first tourney game last year even without Wright. And our FR are literally GTs highest recruiting class in years. We will be ok.

 

[gte447f]

Maybe I missed it, but was Saba sick? I thought he played very well the other night, but he only got 3 minutes yesterday. I was only able to catch bits and pieces of the game because of work, so I was just curious if he was sick, bad matchup for him, or if CJP just stuck with a rotation that got us back in the game throughout the second half??

Saba was only in for a few minutes, but during that time he turned it over a couple of times in quick succession at the high post area. He only got credited with 1 turnover so maybe someone else got tagged with the other one or maybe we recovered it after fumbling it, I can’t remember. He also got posted up, pushed off the block and scored on by a much smaller player on Ga. Southern. I think Saba can be a good player if we ever get to see his euro skills on offense at the high post. But, yesterday he had a rough outing in just limited minutes.

 

[slugboy]

We have a #HugTheWin hashtag now

 

[LibertyTurns]

We have a #HugTheWin hashtag now

Dude went crazy yesterday even when sick.

 

[iopjacket]

Fwiw ESPN predicts we will beat Wisconsin and uNC and lose to LSU and USC

Let's hope ESPN got the first two prediction right and missed on the last two.

 

[slugboy]

I forgot to mention this earlier, but Pastner said during his press conference “We only had 10 players available for practice if you count Coleman Boyd”.

I hope Boyd has a self-deprecating sense of humor, because he got sneaky dragged in one sentence there.

 

[YlJacket]

What's starting to stand out as exceptions at this point are the small number of players who haven't developed. We've done an impressive job developing players everywhere on the floor.

/

I would be careful with the broad absolute statements like that. The staff has some major league successful stories in Moses and Jose - and several nice development stories behind them. Howard and Saba look good so far but still early against middling competition. On the other side CJP has taken a whole lot of projects that haven't worked - from Haywood, Sjolund, Didenko (the Russian assasin), Price and could even throw Maxwell and Moore in there.

How well this team does will likely be determined by the continued development of Howard, Deebo and Kelly. We will see how the story plays out.

 

[JPaul]

So the rest of the team doesn’t need your support?

So the rest of the team doesn’t need your support?

Yea. I’m here anyway. Never miss a home game. Was just looking forward to seeing what the starters could do against a fairly good opponent. I think these guys are or have been underrated.

 

[Jacketman99]

I would be careful with the broad absolute statements like that. The staff has some major league successful stories in Moses and Jose - and several nice development stories behind them. Howard and Saba look good so far but still early against middling competition. On the other side CJP has taken a whole lot of projects that haven't worked - from Haywood, Sjolund, Didenko (the Russian assasin), Price and could even throw Maxwell and Moore in there.

How well this team does will likely be determined by the continued development of Howard, Deebo and Kelly. We will see how the story plays out.

I would not say that list is a whole lot. Hell, it's hard to develop guys that are not here. Didenko and Price were clearly reaches. Sjolund and Hayward transferred prior to becoming upperclassmen. It is too early to judge with Maxwell since this is only his second year on campus. Moore has improved from his freshman year. He is a glue guy. Every team has them. He is not an offensive guy but he does a lot of the dirty work that helps your team win.

In addition to Moses and Jose you have a ton of other success stories from Lammers, Okogie, Banks, to guys like Quinton Stephens and Tadric Jackson.

You cannot look at the first few games this year and try to predict what next year will look like. We have a lot of young talented players that will get better this year and especially during the offseason. We may even have a few impact transfers. You just never know with basketball. Best bet is to enjoy the current season and watch how this team progresses. Enjoy the greatness that you are seeing from a guy like Mike Devoe. Enjoy the passion that you see from Jordan Usher. Watch how these younger guys like Smith, Coleman, Kelly, and Moore develop. We all knew there would be some growing pains this season. But like typical Pastner teams, we will see improvement throughout and will be playing our best basketball towards the end of to season.

 

[dtm1997]

I forgot to mention this earlier, but Pastner said during his press conference “We only had 10 players available for practice if you count Coleman Boyd”.

I hope Boyd has a self-deprecating sense of humor, because he got sneaky dragged in one sentence there.

Boyd was the only walk-on not out with the flu, so it makes sense in that regard.

 

[YlJacket]

I would not say that list is a whole lot. Hell, it's hard to develop guys that are not here. Didenko and Price were clearly reaches. Sjolund and Hayward transferred prior to becoming upperclassmen. It is too early to judge with Maxwell since this is only his second year on campus. Moore has improved from his freshman year. He is a glue guy. Every team has them. He is not an offensive guy but he does a lot of the dirty work that helps your team win.

In addition to Moses and Jose you have a ton of other success stories from Lammers, Okogie, Banks, to guys like Quinton Stephens and Tadric Jackson.

You cannot look at the first few games this year and try to predict what next year will look like. We have a lot of young talented players that will get better this year and especially during the offseason. We may even have a few impact transfers. You just never know with basketball. Best bet is to enjoy the current season and watch how this team progresses. Enjoy the greatness that you are seeing from a guy like Mike Devoe. Enjoy the passion that you see from Jordan Usher. Watch how these younger guys like Smith, Coleman, Kelly, and Moore develop. We all knew there would be some growing pains this season. But like typical Pastner teams, we will see improvement throughout and will be playing our best basketball towards the end of to season.

FWIW I am not making any statement on next year - just pushing back that CJP’s development program is “universally” successful. He has been good but not absolute on the other side I would agree you only need a couple of success stories per year

As for next year The pieces are in place with the exception of a legit four. Will need continued development of the bigs and the younguns to step up

 

[MtnWasp]

For those keeping track at home:

Efficiency rankings updated the day after each of the last games (O= offense, D= Defense):

11/20: O 94 / D 104
11/23: O 66 / D 103
11/27: O 87 / D 79

BTW, the last time GT finished ranked in the top 100 in both offensive and defensive efficiency was the '06-'07 season (O 26 / D 80) That Hewitt's team finished 8-8in the ACC for a 6th place finish. That was the team with Crit and Thaddeus.

 

[GTbball2016]

Miami Ohio loses easily at Western Illinois