GT-VT game thread.

[lv20gt]

These are the following classifications based on eligibility.

senior - Franklin
jr - Terry, Howard, Sturdivant
Soph - Coleman, Kelly, Moore, Smith, Meka, Maxwell
Fr - Bagatskis, Martynov

 

[iceeater1969]

Zero minutes for Howard. hard to argue with that, but you would think he can give Franklin a rest for a minute. Franklin has been balling lately and had a great game, but is Howard in the doghouse or what? we used to develop big men when Reveno was an assistant and now...

Franklin this year is like Usher last year- "lets attack the rim."
If Smith can turn up his defense like Alvardo , it will be fun.

Wild card is will light stsy on w Maxwell.

We can be lretty good if we are aggressive and dam. terrible if we play slow

 

[BuzzBy]

I think it is coaching but not in the player development angle being discussed. I go back to ESPN's comment that the spacing is much better the last several games. Specifically, we have gone away from the tight to the lane pin down handoff screen by the big to a guard going to the top of the foul line area. When Franklin gets the ball - which is a lot less than he used to - he is looking to go foul line extended or even higher to find the handoff screen. So instead of having a guard try to drive after the tight pin down screen we are moving the ball side to side and running wider pin downs for Kelly or even a couple of flair screens. Much cleaner lane and the ball is staying in the guards hands rather than Franklin or Howard.

It is an approach that fits the skill sets of Coleman/Kelly/Terry/Smith and avoids the lack of a high post Princeton 5. The coaching angle is that the lack of a high post Princeton 5 should have been obvious in preseason and making an adjustment to the strength of the team should have been done then. That IMHO is a much bigger coaching issue than whether we can develop a big for the atypical high post Princeton 5 spot. Maximize what you got.

Solid take. Folks let's give some credit to CJP for significant adjustments that fit the skill sets of the roster. We still have lapses in scoring and a franticness to us when under pressure that need to be addressed. CJP has handled a lot of vitriol well and has come back fighting.

 

[Root4GT]

These are the following classifications based on eligibility.

senior - Franklin
jr - Terry, Howard, Sturdivant
Soph - Coleman, Kelly, Moore, Smith, Meka, Maxwell
Fr - Bagatskis, Martynov

Franklin is a 6th year player. No eligibility left
Terry is a 4th year player with a Covid year if he/we want
Smith, Maxwell and Meka are 3 rd year players with Covid year options
Coleman, Kelly and Moore are 2nd year players without Covid year options.
The other two are 1st year players without Covid year options

 

[ChristoGT]

Saba Gigiberia was mentioned earlier. Got me thinking what ifs for a second, then looked up his states at SF:

So, still not lighting it up at what I would think is a step down in competition.

 

[Home Park Jacket]

Saba Gigiberia was mentioned earlier. Got me thinking what ifs for a second, then looked up his states at SF:
View attachment 14022
So, still not lighting it up at what I would think is a step down in competition.

Thanks for looking it up as I was interested too. That is about what I expected after watching him for 1 year +

 

[Home Park Jacket]

Wild card is will light stsy on w Maxwell.

Maybe I read this wrong, but when has the light turned on except for 1 game at BC? I don't see enough hustle, defense, rebounding, and desire from him to play. All he wants to do is shoot, and he frankly doesn't do that well enough overcome the other shortfalls.

 

[MWBATL]

Saba Gigiberia was mentioned earlier. Got me thinking what ifs for a second, then looked up his states at SF:
View attachment 14022
So, still not lighting it up at what I would think is a step down in competition.

Makes me think we are lousy at evaluating talent in our recruiting. We have recruited a number of bigs who never have done of anything the last 3 years or so.

 

[Connell62]

Makes me think we are lousy at evaluating talent in our recruiting. We have recruited a number of bigs who never have done of anything the last 3 years or so.

That's one way of looking at it.. Another is that we developed Moses Wright into ACC Player of the Year.

Other big men like Ben Lammers, James Banks, and even Evan Cole all got much better.

Do you think that you are going to have a 100% hit rate?

 

[tsrich]

That's one way of looking at it.. Another is that we developed Moses Wright into ACC Player of the Year.

Other big men like Ben Lammers, James Banks, and even Evan Cole all got much better.

Do you think that you are going to have a 100% hit rate?

Another way is that we've been very constrained on who we can get because we have no NIL. We _have_ to look for diamonds in the rough, which is going to be more misses than hits. With even a modest NIL we could have nabbed some of the guys NCSU and Pitt added.

 

[Root4GT]

Another way is that we've been very constrained on who we can get because we have no NIL. We _have_ to look for diamonds in the rough, which is going to be more misses than hits. With even a modest NIL we could have nabbed some of the guys NCSU and Pitt added.

There was no NIL when Lammers and Banks came to GT. NIL has only be around for 2 years. There has always been "Money" available including money for former GT players. Things changed 2 years ago with NIL but that hasn't been the reason for not recruting talented big men for the first several years of the current staff.

Getting a transfer big who is talented is very important if GT BB is to climb out of the bottom feeder status in the ACC. I personally believe GT also needs a talented PG who can run things on the floor at both ends of the court. Best bet is to get seasoned player with 1 or 2 years of eligibility left. If we strike out on both positions who coaches GT BB next year won't matter in my opinion.

 

[LargeFO]

Franklin is a 6th year player. No eligibility left
Terry is a 4th year player with a Covid year if he/we want
Smith, Maxwell and Meka are 3 rd year players with Covid year options
Coleman, Kelly and Moore are 2nd year players without Covid year options.
The other two are 1st year players without Covid year options

Sturdy can theoretically come back next year? Seems like he's been playing for 8 years.

 

[Root4GT]

Sturdy can theoretically come back next year? Seems like he's been playing for 8 years.

Yup - I meant to put him on the line with Terry. Thanks for the update. Howard also belongs on that line.

 

[g0lftime]

Sturdy can theoretically come back next year? Seems like he's been playing for 8 years.

I hope he does. He has improved his game every year. Guess it depends on whether he wants another year of college ball.

 

[Steverc]

We are what our record says we are. I am not sure many fans will be excited to see the same team come back next year. I hope for many new faces.

 

[57jacket]

We are what our record says we are. I am not sure many fans will be excited to see the same team come back next year. I hope for many new faces.

The biggest need for new faces is a capable post player by far.

 

[awbuzz]

Blue will be a new face.

 

[Steverc]

Blue will be a new face.

I will be very excited if he looks like those guys in the blue man crew.

 

[gt02]

I will give credit for the shift away from Princeton - but why on earth did it take so long? That's the problem IMO.

 

[mstranahan]

All he wants to do is shoot, and he frankly doesn't do that well enough overcome the other shortfalls.

He also loves to talk trash and hear himself talk. the issue is that he talks more trash than a guy shooting 26% and scoring 3 PPG (in the games he plays in) should.