Looking ahead

[mstranahan]

Thought it would be good to start a thread focused on the rest of the year, rather than last night.

I'm interested in what everybody is going to look for over the next two months. I am assuming we miss any post season play, but I think we have huge potential to improve during Jan, Feb & early March. This is the first step in building a foundation for next year's teams and beyond.

I hope we see more and more of the young guys as the season wears on. No disrespect to Q, Corey, Heath, Price & McCormick, but they are gone after this year and we need to start building next year's team now. I'm not saying bench them or stop playing them, but if we're losing a conference game, let's give the youngsters some meaningful time and understand they will make mistakes. Okogie and Moore are getting significant minutes now, so I believe that will continue. I'd like to see CMatt, AD & Sly get meaningful minutes.

I am focused more of effort and improvement than wins & losses. Lammers has turned into a friggin warrior. He plays hard and almost never comes off the court. Okogie is a beast and is improving every game. he still has rough spots and frosh mistakes, but he has star written all over him. Moore is showing progress and the game seems to be slowing down for him, especially the last handful of games. I'm hoping that upward trend continues. Q, Heath & Corey won't improve much at this point, but they are giving solid efforts and that sets the right tone for the team.

On a different note, I'd love to see the fans support this team more than they have. Most games, McCamish is a morgue and either 40% full or too many fans of the other guys. We have a phenomenal arena. One of the best in the conference. If the team busts their *** and plays hard, I think they deserve a good crowd that cheers that effort, win or lose. I know it's hard to fill the place when the team isn't great, but that's how you tell a good fan base from bandwagoneers.

Interested to hear what others are thinking.... @Peacone36 @connell62 @CuseJacket @dtm1997

 

[Peacone36]

If I lived in the area I'd be at every game. Sucks that I don't. We really can't afford to have Q on the bench because his rebounding has been extraordinary. I was glad CMatt got some play last night. Heath just.......ugh. I really like JMo more and more each game. He Okogie Alvarado and CGB is a really nice core of backcourt players for the next 3 years especially if two of them can be consistent from deep. I don't expect much consistency from CMatt til year 3-4 but could be a Halston Lane type player for us.

 

[YlJacket]

Quite honestly most of all I hope they don't get beaten down in what's going to be a really rough process going forward.

Beyond that I want the core of the team to improve. In my opinion that core is Lammers Okogie and to some degree Moore. I have to admit I'm leaving the Tedrick wagon as the year progresses.

Improvement means that we see them playing under control making plays that will be starter level plays next year. Keep their head up and build for next year. I like the offensive style we are establishing but expect the zone is really a stopgap for this year.

Wins are obviously evidence of progress. I want to see competitive games but I'm not overly concerned about whether it's 2 wins or 3 wins

 

[Peacone36]

Tadric is a player who at this point I don't think is going to improve I think, like Q, he is what he is. A couple Ooooooo Ahhhhhh moments a week and a few more where he's again digging a hole with a fire extinguisher. He will give us something here and there but he will probably cycle out or possibly get recruited over before he makes a huge contribution to turning the program around.

 

[RamblinRed]

Mainly i want the team to continue to play hard and not get demoralized by the losses that are coming.

I'm hoping the FR get more playing time as the year wears on. Doesn't mean the SR don't get playing time, just that the FR improve enough to get some taste of things.

Okogie feels like a much more aggressive MGH.
Moore is doing pretty well for a rather lightly regarded FR PG. The key for him is to continue to improve decision making and work on shooting beyond 5 ft from basket.

i tend to agree on TJ. i hoped he would bust out this year, but I sort of think he likely is what he is, sort of a tantalizing tease.

My take on the players.
Lammers - ACC level starter.
Okogie - ACC level role player (ACC level starter by SO year)
Q - ACC level role player. He's really done a relatively nice job this season. His rebounding, defense and floor game are all much improved. His shooting is still hit or miss.
TJ - ACC level role player. He's a kid who is an ACC starter level talent, but doesn't always play to that talent level.
Moore - ACC level reserve. Has exceeded my expectations as a FR. Likely an ACC level role player as a SO. Which is more what I expected out of him as a JR or SR.
Heath - ACC level reserve. He has a strong game once every couple of weeks, but nothing more than a deep reserve type in the ACC imo.
Heyward - not really an ACC level player, but he tries hard and is a good teammate.
AD - has upside potential. Not an ACC level player right now, has potential as an ACC level defender.
Sly - developmental big. Has ACC level size and athleticism - can he develop enough to at least be an ACC level role player at some point?
Matthews - sort of reminds me of Q a little. A guy that is likely an ACC level role player down the road, but is not ready as a FR to really play any significant minutes.
McCormick and Price. McCormick is the more likely of the 2 to get minutes as he is slightly larger and is a better shooter. Both are more practice players than anything.

Sort of tells you why we are where we are. 1 ACC level starter and maybe 3 more that are ACC level role players.
My hope for next season is that Okogie and Lammers are ACC level starters. Moore, TJ, AD, Matthews and Sly are at least to ACC role player level. I think Alvarado is going to be as big an impact next year as Okogie has been this year. Haywood has promise as well largely due to his beautiful shooting stroke. if he hits shots with consistency he will play alot.

This year is so much about how much can the FR be developed without having them lose their confidence. How much does it look like there is a plan on both offense and defense. To this point i've been pretty impressed with the defense - especially how varied it has been. offensively, i've been impressed we have scored as much as we have. I remember looking at the roster this summer and thinking, how does this team score 50 points. And we will have some nights we don't - but overall they have been better at scoring than i expected given there are no natural huge scorers on this team (Okogie may be the closest and he came in with more of a defensive reputation than an offensive one).

 

[alagold]

Mainly i want the team to continue to play hard and not get demoralized by the losses that are coming.

I'm hoping the FR get more playing time as the year wears on. Doesn't mean the SR don't get playing time, just that the FR improve enough to get some taste of things.

Okogie feels like a much more aggressive MGH.
Moore is doing pretty well for a rather lightly regarded FR PG. The key for him is to continue to improve decision making and work on shooting beyond 5 ft from basket.

i tend to agree on TJ. i hoped he would bust out this year, but I sort of think he likely is what he is, sort of a tantalizing tease.

My take on the players.
Lammers - ACC level starter.
Okogie - ACC level role player (ACC level starter by SO year)
Q - ACC level role player. He's really done a relatively nice job this season. His rebounding, defense and floor game are all much improved. His shooting is still hit or miss.
TJ - ACC level role player. He's a kid who is an ACC starter level talent, but doesn't always play to that talent level.
Moore - ACC level reserve. Has exceeded my expectations as a FR. Likely an ACC level role player as a SO. Which is more what I expected out of him as a JR or SR.
Heath - ACC level reserve. He has a strong game once every couple of weeks, but nothing more than a deep reserve type in the ACC imo.
Heyward - not really an ACC level player, but he tries hard and is a good teammate.
AD - has upside potential. Not an ACC level player right now, has potential as an ACC level defender.
Sly - developmental big. Has ACC level size and athleticism - can he develop enough to at least be an ACC level role player at some point?
Matthews - sort of reminds me of Q a little. A guy that is likely an ACC level role player down the road, but is not ready as a FR to really play any significant minutes.
McCormick and Price. McCormick is the more likely of the 2 to get minutes as he is slightly larger and is a better shooter. Both are more practice players than anything.

Sort of tells you why we are where we are. 1 ACC level starter and maybe 3 more that are ACC level role players.
My hope for next season is that Okogie and Lammers are ACC level starters. Moore, TJ, AD, Matthews and Sly are at least to ACC role player level. I think Alvarado is going to be as big an impact next year as Okogie has been this year. Haywood has promise as well largely due to his beautiful shooting stroke. if he hits shots with consistency he will play alot.

This year is so much about how much can the FR be developed without having them lose their confidence. How much does it look like there is a plan on both offense and defense. To this point i've been pretty impressed with the defense - especially how varied it has been. offensively, i've been impressed we have scored as much as we have. I remember looking at the roster this summer and thinking, how does this team score 50 points. And we will have some nights we don't - but overall they have been better at scoring than i expected given there are no natural huge scorers on this team (Okogie may be the closest and he came in with more of a defensive reputation than an offensive one).

Thanks Red, saved me a lot of typing.
But one thing--we have GOT to have some size/muscle going forward.It seems a good rebounder(non-scorer) should be able to be found in maybe SR transfers unless we pick up a recruit .

 

[GTHomer]

Mainly i want the team to continue to play hard and not get demoralized by the losses that are coming.

I'm hoping the FR get more playing time as the year wears on. Doesn't mean the SR don't get playing time, just that the FR improve enough to get some taste of things.

Okogie feels like a much more aggressive MGH.
Moore is doing pretty well for a rather lightly regarded FR PG. The key for him is to continue to improve decision making and work on shooting beyond 5 ft from basket.

i tend to agree on TJ. i hoped he would bust out this year, but I sort of think he likely is what he is, sort of a tantalizing tease.

My take on the players.
Lammers - ACC level starter.
Okogie - ACC level role player (ACC level starter by SO year)
Q - ACC level role player. He's really done a relatively nice job this season. His rebounding, defense and floor game are all much improved. His shooting is still hit or miss.
TJ - ACC level role player. He's a kid who is an ACC starter level talent, but doesn't always play to that talent level.
Moore - ACC level reserve. Has exceeded my expectations as a FR. Likely an ACC level role player as a SO. Which is more what I expected out of him as a JR or SR.
Heath - ACC level reserve. He has a strong game once every couple of weeks, but nothing more than a deep reserve type in the ACC imo.
Heyward - not really an ACC level player, but he tries hard and is a good teammate.
AD - has upside potential. Not an ACC level player right now, has potential as an ACC level defender.
Sly - developmental big. Has ACC level size and athleticism - can he develop enough to at least be an ACC level role player at some point?
Matthews - sort of reminds me of Q a little. A guy that is likely an ACC level role player down the road, but is not ready as a FR to really play any significant minutes.
McCormick and Price. McCormick is the more likely of the 2 to get minutes as he is slightly larger and is a better shooter. Both are more practice players than anything.

Sort of tells you why we are where we are. 1 ACC level starter and maybe 3 more that are ACC level role players.
My hope for next season is that Okogie and Lammers are ACC level starters. Moore, TJ, AD, Matthews and Sly are at least to ACC role player level. I think Alvarado is going to be as big an impact next year as Okogie has been this year. Haywood has promise as well largely due to his beautiful shooting stroke. if he hits shots with consistency he will play alot.

This year is so much about how much can the FR be developed without having them lose their confidence. How much does it look like there is a plan on both offense and defense. To this point i've been pretty impressed with the defense - especially how varied it has been. offensively, i've been impressed we have scored as much as we have. I remember looking at the roster this summer and thinking, how does this team score 50 points. And we will have some nights we don't - but overall they have been better at scoring than i expected given there are no natural huge scorers on this team (Okogie may be the closest and he came in with more of a defensive reputation than an offensive one).

Great post and analysis! I am especially interested in the development of AD and Sly. Unless we pick up a big man in the 2018 class, they will be our big men after Lammers graduates, or at least should be good role players. I believe we will successfully recruit for the 1,2 and 3 spots. It's the 4 & 5 that I'm worried about.

 

[Peacone36]

McCormick is probably the 2nd most important recruit for me behind Khavon Moore

 

[orientalnc]

Mainly i want the team to continue to play hard and not get demoralized by the losses that are coming.

I'm hoping the FR get more playing time as the year wears on. Doesn't mean the SR don't get playing time, just that the FR improve enough to get some taste of things.

Okogie feels like a much more aggressive MGH.
Moore is doing pretty well for a rather lightly regarded FR PG. The key for him is to continue to improve decision making and work on shooting beyond 5 ft from basket.

i tend to agree on TJ. i hoped he would bust out this year, but I sort of think he likely is what he is, sort of a tantalizing tease.

My take on the players.
Lammers - ACC level starter.
Okogie - ACC level role player (ACC level starter by SO year)
Q - ACC level role player. He's really done a relatively nice job this season. His rebounding, defense and floor game are all much improved. His shooting is still hit or miss.
TJ - ACC level role player. He's a kid who is an ACC starter level talent, but doesn't always play to that talent level.
Moore - ACC level reserve. Has exceeded my expectations as a FR. Likely an ACC level role player as a SO. Which is more what I expected out of him as a JR or SR.
Heath - ACC level reserve. He has a strong game once every couple of weeks, but nothing more than a deep reserve type in the ACC imo.
Heyward - not really an ACC level player, but he tries hard and is a good teammate.
AD - has upside potential. Not an ACC level player right now, has potential as an ACC level defender.
Sly - developmental big. Has ACC level size and athleticism - can he develop enough to at least be an ACC level role player at some point?
Matthews - sort of reminds me of Q a little. A guy that is likely an ACC level role player down the road, but is not ready as a FR to really play any significant minutes.
McCormick and Price. McCormick is the more likely of the 2 to get minutes as he is slightly larger and is a better shooter. Both are more practice players than anything.

Sort of tells you why we are where we are. 1 ACC level starter and maybe 3 more that are ACC level role players.
My hope for next season is that Okogie and Lammers are ACC level starters. Moore, TJ, AD, Matthews and Sly are at least to ACC role player level. I think Alvarado is going to be as big an impact next year as Okogie has been this year. Haywood has promise as well largely due to his beautiful shooting stroke. if he hits shots with consistency he will play alot.

This year is so much about how much can the FR be developed without having them lose their confidence. How much does it look like there is a plan on both offense and defense. To this point i've been pretty impressed with the defense - especially how varied it has been. offensively, i've been impressed we have scored as much as we have. I remember looking at the roster this summer and thinking, how does this team score 50 points. And we will have some nights we don't - but overall they have been better at scoring than i expected given there are no natural huge scorers on this team (Okogie may be the closest and he came in with more of a defensive reputation than an offensive one).

It's hard to disagree with this.

 

[Novajacket]

Just looking at next year PF is going to be a huge weakness next year. Hoping with Alvarado and Haywood we add some consistent outside shooting it will be an improved starters a little but not sure who the fifth starter will be. I think we will have to get a transfer for that spot unless we get a big time Freshman there. I'm not sure that we improve next year based on what we have right now will be challenging.

 

[AE 87]

Let's be clear as we look ahead, beyond this year I'm in favor of cautious optimism, but we need more emphasis on cautious.

Imo, Jose looks good but not that much better tban Jorgy. Curtis looks to me fwiw at the caliber of Jax.

Maybe, it's a case of ignorant blindness on my part, but I thought CMat was in this game as a shooter.

We may need to adjust to a reality of no real improvement of individuals for years until they're all upper classmen without any depth.

Unless recruiting improves dramatically, we'll be treading water. Yet it looks like we may need improvement for recruiting to improve.