Article Men's Basketball: Lamar Cardinals Preview

Men's Basketball: Lamar Cardinals Preview

Sophomore PG Jose Alvarado returns healthy to start the year.

Coach Pastner and the Jackets kick of year three with a home opener against Lamar this week. Here is what you can expect.

The Georgia Tech men’s basketball team opens the season on Friday, November 9th at home against Lamar. The Jackets come into the 2018-19 with a lot of question marks that will be answered soon enough. Let’s just take it one game at a time. First, let’s take a look at Lamar.

The Lamar Cardinals are a Southland Conference program. For those of you who are not familiar with that conference, it’s the one that Stephen F. Austin blows through each season. They are led by sixth year head coach Tic Price who has coached New Orleans, Memphis and McNeese State as well. He has a career record of 232-189. Last season he led Lamar to a 19-14 record overall, 11-7 in conference play.

Similar to Georgia Tech, Lamar has a lot of question marks this season. They lost 5 of their top 7 scorers from and 58% of their offensive production. Nick Garth and Josh Nzeakor both return however. Garth, a 5’11 guard, who averaged 13.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season. He shot 37.8% from deep and has made 238 triples in his career. Nzeakor is an undersized front court player, standing 6’6 and 207 pounds, but averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 17-18.

The Cardinals welcome a quartet of JUCO transfers this season, the best of which seems to be Edwin Jeudy. Jeudy is a  6’7 forward who averaged a double double at Gillette last season logging 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Christian Barrett, another undersized JUCO forward, averaged 10.6 and 9.1 at Jacksonville. He is 6’6 and effective on the offensive glass, but I am not sure that will translate at the NCAA level. Vince Holmes is another incoming JUCO who has good size at the guard spot, but isn’t much of a shooter. Brandon Battle is a physical specimen at 6’7 playing the three, but doesn’t provide much floor stretching ability.

All in all, this is a favorable match-up for the Yellow Jackets. This should provide the guys an opportunity to get off to a good start on the season as they should physically and athletically dominate this Lamar team. This is the type of game where you could see Moses Wright be dominant as he often was against lesser opponents last season.

What I am really interested to see here is how freshman Michael Devoe plays after sitting out most of the preseason with a toe injury. Other interests include how Jose Alvarado and Curtis Haywood III are recovering from injuries.

I would also like to see senior AD Gueye impose his will on offense. I wouldn’t mind seeing him be a black hole in this game. That move over the left shoulder was automatic at one point last season and he should go back to that well early and often this year. He needs to establish himself as an offensive threat early this season.

As we learned in 2017-18, no victory is guaranteed, but the Jackets should be able to outclass the Cardinals in this contest. Anything other than a convincing victory may raise questions about Coach Josh Pastner’s effectiveness, especially after the departure of Coach Tavaras Hardy in the offseason.

 

[MWBATL]

It would be a HUGE surprise if this team became close to a good team overall.It seems we have SO many questions and so few real answers.It is concerning that even vs that weak competition the Off without JA was lost a lot. We have limited inside scoring so it is live or die on the outside.So we get few FTs but could we even hit those.?
On shooting,Devoe was out but Curtis showed little.The rest erratic .Even if our def out is ok .rebounding looks to be a problem vs big teams esp if AD continues to foul.
It is hard to lose your 3 best offensive options for any NORMAL.team (see dook) and he good on Offense so we need TOs turning into pts -a LOT..also--Maybe if we get Banks ,the rebs /stops will come.

College game revolves around guards these days, and that’s our strength. I’d love to have a healthy Lambert on defense to rim protect and rebound, but I think our guard play will be the best we have seen in years.
At least, I hope so.

 

[AE 87]

Lamar played last night. The replay is available on ESPN app. I hope to watch it later today or tomorrow.

Watched the first half. They didn't look good at all to me. It shouldn't be close.

 

[AUFC]

Watched the first half. They didn't look good at all to me. It shouldn't be close.

Famous last words heh

I hope you're right. This is their Super Bowl, really.

 

[D-man44]

Who’s all going tomorrow I’ll be there with a few guys I work with for the braves with. Bring out your friends and family tickets are under $10.

 

[MtnWasp]

It would be a HUGE surprise if this team became close to a good team overall.It seems we have SO many questions and so few real answers.It is concerning that even vs that weak competition the Off without JA was lost a lot. We have limited inside scoring so it is live or die on the outside.So we get few FTs but could we even hit those.?
On shooting,Devoe was out but Curtis showed little.The rest erratic .Even if our def out is ok .rebounding looks to be a problem vs big teams esp if AD continues to foul.
It is hard to lose your 3 best offensive options for any NORMAL.team (see dook) and he good on Offense so we need TOs turning into pts -a LOT..also--Maybe if we get Banks ,the rebs /stops will come.

It is interesting to me how different people can look at the same thing and come away with totally different impressions. I sat down and watched that scrimmage and what I came away with is that we are WAY underestimating this GT team. What I saw was the most dynamic Gt team I've seen in years. The pace of play, focus and cleanliness of scheme on both sides of the ball was really impressive to me. What GT was trying to do was good stuff and our schemes and pace of play could translate into giving even talented opponents headaches. If teams don't play well against this pace of play, we will hurt them. I saw a team that could create good shooting opportunities. I saw a disruptive, very active defense.

The team started the scrimmage a little sluggish, Alston didn't play lead guard well in the first half but did much better in the second half. After about 11 minutes in, GT upped the pace of play and intensity and stuffed that team, which is exactly what one would expect a better team to do.

I think there should be more buzz about Alvarado. His release has quickened and he looks to be a very good all-around PG. Phillips and Haywood are very good defensively. The two Freshmen, Sjolund and Moore are far better than advertised. No way would I redshirt Sjolund. He can create his own shot and has a scorer's mentality. He can pass. He is a creator on the offensive side. His defensive deficiencies looked more about adjusting to the abilities of his opponents than about athleticism. He should get better. Anyway, he at least can be useful in offense-defense substitution situations. Moore looks dialed-in and ready to help. The development of Gueye is a credit to him and the staff. He was so wild and awkward even this time last year, and he has really steadied himself. We'll see if that holds-up when the real bullets fly.

Big strong teams could muscle GT this season, but the way we play will give big teams headaches. We'll see, but my thought is that this team has the elements to really improve as the season progresses and I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time the second half of the conference slate rolls around, that we create some real buzz. I think this could be a good season for GT.

 

[RamblinRed]

I should be there tomorrow with my son.

 

[g0lftime]

It is interesting to me how different people can look at the same thing and come away with totally different impressions. I sat down and watched that scrimmage and what I came away with is that we are WAY underestimating this GT team. What I saw was the most dynamic Gt team I've seen in years. The pace of play, focus and cleanliness of scheme on both sides of the ball was really impressive to me. What GT was trying to do was good stuff and our schemes and pace of play could translate into giving even talented opponents headaches. If teams don't play well against this pace of play, we will hurt them. I saw a team that could create good shooting opportunities. I saw a disruptive, very active defense.

The team started the scrimmage a little sluggish, Alston didn't play lead guard well in the first half but did much better in the second half. After about 11 minutes in, GT upped the pace of play and intensity and stuffed that team, which is exactly what one would expect a better team to do.

I think there should be more buzz about Alvarado. His release has quickened and he looks to be a very good all-around PG. Phillips and Haywood are very good defensively. The two Freshmen, Sjolund and Moore are far better than advertised. No way would I redshirt Sjolund. He can create his own shot and has a scorer's mentality. He can pass. He is a creator on the offensive side. His defensive deficiencies looked more about adjusting to the abilities of his opponents than about athleticism. He should get better. Anyway, he at least can be useful in offense-defense substitution situations. Moore looks dialed-in and ready to help. The development of Gueye is a credit to him and the staff. He was so wild and awkward even this time last year, and he has really steadied himself. We'll see if that holds-up when the real bullets fly.

Big strong teams could muscle GT this season, but the way we play will give big teams headaches. We'll see, but my thought is that this team has the elements to really improve as the season progresses and I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time the second half of the conference slate rolls around, that we create some real buzz. I think this could be a good season for GT.

We need good play for 4 and 5 positions. Teams will go to the paint against us. Might see zone to protect our bigs.

 

[alagold]

It is interesting to me how different people can look at the same thing and come away with totally different impressions. I sat down and watched that scrimmage and what I came away with is that we are WAY underestimating this GT team. What I saw was the most dynamic Gt team I've seen in years. The pace of play, focus and cleanliness of scheme on both sides of the ball was really impressive to me. What GT was trying to do was good stuff and our schemes and pace of play could translate into giving even talented opponents headaches. If teams don't play well against this pace of play, we will hurt them. I saw a team that could create good shooting opportunities. I saw a disruptive, very active defense.

The team started the scrimmage a little sluggish, Alston didn't play lead guard well in the first half but did much better in the second half. After about 11 minutes in, GT upped the pace of play and intensity and stuffed that team, which is exactly what one would expect a better team to do.

I think there should be more buzz about Alvarado. His release has quickened and he looks to be a very good all-around PG. Phillips and Haywood are very good defensively. The two Freshmen, Sjolund and Moore are far better than advertised. No way would I redshirt Sjolund. He can create his own shot and has a scorer's mentality. He can pass. He is a creator on the offensive side. His defensive deficiencies looked more about adjusting to the abilities of his opponents than about athleticism. He should get better. Anyway, he at least can be useful in offense-defense substitution situations. Moore looks dialed-in and ready to help. The development of Gueye is a credit to him and the staff. He was so wild and awkward even this time last year, and he has really steadied himself. We'll see if that holds-up when the real bullets fly.

Big strong teams could muscle GT this season, but the way we play will give big teams headaches. We'll see, but my thought is that this team has the elements to really improve as the season progresses and I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time the second half of the conference slate rolls around, that we create some real buzz. I think this could be a good season for GT.

I would be thrilled if we turned out well I just can't see getting past the inexperience overall,the weak front court, and no proven scorer to go to.Pastner's got a job.

 

[AUFC]

Who's excited!?

 

[D-man44]

Who's excited!?

Can’t wait to see how we look! I think Devoe can step in the floor and be a scorer. He was playing with a super ball dominate #1 player in the nation and a true pg who dominated the ball handling duties and still got buckets at montverde.

 

[up state jacket]

College game revolves around guards these days, and that’s our strength. I’d love to have a healthy Lambert on defense to rim protect and rebound, but I think our guard play will be the best we have seen in years.
At least, I hope so.

You're spot on. We haven't had a true ACC level PG since Shump and I wouldn't call him a PG although he played some at Tech. If our post play can just not kill us, I believe our better shooting will off set the lack of experience or talent on the blocks.

 

[YlJacket]

Who's excited!?

I am interested but wouldn't say excited. Potentially a lot of talent and improved guard play, but still a ton of questions and players likely a year too soon. I am interested to follow along but would not say I am excited to see the results.

 

[Jophish17]

I am sadly surprised that the record is this good. Hooray for these early season games.

• At McCamish – Georgia Tech is beginning its seventh season playing its home games in McCamish Pavilion, where it has a 72-37 record.

 

[YlJacket]

I am interested but wouldn't say excited. Potentially a lot of talent and improved guard play, but still a ton of questions and players likely a year too soon. I am interested to follow along but would not say I am excited to see the results.

I am still interested to see how this year turns out but have to admit I am less excited after tonight

 

[AUFC]

That second half performance really brought me back down to Earth for the Tennessee game but I was pleasantly surprised with how we played overall. We can’t put the ball in the hoop without Jose on the floor it feels like at times. The offense movement and passing and anticipation just all falls out.

 

[dtm1997]

 

[msargent1]

 

[slugboy]

Some observations:
Good defensive play would have held Lamar under 50. Maybe way under 50. Aside from one outside shooter, they didn’t have anyone effective. That showed at the free throw line, where they couldn’t sink much at all. We had a couple of spots where we’d leave a guy open.
Bright side: we got a lot of steals.
We’re much better outside the arc. Sometimes, way outside the arc. We made a few baskets where I thought “why are you shooting from THERE?”
Lamar got a few steals when a front court player brought the ball up instead of a guard. Either they need to not do that, or get much more careful about it.
We got some rebounds, but it was against Lamar. AD was dominant when he wasn’t fouling out. Likewise for Ves.
In the second half, some of our big guys looked slow. They’d be better off playing harder and getting subbed more often.
Some of our passes were great. Some were awful—there were a few slow cross-court passes that got stolen for scores.
When Lamar pressed in the second half, they gave us fits. I think we just wanted to walk out and win.
We should have won this game about 88-40 with a lot of subs playing. There wasn’t the right intensity in the second half though.
We also could have used this as an opportunity to work on areas—quick passes, screens—but I think we just played the game and got it over with.
Devoe looks good, and didn’t look rusty. If he is rusty, then when he gets into the groove he’ll be really good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[AE 87]

AD fouled out playing 12 min against Lamar.

Ves fouled out playing 23 min.

Both did really good things when in.

I think we let down with the big lead, but we've got guys who can hit 3s. Evan Cole only played 16 min, but he's an important piece for us (though he's not coached by ratface and should get a T for some of those flops at the end).

 

[AE 87]

Why was the game thread locked?