Morehouse Exhibition Game

slugboy

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Ken Suguira wrote up the exhibition. He has the same ideas as people wrote up here


He seems to do better writing up basketball

First, we didn’t turn the post into a position of strength in the off-season. Howard doesn’t try to score, Saba has a lot of size, but he hasn’t learned to use it yet. Meka was injured again

Second, maybe we’ll see Usher at the 5 a lot. I’m not sure how that speed lineup works against teams with solid bigs; hopefully outside shooting steps up.

The exhibition was because Pastner was friends with Morehouse’s coach who died last year. Maybe NCAA rules of some sort blocked a broadcast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

orientalnc

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Ken Suguira wrote up the exhibition. He has the same ideas as people wrote up here


He seems to do better writing up basketball

First, we didn’t turn the post into a position of strength in the off-season. Howard doesn’t try to score, Saba has a lot of size, but he hasn’t learned to use it yet. Meka was injured again

Second, maybe we’ll see Usher at the 5 a lot. I’m not sure how that speed lineup works against teams with solid bigs; hopefully outside shooting steps up.

The exhibition was because Pastner was friends with Morehouse’s coach who died last year. Maybe NCAA rules of some sort blocked a broadcast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
From the write up, and the comments above, a couple of my questions got tentative (positive) answers. Smith is the real deal on defense and Coleman will play a lot.

I still want to see Howard and Saba against better competition. And, I wonder if Pastner's comment about a nine man rotation will survive the OOC schedule.
 

slugboy

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From the write up, and the comments above, a couple of my questions got tentative (positive) answers. Smith is the real deal on defense and Coleman will play a lot.

I still want to see Howard and Saba against better competition. And, I wonder if Pastner's comment about a nine man rotation will survive the OOC schedule.
Pastner seems to have said that they’ll be experimenting and feeling out the lineups and strategies up until conference play
 

dtm1997

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Ken Suguira wrote up the exhibition. He has the same ideas as people wrote up here


He seems to do better writing up basketball

First, we didn’t turn the post into a position of strength in the off-season. Howard doesn’t try to score, Saba has a lot of size, but he hasn’t learned to use it yet. Meka was injured again

Second, maybe we’ll see Usher at the 5 a lot. I’m not sure how that speed lineup works against teams with solid bigs; hopefully outside shooting steps up.

The exhibition was because Pastner was friends with Morehouse’s coach who died last year. Maybe NCAA rules of some sort blocked a broadcast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Probably wasn't worth the expense to broadcast.

I'm not gonna click on Ken's article, because he's not a good writer or journalist, but Pastner's presser is always the best post-game recap.
 

MidtownJacket

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Even in losing Alvarado and Wright, Pastner believes that this team could be deeper. He typically plays a six- or seven-man rotation, “but I think for this year, we’re going to have to get into an eight-, nine-man rotation and figure that out.”

👀
 

GTHomer

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Even in losing Alvarado and Wright, Pastner believes that this team could be deeper. He typically plays a six- or seven-man rotation, “but I think for this year, we’re going to have to get into an eight-, nine-man rotation and figure that out.”

👀
I'd like to see them use a deeper bench, especially if they play the speed game albeit under control. Interestingly, this can potentially help with recruiting.
 

Techster

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Ken Suguira wrote up the exhibition. He has the same ideas as people wrote up here


He seems to do better writing up basketball

First, we didn’t turn the post into a position of strength in the off-season. Howard doesn’t try to score, Saba has a lot of size, but he hasn’t learned to use it yet. Meka was injured again

Second, maybe we’ll see Usher at the 5 a lot. I’m not sure how that speed lineup works against teams with solid bigs; hopefully outside shooting steps up.

The exhibition was because Pastner was friends with Morehouse’s coach who died last year. Maybe NCAA rules of some sort blocked a broadcast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

NASCAR lineup! Some of us talked about that when Smith transferred in, and it looks like Pastner is contemplating it going "small ball" with our most athletic and quickest lineup to push tempo.

Pastner also said that because of the depth we have (will rotate more players in than in the past...up to 8-9 guys rotating in a game) GT would full court press more. Makes sense because of our length and athleticism at the guard and wing spots. Usher/Deebo/Deivon especially with their speed/quickness and length.

My worry with Deivon Smith when he transferred in was that he might want to be more of a scoring guard (think Will Bynum, Trae Young). But he's saying and doing all the right things. He wants to set the tone of defense (ala Alvarado), and distribute the ball around to his teammates (8 assists!), then push the pace in transition. I think we can all agree if we have Alvarado part 2 that's more athletic, faster, and longer...GT is going to be in REALLY good hands with Smith at PG.

Obviously Morehouse was outclassed this exhibition, but it does give us some clues as to what our staff is thining in terms of personnel and usage.

Season can't start soon enough for me.
 

Jazzchaz

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My starting four are Devoe, Usher, K Moore, and Smith. The fifth starter will depend on the team Tech is playing. Devoe and Usher look like bigger and stronger versions of themselves. K Moore for defense. He did not shoot well at all yesterday. Smith glided up and down the court with speed and never even looked winded. Y'all read his assists, steals, fouls drawn, and +/-. The only question mark is how he will handle pressure from great defenders? All I know is that I doubt there are very many that can stay with him.
Tech's defense made life miserable for Morehouse and scored often off turnovers. But where do the points come from in those games with the whistle happy refs? Right now, I see no offense from Howard or Saba. Neither one showed me they have a shot. But they have improved and Tech has a history of vastly improving the big guys so it will be fun to watch. A thick center will move them out of the way very easily. Neither one appears to have a lot of strength contesting a rebound. Perhaps I sound harsh, but hopefully that means they will be the ones making the greatest strides. This brings us to Meka. He will not be pushed around, can rebound and has a shot. But he lacks the shot deterring height of Saba.
Coleman and J Moore are full grown men and neither look at all like they will be intimidated! Once a Morehouse player had two hands securing the ball and Coleman stuck a quick hand on it like the head of snake and knocked it free. I smiled as it reminded me of Dennis Scott.....and he's a a big guy that can hit threes! We can only hope!
J Moore went to the hoop twice when he should have made the pass, but perhaps he was trying to impress. He did have one nice and quick jump shot. He's not ready to start yet but could be soon.
So this takes us back to the fifth starter. I really don't think Tech can afford to have two starters that don't score. So it may be they have to go with Coleman, Meka, or Saba/Howard depending on the opposition.
Somebody is going to have to be the guy that can go to the hoop and get those clutch layups at the end of the game. Jose is gone. Who is going to be that guy who steps up?
 

OG-T

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I think the person that’s going to have to “step up” is Coach Pastner. Not a jab at him at all. I just do not believe he’s going to have the “starters” locked in for each game, and then being able to manage players based on matchups, and in-game flow - while he’s considering 9 or 10 guys - is going to be very demanding on him. Plus, he’s gonna be juggling a roster addition to his family. This year will be a challenge unlike previous years for Pastner, and really curious to see how he’s able to tinker game to game and throughout season. I do hope he lets some of the guys play through some early mistakes. I’d hate for him to rattle confidence and get in their head so they end up playing looking over their shoulders. If the “instinct” is removed for fear of being pulled off court, then a player thinks and hesitates - hope he gives young guns a little leash.
 

Gt2019

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My starting 5 is:
Devoe
Smith
Moore
Usher
Saba.
I think Smith gives you a Alvarado type who has a very high motor, aggressive, tons of energy and just makes havoc and pisses off opponents. I chose Saba because I don’t think Meka is ready and Saba has a higher ceiling and more he can do in bits and pieces then Howard. He can run up and down the floor decently, has height and contest all shots and even has some offensive game shooting wise outside which is rare and could catch some teams off guard.
All in all, I am absolutely hyped for Smith. Kids ceiling is through the roof and I think he can be better then Alvarado when all is said and done if he gets his Jumper locked down.
 

Gt2019

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Another guy I’m exited about nobody is talking about is Super walkon Jermonte Hill. Kid is just a straight up hooper. I watched him at the AEBL this summer in Atlanta and he has some skill and could provide a impact. I was impressed after seeing him at AEBL. He was a 4 star before taking a year off and had a very very impressive offer sheet.
 

Northeast Stinger

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I think the person that’s going to have to “step up” is Coach Pastner. Not a jab at him at all. I just do not believe he’s going to have the “starters” locked in for each game, and then being able to manage players based on matchups, and in-game flow - while he’s considering 9 or 10 guys - is going to be very demanding on him. Plus, he’s gonna be juggling a roster addition to his family. This year will be a challenge unlike previous years for Pastner, and really curious to see how he’s able to tinker game to game and throughout season. I do hope he lets some of the guys play through some early mistakes. I’d hate for him to rattle confidence and get in their head so they end up playing looking over their shoulders. If the “instinct” is removed for fear of being pulled off court, then a player thinks and hesitates - hope he gives young guns a little leash.
Pastner loves what he does for a living. The challenge will bring out the best in him.
 

MtnWasp

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Two things from the post game presser that makes me smile:

1. He stated that Deebo Coleman "is ready" to play at this level.
2. The culture of the program "is great," which should mean that we should see the playing hard mentality carry over to this season.

Looks like three positions will be manned by committee: 1, 3 & 5 (with Devoe eating most of the minutes at the 2 and Usher eating most of the minutes at the 4). If we go up-tempo for real, then Usher and Devoe may average only around 30mpg.
 

Connell62

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Two things from the post game presser that makes me smile:

1. He stated that Deebo Coleman "is ready" to play at this level.
2. The culture of the program "is great," which should mean that we should see the playing hard mentality carry over to this season.

Looks like three positions will be manned by committee: 1, 3 & 5 (with Devoe eating most of the minutes at the 2 and Usher eating most of the minutes at the 4). If we go up-tempo for real, then Usher and Devoe may average only around 30mpg.
I haven't been able to post since Sunday with so much going on, but I think that Deebo (and maybe Miles Kelly) is what I came away most impressed by.

He's not flashy, almost like a throwback player, but you can just tell that he knows the game of basketball. He knew where to be at all times, and he was poised, never got rushed.

If you didn't know better, you would think he was an upperclassman. I suspect that we see him play a ton of minutes as a freshman.

Miles Kelly will also get a lot of burn. His motor never stopped and he is made to fill it up. These two will make an impact for sure.
 

orientalnc

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I haven't been able to post since Sunday with so much going on, but I think that Deebo (and maybe Miles Kelly) is what I came away most impressed by.

He's not flashy, almost like a throwback player, but you can just tell that he knows the game of basketball. He knew where to be at all times, and he was poised, never got rushed.

If you didn't know better, you would think he was an upperclassman. I suspect that we see him play a ton of minutes as a freshman.

Miles Kelly will also get a lot of burn. His motor never stopped and he is made to fill it up. These two will make an impact for sure.
I hope you are correct. I am ready for the season to begin!
 

Home Park Jacket

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I haven't been able to post since Sunday with so much going on, but I think that Deebo (and maybe Miles Kelly) is what I came away most impressed by.

He's not flashy, almost like a throwback player, but you can just tell that he knows the game of basketball. He knew where to be at all times, and he was poised, never got rushed.

If you didn't know better, you would think he was an upperclassman. I suspect that we see him play a ton of minutes as a freshman.

Miles Kelly will also get a lot of burn. His motor never stopped and he is made to fill it up. These two will make an impact for sure.
Totally agree. Deebo is just a basketball player. Kelly is going to be very good. But Smith also impressed me a lot. I was worried about our PG, but not now.
 

alagold

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THe comment on JP's sub pattern is right on.We have almost too many backcourt guys that maybe deserve to play. Then--honestly we are seriously lacking front court ability. ex-Howard--if you can't score AT ALL vs a D-2team ,you can't score.Siba needs another yr at least to play ACC ball.A good BIG team will eat us alive probably. So do you go small and quick mostly?
 

YlJacket

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For what it’s worth I don’t think Howard not scoring means teams with good Bigs are going to eat us alive. He moved well in the exhibition and looks to be at least a a decent defender. The issue is going to be how many players we can play who are not offensive threats
 
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