What has surprised you so far this year?

[OG-T]

I like Claude’s game. He’s WAY more springy than he consistently shows; he seems to float off the ground. If he had a little nasty attitude I think he would dunk on people; maybe he’ll get blocked some, but also get fouled quite often.

 

[forensicbuzz]

You'd have a point if there was only room for one of them, or if Ndongo wasn't our only effective front court player despite us adding 6 of them in the offseason. Especially odd timing after our most current game. Lets look at how our other players did against Nevada

Tafara Gapare - 18 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebs.
Tyzhaun Claude - 14 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebs
Ibrahima Sacko - 3 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebs.
Ebenezer Dowuona - DNP
Ibrahim Souare - DNP

A combined 3 points and 7 rebs in 35 minutes of play. We surely couldn't have used another option who was more proven than any of them at the ACC level. And certainly we couldn't have found a use for a 6-7 225 pound athletic defender in potentially slowing down a mismatch the other team exploited throughout the game.



Yeah, you really showed me that take was bad...

I think it was pretty well known that Jalon went to CDS and they talked. CDS told him that there might be games he gets 5 minutes and games he gets 25 minutes, depending on what they were running and who they were playing. It was a couple of days later he put his name in the Portal. This came from his HS or AAU coach in B'Ham. I don't blame Jalon for not rolling the dice and I applaud CDS for being honest and forthright before the portal closed.

 

[gte447f]

Jalon Moore entered the transfer portal on May 11. Ndongo decommitted from Rutgers on April 27 and committed to GT on May 19. My dig wasn’t about the timeline but more so the poster who I referenced incessant argument that we pushed out players who’d significantly contribute this year and took on players who wouldn’t. After seeing this year’s roster compared to last, I’m just glad we made the offseason we did. Ironically, Moore is probably the only player who we miss but him being here would stunt Ndongo’s development. Just like Meka would have with Gapare.

Meke wouldn't have gotten any playing time. His fairly limited skill set did mot fit CDS scheme at all. Moore is a much better fit ay Oklahoma than at what CDS runs. Nadongo and Gapare are good fits for CDS' scheme!

Totally agree with Root’s assessment. Meka wouldn’t have sniffed a single minute of playing time under CDS. He was nowhere near an ACC level player in any capacity, not even as a defensive role player or backup. He was a blowout, mop up duty, level player.

Jalon Moore has good athleticism and he probably could have been a contributor on some level, but he was nothing special, and I don’t think he would have been a real game changer, so I don’t think the team is any worse off without him.

I like what CDS has been able to accomplish with the roster in just one offseason.

 

[JABROY]

Hi everyone,
I just signed up because I loved Damon Stoudamire as a player and I think he's doing well as a coach too..

Congratulations to the whole team for your season so far, NAIT GEORGE is surprising me in particular: unranked but great passer and great vision if he could put up a reliable shot…

I read that he is reclassified in 2023 (previously it was 2024) but I couldn't find his birth date: was he born in 2004 or 2005? Nothing changes but if he were 2005 it would be even more surprising

Thank you all

 

[forensicbuzz]

Hi everyone,
I just signed up because I loved Damon Stoudamire as a player and I think he's doing well as a coach too..

Congratulations to the whole team for your season so far, NAIT GEORGE is surprising me in particular: unranked but great passer and great vision if he could put up a reliable shot…

I read that he is reclassified in 2023 (previously it was 2024) but I couldn't find his birth date: was he born in 2004 or 2005? Nothing changes but if he were 2005 it would be even more surprising

Thank you all

Nait was originally 2023. He didn't get a lot of exposure so reclassified to 2024 and was going to spend a year in the States (he's Canadian). When GT offered, he reclassified back to 2023 and joined GT this fall. That's the way I've heard the story.

"George reclassified from the 2023 class to the 2024 class and jump-started his recruitment with a strong summer gaining the attention of the Yellow Jacket staff in the process earning him an offer. He will now reclassify to the 2023 class again and start school at Georgia Tech next week." Jackets Online

 

[GT33]

@JABROY Welcome to the GT basketball rollercoaster ride. We’re on top, we’re at the bottom, we’re careening out of control…..

It can be thrilling at times and then in the blink of an eye make you want to chug the whole whiskey bottle you’ve been sipping on so you forget the whole damn thing.

 

[Jack]

@JABROY Welcome to the GT basketball rollercoaster ride. We’re on top, we’re at the bottom, we’re careening out of control…..

It can be thrilling at times and then in the blink of an eye make you want to chug the whole whiskey bottle you’ve been sipping on so you forget the whole damn thing.

Yep, it was easy to have unrealistic expectations coming in with a new coach and new players, but, as usual, expectations in life lead to disappointment.
New coach, new systems, and new players takes a while to mesh.
Of course I would have liked more wins but the guys are playing hard and are competitive in most games, and it is fun watching something special developing.

 

[slugboy]

In the offseason , when I looked at the stats of our transfers in, it was an increase in scoring from Pastner’s roster, but not a ton. It looked like a lot of guys around 10 points per game, if I remember correctly, and some around 8.

Taking the points per minute our players had at another team and just moving them over here wasn’t going to make us a tournament team—most of them had to play a lot better here than they played there (wherever “there” was)

Our season was always going to depend on player development. I thought it would go faster. It’s happening though.

 

[Steverc]

Right around this time last season we went on that brutal 9 game losing streak. It looks like we are on the same path now. I didn't think that would happen ever again.

 

[randerto]

@JABROY Welcome to the GT basketball rollercoaster ride. We’re on top, we’re at the bottom, we’re careening out of control…..

It can be thrilling at times and then in the blink of an eye make you want to chug the whole whiskey bottle you’ve been sipping on so you forget the whole damn thing.

This may be the best post thus far in 2024...at least it gets my nomination...