I hope..
- Thread starter uncleter
- Start date
Is he going somewhere?
We get a nice conference win and the only thing you can think to say is to rip on a true freshman?
I'm as happy as anyone that we got the W. As RMK once said "they are no longer freshmen when you get to the BIG season". Durham has not shown a lot. Hoping that Romeo is wearing that number for us next season.
The game we see now from Morgan isn't the game he had his first 2 years, not even close. Shows that this staff can help players improve their game which gives hope they can do the same for Durham or anyone else.
He is a freshman and was rated a 3* for a reason. Kentucky has 5* freshman that play bad at times. I hope at this time next year you have something actually smart to say. There was some good and a lot of bad but we got the win and to point out one player is just plain stupid. Lets talk about all the free throws we missed.
Al will be fine. Just needs to keep working.CAM is coaching his brains out. 5&3 in big w not much talent. We got one guy who is good and others play roles. I love watching us play D. Still hard to watch O. I think Archie needs some props
Go Hoosiers!
Go Hoosiers!
I agree Archie should be getting a lot more recognition. He’s doing this without a center.
Or point guard...or descent shooting guard
Truthfully, we have one really good player - Morgan. And he played on half an ankle last night.
Most impressive thing last night? Down 5 with five minutes left (after three horrible calls), they fought back and took control. Newkirk (an 80% foul shooter) misses two FTs and has a terrible TO, only to come right back with a tremendous block on defense. Morgan grabs a HUGE rebound for a putback to keep the margin at 3.
Toughness. This team appears to finally understand it is the key to winning ballgames. Now we need to sustain it.
We need guards for next year badly. Durham, phinnissee and green is a concern.
I asked on the chat last night if CAM has this team over achieving. Our guards have struggled all year to shoot the ball and we lost our only post player, but still beat bigger teams with better talent. Turgeon had an advantage inside and never exploited it. Frddie was guarding a 7'-1 player for a period of time and they didn't look for him at all
I feel better about Rojo. Morgan, McRoberts and Smith are becoming a solid unit together. We need Green to take better shots and make better decisions and be that 5th starter. Until then, Newkirk will have to start.
As far as the title of the post, Al started out better than I expected but is struggling now. Whether he gives up his number or not, I would like to have Al and Romeo next year
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I feel better about Rojo. Morgan, McRoberts and Smith are becoming a solid unit together. We need Green to take better shots and make better decisions and be that 5th starter. Until then, Newkirk will have to start.
As far as the title of the post, Al started out better than I expected but is struggling now. Whether he gives up his number or not, I would like to have Al and Romeo next year
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Agreed. Even with Langford, a transfer or 5th year senior PG that can hit an open shot would be huge.
McRoberts not sulking after his 2nd miss and immediately getting back to cover Herstus was a gigantic display of mental toughness.
I don't think I would have. I would have sulked.
I noticed that as well.
That kid has earned our admiration for his play. Amazing that he is beginning to shoot 3s.
As for Al, I'm disappointed in his play. Not his fault.....he's just not very good. I really thought he could be a borderline starter in the future, but I'm not seeing that now.
The thing a kid like McRoberts has over some of these kids is he's been well coached in fundamentals. You look at Al and he's still trying to catch up - which impacts his confidence.
With the inside situation as it is, Moore didn't get off the bench - because he's not ready for a game like last night. Archie doesn't want to put him in a position to fail, not only because it hurts the team but because it'll hurt Moore's confidence as well.
It’s typically not a very good idea to make huge leaps like that based on half of a freshman season.
True - especially on a kid ranked 230th in the nation and 16th in Georgia. He's got some good attributes (length, athleticism), but he's got a lot that still needs to develop.
I didn't expect Al to play this year. I was pleasantly surprised when he jumped ahead of Cujo and started. He showed promise as a shooter, defender, and he didn't turn the ball over. While Smith has made big strides since the Christmas break, Al has struggled.
Let's all be realistic: Al shouldn't be contributing major minutes in Big Ten play. He's getting great experience and he should benefit from it, but he's in way over his head and skill set. The speed adjustment from HS to college is tough for even the top frosh in the country to get used to, but for a guy like Al, he's overwhelmed. And it shows in his play. Smith, Al, and even Moore (with his very limited minutes), will be much better prepared for what college basketball is all about next year. That said, they'll also look horrible at times this season.
To end my post on a positive note, I really like what I'm seeing from Smith. He might be the best athlete on the team and he's getting better as he plays more. The opposite is happening with Al, and with Justin looking better and better each game, it makes it appear even worse for Al. I was worried that Smith might be a tweener and not have a real position in college and he's put that fear to bed for me. He can play the 3 or the 4 and he's only going to get stronger and more explosive. Smith, Morgan, Davis and Hunter will give IU great options in the front court next year. (I'm counting Hunter as a 3/SF).
To end my post on a positive note, I really like what I'm seeing from Smith. He might be the best athlete on the team and he's getting better as he plays more. The opposite is happening with Al, and with Justin looking better and better each game, it makes it appear even worse for Al. I was worried that Smith might be a tweener and not have a real position in college and he's put that fear to bed for me. He can play the 3 or the 4 and he's only going to get stronger and more explosive. Smith, Morgan, Davis and Hunter will give IU great options in the front court next year. (I'm counting Hunter as a 3/SF).
I'm sure it would take some experience to know how to handle a rough stretch like he is having. He seems like a smart kid and will be a good player in the next 3+ yeard.
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