Zach Anderson FGCU
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When he plays with a solid group around him, that isn't nearly as much of an issue. TMP posted numerous times some lineup stats, when referencing how Woodson's substitution patterns were so bad for much of the season. And one of the most eye opening ones was how good our starting lineup was with Gabe in it (after X went down). Things got crappy, really quickly, when we started going to our bench.
Cupps ended up shooting 36% from the three point line. He isn't a "bad" shooter. He just isn't gonna be a guy that scores a ton off the dribble, and isn't going to create a ton of opportunities for himself. Next year, when he plays more minutes surrounded by more capable perimeter playmakers, like Rice, Carlyle, sophomore Mack, Tucker... he'll show more of why he was so successful in high school and AAU.
He had a rough freshman year, overall. Some of that is because of his limitations, some of it because of the team and lineups he was playing with. I think he'll likely improve on some of his own limitations, and the team around him seems to be much better suited for him to be effective.
I just didn’t see him creating any offense, I didn’t see us running him off the high ball screen with a lob to Ware or a short jumper.
I hope we get Anderson. We don’t have a player like him and he could have some outsized contributions for the minutes he gets.
More often he went off high ball screens and skipped the ball to the back side zoom action for Mack. Or continued on with whatever the rest of their offense was.
There are more than a few ways to help a team be efficient offensively. There's no doubt that Gabe is not going to generate a ton of personal stats, and I get the argument against playing a guy like that.
But you also can't deny that the offense was more efficient, and the ball and players moved better when he was playing PG last year.
Trey had some really, really solid games late in the year playing a lot of PG. But he has years worth of tape and data that shows that he doesn't run an efficient offense, overall, when he's the main PG. He, like X, dribbles around too much, outside the lobs that he is good at, he is not a very good passer.
Whether its Trey or Gabe, next year's team will nearly always have 4 other guys on the court that are very capable of making scoring plays. I like Gabe, just as much as Trey, to help facilitate movement and help get the ball to all those guys in the right spots...and then hit open shots when they come to him.
We need a shooter, but there really isn't any playing time available at guard, so a guy like Anderson who can stretch the floor while Malik or Ballo play down low is key. I don't like the idea of Ballo and Malik playing together, so Woody getting better at substitutions will be key now that he will have the depth to do so.
Gabe did do a decent job, especially given that he was overmatched so much physically and athletically. But we now have guards that should be able to compete at a higher level. Add Trey to that level too and if healthy, Newton. Cupps has plenty of time to develop and get better. He played out of necessity because X was hurt or not effective. Now there are limited minutes to go around with our deeper and more talented backcourt. It's a good problem to have.
The full roster needs to be set before really having any idea how the rotations will go. But I think Ballo and Malik will play the first handful of minutes in the game together, and there will be other limited stretches during the game where they play together. But I suspect that will be limited to 10ish minutes, maybe 15 tops, depending on matchups against other teams. We'll see a lot of Mack at the 4. And if we end up signing a guy like Anderson, or maybe Malone even, we'll see them at the 4 as well.
These discussions about two bigs playing together is interesting. I’d bet money woody goes to a lot of horns into 4 out. We did that at times last year. You invert the bigs and put the wings on opposite posts. They can either screen and flare, lob dunk etc. (for a shot)or reverse the ball. What limited us last year was capable shooters. UConn and Purdue used 2 bigs last year so I’m not worried about it.
For sure. I think Cupps now has a very clear role on this team...backup PG. So his playing time will be determined by how many effective minutes Rice is able to play. But I do think when Rice isn't in the game, we will see Cupps in the game for most of those minutes.
Obviously its very possible, for a bunch of different reasons, that Woody opts to slide guys over like Carlyle or Trey...and that Cupps doesn't crack the lineup much.
I just don't think that happens. And until I see them all playing together, I don't think it should happen. As I'm sitting here right now, I think Cupps is our 2nd best PG. So when Rice is out, I think it makes sense that Cupps should be in.
If you follow some of the other sites, it sounds like Anderson isn't happening. Sounds like the visit was a bit of a feeling out on both sides and he's wanting more PT. Also of note, Luke Goode just entered the portal and there's been a lot of smoke around him. Almost willing to bet that's our guy.
Difference is we still dont have great shooting for those two double post. We have some shot makers but nothing like PU had as far as % goes
PU was a horrible shooting team 2 years ago...then they became one of the best shooting teams in the nation last year, largely with the same players.
Mack will be a very reliable outside shooter. Heck, Malik will probably be a mid 30's guy on some more attempts this year.
And neither Rice or Carlyle had the luxury of playing with bigs as good as Reneau and Ballo will be. They'll both be solid outside shooters...and more importantly, solid to very good scorers.
Gabe, when he plays, will hit close to 40% from the 3, I'm sure. Trey has shown he can do that as well.
But neither are guys we should ever rely on shooting for, like we had to last year. We need to keep scouring and pushing for 3 point shooting, I agree with you. Any minutes we can flip from bad 3 point shooting, to reliably good 3 point shooting, at this point, will be worth the effort.
Anderson
Sounds like Luke Goode could emerge as a possibilty
Malone
Any of them.
The fact that the lineup was in the Top 40. What does the top 40 get you? It gets you fired after this year.
Goode's dad played football at IU. From Ft Wayne, isn't he???
He's from the Ft. Wayne area and I know I've heard there were some family connections to IU....but don't recall what those are.
We m ay land goode but the backcourt is becoming very crowded now. Only going to be so many minutes to go around. Still only two bigs on the roster.
What makes you think cupps will see the floor at all next year? If IU lnds goode that is like six guards he will have to beat out to see the floor. Same for newton
You don’t know that. The sophomore jump is real and they are actually willing to shoot it. Plus it’s a catch and shoot situation. Look at UConn. They weren’t the best shooting team either. If this bunch shoots 35% on volume they will be hard to guard.
Maybe? But you'd need a lot more info than that.
Top 40 offense...but what's their defensive efficiency? How did they play in Quad 1 and 2 games?
Top 40ish in both offensive and defensive efficiency, being a B10 school, virtually guarantees top 20 overall in KenPom, which is NCAA tournament lock territory.
And I suspect Cupps will be one of the better overall defenders on the team next year...despite his limitations against bigger/stronger guards.
I get it though...he isn't a big stat stuffer. He isn't explosive. He isn't gonna bomb threes or dunk on anyone. And while I say those things for effect...at some levels, his lack of an ability to do those things do matter.
But the goal is being an efficient basketball team. And Cupps, I think, will help with that. You just might not notice it or realize it.
Because he's solid...last year's team played better with him on the floor than when he wasn't on the floor, despite his limitations and really mediocre stats...he's proven when he's surrounded with good players, that he's really good running a team...he works his ass off...if we add a bigger shooter, like Goode maybe...I would strongly think there will be stretches where Woody wants to play 4 very capable scorer/shooters at the same time, and having Gabe in there to help set them up, would work very well. Gabe, Kanaan or Rice, a guy like Goode, Mack, Malik...
Gabe will see the floor regularly next year. Only thing that changes that is if we end up signing another PG in the portal, that's better than Gabe.
I doubt Cupps plays much next year. To many combo guards next year that are much better players than him. I hope he stays here for 4 years but he just doesn’t create anything. 41 assist all year last year while averaging 21.6 min per game
His uncle is trent green. Both his uncles and dad played football at iu. His cousin played football at iu. His brother goes to school at iu. His parents have season tickets to basketball and football at iu. No reason for him not to come to iu too.
I'd like to see it. Kid has grown up with a lot of hype. It would be a sad deal to see him flop. Hardworker or not, he's got a lot of things to work on. For as strong as they say he is, he sure got pushed around a lot on the court.
I think there were a handful of very visual instances where that happened...surrounded by many, many more solid defensive possessions. And our team defense was notoriously bad helping anyone out in those mismatched situations.
In the end, his role will be diminished this next year, versus what it became last year. He'll be what he was going to be last year, before X went down...a backup PG. Some games he'll play 20 minutes in that role. Some games 10-15. But I'll be shocked if he isn't a regular rotation type guy.
Anderson isn’t going anywhere to back up someone else-he’s planning to start and play serious minutes.
Goode makes sense. Archie probably should’ve been able to land him originally but that’s ancient history now.
Would be nice to land a young post who could back up Ballo for a season and then start in 2025-26.
Goode makes sense. Archie probably should’ve been able to land him originally but that’s ancient history now.
Would be nice to land a young post who could back up Ballo for a season and then start in 2025-26.
Goode might be a better fit than Anderson....
Anderson''s played considerably more minutes than Goode, but Goode's $s stand up well for his time played.
Both shoot3s well, and rebound pretty well, but aren't great FT shooters (.699 for ZA, .677 for Goode).
Anderson takes more 2s and has more assists and more TOs. Goode is more of a designated 3 pt shooter, which may be a better fit anyway as we have plenty of people who will want the ball.
So the thinking is it's either Goode or Anderson, but not both? If true, that should make a decision imminent. First come, first served.
What people? Seems like it was less than 24 hours ago everyone was excited because he was on campus and a decision was likely. Damn, it's hard to keep up with this stuff.
I'd have to watch some more on Anderson...and from what others on here are saying, he's looking for more PT than IU has to offer someone like him...so its probably a moot point. But whichever one of these fellas is a better defender and rebounder is who I'd want. I think their offensive contributions will likely be similar.
Not saying you're wrong about the moot thing, but why visit if he knows who's on the roster already?
Archie never offered just an unofficial visit. Because Leal and Galloway
If you're talking about the starting five lineup, it was in the top 10 to 20 nationally with a high of 3rd. Bench efficiency was woeful and Woody's dumbass lineups didn't help ..
fwiw - Purdue had two lineups in the top 10.
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