Carino: 5 Burning Questions

RUBigFrank

All-Conference
Jun 9, 2003
2,875
1,792
113
Saw some promise from bigs last year that could portend this year:
  1. Doorson posting up last during the tournament and late in the season (where was that all season).
  2. Doucore had a nice shot 5-10 feet from the basket early in the season which disappeared - he lost confidence due to foul trouble, Late season posts similar to Doorson.
 

kcg88

Heisman
Aug 11, 2017
10,862
17,230
0
Saw some promise from bigs last year that could portend this year:
  1. Doorson posting up last during the tournament and late in the season (where was that all season).
  2. Doucore had a nice shot 5-10 feet from the basket early in the season which disappeared - he lost confidence due to foul trouble, Late season posts similar to Doorson.

I liked what I saw from Thiam in the paint late in the year as well.
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
Okay, don't buy it.

Baker wore down and got sick last year, and bounced back for the postseason. Thiam did the same the year before that. We don't know if Sanders was sick in late February his freshman year, because he was suspended for 4 games. Myles Mack had a big dropoff in February of his freshman year, too, before bouncing back in March.

It is real. You can't equate what goes in to a AAU game to what happens in a college game with the bright lights and the microscope and airplanes.

I have witnessed it under my roof different sport one level lower. I truly respect it now.
 
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Dec 4, 2010
5,866
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I think the 2 factors at play here....
1. Slow and low release leading to block shots and lack of confidence
2. Upper classmen not being the most encouraging group. I got the sense that Issa had little to no respect from them and really the team as a whole.

For these 2 reasons there is a huge fear of missing shots.
That could all be true. I'd just rather see someone who has more game take those minutes. I'm hoping it's Mathis and Kiss.
 
Last edited:

NBKnight

Heisman
Jul 8, 2008
24,751
15,656
61
I am hoping/expecting Mathis and Kiss to take minutes away from '17-'18 Issa. I am also hoping, but not expecting '18-'19 Issa is nothing like '17-'18 Issa on the offensive end.

Wouldn't they have to play the 56 minutes that Sanders and Williams played first?
 

RUBigFrank

All-Conference
Jun 9, 2003
2,875
1,792
113
Thiam could be a monster from the three corner.

The Issue with Thiam is he catches the ball low and needs time to bring up and over his head and shoot. Loses that moment to get an open shot.
 

RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
0
Wouldn't they have to play the 56 minutes that Sanders and Williams played first?

We have to replace about 61 min/game if you total up all the minutes played by Sanders, Williams, Mensah, Dadika, and Bullock at the 1-3 spots.

Assuming Baker stays at about the same minutes (31.6), that 61 minutes will be up for grabs between Mathis, Kiss, McConnell, and Harper - and may bleed over into some of Thiam's 29.0 mpg.

If you carve out, say, 10 mpg for McConnell to spell Baker at PG, that's about 51 min across Mathis, Kiss, and Harper.
 

Bob Chaewsky_rivals

All-American
Dec 31, 2008
7,948
5,262
113
Freshmen that are leaned on early often get worn down late in the season. They're dealing with new routines, new daily schedules, new sleep schedules, new S&C procedures, more games and minutes than HS against a big step up in competition, etc. Thiam ended up getting sick as a freshman late in the year, and so did Baker. Fair chance that Mathis will this year, too, if we lean on him for 25+ minutes.

As a sophomore, he should be more comfortable with the routine, as nothing will really be "new" - he'll have a year's worth of experience and conditioning under his belt, and should be less likely to break down late in the season.

My question is whether he's ready to step up from B1G secondary scorer to B1G lead scorer.
Geo didn't really break down. He got sick like happens to a lot of people in the winter.
 
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RUinFla

All-Conference
Aug 2, 2001
15,934
3,640
0
Late in the season, there was a piece that noted that Geo had logged more minutes at that time than any other B1G freshman. We only had three usable guards. Souf, who was way over his head, was 4th guard, and Bullock played later in the season out of necessity. Geo worn down, got nicked up--and sick. He started all but a game or so, even when he was worn down, nicked up and sick. The two games in the tournament were Geo refreshed and renewed. Have no doubt that he will lead this team, and if he is also the leading scorer, fine. A good many PG's lead their team in scoring, even if they are pass first PG's.
TL
 

Greene Rice FIG

Heisman
Dec 30, 2005
40,437
23,613
0
We have to replace about 61 min/game if you total up all the minutes played by Sanders, Williams, Mensah, Dadika, and Bullock at the 1-3 spots.

Assuming Baker stays at about the same minutes (31.6), that 61 minutes will be up for grabs between Mathis, Kiss, McConnell, and Harper - and may bleed over into some of Thiam's 29.0 mpg.

If you carve out, say, 10 mpg for McConnell to spell Baker at PG, that's about 51 min across Mathis, Kiss, and Harper.

If I am right add an extra 20 to slide Issa and Harper to the 4.

I think it is almost a given Mathis and Baker get 65. Where does the extra 45-65 minutes go between mcconnell kiss issa harper.

i guess
baker 30
mathis 30
kiss 25
issa 25
harper 15
mcconnell 15

eugene 25
carter 25
doorson/johnson/duke 10

just crazy guess. need to solve scoring problem.
 

RUChoppin

Heisman
Dec 1, 2006
19,270
13,695
0
If I am right add an extra 20 to slide Issa and Harper to the 4.

I think it is almost a given Mathis and Baker get 65. Where does the extra 45-65 minutes go between mcconnell kiss issa harper.

i guess
baker 30
mathis 30
kiss 25
issa 25
harper 15
mcconnell 15

eugene 25
carter 25
doorson/johnson/duke 10

just crazy guess. need to solve scoring problem.

You think that Doorson, Johnson, and Doucoure will combine to just 10 min/game?
 
Dec 4, 2010
5,866
5,256
0
]
Thiam could be a monster from the three corner.

The Issue with Thiam is he catches the ball low and needs time to bring up and over his head and shoot. Loses that moment to get an open shot.
The issue with Thiam is he's not a baller. Doesn't matter where he catches or releases the ball.
 
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