First time I have really watched them this year. Very impressive, the big kid Spellman is way better than I expected. They’ve got to be a pretty solid favorite to win it this year.
Watched Villanova today
- Thread starter Sparkaces
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Hopefully one of Nova, VA or Purdue can actually do it in the tourney since we won't be coming anywhere close
Agree. Even Izzo getting his 2nd would be a win over Kansas, Duke, UNC...
I was going to post about the "forgotten" team Nova and then saw this one. How are they doing it, as they have now won a national championship just two years ago, and clearly are one of the better teams out there? I really don't know much about them in terms of their recruiting. Are these kids 5 star, or returning players that grow and develop? Certainly, Cal and Kentucky have to examine what they are doing as young very talented teams seem to not be as successful as veteran ones with some talent as well. Please don't talk about the Anthony Davis team as we had Miller and others with some experience plus a player like Davis is a very rare one. I know we want to recruit the best, what program doesn't? However, is Nova finding players who are one and done or stay?
Let's tell the truth about this subject and see if you still want to forward the conversation....
2010 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Elite Eight
2011 Nova NADA not even NIT......UK Final Four
2012 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Champions
2013 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK NIT
2014 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK Runner Up
2015 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK Final Four
2016 Nova Champions...................UK 2nd Round
2017 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Elite Eight
So Nova made it past the Sweet 16 ONE TIME since Cal has been at UK.... what are they doing so much better than UK? Hmmmmm?
LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL,
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To answer your question about 5 stars for Nova...without looking it up Im pretty sure Spellman and and Brunson were in the 18-24 range or "low end 5 star". I dont think either were ever considered one and done. I think Spellman actually had to sit last year because of academics, but if I remember correctly he's an undersized but very skilled Center. I seem to remember him being a prep school teammate of one Brad Calipari.
Ive always loved Brunson's game. He strikes me as Briscoe with a decent jump shot. Same body type and similar level of athleticism with Brunson being far more skilled.
I dont know where Mikal Bridges was ranked but Jay Wright sure is good at finding these unheralded wing guys like Kris Jenkins who arent considered big time draft prospects (although Bridges is getting serious looks). Wright also seems to have a white guard who is just a freakin gamer. They have that with Divincenzo, and before that they had 4 years of that hard nosed kid Ryan Arcidiacano. And over a decade back they had a kid named Mike Nardi who balled.
If Jay Wright isnt at the top of your post-Cal wish list right now he probably should be. The one and done recruiting was super exciting when Cal was getting the best of the best. I still wouldnt trade Cal for anyone else, but Jay Wright's recruiting and development model is basically what most of this board has been yearning for of late.
Let's tell the truth about this subject and see if you still want to forward the conversation....
2010 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Elite Eight
2011 Nova NADA not even NIT......UK Final Four
2012 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Champions
2013 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK NIT
2014 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK Runner Up
2015 Nova Sweet 16.......................UK Final Four
2016 Nova Champions...................UK 2nd Round
2017 Nova 2nd Round....................UK Elite Eight
So Nova made it past the Sweet 16 ONE TIME since Cal has been at UK.... what are they doing so much better than UK? Hmmmmm?
LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL,
They've become Kansas east. regular season dominance in an overrated conference has left them unprepared for big games in March.
So, your saying we get all three in our bracket. Sounds like par for the course.
Some of our fans are kidding themselves if they think everything is going just fine. We've got some things that need to be addressed. And if we don't get most everyone back next season, it may get worse.
Villanova is absolutely insane on offense right now.
I want to see Nova offense go up against Virginia's defense.
I want to see Nova offense go up against Virginia's defense.
I remember when Brunson and Briscoe were the top 2 PG's in their class according to the rankings. Obviously Brunson has won that debate. Just looking back on Briscoe I just don't understand his decision to come here and UK's decision to bring him in. We already had Ulis and its not like Briscoe was a combo guard. I know Slice was really pushing him at the time, but Cal should have seen that is wasn't a good fit.
Perhaps the difference is that Brunson is still there and Briscoe is not with us. Why do we suggest if players stay they will improve and then have the suggestion that Briscoe would not have? He clearly improved his free throw shooting from one year to the next, he was a force on the inside, and likely would have been a key to this team if still here.
players on average improve and make the biggest improvement from year 1 to year 2.
But it varies so much with individuals.
Briscoe did improve.......tho it was really marginal. When you shoot 48% from the line in year 1, there's really nowhere to go but up. You could question that it might not have even been actual improvement in shooting but rather just regression to the mean. Same thing with his 3 pt shooting 14% in year 1 to 29% in year 2. It was always more likely he was going to shoot better in the 2nd year.
But it varies so much with individuals.
Briscoe did improve.......tho it was really marginal. When you shoot 48% from the line in year 1, there's really nowhere to go but up. You could question that it might not have even been actual improvement in shooting but rather just regression to the mean. Same thing with his 3 pt shooting 14% in year 1 to 29% in year 2. It was always more likely he was going to shoot better in the 2nd year.
The_Answer. So, if we recruit someone like Diallo who makes Briscoe look good, then we need to get a two year commitment is what you are therefore suggesting? By the way Josh Harrrellson, Jeff Sheppard, and many many many others would challenge your concept that players make their most significant improvement from first to second year.
Nova has done nothing under Jay Wright in 17 years except caught lightning in a bottle with a luck shot a couple of years ago. His NCAA tournament record is absolutely abysmal.
Well again, the first to second year doesn't apply to everyone. And some don't improve at all. Some get worse. It's all based on individuals really. What happened with Josh I think was one of Cal's best examples of developing a player. I think Josh realized that without Kanter he was playing a huge role that season and he took the opportunity and ran with it.
But for every Josh, you could find others that simply did not improve.
As far as Diallo goes, I think he needs to come back. I think that's obvious. He's not NBA ready yet. He is....like you've said.....essentially Briscoe right now. My hope is he comes back and he's one of those guys that falls into the big improvement from year 1 to year 2.
This isn't your typical Nova team tho. At this pace, their offensive efficiency would be the best ever.
It's crazy the last three years they have had a top 5 offense. But this year it's even leaps and bounds ahead of those years.
Their effective FG% is 60.7%. They only turn it over 14.5% of the time. It's insane lol
The reality is that Briscoe never really got a chance to play his position in college. My point is it really wasn't a good choice for Briscoe or UK. Briscoe should have gone somewhere he could have started at PG and Cal should have taken a lower ranked PG or SF (don't forget we had Hawkins and Matthews already). I know it has worked before, but guys like Murray and Bledsoe have been able to play multiple positions and Briscoe wasnt playing SG, he was playing SF lol.
Wright seems to have finally got things rolling. We will see if this means consistent tourney success or not.
The Spellman kid hitting threes shocked me. They are a hell of a team and don't forget their starting SG is out but will be back at some point.
And Wright’s almost total failure in the NCAA tournament besides that year is easily googled. In fact, the last four years he has averaged 32 wins a year and only made it out the first weekend of the tournament once. That’s pathetic.
Yeah, but Duke literally has 5 players, but you can bet foul trouble will not be a factor for Duke in the tourny.
So obviously in one and done tournament where anything can happen, we are supposed to use previous years as some history that something can't or won't happen? We just gonna forget the year they did win it all?
The three best teams in the NCAA are Perdue, Villanova and Virginia. We are just going to dismiss these teams because prior history says they won't do well in the tournament?
Cal never won a title until 2012.......when he did. There's a first time for anything.
The three best teams in the NCAA are Perdue, Villanova and Virginia. We are just going to dismiss these teams because prior history says they won't do well in the tournament?
Cal never won a title until 2012.......when he did. There's a first time for anything.
A
anon_013cn8yrfncx2
Guest
Well then it has to be Duke. But I'd take the field and you can have those four.
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so i guess that was a imaginary sweet 16 in 2005 and regional final in 2006 and final 4 in 2009 that wright teams made it too, sorry to troll guy, not really my style.
if your going question wright ncaa record, wich is fair to do, dont just talk about the bad. in 17 years hes done a lot at nova, there i got it off my chest. good day!
if your going question wright ncaa record, wich is fair to do, dont just talk about the bad. in 17 years hes done a lot at nova, there i got it off my chest. good day!
Sorry but the thread is about Cal at UK and Nova so the time period starts at 2010.
Cal had 2 FF's prior to then as well, thus still better than Jay. Villanova is the Junior Wildcats...
Your right.
I mean people can't just cherry pick results that fit their view point.