Yakwe - This Summer

I wonder what guys like Yakwe are doing this summer that's different than what he did summer that caused him to completely forget how to play basketball?

The players who improved the most with our staff are the guys who first played last year. Owens and Ponds for example. But Yakwe's regression was hard to watch. He'll be a junior now, and as it's turned out, he's the only one left from Mullin's first class.

Clearly whatever it was that he was doing last summer he shouldn't do it again.

His free throw stroke improved but that was about it. He seemed to lose a lot of his aggression and stopped using his best trait which is his pure athleticism. I said that I would like to him to improve his shooting stroke but maybe this summer he might be better served focusing on the things that made him one of the best freshman in the conference his first year instead of looking to work on his weaknesses. Play to your strengths might be the best advice he can be given.

Using a golf analogy...he seems to "stand over the ball" too long meaning he appears to really be thinking too much when he is preparing to shoot. Compounds it by having a "long swing" meaning he really has a lot of moving parts going on as well.

The staff should be able to help him and hopefully he is putting in the work. Lots of examples of guys who couldn't shoot a lick before getting to NBA and improving dramatically because they know they have to outwork others to hang on.

https://twitter.com/StJohnsBBall/status/879785110341435392

Yakwe banging out some pretty good squats at the 32 sec mark here
https://twitter.com/ComptonStrength/status/877169114879598592

If Yakwe improves in one area this year, it's rebounding. This team sorely needs it.

Rebound and defense. Unless he's improved, I don't want to to see him touch the ball on offense. Ever

There is a role for Yakwe on offense.... it's catchin alley oops and putting back offensive rebounds. 

He also should benefit from better pick and role action with Ponds, Lovett, and now Simon.   
Tariq and Clark look like they can be pick and pop players.... but Yakwe has to just go to the rim. 

His free throw stroke improved but that was about it. He seemed to lose a lot of his aggression and stopped using his best trait which is his pure athleticism. I said that I would like to him to improve his shooting stroke but maybe this summer he might be better served focusing on the things that made him one of the best freshman in the conference his first year instead of looking to work on his weaknesses. Play to your strengths might be the best advice he can be given.

That makes a lot of sense. He doesn't seem to have a head for the entire game, but he can definitely box out, rebound and mix it up inside. What I missed from his game in addition to a clue how to play was his drive. He played lazy. He was standing around watching while everyone else was playing. If he hasn't figured out by now that he wasn't working hard enough, he probably won't figure it out here.

Was tentative last year

Was tentative last year

He was tentative but it looked as if that was because he was the most unprepared starting player in the BE, if not the country. This summer i hope he figures out if basketball is something he wants to do.

To me Yakwe is the most important player next year.
Without him doing anything then our only big man is Owens.

We don't need offense from him, just rebounding and play defense.

To me Yakwe is the most important player next year.
Without him doing anything then our only big man is Owens.

We don't need offense from him, just rebounding and play defense.

The only thing we need him to do is to work much harder than he has been, or move on.