Tourney Team?

I think Greene is the starter come January. Can't see Branch being ready

And why is that? He will have had a full year of practice to learn the offense.  He is playing everyday and learning from some of the best coaches in the country.  I understand he might need a few games to get his "game legs", but to say he won't be ready is silly in my opinion.

Why would anyone not think Phil wont be an integral part of this team.  Do you think the staff will only use 6 players?  After the march to Burma our guys had to go through last year the staff will have a Good rotation going so we have the best, or most appropriate players in the game late with fresh legs.  If that is Branch Phil and Dom applying pressure d because we have a lead or Marco and Harrison bombing 3's.  You have to have faith that this staff will have the players ready and use all the parts they have at their disposal.

Think big my friends,  if we get Chandler or Nolan think big.  The core of this team has tenacity and heart.  We have added shooting and skill.  If we get the bigs we will be dancing  for a while. 

Quote from: Marco Baldi on April 25, 2012, 01:41:04 PM

I think Greene is the starter come January. Can't see Branch being ready

And why is that? He will have had a full year of practice to learn the offense.  He is playing everyday and learning from some of the best coaches in the country.  I understand he might need a few games to get his "game legs", but to say he won't be ready is silly in my opinion.

I agree with you that Branch will be the starter, but I don't see why you value Greene so low.  He is a combo guard that was forced to play full-time pg last year.  His improvement--especially when Branch came aboard to go against in practice--was substantial.   For the year he had better stats across the board over many top 50 and even some top 25 players like Josiah Turner. 

Greene will give Branch a run for his money, and I suspect the trio of soph guards we have will all get 20+ mpg. 

I'm sure Branch will be ready for Big East play in December after having not played in a game in over a year. Team chemistry will click right away also. we should also have enough wins by then, so no worries of missing the tourny

Why would anyone not think Phil wont be an integral part of this team.  Do you think the staff will only use 6 players?  After the march to Burma our guys had to go through last year the staff will have a Good rotation going so we have the best, or most appropriate players in the game late with fresh legs.  If that is Branch Phil and Dom applying pressure d because we have a lead or Marco and Harrison bombing 3's.  You have to have faith that this staff will have the players ready and use all the parts they have at their disposal.

Think big my friends,  if we get Chandler or Nolan think big.  The core of this team has tenacity and heart.  We have added shooting and skill.  If we get the bigs we will be dancing  for a while.

That's where you lose me.    Still too many holes in this team to expect long runs in the tournament. 
Let's enjoy what we have.  Don't need ridiculous expectations heading into the season.

Quote from: BlufftonRed on April 25, 2012, 01:47:52 PM

Why would anyone not think Phil wont be an integral part of this team.  Do you think the staff will only use 6 players?  After the march to Burma our guys had to go through last year the staff will have a Good rotation going so we have the best, or most appropriate players in the game late with fresh legs.  If that is Branch Phil and Dom applying pressure d because we have a lead or Marco and Harrison bombing 3's.  You have to have faith that this staff will have the players ready and use all the parts they have at their disposal.

Think big my friends,  if we get Chandler or Nolan think big.  The core of this team has tenacity and heart.  We have added shooting and skill.  If we get the bigs we will be dancing  for a while.

That's where you lose me.    Still too many holes in this team to expect long runs in the tournament. 
Let's enjoy what we have.  Don't need ridiculous expectations heading into the season.

What holes outside of a big man or two?

Weren't the tasks this offseason to replace Moe, get some shooters and a big man?  All signs point to all 3 getting checked off.

You are right, I am getting ahead of myself and projecting.  I am making assumptions on Branch and chandler.  But I am looking forward to seeing Branch, DH, Sir Dom, Kar and chandler in together, then subbing in OS, Marco, Phil, GG as required.  I just think we will be much deeper and stronger than last year.

Not holes like last year obviously.    Don't get me wrong, I'm optimistic.

But look at it this way, even if Chandler comes on board.   We still have a freshmen at PF, and C.   Our pg has played 9 games in D-1.  And our SFs barely shoot 50% from the foul line, and in the teens from 3pt. 

Again, I'm not trying to throw cold water.  I just think we have question marks.
You are right though that the offseason tasks have all been accomplished in spades.   (Assuming Chandler is here).

But talent alone doesn't mean we're making a long tourny run.  That's all I'm saying.   We went through that list yesterday of talented teams who missed the NCAAs this year.
I'll go one further since people are saying "dancing for awhile", UCONN brought back a handfull of players with NCAA Championship experience, including Oriakhi and Lamb - an NBA 1st rounder, high ranked former recruits like Roscoe, and brought in Boatright and the top player in the class.. Drummond.
And they were one and done. 

So even if we get there, a lot has to go right for long tournament runs.   

This is one of those things though, that I would be thrilled if it happens.   I just don't want to get my expectations too high in May.   Let's see how we're doing in November/December.

And fair enough Bluffton.  I'm looking forward to them playing together as well.   I do think they can be pretty special. 

I think Greene is the starter come January. Can't see Branch being ready

why not, he will have been with team for almost a year by then, if he is not ready in December, will he ever be..?

Baldi, I'm sure he's developed no chemistry with the guys in practice and playing pickup since January through next December, right?

If Im not mistaken, only Gift and Stith were on campus last summer. This year we will have many players practicing during the summer. Also this year we were barely able to field a team, let alone 2 units for practice . Next year the team will benefit a lot in practice and on the court having a full roster of quality players. If we can just get our quality,true Center we will really be in business and I would be suprised if we didnt make the tourney. The idiots that predicted SJU to finish last in the BE will be eating crow.

 I think Jakarr fills in just fine for Moe. 

I think he puts up better numbers. 

Let's not forget, as talented as Moe was, there games where he was invisible for large periods of time.

I think Sampson has a better motor. 

I predict an 8 -9 seed.   I'm crazy though!

No way Jakaar puts up better numbers than Moe did. Moe played 40 minutes a game. Jakaar will not be playing the whole game. There will be more scorers and more rebounders around him. It's possible he might be better, but his number will not show it.

'UCLA is the Yankees. SJ is the Toledo Mudhens.'

Loved it when the Mudhens beat the Yankees back in February.   

I'm taking my Tuesday night class final a week early with Jamal and Amir. If you want to make the tourney next year you better hope we all pass.

Well, 2 of the 3 need to pass 

Greene had strong games towards the end of the season. A little respect guys.

I have a sneaking suspicion Greene's career may mirror one of my former Bruins, Mike Holton.   Mike was the frosh combo guard, forced to play PG along side frosh SG Rod Foster in 1980, as the Bruins went all the way to the NCAA title game (lost to Louisville, then had the tourney run struck from the record books by the NCAA - thank you Larry Brown!!).  The following year, he was recruited over with McDonalds All America PG Ralph Jackson.  Rod Foster held onto his starting role at SG, and Mike finished his final 3 years as 3rd guard in a 3 guard rotation.  But Happy ending for Mike - Ralph Jackson had a 1 game NBA career.  Rod Foster had a promising 3 year NBA career cut short by injuries (a dune buggy accident!).  But Mike managed to sneak into the draft at #53, and put together a nice 6 season NBA career.  He later was hired by Jim Harrick to replace Lorenzo Romar as an Assistant coach after the '95 title, and stayed on as Steve Lavin's assistant for 4 years.  He left to take the HC job at University of Portland.  Currently, he's the color analyst for Portland Trailblazers games.

Mike was one of those guys who wasn't great at anything, but was good at everything.   I suspect when all is said and done, I'll remember Phil Greene the same way.

I'm taking my Tuesday night class final a week early with Jamal and Amir. If you want to make the tourney next year you better hope we all pass.

Haha. +100

I'm taking my Tuesday night class final a week early with Jamal and Amir. If you want to make the tourney next year you better hope we all pass.

Actually, two out of the three could still get us in the tourney.   

Think you guys are missing the joke