Christian Jones - PF - IMG Academy - Arlington, TX - ST. JOHN'S

Quote from: Chilleb on June 30, 2012, 11:44:55 PM

Still can't really piece together the need for another wing/4 hope nobody is on their way out.

I don't see Lavin playing Gift ... at all.      The staff played him as little as they could last year, and they only had 6 players.   

I think that's very telling.
Personally I like Gift, think he can be a good part-time contributor.   But I think the staff has soured on him.   Just my opinion though, I don't have any sources.    But I think the turnovers and his inability to grasp rotating in the zone kind've doomed him in Dunlap's eyes... and in turn, Lavin's as well.

That's one possible explanation anyway.

Gift was great against W&M and Lehigh. I think he was used to playing against guys like that. As our only senior, I hope he is working hard this summer to get up to speed on BE game. While he was outclassed most of the time since the Arizona game, he wasn't completely unable to help us.

What we want to see from all of our second year players: hard work over the summer with an excellent understanding of what they need to work on.

welcome Chris.  you chose a great staff to take you to the next level.

Welcome Chris! Have to trust staff on this puzzler!

Quote from: desco80 on June 30, 2012, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: Chilleb on June 30, 2012, 11:44:55 PM

Still can't really piece together the need for another wing/4 hope nobody is on their way out.

I don't see Lavin playing Gift ... at all.      The staff played him as little as they could last year, and they only had 6 players.   

I think that's very telling.
Personally I like Gift, think he can be a good part-time contributor.   But I think the staff has soured on him.   Just my opinion though, I don't have any sources.    But I think the turnovers and his inability to grasp rotating in the zone kind've doomed him in Dunlap's eyes... and in turn, Lavin's as well.

That's one possible explanation anyway.

Gift was great against W&M and Lehigh. I think he was used to playing against guys like that. As our only senior, I hope he is working hard this summer to get up to speed on BE game. While he was outclassed most of the time since the Arizona game, he wasn't completely unable to help us.

What we want to see from all of our second year players: hard work over the summer with an excellent understanding of what they need to work on.

Lavin feels that Gift will be more effective next season and will contribute more to the team coming off the bench.  Lavin's very grateful to Gift for the position that he was placed in last season.  Gift was asked to do more than anyone could have expected.  Now he will come into games strong off the bench and lift this team up.  He will play like Sean Evans did in the successful second half of Lavin's first season.

It's great to see this new kid come aboard an exciting group and help NYC college hoops return to where it belongs.  It seems we are building a nice Texas pipeline.  Lots of great athletes in that region of the country.  The BE expansion to Texas could bring us more Texas fan support too.

Question, Wood and Hooper where do they fit in?

Question, Wood and Hooper where do they fit in?

If Jones is here, Wood likely didn't qualify.  Hooper is a transfer and has to sit out this season.

This is the kind of pickup where 5 years ago, we'd be saying sleeper. Now, when this guy is a junior, he'll start off the season ready to kick butt because he will have learned for 2 years in a great system. See, I can write sane posts too.

Quote from: desco80 on June 30, 2012, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: Chilleb on June 30, 2012, 11:44:55 PM

Still can't really piece together the need for another wing/4 hope nobody is on their way out.

I don't see Lavin playing Gift ... at all.      The staff played him as little as they could last year, and they only had 6 players.   

I think that's very telling.
Personally I like Gift, think he can be a good part-time contributor.   But I think the staff has soured on him.   Just my opinion though, I don't have any sources.    But I think the turnovers and his inability to grasp rotating in the zone kind've doomed him in Dunlap's eyes... and in turn, Lavin's as well.

That's one possible explanation anyway.

Gift was great against W&M and Lehigh. I think he was used to playing against guys like that. As our only senior, I hope he is working hard this summer to get up to speed on BE game. While he was outclassed most of the time since the Arizona game, he wasn't completely unable to help us.

What we want to see from all of our second year players: hard work over the summer with an excellent understanding of what they need to work on.

He was also great against Kentucky. So I think that pretty much deflates any theory. Gift is solid and serviceable.

As for Jones...I have nothing. Never heard of him.

Most athletic team in the big east is fair I think now.

This kid is a mystery. Did Lavs find the basketball Steve Nebraska?

I trust the staff in evaluating talent.. I just don't understand the need to give out the ship.  I mean in this day and age for nobody to know about a kid is really odd.  I have asked around and got zero info in return.  If he improved or is a late bloomer someone would have heard of him .. Especially at Img who has tipsters all through that program.  I hadn't heard that Ok state and Auburn had offered either.. Would have loved to have pocketed the ship.. But staff must see something. 

Well i trust this staff, who knows maybe they know D'lo is going to try to go pro and is it possible that the reds may ask Amir to play full time after this season and give up hoops? lots of possibilities.

Quote from: desco80 on June 30, 2012, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: Chilleb on June 30, 2012, 11:44:55 PM

Still can't really piece together the need for another wing/4 hope nobody is on their way out.

I don't see Lavin playing Gift ... at all.      The staff played him as little as they could last year, and they only had 6 players.   I think that's very telling.
Personally I like Gift, think he can be a good part-time contributor.   But I think the staff has soured on him.   Just my opinion though, I don't have any sources.    But I think the turnovers and his inability to grasp rotating in the zone kind've doomed him in Dunlap's eyes... and in turn, Lavin's as well.

That's one possible explanation anyway.

? ? ? ? ? ?

Gift played 30 minutes a game.  (well, to be fair 29.9 minutes).     Not like they stopped using him at the end of the season - his last 3 games were 30 and 28 vs Pitt and 29 vs Rutgers.  He played more minutes than Amir or Sir Dom.  He was the teams 2nd leading rebounder, 3rd in Scoring behind 2 of the 7 highest scoring freshmen in Division 1.   And as for "all of his turnovers" he was 1/10th of a turnover from LOWEST on the team per game among the regulars - Moe, D'lo, Phil, Sir Dom, and Nuri were all much higher.   Only Amir was lower - at 1.6 per game to Gift's 1.7 (58 in 34 games).   I think his minutes go down, but I think he's an integral part of any success/improvement we see this year.

Ok, I don't want to make this thread about GG.   I was just stating why I think coach has stockpiled power forwards; I don't see him using Gift very much.   With that said its nothing personal against Gift, he seems like a good person and I hope he's working hard this summer.
But it's not surprising that he had lower turnover numbers than PGs and wings, he touched the ball 1/10 of the number of times they did.   But as a percentage of times the ball was in his hand; my observations tell me he commuted turnovers at a high rate.
And there's no question from the WVU game on, when the staff went with the fresh 5, his minutes went down.   The last two games against Pitt and Rutgers were anomalies because Moe got hurt in the Pitt game if you remember.

But as for Jones ... Don't know much about him, but welcome aboard.   I expect everyone will contribute at some point this year. 

Quote from: fordham96 on June 30, 2012, 11:33:39 PM

http://www.zagsblog.com/2012/06/30/christian-jones-leaning-to-st-johns/

6 foot 8?
The kid will be 7 foot 2 by November at this pace
It mentions he knows Phil. Phil spent 1 yr at IMG. I thought this kid only did his post grad yr there?

I think sometimes these connections are exaggerated.   Same goes for Texas ... It's a big state.   
But if the kid is really 6'7 - 6'8  then well have a lot of depth in the front court compared to last year.
We had just 2 guys over 6'8.... This season it looks like we may have 5.   Not a lot of size.. But certainly depth.   

Quote from: Poison on July 01, 2012, 08:19:53 AM

Quote from: desco80 on June 30, 2012, 11:59:14 PM

Quote from: Chilleb on June 30, 2012, 11:44:55 PM

Still can't really piece together the need for another wing/4 hope nobody is on their way out.

I don't see Lavin playing Gift ... at all.      The staff played him as little as they could last year, and they only had 6 players.   

I think that's very telling.
Personally I like Gift, think he can be a good part-time contributor.   But I think the staff has soured on him.   Just my opinion though, I don't have any sources.    But I think the turnovers and his inability to grasp rotating in the zone kind've doomed him in Dunlap's eyes... and in turn, Lavin's as well.

That's one possible explanation anyway.

Gift was great against W&M and Lehigh. I think he was used to playing against guys like that. As our only senior, I hope he is working hard this summer to get up to speed on BE game. While he was outclassed most of the time since the Arizona game, he wasn't completely unable to help us.

What we want to see from all of our second year players: hard work over the summer with an excellent understanding of what they need to work on.

He was also great against Kentucky. So I think that pretty much deflates any theory. Gift is solid and serviceable.

Dave, there are several people on this board that were very impressed with Gift vs UK. I am not among them. The theory that he played well against them is seriously flawed. If you focus just on the box score, and not on the game you just watched, then yes, it looked liked he played well.
We needed baskets and defense early to be in the game. He wasn't ready to contribute at that point.

It wasn't until the game was ridiculously out of hand that he started scoring. If that was the REAL Gift, we would have seen him again throughout the season.

Welcome Christian! Cant wait to see you in the red and white!

Welcome to St. John's Mr. Jones!

I think Lavin will want to be going at least 10-deep come mid-late season with our running, trapping and pressing style.  We will have 12 active players this season.  We will be prepared for fatigue, injury and fouls.  I see nothing wring with this pickup.  The staff must feel he's a gem that fits in somewhere here.  The fact that we don't know about doesn't mean he can't play.   I'm willing to give benefit of doubt here.  I don't think we'd add a substandard player to waste a ship here.