17-18 Priorities

[wsucatfan]

My top coaching priorities for 17-18 season:
1. New inbound plays that don't involve players standing around with their arm out. Other teams easily break a full court press by having their players start from the 3pt line (or half court) and run towards the in-bounder.
2. New inbound play when the ball in at our basket. I can't verify it but I am sure we lead the league in turnovers on trying to inbound the ball.
3. Eliminate the stall offense at the end of the half and end of the game, run the plays that gave you the lead to begin with. (still pissed off from last night, especially when others ask "what happened to our Wildcats last night" as if they actually attended any games or follow WSU at all)
4. Develop a press (Why is our defense so passive?)
5. Develop a press breaker (I'm sure we also lead the league at turnovers when we were pressed/trapped full court) anyone that tries to press us should constantly be beat with 3 on 2 layups and dunks.
6. Fill the key on offensive free-throws, you will never rebound a missed free-throw if you don't have players in the key. The premise that we will give up fast break points going the other way is excessively overstated. Other teams fill the key and I am sure I could count on one or two hands how many times we ran a fast break off a miss.
7. We take a ton of 3's, once in a while it would be nice for a player to follow his shot when he sees it's off, other teams crash the offensive boards while we run down because we're afraid to give up a fast break. Again you can't get offensive rebounds if no one is there to get one.

 

[AlumniWSU]

My top coaching priorities for 17-18 season:
1. New inbound plays that don't involve players standing around with their arm out. Other teams easily break a full court press by having their players start from the 3pt line (or half court) and run towards the in-bounder.
2. New inbound play when the ball in at our basket. I can't verify it but I am sure we lead the league in turnovers on trying to inbound the ball.
3. Eliminate the stall offense at the end of the half and end of the game, run the plays that gave you the lead to begin with. (still pissed off from last night, especially when others ask "what happened to our Wildcats last night" as if they actually attended any games or follow WSU at all)
4. Develop a press (Why is our defense so passive?)
5. Develop a press breaker (I'm sure we also lead the league at turnovers when we were pressed/trapped full court) anyone that tries to press us should constantly be beat with 3 on 2 layups and dunks.
6. Fill the key on offensive free-throws, you will never rebound a missed free-throw if you don't have players in the key. The premise that we will give up fast break points going the other way is excessively overstated. Other teams fill the key and I am sure I could count on one or two hands how many times we ran a fast break off a miss.
7. We take a ton of 3's, once in a while it would be nice for a player to follow his shot when he sees it's off, other teams crash the offensive boards while we run down because we're afraid to give up a fast break. Again you can't get offensive rebounds if no one is there to get one.

:nod: Exactly what the ESPN game anchor guy mentioned in last night's game. Same thing I & some others have noticed on Wildcat's offensive rebounding efforts for the last few years!! It's an obvious weakness.

 

[sas123abc]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

 

[wsucatfan]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

I expect next year's team to be better than this year's team. We reload not rebuild, I will miss Senglin/Gittens/Hill but the future is bright with the returning players and incoming group of players.

 

[oldrunner]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

Of course, it's all just on paper until they are all in school next fall, and working together as a team. With that said, next year's team seems to address some of the shortcomings of this year's team. We will be longer and deeper in the post next year. We are bringing in a couple of guys who are high level rebounders. We will be a little bit longer and deeper at the wing positions which should help with rebounding and defense. Of course defending is a team event, so we won't really know until we are well into the season.

Shooting and scoring has not been a problem and doesn't look to drop at all next year. Ball handling should stay the same or get a little better.

IMHO, next year's team should be stronger than this year's. Well worth the price of admission.

 

[UtahPirate]

Coach Rahe made an interesting comment during the post-game conference that was reported in the SLTrib:

'"With the roster we had this year, these guys did a hell of a job getting to this point," said Rahe, who expects to receive a postseason invitation of some kind.'

It's a back-handed compliment, but indicates that Rahe probably worried about some of the weaknesses that we saw. It also gives us a look at who he recruited for next year and why.

So next year? My expectations are very high. We have some really interesting pieces in place -- and five new guys that should fill in some of the holes you'll read complaints about. I expect really big things from Chapman. And Harding alone will be worth the price of season tickets!

 

[Ktown]

That loss night really hurt. I feel the better team won but to blow the lead like that with so much on the line really sucked.

For next year, what are everyone's thoughts on returning players and will one of the players be nudged out and transfer? Seems Iike that is pretty common now days to have a player or two drop out. Will Kiko, Cannon, Dallas, John, and Darling all be back? I'm pretty confident Braxton, Richardson, Harding, and Baker will be back. Curious to hear others take or predictions. Not sure how Rahe typically works with players that saw limited time. Is he super loyal or will he counsel someone out?

Curious how Rahe explains his sltrib weak roster comment when they were predicted to win the conference. I agree this team wasn't elite but Rahe seems to be hinting they way overachieved. Not sure I buy that. Hard to overachieve in the Big Sky when your Weber State. I think they finished where they belonged but don't agree they were a huge Cinderella type team.

 

[n.ogdencat]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

Personally, I don't think you would be disappointed. Nothing like having seats in the Dee. As for the team...I am cautiously optimistic. I feel the Wildcats will be far more balanced than they have been in the past few years. There could still be some changes in the roster from now until October, but for the most part the players Randy has coming back and joining the team are talented. First, we have, at least on paper, a very exciting recruiting class coming in.

Michal Kozak -- This kid looks like an absolute steal. He moves really well with and without the ball. Can dribble, pass, shoot, rebound, and defend. My favorite thing about him is his ability to play with his back towards the basket and his strong rebounding fundamentals. For a big he is quite adroit at dribbling and passing. He is 6-8/9 and can drive to the basket. It is safe to say that he will be playing quite a bit next year for the Cats.

Trevon Ary-Turner -- Like Harding last year, Trevon is a spring signee who just got overlooked. Personally, I think he had his dream set on playing for a specific team and they dropped him. Bad for them good for us. That team made a huge mistake. Needless to say, this kid had a number of PAC-12, MW, and WCC offers. He had an open offer to play in Logan and turned the Aggies down because he sees himself developing more as a player in Ogden. He is a shooter. He can create, shot off the curl, drive, and has great handles. My favorite part of his game though is his defense. He seems to take a lot of pride in his ability to play hard every play. He could start this Fall.

Vialen -- To me he is somewhat of a project. But he is already a man. He is 7-0 and 240. He can move on the offensive side of the court but there are questions about his ability to rebound and play defense. It'll take him a year, but I can see him having an impact here at Weber. He has certain potential that very few big men of his size have. There is a German who just hit 30,000 points who Vialen has certain similarities to.

Riley Court -- Dave Rose (coach at BYU) highly regrets not recruiting this kid. He got overlooked by the Lone Peak juggernaut and their loss is our gain. Riley was perhaps the top prep basketball player his senior year. He can ball. He is a facilitator with high basketball IQ. My favorite thing about him is his ability to rebound, but he is perhaps one of the most efficient players to be recruited. Think Dusty Baker, but quicker.

DOC -- He is a basketball player who is highly talented. Mostly, Rahe has recruited highly talented kids who happen to play basketball. Doc, is a basketball player who happens to be highly talented. I saw something stating that he was a top 150 recruit and a 3 star guy coming out of Texas. He is a true point who can pass, shoot, and defend. Nothing fancy about his game. He just understands it.

Brekkot Chapman -- I saved the best for last. He has a total game. High basketball IQ, solid defender, great rebounder, and can just flat out play basketball. He can dribble, play with his back to the basket, hit 3's and create. He has a nifty pull up jumper. Utah wasted their opportunity. Every since he left they have been claiming garbage about him and telling everyone he will never play in the Dee. Running Ute propaganda. He is good and they know it. LK just is an idiot.

Along with those guys...we do have Dusty, Ryan, Cody, McKay, Zach, Jordan, and most importantly Harding coming back next year. They will all improve their game and develop more as players and leaders. Harding's upside is incredible. He is only a freshman and some of the things he has done have been absolutely shocking. Joe Cravens kept saying he was like another great Wildcat Southpaw...Supaman!

 

[Ktown]

Tal... great info. What are your takes on returning players and their roles? Will everyone be back? Any new guys redshirt?

 

[UtahPirate]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

Says UtahPirate: So next year? My expectations are very high.
Says Tal: Next year? I am cautiously optimistic.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Read the descriptions of the players coming in. Then determine which quote above headlines those descriptions!

Thanks for making my point Tal. I'm drooling a bit about next year (of course as my avatar shows, I drink the purple stuff). And again, I am expecting really big things from Chapman. But you're lying to yourself if you think your enthusiastic player breakdowns (and great work there) actually match "cautiously optimistic."

 

[oldrunner]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

Says UtahPirate: So next year? My expectations are very high.
Says Tal: Next year? I am cautiously optimistic.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Read the descriptions of the players coming in. Then determine which quote above headlines those descriptions!

Thanks for making my point Tal. I'm drooling a bit about next year (of course as my avatar shows, I drink the purple stuff). And again, I am expecting really big things from Chapman. But you're lying to yourself if you think your enthusiastic player breakdowns (and great work there) actually match "cautiously optimistic."

The only certainty is uncertainty. I am sure that there will be surprises along the way. There always are. Someone will exceed expectations and someone will be disappointing. That is how the universe works.

Will we be better next year? Probably. It looks good on paper, anyway. We are losing one of the best scorers in WSU and BSC history. IMO, scoring is the easiest thing to replace. Defense and rebounding are where we need to improve.

I always have high expectations. However, reality will kick in sometime in December.

 

[n.ogdencat]

Hey guys a couple of questions if I may I have been a football season ticket holder for years and I am considering buying season seats to basketball next year I havent followed the basketball much the past few years what is your expectations for this team next year do they have good players coming in from missions or recruiting just curious to get some opinions thanks

Says UtahPirate: So next year? My expectations are very high.
Says Tal: Next year? I am cautiously optimistic.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Read the descriptions of the players coming in. Then determine which quote above headlines those descriptions!

Thanks for making my point Tal. I'm drooling a bit about next year (of course as my avatar shows, I drink the purple stuff). And again, I am expecting really big things from Chapman. But you're lying to yourself if you think your enthusiastic player breakdowns (and great work there) actually match "cautiously optimistic."

:thumb: :lol: Post of the Week!!

I'm cautiously optimistic because, even though our recruits on paper seem awesome, you never know what you are going to get until August. And we are losing a huge chunk of our offense with Jeremy and Kyndahl graduating. Yes, Harding and Braxton will only get better (Heyoh could you come help Zach learn some moves??) and we do have guys who can play in Baker, Richardson, Cannon and John. However, I do worry. Cannon's game has never gotten back to where it was last year; not playing a lot had something to do with that and John's game has totally gone to pot. I think they both will rebound, if given a chance. Dusty's body needs some serious time away from the court and Richardson isn't consistent. Dallas...well, who knows. I hope he can improve. Van Pelt was a lot better after two years and he is gone. Doesn't say a lot for Dallas. Kiko's knee is forcing him to be done and George isn't a DI guy. There are question marks for next year with our returners.

 

[oldrunner]

Next years team will look very little like the teams of the past 4 to 6 years. We won't be an inside out team. We will be more of an inside, inside, inside, and them maybe outside sort of team. To keep up, Zack will have to hit the weight room and work real hard on his to the rim moves, while reducing his away from the basket moves. Harding is already a layup first type of guard. So is John. Our incoming wings are also able to take the ball to the basket. I suspect that new offensive sets designed to take advantage of these strengths will be implemented.

I am not saying that we won't be taking three point shots, just not as many and in different circumstances.

 

[baller]

Since so many are expressing their opinions about what the team needs for next year I decided to put in my two-bits worth on the subject.

We have a very weak bench this year. So weak that Rahe has really only played one sub (Baker) any real minutes in the past few games. Yes, Cannon and John have played some but not much. Not as much as a quality bench player should be playing. Senglin has been totally worn down in the last of every game because we don't have a quality player to relieve him for 10-12 minutes a game.

I think that Rahe lost total confidence in Cannon, John and Dallas since the last game of the regular season. I doubt that they will get quality minutes as subs next year. If any of these three do play quality minutes, or start, we are in serious trouble. They just don't have the talent level needed to help the team win.

In tonight's game the total bench scoring was 2 points by Baker. It hasn't been a whole lot better in the past 5 games. How far can we go in this tournament without a bench? They aren't even good enough to get meaningful minutes against the mid-level mid major teams populating the CIT.

I think Rahe should scrap John, Cannon and Dallas and go find better players to replace them. In particular we need another big man who can be productive coming off the bench more than anything. But we could use a better back-up at the point also.

Its just my opinion so don't go ballistic on me. Randy has made a ton of mistakes in his recruiting in the past few years. Almost more mistakes than good players... I don't like the approach of bringing in a boat load of guys, chucking them against the wall and see who sticks. Seems its what Randy has been doing lately. Thus more and more guys leaving the team (or dismissed) every year.

 

[Ktown]

Baller..... I see your point and don't think your up in the night but I don't totally agree with just dumping those 3 players you mentioned. It would have been easy to say dump Baker and Richardson after last year. They were key players for a team that was 45 seconds from going to the dance two years in a row. I agree point guard was not a strength this year and depth down low but I think Rahe is partly to blame.
John- I'm not totally sold on him at point but also not sure he is a good enough shooter to play 2 or 3 man. His 3-point shooting has been horrific and most likely will stay mediocre at best. I do think he is easily replaceable.
Cannon- He started the year with big time struggles. After he was benched his confidence probably was shot and Rahe played him minimal minutes some games and decent minutes some games. I think he can still bring major value at the point position. His freshman year he led the team in steals and assists. He was the only player that had a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio. This year his assist to turnover ratio was 3-1. Nobody on the team had a 2-1 ratio. In conference play he had roughly 35 assists to 7 turnovers. I do think he is not strong defensively. You can tell when he is confident he can really play (Xavier example). I think he runs the point much better than John.
Jordon- Im not sure what to think of him. My guess is he won't improve much but could be a Tall body to give Braxton a breather. Maybe these new recruits will be better options. All new recruits look great on film but experience is key as well. Just going and finding new players to walk in and replace all three doesn't always work.

 

[baller]

Ktown, thanks for your input regarding my belief that the best approach is to scrap a few players and find better ones. I see your point that it is a radical idea and one that would normally carry severe risk. But, in this case, I think the risks are minimal.

Cody John is a good team guy with average low-college talent. You said it best. He is questionable as a PG and cannot shoot well enough to be a 2 or 3. There are many guys, even at lower levels, who could easily replace John's talents and contributions. Therefore, I say let him go and try to improve this position. It is a no-brainer with virtually no risk.

Jordan Dallas has had two years to show what he can do. And he has shown us that what he brings to the team is minimal. He also is a low-risk replacement. My guess is that the new guy coming in next year from Finland will be every bit as good, if not better, than Dallas. Thus no downside in trying to upgrade. Rahe should go for a JC or Graduate transfer to add immediate help for Braxton.

The harder decision that carries the greater risk is Cannon. I do believe that he will be an adequate back-up at the point for 10 minutes a game. And yes, he does have a good turnover to assist ratio. He is the only true point we have on the team this year. Doc will be one next year. He is a step slow, not a good shooter, and is a liability on defense. An effective PG has to be able to be a scoring threat to open up passing opportunities. When the opposition knows that a point cannot score more than a handful of points a game at his best, it limits his effectiveness. This is Cannon's problem. He is a helluva a passer and doesn't turn the ball over much but these skills alone aren't enough to make him a starting PG. I do concede that he could be adequate for 10 minutes of back up duty per game. Just as important is that it seems to me that Rahe has lost confidence in him. In the past 7 games Cannon has averaged only 9 minutes per game, 1.57 points, .27 rebounds, no turnovers and 1.57 assists. Hell, he didn't play at all against Eastern Washington and only played 2 minutes against Idaho. Whether he keeps Cannon or not, I say Rahe needs to find another PG and try to improve this position.

 

[Ktown]

Baller I think we are pretty much on the same page. I think Your spot on about Cannon needing to be more of a scoring threat. I guess my thought is I think he has it in him to be a 7-9 point per game guy with the same assist turnover ratio. I hope Rahe will give him enough minutes early on next year to prove that and if it becomes evident he can't then have him backup Doc and play 10-15 a game depending on matchups. PG is going to be really interesting to see how it shakes out.

Baller..... who do you think Rahe would choose to bring back Cannon or John? If he had to choose one.

 

[n.ogdencat]

Now is not the best time to shop for replacements, unless, you are getting a 5th year guy or a transfer. To me, I don't understand how Randy could add a 5th year guy and let Richaud go. With that being said, I don't know how Randy could bring in a transfer, who won't play for a year, and push out two guys who have played a lot of mins over the past two years. The only guy, to me, who could possibly be expendable, is Dallas and I'm sure he isn't going anywhere.

Honestly, I think Senglin has been the biggest issue toward the development of Cannon and John. Cannon is playing better and when he is on the floor our offense is far more smooth and efficient. No, he isn't the greatest at scoring, now, but is efficient with the ball. John has potential as a scorer, but doesn't make the best decisions all the time. Neither's defense is the greatest, but it isn't terrible either. What has hurt them is the fact that everything has to go through JS first and then everyone else in the backcourt gets the crumbs. Personally, unless you get someone who can contribute immediately, you don't "counsel" anyone out. Without JS, I can see our backcourt actually developing and becoming far more efficient and balanced.

 

[UtahPirate]

Rahe always tightens his rotation when the Big Sky tournament starts. At times this year our bench has been pretty good -- keep in mind that Harding was on it for most of the year and brought a lot of energy.

As far as Cannon, John and Baker, you are talking about two sophs and a role player who in the right situations has been very good for us. One of the things I like about Rahe is that his players tend to get better each year they play. Remember these are players who mostly have 2-star ratings and need to work through things to get better. They are not "can't miss" 4 and 5 star McDonald All-Americans.

Cannon looked like he lost his confidence at the start of the year. But at the end he look so much better. He was distributing the ball well and even pushing it to the rim once and awhile. I'm assuming we will see carry-over of that game, plus a little more. John lost his starting job, and that obviously hurt his confidence. He's got to figure out his role. While his 3-point shooting lacks consistency, he can still improve. And his jump-shot game around 15 feet is solid.

I think Richardson will improve next year as well. For two years he was a straight set-up shooter. He showed some good push to the rim this year which I think he'll still improve on. And do any of you think that Braxton's game won't continue to grow? He's on a similar path as Tresnak, who got better every year (just like most of the kids Rahe coaches).

One of the reasons I enjoy watching the Weebs is because they continually get better. Many state programs get kids with big high-school ratings and end up worse players their senior years than they were their sophomore years. I love how players develop at Weber State under Rahe.

 

[oldrunner]

Personally, unless you get someone who can contribute immediately, you don't "counsel" anyone out.

I totally agree. However, if we do have somebody fall into our lap who can make us much better, then I think you would have to consider making room. One other thing to think about is how many guards we have for next year and how the rotations might look. I would think that at least two of the three freshman guards coming in will play. That will make for some upper classmen with reduced playing time. I'm not convinced that is something they would be happy with. It's all conjecture at this point, but I could see us losing another guard for the same reason that we are losing Richaud, playing time/role on the team.

The nature of D1 basketball is that it is very competitive and very few will actually have pro careers when they leave school. Most of them will be going pro like most of us do after leaving school. Just a fact of life. I like all of our players and enjoy watching them play and grow up. It's why I come back year after year.