It's Starting!

[oldrunner]

For those that were not able to get to the purple/white game today, it felt good to see these guys getting after it at the Dee tonight. There wasn't a great deal new to tell you about. The remodeling of the Dee looks great. All of the entry ways have been expanded and the new landscaping is coming along nicely. The team looked to be much further along than they have in past years. That must be due to having so many returning players. Anyway, all the likely guys did their thing. This team has a special kind of vibe to it. They are unselfish to a fault at times. This I can tell you, the competition for who will fill the starting role at the 3 spot is fierce. Ryan, Cody, Dusty, and Juwan all showed that they could fill it well and Gittens will be back in a few short weeks. We do not lack for guards who can get it done. After tonight, I am a little more secure in what our front court can bring. Our starters and the first big man off the bench will be solid. As long as we don't have any serious injuries, that will be enough. If we have any major injuries, we could be scrambling a bit. I could see us having one, two or three red shirts, but not because they can't play. Just to save eligibility and allow for maturation.

 

[WSUProf]

My impressions:
1st, it's too bad Chapman isn't eligible this year. A 3-man rotation underneath with him, Braxton, and Hill would be dominant.
2nd, Jordan Dallas still has a ways to go. But he is just a freshman.
3rd, as Olds wrote, the guards/wings were as expected. Senglin took over a couple of times late in the shot clock and drained threes. Cody John was getting to the rim on some strong drives. Baker was doing what Baker does. He's got great court vision and can really pass the ball. I was also impressed with Braxton's passing.
Should be a fun season.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I wasn't able to make it to the game last night. Instead, I made my way to Salt Lake and went to the Jazz game. How often in our lifetimes will we be able to see two Weber State guys, playing an NBA basketball game on the same court? Heard that the Dee was sparsely filled. Makes sense, it is the P&W game after all, but when you don't market how do people know? I too am excited by the prospects of this upcoming season. We have such potential. It is a shame that nobody will be there AGAIN to watch the Wildcats.

On another note. I really feel that Harding and Williams should red shirt. It would be in their best interests. Save their eligibility and help them mature. It is really a win win. It is hard to get a guy to red shirt after playing his freshman year, but I think it will really help his development and make him that much better in the future. Really the only reason I was sad about missing last nights game was the fact that I wanted to see Brekkot play. I heard he is as good as advertised.

 

[Webergrad02]

I wasn't able to make it to the game last night. Instead, I made my way to Salt Lake and went to the Jazz game. How often in our lifetimes will we be able to see two Weber State guys, playing an NBA basketball game on the same court? Heard that the Dee was sparsely filled. Makes sense, it is the P&W game after all, but when you don't market how do people know? I too am excited by the prospects of this upcoming season. We have such potential. It is a shame that nobody will be there AGAIN to watch the Wildcats.

On another note. I really feel that Harding and Williams should red shirt. It would be in their best interests. Save their eligibility and help them mature. It is really a win win. It is hard to get a guy to red shirt after playing his freshman year, but I think it will really help his development and make him that much better in the future. Really the only reason I was sad about missing last nights game was the fact that I wanted to see Brekkot play. I heard he is as good as advertised.

Harding could likely start for a majority of teams in the Big Sky right now. He is quick and explosive and seems to have pretty high IQ for his age. He did take a bad shot at the end of the 3rd session but I really like what I saw from him. Brekkot has great touch and range. You can tell that he is pushing our bigs in practice.

You can thank our good buddy Brandon "barely objective" Garside for full coverage of the event. I guess it was streamed live? Our marketing needs help. No FB posts about the game the day of. There was one the day before but it is the same old thing. At least we don't pay for SATOG to show up to the purple and White?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GgxixMCCXA

 

[wazzuwildcat03]

It seems like the P&W games get more boring every year. I wish they spiced it up and made it more of an event for the fans. Oh well. They did 2 sessions of the women scrimmaging. Nothing against women playing basketball, but its so boring. Ugh.... I hope they have a good season though.

Just a few thoughts of what I saw last night.
Darling and Harding should redshirt. They both look like they could be good down the road, but they need to mature big time.

I wish Williams could have redshirted last year. That was a mistake burning it last year in my opinion. He might be the best athlete on the team. I don't see him redshirting this year. Oh well.

Gittens dressed, but didn't play. Hope he is ok by the start of the season.

We are deep at every position. I like the second group guys. I highly doubt a team in the big sky has a better bench than us.

Players that really stood out were Braxton, Baker and John. They seem to have been the most improved. Everyone looked good though.

My starting line ups and top reserves prediction.


1. Cannon
2. Senglin
3. Richardson
4. Hill
5. Braxton

First bench guys. John, Baker, Gittens, Dallas and Williams.
That's 10 solid deep. Very impressive. :rockon:

Not sure whats going on with Kiko. He didn't dress

Redshirts. Harding and George and Chapman. ( Chapman is legit. I don't want to look too far ahead, but next year I think our starting front court will be Williams, Chapman and Braxton. Good luck with that Big Sky conference. haha. )

 

[oldrunner]

My feelings are that the 3 spot is still wide open, and that the competition is close. The advantage John has is that he can play all three guard positions. The rest of them are primarily wings. The advantage that Baker and Williams have is that they can also slide over to the 4 spot if needed. The only problem with sliding from 3 to 4 is that the preparation for those two positions is quite different and our coaches are more comfortable with just preparing players for one or the other. Although, I think those two can handle it.

As for red shirting, the only sure bet is Brekkott. After that, the three candidates would be Harding, Williams, and Darling. They could all use this year to their advantage, but it is likely that only one or two of them will.

 

[UtahPirate]

bsamba mamamala bserba blama msabala...

Excuse me. I need to wipe the drool away...

Goodness gracious Chapman looked so good. What a great stroke. What a great overall game. You youngsters, excuse an old man who remembers a day when players could actually hit 12 to 15 foot jumpers — with consistency (that would be prior to the 3 point line). Chapman looks like he can actually pull up and hit mid-range jumpers. What? Can that actually be done anymore? Or, he can juke you and take it to the basket. I think he's going to be deadly. He caught a pass and made a drop step move that left Hill in the dust. In fact when Chapman was done I was sitting in Section 7, and I had been sitting in Section 5. That's how hard I went for his first move! I think you'll see Rahe get him out to the 3 more. That's the game he'll develop at Weber that he would not have had the chance to under his old Kowardly Koach.

Another year, I know. So here's a few comments from my POV. I really liked the play of John. He pulled up from the corner and whisked through a 3 with total confidence. He adds consistency to the 3-ball and he will be an extremely good player as his ability to get to the basket and score is still also improving (and it is already pretty good).

I thought Baker looked just a little quicker. But he was definitely more confident. Offensively the ball went through him a ton, no matter the makeup of the team he was playing on. He will definitely have a role as more of a facilitator this year. I guess the question is whether that will come as a starter or off the bench.

Dallas impressed me. I think banging in practice with Braxton has probably helped him. He's added muscle and seemed very determined around the basket. He's got a ways to go, but he's very promising. Of course Braxton is a "man"! I couldn't help but think that Dallas, Braxton and Chapman together will be monstrous.

Harding was quick, but he got boxed in on the baseline several times and didn't look quite used to the length of D1 players. And Darling looked like he could use a year of growth. Both seem destined for RS years.

Looks like we can go big, or go small with ease. Lots of options and lots of athleticism. This is a really deep team.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I wasn't able to make it to the game last night. Instead, I made my way to Salt Lake and went to the Jazz game. How often in our lifetimes will we be able to see two Weber State guys, playing an NBA basketball game on the same court? Heard that the Dee was sparsely filled. Makes sense, it is the P&W game after all, but when you don't market how do people know? I too am excited by the prospects of this upcoming season. We have such potential. It is a shame that nobody will be there AGAIN to watch the Wildcats.

On another note. I really feel that Harding and Williams should red shirt. It would be in their best interests. Save their eligibility and help them mature. It is really a win win. It is hard to get a guy to red shirt after playing his freshman year, but I think it will really help his development and make him that much better in the future. Really the only reason I was sad about missing last nights game was the fact that I wanted to see Brekkot play. I heard he is as good as advertised.

Harding could likely start for a majority of teams in the Big Sky right now. He is quick and explosive and seems to have pretty high IQ for his age. He did take a bad shot at the end of the 3rd session but I really like what I saw from him. Brekkot has great touch and range. You can tell that he is pushing our bigs in practice.

You can thank our good buddy Brandon "barely objective" Garside for full coverage of the event. I guess it was streamed live? Our marketing needs help. No FB posts about the game the day of. There was one the day before but it is the same old thing. At least we don't pay for SATOG to show up to the purple and White?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GgxixMCCXA

Thank you 02. I'm glad that was available. It was nice to get a chance to watch the Cats and be able to stop, rewind, and re-watch certain plays. Of course it is hard to get a feel for the players in a P&W game. They know each other really well and they know the sets that are being run. Automatically, they understand how to defend certain things. I did get a feeling that this team has the potential of being really good. How good, well, that depends on chemistry. However, they share almost to a fault. This team very likely will average 15-20 assists a game. Only bad thing about this was the lackluster interview with Bovee. Brandon will you ever pitch a difficult question? No matter, I didn't really mind the commentary with you and Brett. Nevertheless, I feel I have a new starting 5.

PG: Cannon (he is so good at leading the team and running the offense)
SG: Senglin (he seems a bit quicker, which is what he needed to become)
SF: Baker (By far, in my opinion, the most important guy on the floor. He does so many things)
PF: Hill (I have a feeling he won't really increase his points this season, but he will grab a lot more rebounds)
C : Braxton (WOW...what a beast).

1. Richardson smooth shooting. I worry about his energy coming off the bench.
2. Dallas he is really our only big reserve, but I wasn't too disappointed in his game. He has a nice looking 15' jumper and can rebound.
3. John he has definitely improved and will get mins. But he is still our third or fourth best ball handler.
4. George I didn't think he was as bad as I've been told, but I think our BL Red Shirt, right now, is better.

I really don't know how Gittens is going to fit in this rotation when he comes back. I would put him as the energy guy and see where it goes from there. It is sad that Brekkot can't play now. Wow...he is going to be fun to watch. Williams and Harding have such potential, but both should red shirt so as to save eligibility and develop. Riley Court might be better than three guys as a freshman next year. We might lose a guard or two in the future.

 

[oldrunner]

The only problem I have with Dusty starting at the 3 spot, is that it would preclude him from being the first sub at the 4 spot. It was a very efficient lineup when he played at the 4 spot in Reno last spring. Right now, is our best option for backup at 4. Now, if he turns out to be our best option to start at 3, then the coaches will need to make new plans for a backup at 4. The 4 spot is where we have the least depth, with Kiko out. From what I have seen of Jordan and Zack, I think we are fine at 5. We are also quite well stocked at the wing positions. I am sure that our coaches will do what they feel is best for our team's success.

BTW, did anyone else notice our new walk on, shooting around prior to the PW scrimmage? That young man was making about 60% of his threes, and they were all from beyond the NBA range. He also got up and dunked it a couple of times. He just returned from a mission to New Zealand and looked quite impressive to me. I think the kid will have a chance to win a grant if one were to come available. The only problem with that is it looks like we wont have much available until 2019. We are fairly set until then, but you never know.

 

[UtahPirate]

Olds, my thoughts on why Baker is the first reserve are not quite the same as yours...

My thought is that when Cannon is off the court, Baker will be on it as either 3 or 4. They are both clearly going to be asked to facilitate ball movement for the offense. As a starter, Baker spends too many repetitive minutes on the court with Cannon. Off the bench, when Cannon is out, Baker will be in the lineup. I just see their passing as too valuable not to have one of them on the court throughout the game.

Tal also mentioned that Richardson doesn't seem like a bench guy. I think that there is something to that viewpoint.

I just see Baker as the first guy off the bench filling the most needed roll at the time. One thing is for sure, he's going to be fun to watch. He's in the Mahoney/Barton mold. Blue collar guys who help glue together teams -- and do the little things that end up making a big difference.

 

[oldrunner]

My feelings on Dusty's play are similar to everyone else. He can play either 3 or 4. However, I also know the reality of the situation. Our coaches don't like to play any player at both in the same week. They want them prepared for the job at hand. It's not that a player couldn't handle it, intellectually or physically. It's that they prepare the players for the plays and rotation for that week and last minute changes are not a welcome thing.
The other options as a backup at 4 all have other mitigating circumstances surrounding them, not the least of which is planning around next years lineup that will include Brekkott, and will not include Jeremy.

My feelings are that if we see Dusty come in a game as the 3, we will not be seeing him as a 4 that game. The exception would be if there were to be some sort of emergency. However, I also think that when he does play at the 4, the sets they will be running will put him on the wing most of the time, a four out and one in sort of offense. When Hill is at the 4, we will see more pick and role, high/low attacking offense. I'm not sure just how we might adjust for the lack of size defensively when Dusty is in at 4.

 

[oldrunner]

I am quite excited to get be getting this season going, and it's not just because the FB team has taken a sideways step. Our men's and women's BB teams have a great chance to be something really special. There will certainly be some trials along the way, and some expectations may be dashed, but these are highly talented and deep teams that deserve our attention. Yes, the preseason schedule is a bit disappointing, but what really matters is what happens at the end of the season.

After this coming Friday game, we will likely know who will be red shirting and what the rotations will look like. One thing we all seem to agree on is that Dusty may well be the best 6th man around. I've changed my mind a little bit on him. I now think he can be efficient playing three different positions in any and all games. His true value does seem to be as the ultimate utility player. He isn't flashy. He just gets the job done.

I am so glad, and we are so fortunate that all three of our big men had the privilege of making the most of a red shirt year. It may have been hard for them at the time, but it is quite valuable right now.

 

[UtahPirate]

Different starting lineups for each half on Saturday. John as 3 in the first half and Baker as 3 in the second. Personally I liked the second half lineup better. One big reason is I prefer John backing up Cannon and running the point -- his ability to get to the basket is similar to Cannons, but he is a better scorer around the rim. But both seem confident at running the team. We got some nice looks off of John's ability to penetrate. I also said that I didn't think Cannon and Baker would not be on the court together much. Shows how smart I am...

Cannon going 4 for 4 did not surprise. He seems more comfortable -- and he is such a good shooter. What did surprise was the number of minutes that Harding got. I've been pretty sure he would RS, but no longer. He is instant offense. He is listed at 6'1" and 185 -- I'm sure he wishes he weighed that much, I'm guessing that is generous in the 20+ pound range, ha!

 

[oldrunner]

Different starting lineups for each half on Saturday. John as 3 in the first half and Baker as 3 in the second. Personally I liked the second half lineup better. One big reason is I prefer John backing up Cannon and running the point -- his ability to get to the basket is similar to Cannons, but he is a better scorer around the rim. But both seem confident at running the team. We got some nice looks off of John's ability to penetrate. I also said that I didn't think Cannon and Baker would not be on the court together much. Shows how smart I am...

Cannon going 4 for 4 did not surprise. He seems more comfortable -- and he is such a good shooter. What did surprise was the number of minutes that Harding got. I've been pretty sure he would RS, but no longer. He is instant offense. He is listed at 6'1" and 185 -- I'm sure he wishes he weighed that much, I'm guessing that is generous in the 20+ pound range, ha!

I think that Dusty started the second half due to Cody having 3 fouls in the first half. I don't read anything more into it. Dusty and Cody were very effective all game. For that matter, so were Ryan and Rachaud.

I wondered about Jerrick getting the PT as well. It may be that they still have not made any final decisions on red shirts or they just wanted to evaluate his game against someone else, who knows. We will need him a lot more next year than this year. We have a lot of scorers and he could use a year to mature and learn.

 

[sacstateman]

This is about something else starting....thanks to all you Utahans who cancelled out a few of California's electoral votes....I have no hope sitting on a political island on the west coast....at least the rest of the country showed some decent sense.....Thank You once again....

 

[Back2WSU]

I understand being frustrated, but let's leave politics out of this forum...

 

[SWWeatherCat]

This is about something else starting....thanks to all you Utahans who cancelled out a few of California's electoral votes....I have no hope sitting on a political island on the west coast....at least the rest of the country showed some decent sense.....Thank You once again....

You are welcome :lol:

 

[n.ogdencat]

So, back to basketball, today was signing day and nothing out the norm happened. We might want to watch the rest of the Sky over the next few days to get an idea of conference development. Should be interesting.