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Rat Ball
- Thread starter Da Bears
- Start date
WSUfan4ever
Active member
So, has anyone seen any scrimmages or drills yet? They should have one week finished now and still no word from anyone.
I got a chance to watch a bit of practice last Wednesday. They were running drills. So, you couldn't really tell who was good and who wasn't. I did chat with Mook for a bit and he said that the team is really young, but extremely talented. They are quick and great shooters. He said he is helping out this summer to help toughen the new guys up.
Personally, I'd be most interested in seeing how good the two JC guys are. The Cats will desperately need both next season.
Midmajor??
Active member
Got a chance to see next seasons squad. Early reports are correct, young but talented. I wouldn't lock into a starting 5 until the end of the preseason because some of the newcomers will be pushing for starters minutes.
The Freshman don't act like Freshman. They seem very comfortable in the program and hungry for minutes. I think we are going to see 1-2 newcomers in the starting 5. I know one thing, we will be physical!
The Freshman don't act like Freshman. They seem very comfortable in the program and hungry for minutes. I think we are going to see 1-2 newcomers in the starting 5. I know one thing, we will be physical!
WSUfan4ever
Active member
Had a conversation with a very reliable source the other day.
As expected, Joel is looking very strong and poised to be a real leader next season. James is healthy and putting a strong effort into his development for next year. Hill and Senglin have been impressive so far as well. Coston was supposed to make his first appearance yesterday.
All of the freshman are trying hard, but they are still freshman. Every one of them has a lot to work on if they are going to command significant minutes. Mook has been banging hard with the bigs to give them a measuring stick as to where they will need to be. Supposedly, there is a huge difference between the veterans and the freshman from a conditioning point of view right now.
Early word is that Braxton shows talent but he has been limited by a sprained ankle. Also, he has a lot of work to do on conditioning. Hunter has a great feel for the game and has been impressive. Van Pelt made a trip to the hospital during his first scrimmage for a nose x-ray and has been wearing a mask ever since. He has been physical and working hard, but has a way to go before he gets his legs back. Jefferson and Richardson have the talent but do not seem to have a strong feel yet for the college game.
Bottom line ... this is Rat Ball and purely a chance for everyone to see where they are at, including the coaches. When June is over, everyone will have a clear understanding of what they will need to do if they expect to command minutes. Come fall, we will find out which freshman want to put the work in, elevate their games to the next level, and put some real effort into college level conditioning.
Personally, I don't think we should get too excited about any of the new guys until we see how they come back to school in the fall. We will definitely need contributions from this class very soon. But as has been mentioned many times ... there is a huge difference between HS and college, and it will be a process for all of them.
As expected, Joel is looking very strong and poised to be a real leader next season. James is healthy and putting a strong effort into his development for next year. Hill and Senglin have been impressive so far as well. Coston was supposed to make his first appearance yesterday.
All of the freshman are trying hard, but they are still freshman. Every one of them has a lot to work on if they are going to command significant minutes. Mook has been banging hard with the bigs to give them a measuring stick as to where they will need to be. Supposedly, there is a huge difference between the veterans and the freshman from a conditioning point of view right now.
Early word is that Braxton shows talent but he has been limited by a sprained ankle. Also, he has a lot of work to do on conditioning. Hunter has a great feel for the game and has been impressive. Van Pelt made a trip to the hospital during his first scrimmage for a nose x-ray and has been wearing a mask ever since. He has been physical and working hard, but has a way to go before he gets his legs back. Jefferson and Richardson have the talent but do not seem to have a strong feel yet for the college game.
Bottom line ... this is Rat Ball and purely a chance for everyone to see where they are at, including the coaches. When June is over, everyone will have a clear understanding of what they will need to do if they expect to command minutes. Come fall, we will find out which freshman want to put the work in, elevate their games to the next level, and put some real effort into college level conditioning.
Personally, I don't think we should get too excited about any of the new guys until we see how they come back to school in the fall. We will definitely need contributions from this class very soon. But as has been mentioned many times ... there is a huge difference between HS and college, and it will be a process for all of them.
oldrunner
Active member
As I recall, we were saying the same things about our freshmen last year and look where they were by the end of the season, where they are now!!
I can see one or two of them red shirting. However, I wouldn't be surprised if none do. It really will come down to that three way decision between coach, player, and parent. It has been said already, but the only three sure bets for starting are Senglin, Gittens, and Bolomboy. After that, the competition will be tremendous.
I can see one or two of them red shirting. However, I wouldn't be surprised if none do. It really will come down to that three way decision between coach, player, and parent. It has been said already, but the only three sure bets for starting are Senglin, Gittens, and Bolomboy. After that, the competition will be tremendous.
Webergrad02
Active member
WSUfan4ever said:
I still haven't had a chance to watch Rat ball yet this year. I'm hoping to be able to soon though. The returning players should be better than the newbs. They know the offense, each other, and understand what is expected of them. This is a great time for the newbs to understand what they have to do to compete and for the returning guys to learn about the new guys skills and abilities.
Mycats said:
The Cats are actively recruiting a handful of very athletic 4's right now.
Midmajor??
Active member
I know Championships aren't won in June, but we have 4 freshman, one Sophomore returning from his mission and two JUCO transfers coming into the program. I'm getting a little concerned about our chances this season. I know we have some returning starters from last season, but it would be great to be able to get some thoughts on what we look like so far!
It's weird that 50% of our team wasn't here last season. That alone makes June a crucial month for the program.
It's weird that 50% of our team wasn't here last season. That alone makes June a crucial month for the program.
oldrunner
Active member
I got my first look at all the guys today. It is my opinion that these guys will compete for the championship. We are deeper and more athletic than ever. If we have some red shirts it will not be because they can't play. All of these guys are talented and confident. It is true that the upper classmen are ahead of the freshmen, but not by that far. Three weeks into the Summer conditioning, the new guys are rounding into shape. From what I could see, this team will not lack in any aspect of the game. Rebounding will be better, defense will be better, and we have improved in ball handling and shooting.
What did I see today? Bolomboy was an absolute beast. Hill and Johnson-Coston are pushing each other and will only get better as the season progresses. Senglin, Golden, and Hunter can get to the rim almost any time they want. Gittens is playing with great confidence and is poised to have a tremendous year. Jefferson can create a shot for himself about any time he wants to. His talent is very evident. Hayek is making a statement for playing time. He is in great shape and was scoring, defending and rebounding well. He also seems to be a true leader on this team. Braxton was rebounding and scoring well. His offensive skills are way ahead of his defensive skills, right now. He and Van Pelt are the ones who will benefit the most from good conditioning.
As far as starting, I don't think that water will clear until November. There is a lot of competition going on at power forward and off guard. Bottom line is that we have one senior who will have a big role but probably won't start. We are young, but very talented. This team has less experience than last years, but is more talented, in many aspects of the game, than that team. This will be an exciting team to watch.
What did I see today? Bolomboy was an absolute beast. Hill and Johnson-Coston are pushing each other and will only get better as the season progresses. Senglin, Golden, and Hunter can get to the rim almost any time they want. Gittens is playing with great confidence and is poised to have a tremendous year. Jefferson can create a shot for himself about any time he wants to. His talent is very evident. Hayek is making a statement for playing time. He is in great shape and was scoring, defending and rebounding well. He also seems to be a true leader on this team. Braxton was rebounding and scoring well. His offensive skills are way ahead of his defensive skills, right now. He and Van Pelt are the ones who will benefit the most from good conditioning.
As far as starting, I don't think that water will clear until November. There is a lot of competition going on at power forward and off guard. Bottom line is that we have one senior who will have a big role but probably won't start. We are young, but very talented. This team has less experience than last years, but is more talented, in many aspects of the game, than that team. This will be an exciting team to watch.
I got a chance to watch a bit of rat ball the other day. Also, I got a chance to chat with Mook about the team. We are crazy talented. Senglin, Bolomboy, Gittens, Golden, Hill, and Coston were playing awesome when I was there.
Mook really likes Braxton and has a soft spot for Van Pelt (he thinks Pelt and Hajek are the teams tough guys). Hajek will play a bunch this year and I really wouldn't doubt seeing a lineup featuring Bolomboy at Center, Coston at PF, and Hill playing at SF; with Gittens and Senglin playing the 2 and 1 respectively.
Hunter was better than what I imagined him being, but still, I feel, a red-shirt might be best for him. Jefferson wasn't a fluid as I was hoping, but you can definitely tell he is extremely talented and confident. He will be something extremely special for the Cats and could get some starts this year. Richardson is going to be a really good player for the Cats in about a year. He needs to redshirt to get bigger and faster. He is probably our best outside shooter though.
Golden is our Berry replacement. He is a guy the Cats can count on for points. He has a knack for scoring and can score in a bunch of different ways. He can create, shoot for distance, and get to the rim. He was definitely a nice find for the Cats.
Mook really likes Braxton and has a soft spot for Van Pelt (he thinks Pelt and Hajek are the teams tough guys). Hajek will play a bunch this year and I really wouldn't doubt seeing a lineup featuring Bolomboy at Center, Coston at PF, and Hill playing at SF; with Gittens and Senglin playing the 2 and 1 respectively.
Hunter was better than what I imagined him being, but still, I feel, a red-shirt might be best for him. Jefferson wasn't a fluid as I was hoping, but you can definitely tell he is extremely talented and confident. He will be something extremely special for the Cats and could get some starts this year. Richardson is going to be a really good player for the Cats in about a year. He needs to redshirt to get bigger and faster. He is probably our best outside shooter though.
Golden is our Berry replacement. He is a guy the Cats can count on for points. He has a knack for scoring and can score in a bunch of different ways. He can create, shoot for distance, and get to the rim. He was definitely a nice find for the Cats.
Midmajor??
Active member
talhadfoursteals said:
Tal and Runner, do you see Golden as a starter? I thought Coston and Hill were both 3's........ Are they big and strong enough to play 4? Is Joel mostly playing at 4 or 5? What do you think will be the depth charts at each position? Who would you redshirt? Hunter, Braxton and Richardson? Thanks for the update!
oldrunner
Active member
I would love to see Hill playing a little 3, but I'm not sure that Randy is ready to put him there , just yet. JC can play a little there as well. Although, Randy's position on either of them playing at 3 is about the same. He wants a more dynamic guy there, like Gittens. When we play teams that have big wing players, we may have to play one of them at that position, just to guard them well. To me, you give up some things and gain others by going big at that position. For example, one set gives you better defense and rebounding, while the other gives you better offense and ball handling. It's a matter of choosing you poison.
oldrunner
Active member
Mid;
Golden will play a lot. He may start at the 2 spot, but is getting pushed by Jefferson. Both Hill and JC are big enough and more than capable of being effective at 4 and can get spot minutes at 3. So much can happen between now and November that depth charts are not wise at this point. Three positions seem quite clear for now. It's safe to say that Joel is our 5, Jeremy is our 1, and Gittens is our 3. Beyond that would just be a WAG. :twocents:
Golden will play a lot. He may start at the 2 spot, but is getting pushed by Jefferson. Both Hill and JC are big enough and more than capable of being effective at 4 and can get spot minutes at 3. So much can happen between now and November that depth charts are not wise at this point. Three positions seem quite clear for now. It's safe to say that Joel is our 5, Jeremy is our 1, and Gittens is our 3. Beyond that would just be a WAG. :twocents:
