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WSU Basketball, 2014-2015

Midmajor?? said:
I'm not so sure I agree with you 4'ever ...... From an offensive perspective Joel has come a long way. He's physically imposing and a great player, but not very polished. Trez was very polished by his Senior year, but did not have the physical skills of Joel!

Remember, we're talking about being a 5 and playing with your back to the hoop! I watched Braxton on a TV and he has a ton of low post moves. Joel has played more 4 than 5. I'm not sure how long it's going to take Braxton to develop at Weber, but I think Rahe has got to find a way to get both of them on the floor!
Click to expand...

We'll see ... the point is until Braxton plays in his first college game it is all speculation and grape cool-aid. I saw Braxton play this year too and I really like his upside, but that polish you talk about requires a lot of hard work and time to develop. He has to adapt to college life, stay injury free, etc. etc. etc. Let's not put the cart ahead of the horse and just let things develop.

Joel has 2 years of college experience under his belt which is huge at this point. Will Zach be a better player 2 years from now? Perhaps ... is he now? Not likely.
 
I didn't in anyway say he was better than Joel right now. What I stated was that I think he's more skilled as a 5 than Joel. Joel is a great player and will improve his skills, but this kid has better post moves.

It doesn't matter! They're teammates and will make our team better. I'm looking forward to the upcoming summer session so I can catch practices at the Dee... Going to be interesting.
 
Mycats said:
I didn't in anyway say he was better than Joel right now. What I stated was that I think he's more skilled as a 5 than Joel. Joel is a great player and will improve his skills, but this kid has better post moves.

It doesn't matter! They're teammates and will make our team better. I'm looking forward to the upcoming summer session so I can catch practices at the Dee... Going to be interesting.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood and I totally agree with that. The summer sessions should be interesting.

One of my concerns with both of them is that they don't have a reliable shot outside 6 feet. I really hope Joel work's on that this summer. If neither one can knock down shots from the elbow consistently it might be tough to have both on the floor at the same time in certain situations.

James certainly can't hit that shot right now as he had a terrible time with free throws this past year. Seems like Van Pelt is the only big capable of that, and is an unknown at this point.
 
I disagree with you fan4. Joel has a really nice shooting touch. He just hesitates because he lacks confidence. He has been thinking too much, not wanting to make mistakes. From what I have heard, Zack has a really good shooting touch as well. James' struggle from the FT line was likely due to not playing all season long. Ryan's reintroduction to basketball may take a while. :coffee:
 
I really liked how Joel improved his free throw shooting over the season. It tells me that there is hope for the rest of his offensive game. I think there is a tremendous amount of pressure for our young players to play within the system. I think in many ways that leads to un-sureity and a general lack of confidence. We saw many times where the youngsters were more concerned about getting the play right than pushing the ball on the break. With so many more new additions this year, I would like to see the flash cards permanently go missing.
 
Excellent post...... When you recruit talent, you have to let them play! Ok to play within the system, but if uncertainty trumps talent than you've negated the improved talent levels!

I think UK improved when he let them play versus trying to script every possession. We will have a talented team and experience although important might be overrated. I like having talented players on the floor. I can't wait to see how Rahe approaches this group of players.
 
What is nice about next season, and I feel this is the first time, in a long time, that we can say this with confidence, that the Cats have lots of frontcourt options. A healthy James gives the Cats a guy who knows the system, and is a senior leader. Someone who will help the new guys learn and the returning guys get better. Van Pelt also knows the system, and so really, all he needs to do is get back into playing shape. Joel is a star...there is no other way to say it. He can play the 4 or 5, and I agree with others on here, that he will, in all likelihood, start at the 5. Braxton brings a lot of upside and a great work ethic. Could he start as a true freshman at the 5? Who knows...if he can, I'm all for it.

At the 4 we have great depth too. Hill, to me, will in all likelihood start at the 4 and we also have Jae coming from Monroe College. Hill is more likely than Jae to play the 3 if needed. I don't see Jae playing the 3 very often, if ever, but if really needed he can. Finally, Van Pelt could play the 4 and does know the 4 position. He was cross trained as a freshman to play both since Weber was down a couple of bigs that year due to injuries.

I'm pretty excited about the prospects coming in and the returning players making progress. I think Hill has a lot of upside and could become a dominant 3 in our league if he got a bit faster. Also, we know how good Gittens is and what he
 
Great summary Tal. The games I saw last year, everyone doubled Tresnak and we had a very hard time making them pay. This year our front court should be deep enough and multi-talented so we never have that problem.
 
oldrunner said:
I disagree with you fan4. Joel has a really nice shooting touch. He just hesitates because he lacks confidence. He has been thinking too much, not wanting to make mistakes. From what I have heard, Zack has a really good shooting touch as well. James' struggle from the FT line was likely due to not playing all season long. Ryan's reintroduction to basketball may take a while. :coffee:
Click to expand...

Confidence is pretty important, so let's get him some. Also, if I am reading the numbers right Zach's FT % last year was 63% which is not quite up to par in my book.
 
Zach Braxton Center 5A Division

Games Played
24
Points Per Game
17.7
Assists Per Game
3.7
Rebounds Per Game
13.8
Steals Per Game
.8
Blocks Per Game
3.7
Shooting %
60.7%

Every player needs areas to improve, but look at his FG%! He will improve his free throw shooting and I'm sure this summer he will improve in lots of areas. I'm excited about seeing how he plays this summer and if the hype is legitimate. From what I've heard in Colorado he's a good player and even better student. Hate the hype, but we need him to be a stud to improve our program. I saw Rahe's comments and they seem very positive.
 
So with all this talk about the bigs nobody is saying anything about the new guards and wings. Has anyone seen any of them play? On paper we have some very good prospects here.
 
Coach said on 1280 today that we are set on recruits for next season and they are taking some down time in May, playing golf and family vacations.
 
I can no longer log onto this site… accessed it by googling Weber State basketball. Is anyone else having this problem. I have had it for about a week. Please, anyone, tell me how to get logged in without having to take the circuitous route I am taking now.
 
Ryan Richardson's end of season stats: http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/ryan-richardson/ppha_PTuEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/gendersport/basketball-stats.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In 22 games, he was 79-158 from 3pt range for 50%. I really think he might be the most under-rated player joining the Wildcat program. He was the Co-MVP for the Mesa area with major BYU recruit Payton Dastrup. He might be the guy who is flying under the radar and could shock a bunch of us next season by getting some PT. I still think it would be best for him to Red-Shirt so that he can add some weight and also, so that he can acclimatize to the college game and keep his stellar outside shooting intact. I think Richardson's upside is incredible. He will end up having an excellent career here at Weber State.

Rahe has done an outstanding job reloading on talent. Next year's class might be one of the more talented to ever take the court at Weber State. I'm not saying they are the best, but they are very talented. Chemistry, knowing your role, leadership, and playing within a system are also factors that determine a teams ability to be considered great. Those things will hopefully occur, but as for the players joining the program, wow...there is a lot of talent in Ogden. A guy like Richardson, in the past, would be considered as the top recruit. This season, he is kinda being over looked and somewhat forgotten (Wazzu and I both think he will end up as a Weber State great) by the fans because of the other guys joining the team. Braxton, Jefferson, Coston, and Golden all deserve the acclaim too. Gonna be some good times in the future!!

Braxton's numbers...he was double and tripled teams all year are incredible!! Highlands Ranch is a 5A program too. Same level as Lone Peak. His numbers are better than Mika's were when he was a Senior. YIKES!! How can Weber fans not be excited?!
 
Those are some really impressive numbers. 50% on 3 pointers combined for both his JR and SR years is amazing. Says he weighs only 170 lbs. and is 6'4. That is really light. I'm 6 foot exactly and I weigh 185, and I'm pretty skinny. ha ha. I agree with Tal, in that a redshirt would really help him, but he might be too good to keep off the floor. I said the same thing about Gittens last year and he ending up being one of our main players. Also, it seems Gittens is our only main SF besides Richardson. Unless Hill or Cotson can slide down and help at the SF position. When we first landed Jefferson I was really excited. I think he will be great, but the others have me all giddy too. Braxton seems like he is going to be special too. He led his team in rebounds, scoring and assists. He is the center. LOL. I love having a big guy who is a excellent passer. Hunter has got the least talk, but his numbers are solid too. I like our 2 JC's. I think they will both be very solid. Nothing against Williams and Fuller, but I think our JC's are a big upgrade there. USU would give up their left testicle to trade us recruiting classes. LOL. USU is a mess. I saw that Clifford is leaving. That means only 3 players from last year will be returning. We have to beat those Wankors next year up there. ha ha About 6 months till the season starts. :rockon:
 
It sounds like a total meltdown happening up in Logan. Our program is heading in a totally different direction.

I really love all the talent and athleticism we will have on our team this year. I'm hoping that the community realizes that fact early, and we can get some great crowds out early in the season. Many of the fans we lost to the Jazz need to come back and take a look. Maybe cut the number of Jazz games down a bit and incorporate the Wildcats back into your lives. This is going to be an exciting bunch to watch. Our momentum seems to be growing each and every year. :coffee:
 
I love summer and fall, but excited to get the season started! The comments on Mika makes me feel better about starting a freshman in the post. I'm still hoping Hajek gets the start, but confident that Braxton might be starting by the end of the season.

We are going to be such a young team, but that seems to be the trend in College basketball! Hayden, Richardson, Jefferson and Braxton will be an interesting class. I look at our team and struggle to find a weakness. I think the key to next year is Hajek! Even if Braxton is what I'm hearing, I still think we need 2-3 bigs in order to compete. I don't care if he's starting or coming off the bench, we need James's Senior leadership!
 
talhadfoursteals said:
Ryan Richardson's end of season stats: http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/ryan-richardson/ppha_PTuEeKZ5AAmVebBJg/gendersport/basketball-stats.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In 22 games, he was 79-158 from 3pt range for 50%. I really think he might be the most under-rated player joining the Wildcat program. He was the Co-MVP for the Mesa area with major BYU recruit Payton Dastrup. He might be the guy who is flying under the radar and could shock a bunch of us next season by getting some PT. I still think it would be best for him to Red-Shirt so that he can add some weight and also, so that he can acclimatize to the college game and keep his stellar outside shooting intact. I think Richardson's upside is incredible. He will end up having an excellent career here at Weber State.

Rahe has done an outstanding job reloading on talent. Next year's class might be one of the more talented to ever take the court at Weber State. I'm not saying they are the best, but they are very talented. Chemistry, knowing your role, leadership, and playing within a system are also factors that determine a teams ability to be considered great. Those things will hopefully occur, but as for the players joining the program, wow...there is a lot of talent in Ogden. A guy like Richardson, in the past, would be considered as the top recruit. This season, he is kinda being over looked and somewhat forgotten (Wazzu and I both think he will end up as a Weber State great) by the fans because of the other guys joining the team. Braxton, Jefferson, Coston, and Golden all deserve the acclaim too. Gonna be some good times in the future!!

Braxton's numbers...he was double and tripled teams all year are incredible!! Highlands Ranch is a 5A program too. Same level as Lone Peak. His numbers are better than Mika's were when he was a Senior. YIKES!! How can Weber fans not be excited?!
Click to expand...

In both HS and at BYU Mika was used quite different than just a pure post player. At BYU (and in HS) his success came largely on fast breaks and in transition, especially early in his freshman year. The one thing he truly excels at is running the floor. He certainly did not impress me with his skills as a back-to-the-basket player, although that improved as the year went on. Tresnak totally schooled him and so did a lot of other WCC centers.

I bring this up because I think the bigs we have next year bring a more solid set of all around post skills. Mika's skills fit the style that Coach Rose loves to run and our big's skills fit more Coach R's system. In a way I feel sorry for Mika because if he wants to go on to the next level he will need these skills. But it seems like BYU tends to exploit a players strengths to excess and not develop the over all player (Jimmer?) How many bigs has BYU had that have overachieved (0?) versus underachieved (too many to count?)

Compare that to Coach Rahe where we have a number of bigs that were not highly recruited but developed into very solid players. This is not to say that Mika will not become a great post player, just that Coach Rose does not have a track record of getting the best potential out of the posts. Coach Rahe seems to be able to develop post players into more of an overachiever, which is very promising given the increasing skill level of our recruits.
 
The basketball prospectus was just released. Pretty sweet knowing that basketball season is about to start. Only 13 days till the Purple and White!!

https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf9/2892043.pdf?ATCLID=209704329&SPSID=39376&SPID=3470&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=8600" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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