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Spiders Collective-Season Preview-Oct 4

He could be that type of passer and clearly wants to be, but just needs to slow down and develop chemistry with his teammates. Golden/Gilly backdoor was money but those guys ran together 5 years. We saw Quinn try to force backdoors a lot at times (along with his good passes) and that's what Walz has to avoid, forcing the issue too much, especially bc he gets in his own head at times.

Take those that are there within the offense, occasionally try to make a great pass, stop whipping those cross court fastballs to the 4th row.

If he's a moderate threat from 3, it also opens things up for everyone cutting. Remains to be seen.

Remember that the America East is historically a bottom 5 conference, so while Beagle showed out there, it's a jump to the A10. King came from a better conference, no? (2 better if you include the MAAC.) I still think the split is close to even for minutes between them. Even Grant (as upperclassman) was limited to like 26mpg under Moon's rotations, right?

No help for those in North Carolina

FEMA has been forced to respond to the numerous lies spread by Trump, Musk, Sinclair broadcasting, other right-wing crazies, etc. Just disgusting. But exactly what you'd expect from people who hate America.

Spiders Collective-Season Preview-Oct 4

I don't think Walz will be a go-to offensive center like Golden or Quinn, but with the right guys around him he can be a very effective starting center.
and I think we have the right guys around him.
Agreed, I also think Walz could be a dominant interior presence that we have lacked particularly on the defense end of things. On offense, we will have to adjust things if he starts because he is not the gifted passer out of the high post that Golden/Quinn were. Yes, he can do it, but it is not his strength. His strength will be more on the low block, using his significant size/strength to play a little bully ball.

No help for those in North Carolina

Galli- just curious. What's your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid?

The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is a completely separate, appropriated grant program that was authorized and funded by Congress and is not associated in any way with FEMA’s disaster-related authorities or funding streams.”
Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post did not leave the story there. “Trump has a habit of assuming other politicians act in the same way as he would,” Kessler wrote. So he looked into why Trump would have accused Biden “of raiding the FEMA disaster fund to handle undocumented migrants. It turns out that’s because he did this.”
In the middle of hurricane season in 2019, Kessler explains, Trump took $155 million from the FEMA disaster fund and redirected it to pay for detention space and temporary hearing locations for immigrants seeking asylum. “No, Biden didn’t take FEMA relief money to use on migrants,” the article title reads, “but Trump did.”

Opening Night Lineup - Just for fun

Over Reaction Monday :)

Ok, since we don't have a lot to go on, or know Mooney's thought process on Day 1 starters (though more I think about it - we do know loyalty has been big factor in the past). So this is mostly based on comments from the scrimmage.

Guard - D. Hunt
Guard - Tyne
Guard - GW3
Forward - Dusan
Center - Walz

Like what I heard about Tyne, and he was really solid in game action last year. Returning player that played heavy minutes, and add to that B. Artis missing time with injury. All adds up to Tyne getting first crack in my mind.
GW3 - We have had several reports of him shooting very well in practice, and now in scrimmage. The HS tape shows him to be a + athlete. Questions, how is his defense? Will we be too small with 3 guard. Hard to tell a lot from a scrimmage I think, and in no way ruling out Glou or Tanner here. Just my over reaction based on the little we know.
I think someone like Glou, despite practicing with Uconn for two years still may be shaking some rust from little game activitiy (and that was mostly blow outs I think). Tanner is a real wild card but sounds like he is ready to contribute.

Graham - Brooklyn mentioned that Graham seems quite active in the clips and now the scrimmage. IF we go three guards and it is working - I think that is a good scenario for him to get some time possibly.

My hope is still that Glou is that guy, and can be a plus defender on the wing and hit 3's - A 3 and D guy playing 20+ minutes.
Along these lines here is what I texted my friends about my thoughts on starting lineup after the scrimmage … I am going out on a limb on with Robinson I realize but he is not an average freshman I don’t think ..

Starting lineup prediction : Hunt, mikkel (or B artis) , dusan , Jaylen Robinson , and Walz with GW off the bench to start but with good minutes and may start by conference time

Spiders Collective-Season Preview-Oct 4

So I didn't think Walz was ready to be a contributor out of high school (saw him live many times) and I think that was correct. I said he would have a lot of work to do to become a solid contributor. But to me, he's done the work and he was a much improved player last year and I suspect will be even more improved this year. I am actually fairly high on him for the upcoming season. He's going to be a different kind of center than we have had in awhile. More physical and less finesse that Golden/Quinn and i will be very interested to see how much offense we run through him (or Beagle) at the high post. Haven't seen that he's as skilled as those past guys. If he's developed that part of his game too, he can be very good.

I like him to start, but he could struggle with fouls early in the season because he plays so physically and hasn't had to learn to reign that in yet. But Beagle is an excellent backup if it plays out that way. I suspect we see a bit of a two headed monster here with meaningful minutes for both (but little to no playing together). By the end of the year and in our most meaningful games, suspect we'll get more walz than Beagle and we'll be excited about that!
I was most shocked at the Walz/Beagle observations. I would have that bringing in the a ROY from another conference that Beagle would be slotted to start with Walz backing him up. That does not seem to be the case. I like Walz a lot but I saw him a bit like Grace as a player who is great in a back-up roll but not someone you want starting if you wanna contends. He does seem to be putting in the work and unlike Grace, Walz has a physique to play with any center in the league.

Spiders Collective-Season Preview-Oct 4

I really like that Walz impressed, as I am high on him this year (which I know some of our Philly / PA based experts are not). I think Beagle will still play a huge role and think he fits right into this theme. Still not sure we have those long/athletic wing defenders from last season replaced, but like hearing the intensity and think that can go a long way even if we lose a little talent on the defensive side of the ball.
So I didn't think Walz was ready to be a contributor out of high school (saw him live many times) and I think that was correct. I said he would have a lot of work to do to become a solid contributor. But to me, he's done the work and he was a much improved player last year and I suspect will be even more improved this year. I am actually fairly high on him for the upcoming season. He's going to be a different kind of center than we have had in awhile. More physical and less finesse that Golden/Quinn and i will be very interested to see how much offense we run through him (or Beagle) at the high post. Haven't seen that he's as skilled as those past guys. If he's developed that part of his game too, he can be very good.

I like him to start, but he could struggle with fouls early in the season because he plays so physically and hasn't had to learn to reign that in yet. But Beagle is an excellent backup if it plays out that way. I suspect we see a bit of a two headed monster here with meaningful minutes for both (but little to no playing together). By the end of the year and in our most meaningful games, suspect we'll get more walz than Beagle and we'll be excited about that!

2024–25 schedule

And I will add, that we are to blame as well. Even among this array of awful OOC schedules, the fact that moribund programs like UMass, Fordham, LaSalle and Mason that haven't sniffed relevance in a decade plus were able to put together better OOC schedules than the defending A-10 champs is pathetic. We should be ashamed of our effort, we aren't but we should be.

Mens 2024 - 2025 Polls/Rankings/Awards

We had a pretty impressive streak of pre-season all conference selections. As mentioned, this is the first time since 2011-2012 that we don't have one:

'23-'24: Quinn (3rd)
'22-'23: Burton (1st)
'21-'22: Gilyard & Golden (1st), Burton (2nd)
'20-'21: Gilyard (1st), Golden & Francis (2nd)
'19-'20: Gilyard (1st), Golden (2nd)
'18-'19: Golden (1st)
'17-'18: Buckingham (2nd)
'16-'17: TJ (1st), Shawn'Dre: (3rd)
'15-'16: Terry Allen and Shawn'Dre (3rd)
'14-'15: Kendall Anthony (1st)
'13-'14: Cedrick Lindsay (3rd)
'12-'13: Darien Brothers (3rd)

Goes to show - nobody really knows who our best players are gonna be this year.

2024–25 schedule

I remember when we saw SLU's OOC schedule and we were like, well that is a pathetic schedule. And here they are ranked 3rd best OOC schedule in the league. SLU has ZERO P5 programs on their OOC schedules. They do have some decent mid-major games (Santa Clara, San Francisco, Grand Canyon. Those are their "big games".

That graph just really shows you how much the P5 has shut down playing non p5 programs and how systemic it is. In my opinion, this is a concerted effort to monopolize the few at large bids that went to non P5 programs. It is just a shame. Leagues like the A-10 need to be much more proactive with raising this as a huge issue.

Mens 2024 - 2025 Polls/Rankings/Awards

7th - I think had last year not happened, we would have been picked in double digits but A10 coaches are realizing that we should be a net winner in the transfer and NIL era. As we expected, no Spiders on any of the preseason all conference teams.

Preseason polls and conference teams were always a bit of a crap shoot but in the NIL era, you might as well blindfold your self and throw a couple darts at a wall. I agree we will have players on the all conference team at the end of the year. We almost always do.

2024 FCS Preseason Top 25 Hero:Top 25(the analyst)

Spiders back in the STATS poll at #21.


Edit: And moved from #21 to #17 in coaches poll...

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