Dear PF
- Thread starter coachfezz
- Start date
Fezz, agree with your infinite wisdom. Paul has potential that will be realized. OSC
I hope so, but I just don't see it. Skinny and unathletic, he plays below the rim despite his height. A year ago I made the comment that he can't dunk. Maybe he can, but I've never seen him do it. Not in any videos from high school and not even in a practice where they went to the hoop undefended. As half the team, especially the big guys, were throwing it down he stuck with the lay ups with the 3" vertical. Again, I really hope I'm wrong.
PA, I have attended three practices. Paul dunks at least 10 or more times during each practice. Moreover, he is a very good shooter, runs extremely well, and is a good ball handler. You may want to come to practice and watch. Also have a conversation with some of our coaches; they will tell you that he will be a significant contributor. Also, would not call Paul skinny by any stretch of the imagination. Paul and TJ are approximately the same height and both weigh 235 pounds. I honestly don't know where you get your ideas about Paul. Have a great day. OSC
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+1 Ulla. Paul can obviously dunk and has shown it is not too much of a "stretch" for him. Would it be a positive development for Paul to put on some more muscle and to find a "mean-streak" way down deep? Probably so, but give him time. He appears to be a hard-worker, and to have many of the skills we need in a "Big," including shooting, ball-handling, and passing. It took Justin Harper a little while to get both confident and aggressive, so let's show a little patience. After all, he has not yet played his first game as a Spider...
Ulla, I saw him at practice. Thanks for the advice. His athleticism does not compare to that of our other big men. Again, I hope I'm wrong about him, and that you are right. It seems that some people on this site feel that every single player we have is going to make significant contributions by the time they graduate, and that just hasn't been the case. I also remember people posting their belief that the 6'10" center who tranferred from our program a few years ago (name escapes me) was going to be a significant contributor, and that Ododa was finally putting his offensive game together. Sometimes it's just wishful thinking without much to base it on.
Comparing to current bigs he is not as athletic, but compared to former Spider bigs, Jeff Pehl,
Bill Fly, Mike Winicki, Bob McCurdy, they could shoot but not much on dunking. But they were big
contributors. Compared to the athleticism of Piotowski, Paul has 42" vertical and dribbles like Curly Neal.
Bill Fly, Mike Winicki, Bob McCurdy, they could shoot but not much on dunking. But they were big
contributors. Compared to the athleticism of Piotowski, Paul has 42" vertical and dribbles like Curly Neal.
Dunking prowess should be very low on the skills evaluation continuum. Coach Fezz is 100% spot on.
When I watch the hs/aau highlights of PF, he really does remind me of Jim Shields - who many questioned his frosh/soph years, and ended up being the CAA tourney MVP and vital cog in NCAA team his junior year.
We have to remember Paul is coming off an ACL tear as well. I know the medicine and recovery has progressed greatly in the last 10 years, but folks I have spoke to all seem to think the mental aspect seems to come back in year 2 post injury - with confidence to do same things and not thinking about the leg. My hope this year is that Paul can earn minutes and get acclimated to D1 and then start contributing a bunch next year.
We have to remember Paul is coming off an ACL tear as well. I know the medicine and recovery has progressed greatly in the last 10 years, but folks I have spoke to all seem to think the mental aspect seems to come back in year 2 post injury - with confidence to do same things and not thinking about the leg. My hope this year is that Paul can earn minutes and get acclimated to D1 and then start contributing a bunch next year.
I was at the practice last Saturday and was impressed with Paul. He lacks experience and could use some more bulk but he was banging with the bigs during the scrimmage and has a nice shooting stroke. I saw him dunk several times and during the scrimmage he was going up to dunk one but had it blocked. He may not be a big factor this year but I can see him being a big factor next year. The comparisons to Pehl and Winecki are spot on. When I say those two play as freshmen, I wondered what the recruiters were thinking. By their senior years, they were both ballers. we just need to stay patient.
Why doubt anyone on the team? We're just two days away from really, seeing what our guys can do. I think we are all going to be pleasantly surprised. Tons of talent, a pretty good schedule of tough teams, challenging teams, and a few soft programs. It's NCAA TOURNEY OR BUST.
I see PF's skill set being most similar to Bill Flye's. Flye didn't really come into his own until later in his Junior season. He was always a smart player and good outside shooter who wasn't afraid to mix it up under the glass despite being slender and not particularly athletic. Tarrant switched Flye to the 5 position his senior year, because we really didn't have anyone else who could play the 5, and Flye responded with an outstanding senior campaign, helping to lead the Spiders to an NCAA berth and our famous victory over a Charles Barkley and Chuck Person-led Auburn in 1984.
If PF turns into the next Bill Flye, that will be a very good thing for our program.
If PF turns into the next Bill Flye, that will be a very good thing for our program.
His last year Bob played Center and both forwards all at the same time. that's why he led the nation in scoring; he had to. A shooter like you have never seen. Double teamed constantly, got shots off from unbelievable positions and hit them.
McCurdy's brother was more a 5 but with Gray and Stewart at 3 & 4, McCurdy was constantly going against Furman's Leonard and May
and the big guy from ECU whose name slips me. You know McCurdy could not jump with his ankles but his touch was so soft and smooth
jump shot.
