Game 1 VMI for year two
- Thread starter RichmondNative
- Start date
the nepotism continuity hire may not be panning out
I am the eternal optimist until proven otherwise. I will remain a forward looking fan!
I don’t know why you can’t be positive.
VMI went on a 10-0 run at the end of the game when we emptied the bench, so the final margin of 18 is a bit misleading. Very impressive first game, the team looked great offensively.
freshmen looked rough on offense last 5m playing together. Almost got the cover bc they didn't score for the last 5m. Harris got 2 fts but that was it. VMI guy blew the 1 and 1 for the cover.
Solid Win. As always, would like more defense.
Positives:
King was as good as the ETSU highlights and advertised. Won't happen every game, but wow what a difference from last year.
Hunt was just about as expected. Aggressive attacking the basket and in transition. Shaky from 3, but overall a positive.
Dji - looked good. Pass of the game on the drive and no look. Like when he drives b/c he is very adept at finding the man fore easy layup.
Noyes - solid outing. Want to see more aggressive.
Bigelow - Good game, didn't try to do too much.
Walz - Really liking what I am seeing so far. Some really good, quick reads passing. Played aggressive. Can be that classic big man that eventually develops into a really good player in jr and sr. season.
Soulis - showed some flashes. High ceiling.
Tyne will score some points for us.
Roche - was Roche, keep looking for your opportunities.
Overall, I think quite a few of us thought we would move the ball better, and we did. Offense looked much quicker, ball moved much quicker.
Positives:
King was as good as the ETSU highlights and advertised. Won't happen every game, but wow what a difference from last year.
Hunt was just about as expected. Aggressive attacking the basket and in transition. Shaky from 3, but overall a positive.
Dji - looked good. Pass of the game on the drive and no look. Like when he drives b/c he is very adept at finding the man fore easy layup.
Noyes - solid outing. Want to see more aggressive.
Bigelow - Good game, didn't try to do too much.
Walz - Really liking what I am seeing so far. Some really good, quick reads passing. Played aggressive. Can be that classic big man that eventually develops into a really good player in jr and sr. season.
Soulis - showed some flashes. High ceiling.
Tyne will score some points for us.
Roche - was Roche, keep looking for your opportunities.
Overall, I think quite a few of us thought we would move the ball better, and we did. Offense looked much quicker, ball moved much quicker.
Well that was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Jordan King looks like a dawg
A few things that stood out to me:
Fun first game to start the year. Agreed with the Jordan King takes of most here - he has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, from taking his man off the dribble to deep 3's. Was the best player on the floor last night and may be a bunch this season.
Guard play overall looks to be in good hands for years to come. Clear upgrades from the transfer portal, plus a healthy Bailey and contributions from promising freshmen. Granted this was VMI we played, but just from the eye test we have some depth there.
Not much from Bigelow but hopefully that was more of a product of not needing much from him last night. Still want him shooting less 3's (took 3 in just 16 min last night).
Mike Walz wins my award for "most likely to break a teammates finger with a pass". Just such a big, strong guy and it seems like it's hard for him to reign it in a little when the situation calls for it. I do agree with your view though 23 that he may not be a star but more of a guy that gets a little more time each year here and by his senior year is indispensable.
Also really liked what Dji did last night. Beautiful pass on his assist, lots of rebounds, pesky on defense. It seems like finishing at the rim is an issue for him though. Clean that up and he is poised for his best year as a Spider.
Plenty to critique from last night too, but as we know well and we saw around the country last night (VCU, Michigan St., Rutgers) opening game letdowns can be a thing. So it was good to have a comfortable, home opener win and something to build on.
Fun first game to start the year. Agreed with the Jordan King takes of most here - he has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, from taking his man off the dribble to deep 3's. Was the best player on the floor last night and may be a bunch this season.
Guard play overall looks to be in good hands for years to come. Clear upgrades from the transfer portal, plus a healthy Bailey and contributions from promising freshmen. Granted this was VMI we played, but just from the eye test we have some depth there.
Not much from Bigelow but hopefully that was more of a product of not needing much from him last night. Still want him shooting less 3's (took 3 in just 16 min last night).
Mike Walz wins my award for "most likely to break a teammates finger with a pass". Just such a big, strong guy and it seems like it's hard for him to reign it in a little when the situation calls for it. I do agree with your view though 23 that he may not be a star but more of a guy that gets a little more time each year here and by his senior year is indispensable.
Also really liked what Dji did last night. Beautiful pass on his assist, lots of rebounds, pesky on defense. It seems like finishing at the rim is an issue for him though. Clean that up and he is poised for his best year as a Spider.
Plenty to critique from last night too, but as we know well and we saw around the country last night (VCU, Michigan St., Rutgers) opening game letdowns can be a thing. So it was good to have a comfortable, home opener win and something to build on.
I thought that went about as well as expected for a first game. Yes VMI is bad, but as noted we have started really really slow in past years. King took reigns early and no let up.
Exactly. Well said, spider23. You’re off to a good start yourself this season with posts like these.
Believe you're confusing that with the football rule. There is no such rule for any other sport other than wrestling.
Section 12.8.3 starting on page 58:
(There is of course the medical redshirt possibility, but for an elective redshirt, you step on the court once and you can no longer take it.)
Great start to the season. I predicted 87-61, and it was 87-61.......with over 7 minutes left. We won't see too many up and down games like this because I'm not sure teams we play will play the style that VMI plays. They want to play fast, but also give up a lot of open 3s and buckets in transition. So, a very successful 1st game, but we will need to see how we do against better competition.
King: Outstanding. What a game he played. In control from the opening tip. Best player on the court and played like it all game. I know it is only one game, but for those that were worried Nelson would perform better than King this year, King had 34 points (6-12 from 3) and only 1 turnover in 25 minutes, while Nelson had 2 points and 2 turnovers, and was 0-3 from 3 in 19 minutes off the bench.
Hunt: Only 1-5 from 3, but I love his energy and how he attacks the rim. He is a scorer, and it looks like he will find ways to score even if his shot not falling. I like seeing that from a starting guard. I loved Blake's game and what he brought every night, and I do see some similarities in Hunt that we will love. He won't be the 3 point guy Blake was, but I still think he can hit enough to be a factor there, which will only make the rest of his game better. 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes. Solid game.
Noyes: Hit a couple 3s and got some good rebounds. I like what I saw from him out there. He looks ready to be a factor.
Bigs: I see a big difference when he is set for a 3 and when he is not. His corner 3 he made looked good from the minute it left his hand. He was set and the stroke looked smooth. Just shoot those, Bigs. No need to force other 3s.
Quinn: We did not need him much offensively because we got so many good looks last night, but there will be plenty of times when we need him to score, so that will be a key for us. He rebounded very well, and looks solid out there.
Dji: Played very well as the 1st guy off the bench. Brought some very good D and was very active. I like him a lot better at the wing. 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals is very impressive in 19 minutes. Time will tell if the offense will be there consistently, but if he can get steals and rebound like that consistently, I could definitely see 10+ minutes a game for him every game, even during games when the scoring is not there.
Walz: Like Quinn, we didn't get to see a lot of offense out there, but I think he can do enough to be a good backup to Quinn. He needs to limit the turnovers, and not force anything.
Roche: Played well and got 9 points in 15 minutes, including 2-5 from 3. I would like to see at least five 3 attempts a game from him. If the 1st couple don't go in, keep shooting.
Tyne: Looked good in his 12 minutes. Very quick. good handle, and his 3 pointer looks good.
It looks like this is our rotation, and these guys will get time every game. Against some bigger teams, we will probably need some good minutes earlier in the game from Harris or Soulis. Time will tell if Tanner or Smith can break in anywhere, but they both could have real good futures ahead of them.
My biggest disappointment was we made things too easy for that Watkins guy. He was their only threat from 3, and should not have been open so often.
King: Outstanding. What a game he played. In control from the opening tip. Best player on the court and played like it all game. I know it is only one game, but for those that were worried Nelson would perform better than King this year, King had 34 points (6-12 from 3) and only 1 turnover in 25 minutes, while Nelson had 2 points and 2 turnovers, and was 0-3 from 3 in 19 minutes off the bench.
Hunt: Only 1-5 from 3, but I love his energy and how he attacks the rim. He is a scorer, and it looks like he will find ways to score even if his shot not falling. I like seeing that from a starting guard. I loved Blake's game and what he brought every night, and I do see some similarities in Hunt that we will love. He won't be the 3 point guy Blake was, but I still think he can hit enough to be a factor there, which will only make the rest of his game better. 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes. Solid game.
Noyes: Hit a couple 3s and got some good rebounds. I like what I saw from him out there. He looks ready to be a factor.
Bigs: I see a big difference when he is set for a 3 and when he is not. His corner 3 he made looked good from the minute it left his hand. He was set and the stroke looked smooth. Just shoot those, Bigs. No need to force other 3s.
Quinn: We did not need him much offensively because we got so many good looks last night, but there will be plenty of times when we need him to score, so that will be a key for us. He rebounded very well, and looks solid out there.
Dji: Played very well as the 1st guy off the bench. Brought some very good D and was very active. I like him a lot better at the wing. 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals is very impressive in 19 minutes. Time will tell if the offense will be there consistently, but if he can get steals and rebound like that consistently, I could definitely see 10+ minutes a game for him every game, even during games when the scoring is not there.
Walz: Like Quinn, we didn't get to see a lot of offense out there, but I think he can do enough to be a good backup to Quinn. He needs to limit the turnovers, and not force anything.
Roche: Played well and got 9 points in 15 minutes, including 2-5 from 3. I would like to see at least five 3 attempts a game from him. If the 1st couple don't go in, keep shooting.
Tyne: Looked good in his 12 minutes. Very quick. good handle, and his 3 pointer looks good.
It looks like this is our rotation, and these guys will get time every game. Against some bigger teams, we will probably need some good minutes earlier in the game from Harris or Soulis. Time will tell if Tanner or Smith can break in anywhere, but they both could have real good futures ahead of them.
My biggest disappointment was we made things too easy for that Watkins guy. He was their only threat from 3, and should not have been open so often.
Last edited:
Sounds a bit like Matt Grace’s career trajectory
Great summary, 4700. It's funny cause this is first post that mentioned defense. I saw harbors of past defenses last night of our guards wings pushing too far in with the help side defense and leaving opposing shooters wide open.
Again, first game, we played were playing with a big lead, VMI plays a wide open style of play, but something to watch in future games.
The other thing that surprised me in a not a great way: Trevor Smith. His body is not that of an A-10 guard and his shooting form was not great. In my mind, if you are a small framed PG playing in the A-10, you either better being extremely athletic/quick and/or be a great shooter. I didn't see either. Malcom Dread vibes is what he gave me. Hopefully, I'm wrong and I'm already on record that I'm not sure how beneficial redshirts are in the portal era, but he can certainly use a year to really get his body conditioned for the college game.
I was way more excited about his commitment than I was Tynne's and now seeing them both for the first time, you can see why Tynne is going to be a big part of the rotation and similarly why Trevor probably isn't.
Unfortunately wasn't able to watch most of 1st half but catching some afterwards pleasantly surprised to see such a decisive win. Great seeing Mooney giving so many players time on the court.
Honestly switched over to VCU game after glancing at score that showed having a rough night.👍 Looked like a team playing like a snake with the head cut off. Agree with 97 Spiders appear better off without Nelson. He did very little while in there with the team having so much athletic height. He had a golden opportunity to be that point guard general but appears he doesn't have it in him. Only one game but same as last year.
I mean what was Odum's strategy? Take out Nelson and everyone else 6'5" and over so try 36 3PTA of 53 shots lol!. Very enjoyable to see and don't know if it continues but appears they they don't have a team leader. And that Havoc ball produced 5 TOs.
LOCALS WEAR THE SPIDER GARB PLENTLY TODAY!!!
Honestly switched over to VCU game after glancing at score that showed having a rough night.👍 Looked like a team playing like a snake with the head cut off. Agree with 97 Spiders appear better off without Nelson. He did very little while in there with the team having so much athletic height. He had a golden opportunity to be that point guard general but appears he doesn't have it in him. Only one game but same as last year.
I mean what was Odum's strategy? Take out Nelson and everyone else 6'5" and over so try 36 3PTA of 53 shots lol!. Very enjoyable to see and don't know if it continues but appears they they don't have a team leader. And that Havoc ball produced 5 TOs.
LOCALS WEAR THE SPIDER GARB PLENTLY TODAY!!!
Last edited:
This is surprising to me simply because I agree with others about Smith and Tanner. Definitely don’t see how they will see much court time with all the options that there are. I would have to imagine that redshirts were discussed and they decided not to take them.
Mooney has been quite clear that it's largely up to each player and their family. Seem to remember Bob or Beck saying during the game that they had talked to Mooney right before the game and it sounded like nobody was going to be shirting, so they'd all be available.
One more thing...I've been a fairly critical of Mooney for many years now, but credit where it's due. Our situation looked pretty bleak at the end of last season. But Mooney and staff (and NIL?) held on to several key players and added a lot of new talent from high school and particularly the transfer portal. Again, only one game but there's a lot to like at the moment.
You have learned well grasshopper.We suck
Mooney sucks.
We don't know how to properly use a time-out.
Our last-second shot approach sucks.
Quit sitting on a lead.
Quinn is soft.
Why isn't Roche starting?
Our students suck.
Just getting a head start on the upcoming season.
Good first game - liked that we seemed ready to play and grabbed the early lead and really didn't let VMI back into the game much at all most of the night. This is the way we should handle bad teams, which VMI is. I generally reserve my opinions for players 4-5 games into the season - think we will know where this team is heading by the end of the Florida two day event.
we're better without Burton ... now that we have King and Hunt. we'd be looking incredible with the 3 of them together.
-----
once the freshmen told coach they didn't want the redshirt, you play them in a blowout. but man, those last 7 minutes looked like Mooney took the points and the under! think we scored 4 points. I was picturing Mooney as the jockey on a trotter pulling back on the reigns.
love the new pieces. doesn't look like Mooney has plans for Harris, but he looked pretty impressive in a short run too.
Yeah, the last 5 plus minutes was not good. I'm glad he let all of the players get a little run but whew that was not pretty. Quite frankly, Jack Graham looked like more of a player to me than some of our other recruited freshman.
I think that is just tough to put some many new bodies in at the same time, especially true freshman. When I coached, I always tried to keep 2 starters in with the lower level guys. Of course I had one kid who was a starter (who wasn't any superstar himself) would question why I was making him play with the "goon squad". Everyone is trying to jack it up and get a bucket, so it was really just a recipe to not look great. I actually was more impressed with Graham's highlights from hs, and thought he looked pretty slow and clunky on TV - possibly why he got the ol 2 for 4 scholly
