Hampton Sydney game feedback

[UR80sfan]

Hampton Sydney was terrible, but despite that a number of freshman showed strong skills. Jake Wojcik started and look very solid. He had a lot of confidence and seems to have an all round game. Andre Gustavson also played well and should get a fair amount of minutes this year. Sal Koureissi will be a great player once he gets more experience and confidence. The biggest surprise was Matt Grace. Not sure if he can shoot, but looks coordinated, passed well and played good defense. He will be a good back up for the big guys.

For returning players the top 3 played well as expected. Cayo look very good and much improved from last year. Bryce Schneider also played well.

Bottom line, there is going to be a lot of competition to get playing time and we are going to have a much better bench that previous years.

 

[SpiderRick]

I'm anxious to see how the youngsters play under pressure. Obviously there is zero pressure playing an exhibition game against a lousy DIII school at home.

I liked what you said about Grace.

 

[64Spider]

I'm a little worried about Longwood.

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

That's two threads now with this mysterious "Hampton Sydney."

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

this game was not about who we played, it was getting our new players a chance to play a game w/ the lights, crowd, refs, etc. 23s man crush Dick Tarrant used to play Marathon Oil, which was a joke. Who cares who we played and how good or bad they were. That was not the point.

 

[Marley13]

Marathon Oil also would have whipped H-S. Google them.

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

you google the Marathon Oil teams of the 80s

 

[Not-A-Homer]

Wojcik is a very impressive for a freshman. He looked seasoned and showed game maturity. You can tell that he is the son (and nephew) of a coach. His poise and ball control is not freshman level. His head is up at all times, he is on-court savvy (seems to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time) beyond his years. Shoots confidently and fairly weIl even though I would not tag him as a great shooter YET. It is going to be awfully hard to dislodge him from a starting job. He is set to have a very good career as a Spider.

Andre G. was impressive as well. He has more size than I was expecting, and much more athleticism. He too looks mature and very solid. Did several things that I really liked that will not show up in the box score. Andre' athleticism helps him play very good defense. He got lost on defense a time or two, but you can tell that he has the makings of a strong defensive player. One area that needs improvement, he had 4 passes that were either deflected or stolen. My guess is that he is adjusting to the speed of the American opponent, and that he will be fine with time and experience. Overall, I like his game and want him to see a lot of minutes.

I liked Gilyard and Wojcik together. Their games are almost completely opposite of each other, so they complemented quite well. I also liked Wojcik and Andre G. together in the back court.

As stated by others, Grace was a pleasant surprise. He is NOT currently ready to contribute in a big way, but he did show some bright spots passing. Maybe potential to develop more later in his career. Not ready for major minutes at this time, BUT, he is all there is to back up Golden.

Sal is NOT ready to contribute significantly at this level. He did look fairly athletic and he has height and long arms. However, he is thin and doesn't realize that he is 6'9. He was shy, shaky with the ball, and a little clumsy (not smooth offensively). He did not look like a good rebounder for a man his size. Didn't impress on defense either. Because of his size and athleticism he MAY develop into a pretty good A-10 level player, but he was not that tonight.

The big three played as expected. JJ Johnson was unimpressive. Small minutes from him should be the norm. Schneider is NOT ready to contribute much at this level. Don't expect to get to know him well this season.

The front court is likely to be a major weakness for this team. Outside of Golden and a small Sherod, there are no A-10 caliber starters down low. Cayo looked exactly as we saw him last year, unimpressive yet an adequate defensive player. He doesn't rebound, not much of a shooter or passer.

There is no-one (nothing) else on the blocks. Rebounding and post defense look to be big challenges as usual. **** Verbinski & Yates did not play so I can't assess them. The Spiders REALLY need something from Verbinski and/or Yates. If they can't contribute as needed, there will be major trouble. Unfortunately, I smell real significant match-up difficulty in the front court.

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

here is who John Beilein played..who is Interhoop?


UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- Junior Reggie Brown (Flushing, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and sophomore Mike Skrocki (Howell, N.J./Christian Brothers) scored 18 points each in leading the Richmond Spiders to a 99-65 win over Interhoop in the team's only exhibition.

 

[Marley13]

Did it longtime. You’re so easy.

 

[Spideroldie]

Agree with most of "Not a Homer's" observations, above. Believe that Woj and Dre will combine to give us some excellent guard play, and greatly improved 3-point shooting as a team. Also really like what Matt Grace already brings to the party. He could benefit from more muscle and weight, but it is rare to see a freshman pass the ball as well as Matt can, and UR LOVES centers who can pass the rock.

I am far more optimistic about Sal than "Not a Homer," and believe he has the potential to be an excellent player in the A-10 once he gets a better grasp of our offensive and defensive schemes. He clearly could also spend some very productive time in the cafeteria and the weight room. Sal has some very nice ball-handling, passing and shooting skills and I hope we will see a lot more of him as the season progresses. Sal did not fully show what he is capable of in tonight's game, but after a few "real" games I am confident that more posters will want to see more of him. Sal also compliments Nate (his fellow PF) well, since Sal's strengths may lean in the direction of offense, and Nate's strengths may lean more in the direction of defense.

The things that have jumped out at me most about this Spider team are their improved shooting and passing. Although it may be too early to say, I am feeling that the newcomers may also be a far better fit for our "systems" than the guys who left, resulting in a stronger overall team. I usually cringed when Khwan or Buck took a 3-pointer and there are very few current players who elicit the same reaction.

 

[LongTimeSpiderFan]

Agree with most of "Not a Homer's" observations, above. Believe that Woj and Dre will combine to give us some excellent guard play, and greatly improved 3-point shooting as a team. Also really like what Matt Grace already brings to the party. He could benefit from more muscle and weight, but it is rare to see a freshman pass the ball as well as Matt can, and UR LOVES centers who can pass the rock.

I am far more optimistic about Sal than "Not a Homer," and believe he has the potential to be an excellent player in the A-10 once he gets a better grasp of our offensive and defensive schemes. He clearly could also spend some very productive time in the cafeteria and the weight room. Sal has some very nice ball-handling, passing and shooting skills and I hope we will see a lot more of him as the season progresses. Sal did not fully show what he is capable of in tonight's game, but after a few "real" games I am confident that more posters will want to see more of him. Sal also compliments Nate (his fellow PF) well, since Sal's strengths may lean in the direction of offense, and Nate's strengths may lean more in the direction of defense.

The things that have jumped out at me most about this Spider team are their improved shooting and passing. Although it may be too early to say, I am feeling that the newcomers may also be a far better fit for our "systems" than the guys who left, resulting in a stronger overall team. I usually cringed when Khwan or Buck took a 3-pointer and there are very few current players who elicit the same reaction.

I think Sal will be fine. I originally thought he might be starter by end if year. I was wrong... He is nit ready yet and coukd even redshirt from what i saw. He'll not be in any 7 man rotation or probably 8 man rotation for that matter. He'll be solid but not this year... Aint gonna happen.

 

[Spiderstew1962]

Sal and Andre should both redshirt. They could both use an extra year. Plus, with our depth, especially after Tomas and Noah get healthy, there won’t be enough minutes to go around!

 

[UR80sfan]

Sal and Andre should both redshirt. They could both use an extra year. Plus, with our depth, especially after Tomas and Noah get healthy, there won’t be enough minutes to go around!

It is kind of nice that we have gone from talking about no bench to not enough time for all the players. I do not think either of them should red shirt. With a couple more games under his belt Andre will be a strong player and potentially help make this the best 3 point shooting team we have had in a long time. Sal will take time to develop, but he has tremendous talents. By conference play he will be a decent contributor. One thing holding him back from starting is the improvement of Cayo. I am surprised more people didn't mention his play.

 

[spiderstudent17]

I don’t think Andre should redshirt. Seems like he may develop into a solid contributor off the bench. Grace won’t redshirt either since he has played well in practice and these games and will likely be put in to give Grant breathers. I’m still on the fence on whether I think Sal would benefit from a redshirt year. I think that it’ll depend on the development of Yates, Grace, and Cayo at the 4/5 spot.

 

[urfan1]

you guys are to hard on Andre and Sal. Andre came in late and has been sick, give him time. Sal has tremendous upside. I recall my first collegiate completion. It took me a few outings to find out what it was all about.

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

Sal and Andre should both redshirt. They could both use an extra year. Plus, with our depth, especially after Tomas and Noah get healthy, there won’t be enough minutes to go around!

disagree strongly. Gustaf will be our 2nd best guard before jan 1.

 

[spider fan]

That's two threads now with this mysterious "Hampton Sydney."

Yes John Hampden should be remembered,
Hampden-Sydney began as the southernmost representative of the "Log College" form of higher education established by the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in America, whose academic ideal was the University of Edinburgh, seat of the Scottish Enlightenment. The first president, at the suggestion of Dr. John Witherspoon, the Scottish president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), chose the name Hampden-Sydney to symbolize devotion to the principles of representative government and full civil and religious freedom which John Hampden (1594-1643) and Algernon Sydney (1622-1683) had outspokenly supported, and for which they had given their lives, in England's two great constitutional crises of the previous century. They were widely invoked as hero-martyrs by American colonial patriots, and their names immediately associated the College with the cause of independence championed by James Madison, Patrick Henry, and other less well-known but equally vigorous patriots who composed the College's first Board of Trustees.

http://www.hsc.edu/about-h-sc/history

 

[97spiderfan]

Wojcik is a very impressive for a freshman. He looked seasoned and showed game maturity. You can tell that he is the son (and nephew) of a coach. His poise and ball control is not freshman level. His head is up at all times, he is on-court savvy (seems to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time) beyond his years. Shoots confidently and fairly weIl even though I would not tag him as a great shooter YET. It is going to be awfully hard to dislodge him from a starting job. He is set to have a very good career as a Spider.

Andre G. was impressive as well. He has more size than I was expecting, and much more athleticism. He too looks mature and very solid. Did several things that I really liked that will not show up in the box score. Andre' athleticism helps him play very good defense. He got lost on defense a time or two, but you can tell that he has the makings of a strong defensive player. One area that needs improvement, he had 4 passes that were either deflected or stolen. My guess is that he is adjusting to the speed of the American opponent, and that he will be fine with time and experience. Overall, I like his game and want him to see a lot of minutes.

I liked Gilyard and Wojcik together. Their games are almost completely opposite of each other, so they complemented quite well. I also liked Wojcik and Andre G. together in the back court.

As stated by others, Grace was a pleasant surprise. He is NOT currently ready to contribute in a big way, but he did show some bright spots passing. Maybe potential to develop more later in his career. Not ready for major minutes at this time, BUT, he is all there is to back up Golden.

Sal is NOT ready to contribute significantly at this level. He did look fairly athletic and he has height and long arms. However, he is thin and doesn't realize that he is 6'9. He was shy, shaky with the ball, and a little clumsy (not smooth offensively). He did not look like a good rebounder for a man his size. Didn't impress on defense either. Because of his size and athleticism he MAY develop into a pretty good A-10 level player, but he was not that tonight.

The big three played as expected. JJ Johnson was unimpressive. Small minutes from him should be the norm. Schneider is NOT ready to contribute much at this level. Don't expect to get to know him well this season.

The front court is likely to be a major weakness for this team. Outside of Golden and a small Sherod, there are no A-10 caliber starters down low. Cayo looked exactly as we saw him last year, unimpressive yet an adequate defensive player. He doesn't rebound, not much of a shooter or passer.

There is no-one (nothing) else on the blocks. Rebounding and post defense look to be big challenges as usual. **** Verbinski & Yates did not play so I can't assess them. The Spiders REALLY need something from Verbinski and/or Yates. If they can't contribute as needed, there will be major trouble. Unfortunately, I smell real significant match-up difficulty in the front court.

Nice assessment Homer. Missed the scrimmage so it was good to see some non-Truther assessments on the new players. Good to hear about Wojcik and Andre. Disappointing to hear about Sal, but not surprising. You can take one look at his body and realize that it is not D-1 ready. Similarily, you could look at Jake and see a body that was ready to play D-1 and good to see his skills match his physique.
Heard some good things about Grace, I may have to eat crow on him, but we will see how he plays against D-1 competition.

Enough of the redshirting talk. It has not worked well for us, it just allows Mooney to hide his recruiting misses for a year. Let's let them all suit up for every game and may the best man win the time.

 

[spiderman]

very surprised at the wide range of assessments on Nathan. I've heard he looks great. much improved. Homer didn't see it that way. so which is it?

 

[Rivercup]

very surprised at the wide range of assessments on Nathan. I've heard he looks great. much improved. Homer didn't see it that way. so which is it?

Nathan looked fine. He hit a 3 pointer, made several nice moves to the hoop and had a thunder dunk off of a lob pass from Gilyard. Nathan will be a solid player for us this year.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

Nathan looked fine. He hit a 3 pointer, made several nice moves to the hoop and had a thunder dunk off of a lob pass from Gilyard. Nathan will be a solid player for us this year.

He did hit the 3 that he took, BUT, did you SEE the shot? He won't make many, you can take that to the bank. I am not bashing Cayo, he is what he is - which is exactly as he was last season. If you thought that he was an A-10 caliber starter last year, you will think that he is an A-10 starter this year.

 

[97spiderfan]

Nathan looked fine. He hit a 3 pointer, made several nice moves to the hoop and had a thunder dunk off of a lob pass from Gilyard. Nathan will be a solid player for us this year.

A couple things about Cayo:
1. He is only a sophomore.
2. He is going to be a better defensive player than offensive player.
3. I don't want my defensively gifted players lobbing three pointers (ala, Trey Davis and Deion Taylor).
4. He has some nice moves in the paint.

He is an A-10 caliber player, time will tell if he is an A-10 caliber starter. I personally don't think he is an A-10 starting caliber player right now, unless you are a bottom third of the A-10 type of team, which we are right now. A top 6 A-10 team does not start a Nathan Cayo type of player.

 

[Spider2020]

The box score says Cayo shot 4-4, which would definitely be an improvement from last year. Last year I thought he usually looked scared to shoot.

 

[urmite]

The box score says Cayo shot 4-4, which would definitely be an improvement from last year. Last year I thought he usually looked scared to shoot.

I believe a very measured 3, a transition alley oop, and twice to the rim.

 

[nathanw19]

He did hit the 3 that he took, BUT, did you SEE the shot? He won't make many, you can take that to the bank. I am not bashing Cayo, he is what he is - which is exactly as he was last season. If you thought that he was an A-10 caliber starter last year, you will think that he is an A-10 starter this year.

My biggest issue with him last year was his inability to finish at the rim. If he’s added that to his game, I’ll be happy with his trajectory. I don’t need him chucking 3’s.

 

[ur2K]

We need him to be a really good defender and a decent rebounder, anything else is gravy

 

[spiderman]

he is what he is - which is exactly as he was last season.

that I don't get. players progress. some more than others. best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.

 

[MrTbone]

Nate did about what you'd expect a guy to do who averaged 12 mpg and was likely told mostly to rebound and defend. I expect he will diversify a bit this year.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

that I don't get. players progress. some more than others. best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.

Against a D3 team he played very similar to the way he did last season. Everyone is free to interpret that however they see fit.

 

[Spideroldie]

I really liked what I saw from Nate last season, and he does appear to be stronger and more confident now, which is good news.

I would also like to see Sal (who could be our X-factor) give Nate some real competition for minutes at PF, given that he (Sal) is a more reliable outside shooter. However, the key will be for both of these guys to play within themselves. That does mean for Nate to play unselfishly, limit his outside shooting, and drive the lane more. I would love to see him take on a role that reminds us a lot of Buck, with a focus on defense, rebounding and inside shots (including dunks). I believe that Nate can play that role just as effectively than Buck did, and can also more effectively stay within our "system."

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

Against a D3 team he played very similar to the way he did last season. Everyone is free to interpret that however they see fit.

i do remember him playing the last 4 minutes of the VCU game and playing shutdown defense during the comeback win, while DMB was cramping.

 

[Spideroldie]

The end of the VCU game, where Nate played for Grant, and Buck was out, was phenomenal. That end-of game showed that Nate can help us win games when he plays to his strengths. Conversely, Nate taking a lot of 3-point shots, when he may be the 5th best shooter on the floor, is much less likely to help our cause.

 

[spiderman]

not much risk that Nathan will be taking a lot of threes. but I'm fine with him being an occasional threat out there. glad he's working on it.