If JJ

[9Legs]

TJ was the one building Solly up. We needed his size, he had been here over a year, and we hoped something would click when he was out there. It never did. It happens. Playing a guy that is not ready a few minutes every game will not help his development anymore than sitting him some games. If he is ready, yes, but not if he is not ready. You probably did not mean to, but you just gave us Solly as an example of this. Did playing him the first several games last year help his game and development? You can't have it both ways. When a guy is ready, and only then, will he benefit from playing time. Did Jacob need any development or was he ready to go last year? It is really not that complicated. Either you are ready, or you are not. Sal could be ready soon, or it might take a little longer, but when he is ready he will be out there more.

Either you are ready, or you are not. Sal could be ready soon, or it might take a little longer, but when he is ready he will be out there more.[/QUOTE]

How does Mooney's expert determination of "Being Ready" relate to his recruiting evaluations? History has shown that 50% of his recruits are Never Ready.

Please elaborate?

 

[spiderman]

If Sal plays more than 5 minutes next game NOW he's ready. He will have gotten ready just in these last 2 days.

if JJ is out, it's probably "ready or not" time.

 

[VT4700]

Either you are ready, or you are not. Sal could be ready soon, or it might take a little longer, but when he is ready he will be out there more.[/QUOTE]

How does Mooney's expert determination of "Being Ready" relate to his recruiting evaluations? History has shown that 50% of his recruits are Never Ready.

Please elaborate?

Ready to me means you are helping more than hurting the team when out there.

 

[VT4700]

if JJ is out, it's probably "ready or not" time.

Probably, and it might have been about that time anyway. Maybe he is close to being ready to help? But, if not, Grace can still sub for Grant, and that leaves Yates rotating with 4 other guys, so they could easily manage that without foul trouble.

 

[VT4700]

You only get the 5 top teams in the standings? That doesn't seem fair enough for you.

Funny. Might as well ask for the top ten and go from there, right?

 

[spiderman]

we're frustrated and looking for answers, and I hope Sal is it too. I hope he plays 25 minutes tomorrow and puts up a double double. but I'll settle for baby steps. hit an open shot. knock down foul shots. get some boards. don't leave a guy wide open.

 

[Eight Legger]

It just seems odd to me that our "best" recruit this season and possibly "ever" under Mooney is the freshman who plays the least. Something does not add up.

 

[VT4700]

Correct.

I can't believe there's even mention of us making NCAA's.

The "lost season" you mention is accurate, & the reruns of this movie playing at the RC are getting old. Time for a new movie with a new director & producer at the helm.

There is mention of the NCAAs because it is possible. Sure, call it a longshot, but it can happen. Mid or lower seeds win conference tournaments almost every year if not every year. The A-10 has no dominant teams, so who knows? Give up on the season if you want. Don't watch the tourney. That is your choice.

 

[97spiderfan]

Probably, and it might have been about that time anyway. Maybe he is close to being ready to help? But, if not, Grace can still sub for Grant, and that leaves Yates rotating with 4 other guys, so they could easily manage that without foul trouble.

Because you only need 1 sub for the 4 players. #Mooney depth chart

 

[nathanw19]

It just seems odd to me that our "best" recruit this season and possibly "ever" under Mooney is the freshman who plays the least. Something does not add up.

Daon Merrit is still considered out best recruit ever on 247sports... Sal comes in at number 6.

https://247sports.com/college/richmond/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/

 

[VT4700]

It just seems odd to me that our "best" recruit this season and possibly "ever" under Mooney is the freshman who plays the least. Something does not add up.

I don't know why you keep saying that. You really have to stop worrying about recruiting ratings. No recruit should ever get an advantage because of a recruiting rating, and I am amazed that you think otherwise. Simple question for you. What two guys out of Jake, Andre, and Sal do you think fit the best with Jacob, Nate, and Grant? Next question. What does Sal do better than the other freshman? Handle the ball? Shoot? Play defense? Maybe soon he will do all those things better, but if he were doing them better now, he would probably be playing more.

 

[spider fan]

Back to JJ - from the Spiders press release for the Saturday LaSalle game:

Senior Julius Johnson left the Saint Louis game with a lower leg injury in the first half and did not return. Johnson has played in 103 straight games for UR. The last time he didn't play in a Spiders game was January 16, 2016 vs VCU when he was a freshman. • Johnson has played in 114 total games for Richmond.

Nothing new in that info about his condition.

 

[97spiderfan]

I don't know why you keep saying that. You really have to stop worrying about recruiting ratings. No recruit should ever get an advantage because of a recruiting rating, and I am amazed that you think otherwise. Simple question for you. What two guys out of Jake, Andre, and Sal do you think fit the best with Jacob, Nate, and Grant? Next question. What does Sal do better than the other freshman? Handle the ball? Shoot? Play defense? Maybe soon he will do all those things better, but if he were doing them better now, he would probably be playing more.

In the few minutes I've seen of Sal, I've seen more potential than I ever had in the plethora of minutes that Mooney has given to JJ and Yates.

What does Sal do well? He is aggressive, he shows when he is out there that he wants to make plays. I've seen him make a couple nice drives, seen him get to the line, he seems to have nice stroke, he is not afraid to shoot. There is lots of nice potential he has flashed in his very limited minutes. Plus despite his slight build, he has the length and height that you would need to be successful in the A-10. Why would you not want to see more of that?

 

[Not-A-Homer]

First and only time that I saw Sal in person was the exhibition game. At that time he was no where near ready to contribute at an A-10 level. A post after that game detailed why I felt that way.

It is possible (though not likely) that he has grown so much in half a season, that he is now ready.

Even so, I agree 100% with the others who are saying play him now. The season is lost, and developing new players should take a high priority. We have detailed the positives that he brings numerous times. He should get all of J.J's minutes and half of Yates' too.

I wouldn't be looking for him to hit a bunch of home runs between now and season's end. Based upon what I saw, Sal's recruit rating was based mostly upon potential, and potential often takes time to materialize.

Of this we can be certain, his development will not be accelerated by sitting on the bench.

 

[gospidersgo]

Back to JJ - from the Spiders press release for the Saturday LaSalle game:

Senior Julius Johnson left the Saint Louis game with a lower leg injury in the first half and did not return. Johnson has played in 103 straight games for UR. The last time he didn't play in a Spiders game was January 16, 2016 vs VCU when he was a freshman. • Johnson has played in 114 total games for Richmond.

Nothing new in that info about his condition.

We all know about his limitations. But that is a pretty amazing stat that speaks well of his durability and toughness.

Hopefully he just has something minor and we get to see him play again.

 

[Spider B]

In the few minutes I've seen of Sal, I've seen more potential than I ever had in the plethora of minutes that Mooney has given to JJ and Yates.

What does Sal do well? He is aggressive, he shows when he is out there that he wants to make plays. I've seen him make a couple nice drives, seen him get to the line, he seems to have nice stroke, he is not afraid to shoot. There is lots of nice potential he has flashed in his very limited minutes. Plus despite his slight build, he has the length and height that you would need to be successful in the A-10. Why would you not want to see more of that?

Will also add that he will give us at least as much production as JJ with a much higher ceiling. JJ numbers this year are are 3.5 points per game, 1.5 rebounds in 18.6 mins. Give Sal 18 mins a game and I think you will see more points and rebounds.

 

[urmite]

We all know about his limitations. But that is a pretty amazing stat that speaks well of his durability and toughness.

Hopefully he just has something minor and we get to see him play again.

At the very least, if it is 4 weeks that is Feb 27.
VCU home game 3/2 Davidson Senior Night 3/9

 

[gospidersgo]

At the very least, if it is 4 weeks that is Feb 27.
VCU home game 3/2 Davidson Senior Night 3/9

Did you hear 4 weeks somewhere are you just using that as an example?

 

[VT4700]

First and only time that I saw Sal in person was the exhibition game. At that time he was no where near ready to contribute at an A-10 level. A post after that game detailed why I felt that way.

It is possible (though not likely) that he has grown so much in half a season, that he is now ready.

Even so, I agree 100% with the others who are saying play him now. The season is lost, and developing new players should take a high priority. We have detailed the positives that he brings numerous times. He should get all of J.J's minutes and half of Yates' too.

I wouldn't be looking for him to hit a bunch of home runs between now and season's end. Based upon what I saw, Sal's recruit rating was based mostly upon potential, and potential often takes time to materialize.

Of this we can be certain, his development will not be accelerated by sitting on the bench.

Really good post. I would not commit to giving Sal all of JJ's minutes and 1/2 of Nate's yet, but I can see where you and others are coming from.

 

[BuckinghamPalace]

Johnson suffered right ankle and calf injuries during Wednesday’s 84-81 win at Saint Louis. He may also miss Wednesday’s game against George Mason, UR coach Chris Mooney said Friday.

 

[kneepadmckinney]

I am not saying I don't see much in him. I am just assuming he is not ready to help the team. Get on Mooney all you want, but he's not going to sit guys they have shown in practice they are ready to play. I think too many of you are worried about a recruiting rating and acting like there is no difference in high school and A-10 play. When he is ready, I'm sure Mooney will get him in there.

I'm not so convinced of this. That's why I used the SDJ comparison his freshman year. SDJ was getting almost no time until Ced got hurt, and in his first game of real minutes, he scored over 20.

I think Goose is another good example -- he was barely scratching the box score this year until Gilyard was out, and in his first big minutes playing without the fear of being yanked at the first turnover, he played great and had 11 assists. he's been instrumental since.

I think telling Sal that he's gonna play and play a lot, and to just relax and be Sal, will really allow him to blossom. Conversely, I think we know exactly what Yates brings, and it's not going to radically change for the good or the bad. For that reason, in an 8-13 season with basically 5 guys playing 30+ minutes, we should absolutely be designating good PT to a promising freshman.

Not to mention, if you are taking the other view that we still have things to play for, we will need to have more depth than Noah Yates plus Matt Grace from 13:21 to the under 12 timeout in the first half. And I'm not referring to Keith Oddo.

 

[VT4700]

Will also add that he will give us at least as much production as JJ with a much higher ceiling. JJ numbers this year are are 3.5 points per game, 1.5 rebounds in 18.6 mins. Give Sal 18 mins a game and I think you will see more points and rebounds.

I hear you, and it would not bother me if Sal got some minutes. My point is I am looking at it from a coaching perspective, and it is never as easy as "a guy was highly recruited so have to give him some minutes."

 

[kneepadmckinney]

Coming from the same coach that wouldn't start or play Buck or Sherod much early on. We struggled during that time and then magically when we started playing them more we became a much better team. Ya I wouldn't trust Mooney too much with roster management. Oh ya he also didn't start TJ at first and same thing we got a lot better when we started playing him. Both of those instances coincidences? I think not.

As usual, this is totally inaccurate. I was at their first game as freshman. Sherod started, and Buck played a ton.

 

[urmite]

Did you hear 4 weeks somewhere are you just using that as an example?

As an example, and as a way to say that if it ends up being a typical ankle injury, 4 weeks gives him a chance at Senior night, 6 weeks means not on the court again.

 

[urmite]

As usual, this is totally inaccurate. I was at their first game as freshman. Sherod started, and Buck played a ton.

Something like this?
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400916838

 

[97spiderfan]

I hear you, and it would not bother me if Sal got some minutes. My point is I am looking at it from a coaching perspective, and it is never as easy as "a guy was highly recruited so have to give him some minutes."

Well, you are looking at from Coach Mooney's perspective. Probably other D-1 coaches would see this differently.

 

[MrTbone]

Daon Merrit is still considered out best recruit ever on 247sports... Sal comes in at number 6.

https://247sports.com/college/richmond/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/

And Drew Crank rounded out the top 10. So much for the merit of the star ratings.

 

[VT4700]

I'm not so convinced of this. That's why I used the SDJ comparison his freshman year. SDJ was getting almost no time until Ced got hurt, and in his first game of real minutes, he scored over 20.

I think Goose is another good example -- he was barely scratching the box score this year until Gilyard was out, and in his first big minutes playing without the fear of being yanked at the first turnover, he played great and had 11 assists. he's been instrumental since.

I think telling Sal that he's gonna play and play a lot, and to just relax and be Sal, will really allow him to blossom. Conversely, I think we know exactly what Yates brings, and it's not going to radically change for the good or the bad. For that reason, in an 8-13 season with basically 5 guys playing 30+ minutes, we should absolutely be designating good PT to a promising freshman.

Not to mention, if you are taking the other view that we still have things to play for, we will need to have more depth than Noah Yates plus Matt Grace from 13:21 to the under 12 timeout in the first half. And I'm not referring to Keith Oddo.

Very good post and great points.

 

[VT4700]

Something like this?
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400916838

Man, ShawnDre could shoot. When I say I want shooters on the floor, that is what I am talking about.

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Re: Solly,

There are players in every sport at every level that are "practice players." They have talent and work really hard. They light it up in scrimmages. Then the lights go up and they don't perform when it matters.

I'm not saying that's for sure what happened in his case...but possibly?

 

[keefusb]

And Drew Crank rounded out the top 10. So much for the merit of the star ratings.

Drew Crank was definitely a three-star tennis player...just sayin'.

#NoMoreMooneyTruthing

 

[KWeaver]

One thing I find funny about that list is that Kevin Anderson, who always receives credit for being under/unrecruited relative to the rest of the land, is our 17th best recruit on that list. How on earth do we intend to get anyone, ever, if all of our recruits are unrecruited?

 

[wr70beh]

I saw JJ at the women's game on Sunday. He was hanging with his teammates behind the bench a few rows up. He was walking with a considerable limp, but it didn't look like he had on a brace. I'd be surprised if he played Wednesday or Saturday but it doesn't look like season ending.

 

[gospidersgo]

Has there been an official statement from UR on the nature of his injury and how long he's expected to be out? I feel like usually in this type of situation some kind of announcement would be made but maybe I've just missed it.

 

[spider23]

Stephen Kendall was a player . The list obviously does not go back very far. Jarod Stevenson and Curtis Blair had certified ACC offers and Bacote was a listed top 100 recruit. Much higher recruiting profile under Tarrant, and he pulled legit transfers like Fleming and Ruce

 

[urmite]

Stephen Kendall was a player . The list obviously does not go back very far. Jarod Stevenson and Curtis Blair had certified ACC offers and Bacote was a listed top 100 recruit. Much higher recruiting profile under Tarrant, and he pulled legit transfers like Fleming and Ruce

Supposedly it goes back to the incoming class 1998-1999, but we have no one on the list from 1999-2002.
I would have assumed it started 2001-2002 like KenPom.

That all time list is more than 20 years, but most of our list would be in the next 20.

Imagine UNC, I assume a lot would be missing.

 

[BuckinghamPalace]

I saw JJ at the women's game on Sunday. He was hanging with his teammates behind the bench a few rows up. He was walking with a considerable limp, but it didn't look like he had on a brace. I'd be surprised if he played Wednesday or Saturday but it doesn't look like season ending.

Was he wearing a recovery boot? If he was not then the trainers need to be replaced. These days even uninjured players wear those boots after games.

 

[97spiderfan]

Has there been an official statement from UR on the nature of his injury and how long he's expected to be out? I feel like usually in this type of situation some kind of announcement would be made but maybe I've just missed it.

Yes, he is out tonight. JOC said he would at least miss the next 2 games (that included the LaSalle game). That was a minimum, so could be longer.

 

[SpiderK]

With the loss of JJ, we have gone from no bench to no bench.