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Spiders offer a center!

Ulla1

Head Coach
Apr 21, 2011
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UR just offered a center, Clevon Brown. Think this is the first center UR has offered in several years. Clevon is well spoken and has a nice skill set that includes being touted as the best shot blocker in Texas. Hope he decides to become a Spider.
 
Rivals shows an offer from Rice, so academics should be good. Kansas State just offered. Not much coverage on recruiting sites and only listed at 6'8", but I imagine coverage will pick up with the K-State offer.
 
Few minutes ago we just offered Aamir Simms from Blue Ridge School. They were a top 5 team in VA. Got to see them play this year but don't remember much.

Simms
 
As noted earlier, we truly need to place a priority on bringing in at least one outstanding defender, preferably with excelletn shot-blocking skills, since ANO (and DT), both of whom are/were excellent defenders, need to be replaced. Brown looks like a very good potential derender, so he could be an excellent fit for our upcoming class. His academics appear to be strong, and he has the kind of "diverse" skill-set that coach Mooney loves (including ball-handling, passing, and shooting). His shot-blocking and steals, however, interest me the most. Hope we can bring him in for a visit soon, and add him to the Spider family.
 
The two best centers for Mooney's system have been Geriot and TJ. Neither of these guys were shot blockers or huge interior presences. What they could do is pass really well, handle the ball, score in a variety of ways, and both in my mind were good solid, but not flashy defenders (TJ defense improved dramatically last year)

The two centers who were more noted for their defense, Garrett and ANO, left a lot to be desired on the offensive end of things. There is a reason ANO got benched last year in favor of TJ. Our system requires our centers to be multifaceted offensive players versus what many systems are looking for which is that of an interior banger.
 
if Brown is an academically strong 6'8" shot blocking rebounder who can handle, pass and shoot ... then he's going to get about 242 offers.
 
And... he could definitely contribute (in many ways) as a great future Spider. I hope we can get him in for an early visit,and an early commit!
 
The two best centers for Mooney's system have been Geriot and TJ. Neither of these guys were shot blockers or huge interior presences. What they could do is pass really well, handle the ball, score in a variety of ways, and both in my mind were good solid, but not flashy defenders (TJ defense improved dramatically last year)

The two centers who were more noted for their defense, Garrett and ANO, left a lot to be desired on the offensive end of things. There is a reason ANO got benched last year in favor of TJ. Our system requires our centers to be multifaceted offensive players versus what many systems are looking for which is that of an interior banger.

Agree 97 - I think in Mooney's system, the value is more on the offensive end, being able to shoot well from the outside, pass well, and have a few inside moves when needed. On defense - we don't need the shot blocking as much (it is nice, don't get me wrong) as much as we need someone who understands our switching defense and is able to defend smaller opponents at times when those switches happen. Geriot was not the fastest guy by any means, but he was very smart on defense and was able to play within Mooney's system very well - even on the defensive end.
 
Give me a center that averages scoring 12 points a game over one that blocks 4 points a game any day.
 
there are many ways to bring value and to be effective. stopping points is as good as scoring points. the shot block isn't everything, but I think it's starting to get undervalued on this board.

did anyone here see Mozgov roof Draymond Green the other night with both hands? it not only changed that possession, but later Draymond drives into the lane, stops 5' from the basket with Mosgov on him, and he's looking all over to find someone to pass to. shot blockers affect more than just the shot they block.
 
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there are many ways to bring value and to be effective. stopping points is as good as scoring points. the shot block isn't everything, but I think it's starting to get undervalued on this board.

did anyone here see Mozgov roof Draymond Green the other night with both hands? it not only changed that possession, but later Draymond drives into the lane, stops 5' from the basket with Mosgov on him, and he's looking all over to find someone to pass to. shot blockers affect more than just the shot they block.

Agreed, but a good shot blocker knows when to block a shot and when they need to stay on the ground and just play good solid defense. I think with both ANO and most certainly Garrett became overly reliant on the shot blocking part of their defense.

A good offensive player knows that if they can't get a shot blocker in the air, that they have a major advantage.
 
Since, for the time being, refs still call fouls in the college game, shot blockers are often on the bench in the first 7 minutes of the first half with 2 fouls. The pro game is a different story, few fouls are called and they get 6 or 20 fouls now anyway. :)
 
a good shoot blocker knows he doesn't have to leave his feet and block every shot. the threat of a blockd shot is often enough. it's mental game between shot blocker and the ball faking post player. but when there's no shot blocker on the floor, offensive players are more effective in the paint without that to worry about.
 
The point made about the Warriors was a fact most all of their big men including Bogut when in the lane looked to pass
first vs shooting. Bogut drives across the lane 3 feet from basket and passes to the corner to no effect. Cleveland knows
to defend the guards and the Warriors will really struggle to score.
 
CM does value defensive ability pretty highly. If you can't defend in his system, you generally don't play much...
 
personally would take a Darrius Garrett every day of the week if we could get him. his ability to not only block shots but alter shots is worth any offensive short coming which accompanies him
 
I don't know that a pure defender is that healthy to have in the starting 5, but with someone like Alonzo, I felt he had enough offensive game to be a threat and then was quite good on D.

I am ok with TJ at 5 for us, his defense was improving and while not altering shots, he wasn't an easy matchup.

People sometimes pick on Mooney's inability to "coach guys up" but I think if you look broadly across our teams, there are not many guys I would point to as defensive liabilities. CM does a good job of coaching guys up on D.
 
Our offense is very stagnant when we are playing with a big that can't pass the ball.
 
it will be interesting to see how athletic PF is. he might be the longest C we've had since Faulconer or Steenberge. he comes with the reputation of a passing/shooting big man. will be nice if he can alter shots too and board.
 
Clevon's blowing up a bit. Added offers from Ga Tech and Vanderbilt. I like this big a lot. Need him to chill out for the rest of the summer.
 
Clevon would be a great first commitment for us. Of course any of our top guard prospects would be good too, but I would like to fill one of the spots that Terry Allen, or Deion Taylor or ANO have been holding down, as a top priority. Clevon would fill the bill VERY well. I hope he decides early, and that he says he really enjoyed his visit (whenever it might be). He is the kind of "big" who would fit our system very well.
 
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