Transfer season

[URSpider95]

If accepted, will be interesting to see where JMA fits into the rotation. At 6-8, 240 he should give us frontcourt depth and rebounding. I expect our starting five to be Sherod, Solly, Golden, Buck and Fore. JJ and JG first off the bench. From there, I see two frontcourt players playing minutes. Guessing JMA is in the competition along with PF, NC and AJF.

 

[MrTbone]

I generally support the notion of giving minutes to younger guys all things being equal. But if a grad transfer brings more then I want him to play.

There's not much evidence that Kwesi brought more to the table last year than Paul, particularly on offense. My guess is that PF's defensive game is a real liability and in spare minutes, the coaches care more about preventing the other team from scoring more than whether or not we can score.

 

[spiderman]

Nathan's certainly not a 5, and I don't think AJ is at this point either. so I think we need either Paul or JMA to backup Grant. if neither ends up serviceable, then I guess we force AJ in there or even ask Solly to play that role.

our top 7 should be pretty locked in (assuming health), and very talented.

 

[fan2011]

Nathan's certainly not a 5, and I don't think AJ is at this point either. so I think we need either Paul or JMA to backup Grant. if neither ends up serviceable, then I guess we force AJ in there or even ask Solly to play that role.

our top 7 should be pretty locked in (assuming health), and very talented.

Perhaps very talented, but also pretty inexperienced (at least at the beginning of the season). I hope that Grant and Solly can get on track quickly and at least on of the freshmen can provide solid backup minutes at the 4/5.

 

[spiderman]

Buck, Nick, Khwan and JJ have played a lot. Solly's no kid. He's probably 20-21, and been working with us a while. Grant got his feet wet and knows the system.
big freshman class, but hopefully we won't need to count on them very much early.

 

[coachfezz]

I think I will never understand how PF could not contribute at his tallness . I dont mean Coach is wrong just but forget what it is to be 20 years old . I guess we find out for sure this year. If I am 20 years I might try to make myself what I can do for team even if just set ball screen with roll hands up to catch and box out to get rebounds. I never see a practice so I just am talking.

 

[SpiderK]

Buck, Nick, Khwan and JJ have played a lot. Solly's no kid. He's probably 20-21, and been working with us a while. Grant got his feet wet and knows the system.
big freshman class, but hopefully we won't need to count on them very much early.

I like the fact Grant had a lot of time with TJ. He saw how it is supposed to be done.

 

[urmite]

Looks like Creighton's version of Paul (6'10"+ enigma) has become available.
Sam Dunkum.
Medical redshirt at Lafayette (foot), then Redshirt at Creighton and now moving on.

 

[Spideroldie]

I always try to be a "glass half-full" kind of poster, and have maintained that fairly well for the past 5-10 years. However, JMA's video and pedigree absolutely do nothing for me.

First, I would not want to be asking admissions for any special favors for JMA, because I would want to save the "exceptions" or "favors" for a guy with a much greater upside and who would be around for 4 years. Second, I can't see this guy making it even close with admissions. An 11% graduation rate for Chicago State is probably lower than we have ever previously considered. Third, his video totally reminds me of Kwesi, and if his skill-set is similar I would prefer to see our other guys (Grant, Solly and others) get more minutes (and experience). If this guy has UR "academic credentials" they sure do not show up in his college choices so far. The coaches may see him as worth a small risk, but even if he makes it in I don't see him lasting through the second semester. Hope we do not use up ANY admissions favors on a player with this little upside. Kwesi, in my view was a huge waste of coaching time and added negative value on the court. This guy appears to be in the same mold.

 

[MrTbone]

Third, his video totally reminds me of Kwesi, and if his skill-set is similar I would prefer to see our other guys (Grant, Solly and others) get more minutes (and experience).

I don't love this option but his video is way better than anything we saw out of kwesi last year. So while I generally agree with your sentiment, if JMA ends up here, he will certainly have more to offer on the court than Abakah did.

 

[Ulla1]

I don't love this option but his video is way better than anything we saw out of kwesi last year. So while I generally agree with your sentiment, if JMA ends up here, he will certainly have more to offer on the court than Abakah did.

JMA is much better than Kwesi. Moreover, has much more lower body strength and is more fluid; just no comparison.

 

[spiderman]

in a perfect world, Kwesi would have been deep backup behind TJ and Grant, rarely used and not exposed. same role I hope for JMA if he ends up here.

 

[PASpider]

In case, we haven't seen this yet.

View embedded media

Love how he's in one or two highlights per opponent because he scored so few points during his college career.

 

[Ulla1]

Love how he's in one or two highlights per opponent because he scored so few points during his college career.

PA, the Spiders have plenty of scorers. JMA would fill an important role as a defender and big body, just what is needed.

 

[PASpider]

We will see. A guy who couldn't put up numbers at Chicago State does not make me feel encouraged about his production at UR.

 

[gcarter52]

PA, the Spiders have plenty of scorers. JMA would fill an important role as a defender and big body, just what is needed.

I am with you Ulla, that is why we have role players. If JMA can patrol the middle on offense and/or defense, collect rebounds and get a block or two. He would be serving our team well!!

 

[9Legs]

in a perfect world, Kwesi would have been deep backup behind TJ and Grant, rarely used and not exposed. same role I hope for JMA if he ends up here.

Kwesi was definitely " not exposed"- He scored 9 points the entire season 3-7 shooting and 3-11 from the free throw line. You have set the bar pretty low for JMA. Looked good in the uniform though!

 

[spiderman]

yes, I'm setting the bar low. if you're hoping JMA is an integral piece, I think you'll be disappointed. our hopes for that kind of big man grad transfer are out the door this late I'm afraid.
if he's simply depth, ready to step in if needed ... then he's an asset. better than playing with no size if we have an injury or foul trouble.

 

[urfan1]

I don't believe he will be the second coming, but I do like his aggression and the instinct he showed. He found himself in the right position many times in the limited highlights. If he can come in and give us a few minutes against a physical team, give us a physical player to practice against, give our bigs a breather, and take up a few fouls he will be a good addition. I hope the NCAA allows him the extra year, I think we will like what we see. You cannot coach 6'8". Do the right thing NCAA.

 

[97spiderfan]

I don't believe he will be the second coming, but I do like his aggression and the instinct he showed. He found himself in the right position many times in the limited highlights. If he can come in and give us a few minutes against a physical team, give us a physical player to practice against, give our bigs a breather, and take up a few fouls he will be a good addition. I hope the NCAA allows him the extra year, I think we will like what we see. You cannot coach 6'8". Do the right thing NCAA.

I agree but I believe these exact same sentiments were expressed about Kweisi last year. We saw how that played out. We have painted ourselves in a corner as usual and have the choice between an inferior option or just leaving the scholarship open. Its a bit of a Sophie's choice.

So, yes, I hope we sign JMA because we have a severe shortage in the front court and need a viable big body and he apparently is the only one with any interest in our program.

 

[Ulla1]

I agree but I believe these exact same sentiments were expressed about Kweisi last year. We saw how that played out. We have painted ourselves in a corner as usual and have the choice between an inferior option or just leaving the scholarship open. Its a bit of a Sophie's choice.

So, yes, I hope we sign JMA because we have a severe shortage in the front court and need a viable big body and he apparently is the only one with any interest in our program.

Now that we are not holding a schollie for Bryce Golden, could not we sign any recruit? No need to focus on a grad transfer.

 

[SFspidur]

Now that we are not holding a schollie for Bryce Golden, could not we sign any recruit? No need to focus on a grad transfer.

Technically yes, but depends how strongly we want any of the 2018 guys we've already offered, as well as concerns about unbalancing classes.

 

[Eight Legger]

Yeah, I would rather sign a legit transfer big man who has to sit a year at this point, or just another recruit. I don't see the value in having a terrible 6'8" player on the court for 3 minutes a game.

If this guy is not terrible and can reasonably be counted on to provide 10 minutes a game of great defense, that's different. But if he is not going to make a difference in any way, then I'd rather play the long game with someone who can.

 

[SpiderK]

Grant is young, inexperienced and will be a step slow on defense for a while. He will try to do too much and accumulate fouls quickly, so we will need someone to finish the first half at least. GG is going to be a wonderful player for us, but he is going to need help. I agree with above, if we can get 10 to 15 minutes of solid defensive play from the transfer it would be very helpful.

 

[urmite]

I don't believe he will be the second coming, but I do like his aggression and the instinct he showed. He found himself in the right position many times in the limited highlights. If he can come in and give us a few minutes against a physical team, give us a physical player to practice against, give our bigs a breather, and take up a few fouls he will be a good addition. I hope the NCAA allows him the extra year, I think we will like what we see. You cannot coach 6'8". Do the right thing NCAA.

What happens as the year approaches if the NCAA continues to drag their feet? Would they wait until all colleges have started their classes? That would seem a bit pointless, since another year would go by...

 

[spiderman]

Yeah, I would rather sign a legit transfer big man who has to sit a year at this point, or just another recruit. I don't see the value in having a terrible 6'8" player on the court for 3 minutes a game.

If this guy is not terrible and can reasonably be counted on to provide 10 minutes a game of great defense, that's different. But if he is not going to make a difference in any way, then I'd rather play the long game with someone who can.

I'd rather sign the grad transfer. we have a need for this season. we can address the next big guy all year long, but we need a big body now.

 

[97spiderfan]

Grant is young, inexperienced and will be a step slow on defense for a while. He will try to do too much and accumulate fouls quickly, so we will need someone to finish the first half at least. GG is going to be a wonderful player for us,,,QUOTE]


This is my fear. Teams will focus on getting Grant in foul trouble and being a redshirt freshman big man, he will predictably be foul prone. It took TJ until he was a senior to learn how to play the 5 and not pick up needless fouls that take him out of the game.

This is why we need JMA this year. I see him getting 10-15 minutes per game, not neccessarily because of his talent but simply because we need him to both rest Grant and Solly and to keep them out of foul trouble. If Paul has had any improvement in his game, he could fill this void as well.

 

[fan2011]

I like the thoughts here, but I am skeptical that JMA will provide better back up minutes than at least one of Verbinski, Ford, or Cayo who are all roughly the same height (6'7 and 6'8). We will see, and it doesn't hurt to fill the last roster spot with a 1-year player just in case.

 

[spiderman]

none of those guys are a 5. maybe Ford eventually.

 

[fan2011]

none of those guys are a 5. maybe Ford eventually.

Ford and Cayo are both 6'7+ and over 200lbs, they can play the 5 in the A10, at least on defense, but they don't need to play the 5. They can go in as a 4 and have Solly shift over to the 5. Solly isn't a true 5 either, but true 5s aren't necessary for success in college basketball, especially in the A10. Put the players on the court that give us the best chance to win, not the players that fit into preconceived notions of positions (DMB at the 4 instead of Wood/Kwesi. DMB even played the 5 at times).

I just don't think JMA will be able to contribute that much, and chances are one of the incoming freshmen will be able to give us better minutes.

 

[spiderman]

Solly may be strong enough to defend a 5. Cayo's not, unless he's bigger than advertised. I think he was mentioned at 200 (maybe I'm mis-remembering?). but 200 is nowhere near big enough to be an interior defender. Kwesi was 215 and we saw how that worked. he wasn't pushed around for a lack of effort. I can't find weight for AJ, but we've heard he's raw and needs time.

agreed that you don't need to match up with the old 1-5 positions, but you do need a big guy if the other team has one. I still have hopes for Paul, but I'll give up if he's not getting some time with the roster as it is.

 

[urmite]

I like the thoughts here, but I am skeptical that JMA will provide better back up minutes than at least one of Verbinski, Ford, or Cayo who are all roughly the same height (6'7 and 6'8). We will see, and it doesn't hurt to fill the last roster spot with a 1-year player just in case.

I agree the only one hurt by JMA joining the roster is Kirby.

Am I right that Kwesi was at Northeastern 3 years? If so, I think the likelihood of his stats changing here were small.

JMA average 12/10.3 in JUCO 2014-2015 http://www.nwacsports.org/basketbal...&sport=mbasketball&season=2014&playerid=29252 , then 3/8/3.6(??) at Chicago St in 2015-2016. We, the fans,don't really know if he has gotten better or worse in the last 18 months. But I think there is more likelihood that his ability has changed than that Kwesi's ability would have changed. And as a 1 year player and seeing who he is competing against today for that last spot, I believe he is worth the risk.

 

[spider23]

I haven't been paying attention this saga. I thought we were again waiting on admissions, and did not realize petitioning for an extra year from the NCAA? Ugly situation any time you are waiting or expecting something from the NCAA. Hope to be wrong, he gets admitted and contributes, but it does seem we have to have a lot go right for this to occur.

 

[spiderman]

agreed 23. if there was another currently available big man option for 2017/18 with less hair, I'd be all for it.

 

[97spiderfan]

Ford and Cayo are both 6'7+ and over 200lbs, they can play the 5 in the A10, at least on defense, but they don't need to play the 5. They can go in as a 4 and have Solly shift over to the 5. Solly isn't a true 5 either, but true 5s aren't necessary for success in college basketball, especially in the A10. Put the players on the court that give us the best chance to win, not the players that fit into preconceived notions of positions (DMB at the 4 instead of Wood/Kwesi. DMB even played the 5 at times).

I just don't think JMA will be able to contribute that much, and chances are one of the incoming freshmen will be able to give us better minutes.

I don't want JMA taking time from our freshman but I think depending upon freshman who are not true's 5 in the first place to be a defensive option at the 5, is not a sound strategy. Ford is the freshman with the biggest body but he also seems like the freshman who is least likely to see much time this year, based on early reports.

We also have Paul who is a true 5 and a redshirt junior.

 

[MolivaManiac]

What were people really expecting of Kwesi last year? He ate some fouls and grabbed some rebounds and gave TJ a rest here and there. All anyone can remember was the dozen times he stood at the free throw line, which was pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

At this point, I'd take Kwesi again for this winter. If JMA is the same or better than Kwesi, it's a win.

 

[urfan1]

Mo, at this point I'm with you -- if it were earlier and there were plenty of fish still swimming in the pool my answer might be different. At this point, I believe he will be of some value to the team, bring him on.

 

[spiderman]

doesn't seem to be a question of whether we (the program) want him or not.
it's a question of whether he has a year left. out of our control.

 

[Eight Legger]

If we need to bring in some random guy to give us 3 minutes a game on defense just because he is tall, why are we keeping Friendshuh on scholarship for another year? This will be four years in the program with no contribution. What is the point?

 

[spiderman]

If we need to bring in some random guy to give us 3 minutes a game on defense just because he is tall, why are we keeping Friendshuh on scholarship for another year? This will be four years in the program with no contribution. What is the point?

maybe this is the year!