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Expectations

7ICoug

Hall Of Fame
Jan 30, 2003
6,016
292
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Gotta admit that I got caught up in all the hoppla on the MBB team. We see it in such volume from the "pundits" most of which haven't watched all that much WSU Hoop through the years. The Analytics boys, the NET boys, the new guys who break down in video all the plays.

I read about and heard from no other than Coach Smith how good Jeff K was going to be. Fastest guy on the team, best defender, etc, etc. Frankly he certainly didn't pan out. I am now hearing the same thing about Myles Rice though not in such glowing terms. All I can say is we shall see.

Efe is not a pro, and not destined to be a pro. Jaki has a nice 3-point stroke, rebounds well and defends pretty good. Noach much have girl problems. Mo I think will be fine if he doesnt hit the portal as we don't appear to run enough to suit his game.

Our defense on the whole is excellent. Recruiting is quite good, but its like Solomon Ominu, who is our only 2022. He hasn't been seen in the US so far. Visa problems from Nigeria.

I don't want to see any more SG/PG combo's who are less than 6-3. These lineups that we have are always at a disadvantage.

Wings and finishing and finishers should be the word of the day. Jaki needs to slow down a bit and use his bulk to finish.

Coach Smith needs to have his eyes examined if he actually said that Ghost is the best guard on-ball defender.

This team is right where the media pickem 'em. 8th in the Pac and needs 4 wins to make the NIT. All of this NET crap is just that CRAP.
 
Gotta admit that I got caught up in all the hoppla on the MBB team. We see it in such volume from the "pundits" most of which haven't watched all that much WSU Hoop through the years. The Analytics boys, the NET boys, the new guys who break down in video all the plays.

I read about and heard from no other than Coach Smith how good Jeff K was going to be. Fastest guy on the team, best defender, etc, etc. Frankly he certainly didn't pan out. I am now hearing the same thing about Myles Rice though not in such glowing terms. All I can say is we shall see.

Efe is not a pro, and not destined to be a pro. Jaki has a nice 3-point stroke, rebounds well and defends pretty good. Noach much have girl problems. Mo I think will be fine if he doesnt hit the portal as we don't appear to run enough to suit his game.

Our defense on the whole is excellent. Recruiting is quite good, but its like Solomon Ominu, who is our only 2022. He hasn't been seen in the US so far. Visa problems from Nigeria.

I don't want to see any more SG/PG combo's who are less than 6-3. These lineups that we have are always at a disadvantage.

Wings and finishing and finishers should be the word of the day. Jaki needs to slow down a bit and use his bulk to finish.

Coach Smith needs to have his eyes examined if he actually said that Ghost is the best guard on-ball defender.

This team is right where the media pickem 'em. 8th in the Pac and needs 4 wins to make the NIT. All of this NET crap is just that CRAP.
Excellent assessment. My wonder is if the coaching changed to a 3 point offense because they realized early in that the roster wasnt fit for much else or was this the plan coming in. If it was the plan coming in and going forward I am a bit disappointed.. I recognize that in the past because of recruiting we have had to be a bit gimmicky to win consistently, but I thought the recruiting has picked up to the point where it wasn’t necessary anymore… Hopefully, this offense was a one season, roster restricted shot in the dark…Either way we need to do a better job of recruiting to the offense or change the system..
 
Well I am hearing that they are planning a 8,000 new facility -- which is only 3,000 more than they need. Its pretty much proven now that 5,000 is about a max crowd. Anything bigger is a joke.

I think analytics is why all the 3's, which I have no problem with, but they need to have guards and wings that can finish and at least one player that is go to like CJ or Malakai Flynn, Ike, Low, Weaver, Moore, or for old guys Don Collins, Keith Morrison, Dom Ellison, and even further back to guards under Harshman.
 
CougCenter and there minons know so very little about Basketball they probably still think that this team will be in the NCAA's. After all KenPom has them at 44 this morning. Net rankings at 48, even tho in the history of the NCAA a 8th place team in the Pac12 has never gone. Especially with zero Quad 1 wins.

I do think if they win 4 more they will make the NIT which will at least equal Eastman's 2 NIT's. Far better than Ian's calling for Smith's head which is an ever bigger joke.
 
Efe has little basketball fundamentals/training and is still learning. He has the athleticism to play pro. Will he develop the skills needed? Plus another 15-20 pounds? Remains to be seen, but I would not bet against him.

Noah actually played a good game for most of last night.

Short guards have a more difficult time getting a shot, no doubt, but penetrating has gotten a lot more difficult in the PAC in the past few years. The majority of the teams now have shot blockers. Not sure where that will go in terms of the evolution of the offenses, but it has to be addressed somehow.

I see Dishon doing well next year. He just has to learn to finish more consistently, and I think that is coming.

The player I can't figure out is Jaki. He is a smart player, 100% effort, but at best a streak shooter. He really needs to improve the streaks.

Flowers and Roberts were both good pick-ups under the circumstances and are doing the most they can with what they are bringing to the party. I have no criticism for them.

Gueye will be interesting to watch. He is playing with a lower back injury of some sort, which clearly hobbled him a little yesterday. That star wars thing he was wearing on the bench almost looked like a combo heat/massage device. I like his instincts and his athleticism.

We missed Bamba. Even though he is still a work in progress, he brings a physical D that is needed in the sort of physical game we saw yesterday. A nice piece to use off the bench.
 
CougCenter and there minons know so very little about Basketball they probably still think that this team will be in the NCAA's. After all KenPom has them at 44 this morning. Net rankings at 48, even tho in the history of the NCAA a 8th place team in the Pac12 has never gone. Especially with zero Quad 1 wins.

I do think if they win 4 more they will make the NIT which will at least equal Eastman's 2 NIT's. Far better than Ian's calling for Smith's head which is an ever bigger joke.

Ken Pom is a good metric, but the rankings have no barring on seeding or making the field. Teams ranked high there their seeds are no where close to their rankings on Ken Pom. I mean Michigan 32 at 14-11, Oklahoma is 40 at 14-13. People are way too reliant on the rankings.
 
Efe has little basketball fundamentals/training and is still learning. He has the athleticism to play pro. Will he develop the skills needed? Plus another 15-20 pounds? Remains to be seen, but I would not bet against him.

Noah actually played a good game for most of last night.

Short guards have a more difficult time getting a shot, no doubt, but penetrating has gotten a lot more difficult in the PAC in the past few years. The majority of the teams now have shot blockers. Not sure where that will go in terms of the evolution of the offenses, but it has to be addressed somehow.

I see Dishon doing well next year. He just has to learn to finish more consistently, and I think that is coming.

The player I can't figure out is Jaki. He is a smart player, 100% effort, but at best a streak shooter. He really needs to improve the streaks.

Flowers and Roberts were both good pick-ups under the circumstances and are doing the most they can with what they are bringing to the party. I have no criticism for them.

Gueye will be interesting to watch. He is playing with a lower back injury of some sort, which clearly hobbled him a little yesterday. That star wars thing he was wearing on the bench almost looked like a combo heat/massage device. I like his instincts and his athleticism.

We missed Bamba. Even though he is still a work in progress, he brings a physical D that is needed in the sort of physical game we saw yesterday. A nice piece to use off the bench.
Good assessment, cr8zy. Following up on something I wrote in another thread, I was encouraged last night at what Dishon Jackson might be able to bring to this team. His absence this year, after a pretty good freshman year, may be the biggest handicap WSU has had. As others have noted, he's really the only one with good post moves near the basket. You can tell he's quite rusty as some of those shots were off the mark, but they at least present a threat that other teams will need to guard against. Any semblance of inside scoring will do wonders for this team's offense, IMO. Jackson's defense and rebounding are also extremely valuable.

I had hoped so much more from Efe this year, but he has been very slow to develop. You see flashes, but nothing consistent. If AJ can develop some touch going to the hoop and learn how to finish strong, he becomes a very good offensive weapon. I personally think he was getting tired in that second half after playing more minutes than he normally does. But he works hard, has really improved as a defender, and is a strong rebounder. He's a guy I think will really put it together as an upper classmen.

It's all very frustrating, but as Dick Bennett said, "You have to learn to lose with a group of players before you learn to win with them." (Of course, I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point.) Hopefully, they are learning a lot this year because there's been more losing than anyone likes.

Final point, at least people seem to care more about Cougar basketball these days. Having some disappointed fans on this board is a lot better than having silent fans who don't give a rip about Cougar basketball. There's more chatter here than we ever had in Kent and latter Bone years.

Glad Cougar
 
The player I can't figure out is Jaki. He is a smart player, 100% effort, but at best a streak shooter. He really needs to improve the streaks.
Not sure about that. He is the leader in 3Pt percentage at nearly 42% He just needs to add as did Klay after year 2 the ability to drive and finish. Either with some 2 point shots or a pile of FT's. Just needs more work.

He is also a very good rebounder and at least has some bulk and size.
 
Very unlucky that both DJack and Efe got injured in there post season teams last year. DJack thus was slow to come and then the eye injury against Utah. Efe on the Nigerian team. Both set us back. Both will hopefully be back.
 
Excellent assessment. My wonder is if the coaching changed to a 3 point offense because they realized early in that the roster wasnt fit for much else or was this the plan coming in. If it was the plan coming in and going forward I am a bit disappointed.. I recognize that in the past because of recruiting we have had to be a bit gimmicky to win consistently, but I thought the recruiting has picked up to the point where it wasn’t necessary anymore… Hopefully, this offense was a one season, roster restricted shot in the dark…Either way we need to do a better job of recruiting to the offense or change the system..
efe has no offensive game, none. Jak has to be all alone and unchallenged to hit his shot, Gueye need to gain strength and his offense will get better. thi is a poor shooting team, 5-32 from INSIDE the arc last night and as long as that continues so will the losing
 
I still like this team, and I think if we can avoid a mass exodus of kids into the portal, the future looks good for the program. We were picked 8th this season have a chance at a 5th or 6th place finish depending on how we close out the year. Historically speaking, that would be a pretty good season. I don't see the team regressing from where we are this year if the roster stays in check. Limited as we are, we have a very capable defensive group.

Jaki is a kid I've been high on since he arrived on campus, but I've quieted my expectations for him. He is extremely limited offensively due to his lack of flexibility. If I were on the staff, I'd have him spend the summer doing yoga and band exercises. He doesn't have the athleticism to finish at the rim, and for whatever reason, he won't pull up and take mid range jumpers, which are ALWAYS open for him. He's a great shooter and a hard competitor, but he's really hard on himself mentally. It's hard to imagine him taking the next step.

As many have noted, Efe needs to work on his offensive game; particularly some post moves. If I could coach the team this summer, I'd have Efe go 1-on-1 with D Jack for 20 minutes before and after practice. No outside shots. Post moves only. He needs a baby hook and a polished drop step. Those are his goals for next season.

Gueye is going to take a huge step next season. He'll be better at the free throw line and continue to develop his offensive game. I have no worries about him.

This year might serve as a huge wake up call for Noah. His offensive game has been, well, ugly. He's gone from strutting with his hand in the air in the early season to hitting the top of the backboard on open 18' jumpers. If he refocuses himself this offseason, I could see this being nothing more than a sophomore slump. He tries to do way more than his offensive game is capable of, but that can be reeled in. He's a great defender and understands the game very well.

Roberts is limited by his size, but I can see him becoming a key offensive contributor for us next year. Would really benefit from improved post play, as the kick outs now are easier to defend given our inability to score in the paint. If Gueye, Dishon, and Efe can improve their inside games, Roberts would be a deadly shooter.

Bamba and Rodman are solid bench players who can be counted on, but not relied upon. Like so many of our players, they need to develop some polish around the rim and learn how to draw more fouls.
 
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Gueye and Efe can run and jump, which means they can dunk. After that neither has any offensive ability at this point. Both have the potential to improve their game but have along way to go before they even come close to all the hype!
 
Gueye and Efe can run and jump, which means they can dunk. After that neither has any offensive ability at this point. Both have the potential to improve their game but have along way to go before they even come close to all the hype!
Agree on Efe, but Gueye already looks close to breaking out. He's just really young. Smooth shot mechanics and good hands on the pick and roll. Any coach worth their salt can work with that. I expect him to burst onto the scene next season.
 
Gueye and Efe can run and jump, which means they can dunk. After that neither has any offensive ability at this point. Both have the potential to improve their game but have along way to go before they even come close to all the hype!
Gotta admit reminds me (not really) of James Donaldson he couldn't do much of anything when he arrived. George started him out just throwing in out of bound plays. Then came dunks, he could always block shots as he was 7'2. But he got better and better and of course had a long NBA career.
 
This year might serve as a huge wake up call for Noah. His offensive game has been, well, ugly. He's gone from strutting with his hand in the air in the early season to hitting the top of the backboard on open 18' jumpers. If he refocuses himself this offseason, I could see this being nothing more than a sophomore slump. He tries to do way more than his offensive game is capable of, but that can be reeled in. He's a great defender and understands the game very well.
Unfortunately for Noah, it's been a junior slump. He'll be a senior next year and the Cougars will need him to produce a lot more efficiently....which I think he's capable of doing. Regardless of how the team does the rest of the year, it would be huge if Williams can start to right himself on offense.

Glad Cougar
 
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Agree on Efe, but Gueye already looks close to breaking out. He's just really young. Smooth shot mechanics and good hands on the pick and roll. Any coach worth their salt can work with that. I expect him to burst onto the scene next season.
Gueye still should be in high school. Give him a summer and he’ll be a great. Guards is a concern.
 
Unfortunately for Noah, it's been a junior slump. He'll be a senior next year and the Cougars will need him to produce a lot more efficiently....which I think he's capable of doing. Regardless of how the team does the rest of the year, it would be huge if Williams can start to right himself on offense.

Glad Cougar
His 3 looked better last night but 2-10 inside the arc and one make was the runner where his foot was on the 3. That's a brutal line. It's really not rocket science. When he gets good looks and shoots on-balance his shooting percentage significantly improves. Unfortunately, after making a couple it's almost like he thinks "I'm back" and a string of off-balance bad looks follow.

I still believe Noah has a lot of talent but right now, he's a gunner and unless you have exceptional that's not someone you can really depend on. He's not alone there though.
 
Well I am hearing that they are planning a 8,000 new facility -- which is only 3,000 more than they need. Its pretty much proven now that 5,000 is about a max crowd. Anything bigger is a joke.

I think analytics is why all the 3's, which I have no problem with, but they need to have guards and wings that can finish and at least one player that is go to like CJ or Malakai Flynn, Ike, Low, Weaver, Moore, or for old guys Don Collins, Keith Morrison, Dom Ellison, and even further back to guards under Harshman.
They use the facility for more than basketball and that is one reason it shouldn't be 100% on the WSU AD to pay for its replacement.

The irony in the uptick in recruiting is that these two small guards wouldn't be major contributors on many, many WSU teams in the past.
 
There is lots of talk about Gueye being young but I can’t seem to find anything that states his actual age. He was never a traditional American high school student. He came here and went to a basketball factory prep school so he could actually be quite a bit older than we think.
 
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There is lots of talk about Gueye being young but I can’t seem to find anything that states his actual age. He was never a traditional American high school student. He came hear and went to a basketball factory prep school so he could actually be quite a bit older than we think.
Good call. According to this site he’s 19. Whether that’s accurate I really don’t know.

 
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