Skaggs seems to be THAT guy Gonzaga routinely brings in
- Thread starter YakiCoug
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Defense is his problem. He doesn't hav much in the way of lateral quickness. We have really needed him the last 2 games though.
At the moment Skaggs and Daniels are easily the best guards with Flynn. Acquaah had a rough game but he will improve.
I didn't get to see a lot of the second half and will have to see the replay but Bernstine will definitely help and allow Pollard to come off the bench once he's back.
I definitely appreciate the energy Skaggs gives every second he's on the floor. At this point I think you have to go with the shooting Daniels and Skaggs have provided the first 2 games. I don't see an argument for any of the other guards at this point although I expect Acquaah to have a lot better nights than what we saw this game.
I do have to agree with Yaki on Skaggs fitting the type of player they used to get before Few. Lets see how he does over the next few games but if he can get open he has a pretty quick release and good length.
Thought Hinson would be better but it's still an adjustment. Hopefully he improves.
Thought Hinson would be better but it's still an adjustment. Hopefully he improves.
The whole issue is of confidence. The cougs will need Milan and Hinson against the better teams in the coming weeks. The players need to have confidence and the coaches need to show confidence in them.
They both need to earn there minutes and neither should start as they aren't starters.
I am sure that Kent agrees with you. He said during his interview that he wants"to get them going" as they will be needed during the season. I think that both have the potential to be starters. I am surprised by Daniel s play as he has proven to be a tough nosed player who is hitting his threes..
Here are couple of comparisons, that Yakii might like for Skaggs. Think Harmeling as a soph. Too slow to guard wings, too small to guard 4 s. As for a Zag comparison, how about Pendergraft.
I think Skaggs could end up being more than a situational player. Probably never scores as much as last night again, but a solid gamer who can shoot. He isn't fast but he gets squared up really quick on his shot and he moves great without the ball. If Q Johnson would have had his energy we would be talking about him as an all time great
I think Skaggs could end up being more than a situational player. Probably never scores as much as last night again, but a solid gamer who can shoot. He isn't fast but he gets squared up really quick on his shot and he moves great without the ball. If Q Johnson would have had his energy we would be talking about him as an all time great
If Skaggs keeps shooting the ball well he will play a lot. I had thought that he was simply a spot up three shooter but he has a lot more facets to his game. Great hustle, good rebounder, made a couple of terrific passes. Heard his interview after the game and he seems like a pretty bright kid, he's a coaches son and it shows on the court. Obviously he can't make 7 of 8 three's every night but he looks like he will be a pretty solid shooter. Big shout out to Coach Bennie Seltzer who was aware of him from his days at Loyolla-Chicago.
I really like what I've seen of Chidom but would like to see him tone down the outside shooting (although that could eventually be a part of his game). Hope to see Acquaah settle in - his shooting has been real bad but through 2 games he has a 38% turnover rate and that is a bigger problem. Small size game sample so far though.
Daniels had a fine game and hope he can be a consistent shooter but he has been real streaky so far in his career. He's made a over a third of his career three's in just 3 games, shooting well below 30% in the other 46 games. Love his hustle and defense.
I'd actually like to see Skaggs start against Idaho St just to see if that might help the team's poor first half performances. It's not that hard to hide one player on defense (more than one is a problem).
I really like what I've seen of Chidom but would like to see him tone down the outside shooting (although that could eventually be a part of his game). Hope to see Acquaah settle in - his shooting has been real bad but through 2 games he has a 38% turnover rate and that is a bigger problem. Small size game sample so far though.
Daniels had a fine game and hope he can be a consistent shooter but he has been real streaky so far in his career. He's made a over a third of his career three's in just 3 games, shooting well below 30% in the other 46 games. Love his hustle and defense.
I'd actually like to see Skaggs start against Idaho St just to see if that might help the team's poor first half performances. It's not that hard to hide one player on defense (more than one is a problem).
Watching today and the Zag announcers threw out a couple of names but I thought of Harmeling before the injuries. I think Harmeling was a little quicker and he was taller but a good call. What I loved about both is how much they enjoyed the game.
Also noticed Scaggs has knee issues. When he went to the floor he was in some pain getting back up off the floor grabbing his knee a bit. That's probably where he has lost the lateral quickness.
Hyperbole ,Skaggs may have shot well but a Chris Mullen" he ain't." He will settle into a role player as they hit the meat of the schedule..He may win a couple more games for the cougs this year.
Skaggs should start the next game but I agree he's a "role player". We obviously need to get to the point where we can use a player like Skaggs in a role where it gets the most out of him as a player. Still, shooting is the most valuable asset in the game...and why Acquaah should "retool" his mechanics.
Every team needs a player like Skaggs who can shoot the lights out if given the opportunity..Skaggs will try to run through a brick wall if the coach asked hm., Guys like Bernstine and Pollard are also great for their hustle and vocal leadership.I hope that the team continues to improve.
Skaggs' passing also caught my attention. Yes, as I said, it's just a couple games, but I'm actually a bit excited about men's hoops right now. Considering the hole Bone dug for this program, any hope is good hope.
Its all about recruiting. We haven't had a coach who could recruit on more than a sporadic basis since Sampson, and he would have probably had us on probation if he had stayed much longer.
It takes more than a good coach in Pullman. It takes a high energy salesman to have any success. Even the Bennett's only had two winning seasons in 6 years.
Kent has a lot of the Raveling type of energy about him, and he is the first coach at WSU since Harshman who has been able to make any inroads into landing in state talent.
Other guys like Bone and Eastman could coach but couldn't recruit much.
It takes more than a good coach in Pullman. It takes a high energy salesman to have any success. Even the Bennett's only had two winning seasons in 6 years.
Kent has a lot of the Raveling type of energy about him, and he is the first coach at WSU since Harshman who has been able to make any inroads into landing in state talent.
Other guys like Bone and Eastman could coach but couldn't recruit much.
Bone couldn't coach. Otherwise, a more attractive program would have hired him.
The line of "only two winning seasons in 6 years" is highly misleading. First, Graham had us in a very deep hole. Unless you are a basketball school, it is very tough to dig yourself out of a deep hole.
Second, Dick ended all the WSU records that were negative (consecutive Pac12 road losses, consecutive losses to Zona, consecutve road losses to UCLA, etc). We were the #1 defensive team in the nation under Dick. Let that sink in for a minute (with a rag tag bunch of players, no less).
You make it sound like we suffered through the Bennett years. Those were the best years by far our program has had since the Raveling days. It's sad they ended too soon.
Dick and Tony could coach and recruit. We have two NBA players playing now because of them. One is an all-star man.
It's mind-boggling how you consistenly downgrade or minimize what the Bennetts did at WSU. I don't understand that mentality. I'd live it all over again and so would you. To be honest, it kind of makes me angry that you do that.
Tony Bennett is a great coach as is his father. I personally don’t think Dick would have taken WSU as far as Tony did, it was a perfect set up, a team that was great on defense that just needed a little more offensive punch. But even after all they accomplished We hired Bone. So we still, after all that, we’re not an attractive program? Why? because the hole was already dug.
We also need to invest tens of millions of dollars to show we care enough.
The Bone hire was a lazy hire. I knew at the time it wouldn't end well. Kent was a lazy hire as well but I can understand it at some level. Plus, he's at least taken a major program to an Elite Eight. That's worth SOMETHING, even if you discount his actual coaching ability (which is highly suspect imo).
Most don't know that Dick took a Wisconsin team to the Final Four without a single all league player! It's quite incredible.
Can anyone name a single NCAA basketball coach who has ever done that before or since? Never happened before to my knowledge...and will never happen again. I don't believe any of those players played in the NBA either, so there's that too.
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The Bennett's were great coaches. That is my point. Pullman is so difficult that even Tony's team was headed for a rebuild despite bsck to back NCAA appearances
Also if Bone was as bad as you say ( I disagree) then Ernie should get a pass for his first three years to the same degree Dick did.
Also if Bone was as bad as you say ( I disagree) then Ernie should get a pass for his first three years to the same degree Dick did.
Excuse me avabob, the Bennetts had three winning seasons out of six. The old man lost his first three seasons and Tony won all three years here. Look it up.
...and we were 7-11 in Pac12 play Tony's last season. Just ask CougEd. He'll confirm.
Poor Erictile Dysfunction. His world was upended when Bone, Ball, and the Turd were sent packing.
I agree. Both Bone and Kent were lazy hires, and I'll be among the first to call for Kent's head if the losing continues.
I think Dick's final season could have been a winning season but Low went down toward the end of OOC play and Weaver had to take the point. I always thought the experience helped Weaver moving forward but it was a bit of a struggle. I think Harmeling sat out with an injury as well and pushed Cowgill out of a redshirt.
Dick Bennett is one of my all-time favorites. In fact Carter Skaggs is a great example of a "Dick Bennett" kind of recruit as well as a "GU pre-Few" player. Have 2 of 3. Shoot, athletic, or character with character being a must. I have never seen a coach lay out the blueprint for a program with the kind of accuracy we saw from Dick Bennett. Just as Wisconsin fans said would happen when we were ready to roll Dick would step aside and Tony would get all the credit.
I know I have posted this before but it's just a surprise to me to see negatives about Dick Bennett while at WSU. It was the correct time for him to step aside but I enjoyed his time in Pullman.
Dick Bennett is one of my all-time favorites. In fact Carter Skaggs is a great example of a "Dick Bennett" kind of recruit as well as a "GU pre-Few" player. Have 2 of 3. Shoot, athletic, or character with character being a must. I have never seen a coach lay out the blueprint for a program with the kind of accuracy we saw from Dick Bennett. Just as Wisconsin fans said would happen when we were ready to roll Dick would step aside and Tony would get all the credit.
I know I have posted this before but it's just a surprise to me to see negatives about Dick Bennett while at WSU. It was the correct time for him to step aside but I enjoyed his time in Pullman.
He and I once visited in his office. It was at a time there was a lot of media speculation about whether he'd retire. He told me he had just gotten off the phone with his wife, who called to fill him in on her conversation with the contractor building their lake-side retirement home. I never posted anything about this confirmation. I believe Tony took over the reins a week or two later.
Interesting information. It was time. He talked about the travel and I think he even said the players needed another voice. Still, Akognon admitted his senior year he wished he had listened more to Dick at WSU realizing he was trying to make him a better player.
