Username | Post: Next year | |
---|---|---|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-17-19 03:12 PM - Post#281796
After watching the Harvard Yale final this afternoon I came away with more appreciation for what our guys accomplished this season. We played four tough games against the two best teams in the league, splitting with Yale and going to a total of 4 OTs with Harvard. And this was without what we thought was going to be a lineup with Smith at PG and Meisner at PF as our two best players. If Tape continues his improvement next year he mat well be the best true front court player in the league. Smith will be one of the best ball handlers and quickest PGs in the league. Stefanini is a real gamer. Nweke can be a monster with his size and skill set, and Brumant is also a solid front court player. Ellis and Bibbs both came on at the end of the year. If we get Turner as a ready for serious minutes PG we will have a very good back court. Killingsworth is somewhat of an enigma to me, and I don’t know what to expect from Forest, but I have done a complete 180 on Engles and think he is an excellent in-game coach. So count me as very optimistic for next year. |
|
cc66 Postdoc Posts 2204 |
03-17-19 04:19 PM - Post#281803
Although we will be much better, the problem is that everyone else except Cornell will be better too next year, especially Harvard, which returns everyone whom we saw on the court today. Basically, there are going to be 7 teams trying to shoehorn themselves in 4 spots. While I reject the default assumption that the tournament will merely include the same four teams, the league is going to be so tight and competitive that one year away, it is impossible to predict who might make the tournament. |
|
Old Bear Postdoc Posts 4000 |
03-17-19 07:35 PM - Post#281831
I am afraid that H & Y had guys who didn't play today, who would have started for B,C,C and D. The bottom 4 or 5 will be better next year, but I don't see how the gap will be closed. |
|
SomeGuy Professor Posts 6413 |
03-17-19 08:28 PM - Post#281840
While that is probably true, the gap between to top teams and the bottom teams this year was as close as it has ever been. And your point gets to a key difference— Yale and Harvard have a lot more talented depth than the bottom four. Columbia in particular needs to keep folks on the roster (particularly up front) to try to bridge that gap. |
|
Columbia 37P6 Postdoc Posts 2180 |
03-17-19 09:20 PM - Post#281852
Chet, with all due respect, I cannot reasonably agree with your stated conclusion that "...Engles is an"...excellent game coach" simply because Columbia managed to win a few games at the end of this season. The team did play well during the final three weekends of the season, but I have trouble overlooking Engles' record as Columbia's head coach the past three years: 2016-17: 5-9 Ivy, 11-16 overall; 2017-18: 5-9 Ivy, 8-19 overall; 2018-19; 5-9 Ivy, 10-18. That's a 15-27 Ivy record and 29-55 overall. It's difficult for me to envision any scenario where an "excellent game coach" could compile such a bad record. |
|
Chip Bayers Professor Posts 7001 |
03-17-19 11:15 PM - Post#281859
Tape continues his improvement next year he mat well be the best true front court player in the league? Brodeur, Aririguzoh, Knight, Lewis, and Bruner are all coming back next year, so that’s quite the optimistic prediction. |
|
PennFan10 Postdoc Posts 3589 |
03-18-19 12:27 AM - Post#281867
as is Atkinson |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-18-19 06:30 AM - Post#281873
Tape finally hit his stride over the last three weekends. What has always impressed me about his untapped potential is here is a guy who is 6’10†and highly athletic. As far as Engles, I will admit that I was a harsh critic especially with the roster losses, but despite being undermanned we were always in games and kept grinding throughout the year. And if H and Y were the two best teams look at the way we played both of them. So I have to give Engles credit here. He beat Penn and Yale on the road, gave Harvard fits in two games, and helped turn Stef into an all Ivy player while at PG instead of his natural position of SG. |
|
palestra38 Professor Posts 32849 |
03-18-19 08:52 AM - Post#281884
I always thought the CU boards were always far too tough on Engles given what he was given when he came here. Smith left for a very slight upgrade in level and left behind a team that would have to be totally rebuilt. And he left late. Engles inherited a team that lost its 3 top scorers (Lo, Mullins and Rosenberg) worth 44 ppg, 10 rebounds and 8 assists and his next 2 top players (Petrasek and Coby) were about to be seniors. So without a recruiting year, the cupboard was going to be barren a year later. In those circumstances it is reasonable to expect that this would be the first year to show improvement. To blame Engles for the W/L to date is to let off the hook the recruiting of the guy who left to take a lateral job. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-18-19 09:22 AM - Post#281887
“Necessity is the mother of inventionâ€. And as a result of losing Smith and Meisner, we were still able to cobble together a competitive group of guys. Losing to a good Rutgers team in OT on the road, while frustrating since we could not close it out, was a hint that we might be able to put something together by the end of the year. And now we have some guys with a lot of game experience that they otherwise would not have gotten had Meisner and Smith been around. |
|
cc66 Postdoc Posts 2204 |
03-18-19 12:11 PM - Post#281920
Maybe Chet got a bit carried away about Tape, but since he did average 16.3 ppg for his last six games, he certainly belongs among the top 3 along with Brodeur and Arrizough (sp.?) Although no one knows whether Smith will return from injury and perform at the same level, he was also second team IL one year ago. With Tape, Stefanini, and Smith, Columbia will fill three of the five starting positions with players who at one time have been designated All-Ivy. Among either the top four or the second three, very few teams will be able to match that. |
|
palestra38 Professor Posts 32849 |
03-18-19 01:08 PM - Post#281927
Well, Penn has Brodeur, Betley and Goodman, and Harvard has Aiken, Towns and Lewis |
|
cc66 Postdoc Posts 2204 |
03-18-19 01:11 PM - Post#281928
So you solved it right there We should be among the top 3! |
|
palestra38 Professor Posts 32849 |
03-18-19 01:33 PM - Post#281932
CU should have a good shot going in to make next year's tournament. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-18-19 09:10 PM - Post#281972
We need everybody to stay healthy. |
|
JadwinGeorge Senior Posts 357 |
03-19-19 07:57 AM - Post#282007
Princeton has Richmond A and an improving Llewellyn plus a lot of question marks. Not coincidental that the comeback vs. Yale was derailed by Stephens fouling out. When he left Yale scored on every possession. Now he's gone for good, leaving a gaping hole for Henderson to fill. That said nine players with experience return. Harvard is a lock for No.1, Penn probably a lock for 2. The other 5 teams (I don't see Cornell improving) should battle to the last weekend for tourney seeding. |
|
palestra38 Professor Posts 32849 |
03-19-19 08:00 AM - Post#282009
Generally agree with your analysis---of course, as has been the case since Princeton's 14-0 year, the key injuries are what makes the ultimate difference. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-19-19 08:56 AM - Post#282016
I do not see anybody as a lock for anything next year. As far as personnel Cornell, Yale and Princeton have the biggest holes to fill. Biggest question marks are three all league caliber guys coming back from injuries: Towns, Betley and Smith. As far as players poised to show continued improvement with the potential to be dominant players my candidate is Tape. |
|
JadwinGeorge Senior Posts 357 |
03-19-19 10:04 AM - Post#282022
I am a big Tape fan. As I posted earlier he was the only player to handle Richmond, in C vs P II, as his progress during the season was phenomenal. It will be interesting to see if either of those players have reached the limit of their ability, ala Chris Lewis. Aiken is my early pick for POY and the returning talent even w/o Towns makes them as close to a lock as you can have. The Lions with a healthy Smith are in the conversation w/o doubt. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-19-19 11:56 AM - Post#282052
Richmond had some nice things to say about Tape after the last game. Lewis has either peaked or regressed. Aiken was actually my choice for POY this year. He was the difference in both of our games. Stephens should have been DPOY. As far as Mike Smith, he should not be asked to play 38-40 minutes; hopefully our incoming PG, Turner, will be ready to give us 12 minutes a game. |
|
HARVARDDADGRAD Postdoc Posts 2697 |
03-19-19 12:52 PM - Post#282064
If the Tournament does nothing else, it helps permit coaches to exhibit perspective in choosing not to burn out their players and/or risk injury. Unless you are competing for 4th place late in the season, no reason now to rush someone back. Duke's delay in reinserting Zion Williamson seems to reflect that concept as Duke lost the regular season title but won their tournament. On the other hand, Tommy Amaker clearly utilized Justin Bassey in a way that likely won the Ivy regular season title. Possible that he was focused on winning the regular season at the risk of losing Justin for the tournament. |
|
Chip Bayers Professor Posts 7001 |
03-19-19 02:50 PM - Post#282087
Richmond had some nice things to say about Tape after the last game. Lewis has either peaked or regressed. Aiken was actually my choice for POY this year. He was the difference in both of our games. Stephens should have been DPOY. As far as Mike Smith, he should not be asked to play 38-40 minutes; hopefully our incoming PG, Turner, will be ready to give us 12 minutes a game. Harvard posters here believe Lewis’s decline this year was due to injury. |
|
cc66 Postdoc Posts 2204 |
03-19-19 02:51 PM - Post#282088
Cambridge is apparently transferring from Brown. This somewhat inexplicable decision means that both Brown and Cornell will be worse next year, leaving either 6 teams fighting for four tournament positions, or if you are kindly disposed to Harvard and Penn, four teams fighting for two. |
|
mrjames Professor Posts 6062 |
03-19-19 03:11 PM - Post#282090
Yeah... was waiting for that news to break. From what I heard he won’t play in the CBI either... |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-19-19 03:46 PM - Post#282098
In watching the Brown games this year I had a funny feeling that Cambridge seemed somewhat disengaged. I also thought that Choh was by far the better player. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-19-19 03:48 PM - Post#282099
As far as match-ups, and next year, I thought that our worst match-ups were with Princeton. For some reason, our other matchups seemed much better for us. Maybe it was the Mitch Stephens factor—to me Stephens should have been the DPOY. |
|
SomeGuy Professor Posts 6413 |
03-19-19 10:01 PM - Post#282150
The thing with Yale is that they have the guys to step in and start. The question is whether they can replace the depth that moves into the starting lineup. More Atkinson and Swain should be no drop off at all. It could actually be better. |
|
SomeGuy Professor Posts 6413 |
03-19-19 10:03 PM - Post#282151
Even if Turner isn’t ready, I think Engles will be comfortable sliding Stefanini over when Smith is off the floor. |
|
Chet Forte Postdoc Posts 2974 |
03-20-19 06:33 PM - Post#282261
PS, in our two games with Brown this year did anybody else think that Cambridge didn’t seem to be the same player that he was a year ago? |
|
HGA Sophomore Posts 106 |
03-21-19 04:54 PM - Post#282433
Cambridge was having a really good season prior to league play and was putting up "all-Ivy" type numbers. There were shooting woes throughout league play, including the first Columbia game, which Brown won. In their loss to Columbia at home, he had a "Cambridge-like" 8 for 20, 25 point performance. Despite his shooting challenges, he played with passion on both ends and created openings for others on offense due to the attention he received. |
|
hoopsfan Masters Student Posts 646 |
04-17-19 10:03 AM - Post#283715
Article on Stefanini's role this year https://the-changeup.com/blog/2019/4/11/stefan ini |
|
Copyright © 2004-2012 Basketball U. Terms of Use for our Site and Privacy Policy are applicable to you. All rights reserved. Basketball U. and its subsidiaries are not affiliated in any way with any NCAA athletic conference or member institution. |