RedZone
maximus
Posts: 203
Reg: 04-24-05
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06-26-05 01:51 PM - Post#8543
Now that Cornell's 2005-2006 roster appears complete, here are my projections on the starters and rotation.
STARTERS
C-Andrew Naeve 6-9 Jr-A defensive stopper, the two-time winner of the team’s award for top reserve, moves into the starting center position, replacing Eric Taylor, with minutes increasing from about 15 per game last year to 25-30 per game. Foul trouble is a concern. His offense around the basket is improving and he is a better free throw shooter than Taylor.
PF-Jason Hartford 6-9 Jr-The Cornell coaches reportedly told him that they were recruiting him to become a starter. When Naeve is off the floor, Hartford moves to center. Speed and athleticism are question marks.
SF-Ryan Rourke 6-8 Sr-The addition of Hartford, allows Rourke to move to his natural small forward position where he can take smaller opponents off the dribble and hit running jumpers in the lane. Rourke could see minutes again at power forward when Hartford is playing center. Consistency is an issue, but Donahue has demonstrated that he wants Rourke on the floor for most of the game. Has 1st Team All Ivy potential.
SG-Lenny Collins 6-6 Sr-The team MVP, a big guard, Collins will be free to roam the perimeter where he can pull up for jumpers or slash down the lane. His physical strength on defense should overpower smaller guards and wear them down. Collins will also play some small forward. Donahue’s best all-around player who will lead team in minutes.
PG-Graham Dow 6-0 Jr-A pure point guard who can penetrate, dish and shoot and with a good defensive work ethic. Dow can push the ball up the floor quickly, but with this bigger starting line-up, the tempo might be a bit slower than the last two years. Dow will split PG duties with Khaliq Gant. Donahue will not be afraid to yank him from the game if he is not focused.
TOP RESERVES
PG/SG-Khaliq Gant 6-3 So-Gant’s minutes will increase now that Toppert, Canady and Scott have left the program. He should see time at both shooting guard and point guard as the team’s 6th man. He could even start over Dow, although their minutes will probably be similar, irrespective of who starts the game (20-30 each). Moreover, Gant may even start with Dow, pushing either Naeve or Hartford to come off the bench. Donahue definitely has big plans for his top recruit from a year ago.
PF/SF-Jason Mitchell 6-8 Jr-Mitchell now appears ready to be a solid and steady contributor off the bench. He will see time at both forward positions, but will be pushed very hard from the newcomers, Ugo Iheakwezu and Brian Kreefer. Has more talent than most players on the team, but has yet to translate that talent in game situations.
SF/SG/PF-David Lisle 6-4 Sr-As in the past, Lisle, will see spotty minutes as a scrappy player off the bench filling in several positions. He is used primarily for key defensive sets. Mr. Hustle on the team and deserves to be a captain.
PF Ugo Ihekweazu 6-5 Red Shirt Jr-A husky rebounder and defender with a good vertical leap, the Division I transfer will push Mitchell for minutes as a backup power forward. Received minutes as a freshman at Wofford.
PF Brian Kreefer 6-7 Fr-A highly skilled shooter, he could be a “sleeper” to emerge as a key reserve. He will “compete” with Jason Mitchell and Ugo Iheakwezu for minutes off the bench in the frontcourt. A first team All-State selection, appearing in several All-Star games with other mid and nigh major D-I recruits. Speed and defense will be tested in fall workouts.
PG Adam Gore 6-0 Fr-With two seasoned point guards in Dow and Gant returning, Gore will have an up-hill battle to find immediate minutes. However, if he proves capable and mature enough for running a team, he could surprise and find his way onto the stat sheets. Was among the top 15 players in Indiana, named 3rd team All-State with the likes of recruits for Duke, Notre Dame, Marquette, and Indiana Univ. His father was an Indiana High School legend.
SG Jason Battle 6-4 Fr-Physically, the most ready of the freshmen to play. A great defender and skilled slasher. Extremely athletic and tough. However, his jump shot is just beginning to come about. Could be better than Jason Canady. Played for his dad at the AAU level.
SF Conor Mullen 6-5 Fr-A winner and an intelligent kid. However, speed, athleticism, and strength are issues. May need a year of seasoning on a team already deep in the frontcourt.
OTHER RESERVES
SF Robert Burris 6-5 Fr-Solid spot-up outside shooter, but needs to improve his defense and rebounding. A very nice upside with a good frame for a big guard.
PG Kevin App 6-0 Jr-Valuable practice player and may be needed if one of the point guards goes down to serious injury.
SG Jonathan Aiwazian 6-4 Fr-Possible walk-on.
RED SHIRT/MORMON MISSION
C Shawn Oliverson 6-11 So-Possible return to the team in 1-2 years.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6415
Reg: 11-22-04
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Re: Projected Starters
06-26-05 05:43 PM - Post#8544
In response to RedZone
My predicted starters:
Naeve
Rourke
Collins
Lisle
Gant
Rotation reserves, in order of PT: Dow, Harford, Mitchell
I'm pretty confident that Rourke and Collins won't slide down, simply b/c this kind of thing is often suggested for Ivy teams, but never seems to pan out. But for Koko Archibong and a couple of others, Ivy teams just tend to play small. I actually think Rourke presents more matchup problems for opponents both in conference and out as a 4.
The reason I think Gant will start over Dow is b/c that seemed to be the general approach last year, even when Dow was playing starter minutes before he got hurt. I do think Dow will play very close to starter minutes.
What I'm least sure of is Lisle. He could start, or he could be buried.
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RedZone
maximus
Posts: 203
Reg: 04-24-05
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Re: Projected Starters
06-26-05 07:07 PM - Post#8545
In response to SomeGuy
I'd admit that it would be somewhat surprising and intriguing to see Cornell with the "tall" starting line of Hartford, Naeve, and Rourke. However, clearly Donahue is going to start Rourke. No debate there from anyone. Moreover, Naeve is almost a lock to start at center. It is his job to lose. He's been groomed for the position and has been the team's top reserve for two years. One would think they are moving him up in minutes now that Taylor is gone. And finally... the Cornell coaches told Hartford that they wanted him to be a starter. (see some of those rivals articles) Add this all together... and well... you have the "big" line.
Furthermore, Donahue was quoted many times in the papers indicating that he loved Collins handling the ball and playing guard, even claiming that Collins is the team's best passer (due to his ability to see over the defense).
One thing is for sure, if Cornell goes big, they become very, very, very slow. Much slower than the Ka'ron Barnes run and gun team.
Then again... all of this is assuming Hartford is a "player" and ready to go. He could be a benchwarmer all season if he does not meet expectations.
As for the backcourt... Gant started 19 games last year and appeared in all 27 games. He also played 17 minutes per game. When Gant did not play, it was usually Jason Canady in the line-up over him.
Dow played even more minutes than Gant with an average of 19 per game.
Finally, there is Lisle. Although he started 9 games, he played only 13 minutes per game. And he did not even appear in two games, although he was never injured. I just don't see him playing ahead of Gant or Dow.
Taking these three guards into consideration... I think Gant has the most potential for this year. His ability to shoot and ball handle are major assets. If Collins plays forward, I think Dow and Gant are the backcourt.
As for the newcomers... the people in Wilmington think big things of Jason Battle. I am sure he and Gore will be in the mix.
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CUJacob
Senior
Posts: 353
Reg: 12-05-04
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Re: Projected Starters
07-01-05 04:55 PM - Post#8546
In response to RedZone
I would go with:
G Dow
G Gant
G/F Collins
F Rourke
C Naeve
Key Reserves (in order of minutes):
Hartford, Lisle, Ugo, Mitchell, Mullen
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RedZone
maximus
Posts: 203
Reg: 04-24-05
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Jason Hartford
07-04-05 04:32 PM - Post#8547
In response to CUJacob
I think the line of Rourke, Naeve, Collins, Dow and Gant is a strong possibility, even arguably the most likely on game #1. The benefits of that unit are several strong ball handlers, more speed, reliable outside shooting, and three of the team's top four defensive players on the floor (Lenny, Graham and Andrew, minus Ugo). On the downside, this unit is small outside of the Ivy competition and lack's a true rebounding power forward (Rourke is an average rebounder at best).
I think Jason Hartford is ready to be an impact power forward in the Ivy League and I'd be surprised not to see him getting starter type minutes for Cornell. If he is played at forward and allowed to roam the floor, as he did in high school and his freshman year of college, he can create some difficult match-up problems across the league with his mid range jumpers.
In this down year for Cornell recruiting, Hartford was a tremendous late commitment.
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Ron Mexico
goober
Posts: 80
Reg: 04-11-05
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Re: Jason Hartford
07-05-05 05:00 PM - Post#8548
In response to RedZone
Quote:
I think Jason Hartford is ready to be an impact power forward in the Ivy League and I'd be surprised not to see him getting starter type minutes for Cornell. If he is played at forward and allowed to roam the floor, as he did in high school and his freshman year of college, he can create some difficult match-up problems across the league with his mid range jumpers.
yeah not many 4s in this league who rely on mid-range games. lets see: zoller
kaplan
ruscoe
savage
arnold
stehle
baumann...
vintage brf.
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RedZone
maximus
Posts: 203
Reg: 04-24-05
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Re: Jason Hartford
07-07-05 11:44 PM - Post#8549
In response to Ron Mexico
I am not going to speculate as to whether Jason Hartford is better than those players you list. Those guys have at least a year of Division I experience under their belts. Jason Hartford hasn’t played Division I competition yet. So, I guess we can wait and see what he accomplishes. However, the purpose of my remark was merely to point out that Jason Hartford, used as a power forward in the Ivy League, could potentially cause match-up problems for opposition. What definitely distinguishes him from the group you list is his size. Hartford is 6-9 and 230 pounds. Nobody in the group you listed is as big bodied. If Hartford is a credible inside-outside threat, he could be a tremendous player and tough to defend for his smaller opposition. He can go inside or outside. However, if his speed becomes a legitimate concern, I suspect he will play center, sharing time with Naeve.
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