TheLine
PhD Student
Posts: 1242
Age: 49
Reg: 07-07-09
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03-12-12 09:45 AM - Post#125470
In response to Murph
This would also be a way of de-emphasizing Meiko Lyles' questionable ball handling and streaky shooting.
Good point. What cost us the Yale game was lack of anyone, save Barbour, who could handle pressure. Agho's presence will fix that next year. Whether Mullins will also be part of the solution is anyone's guess at this point.
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Howard Gensler
Postdoc
Posts: 3980
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-12-12 10:23 AM - Post#125472
In response to TheLine
And my point was that if you're strong at guard and weak at the 4 and a senior-laden team, why would you try jam a freshman PG into that mix unless he's a stud. Hey, maybe Mullins is. But what we seem to know about him is that he scores a lot of points, not that he's a floor general.
After Barbour and Agho graduate, you're going to need guards who score points. Next year, I'm not sure if a guy who is used to scoring 35 a game can transform himself into a set-up and dish guy over the summer whether or not his present team calls him a "point guard."
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cc66
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 10-09-09
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03-12-12 02:06 PM - Post#125493
In response to Howard Gensler
Mullins will certainly get some time as a backup to Barbour & Agho next year. Nevertheless, the truth is we really don't know how good a ball-handler he is, because we've never seen him play against a pressing defense. It would be great if he could vault over the other guards and become a back-up PG, because then Barbour won't have to drain the tank every night playing 35 minutes. But it's more likely that he'll be cycled in with the other guards to spell either Agho or Barbour. In either case, it's the 4 spot, and not the guard play, that will most likely establish the ceiling on Columbia's record next season.
Incidentally, Howard's comparison to Craig Austin sounds quite apt. I asked whether Mullins would score 7 ppg. Howard said that was unlikely next year, but likened him to Craig Austin. In Austin's first year, he averaged 6.3 ppg, but this number spiked to 18 ppg as a junior. FWIW, and I'm not saying the analogy extends this far, Austin ended up as the 4th leading lifetime scorer with 1491 pts, behind Jenkins, McMillan, and Forte.
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Columbia 37P6
Masters Student
Posts: 616
Reg: 02-14-06
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03-13-12 02:24 PM - Post#125704
In response to cc66
My sense is that Coach Smith must be very confident that Mullins will be capable of backing up Barbour immediately at point guard as well as helping on the press. Otherwise Smith probably would have opted for another point guard rather than going with Issac Cohen as presumably the Lions' last 2012-13 recruit. On the other hand, Smith may have decided that Cohen was too good to pass on considering that he has played very well against top-flight competition for four years. Unlike, Mullins and Gilson, Cohen has posted very good numbers against some of the top-ranked high school teams in the country. More than that, everyone seems to talk favorably about Cohen's court smarts, poise and ball handling skills so maybe Smith sees him as someone who can handle pressure. It will be very interesting to see how Cohen fares against Team USA later this month.
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cc66
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 10-09-09
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03-13-12 02:42 PM - Post#125713
In response to Columbia 37P6
You may well be right. I looked at the Mullins' videos again and saw some thread-the-needle passes. Like Coby, Cohen has probably played against the toughest competition among our recruits. If he does well later this month against Team USA, Smith may have found another recruit with smarts, poise, and ball handling skills to fit his model.
My only concern on the recruiting front is the absence of a center. But I assume he'll get one next year so there's a developing sophomore when Osetowkski is a senior.
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Columbia 37P6
Masters Student
Posts: 616
Reg: 02-14-06
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03-13-12 07:00 PM - Post#125768
In response to cc66
Yes, I agree with you that it appears from his film highlights that Mullins has made some difficult passes, but given that film highlights can be misleading we have to rely entirely on Coach Smith's judgment. In that respect, I am very comfortable with Smith's ability to find gems in the rough. I also concur with your concern about the absence of a center. However, we do have Cisco and Osetowski returning and incoming freshman, Zack En'Wezoh, who probably can outjump them both although he is only 6'7." Take a look at En'Wezoh's recent game film. Only one or two brief filmed plays, but encouraging. Also, his rebounding stats are huge.
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Chet Forte
Senior
Posts: 329
Reg: 03-02-08
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03-13-12 09:00 PM - Post#125786
In response to Columbia 37P6
I am puzzled as to why people don't seem to see much more upside to Lyles. I think he needs consistency. But he was only a sophomore last season and has a nice offensive game.
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cc66
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 10-09-09
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03-13-12 09:17 PM - Post#125793
In response to Chet Forte
I do see an upside to Lyles. He could easily average 13-14 pts a game next year, up from 10 + this season. Lyles' problem is his inability to create his own shot. Pass the ball to him when he is open, and on, and he'll hit his threes. But if the standard is who can create their own shot, it is still, until proven otherwise, just Agho, Barbour, an improved Rosenberg, and as yet to be determined Mullins. When our offense failed this past season, it is because opponents successfully clamped down on everyone else. To be good next year, Lyles has to improve, and we need offense from whomever backs up or replaces Daniels.
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LionFan
Freshman
Posts: 88
Reg: 11-07-06
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03-14-12 10:29 AM - Post#125876
In response to cc66
I would guess that Kowalski would get a shot at backup PG. He seemed steady when I saw him, but unfortunately not a scorer. Springwater was touted as a potential PG when he was recruited but I didn't see it, this year at least. It'll be hard for a freshman, especially from Canada, to be a capable collegiate point guard immediately. Additional speed, athleticism, aggressiveness, and complexity on both D and O make it a difficult transition, especially as floor general.
Can Green or Frankoski give some quality minutes?
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TheLine
PhD Student
Posts: 1242
Age: 49
Reg: 07-07-09
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03-14-12 01:08 PM - Post#125915
In response to LionFan
Frankoski is a deadly outside shooter when given space - he should find a role as a sniper off the bench.
I like Green, I'm not sure why he hasn't been given a greater opportunity.
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Columbia 37P6
Masters Student
Posts: 616
Reg: 02-14-06
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03-16-12 10:15 PM - Post#126620
In response to TheLine
One of the nicest surprises of the 2011-12 season was Chris Crockett's improvement from the prior three seasons. I give Smith credit for staying with him when seemingly everyone else had written Crockett off. However, I do not see the same potential with Kowalski although Smith has given him plenty of opportunities. He's a scrappy player and good defender, but cannot score at all. As for Green, he improved on offense this season, but is still much too tentative so he needs to find a way to strenthen his overall Game in the off-season. Green, and for that matter, Daniels and Springwater, are superior athletes, who have not yet put it all together on the college basketball court. Obviously, they are still "projects" and the coaching staff will be working with them closely in the off-season to see whether they can improve like Crockett did last season.
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internetter
PhD Student
Posts: 1717
Loc: Los Angeles
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-16-12 10:55 PM - Post#126637
In response to Columbia 37P6
Another summer project, which Cuff often advocated, is Cisco developing left hand shots near the basket.
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