cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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11-04-16 10:50 PM - Post#212544
There were about 80 people there, including recent basketball alums Isaac Cohen, Niko Scott, and Ben Nwachukwu. But to answer the most pressing questions, first:
Castlin is injured (toe/foot) and will not play this season.
Lance Meadow is transferring from announcing the women's b'ball games to announcing the men's. They are now trying to backfill and find a women's b'ball announcer.
They have had one scrimmage so far against St.Francis in which they did pretty well (I got the sense they won, but not with the artistry that Engels would like). They have another tomorrow against Siena which will probably be decisive in determining the starting line-up.
Engels' comments on the first years' play made a sharp distinction between their mental and physical preparedness for college ball. Some players have the physical tools, but did not have very good coaching. Others, he said, are prepared mentally, but are not yet ready physically. More specifically, he said that
Panayiotou would contribute some this year, and that he expected a good deal more in subsequent years.
Killingsworth knows the game and is ready mentally, but is underprepared physically. Separately, some of the assistant coaches were more positive about him, to the point that maybe his b'ball intelligence will soon get him some minutes.
Tape is tall and athletic, but Engels made the somewhat harsh comment that "he doesn't know what he's doing." The comment sounded like a critique about the small program he came from in SC. I got the sense that his athleticism might get him some time later in the year, if he responds well to Engels' instruction.
Smith was the first-year player who garnered the most unconditional praise--for his b'ball IQ from Engels, and for his speed from the assistant coaches. He's clearly in the running for starting PG.
It's hard to tell who the starters are going to be. Two seem pretty evident--Petrasek and Meisner. In Castlin's absence, my best guess is that they will start Hickman. At PG, the competition is between Smith, Adlesh, and Davis; if I had to guess, I think it might go to Smith, because Engels likes speed and precision, though Adlesh was praised for his work-habits and diligence studying film.
The other forward position is up for grabs. Coby has a hamstring injury, but they also like him better as a reserve. So who starts as the other forward is anyone's guess.
Listening to everyone, I came to the conclusion that we are more of a work in progress than I had realized. For starters, even if we assume that Petrasek will have a breakout year, we have no idea of how Meisner and Hickman will perform. Then there is the question of a first year PG + the open question of the other forward. Maybe we can pull it all together by the Ivy season, but especially without Castlin, I have less confidence in all the possibilities that I once saw.
Edited by cc66 on 11-04-16 10:53 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1539
Reg: 11-21-04
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11-05-16 01:59 AM - Post#212545
In response to cc66
Thanks for such a comprehensive report!
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internetter
Postdoc
Posts: 3400
Loc: Los Angeles
Reg: 11-21-04
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11-05-16 02:21 AM - Post#212546
In response to Dr. V
Excellent job. Thank you!
From the brief video it is evident that there will be a change in the temp to which the returnees will have to adjust as well as the FYs.That will take a lot of time, so I don't expect much before the first of the year.
Good to see some alums came.
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Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2972
Reg: 03-02-08
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11-05-16 07:02 AM - Post#212547
In response to internetter
Great report, much obliged. Too bad about Castlin. Is he taking a year off from school as did Alex or just saving a fifth year to play elsewhere as did Grant? Anything about Rodney being ready to play this year? Sounds to me like we may be seeing a three guard offense.
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Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2972
Reg: 03-02-08
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 11-05-16 07:09 AM - Post#212548
In response to Chet Forte
Also, any update on recruiting?
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TheLine
Professor
Posts: 5597
Age: 60
Reg: 07-07-09
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11-05-16 08:49 AM - Post#212549
In response to Chet Forte
Great job cc66 - appreciated.
Sounds like Engels is setting the stage for this being more of a transition year - or am I missing something?
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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basketball dinner
11-05-16 09:25 AM - Post#212551
In response to TheLine
Thanks. Yes, I think Engels is seeing it more as a transitional year. If Castlin weren't injured; if Tape were further along; if Smith wasn't a first year; if Meisner and Hickman's offensive production were more assured; and if one or two other players-to-be-named later could currently be identified as contributors, we wouldn't be in such a transitional mode. But that's where we are, and we'll just have to see how they respond to Engels' instruction, and subsequently, how the season shakes out.
As I mentioned, this morning's scrimmage is key. Siena is #84 on KenPom, above Yale #116 and Harvard #128. If we are even remotely competitive this early in the season with a better team, maybe the path upward won't be quite so slow.
I meant, and then forgot, to ask about Hunter (I would have liked to ask about a couple of others, too==Voss and McComber, in particular, but then it gets to the point where the whole roster becomes a checklist). There was mention of a 8-9 player rotation. Let's hope he's on it, because in Castlin's absence, we certainly do need more guards.
I don't know specifically about Castlin's plan, except that he has apparently been on the bench cheering the team on, which if I remember correctly from Rosenberg's off-year, you can't do if you are not enrolled. Unless something changes, that means he only have one more year of eligibility in the next--his senior-year.
And lastly, on the recruiting front, they are going after Brock Cunningham, a 6'7" forward from Texas [http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/brock-cunning ham], who is currently listed as the #10 player in Texas. Apparently, there is a family divide; the father has ties to schools like Oklahoma State, while his mother is more concerned about academics, which makes, of course, for quite a natural ending for this entry.
LISTEN TO YOUR MOM!
Edited by cc66 on 11-05-16 09:31 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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11-05-16 10:11 AM - Post#212553
In response to cc66
The uncertainties about this season, in Engels' own voice.
http://ivyhoopsonline.com/2016/11/04/qa-with-co lum...
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hoopsfan
Masters Student
Posts: 645
Reg: 12-26-04
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Re: basketball dinner
11-05-16 11:10 AM - Post#212554
In response to cc66
To be clear, Brock Cunningham is in the high school class of '18. He wouldn't be in this incoming class but next year's.
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hoopsfan
Masters Student
Posts: 645
Reg: 12-26-04
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Re: basketball dinner
11-05-16 11:20 AM - Post#212555
In response to hoopsfan
Forgot my manners: thanks for your good report. Very helpful for those of us living outside of NYC.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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Re: basketball dinner
11-05-16 12:13 PM - Post#212557
In response to hoopsfan
True. Sorry, I should have been clearer and noted that.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 32
Reg: 11-11-14
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11-05-16 05:05 PM - Post#212560
In response to cc66
Appears Castlin is still enrolled: https://directory.columbia.edu/people/uni?code=kac...
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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11-05-16 06:00 PM - Post#212563
In response to whitakk
Good catch. It confirms what I thought I heard.
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Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2175
Reg: 02-14-06
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11-05-16 06:30 PM - Post#212564
In response to cc66
Helpful information in the dinner report. Many thanks, However, I doubt that Coach Engles views the season as a "transitional year," given the players he has and the possibility that Smith will contribute immediately. I would not make much of the Tape comment either as coaches always make comments like that about under the radar players from very small schools. Of course, he has much to learn about the game of basketball.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6412
Reg: 11-22-04
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11-05-16 09:29 PM - Post#212569
In response to Columbia 37P6
Well, in the first year it's hard to know Engles' style generally. He may always hedge in the way he talks about the team.
However, sometimes it can be an indicator that the coach is worried that fan expectations are above where the team will be. As a Penn fan, there was a clear moment shortly before Glen Miller's 2nd season as coach where there was a sudden shift in tone by the staff both publicly and in private where the staff went into the mode of letting people know we probably weren't going to be that good. That may or may not be what Engles is doing. FWIW, I think Columbia will be solid (though not as good as last year).
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1539
Reg: 11-21-04
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11-06-16 06:34 AM - Post#212576
In response to SomeGuy
Not knowing who our starting 5, rotation of 8-9 or who has progressed/stayed the same/regressed over the summer and fall, we probably know less going into a season than we have for some years. And, of course, we have a new coaching staff.
All that said, my guess FWIW is that we'll be more athletic, meaning that we should defend better, rebound better and run better, but that we won't shoot threes as well given that Lo, Alex and Mullins were all good long range shooters. Because we are in the era of the three point shot that may be a problem. Maybe Adlesh and Barba can help make some of that up (I'm presuming that Luke will repeat last year's production or improve somewhat), but who knows how much PT each will get. And, if my guess about better D, rebounding and running is right, who knows to what extent that will balance out my guess that our three point shooting won't be as good, if my guess about that is right as well.
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