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Post by raiderfan14 on Feb 7, 2016 17:18:24 GMT -5
I think we scored with a late add in Karena. It is risky to go into off season without clear cut front court options. I hope if there is a JUCO out there that would rather start day one and make an impact like Karena did he would be more likely to go with us. BD has no problem recruiting and developing guards, i was hoping Davis, and Davis would become solid post guys their last two years.
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Post by hhgreen on Feb 7, 2016 19:30:27 GMT -5
When looking for a good Juco center the Raiders have a lot to offer them especially playing time.
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Post by Big D on Feb 7, 2016 20:30:58 GMT -5
When looking for a good Juco center the Raiders have a lot to offer them especially playing time. I seriously beg to differ. I couldn't imagine being a big man and want to play for Donlon. He doesn't run the offense through the center at all. He gets his centers into foul trouble by making them hedge out on guards at the top of the key. He puts his center at a huge disadvantage in the rebounding battles because most teams have a center and 2 other forwards crashing the boards. Often we play 4 guards at a time so our center is going 1 on 3 for rebounds. If I was a center I would want to go to a school known for developing centers. Donlon is about the furthest thing from that as a coach. Donlon has been a head coach here for several years now. Karena is the only success late signing period interior player addition he has gotten in his tenure and Karena was recruited by one of our departed assistant coaches. I don't have any faith that Donlon or any of our current assistants are going to land an impact post player for us. Hell, so far all they have been able to sign is a 6-6 high school PF that averages 8 ppg.
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Post by jumbojimbo on Feb 7, 2016 22:57:48 GMT -5
Please give An example of a hl team that does 'run the offense thru the center". And I see plenty of teams with big men who step out on guards at the top of the key. It's not just us.
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Post by hhgreen on Feb 7, 2016 23:26:42 GMT -5
Karena on offense does post up quite a bit but like you the crap going out to guard the 3 point line is crazy. Donlon does not enstill confidence in his big man recruiting. Let's hope we can sign one this year still.
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Post by Big D on Feb 8, 2016 8:29:17 GMT -5
Please give An example of a hl team that does 'run the offense thru the center". And I see plenty of teams with big men who step out on guards at the top of the key. It's not just us. Green Bay, Milwakeee, Valpo, Detroit, Oakland, UIC, and YSU (before their center got hurt) all run set plays for their centers. If you watched any of those games you know that they do. Almost all of Karena's shots are created by himself of are passes to him that come off of drives from guards. We are just about the only team that doesn't run anything for our post players. Our whole offense is designed around our guards and it is one of the main reasons we have been towards the bottom of the HL in big men recruiting going back to the Brad Brownell days.
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Post by raidergrad98 on Feb 8, 2016 10:54:38 GMT -5
It would be interesting if everyone would post their coaching qualifications. I'd be curious to know from what experience people speak.
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Post by wsuraider09 on Feb 8, 2016 14:34:15 GMT -5
Let's just all agree that we're, again, going to be in trouble if we don't find someone with D1 size, and ready to play for us next season.
I feel like we have this discussion ever year.
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Post by paulkris on Feb 8, 2016 16:59:53 GMT -5
Maybe not a popular observation to make but cast your minds back to AJ Pacher's freshman year. How many of us imagined that AJ would become the player that he wound up being? If Parker can bulk up a little bit I think he can be important for us over the next three years. I'm not sure that next year will be a good indicator but I expect improvement by then. He has more physical skills than AJ had at the same point in his development. AJ had a killer instinct that I'm not sure Parker will ever have but if he can get about 50 pounds and a little more of a scowl I think he can help us.
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Post by ohiopirate on Feb 8, 2016 18:01:23 GMT -5
Donlon has gone out of his way to compare (favorably) Parker to AJ Pacher. But much like AJ didn't really hit his full stride until his senior year that's probably where we have to look for Parker (except he was able to redshirt unlike AJ - so maybe Junior year). Either way, it doesn't help us much for the predicament we find ourselves in next season with our big men.
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Post by raiderfan14 on Feb 8, 2016 18:50:32 GMT -5
I feel like Parker will give us some solid minutes, I'm not calling for a 6'10" huge wide body. I would much rather, turning back the clock here a quicker stronger Sean Hammonds or Thad Burton. Guys who have a knack for rebounds and some offensive ability. I think our offense is better suited for a power forward than a center like Ronnie Thomas.
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Post by Big D on Feb 8, 2016 21:21:57 GMT -5
Maybe not a popular observation to make but cast your minds back to AJ Pacher's freshman year. How many of us imagined that AJ would become the player that he wound up being? If Parker can bulk up a little bit I think he can be important for us over the next three years. I'm not sure that next year will be a good indicator but I expect improvement by then. He has more physical skills than AJ had at the same point in his development. AJ had a killer instinct that I'm not sure Parker will ever have but if he can get about 50 pounds and a little more of a scowl I think he can help us. Actually, if you go back and read what I said about AJ after we signed him, I pretty much predicted how he would develop at WSU. If you go back and read what I wrote about Parker after we signed him I specifically compared him to AJ and wrote that he would benefit from the red-shirt year we were not able to give AJ. I have hopes for what Parker can become by his junior year. None of that has anything to do with what I posted above. Parker isn't going to be ready to be "the man" next year. He should be a nice back up center. He still needs to add weight and learn how to be a post up player. He should be a solid contributor his junior and senior year, but he isn't going to be anywhere near the player we are losing in Karena. Our problem is that we don't have anyone we can play in front of him to allow him to develop. We also don't have anyone with any type of experience lined up for PF either. Yoho is one of our top players and we don't have anyone lined up to replace him either. S. Davis is most likely gone after this season. Our inside players consist of Parker, R. Davis, Mortenson, and incoming freshman Ryan Custer. I don't care how green and gold your glasses are, if that roster doesn't concern you, you really should just drop out of this discussion. Parker is averaging 2 pts and 1.7 rebounds. R. Davis is averaging 1.6 pts and 0.7 rebounds. Mortenson is averaging 1.6 pts, and 0.6 rebounds. Custer is averaging 8 pts and 5 rebounds in high school. We are only going 7 deep right now in games because none of these guys are capable of contributing at this level of play yet. I don't see a huge jump in any of their play by next season, so unless we sign at least 2 impact players to come in and start next year, we are going to be seriously hurting. And as I also pointed out, Karena is the only late signing period post player Donlon has signed that has been able to have any kind of an impact for us. Going back to the Brad Brownell days, Cooperwood is the only other later signing period interior player we have added that had any kind of an impact at WSU. That is my concern and it should be your concern too.
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Post by paulkris on Feb 9, 2016 9:28:26 GMT -5
I want the same things that everyone wants. I just don't see it as being as dire. We have Benzinger, Hughes and Alstork back next season. Mortensen may be the best pure shooter on the team. If he can learn defense he'll help us. Vest shows the same steadiness that Matt showed at this point in his development. We need an inside presence but based on how Mike's minutes have been limited by foul troubles this year and how we've been able to adjust by using Yoho in the middle I think we can do it with a big forward rather than a true center. It's a whole lot easier to recruit a ready-to-play power forward than it is to find an available JUCO center. Having said all of that; we're really going to miss the Seniors that we're losing. I get depressed every year when I look at the graduating class and then it seems that there is always someone who steps up during the next season.
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Post by hhgreen on Feb 9, 2016 12:46:27 GMT -5
One thing about Donlon, the game play that he is used to playing and wants to play don't work with wide body players. He wants to have a defensive offense with no rebounding whatsoever. If a player lags behind trying to get an offensive rebound he is screaming at them for not being back on defense.
We just have to put up with the type of play and players he always recruits til he leaves to a better job. Hopefully some big ten team like Northwestern picks him up. I can wish.
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Post by circle70 on Feb 9, 2016 14:15:40 GMT -5
Speaking of injuries, there's a website out there that lists all the D1 teams with players who are injured. Our 2 guys are on there and you guys have 2 listed also. I don't know how comprehensive it is, but it is accurate for UIC and Illinois. www.donbest.com/ncaab/injuries/
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