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Post by Den60 on May 3, 2014 6:06:01 GMT -8
I think Chol should start over Spencer. I think that Chol can do everything Spencer can do defensively, and he's better offensively. If Chol does start, then we can have Winston, Polee, JJ, and a true point guard (Williams/Zabo) as the rest of the starting 5. If Chol and Spencer both start, then either JJ or Polee gets kicked out or Winston has to run the point (and I don't want that). Thoughts? Spencer was dealing with his Mom's stroke over the last offseason so I expect his development suffered. Just seeing how much he improved his foul shooting during the year (though he still has that Jim Furyk hitch in his delivery) leads me to believe he can improve offensively. He has always moved well around the basket, very athletic for his size. If they can just get him to develop a hook shot he will become a better offensive player for us immediately.
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Post by Den60 on May 3, 2014 6:10:46 GMT -8
To me there is only one "Z" and that's Zylan. I think he will become a starter by Christmas and remain a starter for the next few years. The guy is a beast that can do everything. He is a good player and we wanted him but he can't shoot. Funny, I thought Aesop's story about the grapes was with a fox rather than a wolf? While shooting is an area where Z will need to improve to be a top tier type of player in college he would start for a number of good programs as a freshman. He has a chance to start here next season though he is going to have to beat out some more experienced players.
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Post by csfoster on May 3, 2014 7:27:10 GMT -8
Williams Shepard Polee JJ Spencer Williams is a true point guard, Q isn't. I will be watching Zabo early on because he may have a better skill set than Williams, but I don't normally want to see freshmen starting at the PG position. Williams doesn't need to be a great shooter (and he isn't, needs to put more air under the ball) but he does need to be able to drive to the hoop effectively. One area he needs to really improve is in his foul shooting (again, he throws up line drives). If he can penetrate and dish off he will be doing what you want your PG to do. Thames was more suited as a 2 but played PG because that was where we needed him to play. I keep JJ in there because of his leadership qualities (you look at that lineup and decide who will be the leader if not him) but he is going to have to perform or we may see either of the freshmen or even Chol start in his place. The wildcard will be if someone takes a big leap in the offseason )generally a guy coming off his first year at this level). Biggest candidate here would be Allen if he can improve his shooting as much as Franklin did between his freshman and soph years. This team is going to be very deep once again so we can put a lot of different combinations on the court to create some matchup issues. Deep enough to have two starting fives. I believe Fisher will consistently play at least 10 players every game next season. Given that Chol and the freshmen perform, this will be our best team ever.
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Post by standiego on May 3, 2014 7:30:23 GMT -8
The CSC trio at PF/C should give the Aztec coaches the best assortment of guys down low we have had in a long time . Each guy could bring a variety of talents to the team . Spencer 6'10",great shot blocker -especially when he can just patrol the middle of the lane , improved his FT% and knows the Aztec system . Chol 6'9",will probably be his first time starting but has practiced against Davis /Spencer here last year while red shirting and against the guys at Arizona the two previous years . Strong player that is noted for D , rebounding , believe he has decent shot , had a year to learn the SDSU system. Cheatham very athletic , 6'7", that is probably the best offensive player of the group , runs the floor well , but is a freshman that did not have the best competition this last year playing against the other Arizona public HS teams . Will also be learning the Aztec system loads of talent but as we saw with K. Leonard or Billy White it takes time to see where and how you fit in . Could see all three of these guys playing about 20- 25 minutes a game. As we saw last year FT% could also be a factor . But we all know the staff wants to see D and rebounds from the PF/C positions. We could also see JJ sliding over to PF against smaller teams or Shepard . Also may give Pope(if healthy), Polee or Allen more PT at SF. A lot of options. Remember it is not always that important who starts but who is there when the game is on the line . Believe this could be the year where we do see 10 guys sharing and battling for PT . The difference between players could be the closest we have had in a long time . Practice starts in June for those attending Summer School . Sure we are all waiting to hear about the progress of the players.
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Post by standiego on May 3, 2014 11:53:29 GMT -8
Per Zeigler's chat this week . Winston has really been spending a lot of time working on his jump shot . Spencer has shown a lot of improvement since the end of the season . Aztec coaches felt Williams had shown a lot of improvement the last half of the season even though he did not get much PT . PG competition could go from Summer School sessions on through October. Coaches will be watching this summer / fall ,to see how it works with both Spencer and Chol in the lineup at the same time . A lot of options with rotation possibly going 10 deep . The difference between players could be very minimal leading to strong competition during practice . The coaches have been going over a wide variety of lineups waiting for the summer practices to begin when they get an idea of how things could go .
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Post by Den60 on May 4, 2014 8:45:40 GMT -8
Williams Shepard Polee JJ Spencer Williams is a true point guard, Q isn't. I will be watching Zabo early on because he may have a better skill set than Williams, but I don't normally want to see freshmen starting at the PG position. Williams doesn't need to be a great shooter (and he isn't, needs to put more air under the ball) but he does need to be able to drive to the hoop effectively. One area he needs to really improve is in his foul shooting (again, he throws up line drives). If he can penetrate and dish off he will be doing what you want your PG to do. Thames was more suited as a 2 but played PG because that was where we needed him to play. I keep JJ in there because of his leadership qualities (you look at that lineup and decide who will be the leader if not him) but he is going to have to perform or we may see either of the freshmen or even Chol start in his place. The wildcard will be if someone takes a big leap in the offseason )generally a guy coming off his first year at this level). Biggest candidate here would be Allen if he can improve his shooting as much as Franklin did between his freshman and soph years. This team is going to be very deep once again so we can put a lot of different combinations on the court to create some matchup issues. Deep enough to have two starting fives. I believe Fisher will consistently play at least 10 players every game next season. Given that Chol and the freshmen perform, this will be our best team ever. We need to have that "go to" guy when you are down to the wire in a close game. Right now who that is is up in the air, though I like to point out that nobody, outside of perhaps Fisher, was talking up Thames as that type of player before last season (and people thought we wouldn't survive the loss of 4 of our first 6 players from the previous season as well) so I think someone is going to emerge. We will probably see a shift offensively from more of a back court team to a front court team (more like our 2010 team). This would especially be true if Pope is healthy and playing like he was pre-injury. Of course you have guys who are good at hitting the three - Polee, AQ, Shrigs, Kell and Pope so having a guy who can drive the ball inside is important - which is why I like Williams as our PG. I have to say that I also like the way Allen drives to the basket but I think he is more inclined to finish a shot rather than dish off. Chol having a year to really just work on his game without the distraction and pressure of having to play in games could be a great thing for him. When we played against him at Arizona he just seemed like he has an immense amount of raw talent. And I wouldn't be surprised if Spencer takes a big step up offensively this season. I do think that this team could be one that gets a lot better as the season progresses just based on its incoming freshmen class. When you look at teams where they have a lot of one and done players they have pretty average years but seem to start hitting on all cylinders come tournament time. I don't think we have any one-and-doners but we do have at least a couple who may gain minutes as the season progresses. It is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
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Post by AztecBill on Jun 2, 2014 11:10:49 GMT -8
Chol JJ Shepard Polee Kell
I want Shepard in a position to rebound since it is one of his big strengths. Polee has the shooting and defense to play SG. JJ played PF in 2013 and did a great job. We will get time with Skylar and Chol together but not to start the game since having JJs offense, rebounding, passing, and basketball IQ is a better choice. Kell is a combo guard that can handle the 1 given the Aztecs style.
We have a great 2nd team.
Skylar Cheatham Pope Shrigley/Allen/Quinn Williams/Zabo
That 2nd team would easily be a top 3 team in the MWC.
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Post by AztecBill on Jun 2, 2014 12:22:19 GMT -8
18 conference games X 80 minutes for the 4 and 5 = 1440 minutes.
Josh Davis 497 minutes Skylar Spencer 427 minutes James Johnson 32 minutes ------------------------ Total Bigs 956 Minutes
That leaves 484 minutes duing which our 4 was not one of the above players. That was mostly JJ. He only played 528 minutes. I wonder how many of those were while he played with only one other big. That information led me to believe that starting Polee and allowing JJ to start at the 4 instead of starting at the 3 and moving to the 4 for most minutes, is better.
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Post by gigglyforshrigley on Jun 2, 2014 12:28:36 GMT -8
18 conference games X 80 minutes for the 4 and 5 = 1440 minutes. James Johnson 32 minutes Skylar Spencer 427 minutes Josh Johnson 497 minutes ------------------------ Total Bigs 956 Minutes That leaves 484 minutes duing which our 4 was not one of the above players. That was mostly JJ. He only played 528 minutes. I wonder how many of those were while he played with only one other big. That information led me to believe that starting Polee and allowing JJ to start at the 4 instead of starting at the 3 and moving to the 4 for most minutes, is better. Check the source.. Josh Johnson hasn't played that many minutes, didn't he need Tommy John surgery?
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Post by standiego on Jun 2, 2014 14:05:28 GMT -8
Reality time July 7 th second summer session and basketball practice
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Post by HighNTight on Jun 2, 2014 14:25:59 GMT -8
18 conference games X 80 minutes for the 4 and 5 = 1440 minutes. James Johnson 32 minutes Skylar Spencer 427 minutes Josh Johnson 497 minutes ------------------------ Total Bigs 956 Minutes That leaves 484 minutes duing which our 4 was not one of the above players. That was mostly JJ. He only played 528 minutes. I wonder how many of those were while he played with only one other big. That information led me to believe that starting Polee and allowing JJ to start at the 4 instead of starting at the 3 and moving to the 4 for most minutes, is better. Check the source.. Josh Johnson hasn't played that many minutes, didn't he need Tommy John surgery? That is funny (the Padres ref.) I guess he meant to say Davis & we all believe that Chol will be taking his place (right?)
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Post by sdcoug on Jun 2, 2014 14:43:11 GMT -8
New to the board, and first I want to say how nice it is to actually see good discussions about hoops. I'm actually a WSU Coug (hence name & why "good" discussions are rare), who relocated to SD 16 years ago & make it practice to follow the Aztecs & attend at least 5-6 games a year. Really became a bigger Aztec fan when X', whose family I knew well while at WSU, transferred south as well.
Like others, I've gone back & forth maybe 3-4 times on who starts just reading this thread. So many arguments - size/scoring/defense/ball control. Do we need a true PG or can multiple ball handlers be successful? Tough call. I always lean towards experience personally,and as a result really like what JJ & Polee bring to the table. Believe those 2 and Sheppard are set in stone. After that I think arguments can be made for Chol vs. Spencer vs. both, or going with a PG-type in AQ (I like Williams but he seemed another year away to me) or another shooter in Shrigley. Or do you give a super talent like Cheatham immediate minutes so he can develop faster, possibly making you stronger in February/March? Allen, Kell, Zabo & Pope could start a lot of places as well.
If forced to pick 1: Spencer (think he continues to develop), Chol, Shep, JJ & Polee, hoping Sheppard continues to mature & we get enough scoring from 15 feet out. Against a zone, might expect Shrigley to be the first off the bench; could see whoever wins between AQ/Williams/Zabo getting a lot of minutes as well.
Echoing Aztec Bill's comment, where would a team consisting of Chol, Shrigley, Kell, Cheatham, AQ & Pope finish in this conference? Top 4-5? All guys who legitimately may see limited minutes at SDSU but all could be 24+ minute guys across the conference? The talent on this team is unreal. I think this may be Fish's toughest year, not in winning games but managing egos and minutes. I agree with those that say we'll have a legit 10-deep rotation this year (vs. normal 8). Nice problem to have.
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Post by AztecBill on Jun 2, 2014 14:43:15 GMT -8
Check the source.. Josh Johnson hasn't played that many minutes, didn't he need Tommy John surgery? That is funny (the Padres ref.) I guess he meant to say Davis & we all believe that Chol will be taking his place (right?) Yes. Josh and Johnson, two ex Aztec bigs. Josh Johnson a Padres big - 6'7" 250.
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Post by AztecBill on Jun 2, 2014 14:55:11 GMT -8
New to the board, and first I want to say how nice it is to actually see good discussions about hoops. I'm actually a WSU Coug (hence name & why "good" discussions are rare), who relocated to SD 16 years ago & make it practice to follow the Aztecs & attend at least 5-6 games a year. Really became a bigger Aztec fan when X', whose family I knew well while at WSU, transferred south as well. Like others, I've gone back & forth maybe 3-4 times on who starts just reading this thread. So many arguments - size/scoring/defense/ball control. Do we need a true PG or can multiple ball handlers be successful? Tough call. I always lean towards experience personally,and as a result really like what JJ & Polee bring to the table. Believe those 2 and Sheppard are set in stone. After that I think arguments can be made for Chol vs. Spencer vs. both, or going with a PG-type in AQ (I like Williams but he seemed another year away to me) or another shooter in Shrigley. Or do you give a super talent like Cheatham immediate minutes so he can develop faster, possibly making you stronger in February/March? Allen, Kell, Zabo & Pope could start a lot of places as well. If forced to pick 1: Spencer (think he continues to develop), Chol, Shep, JJ & Polee, hoping Sheppard continues to mature & we get enough scoring from 15 feet out. Against a zone, might expect Shrigley to be the first off the bench; could see whoever wins between AQ/Williams/Zabo getting a lot of minutes as well. Echoing Aztec Bill's comment, where would a team consisting of Chol, Shrigley, Kell, Cheatham, AQ & Pope finish in this conference? Top 4-5? All guys who legitimately may see limited minutes at SDSU but all could be 24+ minute guys across the conference? The talent on this team is unreal. I think this may be Fish's toughest year, not in winning games but managing egos and minutes. I agree with those that say we'll have a legit 10-deep rotation this year (vs. normal 8). Nice problem to have. Solid first post. Welcome.
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Post by aztecswinagain on Jun 2, 2014 14:56:43 GMT -8
Chol JJ Shepard Polee Kell I want Shepard in a position to rebound since it is one of his big strengths. Polee has the shooting and defense to play SG. JJ played PF in 2013 and did a great job. We will get time with Skylar and Chol together but not to start the game since having JJs offense, rebounding, passing, and basketball IQ is a better choice. Kell is a combo guard that can handle the 1 given the Aztecs style. We have a great 2nd team. Skylar Cheatham Pope Shrigley/Allen/Quinn Williams/Zabo That 2nd team would easily be a top 3 team in the MWC. I like the prospects of that starting unit a lot. I'm just not sure I can see a scenario where Skylar doesn't start.
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Post by xohsxc on Jun 2, 2014 15:07:17 GMT -8
Spencer...Chol...O'Brien...Polee...Shepard
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Post by KDub on Jun 2, 2014 16:44:14 GMT -8
Spencer...Chol...O'Brien...Polee...Shepard That's the one I've got... for now.
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Post by mySTRAS on Jun 2, 2014 17:17:10 GMT -8
Sky JJO Shep Polee Zabo (random guess)
Just don't see Sky and Chol playing together much. Shep's best use is not at point guard, but I do like running the offense through him flashing to the high post(against zone, which I'm sure we'll see a lot).
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Post by aztech on Jun 2, 2014 17:36:55 GMT -8
Sky JJO Shep Polee Zabo (random guess) Just don't see Sky and Chol playing together much. Shep's best use is not at point guard, but I do like running the offense through him flashing to the high post(against zone, which I'm sure we'll see a lot). With height we'll have I hope we start seeing more ally oops. Malcolm and Kawhi were good at it. I'm not so sure Spencer or Chol have the hands for it.
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Post by standiego on Jun 2, 2014 19:22:32 GMT -8
PG: will be a battle that could last into the fall - Zabo-Williams - Shepard - AQ - even Kell SG: Shepard - Kell - Polee- Shrigley- AQ SF: JJ-Polee- Pope - Allen- - Shepard C/PF Spencer- Chol- Cheatham - JJ or Shepard if needed a lot of guys that can play a lot of positions , what players have stepped forward Is Pope healthy ? Can Spencer and Chol work together ( think Spencer and Davis did last year )? What HS guys handle the transition and how quickly ? Will guys red shirt 13 is too many , Can Fisher go 10 deep ? Who starts does not matter its who there at crunch time (Polee last year). Also Polee did not get much PT until later Summer Session Practice is in July - may get some answers then or more speculation
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