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Post by mnico213 on Apr 6, 2015 6:39:21 GMT -8
The USF says he "may be the best player " in the WCC for 2015. has he forgotten about the forward who transferred to the Zags from Kentucky , or other players for the Zags , or even BYU guys . Yeah, the USF coach has forgotten about players from Gonzaga and BYU.
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Post by Boise Aztec on Apr 6, 2015 6:52:02 GMT -8
Tollefsen would undoubtedly step right into the starting PF position. In the abstract I would agree, but there'd a bit of a logjam with him, WS & Pope. Unless Pope plays as a SG, and assuming Spencer starts at the 5, how would you get Pope, Shepard, and Tollefsen on the court at the same time? This question would be OBE if Shep declares for the draft, but in the meantime I don't see how to solve that issue to get all 3 on the court. C - Spencer/Chol/ZC 22/14/4 PF - Tollefsen/ZC/Pope 26/10/4 SF - Pope/WS 22/18 SG - WS/MS/DA/TK 8/12/8/12 PG - TK/JH/KZ 14/18/8
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 6:54:03 GMT -8
From a lower tier WCC team to a top tier MWC team doesn't sound like much of a game changer to me. Much hype about Doolin last year for UNLV but the reality was that the athleticism just wasn't there when compared to MWC level competition.
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Post by Den60 on Apr 6, 2015 7:26:26 GMT -8
Tollefsen would undoubtedly step right into the starting PF position. In the abstract I would agree, but there'd a bit of a logjam with him, WS & Pope. Unless Pope plays as a SG, and assuming Spencer starts at the 5, how would you get Pope, Shepard, and Tollefsen on the court at the same time? This question would be OBE if Shep declares for the draft, but in the meantime I don't see how to solve that issue to get all 3 on the court. Pope's game looks to be more along the lines of a SF than a PF. Normally, I would jump all over this transfer, seems to be a guy who would fit in and give us some scoring up front while having the experience of a 5th year guy. But guard, right now, is our biggest need. If JH can come in and play PG for us then we can afford the luxury of improving our strength up front. If either DW or Zabo take a leap this offseason then our guard position would seem to be good enough for a move like this.
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Post by ignoranus on Apr 6, 2015 7:35:42 GMT -8
Is it possible that MK's family could afford to pay for school, thus not using a schollie?
Clearly he wants one shot @ MM before his college career is finished. SDSU can provide the opportunity and attendant visibility.
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Post by standiego on Apr 6, 2015 8:13:18 GMT -8
as many are saying , wait to see what WS decides he is going to , at most that will be by 4/26 . Also talk with DA , who is very good at being a guy that can get to the basket , plus a lock down defender - especially if WS is gone . We really do not have one if WS leaves . Would guess he wants the opportunity for a decent amount of PT . if the coaches do not see that happening then let him see if there is a better fit. If both come back we have 5 forwards if you count in BJ , add another could be up to 6 , again unless some one red shirts , or leaves the program . If one or both are not back then you may want to add Mark .
Figure out the offense you are going to run ad then decide on the guards .PG:IMO JH , KZ and DW can do it if they are all back . Talk with them , get an honest opinion by the coaches if they see them being able to do it . Let TK play his position SG ,with MS . If not then bring in a scorer .
In general find out what style of offense are the Aztecs going to run, Find out what guys are coming back then fill holes , with grad transfers . Are there guys on the roster that can develop to fill the holes , if not that add . But IMO we still may not want to use all 13 scholarships , right way .
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Post by mySTRAS on Apr 6, 2015 8:18:39 GMT -8
Is it possible that MK's family could afford to pay for school, thus not using a schollie? Clearly he wants one shot @ MM before his college career is finished. SDSU can provide the opportunity and attendant visibility. MT? Could afford... without a doubt. Willing to do so... no chance. He went to San Ramon Valley High in Danville... a 'VERY' well-to-do suburb in the SF East Bay.
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Post by mySTRAS on Apr 6, 2015 8:24:46 GMT -8
Tollefsen would undoubtedly step right into the starting PF position. In the abstract I would agree, but there'd a bit of a logjam with him, WS & Pope. Unless Pope plays as a SG, and assuming Spencer starts at the 5, how would you get Pope, Shepard, and Tollefsen on the court at the same time? This question would be OBE if Shep declares for the draft, but in the meantime I don't see how to solve that issue to get all 3 on the court. I can easily see: JH or TK at the point Shep Pope Tollefsen Sky Pope is not a PF. Shep can play at 2, 3 or 4 for us. Having Tollefsen and Pope on the floor at the same time would give us plenty of offense (with Winston adding 11+ per game). Also, with Tollefsen, I would be much less concerned about Trey at PG. There wouldn't be nearly as much of a burden on Trey. Tollefsen, in my eyes, could be the perfect replacement for JJO (with an even higher upside).
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Post by hoobs on Apr 6, 2015 8:47:51 GMT -8
Shep a SG?? IMO, no way. I see Shep starting at PF, taking the "JJO" role as interior/wing-based facilitator.
Pope at SF, yes. Agree that Pope is NOT a PF. If anything, Pope is MUCH closer to a SG than is Shep. But he's really a perfect 3.
If you had to squeeze Tollefsen into a lineup with both Shep & Pope, I think you either play small with Tollefsen at the 5 or you have to put Pope at the 2, WS at the 3, with Tollefsen at the 4. But I think that lineup puts a lot of pressure on Kell or Hemsley as PG... unless Shep is more ready than I believe he is to be the secondary ball handler (like JJO was this season).
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Post by AztecBill on Apr 6, 2015 8:53:12 GMT -8
Tollefsen would undoubtedly step right into the starting PF position. In the abstract I would agree, but there'd a bit of a logjam with him, WS & Pope. Unless Pope plays as a SG, and assuming Spencer starts at the 5, how would you get Pope, Shepard, and Tollefsen on the court at the same time? This question would be OBE if Shep declares for the draft, but in the meantime I don't see how to solve that issue to get all 3 on the court. Just start all 3 and play them together for a total of about 10 minutes a game. That would leave them each 30 minutes a game and still leave 30 minutes a game for a SG. It is no problem. And it is Winston that would play SG. He has done that in the past and is very good at defending guards. With M&M we will not be lacking for outside shooting. The 3 could play with a guard and a center or two guards. Starting: Center, Mark, Malik, Shepard, Guard After under 16 Timeout: Center Mark, Malik, Guard, Guard After under 12 timeout: Center Malik, Shepard, Guard, Guard After under 8 timeout: Center, Mark, Shepard, guard, guard After under 4 timeout: Mark, Shepard, Malik, Guard, Guard That is just an example but it shows each of the 3 getting about 16 minutes with plenty of time for guards. 16 minutes in a half is 32 for the game which will probably be reduced by getting Cheatham into the game. He can also work his way into the rotation by creating more 3 forward lineups or even 4 forward lineups with a guard. Adding Mark does not create a logjam at all. What it does is gives us a very good scorer.
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Post by hoobs on Apr 6, 2015 9:06:26 GMT -8
Ah, interesting clarification, I agree that WS is better suited than Pope to defend a 2... but IMO Pope is better suited to the 2 role on offense.
You're convincing me a bit that there's a way for this to work. BUT... Shep REALLY better tidy up his ball-handling in the off-season to cut down on the turnovers, as these scenarios would be putting the ball in his hands even more than this past season.
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Post by mySTRAS on Apr 6, 2015 9:12:52 GMT -8
Shep a SG?? IMO, no way. I see Shep starting at PF, taking the "JJO" role as interior/wing-based facilitator. Pope at SF, yes. Agree that Pope is NOT a PF. If anything, Pope is MUCH closer to a SG than is Shep. But he's really a perfect 3. If you had to squeeze Tollefsen into a lineup with both Shep & Pope, I think you either play small with Tollefsen at the 5 or you have to put Pope at the 2, WS at the 3, with Tollefsen at the 4. But I think that lineup puts a lot of pressure on Kell or Hemsley as PG... unless Shep is more ready than I believe he is to be the secondary ball handler (like JJO was this season). I'm definitely not saying that Shep is a classic SG... but he can play the '2' position. I would venture a guess that Pope/Tollefsen would average close to 30/game. With Shep at 11+ plus, that would already match this season's starting 5. I don't expect a huge scoring burden to be put on Trey and/or JH next year. This would also give us Shrigs, Z and Chol off the bench. Tollefsen went to HS just a few miles down the road from me at San Ramon Valley in Danville. That school has been SOLID since my playing days in the late 80s and I believe they just won the D1 state championship. I'm guessing MT has a very high basketball IQ... and would be a solid addition to our starting lineup (he appears to be quite athletic).
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Post by mySTRAS on Apr 6, 2015 9:19:13 GMT -8
In the abstract I would agree, but there'd a bit of a logjam with him, WS & Pope. Unless Pope plays as a SG, and assuming Spencer starts at the 5, how would you get Pope, Shepard, and Tollefsen on the court at the same time? This question would be OBE if Shep declares for the draft, but in the meantime I don't see how to solve that issue to get all 3 on the court. Adding Mark does not create a logjam at all. What it does is gives us a very good scorer.Absolutely!
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Post by AztecBill on Apr 6, 2015 9:21:00 GMT -8
Starting Shepard at guard is like starting JJ at SF when Josh Davis was here. JJ actually played more minutes at PF than SF that year. Shepard would start at SG but play more minutes at SF.
Fans thought we were tall this past season. Try 6'10", 6'10", 6'10", 6'8", 6'5". Oh my!!
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Post by hoops on Apr 6, 2015 9:22:54 GMT -8
Shep a SG?? IMO, no way. I see Shep starting at PF, taking the "JJO" role as interior/wing-based facilitator. I'd say there's no way Shepard gets JJ's role as the hub around which the offensive spokes move. It should go to Pope so he's not wasting all his time setting screens for others (a job, for better or worse, that is more suited to Skylar) and is able to score from inside, mid and outside while finding guys open for passes. I'd hazard a guess that one of the draws for Pope returning for a second year is that's he's been given the promise that JJ's role from the second half of the season, and all the responsibility and opportunities that come with it, will be his job to lose.
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Post by AztecBill on Apr 6, 2015 9:25:47 GMT -8
Shep a SG?? IMO, no way. I see Shep starting at PF, taking the "JJO" role as interior/wing-based facilitator. I'd say there's no way Shepard gets JJ's role as the hub around which the offensive spokes move. It should go to Pope so he's not wasting all his time setting screens for others (a job, for better or worse, that is more suited to Skylar) and is able to score from inside, mid and outside while finding guys open for passes. I'd hazard a guess that one of the draws for Pope returning for a second year is that's he's been given the promise that JJ's role from the second half of the season, and all the responsibility and opportunities that come with it, will be his job to lose. Or better yet the Aztecs will actually have 2 guys in that role. Mark is well suited to that also.
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Post by ignoranus on Apr 6, 2015 9:44:36 GMT -8
MP & MT would make life easier for SS around the hoop. I want him to average at least ten PPG as a senior.
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Post by hoops on Apr 6, 2015 9:49:21 GMT -8
I'd say there's no way Shepard gets JJ's role as the hub around which the offensive spokes move. It should go to Pope so he's not wasting all his time setting screens for others (a job, for better or worse, that is more suited to Skylar) and is able to score from inside, mid and outside while finding guys open for passes. I'd hazard a guess that one of the draws for Pope returning for a second year is that's he's been given the promise that JJ's role from the second half of the season, and all the responsibility and opportunities that come with it, will be his job to lose. Or better yet the Aztecs will actually have 2 guys in that role. Mark is well suited to that also. That would be ideal. Nobody else on the current roster besides Malik has the skillset/size/instincts (+ low turnover risk / court awareness) combo to do it, and Malik has the ability and length to do it on a higher level than JJ. Pope may get his pocket picked some early in the season, but it would be fun to watch him in JJ's role. Do you defend him with a big man because he's receiving the ball near the block? Does that big man chase him (and remove his size from around the basket) when Malik pops out to the arc or does he switch off with a smaller defender (who Malik can shoot over at any distance or drive by)?
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Post by hoobs on Apr 6, 2015 9:52:46 GMT -8
What a refreshingly decent conversation... (I miss such reasonable dialog here...) All good & valid points. But I still worry about protecting the ball. Trey Kell is still ill-suited to being a full-time PG (again, just "IMO"), and relying on a Frosh PG (even one as good as we all seem to think Hemsley will be) can be dangerous as well. Many times this past season, JJO was able to take a lot of pressure off AQ or Kell with his ability to bring the ball up the court and establish the offense. With Hemsley/Kell at PG, who does that next season? Shep? Pope? That's my main residual concern. Y'all have collectively "moved the needle" as far as reinforcing Tollefsen's potential role next season... and I didn't take too much convincing of that anyway. I just feel that a difference-maker at PG is a slightly higher priority than a stretch 4 scorer (as much as that would be a very welcome addition). But the transfer from Villanova is probably the only (or one of the very few) truly high-impact PGs out there (with immediate eligibility). What interests me isn't seeing this team be able to win an extra game or three in Dec, Jan, & Feb... it's making the Elite 8. And March tends to be defined by guard play, so that's a big part of my bias.
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Post by AztecBill on Apr 6, 2015 10:37:46 GMT -8
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