HGA
Sophomore
Posts: 106
Loc: New York
Reg: 10-16-18
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02-05-22 09:50 AM - Post#335258
We’re a deeper team than in the past but the talent level is average outside of Cho, Lilly, and Ganey. The others would struggle to be in the rotations on the other Ivy teams. We lack two-way players and the deficiencies are primarily on offense.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-05-22 10:50 AM - Post#335268
In response to HGA
I've been impressed over the years with the ability of Mike Martin's in game coaching and his penchant for getting the most our of his roster. For instance, Brown's game plan was obviously to focus on Noah Kirkwood, and that worked very well as Noah was held scoreless in the first half and limited Harvard to only 28 first half points. Was it Mitchell who tracked Noah?
On the other hand, Brown's first half offensively was an epic disaster. Could it be that Mitchell, Choh and Gainey on the floor limit the flow? Maybe the talent is there, but just isn't fitting nicely into places where it works well together. Often, your best lineup on defense isn't optimal on offense.
I'm saying this because I thought that Brown was heading to the tournment coming our of OOC. The game against UNC showed how Brown could compete at a level most of the league's squads can't.
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Ever True
Junior
Posts: 255
Age: 28
Reg: 02-02-15
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02-05-22 01:16 PM - Post#335283
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
I think Mike is a good in-game coach, a great recruiter, given the level of talent he's been able to attract to a program that really has had very little success, both recently and historically, and, maybe most importantly, a good man. I also think it's clear at this point that he's a defensive coach, and not an offensive one. He can certainly draw up a play, but systemically, his team's MO is to play stellar defense and either grind it out at the line and in close, or catch fire from three on offense.
To your point, HDG, this year, we certainly have talented defensive players and talented offensive players, but not a lot of players who can do both. You could throw a Friday - Ferrari - Choh - Mitchell - Gainey line up out there and try to stifle teams, but, as you alluded to, HDG, it wouldn't be pretty on offense. You could do what we have been doing, and put Lilly, Jr. - Wojcik - Cowan - Choh - Gainey out there, but right now, the offense from Wojcik and Cowan isn't making up for their underperformance on the defensive end. It would also be hard to call what Cowan is providing 'offense'. Beyond Columbia and the first Harvard game, he has scored 15 points in conference play. Gainey is also not a plus on the offensive end unless you can get him lay-ups or dunks - he, unfortunately, has not developed any real touch around the basket in his time on College Hill.
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Bruno
PhD Student
Posts: 1419
Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
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Talent Level
02-06-22 12:23 PM - Post#335582
In response to Ever True
Oh I don’t think it’s lack of talent. I love the level of talent this staff has brought in. Brown’s one of the harder Ivies to recruit to, between campus support, facilities and brand. You may be right on depth, but I see several upper Ivy talents. These guys have had to bring in guys who excel in one area, sold them on Brown, and then gotten good things from them.
Gainey has turned into a defensive monster. His bug was discomfort on offense. But of late he’s actually learned to get the ball with his back to the basket and finish that lane jumper. And he’s so efficient, if not too versatile.
Choh. Say no more. The most well rounded offensive player in many seasons. His bug is his height, but they found a guy under the radar who they thought could play bigger. And he does.
Nana. Our first three star recruit maybe ever. He has potential to be the top big in the league. His bug? Not sure there is one. He is a great and obvious get.
Friday. He had some good schools on his list and can do things others can’t. His bug is outside shooting and maybe some quickness but he is an awesome body with great offensive talent. Again not a classic point guard mold but at times he’s been very dangerous. I’d put him up against any guard one on one, and if he learns to shoot the three better (IMO he palms it too much when shooting and could release the ball a bit higher up), he could be in an All-Ivy discussion.
Lilly. The smoothest player to put on the uniform since Jason Forte. His bug is I guess height and the fact that he’s probably a bit more 2 guard than point - but he’s stepped into point and plays it capably. We are asking too much of him lately. But a superior talent.
Wojcik. He’s a legitimate starting guard in this league. His bug is not obvious. He has great size. Can take it into the paint. Can get hot from three - although isn’t consistent enough. He’s not a bench player for the Ivy. And defensively he isn’t great, but isn’t a liability.
(And don’t forget people like Leland King and Cambridge along the way, not to mention Ced and Spieth.)
Then you got specialists. Mitchell on defense and grit. Ferrari in one-on-one defense - and he can shoot it. Cowan hasn’t turned out exactly as I’d hoped - his superpower was supposed to be outside shooting, and I think his lack of arc on his shot gives him little room for error. But he’s got size, athleticism and does have ability to guard on the ball well (but I find he gets burned on help rotations). He also was recruited by big schools.
I like Ndur’s potential too. The other bench guys I haven’t seen enough of. So it may be something of an island of misfit toys, but there’s real talent across this roster. More talent than we have had historically.
No I think recruiting talent is not really the issue. Other teams have good talent too, but I go back to how much better we seem to be in OOC than in the Ivy. There’s something there in how we perform in league that seems consistently behind how we perform OOC. Do the Ivy teams know something about us that we don’t know about them? Either in game planning or preparation?
| LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh) |
Edited by Bruno on 02-06-22 12:41 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Old Bear
Postdoc
Posts: 3992
Reg: 11-23-04
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Re: Talent Level
02-06-22 02:13 PM - Post#335602
In response to Bruno
Excellent analysis, Bruno. Unfortunately, I doubt that we will see Nana again this year, and we will need Friday badly, for the rest of the season to be successful.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4910
Reg: 02-04-06
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02-06-22 03:33 PM - Post#335615
In response to Old Bear
Lilly looked scary good in the small sample I’ve seen.
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Bruno
PhD Student
Posts: 1419
Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-06-22 06:50 PM - Post#335636
In response to SRP
He is. But we are asking too much of him.
| LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh) |
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