Shox Vs UNCC Game Thread

[WuDrWu]

yea I dont think we have anything to worry bout FVV...he's a freshmen, and playing behind a grown man in Malcom doesnt help his cause. Next season FVV will be the starting point guard, if not by the end of this season.

Fred's not starting ahead of Mal for any on the court reasons. Mal's that good and FVV has that much to learn.

[Anthroshock]

I was a little disappointed in last night's result, but after a night's sleep, feeling much better. HCGM is still tinkering with lineups. The three guard set was interesting. Good to see Lufile get some time.

I'm usually wary to predict anything, not being there to see things in person, but Baker deserves every bit of praise he's been getting. Impressive.

And this is why I appreciated the leadership shown by Mal last night.

In the 2nd, after Baker went over the press table to make a save, the ball went back to UNCC and they hit a three. You saw Baker's shoulders slump and he walked to throw the ball in from out of bounds. After getting the ball in, Mal gave him a five and encouraged him, then pushed him in the back down the floor to get to work. If that is the type of leadership shown by our veteran point guard, our young'uns will learn just fine.

[WuDrWu]

Just like any JUCO player, he is still adjusting to the DI game and will get better and better as the season goes on. He clearly was pressing during the Pitt State game with his first appearance in front of a packed house. That said, I'm not sure there was much to be upset with his UNCC performance. I will always take a line that goes like this:

10 points
5 boards
56% FG shooting
1 assist
1 turnover
1 foul
2 blocks
1 steal

I think that he can do much better than that stat line, but there is certainly nothing wrong with that performance.

Absolutely. Anyone that doesn't think Cle' is going to be a huge factor this season isn't paying attention.

[WuDrWu]

And this is why I appreciated the leadership shown by Mal last night.

In the 2nd, after Baker went over the press table to make a save, the ball went back to UNCC and they hit a three. You saw Baker's shoulders slump and he walked to throw the ball in from out of bounds. After getting the ball in, Mal gave him a five and encouraged him, then pushed him in the back down the floor to get to work. If that is the type of leadership shown by our veteran point guard, our young'uns will learn just fine.

Excellent observation, and I am glad you brought that up because it slipped my mind. Mal does that quite often too. We got really lucky with him and I'm going to really enjoy his one season in black and yellow. I've said it before but I really like the attitude of this team. With a little bit of success I think the team could really take off.

[im4wsu]

Rebounding

Orukpe and Hall garnered 27.8% and 23.1% of the offensive rebounds available to them. The team got 41.6%.

On the defensive end, Lufile got 42.9% and VanVleet 28.6%; the Shocks 71.8%.

Combined, Hall was 25.5% and Orukpe 21.2%, the team 57.3%

[im4wsu]

As to Cotton being yanked, the play-by-play didn't indicate any missed shot or turnover prior to exiting. Maybe #G was just trying to get certain combinations into the game.

[ShockTalk]

This.

There were some obvious drop-offs in execution when the bench went deeper than that group. I'm starting to wonder if White looked awesome at the end of last season because he still had fresh legs and was playing against guys with an entire season of wear and tear on them.

Wiggins will get some minutes so he gets accustomed to D1 ball in WSU's system. FVV will get some minutes to get on-court experience. Other than those two, I expect the rest of the squad will be 4 - 6 minute players just giving someone a blow.

Most years White would look like a great backup at the 4, but with EO's emergence as a legitimate player in running the O, and Hall and Early demanding minutes, PT for White may have to wait a year.

I think Jake is doing fine. Some of his minutes have been limited, I believe, due to needed game exposure for EO and Early. We must have Early up to D-I speed and ready to play often, whether it's at the 4 and/or the 3. If EO can improve enough to demand 20+ minutes in quality games, yes, that will take away from Jake's minutes. Also, if Evan can hold on to the mpg he has earned and Nick starts to "get it", that will keep Early more at the 4.

So far, Jake's is 5-9 FG, 1-1 FT, 5 rebounds, 12 points, 0 assists, blocks, steals, 1 TO, in 20 minutes.

Jake and EO play primarily different positions, but here's EO's line: 5-12 FG, 3-6 FT, 12 rebounds, 13 points, 0 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 2 TO, in 39 minutes. Double Jake's stats to give him the same number of minutes, and he looks good.

Going down the stretch last year with a number of key games, Jake's minutes went up while EO's went down. We will see how that plays out this year.

[tgcshock]

As to Cotton being yanked, the play-by-play didn't indicate any missed shot or turnover prior to exiting. Maybe #G was just trying to get certain combinations into the game.

In the post-game press conference, Marshall mentioned Cotton by name as one of the players he thought performed well, so I suspect that you are right

[SpanglerFan316]

I think Jake is doing fine. Some of his minutes have been limited, I believe, due to needed game exposure for EO and Early. We must have Early up to D-I speed and ready to play often, whether it's at the 4 and/or the 3. If EO can improve enough to demand 20+ minutes in quality games, yes, that will take away from Jake's minutes. Also, if Evan can hold on to the mpg he has earned and Nick starts to "get it", that will keep Early more at the 4.

So far, Jake's is 5-9 FG, 1-1 FT, 5 rebounds, 12 points, 0 assists, blocks, steals, 1 TO, in 20 minutes.

Jake and EO play primarily different positions, but here's EO's line: 5-12 FG, 3-6 FT, 12 rebounds, 13 points, 0 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 2 TO, in 39 minutes. Double Jake's stats to give him the same number of minutes, and he looks good.

Going down the stretch last year with a number of key games, Jake's minutes went up while EO's went down. We will see how that plays out this year.

I think EO changes how the other team plays the game while White does not.

Witchita State's Center this year is alot better than Stutz last year...He's actually an extremely athletic shot blocker..can jump out of the gym...this will not be an easy game to win...we can't overlook them...

http://www.vcuramnation.com/forums/threads/official-beat-the-shockers-thread.9866/page-4

[ShockTalk]

I think EO changes how the other team plays the game while White does not.


http://www.vcuramnation.com/forums/t...ad.9866/page-4

Don't disagree, but they play different positions. One could say White's ability to shoot the 3 could change how another team plays. The VCU game will be a great test for EO and how ready he is for serious minutes. He wasn't late last year where his minutes went down and White's went up.

By the way, do you agree with the quoted poster? EO's a lot better than Stutz at this point? Being an extreme shot blocker must counter all other negatives? Witchita?

I do hope he's right about the last two comments.

[forevershockerfan]

Remember the solid MVP Valley Senior Season of Paul Miller? Against S. Illinois here that Season he had 30 points in our double overtime victory over SIU. Even so, there were a few games that Coach T. did not think the "match-ups" were working and even Paul did not play as much as usual. Likewise, this is why I felt like the signing of CL was important to shore up our bigs. There will be games that White will get a hot hand and will help us rebound. There will be other games that Early will really make us happy and will do nice feats on both sides of the floor. EO will rarely score much but could have some nice games of doing the things he brings to the dance best. CL will also get plenty of chances to contribute. This is exactly why I love quality depth for the myraids of match-up situations that will be thrown at us will will include everything and the kitchen sink, and every zone known to man.

[SHOXAAC]

And who do you propose we play instead of him? Should we put Early in, who is still adjusting to D1 ball? Should Lufile, who's been playing basketball for less time than Orukpe, take his spot? Frankly, we don't have another option, unless you want to play Armstead, Baker, Williams, Cotton, Hall, and White the entire game. Everyone else is likely to make mistakes. I'd prefer those players to play and learn what it is like to play against a defense like VCU.

If you want a player to be thrown into the fire vs. VCU it should be Early not EO This will not be a good match up for EO...period. I will like EO in many other match ups in the future. As I said earlier, 3G is playing this game to win (overstatement I know). He actually believes in a strategy to get the win. VCU will speed this game up like non other we will see this year. It does not set up well for EO because he still needs significantly more time than most other players for his basketball brain to see whats happening. That is not going to change in the next 4+ months...sorry. For that reason throwing him in to this fire is suicide and 3G will not do it. Thank God 3G is coaching and not you and me. lol

[shockmonster]

I would predict that for the majority of the game against VCU (the whole game if it's close), GM will shorten up the bench considerably (perhaps as low as 9 players). Is it any surprise that the combination that had the most success last night was experienced with returning players from last year? It shouldn't be. This team will take time to put together. We're probably not ready for a VCU but we don't have a choice.

[pie n eye]

I actually feel pretty comfortable when EO is in the game this year. He is NOT the same player as he was last year. His hands are greatly improved, he seems much more comfortable on the court, and rarely looks lost anymore. I actually think the guy has the potential to be a pretty good passer once he gains some more confidence and slows down just a hair. Granted, these impressions come from shocker madness, an exhibition game, and a game against a scrappy but undersized buy out game but I think he's improved to a level where he's an net asset when he steps on the court.

How will he react against a top 25 team on the road? I'm not sure but I don't think there is any doubt the big fella is going to get plenty of minutes and the chance to prove himself Tuesday.

[pie n eye]

I hope they are just limiting Demetric and Tekele's minutes to get them healthy for the VCU game. I think those two need to see the floor more than they have the first two games for us to have a slight chance at pulling the upset.

Among the 12 man chaos we've seen so far I feel like there is a solid experienced rotation of 7-9 guys guys that can keep us in the game in Richmond. We shall see.