Roster 2013-2014

[The Mad Hatter]

I actually think that Lufile will have a bit of a breakout year and take a lot of the backup minutes at center. You could see his talent last year, but the game was still moving to fast for him, but second year JUCO guys often show a lot of improvement in that regard.

[Dave Stalwart]

I actually think that Lufile will have a bit of a breakout year and take a lot of the backup minutes at center. You could see his talent last year, but the game was still moving to fast for him, but second year JUCO guys often show a lot of improvement in that regard.

Exactly. I'm definitely not ready to call team Canada a whiff just yet. There is a long line of juco success stories lately and I really don't think they will be a miss for Marshall. Unless this season is an outlier, CJ is going to be good. Same goes for Nick and Kadeem.

[SubGod22]

I actually think that Lufile will have a bit of a breakout year and take a lot of the backup minutes at center. You could see his talent last year, but the game was still moving to fast for him, but second year JUCO guys often show a lot of improvement in that regard.

Could you see talent last year? I saw athleticism, but that's not the same thing.

[The Mad Hatter]

Could you see talent last year? I saw athleticism, but that's not the same thing.

Yes. He had the highest shooting percentage on the team (not proof of a great scorer, but proof that he doesn't miss bunnies), showed good hands, he handles the ball well, made nice passes at times. In fact, some of what got him in trouble was precisely the fact that he has a decent skill base, but hadn't adjusted to what he can and can't get away with at this level. He got in trouble overdribbling, not because he didn't have skill, but because as a big with skill in that area he clearly had been able to beat people off the dribble at lower levels and needed to learn to pick his spots better. Same with trying some difficult passes.

I am convinced that the mental side of the game is what gave him problems last year, as it does many who are trying to adjust to the increased speed and complexity of D1. It certainly could be that he never gets over those hurdles, some never do, but there are also plenty of guys who figure it out their second year. The problem for lots of these kinds of guys is that they get frustrated at not being able to do what they have always done at a lower level and sulk about it (often resulting in leaving a team after 1 year). Lufile seems to have stayed positive and kept working hard, and, while he won't be a star, I think he could turn into a very serviceable bench player.

In fact, if you compare Lufile's Junior year numbers to EO's junior year numbers, they are very similar in a lot of regards. Obviously he doesn't have a huge shot-blocking ability of EO, but that trades off against the fact that he is more skilled offensively and less prone to commit both fouls and turnovers.

[SubGod22]

I'm sorry, but the mental side is where talent really comes from. I'm not sold that he'll overcome that.

[shock]

Sub, for once you are wrong. Just because he can't adjust to the do's and don't's doesn't mean he doesn't have the talent to compete at this level. That's where coaching comes in.

[shockmonster]

I would agree with the assessment that often the game was moving faster than he was reacting but he had the physical talent to jump, and rebound. Some of his thinking took away some of his aggression which with size, should be a big part of his game. I don't know if he will be able to react with instinct this year or not, but he may. It is common for rookies in the NFL, NBA, and MLB to not have these skills when they begin. Some improve, and the game slows down for their abilities when their instincts take over and some never get it. I hope that CJ can put it together this year and not be so mechanical but I'm not sure.

[SubGod22]

I hope he does to, I just don't know if he has it in him to do so. Plenty of great athletes never develop into actual players.

[jrschh]

I think we'll be happy with what CJ brings to the table this year. I'm not saying he's going to be All-Conference, however we don't need him to be. It always seems he has/had a good attitude and that can play dividends in a player getting better. He does have athletic skill and I think the fact that he's seems to have a strong will to get better will pay off as a very solid back-up center. It's also his Senior year, so that will also help in motivating a player. We're not going to need him to come in and take over the game, he just has to play his roll.

I also think we're going to like what we see out of Wiggins. Bottom-line (and stating the obvious) we are going to be a deep team again this year.

[pie n eye]

I think he showed flashes in limited minutes last year. Well see how he handles additional minutes this year. Count me as cautiously optimistic.

[choida]

at least one Juco player from last year needs to leave his mark this year...i hope all 3 can, but at least one needs to for us to have a really good shot at dancing this year...just my two cents...GOSHOX

[im4wsu]

From the few times I got to observe CJ, it seems to me like he needs to calm down and let the game come to him. He tries to make something happen instead of letting the flow dictate what happens. It is not uncommon for this to happen when adjusting to a faster "speed of the game." That doesn't mean one muyst increase his speed or play faster, just fit into the flow of the faster game. For example, when playing the extremely fast game of squash, the toughest thing to do is wait on the ball before swinging at it. Somewhat similar to hitting a baseball, often you need to wait for it.

[Dan]

In defense of CJ, he had a lot of experience playing in front of him. There was not much chance to get in the games and he probably felt like he had to make an impact if he wanted to stay on the floor. You can't blame a kid for trying too hard when they barely get to see the floor. Hopefully this year he will have more time and will realize that he just needs to play his part to be effective.