Darius Carter

[150946shox]

I would more closely compare Darius to Carl Hall. Darius would very much be capable of 13-15 points and 6-9 rebounds. Potentially, he may be better than Carl. He is faster, and Carl wasn't slow. He doesn't have the post moves that Carl had under the basket (Carl's Senior year, not his Junior year) yet but he may develop them. He is a little better on offense facing the basket than Carl was as a Junior. We'll see if added strength adds to his post effectiveness.

So, BOBB says Darius has 0 chance to reach the level that Paul Miller played. shockmonster says he could be closer to Carl Hall and would be very much capable of 13 - 15 points and 6 - 9 rebounds. We all know that the number of points scored and rebounds do not tell the whole story, or even most of the story. But, if you look at the only the numbers, here are some things to consider. Paul Miller = 13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg his senior season. How does that compare with what shockmonster feels that Darius could average in scoring and rebounding? BOBB mentions the great passer Paul was out of the post. That would seem to lead to a nice assist number. Paul averaged 1.2 assists (42 assists in 35 games) his senior season. Darius did not come close to that assist average. With his 42 assists, Paul had 63 turnovers. By the way, Paul, at 6'10" had 15 blocked shots in 979 minutes his senior year while Darius had 28 blocks in 638 minutes. Paul averaged 18.7 points per 40 minutes while Darius averaged 17.3 per 40 minutes mostly as a bench player.

Paul improved defensively each year, but physically he only had strength going for him, not a lot of speed or quickness. Darius may or may not be Paul Miller strong, but he is pretty darn strong, certainly both faster and quicker that Paul as well as a better leaper and he has very long arms.

Paul was a larger part of the total team offense his senior year than Darius was as a bench player his junior year. If Darius is a starter which I think most of us expect, will he become as big a part of the total team offense as Paul, especially with Cle and the other 2 heads of the 3 headed monster gone? Could be close.

I'm not saying Darius will be better than Paul. I'm just saying that I consider myself one of the biggest Paul Miller fans around and still do not want to make him sound like such a superstar that nobody can match him as a player.

[SHOXJOCK]

Undoubtedly could reach 245, as could most of us with a dedication to pasta and cheeseburgers. Zero chance to be the level of interior player that Paul Miller was. I'd like to see them side by side, but I would wager that Paul is 2 inches taller. Paul had an array of post moves and was a deadly passer out of the double team, which he demanded anytime he caught down low. Darius is a fine player, but will never be the all around post threat that Miller was. Darius is a forward. Paul was a center.

Every thing you said about Paul is true in his senior season. Before his senior season lots of people on this board was down on Paul. I think it was the end of his junior year before in had his first dunk. Great young man and great senior season.

[pogo]

Paul did have an amazing senior year and I agree a great young man to go along with it. To tell the truth it seems like 99% of our student athletes have been great young men and women.

[1972Shocker]

Every thing you said about Paul is true in his senior season. Before his senior season lots of people on this board was down on Paul. I think it was the end of his junior year before in had his first dunk. Great young man and great senior season.

Yes, Paul was somewhat of a late bloomer. Wasn't he affectionately referred to as Fifi by many on this board during his first few years as a Shocker. Of course, that broken foot his 1st year here certainly did not help him any (or maybe it actually did).

In any case, Paul was somewhat of a Graham Hatch of Shocker big men. A lot of hard work and determination allowed him to finish his career with a flourish.

[ShockTalk]

Yes, Paul was somewhat of a late bloomer. Wasn't he affectionately referred to as Fifi by many on this board during his first few years as a Shocker. Of course, that broken foot his 1st year here certainly did not help him any (or maybe it actually did).

In any case, Paul was somewhat of a Graham Hatch of Shocker big men. A lot of hard work and determination allowed him to finish his career with a flourish.

One reason it helped was that Paul made the decision to give up baseball that spring due to his rehab and concentrate totally on basketball. Who knows if there was no injury and he played that spring, was successful, and continued to play both sports, picking one later.

[shockmonster]

I'm not sure that won't be better than Paul. At least he has more skills and can do more things. Paul couldn't chase a smallish 6'5 perimeter power forward around the 3 pt line. He had to play on the back of a full court press not on the point if it. Paul was a back to the basket player that was a fine free throw shooter. DC can slash, get to the rim, and his shooting will improve this year.

[BOBB]

I wasn't attempting to compare Carter's game to Miller's. I was providing a comparison for height/weight ratio.

No worries. Makes for talk when there's nothing real to talk about.

[Aargh]

No worries. Makes for talk when there's nothing real to talk about.

Then we may as well go for it.

When Miller got the ball on the block - and his Sr. year he was definitely able to establish position there - it was worth about 1.5 points. If he wasn't doubled, he'd generally score. If he was doubled, he'd pass to either Wilson or Ogirri who generally had an open 3.

Wilson's ability to play a stretch 4 before that was popular contributed to Miller's effectiveness.

I'm not confident that Carter can learn to be as effective as Miller was at passing out of a double. That's a skill that may take more than two seasons to master. It doesn't appear that he's going to have a stretch 4 to take a defensive post out to the perimeter.

I'm going to guess that if Carter is playing either the 4 or the 5 and gets the ball down low, he's going to be doubled by the secondary post defender. That's going to leave his only outlet to be a perimeter player.

A stretch 4 really opens things up for a post player. Miller had one. Carter doesn't. thaat's going to make comparisons between them fairly meaningless. The way they get their stats will be different.

[Fuente 858]

juco guys almost always are greatly improved their 2nd year. I would expect a lot more from Darius as well. Provided he puts in the work and continues to buy in to what HCGM preaches he will be a force.

Darius is very good without the ball and knows how to get open, he will probably take over the finisher role that Early had last season. But Carter is to me an inside guy all the way, he's a very long 6'7", efficient around the basket and has strong hands. At best he'll average 14 ppg but that's no problem as long as he shoots a high percentage and gobbles up rebounds. Guys that are skilled with their positioning and footwork in the post are uncommon anymore and Carter will present a matchup problem for most teams next year.

[Kung Wu]

Paul Miller = 13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg his senior season.

Heck Ron Baker had 13.1ppg his _sophomore_ year! Chew on that! So there, ha! Now before you ask . . . I am not sure I have a point. Hmm, maybe Baker should try out for the Center position?

[SHOXAAC]

Heck Ron Baker had 13.1ppg his _sophomore_ year! Chew on that! So there, ha! Now before you ask . . . I am not sure I have a point. Hmm, maybe Baker should try out for the Center position?

Let's face it, you (or me for that matter) have never needed a specific point in order to author a post on this fine forum. So there, ha!

[1972Shocker]

We don't need Darius to be Paul Miller or Carl Hall or whomever else you want to compare him with. We just need Darius Carter to be the best Darius Carter he can be and I think will be pretty happy with that.

[Kung Wu]

Let's face it, you (or me for that matter) have never needed a specific point in order to author a post on this fine forum. So there, ha!

That's ABSOLUTELY true.

I am on a hill sloping to the left and I am right handed. 55 yards out. My PW, 9 and 7 have all been bent to a pretzel shape due to their inability to perform on previous holes. I don't have a sand wedge because I chucked it in the water after trying to get out of a sand box, hitting the burm and watching the ball deflect back into the pond behind me. I don't have any even clubs because those are for pros and girls. So there I am with my trusty 5 iron ready to chip on. It's 95 degrees and there is only one beer left in the cooler. Any pointers on how to approach this shot?

Edit: Darn it there I went off topic again.

[SHOXAAC]

That's ABSOLUTELY true.

I am on a hill sloping to the left and I am right handed. 55 yards out. My PW, 9 and 7 have all been bent to a pretzel shape due to their inability to perform on previous holes. I don't have a sand wedge because I chucked it in the water after trying to get out of a sand box, hitting the burm and watching the ball deflect back into the pond behind me. I don't have any even clubs because those are for pros and girls. So there I am with my trusty 5 iron ready to chip on. It's 95 degrees and there is only one beer left in the cooler. Any pointers on how to approach this shot?

Edit: Darn it there I went off topic again.

I'm assuming with only one beer left that it is late in the round. You certainly are in a golf quandary. A hanging lie from 55 yards out with a 5-iron is daunting even for the hard liquor drinkers. You must channel your inner Roy McAvoy for this shot. Dr. Molly would tell you to focus on what you can control. "Be the ball Kung...be the ball." And to keep it on-topic, Darius would probably use the 3-iron...staying with the odd number niblick. And because he is probably using a gutta percha ball, a three-quarter swing will give him just the right amount of ball spin to carry it just on the front of the green and release to the hole. Piece of cake Kung...piece of cake. Oh, by the way, Pogo and I are waiting for you in the clubhouse. Pogo's buying!!!

[Kung Wu]

I'm assuming with only one beer left that it is late in the round. You certainly are in a golf quandary. A hanging lie from 55 yards out with a 5-iron is daunting even for the hard liquor drinkers. You must channel your inner Roy McAvoy for this shot. Dr. Molly would tell you to focus on what you can control. "Be the ball Kung...be the ball." And to keep it on-topic, Darius would probably use the 3-iron...staying with the odd number niblick. And because he is probably using a gutta percha ball, a three-quarter swing will give him just the right amount of ball spin to carry it just on the front of the green and release to the hole. Piece of cake Kung...piece of cake. Oh, by the way, Pogo and I are waiting for you in the clubhouse. Pogo's buying!!!

If by late in the round you mean the 5th hole then, yes! "Focus on what I can control. Focus on what I can control." . . . are you hinting that I should go ahead and crack open the last can? And of course Darius is gutta perchase the ball -- NCAA athletes aren't allowed gifts you know.

We really do need to round up @pogo: and others and and go golfing -- if you can handle playing with hacks.