Shocker Madness Oct. 25

[SubGod22]

Highlight of the night was David Kyles going baseline and finishing with authority over Garrett Stutz for the AND1. :D It was very impressive.

This is a very talented and athletic group. There were a few nice drives early by Kyles where he dished to JT for easy baskets.

JT was unstoppable inside. Did a pretty good job of guarding Stutz as well as Garrett didn't get many touches inside. There was one where he did get a nice seal and entry pass from one of the guards where he turned and dunked. It was nice to see Garrett leave no doubt on that one.

We have shooters. Hannah may be the best. But we can't forget Hatch as he looked more comfortable out there and still has a sweet stroke. Chamberlain is capable and Murry and Kyles both looked good. Kyles hit a couple from outside but I believe he was on the line.

Ramon didn't hit many outside shots, if any, but you can tell he's extended his game. The man is still a beast and the hardest worker on the court.

Ellis is still long and lanky but the kid will be a player. He had a nice steal and finish late and hit a nice jumper in the corner. The kid is a great athlete.

Toure handled the ball quite a bit and looked pretty good doing it. He definitely looks to penetrate like Kyles and create. He had one nice take until he got to the basket and was stripped. Needed to be stronger with it.

Mantas looked solid. Had a couple of blocks and looks like he's 100%.

This team is fast and is going to be able to throw a lot of players onto the court to put a lot of pressure on other teams. Especially once the younger guys get more comfortable. There were a few minor miscues as the team is still getting familiar with eachother but it's going to be an exciting year.

It's late and I'm tired. I might recall a bit more tomorrow or maybe someone else will say something to help refresh my memory.

And I said Kyles would win!!! :D :yahoo:

[ShockerFever]

Definitely a lot of athleticism with that bunch. The question is will they gel together and put the athleticism in with the whole team concept? Of course I think they will. Hannah has a sick stroke, easily winning the 3-point contest. No joke about it, the kid can shoot. Kyles looked impressive as well. Stutz looks like a lanky, tall Kyle Korver (in face) and looks like he'll be a force to be wrecked with later on.

Pretty much everybody looked solid, considering it was just a scrimmage. It does give me hope that we may contend for a non play-in game spot this year.

Also, enjoyed another preshow bit by Clemente. The guy is pretty hilarious.

Can't wait to see how they play in the exhibition in just a short two weeks or so..


:posterwu:

[SubGod22]

Also, enjoyed another preshow bit by Clemente. The guy is pretty hilarious.

Clemente? I thought that was Coach Marshall? Or was it Kobe Bryant? Or Shaq? Or one of the FR guards? Or Garrett Stutz? Or......





It was pretty darn funny!!!

[1972Shocker]

Good summary by Sub.

Shocks definitely more athletic than last year.

Should be improved on both ends of the court.

Kyles was spectacular, Looks like a scorer to me. Murry was very good. Stutz was solid. (I was actually more impressed with his left handed shot from mid-lane than I was with his baseline seal and dunk move).

Point guard is not a worry with Hannah and Chamberlain in the fold.

You're gonna like the Hawk! He can definitely fly.

JT seemed content to get his points on the inside. Had a couple of chances to jack up 3-pointers early in the possession but did not. Perhaps a little more disciplined than in the past. Definitely can score.

Aaron Ellis looked much more confident than last year. He really hammered his dunk on his break away and showed a very nice touch from the perimeter.

Mantas looks like he has gained some upper body strength.

Ramon is Ramon and while he has perhaps expanded his game, I'm not sure how important that will be considering all the other weapons we have added on the perimeter.

We definitely have improve our ability to penetrate defenses and get to the basket.

Didn't real need a dunk contest. Best jam of the night was Kyles baseline drive and slam over Stutz in the scrimmage.

Arrow definitely is pointing up from what I saw tonight. :good:

[shockar25]

I agree with the observations of the team already made. To me the most impressive players were JT and Clevin--although several had moments. Every time I watch JT play I just hope he's got his defense on full tilt, because as we all know--he's got tremendous potential.

It was great to see the team and see all of the new faces.

I didn't care too much for the whole 'red carpet' bit. Seemed a bit long-winded. To me Shocker Madness should be simple. Especially when folks had been there for 2 hours prior watching the awesome volleyball team get another 'W' (while volleyball will never be my favorite sport, I was impressed with the athlets our team has and respect them a great deal). It makes for a long night (4 hours in all) and I can only imagine that those with young ones were probably pushing the limit there.

Ramon is funny as usual--he's got a natural comedic knack and I can see why the guys on the team would really like him. I'm sure he keeps it light and fun. Now he needs to keep it that way and when necessary be the tell it like it is leader this really young team needs.

I still had a tough time hearing all of the dialogue on Ramon's video, but it is still better acoustically than last year.

[Aargh]

Hannah won the 3-point shooting contest. NOBODY will leave him open for a 3. He probably hit 75% of his attempts. Using 2 balls and a rebounder, he made 17 3's in 60 seconds.

Durley is nails on the offensive end. Nice shooting touch to about 12' working off of post moves. Has some great moves. Stutz seemed to figure out how to play better D about half-way through and started denying some of Durley's moves. It looked like Durley's D has improved. Stutz didn't get much going down low.

Kyles is sick - and in a good way. Kyles and Murry are deceptively quick and both have great first steps. Fans are going to love these 2 before their careers are over.

There is a lot of good passing on the team. Chamberlain found some open guys with difficult passes to throw, but easy to catch.

I kind of lost track of Hawkins. Clemente and Durley were doing so much offensively that maybe he didn't need to do much.

Ellis had a good game. He's quicker and faster than you might think. He had a steal and coast-to-coast uncontested dunk. He gets down the court really well while dribbling.

It's going to be a quicker and more athletic team then we've seen in a long time. There are plenty of 3-point shooters and plenty of passers and ball-handlers.

I don't see where Griskenas' minutes are going to come from. He seems to be behind Clemente and Ellis for minutes. Hatch isn't likely to get a lot of minutes either.

The early-season top 9 appear to be:

Chamberlain - PG
Hannah - SG/PG
Hawkins - SF
Clemente - PF
Durley - C

Ellis - PF/SF
Kyles - SG/SF
Murry - SG
Stutz - C

[Snapshot9]

Here's my take on it:

Hannah is a good point guard, controlled the ball good, good poise on the court, and can stroke the ball.

Kyles can be explosive and quick. And I was impressed with Murry's poise on the court. Murry also knows how to finish a shot or play. Reggie was okay, but just okay.

Ramon is still the beast, expanded his game, but whether it will be productive during game time is still to be seen. JT is better, and will definately be a scoring threat for us. JT still gets lax on defense some.

Stutz was okay, moving better, has some offensive things going for him, and I wouldn't say he is a project. He moves better than most Freshman 7 footers, and has better coordination. That time he spent as a guard benefited him.

Hawkins is good, and will be a major player for us. He needs to work on defense some.

Hatch shows pretty good poise on the court, and can still stroke it.

Ellis will contribute more this season. Still a sweet shot with nice arc, and he looks to be more aggresive this year. That dunk was great of his.

Griskenas still has much to prove to me. Will be okay as a reliever.

Our guards are going to give teams trouble, they are quick and athletic.
We could get a lot more turnovers this year.

Our walkons seemed better as a whole than years past.

If this team gels as a team, we will better than preseason polls predicted we will be. As HCGM said, "We have more weapons".

How they perform in the Old Spice Classic will be a glimpse of their potential season.

[shockerfan]

I won't repeat what everyone has said as it's pretty spot on. The most impressive newcomer was by FAR Kyles. The kid hit about every type of shot...inside, outside, driving, pull up. I think our defense is going to be good. Offensively we should be more confident, I do think we may settle for alot of 3's as we know Marshall isn't afraid to give the green light, but this year we may have a few players who can hit it more consistently.

JT looked good and I was very happy to see that he stayed pretty much inside. I don't believe he shot even 1 3 pointer...loved that. He abused Garrett pretty bad. I think it was a combo of just how skilled JT is around the basket and the fact that Garrett struggled to keep up with him at times. As expected Garrett should turn into a nice player but as most freshmen center he's gonna have a lot of work to do. I will say he looked pretty aggressive for a freshman center, so that was a nice plus.

Ellis did look a tad quicker guarding smaller players than he was last year. Although he did foul alot, at least 3 in the 20 mins I believe. Wasn't really a concern as this is just a scrimmage, but he'll have to work on staying aggressive but staying out of foul trouble.

Hard to get too up or too down for a 20 minute scrimmage. But overall, we do appear quicker and more athletic...and definately longer! Can't wait to see them in a real game!

[forevershockerfan]

Here's the deal. Tonight was fun. Our VB team is loaded with talent. The MVP tonight for them was #2 as I seen it, but several others shined too. The Lady Basketball Shocks only have 10 players. This could be a tough year but they WILL get better sooner than later under Jody Adams.

Our Shockers will be better than advertised. Our guards are quicker, more athletic, and can shoot better than last year. Clevin and Chamberlin are 'quick on quick' and can stroke it. The dunks of the night both in the game and dunk contest was David Kyles as predicted by Sub. Toure is a keeper and can score points.

The Hawk can really penetrate and is so athletic and will be one of our go-to players. Ellis is lean and mean and is gaining confidence. Hatch will get his chance and have his nights stroking the ball. JT was wheeling and dealing inside and looks to be improving his all around game. Stutz scored a nice shot with his left hand and had a nice dunk. I am really hoping Mantas G. finds his stroke this year and he can rebound. Clemente will have a very nice Senior year for sure and his hard work will indeed pay off. Our walkons are an impressive group.

The player that may be the one to watch for next year never hit the floor tonight due to an injury. My sources that have seen Gabe Blair play feel he will be a difference maker and the real deal for next Season. He is 6'8" and has an NBA body already.

We have quality depth at every position. Our defense will be swarming like their hair is on fire. We could very well win around 17 games, maybe more with around a 4th to 5th place finish in the Valley. Keep in mind that we are very young with not alot of players with D-1 experience. Thus, we will have our highs and lows. However, I am pumped about how fun this team will be to watch. Next Season-----WATCH OUT. This Season--we will get better and this team will have the Chuck rockin with excitement. Be sure and click on your seat belts because Coach Marshall has us on the right track and it will be a joy to witness our Program moving forward in a lickety-split fashion.

[JVShocker_old]

Sorry, I didn't take any photos. You'll have to ask someone else for pics from tonight. My apologies in advance for the length.

Question: Has the shot clock officially gone to 30 seconds?

I'm only going to report on the men's scrimmage, and please remember it was a scrimmage - your actual game play will most likely not resemble what we saw tonight. (in no particular order)

Garret Stutz: He seems to move fairly well. Not a great defensive stopper, and I imagine he will get burned down low by experienced players. Will the Shocks play any zone? The positive: He's not a bad rebounder, especially on the defensive end. Offensively, there wasn't much for him as it was a scrimmage. He had at least one shot blocked by Durley, but when he's down low enough, he will just dunk it.

Ramon Clemente: Well, he's the funniest and most personable Shocker with a microphone in his hand and a camera in his face. Hopefully that translates into leadership on the court this year. He does work hard, and I think his numbers and game will be improved from last season.He looked much more confortable on shots facing the basket, even if I don't recall them going in. They looked like they were going in, which is a big change.

Griskenas: Much like last season's scrimmage, not much to see here. Relegated to role player and defense in this type of format. I'm not sure what we'll see out of Griskenas, but I don't expect it to be much scoring. He seems healthy and athletic, but the game and some of the other guys has sped up with that 30 second shot clock.

JT Durley: Offensively he was pretty solid. He worked well down low, and I hope he improves on the flashes he showed last season. Guess what? His defense may be a little improved, including one blocked shot on Stutz (I thought.)

Aaron Ellis: What does everyone else think? I'm not sure. I would like to see some plays drawn up for him. He wasn't completely sure handed offensively down low, but seems much more comfortable in the open floor or out top and on the wings.

Reggie Chamberlain: (is that the corrrect spelling?) Sure and steady guard. I think that pretty much describes all of the guard play, actually, but he was my favorite (and favorite player to watch.) Extremely comfortable with the ball, I guess I expected more nerves out of him, but I think he's going to do some special things this season.

David Kyles: What everyone else says, he's going to present problems for some teams. Not sure about him defensively yet, but he's quick and fairly athletic. Not sure about his weight, but he looks bigger than I expected. If he developes any kind of attitude and serious work ethic, he could be a Jamar Howard type of player this season. I though it was Kyles, but he took a guy with his dribble from about 8-10 feet out on the baseline and dunked over/around his man and the defensive help. Like I said, could be a problem for some teams.

AJ Hawkins: Well, I thought he actually seemed a little out of sync tonight. He, more than the others, seemed more nervous, but he is very quick with the dribble and is going to present some matchup problems. Maybe all the erengy from sitting and watching his him busting at the seams. Hopefully he can hit that 3 ball and his game doesn't become too one dimensional on the offensive end. Defensively, he's strong, quick and can defend very well.

Toure Murray: I was surprised at his size also, a little more size to the upper frame than I expected (is he a freshman?) I thought he was, but he seemed extremely confident on the floor. Whether he was attacking the basket or his off ball movement, he seems to have a smooth flow to his game. Not exactly sure on his outside touch, but he has size and quickness, and I expect a couple of interesting games in him THIS season.

Clevin Hannah: Another fairly good shooter, and yet more evidence that our strength this season may be at the guard position. Almost as sure handed and comfortable as Chamberlain, I think they're going to be be an excellent pair when on the floor.

Graham Hatch: Like Griskenas, this type of scrimmage doesn't suit his style. Hopefully there will be some structure in the half court game that will get him some shots off screens, but with that short shot clock, I just don't know. This could be the beginning of a change in game play that takes away the ability of guys like Hatch to get shots. Either we don't do a lot of off ball screens for the guards, or he doesn't know how to use them effectively.

Summary: If the shot clock has gone to 30 seconds, the game has sped up. It was very noticeable. If you can pressure the ball and force a team to use a good portion of the shot clock in bringing the ball up the floor, that gives them 15 seconds to run some kind of set play before the shot clock hits that 4-5 second mark. I think everyone will notice a change. It puts a lot more of the game in the hands of guards who can get the ball up the floor and move the ball quickly. With that in mind, I think we will have an interesting group. I wouldn't think there will be much of an inside presence in the low post where you try and work the ball down low, and I'm not certain we have that kind of low post player anyway. Everything just seems sped up, which I think may translate into more shot misses, more rebounds, and hopefully more open court play. I think that will benefit a group like this that wants to run. This type of play also suits a player like Stutz, who will benefit from the looks he may get from the 3 ball line, and the less time he has to spend trying to defend quicker and more polished players.

I think our rebounding will be better than expected with the size of some of these guards. I also think this team, because of the guard play, may be one of the most potentially talented groups I've seen (in terms of confidence, quickness and playmaking ability.) Yes, they're going to make mistakes, but I think it looks like a fun year, and they may be playing fairly well by mid-late Conference.

My Projected starters:
Chamberlain
Hawkins
Ellis
Durley
Clemente

Very quick off the bench:
Murray and Kyles

Off the bench:
Stutz, Hannah, and Griskenas.

[shockerfan]

Sorry, I didn't take any photos. You'll have to ask someone else for pics from tonight. My apologies in advance for the length.

Question: Has the shot clock officially gone to 30 seconds?

I'm only going to report on the men's scrimmage, and please remember it was a scrimmage - your actual game play will most likely not resemble what we saw tonight. (in no particular order)

Garret Stutz: He seems to move fairly well. Not a great defensive stopper, and I imagine he will get burned down low by experienced players. Will the Shocks play any zone? The positive: He's not a bad rebounder, especially on the defensive end. Offensively, there wasn't much for him as it was a scrimmage. He had at least one shot blocked by Durley, but when he's down low enough, he will just dunk it.

Ramon Clemente: Well, he's the funniest and most personable Shocker with a microphone in his hand and a camera in his face. Hopefully that translates into leadership on the court this year. He does work hard, and I think his numbers and game will be improved from last season.He looked much more confortable on shots facing the basket, even if I don't recall them going in. They looked like they were going in, which is a big change.

Griskenas: Much like last season's scrimmage, not much to see here. Relegated to role player and defense in this type of format. I'm not sure what we'll see out of Griskenas, but I don't expect it to be much scoring. He seems healthy and athletic, but the game and some of the other guys has sped up with that 30 second shot clock.

JT Durley: Offensively he was pretty solid. He worked well down low, and I hope he improves on the flashes he showed last season. Guess what? His defense may be a little improved, including one blocked shot on Stutz (I thought.)

Aaron Ellis: What does everyone else think? I'm not sure. I would like to see some plays drawn up for him. He wasn't completely sure handed offensively down low, but seems much more comfortable in the open floor or out top and on the wings.

Reggie Chamberlain: (is that the corrrect spelling?) Sure and steady guard. I think that pretty much describes all of the guard play, actually, but he was my favorite (and favorite player to watch.) Extremely comfortable with the ball, I guess I expected more nerves out of him, but I think he's going to do some special things this season.

David Kyles: What everyone else says, he's going to present problems for some teams. Not sure about him defensively yet, but he's quick and fairly athletic. Not sure about his weight, but he looks bigger than I expected. If he developes any kind of attitude and serious work ethic, he could be a Jamar Howard type of player this season. I though it was Kyles, but he took a guy with his dribble from about 8-10 feet out on the baseline and dunked over/around his man and the defensive help. Like I said, could be a problem for some teams.

AJ Hawkins: Well, I thought he actually seemed a little out of sync tonight. He, more than the others, seemed more nervous, but he is very quick with the dribble and is going to present some matchup problems. Maybe all the erengy from sitting and watching his him busting at the seams. Hopefully he can hit that 3 ball and his game doesn't become too one dimensional on the offensive end. Defensively, he's strong, quick and can defend very well.

Kyle Weems: I was surprised at his size also, a little more size to the upper frame than I expected (is he a freshman?) I thought he was, but he seemed extremely confident on the floor. Whether he was attacking the basket or his off ball movement, he seems to have a smooth flow to his game. Not exactly sure on his outside touch, but he has size and quickness, and I expect a couple of interesting games in him THIS season.

Clevin Hannah: Another fairly good shooter, and yet more evidence that our strength this season may be at the guard position. Almost as sure handed and comfortable as Chamberlain, I think they're going to be be an excellent pair when on the floor.

Graham Hatch: Like Griskenas, this type of scrimmage doesn't suit his style. Hopefully there will be some structure in the half court game that will get him some shots off screens, but with that short shot clock, I just don't know. This could be the beginning of a change in game play that takes away the ability of guys like Hatch to get shots. Either we don't do a lot of off ball screens for the guards, or he doesn't know how to use them effectively.

Summary: If the shot clock has gone to 30 seconds, the game has sped up. It was very noticeable. If you can pressure the ball and force a team to use a good portion of the shot clock in bringing the ball up the floor, that gives them 15 seconds to run some kind of set play before the shot clock hits that 4-5 second mark. I think everyone will notice a change. It puts a lot more of the game in the hands of guards who can get the ball up the floor and move the ball quickly. With that in mind, I think we will have an interesting group. I wouldn't think there will be much of an inside presence in the low post where you try and work the ball down low, and I'm not certain we have that kind of low post player anyway. Everything just seems sped up, which I think may translate into more shot misses, more rebounds, and hopefully more open court play. I think that will benefit a group like this that wants to run. This type of play also suits a player like Stutz, who will benefit from the looks he may get from the 3 ball line, and the less time he has to spend trying to defend quicker and more polished players.

I think our rebounding will be better than expected with the size of some of these guards. I also think this team, because of the guard play, may be one of the most potentially talented groups I've seen (in terms of confidence, quickness and playmaking ability.) Yes, they're going to make mistakes, but I think it looks like a fun year, and they may be playing fairly well by mid-late Conference.

My Projected starters:
Chamberlain
Hawkins
Ellis
Durley
Clemente

Very quick off the bench:
Weems and Kyles

Off the bench:
Stutz, Hannah, and Griskenas.

Kyle Weems? Are you talking about Toure Murry maybe?? Or did you take a wrong turn and head to Springfield by mistake? :P Speaking of Toure, I thought out of all of the freshman he was furthest along defensively. Had a few good steals. Forgot to mention that in my post earlier.

[1972Shocker]

Kyle Weems?????????????????????

Shocks can look forward to brisk program sales this year, especially early in the year.

[JVShocker_old]

Whoops! David KYLES. Not Kyle Weems. And Toure Murray. Yes. And Yes, I think we all are looking forward to a game program, and I'm looking forward to some sleep now.

[WuDrWu]

I know not of this Weems person to whom you refer.


I will be surprised if the first 5 is not:


Hannah, Hawkins, Durley, Clemente & Ellis


Reggie C will spell nicely the PG position.

Garrett will have to improve his defense. He is going to be a load next year.

Kyles and Murry are really, really good. We have not had a combination of athleticism and basketball understanding superior to these 2 young men in a very, very long time.

They both will play a lot.....now. I expect Toure will start before the season is done.

Mantas and Hatch will provide quality depth.

[ShockerFever]

Question: Has the shot clock officially gone to 30 seconds?

No, it's still 35.

The women's shot clock is 30 seconds though and I suspect it was never adjusted after the women's scrimmage.