An Enoch comp

[ctchamps]

Sorry hardly that way. A couple plays but one time he made a nice help and Facey wasn't there to cover, looked like Steve's fault but not. Both were bad on D, they both go to cover incoming offensive player and never have their hands out to deflect the passes that go to the man they left. Crazy should be a natural instinct.

He's showing some signs of getting to positions on the floor he didn't show earlier this season. That play you point out is a good observation. He also had a play in which he boxed out his player, the player slipped by him and went up for the ball resulting in the need for Steve to foul him. It was totally the result of reaction time. I think Steve can pick it up. You have to wonder how much his failure to develop is because he's not playing against a big in practice who has skills on the offensive end. But that's development big on big. He still is incredibly weak at responding to guards and players who are at the foul line.

 

[uconngb]

Sorry hardly that way. A couple plays but one time he made a nice help and Facey wasn't there to cover, looked like Steve's fault but not. Both were bad on D, they both go to cover incoming offensive player and never have their hands out to deflect the passes that go to the man they left. Crazy should be a natural instinct.

Have to disagree here. There was a 3-4 minute stretch in the 2nd half where Enoch was completely lost on defense, and I mean completely.

 

[jibsey]

Does everyone realize that we may only have one more game to argue about AB? There's going to be a helluva lot of internet airspace available.

 

[pj]

I wonder if most of these skills are gained in practice. Gavin Edwards had to battle with players like Jeff Adrien and Thabeet. I'm sure this contributed significantly to his growth.

Imagine Hilton going up against Okafor, Josh Boone and even Ed Nelson.

This, and how can you learn defense if the team can't scrimmage 5-on-5 due to lack of players? There's no ability to replicate defensive switching on 5-on-5 team basketball.

One thing I take from the Cobb signing is that KO is going to make sure we can scrimmage 5-on-5 all year and will give his bigs plenty of competition to force their development. The roster is overloaded on bigs but we have no idea who will step up and claim a starting role.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

You're falling into the same trap people did after Amida's freshman year. People took his incredible blocking gifts as indicators that he could pick up other aspects of the game and of course he didn't. Steve has been only at the game for four years so it's possible he can develop on defense. But the assumption it's a given, and the assumption it's on the coaches if he doesn't is foolish imo.

There are a lot of us who have limitations in what we do, no matter what opportunities we have. It's part of life which is what makes sports exciting and exacerbating at the same time.

I'm largely relying on my own personal scouting of the players. Pretty arrogant, I admit.

I never bought into the Brimah hype right from the beginning. My criticism of him then, and still today, is his lack of agility and lateral mobility. It limits his upside profoundly. In the past I've used the "baby giraffe" metaphor to describe him. I think it's apt.

As for Enoch, his balance, footwork, and good hands give him a much more achievable upside. Ollie has hinted at this himself. If Ollie can teach him to play defense, he can be an anchor in the post.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm largely relying on my own personal scouting of the players. Pretty arrogant, I admit.

I never bought into the Brimah hype right from the beginning. My criticism of him then, and still today, is his lack of agility and lateral mobility. It limits his upside profoundly. In the past I've used the "baby giraffe" metaphor to describe him. I think it's apt.

As for Enoch, his balance, footwork, and good hands give him a much more achievable upside. Ollie has hinted at this himself. If Ollie can teach him to play defense, he can be an anchor in the post.

Not arrogant at all, unless you're the type of poster who then gets angry at the player when said player doesn't fulfill your expectations. I haven't observed that about you.
I agree with you that the gangly Amida was going to struggle more than someone who knows how to plant his base. Steve certainly has a better base. But his instincts on defense are missing and players not only need to learn what to do, but take what they are taught and integrate it into their subconscious. Repetitions help but some people never get to that level with every skill set.

Otherwise everyone would be a genius with all skill sets.

 

[mauconnfan]

Have to disagree here. There was a 3-4 minute stretch in the 2nd half where Enoch was completely lost on defense, and I mean completely.

I agree but so is the other guy. If he didn't block shots he'd go on 8 minute stretches of clueless.

 

[Danzz]

Player development is both coach and player. The player has to have some abilities to build on and tools to work with, and the coach has to be able to motivate and teach that player.

Brimah had limited abilities and no tools. No matter how much motivation and teaching he got, he was never going to be more than a minor contributor. Good kid, hard worker...not a foundation player.

Enoch has more natural ability and tools to work with than Brimah. If he never gets better, if Ollie can't light a fire under him, well...

Is there really a big difference between coaches and how they coach big men? All division coaches know x's and o's and training techniques otherwise they wouldn't be coaching div. 1.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I know it's a ridiculous premise to assume... I just think the kid is good and is soooo close to being a real player, at least offensively. The defensive awfulness is something that just is going to come with time. Hilton used to get lost defensively, pushed around, and out smarted despite his physical skills and it met him very "hookable" in the JC days. Given, he was always playing better players, but he was better than what he showed his first three years. But then senior year, Hilton was a force. We do not need Enoch to be a defensive "force," but we cannot have a layup drill either.

It occurs to me that you may have read my reply as, "Please, you must be joking," when I actually meant, "Please, may what you're saying come true." I see the same upside possibility for offense, mouth-watering as noted elsewhere.

 

[mauconnfan]

Is there really a big difference between coaches and how they coach big men? All division coaches know x's and o's and training techniques otherwise they wouldn't be coaching div. 1.

No not really. I am sure there are some who are better, I do believe Clyde was very good and had something special but he's not coming back. I know even Clyde would have gotten nothing from AB and KF because, well they aren't highly IQ'd basketball players. There's a chance during JC's tenure that Glen Miller helped a big get better, how would we know if he didn't?

It's exaggerated - they work with you, they give you things to work on, they teach you the game as well as they can and the player needs to pick up the rest and make himself what he wants to be. There's a redshirt frosh on Penn State (not looking up his name) who is playing excellent basketball, 12/9 type numbers big guy kind of Kentan's size. Not sure I heard about the fantastic big mans coach there but this kid couldn't get minutes his freshman year at a pretty bid level school/program. Between a year of the gym/weights, a year of practice and a summer which I am sure he worked himself into being better player and now he's about a year from leaving early. This is just a kid who got it, immediately and between his ears and hard work he became a player by listening, learning and bringing it to the court. I promise they don't have a "special" big gus coach, but they had a special kid.

 

[Hankster]

Looking for some optimism after a rough game one, I noticed Enoch's catches on the block. We know he can score & has shown nice touch. He's a big dude. I think he could be at the free throw line several times a game. He's gotta use that big frame the next 2 years.

I believe he could be a Lonny Baxter type guy. Averaged 15 a game & 7 FT attempts per game. Gave teams fits. Caught pass, automatic foul, points, & fouled teams out. Steve has that type potential if he can be competent on D & stay on the floor.

Baxter also was pick #15 in the Draft.

I cannot wait to see him next year. Hopefully this summer he goes to some camp. He has great potential. No Facey or Brimah next year coach.