Bryant Post game thread | Page 9 | The Boneyard
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Bryant Post game thread

NJHusky said:
We've got 2 years of data...last year was 41%, prior was 31%...this year is 26%. I thought he was an elite shooter based off last year, but we don't know if last year was the aberration or what we should expect going forward. Doesn't matter how nice the stroke is, what matters is does it go in.
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Last year was so much more volume than first year - hard to compare year over year. He was also a national leader in 3pt% for most of the year, up there with guys like Brea, and then tailed off towards end of year to drop from 45 to 41. Kid has a great stroke, so it seems more like timing and taking quality shots. He should level off - just don't know where that is. For me, has to be at least a 38% type shooter to warrant being a credible starter on this team.
 
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NewBlood said:
We don’t need Alex to be the top, or even top 4 player on this team. That’s Silas, Reed, Mullins, Ball, then Alex.

If those 4 are playing well, Stewart, Ross, Alex, one of them will be enough

Every year, Karaban slander. It was all 2023-2024 as well then he showed up when it mattered most. Jesus the board seems toxic
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AK's play in the tourney was what it was in the 2024-2025 season, up and down, it just didn't really matter how well he played because the team was so overwhelming. We'll see if that's the case with this team once they're fully healthy.
 
navery12 said:
The thing is he's gotten better at those other things. His defense is better, he's driving to the rim more and shooting better at the rim. The shooting will come around though, he's an elite shooter
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Yes they have, marginally, not enough to call them plus or strengths. And I'm still in the camp of him being an elite shooter too, but at some point the ball does have to go in. He's not a what I would call a high quality starter without the 3pt shooting.
 
My thing with AK is ya'll baby him too much with this "well, he's just a complimentary player" stuff when he has a terrible game. We just saw AK be one of the best players on the floor vs a top 10'ish team in BYU. We saw AK have 20pts in a must win home game vs a top 20-25 Marquette team last season, be the best player on the floor as UConn built up a nearly 25 point lead on the road vs a Georgetown team that had two top 40 draft picks, have Hurley draw up the plays for him and AK came through in the clutch vs Butler on the road, put up 20 vs an Xavier tourney team and have Sean Miller call him one of the best winners in cbb after the game, put up 20 on the road vs Texas and was the best player on the floor for the first 20 minutes before lottery pick Tre Johnson took over late. There's no reason AK can't be 17-18ppg guy and be one of the best players in the conference, just be consistent. It's almost like some of ya'll are setting up the excuses for when he doesn't show up, ya'll should be expecting him to show up and play well vs Illinois and instead the groundwork is already being built up if he lays another egg.
 
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RuffRuff said:
Last year was so much more volume than first year - hard to compare year over year. He was also a national leader in 3pt% for most of the year, up there with guys like Brea, and then tailed off towards end of year to drop from 45 to 41. Kid has a great stroke, so it seems more like timing and taking quality shots. He should level off - just don't know where that is. For me, has to be at least a 38% type shooter to warrant being a credible starter on this team.
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I agree with that 38%. He needs to be above average to have a positive impact on this team. Average shooter isn't good enough because he lacks in the other phases of the game.
 
RuffRuff said:
My doubts with Solo go back to last year. If he’s shooting 41% from three it offsets all the other stuff he’s not good at. If he isn’t he’s a liability. My opinion hasn’t changed. Fans can get drunk on the threes, there is a lot more to being a high value add on the floor. A kid like Ross is showing that this year. Let’s hope he figures out the slump and this idea of Mullins/Reed coming back does open things up for him.
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It’s worth pointing out that Solo’s scoring so far this year is on par with his scoring last year DESPITE not having a good percentage from three yet. That highlights how he has clearly made himself multifaceted on offense in case you’ve missed all the great midrange jumpers and drives he’s completed in 6 games.
 
jfreeds said:
I agree with that 38%. He needs to be above average to have a positive impact on this team. Average shooter isn't good enough because he lacks in the other phases of the game.
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I think we are all hoping he turns into something he isn't, because he's an adonis physically. In a case like his, it doesn't translate to adonis basketball traits.
 
RuffRuff said:
Yes they have, marginally, not enough to call them plus or strengths. And I'm still in the camp of him being an elite shooter too, but at some point the ball does have to go in. He's not a what I would call a high quality starter without the 3pt shooting.
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They're not strengths but they're also certainly not weaknesses anymore either, especially when combined with his elite shooting when it regresses back to the mean. He had a similar stretch his freshman year, albeit on a much smaller sample, where he started off the OOC games shooting poor at 27% and then shot 45% in conference play. Taking away his 3 point shooting is weird, because the list of high quality starters who would still be high quality without their best skill is a very small list.
 
navery12 said:
This is what has me so confused. Multiple people now have questioned Alex's shooting and have talked about his slump this season. He's had some pretty disappointing games but the issue is him not taking enough shots, not the making of his shots
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The only caveat I have with this statement is that AK took some really head-scratching shots yesterday. Bizarrely bad shot selection from him that is unusual. But yeah, he’s been shooting the cover off the ball this season.
 
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WhereistheDove? said:
The only caveat I have with this statement is that AK took some really head-scratching shots yesterday. Bizarrely bad shot selection from him that is unusual. But yeah, he’s been shooting the cover off the ball this season.
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Can you describe one that made you scratch your head?
 
WhereistheDove? said:
The only caveat I have with this statement is that AK took some really head-scratching shots yesterday. Bizarrely bad shot selection from him that is unusual. But yeah, he’s been shooting the cover off the ball this season.
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Agreed, was thinking more of Arizona where he only took 5 shots in a game we were missing 2 starters. Don't want him to start forcing up shots, and at full strength don't think we need to force him touches in the offense, but that game seemed like a time he needed to be a little more aggressive when we didn't have much offense
 
I still do not get some of the over reactions. Down two starters we were always comfortably ahead. The outcome was never in doubt. And it was a game sandwiched between AZ and ILL. And it was a weird start time on a Sunday. And it is still game 6 of the season. Geez. Listen, Solo has a two year track record of being a sniper. He will be okay. And Alex is fine. He is better when the D forgets he is there. And with Tarris and Mullins out, that is never going to happen!!!
 
navery12 said:
This is what has me so confused. Multiple people now have questioned Alex's shooting and have talked about his slump this season. He's had some pretty disappointing games but the issue is him not taking enough shots, not the making of his shots
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He just couldn’t get open against Arizona. The one decent shot he got was when they gambled on a steal. They just were physical with him on cuts - the screens he got weren’t great - and he couldn’t create separation.

Alex is just more of a guy who needs to set a screen and flare, or rotate into space to find an open spot, or come off a quick screen as a deceptive misdirection. Sending him around multiple screens as a primary option just doesn’t work well. Solo on the other hand consistently gets open with strong off the ball movement - he cuts hard and squares up quickly. As did Mullins in the limited sample size against BC. When those guys get open and hit shots and defenses rotate (or Reed draws double teams), AK will hopefully get more clean looks.
 
RuffRuff said:
Nice share - look forward to the second. Conformational on Ross. Smith, while he can over dribble and play a bit reckless, also brings great energy to the floor and defends the POA as good as anyone on this team. These two and Reibe are great bench pieces. I wish I could say the same for Stew.
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I can’t disagree more with so many here not sure what people are seeing? Stew is the better defender early on between he and Ross. Ross and his energy are great, but he doesn’t always guard well especially on the low block where stew is a lot better. Ross has more upside to the rim offensively but minus a couple of nice open dunks he can’t finish with defenders around, still a bit spaz in trying to needs to slow down.

This duo is basically still open as no one has stepped up tremendously to take minutes from the other at this point.
 
mauconnfan said:
I can’t disagree more with so many here not sure what people are seeing? Stew is the better defender early on between he and Ross. Ross and his energy are great, but he doesn’t always guard well especially on the low block where stew is a lot better. Ross has more upside to the rim offensively but minus a couple of nice open dunks he can’t finish with defenders around, still a bit spaz in trying to needs to slow down.

This duo is basically still open as no one has stepped up tremendously to take minutes from the other at this point.
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How often do we need low block defenders, unless on a switch, when AK plays almost the entire game at the 4? We need perimeter defenders.
 
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Waquoit said:
That's damning with faint praise, imo. I can't believe there's 10 better back-up centers out there.
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Don't look now but he could be gone in the draft next year. We're looking a 7 footer with heft, offensive moves and outside shot. Just needs experience and to toughen up. Kid has immense potential in the next level. Like said above. Clingan like development.
 
dennismenace said:
Don't look now but he could be gone in the draft next year. We're looking a 7 footer with heft, offensive moves and outside shot. Just needs experience and to toughen up. Kid has immense potential in the next level. Like said above. Clingan like development.
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He is no where near NBA ready, not even close. He'll be here a minimum of three years. He'd get stewed in the NBA, footwork is really slow and methodical. His profile is honestly not all that rare. He's got a nice little lefty touch for a 5, but he gets pushed around, can't finish well near the rim. Ways to go.
 
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thekollieman said:
Can you describe one that made you scratch your head?
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  • 3:30 in the first half, took a DEEP three with 25 seconds left on the shot clock.
  • 8:11 in the second half, took an inexplicably deep three off a really nice screen when there was no reason for him to be on the logo.
  • 6:30 in the second half. Took a deep contested three with 15 left on the shot clock.
  • 4:23 in the second half. Took a deep contested three after initially thinking better of it. 23 seconds left on the shot clock.
Guy has been real good this year so don’t take this as me just dumping on the guy. They were bad shots, partly caused I’m sure by how stagnant our entire offense got at times. As I said, it’s an outlier for him. By and large he’s had great shot selection this year.
 
dennismenace said:
Don't look now but he could be gone in the draft next year. We're looking a 7 footer with heft, offensive moves and outside shot. Just needs experience and to toughen up. Kid has immense potential in the next level. Like said above. Clingan like development.
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You mean after next season right? There's no way in hell he's leaving after this season.
 
How do some of the people on this board function out in the world?

We have one of the best teams in the country…again…
Ball and Karaban are a big part of that.
No, every time a player has an off game or even a shooting slump doesn’t mean they suck.
 
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WhereistheDove? said:
  • 3:30 in the first half, took a DEEP three with 25 seconds left on the shot clock.
  • 8:11 in the second half, took an inexplicably deep three off a really nice screen when there was no reason for him to be on the logo.
  • 6:30 in the second half. Took a deep contested three with 15 left on the shot clock.
  • 4:23 in the second half. Took a deep contested three after initially thinking better of it. 23 seconds left on the shot clock.
Guy has been real good this year so don’t take this as me just dumping on the guy. They were bad shots, partly caused I’m sure by how stagnant our entire offense got at times. As I said, it’s an outlier for him. By and large he’s had great shot selection this year.
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The angle from my seats may have prevented me from noticing just how deep some of those were, and I’m generally not a fan of early clock deep threes, but I also generally support any open look from three by Karaban. I appreciate the examples with rationale.
 
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