Report from Gampel...skills work for posts | The Boneyard

Report from Gampel...skills work for posts

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Blakeon18

Blakeon18

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I got to see Glenn Miller work with the posts yesterday afternoon...I saw more of Bradley, Wolf and Drummond...a little bit with Oriakhi and Olander. The following is strictly FWIW....note: it was the first time I have seen Andre in person.....no scrimmaging/no full court runs....just skills work around the basket and some face-up work out to 15' or so.

Kemba was in the house btw...working hard by himself with a student manager [I assume]. he looks a bit more muscular than last winter....looks really good...shots were falling from all over.

Bradley looks as if he has put on some weight....still slender of course. He has a high release which will make it difficult to block his shot. He was hitting his face-ups pretty well....nice arc. He is going to get muscled around some but I would not be surprised if he carved out some PT this year...nice quickness and athleticism.

Wolf looks like a skinnier Olander. Looks to have some nice back-to-the-basket skills....jump hooks seem a speciality. Will he be able to create and hold his space down low?

Towards the end of my stay Oriahki and Olander took the court. Alex has improved his face-ups nicely based on this one look. If he does it in games it will add to his weapons since...imo...he is a powerful but undersized center against elite teams. Olander was doing OK.

Andre Drummond: around the basket he is explosive...quick and powerful. Is he still 17 at this point? He looks like a man-child in some ways....very imposing. With no defenders he finishes close to the basket with either hand very well. If he gets the ball down low he will be a load.
His face-up game is a work in progress. He has a bit of a funky release...kinda low and unconventional. His shots repeatedly come out without much arc...he was not hitting open shots with a good percentage from beyond 3 feet or so. Whether he takes face-up shots from distance in games we will see. Based on what I saw, defenders will give him those shots all night long. His back-to-the-basket abilities seem much more accomplished at this point.

I saw him take a few free throws and while the release looked similar to his field goal attempts there was much more arc to the efforts and he hit several. It will be interesting to see if the staff sees his release on face-up shots an area to work on for the next 7 weeks before Game One. His explosive athleticism and strength for one so young will really help our inside game....it is hardly a surprise that coming out of high school he has some things to work on. Running the floor sure seems to be a real asset based on the videos I have seen....but that wasn't the focus Monday. All 3 of the the ones I saw for quite a while were working very hard throughout.

Hopefully next week I'll see them scrimmage. Napier and Boatwright were there...just the posts doing the work.
 
Thanks for the write up. AD just turned 18. His shot reminds me of Harangody. It will be interesting to see if they ask him to change it. When he learns to hit the mid range shot consistently, he will be unstoppable.
 
I thought his back to the basket game needed work. Good to know that he's already good at it as that's most likely what he's going to be doing the most as a 5. Wolf sounds like a RS candidate. The 2012-13 season could be one where him, Olander and Bradley are battling for starting at 4 and 5. We could look like late 90s squad with most of the scoring load coming from the guards and the wings.
 
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Thanks for the interesting post!!
 
fleudslipcon said:
Thanks for the write up. AD just turned 18. His shot reminds me of Harangody. It will be interesting to see if they ask him to change it. When he learns to hit the mid range shot consistently, he will be unstoppable.
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He really reminds me of a young Dwight Howard ... tough defender, freakish athlete, weird jumpshot, and huge upside
 
good stuff blake thanks. i realize this kid is #1 or #2 in the class depending on who you ask, but it appears t hat like any high school center, he definitely has some things that will need improvement.
 
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Where do they practice? How do you have access to their practices? If I (a student) were allowed in, I would totally go. What time are they?

Also, I see Roscoe alot and from what I gather it doesn't look like he's put on that much weight.
 
I am going to thoroughly enjoy this team. Size, Skill, Power. Gonna be a fun ride.
 
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I think this team is going to be explosive and exciting to watch. There will likely be a lot of face palm moments without Kemba around though. Should be a fun ride and hopefully it all comes together in March
 
Baby: unless home volleyball games conflict, they are in Gampel open to everybody till official practices start.

Skills work tends to be early in the afternoon...say 1:00. Scrimmages follow....the men and women seem to alternate late/early in the afternoon. Maybe they take a break on Friday but Mon-Thursday you will generally see something.
 
Awesome. Gonna go check it out today. It'll be my first in-person look at AD
 
The report is definitely appreciated. Keep them coming.
And please don't hesitate to use the embedded video function that the new board offers. :cool:
 
Allen and Marshall were both impressed with Andre Drummond, who in these early games has been as advertised. "Andre's a man-child," Allen said. "... He looks like he's already been here a year. He has a presence."
Allen, echoing many others, said Drummond reminds him of Shawn Kemp.
 
babysheep said:
Where do they practice? How do you have access to their practices? If I (a student) were allowed in, I would totally go. What time are they?

Also, I see Roscoe alot and from what I gather it doesn't look like he's put on that much weight.
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Two things with Roscoe's weight. One, he is very ecto-mesomorphic. Therefore, any weight he puts on is going to be muscle. Muscle is much denser than fat, so he won't look much larger if he adds 5-10 lbs of muscle and no fat. Two, adding 10lbs of muscle to a 6'8" frame is not going to do much visually. Especially if he adds a lot of it to his thighs, glutes, and mid back. The team trains to make these areas bigger and stronger because that is what allows a person to become a faster runner, better jumper, and better at boxing out. What is noticeable with a tank top or t-shirt on is arm size, and back/chest width. However, a basketball player typically will not focus their training on these areas.
 
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Sportsman5 said:
Two things with Roscoe's weight. One, he is very ecto-mesomorphic. Therefore, any weight he puts on is going to be muscle. Muscle is much denser than fat, so he won't look much larger if he adds 5-10 lbs of muscle and no fat. Two, adding 10lbs of muscle to a 6'8" frame is not going to do much visually. Especially if he adds a lot of it to his thighs, glutes, and mid back. The team trains to make these areas bigger and stronger because that is what allows a person to become a faster runner, better jumper, and better at boxing out. What is noticeable with a tank top or t-shirt on is arm size, and back/chest width. However, a basketball player typically will not focus their training on these areas.
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+1. Good post.
 
Okay I'm gonna just start posting ITT. I'm basically going to be going every day if I can. Mon Wed Fri will be guards and SFs and Tues Thurs will be PFs and Cs. It's just how my class schedule worked out. I probably won't do this every day, because it will probably just end up being alot of the same. I'll definitely post if I make some kind of new observation.

So today I stopped by Gampel on the way to the gym. I got to Gampel around 1:25 and AD and Enosch were already working. It's now 3:15 and the SFs started at 3 so either the PFs start before the Cs or after the SFs (I think the former because I saw Bradley and Olander sitting in the stands watching the Cs). This is gonna be a big post.

(stuff) AD just turned 18 and has never really had to try hard to be successful, and Enosch isn't too polished (at least he wasn't last year). They were working on their physicality and zone-busting shot.

Anywho, I guess I'll start off with AD. He really is as advertised. His pivoting is very strong. He was consistently hitting all different types of shots from the 4 different high-post pivots they were working on, although, as some have observed by now, he has a low release, basically from his chin. He lets the flick of his wrist do most of the shot. During drills where they would set a screen and box out the other player for a pass down low, AD was struggling to stay low and use his legs for power. For some reason he was REALLY struggling on shooting quickly from the line (zone-busting spot). Compared to Enosch, he didn't appear to be trying very hard, as some people claim he tends to do. Maybe it's because he's so ridiculously athletic (especially next to Enosch) and makes it look effortless, but in the drills where they were half-simulating game speed, he was not hustling.

Enosch looked like he lost a solid amount of weight. You can tell by looking at his neck. He was working really hard, especially next to AD. His entire shirt was soaked through, and he was moving as fast as his 7'1" body would let him. You could hear the effort he was putting into his moves, and he was swearing when his shots weren't falling. His footwork is still not great. He was affective with both hands (did you guys know he's lefty? I didn't until today) low in the post and with his hook. Very consistent jumpshooting off the glass. In the FT line shooting, he was excellent. I remember that that was Gavin Edwards' shot, and I think Enosch can be another Gavin, if not this year, eventually. He was having trouble staying low and getting his arms in good position like AD was.

At around 1:55 JL and Boatright came onto the court and I watched them warm up themselves a bit, then went to the gym. Came back around 2:30 to watch the guards. DD was there and the first thought I had was oh man, I missed DD practice. We have 2 guards who we know are skilled and a third who has top-20 talent, but probably isn't top-20 because of his decision-making. I'm only going to bother going into Boatright because we all already know that JL and SN are good.

I only caught the last 30 minutes of them as well, but just in time to see Boatright's moves, and man, does he have them. He can move laterally in the paint like Kemba can. He's going to be splitting defenders like it's nobody's business. He has a great handle, incredible ups, and a nice, high release. In DD's thread I said that he could be our most explosive player this year, and while I am still holding on to that claim, I think Boatright has a chance to be that guy.

As expected, all three were kind of struggling shooting threes while moving to their left, but were nearly automatic moving to their right, especially Boatright.

At around 2:50 Roscoe and Giffey joined DD and they started warming up. I only watched them for a bout 10 or 15 minutes. Giffey still does not have a very good shot. He was missing from pretty much everywhere. I noticed Roscoe has a lower shot like AD, but not as low. DD, on the other hand, has a beautiful shot. Very high release. I was surprised to see how slender he really is in person; his hips appeared super narrow. As I said before, I think DD is the most ready to be the most explosive player on the team this year. Hmm, I just left Gampel a half hour ago but can't really remember much else to say about teh SFs.

Well, that's all I can remember for now.
 
Sportsman5 said:
Two things with Roscoe's weight. One, he is very ecto-mesomorphic. Therefore, any weight he puts on is going to be muscle. Muscle is much denser than fat, so he won't look much larger if he adds 5-10 lbs of muscle and no fat. Two, adding 10lbs of muscle to a 6'8" frame is not going to do much visually. Especially if he adds a lot of it to his thighs, glutes, and mid back. The team trains to make these areas bigger and stronger because that is what allows a person to become a faster runner, better jumper, and better at boxing out. What is noticeable with a tank top or t-shirt on is arm size, and back/chest width. However, a basketball player typically will not focus their training on these areas.
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I totally agree, but I was kind of expecting his calves to be bigger around than my forearm, lol. But yeah most 6'8 dudes are skinny around there.
 
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Baby- those are some strong words about DD. Did I miss an earlier post with some more observations? If DD turns out to be our most explosive player then we are looking really really good this year. My thoughts would be JL, AD, AO, SN then maybe DD- but that is just conjecture at this point on my part. The DD comments seem to be all over the map.
 
Scot-e said:
Baby- those are some strong words about DD. Did I miss an earlier post with some more observations? If DD turns out to be our most explosive player then we are looking really really good this year. My thoughts would be JL, AD, AO, SN then maybe DD- but that is just conjecture at this point on my part. The DD comments seem to be all over the map.
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Well, "explosive" doesn't necessarily mean good. Exhibit A: Doug Wrenn. But, yes, it sounds promising!!!
 
Thanks Baby and all responders. Great thread! Take it easy and keep the info. coming in.
 
Scot-e said:
Baby- those are some strong words about DD. Did I miss an earlier post with some more observations? If DD turns out to be our most explosive player then we are looking really really good this year. My thoughts would be JL, AD, AO, SN then maybe DD- but that is just conjecture at this point on my part. The DD comments seem to be all over the map.
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JL will arguably be our main threat, but he does it smoothly. DD has the body and the skills to be the most explosive. Stanley Robinson was, without a doubt, our most explosive player when he was here, but he was not necessarily our best player. Imagine Roscoe with a nicer shot and footwork. Remember, however, this is all off about and hour and 15 minutes of watching, and only about 20 of those were of the SFs. I could be wrong.
 
Sportsman5 wrote about Roscoe Smith "One, he is very ecto-mesomorphic".

Easy for you to say, not so easy for an old guy to understand - please help.
 
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babysheep said:
JL will arguably be our main threat, but he does it smoothly. DD has the body and the skills to be the most explosive. Stanley Robinson was, without a doubt, our most explosive player when he was here, but he was not necessarily our best player. Imagine Roscoe with a nicer shot and footwork. Remember, however, this is all off about and hour and 15 minutes of watching, and only about 20 of those were of the SFs. I could be wrong.
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If DD is RS with a nicer shot and better footwork I will be one happy UCONN fan.
 
Scot-e said:
If DD is RS with a nicer shot and better footwork I will be one happy UCONN fan.
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Well, when they practice driving and shooting they essentially get to use whatever route and shot they want. DD definitely appeared more impressive at both in the short time I watched.
 
Scot-e said:
Baby- those are some strong words about DD. Did I miss an earlier post with some more observations? If DD turns out to be our most explosive player then we are looking really really good this year. My thoughts would be JL, AD, AO, SN then maybe DD- but that is just conjecture at this point on my part. The DD comments seem to be all over the map.
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A top ten player in the country is supposed to be a stud. Can't wait to see this guy in person.
 
jibsey said:
A top ten player in the country is supposed to be a stud. Can't wait to see this guy in person.
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I don't think its fair for us to expect DD to perform like a top 10 recruit. He may be that good, but #10 was easily his highest ranking. I think he was like RSCI #22 or something like that. I'm not picking on you in anyway, usually everyone refers to DD as a top 10 guy and it may be misleading to ourselves.
 
babysheep said:
I totally agree, but I was kind of expecting his calves to be bigger around than my forearm, lol. But yeah most 6'8 dudes are skinny around there.
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I understand. Black guys often have small calves with the insertion of the gastrocnemius far from the ankle. It's purely genetic. It has almost nothing to do with how much or how well a person trains them. The further a muscle inserts from the joint the greater the leverage advantage and the greater the potential for strength. Hence one of the reasons for the HUGE vertical leap of guys like Stanley Robinson even though they have small calves.
 
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floridahuskie said:
Sportsman5 wrote about Roscoe Smith "One, he is very ecto-mesomorphic".

Easy for you to say, not so easy for an old guy to understand - please help.
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There are 3 body types. Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and endomorph. A person is often times a cross between two of them. A pure Ectomorph is tall, thin, has narrow shoulders, and will have difficulty adding muscle and fat. A mesomorph has broad shoulders, a naturally muscular build, low body fat levels, and will easily be able to add muscle without adding fat. An endomorph has a similar build to a mesomorph, but will carry more body fat and will gain body fat more easily. An ecto-mesomorph is naturally thin, but will gain muscle fairly easily with weight training. If anyone has something to add, feel free.
 
Not to be a wet blanket, but unless we've got an exception, it's an NCAA violation to have supervised workouts now. Calls into question the validity of these reports. Just sayin'.
 
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