2016 Recruiting

[Pablo]

No.

Think Tony Bennett pace on both ends of the floor. Execute and take care of the ball on offense, stay compact, don't gamble and force contested jumpers on defense.

In other words, a time-tested recipe for mid-major success.

I hope that Coach Paulsen is flexible regarding players getting in the passing lanes to make steals. I recall Bobby Knight saying his policy was never attempt to pick off a pass unless you believe that you can get both hands on the ball.

 

[mkaufman1]

Josh Hall ‏@Josh33Hall 11h11 hours ago
Off to Reno

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/col...r-star-recruit-josh-hall-visit-pack/73537944/

Hall, who originally committed to Rice before reopening his recruitment, has whittled his potential college destinations to Nevada, Georgia Southern and UNC-Wilmington (he eliminated George Mason after that program received a commitment from a shooting guard/small forward Monday). He also had offers from Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, Houston and others.

 

[GMUgemini]

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/col...r-star-recruit-josh-hall-visit-pack/73537944/

Hall, who originally committed to Rice before reopening his recruitment, has whittled his potential college destinations to Nevada, Georgia Southern and UNC-Wilmington (he eliminated George Mason after that program received a commitment from a shooting guard/small forward Monday). He also had offers from Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, Houston and others.

All right Abram/Grayer, the position is yours for the next four years...what are you going to do with it?

 

[gmujim92]

All right Abram/Grayer, the position is yours for the next four years ... what are you going to do with it?

Why are we not recruiting another SF for the next four years? Is that the "anti-Hewitt" recruiting strategy?

 

[GMUgemini]

Why are we not recruiting another SF for the next four years? Is that the "anti-Hewitt" recruiting strategy?

Well, they will be juniors most likely by the time we get another one, right, unless we sign another small forward for 2016. So my guess is one of them is going to emerge and most likely be a four/three year starter at the position.

 

[gmujim92]

Well, they will be juniors most likely by the time we get another one, right, unless we sign another small forward for 2016. So my guess is one of them is going to emerge and most likely be a four/three year starter at the position.

Unless something has changed, we're still in the hunt for Andre Wesson, a SF in the 2016 class.

 

[Bison137]

I hope that Coach Paulsen is flexible regarding players getting in the passing lanes to make steals. I recall Bobby Knight saying his policy was never attempt to pick off a pass unless you believe that you can get both hands on the ball.

I hate to disappoint you. DP has a number of strengths, but this is not one of them. If a player ever moves even an inch into the passing lane - at the expense of not staying in perfect position on his man - he will be benched in a nanosecond. He believes 100% in defensive positioning and 0% in steals. During his tenure at Bucknell, their points allowed per possession were very good - except for his first two seasons and his last season - but in his final five years they may have been dead last in the nation in steals and also in turnovers by the opposition.

 

[GSII]

this is a problem for me. how does he put any kind of pressure/disruption on an offense? one could argue that being in good defensive position can create steals. i think steals that lead to fast breaks are momentum changers and get the crowd going.

 

[MasonFanatic]

steals that lead to fast breaks are momentum changers and get the crowd going.

"And then you have to call time out, because momentum is bad." -- Paul Hewitt

 

[gmujim92]

This is a problem for me. how does he put any kind of pressure/disruption on an offense? one could argue that being in good defensive position can create steals. i think steals that lead to fast breaks are momentum changers and get the crowd going.

Watch some tape of UVa. They don't apply a ton of ball pressure in the Pack-Line, but they also don't give up layups or wide-open jumpers because their guards got caught needlessly pressuring the ball 30 feet from the basket.

The point is to stay compact, cut off driving lanes, heavily contest every shot and grab every available defensive rebound.

Even if we go an entire season without a steal, I'll take that over the 2-3 steals per game we got from Hewitt's heavy perimeter ball pressure -- steals that, as we all are well aware, were more than cancelled out by opponents' layups and endless trips to the free-throw line.

 

[GSII]

i just prefer running out for easy lay ups after a steal if its there. uva does that too, so i dont think we will be falling asleep in the eagle.

 

[Pablo]

Steals Per Game (2014-15):

Mason: 6.0 (191st out of 345 D-I teams)
UVA: 5.5 (260th)
Bucknell: 4.1 (338th)

BTW, the Patriots' 1998-99 CAA championship team averaged 10.1 spg.

 

[Herndon]

Steals Per Game (2014-15):

Mason: 6.0 (191st out of 345 D-I teams)
UVA: 5.5 (260th)
Bucknell: 4.1 (338th)

BTW, the Patriots' 1998-99 CAA championship team averaged 10.1 spg.

Well, that's about as definitive an answer as you're going to get. 338 out of 345. Mason will not be going for steals this year.

UVA never jumps passing lanes ,but they DO double the post, which is where I'm guessing most of their steals come from.

 

[99 Patriot]

If a player ever moves even an inch into the passing lane - at the expense of not staying in perfect position on his man - he will be benched in a nanosecond.

This could impact holloways minutes significantly this year.

 

[GMUgemini]

I hate to disappoint you. DP has a number of strengths, but this is not one of them. If a player ever moves even an inch into the passing lane - at the expense of not staying in perfect position on his man - he will be benched in a nanosecond. He believes 100% in defensive positioning and 0% in steals. During his tenure at Bucknell, their points allowed per possession were very good - except for his first two seasons and his last season - but in his final five years they may have been dead last in the nation in steals and also in turnovers by the opposition.

He has intimated his offense and defense might look different at Mason than it did at Bucknell. I doubt it will be radically different, but he's getting a different type of player here (an Ian Boyd for instance), .

Well, that's about as definitive an answer as you're going to get. 338 out of 345. Mason will not be going for steals this year.

UVA never jumps passing lanes ,but they DO double the post, which is where I'm guessing most of their steals come from.

I would be a little disappointed if Paulsen didn't at least try a little trapping in the corners or doubling in the post. With players like Thompson, Jenkins, Grayer, Moore and Abram I've got to imagine he's got a little more freedom to be a bit more aggressive in disrupting the offense.

 

[JimP]

He has intimated his offense and defense might look different at Mason than it did at Bucknell. I doubt it will be radically different, but he's getting a different type of player here (an Ian Boyd for instance), .


I would be a little disappointed if Paulsen didn't at least try a little trapping in the corners or doubling in the post. With players like Thompson, Jenkins, Grayer, Moore and Abram I've got to imagine he's got a little more freedom to be a bit more aggressive in disrupting the offense.

Wouldn't mind to see some trapping in the post, but with regard to defending other teams guards (especially in the A-10) I like the Paulsen philosophy. As mentioned, when we get a guy like Boyd it may be worth it for Paulsen to change it up a bit. GMU doesn't have the type of guards to play like that right now. Didn't stop Hewitt though of course.

 

[GSII]

There was legit critizism of uva's offense. We might see that here if we are only "getting close" to beating top teams.

 

[gmujim92]

There was legit critizism of uva's offense. We might see that here if we are only "getting close" to beating top teams.

There was criticism before Bennett was able to get all of his kind of guys in their program. Now they're rolling and winning ACC titles and signing top-100 recruits left and right.

Sign me up for some of that right now. I'll take a boring win over an exciting loss any day.

 

[Pablo]

I'm expecting fundamentally sound, winning basketball again. I'm just hoping that Coach Paulsen adapts his system to most effectively utilize the players' skill set and athleticism.

 

[GSII]

People were doggn uva thru last 2 seasons when he did have all his guys. I think maturity helps run his system better and thats what we've been seeing the last 2 seasons. I can appreciate it, but God as my witness, I fall asleep and have to rewind Uva bball games.

I just want us to be at our best per the talent on hand. They can play whatever style DP wants. However, If you have a team that can get you easy lay ups, then all I am saying is don't ignore that ability. If we get a steal in the post/wing/open floor, are we walking it up or pushing it to see whats there?. With a great penetrator like Moore, I would hope DP lets him try. However, we are young on the wings.