2022-2023 Season; Hopes, Dreams, Wishes, Analysis & Predictions

[Quentin Daniels]

Read this about Tennessee’s new transfer today.

“Last year we had games where we got in some lulls scoring wise and we didn’t have that guy we could just throw the ball, isolate and go get us a bucket or go get fouled or go get us an easy opportunity shot,” Clark said. “I think we’ve found that in Tyreke.”

It’s similar to what I was alluding to. Of course the guy we’re counting on to be that player for us was on their roster last year.

 

[psyclone]

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3440755/its-time-ranking-all-363-division-i-basketball-teams-for-the-2022-23-season

100. George Mason

Kim English won people over early in the season last year but replacing D'Shawn Schwartz will be a lot. Victor Bailey transfers in from Tennessee and should be familiar with English.

Here's what that site says about Longwood, who we will see in our home opener:
128. Longwood

This is a team that won the Big South a year ago and brings back two big time players. Also if you want to watch beautiful offense, watch Longwood.

 

[gmujim92]

Read this about Tennessee’s new transfer today.

“Last year we had games where we got in some lulls scoring wise and we didn’t have that guy we could just throw the ball, isolate and go get us a bucket or go get fouled or go get us an easy opportunity shot,” Clark said. “I think we’ve found that in Tyreke.”

It’s similar to what I was alluding to. Of course the guy we’re counting on to be that player for us was on their roster last year.

No, the guy we’re counting on to be that player was on our roster last year lol.

 

[psyclone]

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3440755/its-time-ranking-all-363-division-i-basketball-teams-for-the-2022-23-season

100. George Mason

Kim English won people over early in the season last year but replacing D'Shawn Schwartz will be a lot. Victor Bailey transfers in from Tennessee and should be familiar with English.

18. Auburn


Jabari Smith is gone which means it's a whole lot on the guards. Luckily Bruce Pearl tends to thrive in these situations but Wendell Green needs to know his role a bit better this season. Landing Jhoni Broome from Morehead State is massive, especially since they beat out Florida for him. This is going to be a team that flies around this year.

 

[GMU79]

Some kids just develop slower & have lower ceilings, but can still be solid contributors. Isaiah Tate did very little his first two seasons and never did become someone who’d fill up the basket, but as a Jr. & Sr. I thought he was a great contributor who could be slotted in 3-4 positions on the court in a pinch.

We don’t need Polite to be Steve Nash to be successful. Just hold down the position until Dunkin’s can develop by making the open passes, not dribbling into bad positions and turning it over, and make your free throws & open shots when they’re gifted.

And if that doesn't work out, Dunkins can always go back to selling doughnuts.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Just win! I don't care who plays.

 

[FreeGunston12]

I’m hoping both are true and the depth is real.

Yeah. I'm not sure I fully believe nor appreciate the depth comments Kim has made this off-season. As was pointed out, 3 of those bench guys are still on the team. One is slated to be a starter. Many teams only go 8 deep, so clearly he didn't trust the likes of Polite, Jones, and Henry last year.

I think we will be marginally deeper this year, but I won't be surprised if depth continues to be an issue. It would only take 1 or 2 disappointments or freshmen being freshmen for us to be right back to playing the starters 35 minutes a game. But furthermore I don't hear Kim taking a whole lot of responsibility for failing to develop the bench last year, which bugs me most.

 

[GMU79]

Yeah. I'm not sure I fully believe nor appreciate the depth comments Kim has made this off-season. As was pointed out, 3 of those bench guys are still on the team. One is slated to be a starter. Many teams only go 8 deep, so clearly he didn't trust the likes of Polite, Jones, and Henry last year.

I think we will be marginally deeper this year, but I won't be surprised if depth continues to be an issue. It would only take 1 or 2 disappointments or freshmen being freshmen for us to be right back to playing the starters 35 minutes a game. But furthermore I don't hear Kim taking a whole lot of responsibility for failing to develop the bench last year, which bugs me most.

Could be, but maybe the bench wasn't developable.

 

[Junkees9]

Interesting information from the Coach this evening. Singleton will indeed start at the point. Lots of good behind the scenes information.

 

[GMUgemini]

Yeah. I'm not sure I fully believe nor appreciate the depth comments Kim has made this off-season. As was pointed out, 3 of those bench guys are still on the team. One is slated to be a starter. Many teams only go 8 deep, so clearly he didn't trust the likes of Polite, Jones, and Henry last year.

I think we will be marginally deeper this year, but I won't be surprised if depth continues to be an issue. It would only take 1 or 2 disappointments or freshmen being freshmen for us to be right back to playing the starters 35 minutes a game. But furthermore I don't hear Kim taking a whole lot of responsibility for failing to develop the bench last year, which bugs me most.

About the three who stayed:

I’ll give Blake Jones a bit of a pass because he was a freshman (although an old freshman) and he was adjusting to a new country, culture, system, coach, team, and having to take college classes and play (typical freshman stuff). He showed some intelligence and ability even if he didn’t ever put it together yet. He’s potentially developable.

Ronald Polite didn’t end the season on the bench, for whatever reason. And from the info above he’s not going to start against Auburn.

Malik is a great athlete and those are always good to keep around the program, but he has been essentially recruited over in the off-season. He’ll be number three now behind Oduro and Ojiako and might be the 12th or 13th player on the bench in terms of minutes.

 

[psyclone]

Interesting information from the Coach this evening. Singleton will indeed start at the point. Lots of good behind the scenes information.

Very frustrating trying to get on the zoom but NONE of the links/button would work from my phone. Was it recorded?

 

[gmujim92]

Interesting information from the Coach this evening. Singleton will indeed start at the point. Lots of good behind the scenes information.

This will be by far the most experienced, longest starting 5 Mason has ever put on the floor:

Oduro (6-9 Sr), Ticket (6-7 Sr), VJ (6-4 R-Sr), Coop (6-4 R-Sr) and Saquan (6-6 R-Sr)

It’s literally now or never for this group.

 

[gmujim92]

Also hard to imagine given our reliance on small ball under Paulsen, but the bench rotation almost certainly will include two 6-10 guys in Ojiako and Jones.

Imagining a lineup where we have Oduro or Jones at the 4 next to Ojiako and can slide Ticket to the 3 … that’s legit P6 size when needed.

Lots of possible combinations with this group. Can’t wait to see how it all works out.

 

[gmujim92]

Then there’s this: We have enough wing talent that KE doesn’t have to rush his 4-star freshman into starting minutes before he’s ready. Hopefully instead of his body being ground to dust by overuse like Otis, JF’s best basketball will happen the next 3 years when we need him.

 

[sleeperpick]

This will be by far the most experienced, longest starting 5 Mason has ever put on the floor:

Oduro (6-9 Sr), Ticket (6-7 Sr), VJ (6-4 R-Sr), Coop (6-4 R-Sr) and Saquan (6-6 R-Sr)

It’s literally now or never for this group.

clockwork

 

[Junkees9]

Interesting that Coach noted he "gets on" Fernandez and Dinkins more than any other players in practice, followed then by Singleton. While Coach didn't explicitly say so, I understood that to mean he realizes how much talent they have and wants to make sure they develop that talent. He really praised V. Bailey and noted his FT stats during scrimmages, etc. -- 59 for 62. Funny story about how Ojiako snores and how Ticket is probably the funniest guy on the team.
I also thought it was notable that Coach talked about the importance of now building the program around freshmen recruits, saying he had to use the portal at first to be able to really compete right away but certainly implying that his preference is to build from the ground up with young guys.

 

[gmubrian]

I also thought it was notable that Coach talked about the importance of now building the program around freshmen recruits, saying he had to use the portal at first to be able to really compete right away but certainly implying that his preference is to build from the ground up with young guys.

He seems to go with guys he has known for a long time whenever possible, so, I suspect the building with young guys might also include people he recruited hard, they went somewhere else but end up in the portal a year or two later.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

I’ll give Blake Jones a bit of a pass because he was a freshman (although an old freshman) and he was adjusting to a new country, culture, system, coach, team, and having to take college classes and play (typical freshman stuff). He showed some intelligence and ability even if he didn’t ever put it together yet. He’s potentially developable.

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. Jones played in 28 game and averaged 8.3 minutes. That's really not too bad for a true freshman.

 

[GSII]

Did he mention Singletons FT% in practice? I hope it doesn't resemble has stats we see online from his last two years at New Mex.

And Jim, I enjoy reading your posts. This year they might actually be correct.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Just win! I don't care who plays.

Concur - whatever it takes, sweep the leg, throat punch, scrotum yank, granny shots from the free throw line, hail mary's - just do it.