(11-19-2014 01:57 PM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  But, I can also tell you that the best team that we have played to date is the practice squad. Those 4 transfers are better than any player from both teams last night. Scrimmaging those guys every week can only make our regulars better.

That's excellent news to hear. Haywood seemed legit from what I read about him but I didn't know much of anything about the other 3.

So, not to be looking to next year already, but is this our roster next season (pending redshirts)? Just makes things easier when I list it out.

PG

Craig Ponder, r-Sr.
Jordan Talley, So.

SG/Scoring Guards

Malik Pugh, So.
Nick Powell, So.
Jarvis Haywood, r-Jr. (Jacksonville)
Denzel Ingram, r-Jr. (Charlotte)
Chris Flemmings, r-Jr. (Barton)
CJ Bryce, Fr. (N. Mecklenberg HS)
Mark Matthews, Fr. (Fort Myers HS, Florida)

Forwards

Dylan Sherwood, R-Sr.
Marcus Bryan, R-So. (Charlotte)
Trey Grundy, Fr. (Hargrave Military, KY)
Devontae Cacok, Fr. (Alpharetta HS, GA)
Kevin Hickson, Sr.

C

CJ Gettys, r-Jr.
Chuck Ogbodo, Jr.

Question Mark

C Yemi Makanjuola, R-Sr.

The thin bench is at least in part on Keatts-he cut 2 front court players and took a chance on a third that might not work out.Playing in practice vs real games is like night and day.There is no way to duplicate the difference even if the players are more talented.I would also caution against going with transfers and unproven players as the savior to any program.There is always a reason these guys leave a program or have to go juco and it is seldom a positive.
Work hard and get better is all the roster players can and they are the team right now.I personally think these guys can win games in the CAA now.The CAA is a shell of what it once was and is not a top level mid conference or even close to it.

(11-19-2014 02:33 PM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  The thin bench is at least in part on Keatts-he cut 2 front court players and took a chance on a third that might not work out.Playing in practice vs real games is like night and day.There is no way to duplicate the difference even if the players are more talented.I would also caution against going with transfers and unproven players as the savior to any program.There is always a reason these guys leave a program or have to go juco and it is seldom a positive.
Work hard and get better is all the roster players can and they are the team right now.I personally think these guys can win games in the CAA now.The CAA is a shell of what it once was and is not a top level mid conference or even close to it.

The Mullet makes a couple of good points.

In letting Anderson and Ponder go, he made this year's team less good than would otherwise be the case in order to (hopefully) speed the rebuilding process. Part of the price of that is a SHORT bench. Coach Keatts was the one who shortened the bench, so if he loses a player due to injury or other misfortunes (Yemi) he has to acknowledge that his lack of options right now is his own doing to a large extent.

Second, l agree with the foul-smelling fish: UNCW can be successful in the current CAA right now. If we can continue to get better as we take some early-season non-conference lumps, I see no reason at all that we can't be competitive most nights in the conference,

(11-19-2014 12:22 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(11-19-2014 10:52 AM)82hawk Wrote:  Some thoughts on the game.

The Bad

1. We still can't defend in a man to man. Looked far better in a zone. Their commentators noted this, yet we played a LOT of man.

3. Rebounding is awful. Not sure why, but we lost the game on the boards to ODU, and almost lost this one there as well.

The rebounding will likely get even worse if we go primarily zone.

We need Cedrick to take on Keith Rendleman's Moses Malone-esque maniacal desire for rebounds. That or we need Yemi. Otherwise I just don't see it getting much better. Gettys only pulled in 4 rebounds in 26 minutes last night so he needs to get better for us also.

All in all you take road wins when you can get them and hopefully the squad progresses in time.

After two games, UNCW is #333 in the nation in rebounding.

70s, I think you meant Hager - Ponder is still with us. Nevertheless, I've got a gut feeling that letting Hager go might have been the right move. I don't know why but I've just got a feeling about it.

(11-20-2014 08:06 AM)Proff Wrote:  70s, I think you meant Hager - Ponder is still with us.

Sorry about that. "Senior Moment"

Hager is a little soft-IMO but he does have basketbal talent and IQ.UNCW basketball has been without guys who actually know how to play the game for a long time.I like a up tempo style as much as the next guy but you can't sacrifice the game to try it.Many teams try it every season and fail.I see the main problem with the failures as a lack of knowledge of the game as a whole.Every player on the team has to know every role of all positions to have a chance to make it work.Just having a bench full of studs does not mean they can pull it off.It also requires a coaching staff that is not afraid to fail or fall behind in games and stick to the plan.Hager, I think was smart enough and athletic enough to really help this team.Don't forget that next year never gets here and selling out now to win games in the future with unproven kids is a total crap shoot.
Anderson was a kid that just seemed to never get healthy-don't know if that means he was lazy or snake bit.

1. I understand that scrimmage does not equal game time. But, I can see the transfers have already picked up the system before the starters have. It's the starters/regulars who are having to be stopped and explained to where they should be on the floor in the drills. And I am smart enough to know who is getting their asses handed to them in practice.

2. I loved Hager and Anderson. They were great kids, but they cannot play the 5 position. And without Yemi, that is where we are very thin. Right now we have C J and Ced. Chuck is looking like a deer in headlights right now. Hopefully he will come around. C J is our best big man we have. At least until Ced can work two things out. He needs to get meaner and, at the same time, stop the silly fouls.

3. The walk-on, Hickson, is actually stronger and more athletic. I even think he can out jump Hager. After he got his feet wet on the floor, he was not afraid to mix it up with the opposition.

And I met Mark Mathews' dad at the game in Greensboro. He says Mark has grown another inch and is now 6' 7". In his first two games, he scored 32 and 46. I believe he also had 8 assists in one of those games. Word is he is fearless.

Keatts also recruited Trey Grundy when he was at Louisville. I would think this kid could be the real deal.

No doubt Anderson could give you a few minutes at the 5 and Hager is more of a 3 but could help in the front overall.The fact is Keatts cut them and now he has a thin bench-gotta take some the heat for that.It is a factor and if someone gets hurt it could be a disaster.I am just not a transfer guy as far them saving a program but I do understand why players move around.They want more PT or they are pissed at a coach and that is about it.