Personnel development needs for 2021?

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Jason Svoboda

Jason Svoboda

The Bird Level
Administrator
Since things have slowed down with regards to building out the roster and looking at the guys we currently have in the fold, anyone want to break down their most important personnel development needs are this Summer heading into next year? I've got a couple:

- For me, just looking at what we've got on paper, shooting development up and down the entire roster is going to be important especially going with the positionless approach.

- Also, since Larry is our sole scholarship PG right now, in addition to getting thousands of shots up, I hope he works on finishing at the rim. Moving up tempo, I think his opportunities to drive will be increased and since he was a good FT shooter, putting pressure on opposing defenses will be important in Schertz's pace driven philosophy. I'll be interested to see if he can rework his form.

- If Key/Neese are going to be running point at all, both need to clean/tighten up their handle.

- I imagine we're going to see Bledson/Stephens at the 4 next year initially so I am going to be interested to see how they can defend that position in the Valley. Away from the rim I think their athleticism will be good but around the rim is what I'm curious about. Thankfully most of our best 4s in the Valley all graduated or transferred out it seems.

- Eventually it appears Simon Wilbar was going to be Schertz replacement for Jordan Guess at LMU so he'd be the long term 4 if he develops. Looking back at his HS senior footage, agility work will be something he needs to improve for our level.
 

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Jason,
What is your opinion (or overall grade) for our recruiting efforts. Do you think ISU (barring injuries) can enjoy
any degree of success next year. Our preconference schedule looks to be difficult so far.
Are you down on JL as some fellow contributors?????
By the way....how do I become a member (paying contributor??????)
 
I'm very optimistic on Schertz as I believe his system is modern and one today's athlete wants to play in. I think it will likely be a culture shock for the older Sycamore fan base that still latches onto eras gone by.

He essentially had to recruit an entire roster so I'm giving him a pass and don't have any expectations for next year outside of system implementation and player development within his system. If you haven't read his Born To Coach book, I'd recommend it. Gives pretty good insight into how he functions and will likely build our program in a similar fashion. However, with the amount of turnover in the conference, I wouldn't be shocked for us to finish in the upper half of the Valley, especially if Cooper takes the next step and Tyreke flourishes in his system.

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Jason Svoboda said:
I'm very optimistic on Schertz as I believe his system is modern and one today's athlete wants to play in. I think it will likely be a culture shock for the older Sycamore fan base that still latches onto eras gone by.
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What in generational hell? There's a lot to unpack in that. What older Syc fans and what by gone eras? Like the era of the 78/79 team that scored over 90 points in 11 games and scored over 100 in 5 games without the benefit of the 3 point line?
 
10 guys crowded around the paint with most shots coming within 15 feet of the basket. That’s what happened in that era of Bird. Some people here say they prefer that type of basketball. Im definitely looking forward to a new offensive style because the GL motion offense wasn’t appealing the way it was being ran.
 

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Gotta Hav said:
What in generational hell? There's a lot to unpack in that. What older Syc fans and what by gone eras? Like the era of the 78/79 team that scored over 90 points in 11 games and scored over 100 in 5 games without the benefit of the 3 point line?
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There are people here that are anti-NBA, don't like how many threes are taken, don't like the analytics aspect, etc. For the most part, that group significantly trends a tad bit older. You're also pointing to the singularity of Sycamore basketball -- when we had multiple NBA players on the team at one time. Irony?
 
Jason Svoboda said:
There are people here that are anti-NBA, don't like how many threes are taken, don't like the analytics aspect, etc. For the most part, that group significantly trends a tad bit older. You're also pointing to the singularity of Sycamore basketball -- when we had multiple NBA players on the team at one time. Irony?
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You got any analytics on that tad older group, because to me that's either your opinion, shooting from the hip, or a bad paradigm....and probably all three.

And I could have pointed to a whole lot, and chose NOT to...so no need to go singularity as if we had nothing shoot at back in the day but Peach Baskets. I had written more, but deleted it. On the older age group, those of us who were young teenagers when the PACERS were formed in 1967 loved the ABA teams and were fascinated by the invention of the 3-pointer and NEVER had a problem with it...and still don't.

I remember buying my first RED, WHITE and BLUE Basketball...and can recall every kid wanting to imitate the WIDE OPEN and FLASHY style of play of those teams...which, if you followed traditional basketball back in the day...that's where the game always was. You wouldn't know this, but even IU was known as the HURRYIN' HOOSIERS for their breakneck style of play....and I don't mean the 1976 team either. And if people who are OLDER are anti-nba, it isn't because of how many threes are taken. etc....it's because of the toxic politics that is NOW associated with it. The players ruined the NBA, NOT us older ABA/NBA fans.
 
Gotta Hav said:
You got any analytics on that tad older group, because to me that's either your opinion, shooting from the hip, or a bad paradigm....and probably all three.

And I could have pointed to a whole lot, and chose NOT to...so no need to go singularity as if we had nothing shoot at back in the day but Peach Baskets. I had written more, but deleted it. On the older age group, those of us who were young teenagers when the PACERS were formed in 1967 loved the ABA teams and were fascinated by the invention of the 3-pointer and NEVER had a problem with it...and still don't.

I remember buying my first RED, WHITE and BLUE Basketball...and can recall every kid wanting to imitate the WIDE OPEN and FLASHY style of play of those teams...which, if you followed traditional basketball back in the day...that's where the game always was. You wouldn't know this, but even IU was known as the HURRYIN' HOOSIERS for their breakneck style of play....and I don't mean the 1976 team either. And if people who are OLDER are anti-nba, it isn't because of how many threes are taken. etc....it's because of the toxic politics that is NOW associated with it. The players ruined the NBA, NOT us older ABA/NBA fans.
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Yep. 305k posts moderated at Sycamore Pride.

@SycamoreStateofMind is old as dirt now and he doesn't like how much analytics has taken over in basketball. Also off the top of my head... 4Q, ITF, meistro and several others have made mention how they don't like how much the 3 ball has been prioritized in today's game. If @BankShot had his way, we'd be playing some 60s offense that originated out of Evansville.

https://sycamorepride.com/threads/i...h-schertz-as-next-mens-basketball-coach.42284 - Re-read this. I'm sure you'll find some more in there. Not sure why you're taking offense so what has been posted here and is easily found by just going back through old threads.
 
I guess I'm in that old age group now. I really don't care what system is being used. Execution and effort are important in winning. Passing up an open midrange shot for a contested 3 is just stupid and lazy. My problem with the NBA is lack of effort on most nights and the constant travelling and palming which the refs almost never call. Also the political crap.
 

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Jason Svoboda said:
Yep. 305k posts moderated at Sycamore Pride.

@SycamoreStateofMind is old as dirt now and he doesn't like how much analytics has taken over in basketball. Also off the top of my head... 4Q, ITF, meistro and several others have made mention how they don't like how much the 3 ball has been prioritized in today's game. If @BankShot had his way, we'd be playing some 60s offense that originated out of Evansville.

https://sycamorepride.com/threads/i...h-schertz-as-next-mens-basketball-coach.42284 - Re-read this. I'm sure you'll find some more in there. Not sure why you're taking offense so what has been posted here and is easily found by just going back through old threads.
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Yes I am older and not a fan of the current NBA game. I like the 3 as much as the next guy, but I also like to watch a good post player work down low. I like a fast paced game but I don't like guys that aren't good shooters taking bad shots. I'm not offended at all by the "older" comment, I think you're correct. Speaking of old guys, how about that win by Phil!
 
It's hard to say what development needs to happen with our players. It's probably not necessarily skill development, but more of a mindset change. In our old system we would grind out the shot clock in the half court and work inside out. It'll be the opposite going forward, which may feel like a paradigm shift to players who played in the old system for a few years. I suppose I'm looking for the following from certain players:

- Key - I want to see him driving to the basket more and work on finishing through contact and playing more above the rim. He has the athleticism to do so and the outside shot to keep defenses honest, so I'd like to see him press the envelope more.

- Neese - take the open shot when you have it. Neese is probably the main player I'm thinking of when it comes to a mentality change. He feel in love with the shot fake last year, and he needs to take the first open shot he has when we has it. He needs to be a little selfish, actually. He'll have the ultimate green light, and he needs to take advantage of it.

- Larry - obviously shooting. Nothing else. Just get up a thousand shots a day. I actually think Larry has a decent mid-range stroke off the dribble (shooting within the flow of the game and being instinctual), but his set jumper is barely rec-league quality. If he's going to play any amount of meaningful minutes, he has to be able to hit an open jumper. Teams will continue to defend us 5 on 4 until he figures this out. And no...Larry did not shoot it well last year no matter what people say or think. He had a few games where he surprised us and made a few threes, but most of the time he didn't even attempt the shot. That's the problem. Defenses were fine giving it to him, and he still didn't take it most of the time. That puts extreme pressure on the rest of the offense.

- Stephens - I've never seen him play, so he just needs to focus on getting healthy and getting his fitness up. I have a feeling he plays a lot of minutes for us this coming season, so he needs to be in shape and ready for that.

- Hittle - weight room work, agility training, and rebounding drills. I guess he's supposed to be a pretty good shooter, but he needs to work on his agility. He'll see minutes if he defends and rebounds. Facing Tucker in practice every day should help.

- D2 Transfers - defense, defense, defense. I have no doubt those guys can score the ball in Schertz's system, but they're going to be defending a higher quality of player day in and day out going forward.
 
Let's do this... How have analytics changed baseball for the better? It hasn't made for a better product I assure you - defensive shifts, incredible strikeout rates, low batting averages etc. etc. Why bring baseball into this? I could be wrong - but I feel like it's the first place I started to hear about analytics influencing roster construction, player development, lineup/game strategy hell even pitch by pitch... I get it to a certain extent - watching the end of the Cubs Cardinals game last night the Cardinals pinch hitter was like 3 for his last 23 vs. breaking balls. Why would you throw him anything else when you only need one out to end the game... But this shit has gone too far and it's ruining sports from a watch ability standpoint. I can tell you it's given me more time to do other things because I watch less sports on TV or in person today than I did 10 years ago.

@ 35 years old (thank you Jason) I've disliked the NBA for the better part of the last 15 years or so... So it's probably fair to lump me in with the "tad bit older crowd" I will accept that.

As for the original post it's really quite simple for me and I'm not sure JS has been able to sure these areas up in his short window of opportunity unfortunately...

First: The stubbornness on here as it relates to our PG position and our teams overall ability to pass the ball (and that starts with the PG) is really something to behold... I believe we were last or close to last year in the Mo Val in assist to turnover ratio - our assist numbers as a team were not good. I am not sure how any of that changes with this roster - the only way that changes is with a different style of offense and I guess we will just see how that works out. Take Larry out of the equation for a minute and I wouldn't consider Key or Cooper plus passers. They're both capable of sharing it - but it's not what they do.

I think some of this probably has to do with style of play and JS system will probably account for a slight correction in a few of those statistics for nerds like @Jason Svoboda (since we're tagging people now too)... But in summary - this team needs to share the ball better than they have in the past and that is just the bottom line. If we're not getting guys open shots and moving the ball it doesn't matter. Oh and it makes it really hard for your PG to pass the ball to anyone when the defense is daring him to shoot and essentially taking a passing option away to being with... Everyone else denies the ball and one or two passing lane is completely taken way. Come on guys - we can do better.

Second: Does anyone think this team might struggle to defend the post and rebound the basketball?? I mean - like you can implement any offense or up-tempo style of play all you want. But you can't just suddenly forget basic fundamental parts of the game. Like if you don't rebound the basketball you're going to get killed and you take away TW and JL then you better replace them... I just don't know enough about the kids coming in and the ability they have to defend the post and rebound. You know in all those fancy highlight tapes they don't show a bunch of guys finding a body and then going and get a missed shot - shocking. So it's one of those things that you really don't know what you have (especially with all of these new players) until you have a chance to visually watch them..

Those are a couple of my early observations... I think as Jason mentioned shooting and shooting % is obviously going to be something to watch. I think my first point above can really help that along. I think with proven D1 shooters like Key and Cooper along with a couple of the other guys we brought in I'm probably less concerned with our ability to make shots and more concerned with the two things I mentioned above. But I've been wrong before... Rarely. But it happens.
 
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BrokerZ said:
It's hard to say what development needs to happen with our players. It's probably not necessarily skill development, but more of a mindset change. In our old system we would grind out the shot clock in the half court and work inside out. It'll be the opposite going forward, which may feel like a paradigm shift to players who played in the old system for a few years. I suppose I'm looking for the following from certain players:
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SycamoreStateofMind said:
Second: Does anyone think this team might struggle to defend the post and rebound the basketball?? I mean - like you can implement any offense or up-tempo style of play all you want. But you can't just suddenly forget basic fundamental parts of the game. Like if you don't rebound the basketball you're going to get killed and you take away TW and JL then you better replace them... I just don't know enough about the kids coming in and the ability they have to defend the post and rebound. You know in all those fancy highlight tapes they don't show a bunch of guys finding a body and then going and get a missed shot - shocking. So it's one of those things that you really don't know what you have (especially with all of these new players) until you have a chance to visually watch them..
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I think you can tie these two together as well -- mentality shift and rebounding. We were really a particularly good rebounding team under Lansing... in fact, I can't recall ever finishing positive in that particular four factor measure. Additionally, back when the Shockers were in the Valley, rebounding was a core tenet of their philosophy and they were damn near double digits ahead of everyone else in conference every year.

That said, I don't think up-tempo doesn't mean you don't rebound, either. For those of you coming in to this late, go listen to his episode on the Basketball Immersion podcast -- https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-basketball/episode-40-josh-schertz-VMu0Xli38vF/?t=270. He talks about a lot of the fundamental concepts and how his philosophies wrap around them. His recruiting style also plays a part with his focus on long athletes as they can often make up ground with their abilities.
 

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Right - he seems to value length and athletic ability for sure while recruiting. As I've said many times - I don't follow recruiting too awfully close but that appears to be the case anyway. I'm just saying over the course of a couple years I am sure he can get the right mix of talent to accomplish what he hopes with his roster construct. I'm just not sure he will be able to do it right out of the gates.

And then if he does - I am not sure I'd know what to make of it. I think it would be a really positive thing if they're a top 4 or 5 team next season - but me kind of thinks they will be in that range anyway with the likes of two really good players in Cooper and Key coming back.

My biggest issue and has been since Odum left has been the underwhelming talent we've put at the PG spot. Honestly - give me the best quality from every PG we've had since Odum left and we'd have a pretty solid PG. Larry has some desirable qualities as a player - I don't mean to beat up on the kid. For starters - Lansing put him in a terrible spot last year. He plays pretty hard D and fundamentally seems to understand what the heck he's doing. He's got a really positive demeanor to him and seems to really love to compete - emotion is a good thing in college basketball in my opinion and he shows emotion. Lastly, although not a great passer in my opinion - he doesn't kick it around either as he takes pretty good care of the basketball.
 
Jason Svoboda said:
Yep. 305k posts moderated at Sycamore Pride.

@SycamoreStateofMind is old as dirt now and he doesn't like how much analytics has taken over in basketball. Also off the top of my head... 4Q, ITF, meistro and several others have made mention how they don't like how much the 3 ball has been prioritized in today's game. If @BankShot had his way, we'd be playing some 60s offense that originated out of Evansville.

https://sycamorepride.com/threads/i...h-schertz-as-next-mens-basketball-coach.42284 - Re-read this. I'm sure you'll find some more in there. Not sure why you're taking offense so what has been posted here and is easily found by just going back through old threads.
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Ya, that "60's EC Offense" won two (2) straight NCAA Championships in front of 13,000 fans. When's the last ISU played host to such crowds? Must've had something cook'n besides Mac's BQ.
 
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