Southgrad07
The Renn Level
Slow time on the board so thought I'd look ahead to next season. It looks like barring some unforeseen event that our roster is set for the 16-17 season. We are undoubtedly going to be picked in the lower half of the league again next season and rightfully so. However, I do believe that this groups ceiling is higher than last years squad. I'll try to breakdown with my own worthless opinion what I think our players should be able to bring and what they have to bring in order for us to reach our potential next year. Feel free to disagree and comment to get some conversation going.
Brenton Scott- It's fitting I start here because any hope of us cracking the top half of the league requires that this guy take the next step in his game on and off the floor. He has proven to be an all league scorer, dangerous from anywhere on the floor..What he has to do is broaden his effect on the game by continuing to make strides on the defensive end and learning how create looks for others. Whether that be drive and dish or a successful decoy that lends to help defense. As far as off the floor he seems like a guy that puts in a ton of work on his game and that is contagious, but he also has to become a leader on this team and that might take some time.
Everett Clemons- Can't find a flaw in his game except for painfully obvious fact that he can't shoot the ball, and that is a big deal folks. He is a nature leader that is as tough minded as they come, but unless he can figure out a way to knock down 12-15 FT jumpers consistently (and foul shots) his ceiling is limited. At the very least he is a solid role player. If he had a solid mid range J/driving ability he could be much more than that.
Emondre Rickman- He is the third player I mention because if we want to reach our true ceiling this is the guy that has to emerge as our starting center. I think he had a fairly successful FR campaign given the surprising Bell injury and his lack of overall bball experience. He was thrust into a lot of playing time and showed flashes of "wow" plays. Obviously he has to become more polished on the offensive end, but as far as next yr his true impact could be on the boards and defensively. With his frame and agility he should be able to change a lot of shots and control the glass. I like the way this kid runs the floor and has an aggressive attitude while he's out there. If he puts in the work he could be the best big guy we've had in a longggg time in a yr or so.
Niels Bunschoten- Speaking of flashes, the flying dutchman had some of those during his junior season. He took over some of our games in stretches and was more athletic than I anticipated (still nowhere near a 3 btw)... The trick for him is to become more consistent and much of that hinges on him staying away from the "silly" fouls. Many times our team would play solid defense for 20 seconds(including him) only to see Niels commit a needless foul. The biggest thing I'm encouraged by is he had most of his quality games toward the end of the year and that is when you usually see the game slow down for JC transfers. If he can be a more consistent pick and pop 4 I could see him being a solid starter for us next season.
Donovan Franklin- This is a guy I haven't seen yet...but I'm giving him the inside track on the starting SF spot. He has a reputation for being able to fill it up in HS and in his only JC season, something our starting lineup desperately needs.. He has good size and seems to be able to score in multiple ways, traits that should help with the transition to D1 ball. I will say that if he wants to claim a starting spot he will have to live up to Lansing's standards on defense as well.
Demonte Ojinnaka- Primary competition for Franklin and like Franklin I have not seen him in person. From all reports and the few videos he is being brought in here to do 2 things well....Shoot the 3 ball and defend bigger wings. One of those things (3pt shooting) I feel more confident in than the other (defending). His stats when healthy or with a decent team seem to prove he can shoot the ball.. If he is going to start than like Franklin he is going to have to prove he can keep opposing wings from going off. Here's to hoping both of these guys prove themselves worthy of the starting nod.
Bronson Kessigner- Physically I'm not worried about him. The injury he sustained has had plenty of time to heal and Paul George is living proof that you can come back and be what you once were, not to mention Bronson is 5 or so years younger and thus more likely to rebound. The obstacle most likely will be mentally for the young man .He was labeled as an aggressive/high motor player coming out of HS and he has to get back to being comfortable sticking his nose in there and putting his body on the line...I am not going to even begin to comment on how easy or hard that is because I can't imagine having that type of injury...All this being said he looked great towards the end of the season in practice/warmups and Lansing has sang his praises...If he clears that mental hurdle maybe he can become the special player some thought he could be. X factor for the upcoming season.
Brandon Murphy- Was almost ready to give up on him after his FR season....However, I thought he made significant strides last season that gives me hope. His body was improved to go along with his defensive awareness (both still have a ways to go). There were growing pains and I'm not sure how high is ceiling is, but I feel like if he comes back with an improved post game (finish those 3ft and in shots!!!) he can be an offensive threat for us down low.
Matt Van Sycoc- What a disappointment he was this past season. Talked up by the coaches, media, and fellow teammates only to lay a dud for the most part. He is still a rotational player at this level, but we recruited him to be an impact player for us. You would have to believe he will shoot the ball better next season,right???? If he does that and displays better defensive awareness he might earn his starting spot back.
Jordan Barnes- Most heralded PG we've gotten out of HS in some time. I fully expect him to contribute big minutes off the bench and give us another true PG to go along with outside shooting. Next year he will struggle some physically due to his height and lack of weight, i'll live with that though. Another one of our X factors for the upcoming season.
Laquarious Paige- Dude has to develop his offensive game. Has to be able to put pressure on defenses with his penetration or his shooting ability. Defensively I think he's got it figured out and has qualities you want in a strong defensive guard. If he ever wants to be more than a deep bench player he has to get a driving or perimeter game to go along with his decent passing skills.
Trey Knight- The only judgment ill pass on him is he was redshirted this season over Prusator and Paige at the 2....That tells me he was probably behind them on the depth chart and tempers my expectations for him. I've heard he is a good athlete and has a solid frame for a 2/3. I'm skeptical due to the redshirt a season ago though....Kind of seems like either him or Paige fits in long term plan and this upcoming year will tell us a lot about who will get minutes.
TJ Bell- Trying to come back from IMO the hardest injury to rebound from. If he can just be the same guy he was at the end of his Soph. season I would be thrilled. If he can't replicate that I would as least like to see him get 5-10 minutes to pound on opposing 5's and use his experience to his advantage....If he not ready to play by the non conf. I will severly question why we did not give him a medical hardship scholarship to finish his academic career and use the spot for a big who can or will help us in the future. I'm rooting hard for the guy to bounce back strong..He's had a tough go of it here and deserves a nice SR season.
Ethan Claycomb and Matt Deady- Both will probably redshirt and should be living in the weight room. Like what both bring to the table as walk-ons.
Day one starters
Clemons
Scott
Franklin
Bunschoten
Murphy
End of year starters
Clemons
Scott
Franklin
Bunschoten
Rickman
Brenton Scott- It's fitting I start here because any hope of us cracking the top half of the league requires that this guy take the next step in his game on and off the floor. He has proven to be an all league scorer, dangerous from anywhere on the floor..What he has to do is broaden his effect on the game by continuing to make strides on the defensive end and learning how create looks for others. Whether that be drive and dish or a successful decoy that lends to help defense. As far as off the floor he seems like a guy that puts in a ton of work on his game and that is contagious, but he also has to become a leader on this team and that might take some time.
Everett Clemons- Can't find a flaw in his game except for painfully obvious fact that he can't shoot the ball, and that is a big deal folks. He is a nature leader that is as tough minded as they come, but unless he can figure out a way to knock down 12-15 FT jumpers consistently (and foul shots) his ceiling is limited. At the very least he is a solid role player. If he had a solid mid range J/driving ability he could be much more than that.
Emondre Rickman- He is the third player I mention because if we want to reach our true ceiling this is the guy that has to emerge as our starting center. I think he had a fairly successful FR campaign given the surprising Bell injury and his lack of overall bball experience. He was thrust into a lot of playing time and showed flashes of "wow" plays. Obviously he has to become more polished on the offensive end, but as far as next yr his true impact could be on the boards and defensively. With his frame and agility he should be able to change a lot of shots and control the glass. I like the way this kid runs the floor and has an aggressive attitude while he's out there. If he puts in the work he could be the best big guy we've had in a longggg time in a yr or so.
Niels Bunschoten- Speaking of flashes, the flying dutchman had some of those during his junior season. He took over some of our games in stretches and was more athletic than I anticipated (still nowhere near a 3 btw)... The trick for him is to become more consistent and much of that hinges on him staying away from the "silly" fouls. Many times our team would play solid defense for 20 seconds(including him) only to see Niels commit a needless foul. The biggest thing I'm encouraged by is he had most of his quality games toward the end of the year and that is when you usually see the game slow down for JC transfers. If he can be a more consistent pick and pop 4 I could see him being a solid starter for us next season.
Donovan Franklin- This is a guy I haven't seen yet...but I'm giving him the inside track on the starting SF spot. He has a reputation for being able to fill it up in HS and in his only JC season, something our starting lineup desperately needs.. He has good size and seems to be able to score in multiple ways, traits that should help with the transition to D1 ball. I will say that if he wants to claim a starting spot he will have to live up to Lansing's standards on defense as well.
Demonte Ojinnaka- Primary competition for Franklin and like Franklin I have not seen him in person. From all reports and the few videos he is being brought in here to do 2 things well....Shoot the 3 ball and defend bigger wings. One of those things (3pt shooting) I feel more confident in than the other (defending). His stats when healthy or with a decent team seem to prove he can shoot the ball.. If he is going to start than like Franklin he is going to have to prove he can keep opposing wings from going off. Here's to hoping both of these guys prove themselves worthy of the starting nod.
Bronson Kessigner- Physically I'm not worried about him. The injury he sustained has had plenty of time to heal and Paul George is living proof that you can come back and be what you once were, not to mention Bronson is 5 or so years younger and thus more likely to rebound. The obstacle most likely will be mentally for the young man .He was labeled as an aggressive/high motor player coming out of HS and he has to get back to being comfortable sticking his nose in there and putting his body on the line...I am not going to even begin to comment on how easy or hard that is because I can't imagine having that type of injury...All this being said he looked great towards the end of the season in practice/warmups and Lansing has sang his praises...If he clears that mental hurdle maybe he can become the special player some thought he could be. X factor for the upcoming season.
Brandon Murphy- Was almost ready to give up on him after his FR season....However, I thought he made significant strides last season that gives me hope. His body was improved to go along with his defensive awareness (both still have a ways to go). There were growing pains and I'm not sure how high is ceiling is, but I feel like if he comes back with an improved post game (finish those 3ft and in shots!!!) he can be an offensive threat for us down low.
Matt Van Sycoc- What a disappointment he was this past season. Talked up by the coaches, media, and fellow teammates only to lay a dud for the most part. He is still a rotational player at this level, but we recruited him to be an impact player for us. You would have to believe he will shoot the ball better next season,right???? If he does that and displays better defensive awareness he might earn his starting spot back.
Jordan Barnes- Most heralded PG we've gotten out of HS in some time. I fully expect him to contribute big minutes off the bench and give us another true PG to go along with outside shooting. Next year he will struggle some physically due to his height and lack of weight, i'll live with that though. Another one of our X factors for the upcoming season.
Laquarious Paige- Dude has to develop his offensive game. Has to be able to put pressure on defenses with his penetration or his shooting ability. Defensively I think he's got it figured out and has qualities you want in a strong defensive guard. If he ever wants to be more than a deep bench player he has to get a driving or perimeter game to go along with his decent passing skills.
Trey Knight- The only judgment ill pass on him is he was redshirted this season over Prusator and Paige at the 2....That tells me he was probably behind them on the depth chart and tempers my expectations for him. I've heard he is a good athlete and has a solid frame for a 2/3. I'm skeptical due to the redshirt a season ago though....Kind of seems like either him or Paige fits in long term plan and this upcoming year will tell us a lot about who will get minutes.
TJ Bell- Trying to come back from IMO the hardest injury to rebound from. If he can just be the same guy he was at the end of his Soph. season I would be thrilled. If he can't replicate that I would as least like to see him get 5-10 minutes to pound on opposing 5's and use his experience to his advantage....If he not ready to play by the non conf. I will severly question why we did not give him a medical hardship scholarship to finish his academic career and use the spot for a big who can or will help us in the future. I'm rooting hard for the guy to bounce back strong..He's had a tough go of it here and deserves a nice SR season.
Ethan Claycomb and Matt Deady- Both will probably redshirt and should be living in the weight room. Like what both bring to the table as walk-ons.
Day one starters
Clemons
Scott
Franklin
Bunschoten
Murphy
End of year starters
Clemons
Scott
Franklin
Bunschoten
Rickman
