Couple thoughts after 2 games...

[CoverTwo]

I've been to both of the games so far and here is a couple observations:

1. Devan Downey might be the best point guard in the SEC not named Ronald Steele..He is the heart & soul of this team and they feed off of him..Barring injury, he will be All-SEC..He is the QUICKEST guard I have seen in person..His ability to get in the lane and create is the biggest thing that stands out to me.

There is a problem though. We need a backup PG. Similar to last season when we took Tre out for breathers (which was rare) our offense and flow on the court seems to slow down and just isnt as smooth as it is when Downey is in the game..Zam Fredrick usually moves over to the point, but he is a scorer not a distributor or a facilitator of offense..We need to hope that Brandon Conrad can grow up quickly before SEC play or we might be in trouble if Downey gets in foul trouble...I like the fact that Dave is watching his minutes closely in these blowout wins, trying to keep him fresh.

2. Zam Fredrick is special..I love this guy's game..We all have been screaming and yelling for the past couple years to find a guy that can flat out score..Well, I think we got one in Zam. He is FEARLESS, and can create his own shot..He is big for a guard and can use his size to back down defenders..He still seems to be trying to settle down, but when he gets going, its going to be fun to watch..I think he can drop 15-20 a game easily this year.

3. Mike Holmes & Sam Muldrow are the keys to a NCAA birth..Yes, they are freshman and they are making some mistakes that are correctable but they both do a lot of good things that make you smile..Muldrow is extremely athletic and I'll put money that he will break Brandon Wallace's block record if he stays all 4 years..His offensive game needs a lot of work, but he does so much as far as rebounding and defending..Once he gets stronger I think he will be much more effective and be able to post up more often...Mike Holmes is suprisingly better than I thought he would be..He is big (but still undersized) and has the ability to play inside/outside..This will help bring the big guys out to the perimeter and let Downey and crew wreck the paint..Holmes only problem (to me at least) is that he rushes when he gets the ball and sometimes struggles to secure it before he makes a move..I've noticed he gets better & better as the game goes on..I think he is a legit double/double guy if he continues to improve.


With all that being said, we really need to do a better job on the boards..I think the guards are going to have to help instead of shooting down court when the shot goes up..This could change when Carter is ready, but I really dont know how much he is going to help (if anything, he might slow us down)..I am so glad to see the up tempo/pressure defense back also..We have got to use our speed and athleticism to our advantage...I'm not trying to get too excited, but this group is so fun to watch and I think we will all get a better judge on how good they are going to be in the next 2 weeks after Southern Cal & the Ol Spice Challenge.

Go Cocks.

[Spur's Addiction]

Nice post - thanks

[evilpoptart]

Our big men dont know how to play. Ive been to both home games so far and they arent really rebounding and Odom isnt trying to get everyone to feed the ball down low. A good post game is important to having a great season. Our bigs were barely beating SC State and Citadel's bigs.... what the hell are they going to do when they start playing solid SEC teams?

[colnago]

Good post. I will say though that I am impressed with Conrad at this point. he came in last night with about 5-6 minutes left and played with a lot of intensity and made several great hustle plays. He also nailed a 3 pt shot to put us over the century mark. He needs more time, but he hustles.

[USC-Hokie]

First of all, Odom is finally letting the boys run which is a great thing. That has been the biggest problems with his teams of the past, one they get into his offensive set, we just get into a lot of trouble b/c it is so slow. Second, I am not sold on Muldrow right now, he will be a good back up to Mike Holmes but he is so raw and I don't think he will break Wallace's shot blocking record. Wallace had much better timing than Sam and was more athletic. Muldrow will definently help us this year though. I get to watch the team practice everyday b/c I work at the Colonial Center and I see Conrad getting more time as the year goes on. He is very fundamentally sound and cna knock down a three point shot when he gets open. Finally, Devan Downey is the best point guard in the SEC. Steele is good and one has to also think about Jamon Gordon at Miss. St., but Downey is probably better than them b/c of his leadership skills. He gets on guys for screwing around in practice and has no problem calling them out. This summer he was lifting weights and Brandis Raley-Ross walked in and Downey laid into him b/c he missed the previous two workouts. Apparently it got heated but I love to see that kind of character from a kid who obviously wants to win. He is the perfect combination of Tre Kelley and Mike Boynton packaged into one. I am so pumped for this basketball season and hope this is the year we see the tourney again.

One more thing, one thing that the guys are doing that they have never done in years past is coming in the morning of games and going through some shooting drills with one of the team managers. I have seen Muldrow, Conrad, Fredrick, Downey and Holmes all here doing those shooting drills between 10:00AM and 2:00PM, I have a feeling Downey inspired some of this.

[TalkingHead]

Great reports!

[BigRedCock]

the team is definitley running the ball around more you're right. i liked watching the game last night. good showing. plus seeing the citadel silent drill team was pretty cool. those guys are nuts.
anyone hear the crowd yelling "grabass" @ # 15?

[OVPcock]

Thanks guys, I enjoyed the posts

[VBCock]

I've been to both of the games so far and here is a couple observations:

1. Devan Downey might be the best point guard in the SEC not named Ronald Steele..He is the heart & soul of this team and they feed off of him..Barring injury, he will be All-SEC..He is the QUICKEST guard I have seen in person..His ability to get in the lane and create is the biggest thing that stands out to me.

There is a problem though. We need a backup PG. Similar to last season when we took Tre out for breathers (which was rare) our offense and flow on the court seems to slow down and just isnt as smooth as it is when Downey is in the game..Zam Fredrick usually moves over to the point, but he is a scorer not a distributor or a facilitator of offense..We need to hope that Brandon Conrad can grow up quickly before SEC play or we might be in trouble if Downey gets in foul trouble...I like the fact that Dave is watching his minutes closely in these blowout wins, trying to keep him fresh.

2. Zam Fredrick is special..I love this guy's game..We all have been screaming and yelling for the past couple years to find a guy that can flat out score..Well, I think we got one in Zam. He is FEARLESS, and can create his own shot..He is big for a guard and can use his size to back down defenders..He still seems to be trying to settle down, but when he gets going, its going to be fun to watch..I think he can drop 15-20 a game easily this year.

3. Mike Holmes & Sam Muldrow are the keys to a NCAA birth..Yes, they are freshman and they are making some mistakes that are correctable but they both do a lot of good things that make you smile..Muldrow is extremely athletic and I'll put money that he will break Brandon Wallace's block record if he stays all 4 years..His offensive game needs a lot of work, but he does so much as far as rebounding and defending..Once he gets stronger I think he will be much more effective and be able to post up more often...Mike Holmes is suprisingly better than I thought he would be..He is big (but still undersized) and has the ability to play inside/outside..This will help bring the big guys out to the perimeter and let Downey and crew wreck the paint..Holmes only problem (to me at least) is that he rushes when he gets the ball and sometimes struggles to secure it before he makes a move..I've noticed he gets better & better as the game goes on..I think he is a legit double/double guy if he continues to improve.


With all that being said, we really need to do a better job on the boards..I think the guards are going to have to help instead of shooting down court when the shot goes up..This could change when Carter is ready, but I really dont know how much he is going to help (if anything, he might slow us down)..I am so glad to see the up tempo/pressure defense back also..We have got to use our speed and athleticism to our advantage...I'm not trying to get too excited, but this group is so fun to watch and I think we will all get a better judge on how good they are going to be in the next 2 weeks after Southern Cal & the Ol Spice Challenge.

Go Cocks.


Just pondering your first point, I have to say that if you think Downey is the quickest guard you've ever seen and you think he is All-SEC, then you should not be surprised that the offense doesn't run as quickly or efficiently without him as with him.

Just looking at box scores, Fredrick had three or four assists vs. State and seven assists last night. I've seen him run the point in a major conference before and he was adequate and should be as effective a backup PG as we've had in some time.

I think maybe there are two things in college basketball that are a little overrated. The quality of your backup PG and the necessity of having 6'11/7 footers who can really play. Obviously, it is very nice to have, but they aren't strictly necessary to having a good team.

The best PGs in the country rarely come out. It's just the nature of the position.

I agree that we do need to find Downey more rest than we found Kelley to make sure that he stays healty.

2. I agree with you that the frontcourt development is the key to the NCAA. I do not believe they can develop fast enough to get us there, and it isn't necessarily their size, but their knowledge of the system and defense that concerns me. You can manage getting beat on the boards, but giving up easy baskets will kill you. I think we're a year off the NCAA, but it is a possibility.

[VBCock]

First of all, Odom is finally letting the boys run which is a great thing. That has been the biggest problems with his teams of the past, one they get into his offensive set, we just get into a lot of trouble b/c it is so slow. Second, I am not sold on Muldrow right now, he will be a good back up to Mike Holmes but he is so raw and I don't think he will break Wallace's shot blocking record. Wallace had much better timing than Sam and was more athletic. Muldrow will definently help us this year though. I get to watch the team practice everyday b/c I work at the Colonial Center and I see Conrad getting more time as the year goes on. He is very fundamentally sound and cna knock down a three point shot when he gets open. Finally, Devan Downey is the best point guard in the SEC. Steele is good and one has to also think about Jamon Gordon at Miss. St., but Downey is probably better than them b/c of his leadership skills. He gets on guys for screwing around in practice and has no problem calling them out. This summer he was lifting weights and Brandis Raley-Ross walked in and Downey laid into him b/c he missed the previous two workouts. Apparently it got heated but I love to see that kind of character from a kid who obviously wants to win. He is the perfect combination of Tre Kelley and Mike Boynton packaged into one. I am so pumped for this basketball season and hope this is the year we see the tourney again.

One more thing, one thing that the guys are doing that they have never done in years past is coming in the morning of games and going through some shooting drills with one of the team managers. I have seen Muldrow, Conrad, Fredrick, Downey and Holmes all here doing those shooting drills between 10:00AM and 2:00PM, I have a feeling Downey inspired some of this.

i do not believe that Odom dictated the pace of his teams to be slow as a preference. Anyone who watched what his Wake teams did with Childress know that he has been willing to play up tempo when he had the personnel.

Odom has said, and I believe him, that his teams generally play at the speed of the PG and that he has not really had a PG that was a jet here. That makes alot of sense to me.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that any team must slow down at times and must eventually score in the half court because they will inevitably meet up with squads who can run with them and who will slow it down.

I believe that as long as Downey is healthy that he will force a pretty good pace.

[U-Dub Gamecock]

I listened to the game in Charleston (On the Citadel Broadcast).. The Citadel announcer said that Carolina was a much better team than they were (when we played them last year in Charleston).. He raved about how fast Downey was.. and how we pushed the ball up the court so quickly..

Listening to the game.. sounds like we know how to get up and down the court.. I will go to a few games this year... this teams sounds like they are very entertaining..

Also.. the most points we scored all of last year was 90 (In overtime against Vandy).. well.. in 2 games this year.. we have scored 92 and 103..

[USC-Hokie]

I agree that a half court is a necessity, but unless we get a Tim Duncan, we won't have a good half court. Last year it was hard to run like we are this year b/c of lack of depth for Brandon Wallace. At the same time however, how many times did we go through our offense last year and nothing came of it and Tre' Kelley had to take his man off of the dribble. I had no problem with that b/c Tre' Kelley has been my favorite player since his freshman year so I got to see him do a lot but it just is not a very productive offense. It might be my biased of a running offense but I am glad to see it this year. Side note, Archie is shooting the ball very well which is exciting and Day can't seem to miss.

[ertman420]

Gotta say... Devan Downey looked good. He was really fast, had some good rebounds, lots of assists. It was clearly evident that he is the true leader of this team. I can definitely see this guy as 1st team All SEC. He was literally all over the court, challenging inbound passes, getting steals, rebounds... This kid is a budding star.

I saw good things from Muldrow and Holmes inside. They both seemed to have a good baseline presence. Neither one of them could contain the opposing team's center, but I think the D will develop with time. This is not a post team, we are definitely a perimiter team again this year, especially starting 3 guards. The difference this year, IMO, is we have the talent to hit the outside shots this year. Our young guys inside will get bigger, stronger and better at timing blocks.

This could be the best team we've had in years. I can't say enough about Downey and Frederick. I've heard good things about Downey's leadership skills, and I'm glad to hear that he's holding guys accountable for weight training and extra practice. This guy could take us to the big dance.

I know we haven't played any SEC teams, but look at last year. We barely beat SC State to start the year. So far this year, we have 30+ and 60+ blowouts. We're fast, and other teams are going to have a hard time keeping up with us. I'm excited!

Oh yeah, #15 out up 3 airballs in a row. The crowd was really getting to him. It was so bad, the girl that was sitting next to me was like, "Stop picking on him! Awwwwww!"

:wink:

[roosterrizk1]

Our big men dont know how to play. Ive been to both home games so far and they arent really rebounding

Being they are Freshman I think your statement is idiotic. I don't know how many rebounds Muldrow had against the Citadel but I believe he had 9 rebounds, which for his first game impresses me. UK lost to Gardner-Webb so maybe the little TEAMS know a little more about basketball than what you think so I will take our two blow out wins a crow. Sorry your the only one not happy !!!

[Gamerooster]

Our inside game is, well, we don't have one. That's why we run all the clear out plays. As good as we are on the perimeter it'll be tough in the SEC with out an inside game. Still, if those guards can shoot lights out we can win a few.

[superstar90]

If you can't run an up tempo game, you have to have big men, and a halfcourt offense. We are going try to win with an up tempo game. Sure big men would help, but our only chance to win is to run and we are trying that route. It can be done. It's easier to win when you have an "LSU" type team, but you can have more blowout wins with our style. Days that our shooting is bad we will struggle, but when we have good days we can blow people away. From what I can tell foul trouble may be the only thing that limits us.

[Mr. Burns]

Our basketball team is BACK LIKE COOKED CRACK!!

[jared]

hey CoverTwo, are you forgetting chris lofton from tennessee? that is your best point guard.

[usc1]

Our big men dont know how to play. Ive been to both home games so far and they arent really rebounding and Odom isnt trying to get everyone to feed the ball down low. A good post game is important to having a great season. Our bigs were barely beating SC State and Citadel's bigs.... what the hell are they going to do when they start playing solid SEC teams?

We dominated Citadel's bigs on the boards 51-27. Our rebounding has really improved since the first game.

[CoverTwo]

hey CoverTwo, are you forgetting chris lofton from tennessee? that is your best point guard.
Lofton isnt a point guard.

Just pondering your first point, I have to say that if you think Downey is the quickest guard you've ever seen and you think he is All-SEC, then you should not be surprised that the offense doesn't run as quickly or efficiently without him as with him.

Just looking at box scores, Fredrick had three or four assists vs. State and seven assists last night. I've seen him run the point in a major conference before and he was adequate and should be as effective a backup PG as we've had in some time.

I think maybe there are two things in college basketball that are a little overrated. The quality of your backup PG and the necessity of having 6'11/7 footers who can really play. Obviously, it is very nice to have, but they aren't strictly necessary to having a good team.

The best PGs in the country rarely come out. It's just the nature of the position.

I agree that we do need to find Downey more rest than we found Kelley to make sure that he stays healty.

I kinda agree..My point as that we need a guy that can keep the offense moving or flowing while Downey is out..When he isnt in the game, we dont seem as fluid..We dont have another true point guard on the team besides Conrad, but I think the jury is still out on him..Zam and Raley Ross can run point but you can tell that they really arent that comfortable in that role..If you look at a lot of the really good teams, that do have a backup that does an adequate job.

And I 100% agree that a 6'11/7'0 footers are overrated in College Basketball especially if they dont fit your style of play.

[Gamerooster]

We dominated Citadel's bigs on the boards 51-27. Our rebounding has really improved since the first game.
Citadel doesn't have any bigs to dominate. You don't need a 7 footer to have a good inside game but our inside guys have not played very well, and it really shows on defense. Teams will find our weakness and exploit it. We can out-run and out-shoot teams in many games but to have a chance at the dance we have to develop a decent inside game.