Ubbulls84

13 minutes ago, MDBullsfan89 said:

Damn good thing we got the waiver for Mballa. I shudder to think how screwed we'd be in the post otherwise. Might still be on nights he gets in foul trouble.

100% true. Has to learn rotations better but the talent is there. Was the only player who impressed me this game. Everyone else underachieved besides maybe Jordan, if he can hit his fts lol

Wow this was bad, unbelievably bad. And it wasn’t Dartmouth they weren’t doing anything special, it was us. How many wide open layups? So many players looked horrible, Jeenathan and Segu did not look good at all. Graves had a rough game even though I have confidence he’ll be fine. Besides Mballa, all our big men are soft. It’s just one game yes I get it, and yes not end of world. But boy we have no one on this team like Nick Perkins who can just get buckets when the outside shot not falling. This team has no chance against Harvard I just don’t see us winning that game unless we shot absolutely lights out. 

2 hours ago, 961819 said:

That reminds me, they’re running out of room for all these banners. Wonder what they’re gonna do with the next 50 banners 

They’ll find room, would love to have that problem of having to find room for banners

25 minutes ago, MaineBull said:

I know we should not judge these players or this team after one game but I am going to anyway.  I simply cannot resist.  I am too excited for this team.  First let me be clear I did not see most of the first half.  Here are my thoughts on what I saw last night:

Nickelberry-I was surprised by his lack of minutes.  He looked like a player struggling to adjust to the speed of the game.  He looked a bit lost, especially on the offensive end.  His length is going to be a huge plus for us on the wing.  When he figures it out he is going to be a matchup problem for most MAC teams.

Grant-This guy can really shoot it and will shoot it from just about anywhere.  I liked what I saw from him last night.  He is bigger than I thought and plays bigger on the defensive end.  Grant will be a big part of what we do this year and he will have some games where he goes off from deep.  He will help us to spread the floor with his shooting.

A. Johnson-He may be an even better shooter than Grant.  His stroke is pure and he shoots it quick.  He seems to be more comfortable shooting off the dribble as opposed to the set shot preferred by Grant.  His athleticism is also very impressive.  Johnson is in for a big year for us.

Graves-He looked confident and like our team leader.  He took over the game in the beginning of the second half.  Putting his team on his back to get them going, like a true leader does.  He defends hard and rebounded the ball well also.  I suspect Graves will be in the conversation for MAC POTY.

Jordan-He looked in control of the offense.  He controlled the pace of play and played his usual great defense.  He is going to be a nuisance to all opposing guards all season long.  MAC defensive player of the year this year.

Gallion-I was impressed with what I saw from this true freshman, although most of those minutes were garbage time at the end of the game.  He looks to be a solid player on the defensive side of the ball and has clearly bought into the concept of defending to get minutes. 

Segu-Wow has he made the sophomore jump.  He looked quicker and more athletic.  He has clearly hit the weight room as well.  We have a budding superstar on our hands here in Segu.  He can shoot, has a great pull up game and is very unselfish.  He seems to be at his best when finding his teammates down the court on the break.  I bet 8 of his assists came in that fashion last night.   I see significant minutes played by Segu this year.  In fact I could see his great play putting a damper on some of Jordans minutes, especially with the other strong guard play we have now in Grant, Johnson and Nickleberry.

J Williams-Also appears to have made a big jump similar to Segu.  He looked more relaxed and confident in his game.  He limited his bad shoots to a few last night and defensively was very very active.  Williams will be a HUGE part of this team and the future looks very bright for him.  He becomes more comfortable taking the ball off the dribble to his right and with his jump shot and he could be a MAC POTY in the future.

Mballa-I know he only played limited minutes but I was impressed with his game.  He is long and athletic and can run the floor, block shots and finish with either hand.  His game is perfect for the up tempo style we like to play.  He was the only rim protector on the floor last night.  Unless Hardnett can provide the ability to protect the rim, he will be our only interior presence when the games are on the line.  That being said he is going to have to play without getting into foul trouble.  Mballa is going to be a handful in this conference.  I see a multiple MAC defensive player of the year award in his future.

Bertrum-The rumors of him improving are true.  He has gotten in better shape and appears to be one of the team leaders.  But he is still not quick enough, or mobile enough laterally to defend in the post.  He was schooled by the Daemen big on several occasions last night, I know he is a great Division II player.  He is a great kid, who works hard but he is too slow footed for success at this level.  Brock is the type of player Buffalo used to recruit back in the Witherspoon days.  We have taken recruiting to the next level and he is not able to compete with the new recruits.  I do not see Brock playing many significant minutes this season when the game is on the line.  He is simply too much of a liability on the defensive side of the ball.   

Skogman-Looked long but slight.  He struggled to defend in the post similar to Bertrum.  Hard to judge him on one game, especially his first game.  He needs to get in the weight room and to work on his post defense.  I love that he can shoot and will be a large part of what we do moving forwards with his ability to space the floor and bring the opposing big away from the basket with his shooting abilities. 

Whitesell-I liked what I saw from him on the sideline.  He looked comfortable and in control.  The players played hard for him, especially in the second half.  I cannot wait to see his style develop over the year.  The kids on this team clearly care for him.

Team-I have been saying it for a while now, this team is the favorite to win the MAC.  They will have a very balanced scoring attack as we saw last night.  They will push the tempo and defend.  They will be a very fun team to watch.  My only concern is the post defense.  MBalla and Hardnett need to secure the post, if so this team really has no visible holes.  I cannot wait to watch this team develop as they will continue to get better and better as the season goes on.  This team is deeper than last year and has more athleticism than last years team.  I would even say this team has better shooting than last years team.  The future is bright for the Bulls! 

Couldn’t agree more with this post. Your 100% right about Bertram, just doesn’t have the quickness to keep guy in front. I expect him to get some minutes off bench but I don’t think you can rely on for production. We can play a smaller lineup depending on matchups, but when other team has strong big, Mballa gonna be the guy to rely on. Problem is if he is in foul trouble that makes us pretty thin there, but can’t have everything. Whitesell I’m sure talked about stepping up on defensive side after the game. 

Looked great offensively. Johnson and grant can really shoot the ball, segu looks like he stepped it up. The concern for me is defense, particularly post defense. Bertram just too slow footed to keep up with a mobile big. Mballa will be the guy to anchor down there, but he looks like he’s very foul prone. I think Hardnett will play time at the 5 too, depending on matchups. They need to work on post defense too many easy buckets and put backs down there for my liking. Other teams will try to exploit this. 

I love the blue jerseys, the ones we wore when we beat Arizona. Those are perfect, no need to change those ever. The greys are ok compared to the white before, but the blues are definitely more 🔥 

Love this signing, our top priority should be PG with Davonta graduating, and this kid looks like a stud! Got a lot of high major offers, and looks like he can light up the scoreboard.

5 hours ago, 961819 said:

Agree with the Brock part. He may not be able to run and gun, but his game is all back to the basket and physical post defense. He’ll be nice to have for any team with a decent big 

Completely agree he just doesn’t have the foot speed to keep up at this level. You can get stronger and even improve your skill set, but can’t create that. Hes just too slow and you even saw that when he played in past getting beat to the bucket on defense. He’ll get PT but don’t see him playing a big part either. 

1 hour ago, MKBullsfan said:

Yeah I disagree with Maine on the starting line-up. Jordan, Graves and Johnson will be starting because they are the 3 best players on the team. Period. No brainer. Whitesell preached at his introduction press conference that we would play the same up tempo style that Oats had. So why would we all of a sudden go 3 forwards and only 2 guards? Johnson is taking Massinburgs spot and should be good for at least 12pts per game. Just watch. He can ball. 

Couldn’t agree more with you, it’s a no brainer in my eyes too as they are the 3 best players. We play in the Mac, Graves will likely guard the 3 position and he’s 6’3” and more than enough athletic and strong to hold his own. People making it like he’s gonna be guarding 6’8 guys. At best he’ll be guarding guys that are 2 or 3 inches taller and I think that won’t be an issue at all. We’ve always played this way also this whole stretch of winning so don’t see why we all of a sudden change it.

Gonna we weird watching this team without massinburg and perk, and dontay caruthers coming off the bench was such a luxury, dude was a beast.

1 hour ago, SGBull said:

Nearly every team? Here is the data from RealGM.

1. Virginia - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards (1 Guard was 6'5")

2. Texas Tech - 3 Guards 2 forwards (1 guard was 6'6")

3. Michigan State - 2 Guards, 3 forwards (1 guard was 6'5")

4. Duke - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards (1 Guard was 6'7")

5. Auburn - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards

6. Gonzaga - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards (1 Guard was 6'5")

7. Kentucky - 2 guards, 3 forwards (1 Guard was 6'5")

8.Purdue - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards (2 Guards were 6'6")

9. UNC - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards (Guards were 6'4" and 6'5")

10. Tennessee - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards

11. Michigan - 3 guards, 2 forwards (2 Guards were 6'5" and 6'6")

12. Houston - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards

13. Florida State - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards (Guards were 6'4 and 6'5")

14. Virginia Tech, 3 Guards, 2 Forwards (2 Guards were 6'5")

15. LSU - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards (2 Guards were 6'4" and 6'6")

16. Kansas - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards, (1 Guard was 6'5")

17. Buffalo - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards

18. Wofford - 3 Guards, 2 forwards (2 Guards were 6'4")

19. Kansas State - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards

20. Villanova - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards

21. Oregon - 1 Guard, 4 Forwards

22. Maryland - 3 Guards, 2 Forwards (2 Guards were 6'4" and 6'5")

23. Nevada -  1 Guard, 4 Forwards (no player under 6'7")

24. Wisconsin - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards

25. Iowa State - 2 Guards, 3 Forwards (No player under 6'4")

 

So 10 out of the top 25 (40%) had 3 guards starting. Out of the teams who had 3 Guards, only Buffalo and Houston had 3 players under 6'4". Only 3 teams had 3 players starting who were shorter than 6'5" (Buffalo, Houston, and Wofford). So I am not really sure why you said nearly every team has 3 guards starting. I guess if you count all the teams with a NET below 200 you can find a bunch, but that isn't what we are striving for. The last two years we got knocked out of the tourney by long and athletic teams. 

Side note: After typing guard so many times I realized it is a really weird looking word. 

 

40% is a pretty good amount in my opinion. We’ve always played a 3 guard lineup traditionally going back to when we first won with Bearden, Evans and Skeete. Not only does it allow you to have 3 ballhandlers on the court, but  it helps you push the pace like we want to. Jeenathan still has to prove himself and I’m sure he’ll get plenty of minutes off the bench to do that. When we are playing a big team where the size is a factor I can see us tweaking starting lineup to matchup better, but in most cases this won’t happen.

I don’t see how you don’t start Johnson and we usually play a 3 guard lineup so I see him starting with Jordan and Graves. Also don’t see Bertram playing any significant role unless god forbid there is some injury, he just doesn’t have the foot speed to play at this level. Sure he has improved but I just don’t see it. Would be a game changer if Mballa gets that waiver, need that strong body down low.

Jordan, Johnson and Graves def. a lock like everyone said. I think at the 4 Nickleberry gets the nod. 5 spot is tricky, against a smaller lineup Hardnett might get start there but bigger lineup probably Skogman. We are a little thin at the 5 spot in my opinion until we get Mballa. When we match up against bigger teams were gonna be a bit undersized and Bertram is likely to get some bench minutes way we look right now. 

Solid bench also w Williams, Segu, Grant and Hardnett/Skogman. I think Gallion might get some bench minutes too atleast early on. 

This team will definitely have legit shot at 3 peat this year. 

Not a bad option at all would make us more versatile, we definitely have to fill this last spot with a big man who is eligible to play this coming year. Skogman the only true big man, and I just don’t trust Bertram for any significant minutes so this last spot is really important and will definitely get good amount of minutes.

Would be a huge land. Set us up really nicely and put us in position this coming year to compete to win Mac again. Also, would be clear our focus next year would be to replace Davonta Jordan, which is no easy task at all, as I think he’s one of the best all around pg’s UB has ever had (minus free throw shooting lol)