Andre Berry looking Good

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 7 years ago

Wow, it looks like Andre has really slimmed down. Could he be a bigger contributor than we expect this year?

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 7 years ago

Good lord, URI basketball needs to put out workout videos all of us can follow. Great results. Clearly they have a very good plan for him and he's done a great job of putting in the work.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 7 years ago

Great news!

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 7 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:Wow, it looks like Andre has really slimmed down. Could he be a bigger contributor than we expect this year?

You beat me to it Billyboy, that was my first thought when I saw this to. It was immediately noticeable.

Always love seeing the team doing this kind of stuff in schools to.

Mongo · Unread post by **Mongo** » 7 years ago

That's amazing, he must have lost 40lbs... That would be huge if he were to give us solid minutes with scoring ability in the post... Next year is gonna be fun!!!

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 7 years ago

We expect?

There is a small Berry camp that notices all the same things about Berry and really likes him.

Then there is a camp that wonders if Berry can keep a scholarship

I love Berry. Maybe double since Earl is gone and the freshmen haven't played yet.

IDK how kids out of high school at this level will oust a guy like Berry that is already got a jump on manhood. Plus his skills.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 7 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:We expect?

There is a small Berry camp that notices all the same things about Berry and really likes him.

Then there is a camp that wonders if Berry can keep a scholarship

I love Berry. Maybe double since Earl is gone and the freshmen haven't played yet.

IDK how kids out of high school at this level will oust a guy like Berry that is already got a jump on manhood. Plus his skills.

I'm not sure what expectations are/were. I figured maybe 10-12 solid minutes off the bench. You're right, he does have skills. Since he looks to be getting into good shape, maybe he gives more than that.

Running Ram · Unread post by **Running Ram** » 7 years ago

Wow!! he looks like he's in better shape than ARD in this photo. My personal feeling is he has the tools/skills to get us around 8pts and 6r per game this year. Kid's got great hands and keeps the ball high, an easy 4pts per game just on put backs/tips.

ElmCityRhody · Unread post by **ElmCityRhody** » 7 years ago

amazing - i remember hurley personally challenging him and bringing it up during one of his interviews

PeterRamTime · Unread post by **PeterRamTime** » 7 years ago

If he shows he can run and jump at a normal level for a college player after he sheds those pounds, then he could really be a force. I think he has the best hands on the team right now.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 7 years ago

Andre has been on a continuous weight reduction and fitness improvement path since arrived here last summer.
Credit of course goes to Andre for sure, but also to the entire URI staff especially to the training staff.
Andre came in somewhat similar to Quad at PC, signed at about the same time. Quad was the same size when he just departed recently.
How much of this is the individual and how much is the Team Staff? Don't know exactly but we do know the results are amazing!!
Great too that Andre is then telling his story on the road like this. I would have loved to have been in attendance just to get some advice myself from these guys.

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 7 years ago

I really want Andre to succeed - what a great story!

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 7 years ago

Good for him. Not sure how he fits next season. But good for his overall health if nothing else.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 7 years ago

Thank the mods for changing the thread title !!!!!!

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 7 years ago

Ramulous wrote:Thank the mods for changing the thread title !!!!!!

That's why we make the big bucks

Ram1019 · Unread post by **Ram1019** » 7 years ago

Good for Andre!

PeterRamTime · Unread post by **PeterRamTime** » 7 years ago

Praise the mods

Shinze88 · Unread post by **Shinze88** » 7 years ago

Someone needs to replace the minutes from Earl Watson. Its alot to ask of any freshman so I think Andre will play a bigger role than most are expecting, especially if/when Has has trouble staying on the floor.

Rhodymob05 · Unread post by **Rhodymob05** » 7 years ago

I think it's great he's losing weight and getting in shape, but he's not that big anymore. Imagine Berry with his current weight matched up against the big dude from UMASS? He's gonna get crushed, unless hes on some Arnold workout routine.

sf2010 · Unread post by **sf2010** » 7 years ago

Rhodymob05 wrote:I think it's great he's losing weight and getting in shape, but he's not that big anymore. Imagine Berry with his current weight matched up against the big dude from UMASS? He's gonna get crushed, unless hes on some Arnold workout routine.

Would rather have Andre at an in-shape 250-260 than an overweight 290. The one matchup you mention is literally the only one out of 30+ games where it could maybe have a negative impact. And even in that case, I would argue that a better-conditioned Andre is more effective than a more poorly-conditioned Andre who simply has more mass.

josephski · Unread post by **josephski** » 7 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:We expect?

There is a small Berry camp that notices all the same things about Berry and really likes him.

Then there is a camp that wonders if Berry can keep a scholarship

I love Berry. Maybe double since Earl is gone and the freshmen haven't played yet.

IDK how kids out of high school at this level will oust a guy like Berry that is already got a jump on manhood. Plus his skills.

I'm one of those in the wondering if he can keep a scholarship camp but of course I wouldn't be upset if he proved me completely wrong.

I think it's great he's losing all this weight but ultimately how athletic is he? With Earl you could tell that for a big guy he was still fairly athletic but I'm not sure Berry's the same. We saw one great game from Berry against a team that probably wasn't prepared for him so it's too early to say that game was a fluke but I also think it's too early to expect Berry to have any more games like that.

Also one of the things to remember is that we were one of the only teams looking at Berry and we were in desperate need of a big. From the video of his juco play is was clear he has very good hands and nice moves but was overweight. It's possible no other teams were interested due to his lack of athleticism. It's also possible teams weren't interested due to his weight so hopefully we end up getting a diamond in the rough with Berry.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 7 years ago

Very good news indeed. He will contribute

Running Ram · Unread post by **Running Ram** » 7 years ago

was Larry Bird a great athlete? More athletic than the average person sure, but how athletic compared to Pro ballers? Yet roundly considered one of the best basketball players ever. And stop! any of you who even has a notion to claim I'm comparing Berry to Bird, I'm not. Berry is skilled around the basket, having a soft touch doesn't make a player soft, and if the only thing that comes of Berry's getting into better shape is better endurance, it will still help the team greatly.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 7 years ago

josephski wrote:
Seawrightspostgame wrote:We expect?
There is a small Berry camp that notices all the same things about Berry and really likes him.
Then there is a camp that wonders if Berry can keep a scholarship
I love Berry. Maybe double since Earl is gone and the freshmen haven't played yet.
IDK how kids out of high school at this level will oust a guy like Berry that is already got a jump on manhood. Plus his skills.
I'm one of those in the wondering if he can keep a scholarship camp but of course I wouldn't be upset if he proved me completely wrong.
I think it's great he's losing all this weight but ultimately how athletic is he? With Earl you could tell that for a big guy he was still fairly athletic but I'm not sure Berry's the same. We saw one great game from Berry against a team that probably wasn't prepared for him so it's too early to say that game was a fluke but I also think it's too early to expect Berry to have any more games like that.
Also one of the things to remember is that we were one of the only teams looking at Berry and we were in desperate need of a big. From the video of his juco play is was clear he has very good hands and nice moves but was overweight. It's possible no other teams were interested due to his lack of athleticism. It's also possible teams weren't interested due to his weight so hopefully we end up getting a diamond in the rough with Berry.

Some additional thoughts....
I don't think Dan Hurley, Daniel Marshall and Antonio Reynolds Dean would be continuing to drive Andre to lose weight. Andre began losing weight upon arrival in Kingston and his fitness improvement drive has continued. They are not worried that it might turn him into a less effective player but just the opposite. So I trust the staff on this.

Berry has soft hands but he also plays physically, especially on the offensive boards. He gains good position and his excellent basketball instincts. He has good inside moves, good faking ability and he keeps the ball elevated upon gaining a rebounding

He had several good games last year:
Of course the first one was incredible against Brown at Brown. 8 minutes, 3-3 FG, 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
then back to back games:
At Dayton was amazing: 13 minutes, 7-7 FG, 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
UMASS was strong: 13 minutes, 4-6 FG, 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Explosiveness and effectiveness tends to come to mind with Andre, consider this stat line:
In an 80-71 loss to Otero in JC Andre came off the bench:
14 minutes, 8-9 FG, 29 points, 13-16 FTs, 7 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Andre will be a Junior this year. I don't think he will regress from the weight loss but in fact improve and could possibly be the first big man off the bench. I also love that he came from St Andrew's and the St Andrew's Coaching Staff and the St Andrew's players can see what URI Coaching Staff and Andre himself have done to improve his game. All in all a great story and one that could have some very nice chapters added to the book during the next two seasons.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 7 years ago

I heard 50 pounds.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 7 years ago

Since when? When he got here or 50 more pounds since the end of the season?

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 7 years ago

Since end of season.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 7 years ago

WOW, that's amazing. He must be down about 100 pounds total since he got here. I mean nevermind helping us out on the basketball court, though he should be able to do that even more now, that's the kind of thing that could really help him his whole life.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 7 years ago

I'vE lost 30 pounds since April so it's certainly possible.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 7 years ago

How will he play at the lower weight? More importantly, he is a more healthy person. Don't expect too much too soon. This may be one step backwards in order to make an eventual major improvement to his game.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 7 years ago

Berry should have more stamina with less bulk. Good for him. As for Larry Bird, he had incredible hand-eye coordination, which is far more important than dunking.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 7 years ago

If there are concerns that Berry will not be as effective at his lower weight - then that is the same as saying by gaining weight he would make himself more effective. No way can the increased weight translate into better basketball.
Will be most interesting to watch him run the floor this year and see how his stamina has improved.

josephski · Unread post by **josephski** » 7 years ago

ramster wrote:
Some additional thoughts....
I don't think Dan Hurley, Daniel Marshall and Antonio Reynolds Dean would be continuing to drive Andre to lose weight. Andre began losing weight upon arrival in Kingston and his fitness improvement drive has continued. They are not worried that it might turn him into a less effective player but just the opposite. So I trust the staff on this.

Berry has soft hands but he also plays physically, especially on the offensive boards. He gains good position and his excellent basketball instincts. He has good inside moves, good faking ability and he keeps the ball elevated upon gaining a rebounding

He had several good games last year:
Of course the first one was incredible against Brown at Brown. 8 minutes, 3-3 FG, 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
then back to back games:
At Dayton was amazing: 13 minutes, 7-7 FG, 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
UMASS was strong: 13 minutes, 4-6 FG, 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Explosiveness and effectiveness tends to come to mind with Andre, consider this stat line:
In an 80-71 loss to Otero in JC Andre came off the bench:
14 minutes, 8-9 FG, 29 points, 13-16 FTs, 7 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Andre will be a Junior this year. I don't think he will regress from the weight loss but in fact improve and could possibly be the first big man off the bench. I also love that he came from St Andrew's and the St Andrew's Coaching Staff and the St Andrew's players can see what URI Coaching Staff and Andre himself have done to improve his game. All in all a great story and one that could have some very nice chapters added to the book during the next two seasons.

Good points, I hope you're right.

I'm not concerned about him regressing due to weight loss. I'm more concerned, as I said before, about his overall athleticism. This year he didn't play much because I'm assuming Hurley felt like he was a defensive liability. We all know how much Hurley values defense so I'm not sure how much the weight loss will help Berry defensively. Obviously he should be quicker than before but ultimately how much quicker will he get and will he be able to defend well enough for Hurley to give him playing time?

Also you mention Hurley, Marshall, and ARD continuing to drive Berry to lose weight but what else would they be doing? Hurley was the one who decided to give Berry a scholarship so I'd hope he would continue to push Berry to reach his ceiling but who knows what Berry's ceiling actually is.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 7 years ago

re: Berry's defensive ability, I don't think it would get worse by slimming down. I mean, from the photos, he still doesn't look tiny to me; he doesn't look like Lamonte Ulmer, to pick out the name of a skinny 4 from the past. Last year, unless I'm mistaken, Berry could only play in zone lineups, and at least by look from the new photos, I wouldn't be surprised if he now has Hurley's trust to be on the court when they go man.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 7 years ago

Just because he's lost close to 100 lbs. doesn't mean he isn't as strong as he used to be. In fact, with the weight training that these guys do, I'm willing to bet that he is stronger. More strength, more quickness, more endurance.... I can't find anything negative whatsoever about this.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 7 years ago

Berry was pretty good at jumping straight up and contesting ppl around the rim.

Ram1019 · Unread post by **Ram1019** » 7 years ago

Only on this board would we find negativity in some way on this lol

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 7 years ago

As I suggested, I expect that Andre will be an improved basketball player after he adjusts to his new physique.

He may not be the immovable object in the paint that he was last year and will have to learn to use leverage and technique rather than shear bulk. He may be quicker and jump higher and will have to adjust to incorporating these assets into his game. His basketball instinct that evolved over years will need to adjust to his capabilities. Don't expect too much improvement too soon.

Shinze88 · Unread post by **Shinze88** » 7 years ago

This could only be a good thing for Berry and the Rams. He has alot of basketball ability, his body actually limited him last year. With a better body shape, he could be a nice option off the bench to give quality minutes. He has soft hands and great footwork, I think he will be a pleasant surprise next year. You can never have a deep enough bench.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 7 years ago

Slimming down helped Earl Watson's game. I think Andre has better hands, so I would expect he can provide a solid 10 or 12 mins a game.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 7 years ago

Regardless of what Berry gives them on the court, his commitment to making the most of his opportunity has been impressive. Every guy on this roster is easy to root for, Andre included. The official word (from his training buddy D. Marshall) is he started at over 320, now weighs 280 and is still working.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 7 years ago

So he's "only" lost 40 since he got here or the beginning of the offseason?

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 7 years ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote:So he's "only" lost 40 since he got here or the beginning of the offseason?

according to Marshall, in the year that he's been at URI- but muscle development and overall fitness isn't necessarily reflected in just the weight number

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 7 years ago

josephski wrote:
ramster wrote:
Some additional thoughts....
I don't think Dan Hurley, Daniel Marshall and Antonio Reynolds Dean would be continuing to drive Andre to lose weight. Andre began losing weight upon arrival in Kingston and his fitness improvement drive has continued. They are not worried that it might turn him into a less effective player but just the opposite. So I trust the staff on this.

Berry has soft hands but he also plays physically, especially on the offensive boards. He gains good position and his excellent basketball instincts. He has good inside moves, good faking ability and he keeps the ball elevated upon gaining a rebounding

He had several good games last year:
Of course the first one was incredible against Brown at Brown. 8 minutes, 3-3 FG, 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
then back to back games:
At Dayton was amazing: 13 minutes, 7-7 FG, 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 were offensive.
UMASS was strong: 13 minutes, 4-6 FG, 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Explosiveness and effectiveness tends to come to mind with Andre, consider this stat line:
In an 80-71 loss to Otero in JC Andre came off the bench:
14 minutes, 8-9 FG, 29 points, 13-16 FTs, 7 rebounds and 2 were offensive.

Andre will be a Junior this year. I don't think he will regress from the weight loss but in fact improve and could possibly be the first big man off the bench. I also love that he came from St Andrew's and the St Andrew's Coaching Staff and the St Andrew's players can see what URI Coaching Staff and Andre himself have done to improve his game. All in all a great story and one that could have some very nice chapters added to the book during the next two seasons.
Good points, I hope you're right.

I'm not concerned about him regressing due to weight loss. I'm more concerned, as I said before, about his overall athleticism. This year he didn't play much because I'm assuming Hurley felt like he was a defensive liability. We all know how much Hurley values defense so I'm not sure how much the weight loss will help Berry defensively. Obviously he should be quicker than before but ultimately how much quicker will he get and will he be able to defend well enough for Hurley to give him playing time?

Also you mention Hurley, Marshall, and ARD continuing to drive Berry to lose weight but what else would they be doing? For Hurley was the one who decided to give Berry a scholarship so I'd hope he would continue to push Berry to reach his ceiling but who knows what Berry's ceiling actually is.

The reason I think the staff gets special credit is that they have helped make this remarkable transition happen. It is not easy to change eating habits, exercise habits. Look no further than with Quad Smith who chose to go PC at the same time (May 2015) as Berry chose to go to URI. Smith left PC last month looking the same size as when he arrived - no change. Sure that's Smith's responsibility but also have to look at the Coaching and training staff at PC as well. That is why I think kudos goes to the HC, assistant coaches, Team Athletic Trainer, Team Academic Advisor, Team Strength and Conditioning Manager and let's throw in Berry's family, friends and URI teammates for good cause. Great job all the way around and certainly something the staff can point to with future recruits regarding how this staff can help an incoming player to develop in many ways.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 7 years ago

Will be interesting to see what he's listed at on the roster. Last year they had him at 285, which couldn't be true if he's now 280.

reckless jake · Unread post by **reckless jake** » 7 years ago

FYI, in Daniel Marshall's IG account he posted about Berry's phenomenal workout commitment and progress just a few days ago. In it he stated that Berry arrived at URI a year ago weighing in at 320 lbs+. His post included some 'before and after' photos of Berry demonstrating the physical difference.

For his part, Berry commented that he's still working hard.

Ramtastico · Unread post by **Ramtastico** » 7 years ago

Would someone take this dude for a dozen clamcakes? After a doughboy breakfast, of course.

15 Year Lurker · Unread post by **15 Year Lurker** » 7 years ago

If he can be in the kind of shape where he can be on the floor for big minutes that could be a huge unexpected factor for next year.

I think he is potentially really good from what I saw skill wise. And it wasn't just being big, it was hands, shooting, all of that looked good.

Stop! Rammer Time · Unread post by **Stop! Rammer Time** » 7 years ago

reckless jake wrote:FYI, in Daniel Marshall's IG account he posted about Berry's phenomenal workout commitment and progress just a few days ago. In it he stated that Berry arrived at URI a year ago weighing in at 320 lbs+. His post included some 'before and after' photos of Berry demonstrating the physical difference.

For his part, Berry commented that he's still working hard.

For reference ...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHAkW1ApXi9 ... marshall85

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 7 years ago

The key number: 53 pounds of fat.

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