What's up with Sheppard?

[Rhody83]

I don't know. I never put much stock in juco transfers or players who scored 2.6 pts and 1.2 rebounds. Maybe just me. Doesn't affect me going into this season.

Jeremy Sheppard made the All Rookie team in the American (AAC) considered a better conference than the A10. He averaged 9.2 points per game. He had 104 assists. He led his team in assists and steals.

[ram1980]

Again we enter a season hoping for important contributions from unproven freshmen. How did that work out last year.. Maybe they will be good. Love the optimism, but the game with RIC proved nothing with the younger players. Big miscalculation by this staff. Should have learned lesson last year.. guess not

[theblueram]

I don't know. I never put much stock in juco transfers or players who scored 2.6 pts and 1.2 rebounds. Maybe just me. Doesn't affect me going into this season.

Jeremy Sheppard made the All Rookie team in the American (AAC) considered a better conference than the A10. He averaged 9.2 points per game. He had 104 assists. He led his team in assists and steals.

I guess we find out next year if he can play D1? He's a juco not a D1 transfer.

[section(105)]

......OK, but my guess is he did not lead the team in GPA, and that part of his resume should have had red flags all over it, that must have been known/seen along the road to Kingston.......and academic rehab is probably a crap shoot at best......who was the lead on this recruit?......just asking......

[NYGFan_Section208]

......who was the lead on this recruit?......just asking......

Not me!

[Rhody83]

......OK, but my guess is he did not lead the team in GPA, and that part of his resume should have had red flags all over it, that must have been known/seen along the road to Kingston.......and academic rehab is probably a crap shoot at best......who was the lead on this recruit?......just asking......

Boswell, but the responsibility on every recruit falls with Cox. Especially when you add that Boswell was on his way out.

[McRam]

......OK, but my guess is he did not lead the team in GPA, and that part of his resume should have had red flags all over it, that must have been known/seen along the road to Kingston.......and academic rehab is probably a crap shoot at best......who was the lead on this recruit?......just asking......

Boswell, but the responsibility on every recruit falls with Cox. Especially when you add that Boswell was on his way out.


Could not agree more. This seems to be a total bush league handling of the situation. Shepard committed on March 31, when there was a full pantry of transfer and juco guards available. If he took him knowing his negatives and knowing the need for a back up guard, and still took him, shame on him.
If he was misled by his staff,it is still shame on him. And just maybe this is one of the things that fell through the crack when we extremely thin on assistant coaches and shame on ????????

Don't we have a person that is responsible for eligibility issues full time on the staff?

[Dino611]

I’m just guessing on this situation but what if Cox wanted to take the risk and hope Sheppard would get his stuff fixed by the time the season came around and be a huge impact , I mean if we all remember we didn’t want to take Obi because of his GPA situation and he got his grades fixed around in time and look where he is now maybe cox didn’t want to make the same mistake (I’m just taking a guess on this remember)

[luke]

A not a bad thought.

[rhodyfan3000]

I feel bad for this kid. It's not easy to go from zero to sixty in the grades dept. He's probably doing his very best to get his act together, but it's a longer, more difficult road than he anticipated. I hope he does, and has a spectacular year next year. Similar to Four a couple of seasons ago.

[ramster]

Hammond played 12 minutes against RIC and scored 2 points on free throws (50% FT). Sheppard was supposed to be our 3 pt guy.

The loss of Sheppard and Walker will most likely create these line ups to rest Jeff and Fatts and Cyril and Jermaine

Rest Jeff or Fatts (one will be in the game at all times)
Jeff or Fatts at PG
Tyrese at SG
Dana at SF
Cyril C
Jermaine PF

Rest Cyril or Jermaine
Jeff
Fatts
Tyrese SF
Dana or Mehki PF
Cyril or Jermsine C

I can see DJ getting some sub minutes at SF particularly if Dana is playing PF (foul trouble upfront)

8 man rotation with heavy minutes for the top 6
Jeff
Fatts
Tyrese
Cyril
Jermaine
Dana
Mekhi
DJ

I remember when u said I was nuts for saying Tyrese would get minutes at SG this year. With or without Sheppard that was going to happen. But now it definitely will.

Tyrese will be fine getting minutes at SG. He can fill the similar time if EC Mathews, Terrell and Stan Robinson. Tyrese is very talented and I’d agree he can play at the next level as Cox said a week ago. Rewatch the game where Tyrese went head to head with Cam Reddish who is starting for the Atlanta Hawks in his rookie year. Very talented player who could contend for an All A-10 team by year end.

[DC_Rams]

Since he sits out this year, how many years of eligibility will he have?

[ramster]

I would say he still has 2 years to play at URI. His ineligibility this year does not reduce the two years he would have had - just postpones the start of the two years to next September 2020. Does that sound right DC_Rams?

[Rhody83]

Responses to a few of the post above.
Obi was coming in as a Fr with four years to play. Obi redshirted his first year while he was academically ineligible. Sheppard came as a Jr and doesn’t have a redshirt year available.

Sheppard will have 1 year left. You get 5 years to play 4. His Fr year was 2016-17 at ECU. He used his extra year in 2017-18.

Four was a Post Grad. One year scholarship to play one year. He had played three years of D1. Much different than burning a scholarship this year. Sheppard played one year of D1 in 2016-17 and now will sit for the second year out of the last three.

[section(105)]

.......perhaps Coach Cox will shed more light on clarify the thought process on this situation during the next Coach’s Show.......but not holding my breath for this to happen......Steve’s questions probably will not lead to much.......no? Schedule had 11/6 at Mews......

[wpbrown8267]

My concern now with Sheppard ineligible is tired legs in March (possibly, will see in March)

I’m just envisioning the Bonnies game in the semi’s, totally running out of gas cause Fatts and Jeff were on fumes

I hope someone else can step up to spell them a bit

[Billyboy78]

The biggest problem with losing Sheppard is the wear and tear of a long season on Jeff and Fatts. Last year, Jeff averaged 36.5 minutes and Fatts averaged 34.1. Cox admitted the team was spent at the end of the year. The hope was to have them both play less minutes this year. I know there aren't a lot of Thompson and Omar fans here, but they played over 1000 combined minutes last year, about 34 minutes per game. Sheppard was going to fill a lot of those minutes. Martin played a lot of minutes last year, so he's not 'filling' many of those 1000+ minutes. If anything, Jeff and Fatts might have to play even more minutes this year.

[gorhody89]

We didn't have the depth at guard to take a gamble with eligibility and that is on the staff...That being said I can't remember if we made the decision to take Sheppard before/after Thompson decided to transfer.

[Dino611]

We didn't have the depth at guard to take a gamble with eligibility and that is on the staff...That being said I can't remember if we made the decision to take Sheppard before/after Thompson decided to transfer.

Before, getting Sheppard was a replacement of Omar’s scholarship

[Rhody83]

The biggest problem with losing Sheppard is the wear and tear of a long season on Jeff and Fatts. Last year, Jeff averaged 36.5 minutes and Fatts averaged 34.1. Cox admitted the team was spent at the end of the year. The hope was to have them both play less minutes this year. I know there aren't a lot of Thompson and Omar fans here, but they played over 1000 combined minutes last year, about 34 minutes per game. Sheppard was going to fill a lot of those minutes. Martin played a lot of minutes last year, so he's not 'filling' many of those 1000+ minutes. If anything, Jeff and Fatts might have to play even more minutes this year.

I agree with your general comment but it isn’t just simple math. Tyrese’s minutes will increase because he will start every game. Thompson had more of his minutes at the beginning of the year when he was a starter. Most of Omar’s minutes where in a mop up role against lesser competition. He wasn’t part of the regular rotation. Harmond is better than Omar and can offset those minutes.

Jermaine needs to increase his minutes significantly. He only averaged 17 minutes. He needs to stay out of foul trouble more often. Dana also needs to increase his minutes to about the 25 minute range. Long will take up Preston’s minutes.

[TruePoint]

I am of the belief that Long, Hammond and Toppin are better and can give you more than Thompson, Omar and Preston. I wish they didn’t need to and we’d be better off not depending on any of them, but that’s where we are. The key thing that Shepard and Walker promised was not just depth, but depth specifically where we needed it most. We could have theoretically lost two swing guys and still been more or less OK, but now we are in a position where either Jeff or Fatts has to be on the court every minute, which necessarily reduces the amount of time they can be on the court together; and where we will have to go small for up to 15 minutes per game, probably closer to 20 (whenever either Cyril or Jermaine has to come out of the game), whereas with Walker we will be able to cover almost all of those minutes with another big. Using Dana in that role is not an awful option and I’m all for finding him some minutes because I think he could really surprise some people, but that’s not his natural position and every minute he spends playing the “4” is a minute he is not playing where he’d probably be most effective. I think they can piece it together because there is talent here, but the positions Shepard and Walker play makes it more of a headache than I’d have preferred.

[theblueram]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

[UCH21377]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Exactly. With one or two of the freshman stepping into CT's spot, and more minutes for Tate.

[section(105)]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Exactly. With one or two of the freshman stepping into CT's spot, and more minutes for Tate.

.......so, the more things change, the more the remain the same......?

[NYGFan_Section208]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Exactly. With one or two of the freshman stepping into CT's spot, and more minutes for Tate.

.......so, the more things change, the more the remain the same......?

Toppin Time!

[ramster]

Exactly. With one or two of the freshman stepping into CT's spot, and more minutes for Tate.

.......so, the more things change, the more the remain the same......?

Toppin Time!

And Johnson Time!

[rambone 78]

Toppin will be a major player for us....and maybe sooner now that he'll likely get more minutes early on, without Walker.

Both he and Johnson can shoot it.

Sometimes what looks like a bad break with the Walker waiver decision, can turn out better in the long run?

[McRam]

I’m just guessing on this situation but what if Cox wanted to take the risk and hope Sheppard would get his stuff fixed by the time the season came around and be a huge impact , I mean if we all remember we didn’t want to take Obi because of his GPA situation and he got his grades fixed around in time and look where he is now maybe cox didn’t want to make the same mistake (I’m just taking a guess on this remember)

Fine to take the risk But not with a must fill position in a backup guard for JD and Fatts

Hope we r surprised by either Hammonds or maybe Mekhi can play guard , but, Romberg many or most teams play a three guard lineup- can’t see a pressure the ball defense so the character of the team probably changes. Hoping we can use some long Rms and develop a Syracuse type zone for some of the game

[DC_Rams]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Minus 3, plus 4. (5 when Walker returns)

No.

[RamStock]

.......so, the more things change, the more the remain the same......?

Toppin Time!

And Johnson Time!

I like Toppin, but do you really think Johnson is going to ever make an impact-especially this year? Lol.

[ramster]

Toppin Time!

And Johnson Time!

I like Toppin, but do you really think Johnson is going to ever make an impact-especially this year? Lol.

Yes. Johnson is a proven 45% 3P Shooter. He didn’t come to URI to ride the bench

We were the worst 3P shooting team in the nation out of 353 teams. Johnson and Sheppard were brought in to improve our #1 weakness.

We must improve our 3P shooting to have hopes to make the Tournament. Our 3P shooting was not good vs RIC.

[TruePoint]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Minus 3, plus 4. (5 when Walker returns)

No.

Not only that, but by the end of last year was that team even that bad? I’d have loved to see what the team as it was playing in the final few weeks of the season could have done over the course of 30 games. Plus I still think the freshmen are more likely to give you something than the 7th, 8th and 9th guys were last year.

[DC_Rams]

So basically we have the same team as last year.

Minus 3, plus 4. (5 when Walker returns)

No.

Not only that, but by the end of last year was that team even that bad? I’d have loved to see what the team as it was playing in the final few weeks of the season could have done over the course of 30 games. Plus I still think the freshmen are more likely to give you something than the 7th, 8th and 9th guys were last year.

I’m with you TP. I’ve got my rose colored shades propped up on my forehead.

[reef]

Plus it’s only 10 games that we miss Twan then our depth comes back

[ramster]

Plus it’s only 10 games that we miss Twan then our depth comes back

He misses 9 games. Walker eligible to Play 21 Regular Season games including WKU, Middle Tennessee and Brown plus 18 A-10 games plus A-10 Brooklyn.

[steveystuds06]

Man, this board is negative. We have the same team? Really?

I saw a team that was very hard to beat late last season. I expect all those guys to make jumps and then add a mix of some new talented players. Devele Johnson came here to help us shoot. We have a solid big off the bench 10 games in. Who knows what freshman could make an impact.

Come conference play this team will have played one of the hardest schedules in the country and will be ready to make a run in the A10.

Don't underestimate the benefit of our coach and our core guys playing an entire season together. The goal hasn't changed. We will hear our name on Selection Sunday.

[RamStock]

And Johnson Time!

I like Toppin, but do you really think Johnson is going to ever make an impact-especially this year? Lol.

Yes. Johnson is a proven 45% 3P Shooter. He didn’t come to URI to ride the bench

We were the worst 3P shooting team in the nation out of 353 teams. Johnson and Sheppard were brought in to improve our #1 weakness.

We must improve our 3P shooting to have hopes to make the Tournament. Our 3P shooting was not good vs RIC.

I hope your right. I don’t expect much of anything from Johnson this year. I’m pretty sure he is going to ride the bench. Johnson didn’t exactly light it up at a low level. He would have for sure if we weren’t down two players. I think Hammond and Long have a much better chance to make an impact.

[Seawrightspostgame]

Man, this board is negative. We have the same team? Really?

I saw a team that was very hard to beat late last season. I expect all those guys to make jumps and then add a mix of some new talented players. Devele Johnson came here to help us shoot. We have a solid big off the bench 10 games in. Who knows what freshman could make an impact.

Come conference play this team will have played one of the hardest schedules in the country and will be ready to make a run in the A10.

Don't underestimate the benefit of our coach and our core guys playing an entire season together. The goal hasn't changed. We will hear our name on Selection Sunday.

I was thinking the same thing. It is college basketball. The best players you play against all move on and your players grow a year better.

The same team in college basketball a year later ordinarily is a good thing.

[Rhodyram]

Man, this board is negative. We have the same team? Really?

I saw a team that was very hard to beat late last season. I expect all those guys to make jumps and then add a mix of some new talented players. Devele Johnson came here to help us shoot. We have a solid big off the bench 10 games in. Who knows what freshman could make an impact.

Come conference play this team will have played one of the hardest schedules in the country and will be ready to make a run in the A10.

Don't underestimate the benefit of our coach and our core guys playing an entire season together. The goal hasn't changed. We will hear our name on Selection Sunday.

I was thinking the same thing. It is college basketball. The best players you play against all move on and your players grow a year better.

The same team in college basketball a year later ordinarily is a good thing.

Problem is that the better teams in our conference returned many of their better players- see Davidson/vcu

[Gonebarongone]

Walker/Sheppard are not immaterial issues but this team has all the pieces to make a fun run or be maddeningly inconsistent. It's not quite make or miss like the NBA but if they don't get up towards 33% from three it will be a rough year from a hopes/viewing standpoint. And that's not asking a lot in 2019.

[CHICO 78]

This teams biggest flaw last year was three point shooting! Shepherd was supposed to solve that problem. And now he’s not eligible. Unless someone gets significantly better at shooting threes it’s going to be very difficult to overcome this loss.

[ramster]

I like Toppin, but do you really think Johnson is going to ever make an impact-especially this year? Lol.

Yes. Johnson is a proven 45% 3P Shooter. He didn’t come to URI to ride the bench

We were the worst 3P shooting team in the nation out of 353 teams. Johnson and Sheppard were brought in to improve our #1 weakness.

We must improve our 3P shooting to have hopes to make the Tournament. Our 3P shooting was not good vs RIC.

I hope your right. I don’t expect much of anything from Johnson this year. I’m pretty sure he is going to ride the bench. Johnson didn’t exactly light it up at a low level. He would have for sure if we weren’t down two players. I think Hammond and Long have a much better chance to make an impact.

Have you seen Johnson play live yet? As in the RIC game?

[Rhody83]

ramster, what did Johnson show you in the RIC game for you to mention that to prove your point about him being good?
Johnson was 0-3 FG, 0-2 3P, 1-2 FT in 13 minutes vs a D3 team. His first 3 was an airball
I am not reading anything into that game either way but definitely not a good showing.

[wgracie99]

Can we let them play a few games first before we jump on or off? Let’s enjoy the beginning of a new season.

[Rhody83]

Can we let them play a few games first before we jump on or off? Let’s enjoy the beginning of a new season.

That’s why I said I am not reading anything into it.

[steveystuds06]

Man, this board is negative. We have the same team? Really?

I saw a team that was very hard to beat late last season. I expect all those guys to make jumps and then add a mix of some new talented players. Devele Johnson came here to help us shoot. We have a solid big off the bench 10 games in. Who knows what freshman could make an impact.

Come conference play this team will have played one of the hardest schedules in the country and will be ready to make a run in the A10.

Don't underestimate the benefit of our coach and our core guys playing an entire season together. The goal hasn't changed. We will hear our name on Selection Sunday.

I was thinking the same thing. It is college basketball. The best players you play against all move on and your players grow a year better.

The same team in college basketball a year later ordinarily is a good thing.

Problem is that the better teams in our conference returned many of their better players- see Davidson/vcu

I view that as a good thing. I want that and the team should want that. Let's play and beat tournament teams. That's what the committee looks at when we are being selected for a bid.

[RamStock]

Yes. Johnson is a proven 45% 3P Shooter. He didn’t come to URI to ride the bench

We were the worst 3P shooting team in the nation out of 353 teams. Johnson and Sheppard were brought in to improve our #1 weakness.

We must improve our 3P shooting to have hopes to make the Tournament. Our 3P shooting was not good vs RIC.

I hope your right. I don’t expect much of anything from Johnson this year. I’m pretty sure he is going to ride the bench. Johnson didn’t exactly light it up at a low level. He would have for sure if we weren’t down two players. I think Hammond and Long have a much better chance to make an impact.

Have you seen Johnson play live yet? As in the RIC game?

The RIC game impressed you? LOL. Let’s also wait until we have actual division competition-not that he did much in that game to make us think our three point worries are gone.

[ramster]

I hope your right. I don’t expect much of anything from Johnson this year. I’m pretty sure he is going to ride the bench. Johnson didn’t exactly light it up at a low level. He would have for sure if we weren’t down two players. I think Hammond and Long have a much better chance to make an impact.

Have you seen Johnson play live yet? As in the RIC game?

The RIC game impressed you? LOL. Let’s also wait until we have actual division competition-not that he did much in that game to make us think our three point worries are gone.

I didn’t say that. I asked if you personally have seen Johnson play live, that’s all I asked? Have you?

[RamStock]

Have you seen Johnson play live yet? As in the RIC game?

The RIC game impressed you? LOL. Let’s also wait until we have actual division competition-not that he did much in that game to make us think our three point worries are gone.

I didn’t say that. I asked if you personally have seen Johnson play live, that’s all I asked? Have you?

Yes. I was at the game. I think he looks like a good athlete, but so was Ryan Preston. I just think if you are expecting for him to give you 15+ minutes of quality minutes as a three point threat you will be disappointed.

[rhodyfan3000]

Disappointment is an old friend.

Still, I think we should give Johnson a chance to impress beyond the few minutes he played in an exhibition game.