'19 MA SF - Joe Pridgen (Holy Cross ---> UNCW)

[reef]

He looked good to me too

He can only improve from the line if he works on it he can get to 70% that’s not a worry

[Rhody_NYCT]

Just watched the video. He's very talented. Looks like a natural scorer...damn good for a freshman. He reminds me a little of EC. Whoever gets him will be very happy with the results.

[LamonteUlmer15]

Crazy to not want this kid... would stay here for 3 years and he can slash better than anyone on our team last year (including Tyrese because it looks like this kid has heard of passing the ball on a drive). I would imagine his athletic ability and quickness shown on drives would translate into being able to guard 2’s, 3’s, and some point guards in the A10. The shooting is concerning but this is our 12th scholarship and again he’d be here for 3 years (time for improvement) so I say why not.

[rhodylaw]

I liked that he finishes above the rim in traffic - very aggressive around the hoop with strong takes. Fills the need for a wing player nicely. Still would like to see a grad or immediately eligible wing as well in case the transfer rule does not pass or is not effective in 2020 (which I think is more likely with the COVID-19 situation because sane minds wouldn’t want the transfer floodgates to open more)

[luke]

Why is shooting a concern ? Sure he had some bad ft games , but he shot .615 from the ft line in his final 10 games which showed some improvement .
He shot 55.8 % overall in field goals and 42.1% from 3 . Those numbers are far superior to both EC Matthews and Jared Terrell in both categories .In fact
no recent URI freshman stats come even close to Pridgen. And he averaged 3 more points a game than EC and over 8 points a game more than Terrell.The more i examined his numbers, the impressed I have become.

[Billyboy78]

You really can't look at his 3pt.%. He took less than 1 per game.

[luke]

I would agree with this except his overall shooting percentage is great . Would we discount his 3 point percentage if it were poor ? Look at Jacob Toppin from 3 . Toppin was 13 -53 while Pridgen was 12-29 . which player would you expect to be better going forward ? I would say Pridgen , though he did
not take many 3 point shots , he demonstrated the ability to shoot them. 12-29 is especially good for a freshman.

[PeterRamTime]

Shows he takes smart shots and makes a good percentage of them.

Watch the tape too, his form looks good.

[Rhody78]

I would take him in a minute think Andre Samuel, John Evans, Dwayne Evans, Adrian Dantly, Mark Aguirre (all players around 6' 5". I am sure there are many more but those are off the top of my head think productivity!

[hrstrat57]

Could it perhaps be a wee bit hard to focus on FT’s on a 3 win team.

I’d have to see some video of his routine and form to be overly critical.

Overall solid player and good get.

[McRam]

Hopefully he wants to stay close to home compared to our competition.

[ramster]

This article is from the Holy Cross Message Board posted March 2.

The poster posted the article because the Boston Globe has a paywall. The article is from the Boston Globe February 25.

There is a considerable amount of material on Pridgen on the Holy Cross Message Board fyi.

https://crossports.freeforums.net/threa ... w-8?page=2


Ranking the region’s college basketball freshmen
By Joe Sullivan Globe correspondent,Updated February 25, 2020, 7:32 p.m.

The most intriguing part of the local men’s college basketball season has been the freshmen. Almost every team has a good one or multiple good ones, and that’s helped sustain interest during a season when postseason bids are going to be scarce.
Freshman players are like baseball’s minor league prospects; their potential is exciting to fans. Considering how many good freshmen there are locally, I’ve decided to rank them.
1. Tre Mitchell, UMass — Clearly, the best in his class. The 6-foot-9-inch big man has great touch, hands, and footwork around the basket. He can nail a 3-pointer, too. He needs to rebound more consistently and get tougher on defense, but there’s plenty of time for that. He should be the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year, and he’ll get some votes for first-team All-A-10, too. The future of UMass basketball revolves around him.

2. Jay Heath, Boston College — Before the season, BC coach Jim Christian said that fans were going to love him. He was right. Heath provides effort, hustle, decent (if inconsistent) outside shooting, and tough defense. A quiet sort off the court, Heath says defense is the best part of his game. He also loves school — the academic part. No wonder Christian loves him.

3. Sean East, UMass — He can be a little too adventurous at times, but he’s an outstanding passer. His outside shot deserted him for a while, and coach Matt McCall took him out of the starting lineup. Despite that, he can instantly affect the game. If he improves, he’ll be an excellent player. He needs to work on that shot, however.

4. Tyson Walker, Northeastern — Once or twice a game, Walker will make a play that’s astounding. Usually, it’s a drive to the basket and a layup against a taller defender. He’s a natural point guard who will evolve into a more consistent scorer. He does need to improve his outside shooting.

5. Chris Ledlum, Harvard — Coach Tommy Amaker said it best: “He brings us an edge and toughness that we absolutely need. He’s a put-together kid, he’s physical, plays with abandon, that’s what you have to like. And if you can kind of harness it, guide it a little bit, boy, he’s going to be hard to deal with.’’ He’s come off the bench behind veteran players but he’s set up to be the next star.

6. C.J. Felder, BC — At 6-7, Felder is kind of caught between being a big man and a perimeter player. He’s quick and jumps well, but as Christian said, “In high school, he was used to just jumping over people; you can’t do that in our league.’’ He has the talent to adjust and become a solid forward.

7. Preston Santos, UMass — For most of the season, he made no impact. Then, McCall suddenly pushed him into the starting lineup and he’s made a difference with his hustle, defense, and rebounding. “He does what I tell him to do,’’ said McCall. If this list was made a month ago, he wouldn’t have been on it.

8. Julian Rishwain, BC — He’s a fan favorite. Just shoot it, they’ll say. He has great form, but the numbers haven’t been great. Form usually wins out eventually. An injury has slowed him as the season winds down. I would expect him to become a dangerous 3-point threat at some point. Christian also points out that when he’s on the court, the ball seems to move better on offense.

9. Joe Pridgen, Holy Cross — In the darkness of a nightmare season for the Crusaders, he’s been a sliver of light. He has shown he will develop into a good Patriot League player. He’s already the team’s leading scorer. At 6-5, he gets most of his points with rugged play near the basket.

10. T.J. Weeks, UMass — He’d be a lot higher on the list, but he played only 10 games before hernia surgery knocked him out for the season. Before he got hurt, he was an outstanding 3-point shooter with an aggressive attitude, averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from three.

Coaches would never admit it, but many times they have their favorite players. Here’s a pretty good guess at some coaches’ favorites.

BU — Jonas Harper, who mostly provides defense and ballhandling.
BC — Heath, see above.
Harvard — Justin Bassey. Amaker relies on him to be a top-notch defender and ball mover on offense.
UMass — Santos. He does what he’s told to do. An obvious coach’s favorite.
Merrimack — Juvaris Hayes. Coach Joe Gallo will defend the flaws in his game to the death. Hayes had four steals in Sunday’s loss at Mount St. Mary’s, giving him 452 for his career, the most in NCAA history on any level.
Northeastern — Max Boursiquot. He’s undersized and not athletic, but Bill Coen still sees the value in the matchup problems he causes.

[theblueram]

You really can't look at his 3pt.%. He took less than 1 per game.

Yup. You nailed it. Although his 2pt% is pretty good. But his FT% will not get the RC fandom excited to say the least. We all know how URI fans react to bad FT%.

[STC]

Sign me up for this kid. Shitty teams still find diamonds in the rough. Just look at Fordham with Eric Paschall or Chris Gaston.

Love the upside of a kid like this over a Jonah Antonio type who is what he is at this point.

[CHICO 78]

The one problem I see is he won’t be available/ eligible if the transfer rule is delayed til 21’

[Ramulous]

Are we in his final 30 ?

[ramster]

You really can't look at his 3pt.%. He took less than 1 per game.

Yup. You nailed it. Although his 2pt% is pretty good. But his FT% will not get the RC fandom excited to say the least. We all know how URI fans react to bad FT%.

58% FT Shooting

Turnovers were a huge problem

Pridgen had 106 Turnovers. The entire URI Team had 356

Several Posters complained often about Langevine and Martin Turnovers. Don't know what the cause of his TOs were, Offensive Fouls? Traveling? Ball Stolen? Bad Passes? Dribbling off his foot? Combination?

His last game of the season vs Bucknell Pridgen had a Triple Double in Points, Rebounds and a Season High 10 Turnovers in one game

Langevine - 72 Turnovers
Martin - 60 Turnovers
Russell - 66 Turnovers
Dowtin - 33 Turnovers

[steveystuds06]

You really can't look at his 3pt.%. He took less than 1 per game.

Yup. You nailed it. Although his 2pt% is pretty good. But his FT% will not get the RC fandom excited to say the least. We all know how URI fans react to bad FT%.

58% FT Shooting

Turnovers were a huge problem

Pridgen had 106 Turnovers. The entire URI Team had 356

Several Posters complained often about Langevine and Martin Turnovers. Don't know what the cause of his TOs were, Offensive Fouls? Traveling? Ball Stolen? Bad Passes? Dribbling off his foot? Combination?

His last game of the season vs Bucknell Pridgen had a Triple Double in Points, Rebounds and a Season High 10 Turnovers in one game

Langevine - 72 Turnovers
Martin - 60 Turnovers
Russell - 66 Turnovers
Dowtin - 33 Turnovers

Anthony Nelson shot 60% from the line last year. He shot 28% from 3 in two seasons at Seton Hall. How is that landing a shooter?? We want Nelson to come because he clearly has upside and could develop into a great player.

Pridgen is not a perfect player, but that you're completely ignoring the strengths of his game is frustrating. Playing with better players around him and not being the main option will lower his turnovers. Gaining experience and growing older will lower his turnovers. He put up these numbers as a freshman...

How many easy layups did our team miss last year? Like an Andre Berry some guys have a touch you just can't teach. Prigden has a knack for scoring and he's only going to get better.

[DC_Rams]

Yup. You nailed it. Although his 2pt% is pretty good. But his FT% will not get the RC fandom excited to say the least. We all know how URI fans react to bad FT%.

58% FT Shooting

Turnovers were a huge problem

Pridgen had 106 Turnovers. The entire URI Team had 356

Several Posters complained often about Langevine and Martin Turnovers. Don't know what the cause of his TOs were, Offensive Fouls? Traveling? Ball Stolen? Bad Passes? Dribbling off his foot? Combination?

His last game of the season vs Bucknell Pridgen had a Triple Double in Points, Rebounds and a Season High 10 Turnovers in one game

Langevine - 72 Turnovers
Martin - 60 Turnovers
Russell - 66 Turnovers
Dowtin - 33 Turnovers

Anthony Nelson shot 60% from the line last year. He shot 28% from 3 in two seasons at Seton Hall. How is that landing a shooter?? We want Nelson to come because he clearly has upside and could develop into a great player.

Pridgen is not a perfect player, but that you're completely ignoring the strengths of his game is frustrating. Playing with better players around him and not being the main option will lower his turnovers. Gaining experience and growing older will lower his turnovers. He put up these numbers as a freshman...

How many easy layups did our team miss last year? Like an Andre Berry some guys have a touch you just can't teach. Prigden has a knack for scoring and he's only going to get better.

Stevey, there you go again...making sense n’ shit.

[ramster]

58% FT Shooting

Turnovers were a huge problem

Pridgen had 106 Turnovers. The entire URI Team had 356

Several Posters complained often about Langevine and Martin Turnovers. Don't know what the cause of his TOs were, Offensive Fouls? Traveling? Ball Stolen? Bad Passes? Dribbling off his foot? Combination?

His last game of the season vs Bucknell Pridgen had a Triple Double in Points, Rebounds and a Season High 10 Turnovers in one game

Langevine - 72 Turnovers
Martin - 60 Turnovers
Russell - 66 Turnovers
Dowtin - 33 Turnovers

Anthony Nelson shot 60% from the line last year. He shot 28% from 3 in two seasons at Seton Hall. How is that landing a shooter?? We want Nelson to come because he clearly has upside and could develop into a great player.

Pridgen is not a perfect player, but that you're completely ignoring the strengths of his game is frustrating. Playing with better players around him and not being the main option will lower his turnovers. Gaining experience and growing older will lower his turnovers. He put up these numbers as a freshman...

How many easy layups did our team miss last year? Like an Andre Berry some guys have a touch you just can't teach. Prigden has a knack for scoring and he's only going to get better.

Stevey, there you go again...making sense n’ shit.

C'mon DC,
You were just comparing Pridgen to Nelson and they don't even play the same position.
Pridgen is an Undersized Power Forward at 6'5". Nelson is a Point Guard. Apples and Oranges.
At least you could say you would pick one over the other if they played the same position. There are plenty of spots open on the roster.

Yes Stevey he has excellent Shooting percentage inside. EXCELLENT!! OUTSTANDING! How is that????
But he plays in the Patriot League yet has all those TOs. Will a 6'5" Power Forward have the same Shooting Percentage in the A10? Don't know, so might as well give him a shot.
Take them both, there is plenty of room on the bench.

I knew Wood would never play a second at URI, so finally announced. So there is yet another slot for May/June Recruiting

[hrstrat57]

You really can't look at his 3pt.%. He took less than 1 per game.

Yup. You nailed it. Although his 2pt% is pretty good. But his FT% will not get the RC fandom excited to say the least. We all know how URI fans react to bad FT%.

58% FT Shooting

Turnovers were a huge problem

Pridgen had 106 Turnovers. The entire URI Team had 356

Several Posters complained often about Langevine and Martin Turnovers. Don't know what the cause of his TOs were, Offensive Fouls? Traveling? Ball Stolen? Bad Passes? Dribbling off his foot? Combination?

His last game of the season vs Bucknell Pridgen had a Triple Double in Points, Rebounds and a Season High 10 Turnovers in one game

Langevine - 72 Turnovers
Martin - 60 Turnovers
Russell - 66 Turnovers
Dowtin - 33 Turnovers

Ramster I don’t really get you killing this kid...

Good players often have bad stats on bad teams - this player clearly (to me) passes the eye test.

[DC_Rams]

Anthony Nelson shot 60% from the line last year. He shot 28% from 3 in two seasons at Seton Hall. How is that landing a shooter?? We want Nelson to come because he clearly has upside and could develop into a great player.

Pridgen is not a perfect player, but that you're completely ignoring the strengths of his game is frustrating. Playing with better players around him and not being the main option will lower his turnovers. Gaining experience and growing older will lower his turnovers. He put up these numbers as a freshman...

How many easy layups did our team miss last year? Like an Andre Berry some guys have a touch you just can't teach. Prigden has a knack for scoring and he's only going to get better.

Stevey, there you go again...making sense n’ shit.

C'mon DC,
You were just comparing Pridgen to Nelson and they don't even play the same position.
Pridgen is an Undersized Power Forward at 6'5". Nelson is a Point Guard. Apples and Oranges.
At least you could say you would pick one over the other if they played the same position. There are plenty of spots open on the roster.

Yes Stevey he has excellent Shooting percentage inside. EXCELLENT!! OUTSTANDING! How is that????
But he plays in the Patriot League yet has all those TOs. Will a 6'5" Power Forward have the same Shooting Percentage in the A10? Don't know, so might as well give him a shot.
Take them both, there is plenty of room on the bench.

I knew Wood would never play a second at URI, so finally announced. So there is yet another slot for May/June Recruiting

I was comparing them?

Where?

If I had to take one over the other it’d be Pridgen, but now we have room for both.

[ramster]

Stevey, there you go again...making sense n’ shit.

C'mon DC,
You were just comparing Pridgen to Nelson and they don't even play the same position.
Pridgen is an Undersized Power Forward at 6'5". Nelson is a Point Guard. Apples and Oranges.
At least you could say you would pick one over the other if they played the same position. There are plenty of spots open on the roster.

Yes Stevey he has excellent Shooting percentage inside. EXCELLENT!! OUTSTANDING! How is that????
But he plays in the Patriot League yet has all those TOs. Will a 6'5" Power Forward have the same Shooting Percentage in the A10? Don't know, so might as well give him a shot.
Take them both, there is plenty of room on the bench.

I knew Wood would never play a second at URI, so finally announced. So there is yet another slot for May/June Recruiting

I was comparing them?

Where?

If I had to take one over the other it’d be Pridgen, but now we have room for both.

You always had room. But then I knew Wood was unlikely to show up here

[steveystuds06]

Yeah this is definitely a "power forward "who just stands around and hits easy layups. No skill at all..

[LamonteUlmer15]

He looks like what I wanted Dana Tate to be. Athletic and strong slasher who has a surprisingly good burst and handle with his bulky 6'5 frame.

[hrstrat57]

Yeah this is definitely a "power forward "who just stands around and hits easy layups. No skill at all..

Well a lot of those drives would likely be squashed by the defenses on top level A10 teams but he sure does “attack da bucket and score da ball”

I’m still in. A10 starter zero doubt. Get this one done.

[rambone 78]

Let this roll around in your heads for a minute...

Currently, we have THREE players left on the roster that played last year.

That number could even go down to ONE. Walker.

That's amazing.

[rhodylaw]

Let this roll around in your heads for a minute...

Currently, we have THREE players left on the roster that played last year.

That number could even go down to ONE. Walker.

That's amazing.

Truly is - but if three come back, we have 2 starters, a key reserve and 2 players who were in the program and sat for a year. That plus two really talented freshmen is a decent team. Add another grad transfer wing and I am ok all things considered. Still stings that Tyrese left, really the only true disappointing transfer. He had flaws but was an A10 starter for sure.

[rambone 78]

The core will be good if Fatts and JH stay, but 7 players isn't going to cut it.

A minimum of 2 more are needed that are immediately eligible.

[rhodylaw]

The core will be good if Fatts and JH stay, but 7 players isn't going to cut it.

A minimum of 2 more are needed that are immediately eligible.

We played 7 last year and went 21-9 with a much harder schedule. Fatts, Juice, JH and Antwan is a strong core.

[RamStock]

Let this roll around in your heads for a minute...

Currently, we have THREE players left on the roster that played last year.

That number could even go down to ONE. Walker.

That's amazing.

Truly is - but if three come back, we have 2 starters, a key reserve and 2 players who were in the program and sat for a year. That plus two really talented freshmen is a decent team. Add another grad transfer wing and I am ok all things considered. Still stings that Tyrese left, really the only true disappointing transfer. He had flaws but was an A10 starter for sure.

Cmon-I’m pretty sure Toppin counts in the category of disappointing transfers. He was one of the main players that we were counting on for the upcoming year.

[rhodylaw]

Yes we were counting on his growth potential - could still be a bust or a year off. It’s not like Toppin was getting 30 mins a game, despite the lack of depth on the team he barely got over 20.

Back to Pridgen - let’s get him. Looks like a really good wing player. Agree with the comment that he looks like what we hoped Dana would be, slasher who attack the rim.

[reef]

Yeah we need to get this guy

[ramster]

And therein lies the problem.
Toppin did not even get 20 minutes a game
Russell, Dowtin and Martin got mid to high 30’s per game and excuses were made that they were too tired
There were plenty of opportunities to play Toppin more minutes.
Hammond left because of minutes and one game Cox put Eric Dadika in before Hammond. Hammond left after that.
If Toppin had played 30 minutes he might still be here

Toppin will turn out to be a bigger loss than Martin in the long run imho. But both Toppin and Martin were huge losses considering both were starters for 2020-2021 and were unexpected, unplanned losses - nobody saw these 2 transfers coming.

[DeanDome88]

And therein lies the problem.
Toppin did not even get 20 minutes a game
Russell, Dowtin and Martin got mid to high 30’s per game and excuses were made that they were too tired
There were plenty of opportunities to play Toppin more minutes.
Hammond left because of minutes and one game Cox put Eric Dadika in before Hammond. Hammond left after that.
If Toppin had played 30 minutes he might still be here

Toppin will turn out to be a bigger loss than Martin in the long run imho. But both Toppin and Martin were huge losses considering both were starters for 2020-2021 and were unexpected, unplanned losses - nobody saw these 2 transfers coming.

Those 3 guys had a strong handle and Jacob sadly did not. Cox was coaching to win games.

[hrstrat57]

This thread is about Pridgeon. Take this crap into the transfer thread.

Let’s stay focused people!

[Running Ram]

ramster, maybe you can forward your playing time suggestions to the coach from now on, you can be our player retention specialist.

So Hammond left because Dadika got a minute and a half of scrub time? And Toppin left because he didn't get 30 minutes per as a freshman? even though he knew he'd be getting more like 25-30 as a soph? Maybe you didn't get the memo, Toppin left for less playing time, not more.

sorry bout the topic shifts h57, it's all a mess now-a-days

[DC_Rams]

ramster, maybe you can forward your playing time suggestions to the coach from now on, you can be our player retention specialist.

So Hammond left because Dadika got a minute and a half of scrub time? And Toppin left because he didn't get 30 minutes per as a freshman? even though he knew he'd be getting more like 25-30 as a soph? Maybe you didn't get the memo, Toppin left for less playing time, not more.

sorry bout the topic shifts h57, it's all a mess now-a-days

Common sense ain’t so common.

I joke, I kid.

[rambone 78]

Toppin left because Kentucky started sniffing around.

Through only back channels of course lol.

[Running Ram]

No ramster, I missed where Hammond's dad addressed the board about that. That's just silly, it was scrub time, that's when you want the walk-ons in. As a head coach you need guys that work hard to get PT not feel spurned when walk-ons get scrub time.

Also, I don't think you're right to accuse most of us of not rooting for these guys, maybe run a poll, because I believe most of us will still be pulling for most of the transfers. I keep an interested eye on them, I pull for Omar and others, I'll be rooting for Tate, Long, Toppin etc., still, some guys are easier to root for than others, I will probably always have mixed feelings about Martin going to UConn, I wouldn't want anything but the best for him as an individual, but I'm admitting I'm salty about him landing at UConn.

[Running Ram]

ramster, you deleted the post that my last post addresses...

[rambone 78]

We need to focus on our own program....the past is the past....plenty to think about there.

[ramster]

ramster, you deleted the post that my last post addresses...

I was not able to complete my response and it sent in error incomplete. There is much more that simple 1.5 minutes of playing time. Work got in the way. I’ll complete my thoughts shortly and resend.

Sorry about that.

[LoveThoseRams]

Toppin left because Kentucky started sniffing around.

Through only back channels of course lol.

Or Toppin left because Obi's agent did some sniffing around for him....

[URI96]

The core will be good if Fatts and JH stay, but 7 players isn't going to cut it.

A minimum of 2 more are needed that are immediately eligible.

We played 7 last year and went 21-9 with a much harder schedule. Fatts, Juice, JH and Antwan is a strong core.

(John McEnroe voice) You cannot be serious. Playing 7 and only having 7 is not even remotely the same.

[rhodylaw]

The core will be good if Fatts and JH stay, but 7 players isn't going to cut it.

A minimum of 2 more are needed that are immediately eligible.

We played 7 last year and went 21-9 with a much harder schedule. Fatts, Juice, JH and Antwan is a strong core.

(John McEnroe voice) You cannot be serious. Playing 7 and only having 7 is not even remotely the same.

Sooo we had 8 eligible players most of last year, and played 7. We will more than likely grab another eligible player to get to 8. How is that not the same.

[Rhody83]

We played 7 last year and went 21-9 with a much harder schedule. Fatts, Juice, JH and Antwan is a strong core.

(John McEnroe voice) You cannot be serious. Playing 7 and only having 7 is not even remotely the same.

Sooo we had 8 eligible players most of last year, and played 7. We will more than likely grab another eligible player to get to 8. How is that not the same.

The entire starting five was back last year including three players that averaged over 30 minutes the year before. Two Sr who had contributed for 4 years and were preseason A10.

[DeanDome88]

The core will be good if Fatts and JH stay, but 7 players isn't going to cut it.

A minimum of 2 more are needed that are immediately eligible.

We played 7 last year and went 21-9 with a much harder schedule. Fatts, Juice, JH and Antwan is a strong core.

(John McEnroe voice) You cannot be serious. Playing 7 and only having 7 is not even remotely the same.

Well yeah and also we played eight.

[rhodylaw]

Listen - I am not saying it is exactly the same situation as last year, just saying that having 8 eligible players is not the measuring stick. I will take 8 good players over 12 mediocre players. We have 3 returning players who will play 90+ minutes a game and I am very happy with, Juice who I think will play close to 30 and I think will make a filthy back court with Fatts. That is a good core in the A10
- and we will have the best player in the league in Fatts.

The question is how good will Ish and Berry be in college. If those guys are as good as we think they will be, we are in good shape.

[bigappleram]

Tre Mitchell is the best player in the league. Fatts, Crutcher and a few others would be in the next group.

.