Next year

rhodyrudder · Unread post by **rhodyrudder** » 10 years ago

Well, it's over.
Hopefully the losing is over, too.
I'm not saying that unless they make the Final Four next year,
it'll be a disappointment. But I'm officially tired of the losing,
and I have been for a while.

So priority number one for next year, in my opinion, is a .500 A-10 record or better.

Priority number 2: win a game in the A-10 Tournament.

We do those 2 things, then we've turned the corner and can continue to look ahead.
If not, then the rebuilding is still, pardon the expression, in some part of the process.
Assuming that we do achieve those two things next year, then we can move forward...

Priority #3: by 2016, year 4 of the Hurley era, I'm hoping to dance.

#4: by 2017, I want a top 25 ranking and at least one win in the NCAAs.

Also, could we please beat all of the following teams at least once by the end of 2016?
PC, UMass, LaSalle, St. Joe, GW & any ranked team? It's been way too long.

I have similar expectations for football and men's soccer, but that's for posts in other places.

bressler3south · Unread post by **bressler3south** » 10 years ago

Dear rhodyrudder: You may appreciate my post from June 13, 2013…….

When a college hoops program attains greatness, no one calls it "a mid-major, a non-BCS school," etc., It's called "a model-program, a powerhouse," etc., Maybe someday, it will be called "a dynasty."
Think big. Dream bigger. Do it better.
Get used to it, because the Captain has charted the course.

Hang tough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 10 years ago

Like the post and guidelines, Rudder!!

Running Ram · Unread post by **Running Ram** » 10 years ago

Yeah Bress!!! Dynasty!!! Powerhouse!! That's what I'm talking about!
With what we've had, I could see settling for the outline provided, but the real end game is to replace UConn as the class of the Northeast. That's what I want. That's what I will have

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

Still hard to predict how good we can be next year. I think we'll be better, but how much better? We still have to add a couple of pieces in April. But, who will they be? And we still don't know about Hare. Now that the season is over, maybe we'll hear something about him soon.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

I will stick with the rudder's priorities 1 and 2, and then go fom there......creep before we walk.....

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

MAKE FREE THROWS.

If that doesn't improve, we're screwed.

Hurley knows it too, even though he doesn't like to hear it.

I get the "youth" excuse in the post game last night.

It won't fly next year, even though we'll still be a relatively young team with at least 3 freshmen.

When a team like UMass puts the pressure on late, they have to step up and respond in kind.

Not pull an el foldo from the field and the line.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 10 years ago

Surprised PK mentioned the possibility of finishing top 5 next year before the roster is even set. That would be quite a jump

rhodylaw · Unread post by **rhodylaw** » 10 years ago

Why is that surprising? We bring everyone back except X. Not saying that is not a big loss, but this is college basketball every team loses a good player to graduation each year. We are losing a lot less than some of te teams we were close to this year. We were in the top of the lower third of the league by the end of this year, not a huge jump to be at the top of the middle third.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 10 years ago

I wouldn't worry about what minutes Gustys or Watson are said to be playing
next season.
With the human foul machine as the starting center, whoever the backups are, will
see plenty of time.
If Hare comes back, that could impact on playing time for the others.
Martin could move to SF, if his shot keeps improving.
Teams like UMass show, you can never have enough bigs, especially with the
new foul rules.
The more roster flexibility, to make in game or opponent to opponent
adjustments, the better.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

I know Hassan wants to play SF, but I hope defensively he is around the basket and not on the perimeter.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

It could actually be interesting to see what Hassan does defensively as a 3. I wonder if it could free him up more to be able to help down low and use that amazing timing to block tons of shots rather than worrying about actually bodying up somebody down there.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.

Any idea if its available online anywhere? Didnt see it on the projo site, so i guess probably not.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

adam914 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.
Any idea if its available online anywhere? Didnt see it on the projo site, so i guess probably not.

I looked for it online and didn't see it. I'm guessing it'll be online later today.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

Yeah makes sense, thanks Billyboy.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 10 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.

From what I have seen and heard on Watson it seems he is going to primarily be a guy to rebound, set picks and dunk. Bring more muscle and toughness down low. About 20 minutes sounds right, b/c Hassan and Gil both need minutes and bring more offensive game with them. Also doesn't take into account Iffy and if Gutsys comes, and that's 4-5 guys for 2 positions (assuming Hassan isnt a true 3 yet next year). Also doesn't take into account Hare, who is still a TBD.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 10 years ago

adam914 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.
Any idea if its available online anywhere? Didnt see it on the projo site, so i guess probably not.

Sometimes they have the DigitalProjo thing working without having to sign in... like today:
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ ... w=ZW50aXR5

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

Awesome, thanks ATP!

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

bigappleram wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:I read that PK article this morning. Why does he think Watson will play 15-20 minutes a game next year? I would think he'd play more than that. Is it possible he's confusing Dan's discussion with Gustys about minutes? Because that was the exact same number.
From what I have seen and heard on Watson it seems he is going to primarily be a guy to rebound, set picks and dunk. Bring more muscle and toughness down low. About 20 minutes sounds right, b/c Hassan and Gil both need minutes and bring more offensive game with them. Also doesn't take into account Iffy and if Gutsys comes, and that's 4-5 guys for 2 positions (assuming Hassan isnt a true 3 yet next year). Also doesn't take into account Hare, who is still a TBD.

Plus, I think the last couple seasons have made us forget that not all teams only have 7 guys that need to play 30+ minutes a game. If we can actually keep all our depth for an entire season then maybe the coaches can work with an actual rotation for once!

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

So I've been thinking about this whole "Biruta is just a role player" theory a bit, and decided to go back and look at some numbers (because I'm depressed that the season is over and I have to watch all these other teams keep playing). In games that he was actually able to stay on the floor and play 25 minutes or more, Biruta averaged 14.1 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Now defensive issues aside, if he can come back next year and play under control and stay out of foul trouble and on the floor, I certainly would view 14 points and 9 boards a game as much more than just a role player. I'm pretty sure most teams would take that production out of a big man in the A10 every single time.

Lots of ifs and all that to get to the point where he is staying on the floor consistently, but just thought it was pretty interesting.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 10 years ago

Biruta is not a good defensive player, but he makes a dramatic difference on the offensive end when he is in the game. It isn't just his points; the whole look and feel of our half court offense is much better when he is in. He is important enough on offense that it is worth trying to figure out a way to hide him on the other end. He really shouldn't be asked to guard the post - he either gets beat or commits a foul seemingly every play. I wonder if Hassan can develop a little but of the CJ Fair game that BAR talks about a lot, if we could play both Gil and Hassan with a center (Watson, Iffy or Gustys), and have Hassy play the wing on offense and Biruta play the wing on D.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 10 years ago

TP, while I think eventually Hassan gets the perimeter skills to play the 3 I would guess next year he still does most of his work within 15 feet and plays more like a PF than a SF. The other dilemma is out of necessity Hassan became our best low post defender, until someone else shows his ability to guard the rim I dont see how he moves away from the basket. At least on the defensive end.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 10 years ago

Hassan might be the most interesting guy to watch in year 2 as far as development goes. I agree it may be a little early to count on him as a 3, but by his junior year I think its realistic and he would be an absolute matchup nightmare.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 10 years ago

BAR, that's what I'm saying ... play Hassan at the 4 on defense and Gil at the 4 on offense. I know Hassan's game won't be fully developed to play the wing next year, but in reality he isn't a post up scorer anyway. He will continue to get most if his points in transition and off misses. Just trying to think of a way to get both of them on the floor at the same time along with a real five. Gil is too important on offense to sit, but too poor of an interior defender to play there all game. And obviously Hassan has to be on the court as much as possible. Going to be interesting to see how that plays out, but I'd prefer not to have Gil and Hassan start at the 4 and 5 with better potential 5s on the bench.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

Instead of one guarding a 4 and one guarding a 3, I wish Dan wouldn't be so stubborn and play zone more often. If we had practiced and played an effective zone this year, it would have solved a lot of the fatigue and foul problems that we had. I know Dan loves to play pressure man to man defense, but I wish he would be a little more flexible and at least mix it up a little. Yes, I know we did play some zone this year, but I'll bet the percentage of time played was less than one percent.

seanmc94 · Unread post by **seanmc94** » 10 years ago

Do you think Martin has the footwork to keep up with 3s on the perimeter?

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 10 years ago

Time will tell, he hasn't had to yet, but he's an elite athlete so its not a stretch.

RAM67 · Unread post by **RAM67** » 10 years ago

I's also possible that he still growing and may stay at the 4 because of his size.

seanmc94 · Unread post by **seanmc94** » 10 years ago

I like him better around the rim. You can't teach his instincts for blocking shots and rebounding.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 10 years ago

I agree with Adam. I have not given up on the possibility that Gil could be one of he best forwards in the league. To lump him in with JR, Biggie and Iffy like PK did is unfair.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 10 years ago

Iggy, I agree. I also think Hassan will be one of the two best players on the team and needs to be on the floor. So how do you get both those guys on the floor at the same time? My strong preference would be to not play either of them at the five, especially because I think we will have legit five options on next year's team.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 10 years ago

seanmc94 wrote:Do you think Martin has the footwork to keep up with 3s on the perimeter?

I don't know but it seems silly to play him on the perimeter on the defensive end when he is the league's defending blocked shot leader. I doubt Gil is athletic enough to be a good perimeter defender, but he can't be any more of a liability guarding wing players than he is defending the interior. And if you have two good defensive bigs guarding the rim, maybe you can get away with a slightly slow wing defender. IDK if playing Gil away from the basket on D and Hassan away from the blocks on offense is a good idea or not, just spitballing here. Trying to think about how to get both guys on the floor along with a legit five.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 10 years ago

Seems like your just trying to put our best guys on the floor. I think Gil would foul a guy on the perimeter that tried to drive everytime. I don't think defense gets easier in space far from the basket.

If he learns to control his emotions he will foul less. Maybe not allow him to practice so physically so that he's not surprised when he gets called for fouls.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 10 years ago

Here's a hint. Dan told me that he envisions Hassan Martin as a
Treveon Graham type player."A match up nightmare".
Now watching Graham for a couple of years, he's a guy with a good
mid range game.
Hassan is larger than Graham, but you get the idea of the game plan.
Of course, if Martin grows to 6'9", all bets are off.
Biruta can't play the perimeter. If you think he has foul problems now,
he'd be playing five minutes a game as a SF.

eli#10 · Unread post by **eli#10** » 10 years ago

Everybody will be better with a true point guard who can penetrate and then dish the ball out for a somewhat open jumper. How many times did we actually see that this year. Also, a quick speedy point guard can lead a true fast break that we did not see much of this year. You cannot understate how important this will be.

DeanDome88 · Unread post by **DeanDome88** » 10 years ago

Garrett will help a lot next year and would like the reigns turned over to him as soon as is practicable. Watson should help add toughness and depth in the frontcourt. This program needs all the eligible players to come back so we can benefit from some continuity. Rokas Gustys would be a good get if he signs and accelerate the teams build up towards the good times. To bring in 3 players capable of playing well in the A-10 in one recruiting year would be huge. We have a hole at the small forward spot but our two best returning players could both play a little out of position there in a pinch. We probably have enough talent at the PF for Martin to play quite a bit at the SF. EC looked really good playing it this year but then who plays SG? We had a very inexperienced squad especially after losing a few players early in the year. We keep these guys together and we will be decent next year (as in having a winning record). This team needs to improve on the defensive end and with a floor general should have less scoring droughts on offense. TJ's playing time this year at the point should help him be a decent backup option if Biggie does not improve. In my mind, Matt Butler is the one guy on the team that was really blocked for playing time this year, he could turn out to be a good role player.

ram1980 · Unread post by **ram1980** » 10 years ago

Would like to see more defensive adjustments next year.. Switch it up a bit according to the opponent and flow of the game... As much as it hurts to say this, brilliant job by Cooley going to zone last night.. We need to be flexible also.. Surprised we didn't play more zone this year given the limitations of the roster and the constant foul trouble of Biruta and Iffy...

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 10 years ago

Agree 100% on playing zone.
It would have rested players, just playing a section of the floor,
and helped keep Biruta out of foul trouble.
Some coaches have a macho thing about only playing man to man defense.
I hope Hurley isn't one of those.

rhodyrudder · Unread post by **rhodyrudder** » 10 years ago

#5: win the A-10 tourney this decade.

rhodylaw · Unread post by **rhodylaw** » 10 years ago

Rod - I think he does have a thing about man defense. However, I think team played really good D for the most part this year.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

rhodylaw wrote:Rod - I think he does have a thing about man defense. However, I think team played really good D for the most part this year.

They did play good D for the most part, especially in the second half of the season. But our lack of depth showed up in foul trouble and fatigue. Just mixing in a zone here and there would have helped this problem. Next year, when hopefully we're at least 10 deep, we can extend the pressure even more. I'm all for that. But this year, zone was needed.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 10 years ago

I would like to see another wing shooter who can score and a big kid with low post moves added to the current roster....together with Garrett and Watson....

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

Ramulous wrote:I would like to see another wing shooter who can score and a big kid with low post moves added to the current roster....together with Garrett and Watson....

Yes, Gustys and either Jackson or Purcell in addition to those two would make for a very nice class.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 10 years ago

Zone requires a lot of communication and basketball IQ at this level. You either have to play it great or not at all. A decent zone will get pummeled with how these guys can pass the ball and penetrate. I assume DH felt this team and many of it's core parts (EC and Hassan) were going to have a learning curve to being good Div 1 defenders in a man to man environment. Probably was limited to how many wrinkles he could try - i.e. full court pressure, traps, zones. Add to that the injuries and limited depth and it became going back to the basics mentality. We did play strong man-to-man for the most part all year, and especially down the stretch. Our D against UMass was very good for long stretches.

I love the 1-3-1 trap that Beilein has always used, and GW is using now as well. Very disruptive to the offense and a great thing to use for short stretches to change momentum. Cuse and PC under Cooley also both play great D, but it requires a lot of repetition and dedication to it. I would think in time DH will be able to show more tricks, when he has more tools.

rhodyrob · Unread post by **rhodyrob** » 10 years ago

Don]t forget the tall Sophomore center that is athletic enough to get his blocks and run the court. JH will join our Freshmen class-EC,HAS.and IFFY for the best sophomore class in the a10. The front line of Bir,WaTson.Iffy,HAS and JH will be impressive and if we get Gutzy we would be able to lose a player to fouls and come back with someone bigger and maybe better. A six man rotation for the front line is an answer to our prayers.EC.TJ,Biggie and Garrett +1 will be scoring and getting it to the big guys for assists. Butler is a ?at the moment. JR can be a true swing man that moves everywhere.
Practice the foul shots and we may be all set.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

rhodyrob wrote:Don]t forget the tall Sophomore center that is athletic enough to get his blocks and run the court. JH will join our Freshmen class-EC,HAS.and IFFY for the best sophomore class in the a10. The front line of Bir,WaTson.Iffy,HAS and JH will be impressive and if we get Gutzy we would be able to lose a player to fouls and come back with someone bigger and maybe better. A six man rotation for the front line is an answer to our prayers.EC.TJ,Biggie and Garrett +1 will be scoring and getting it to the big guys for assists. Butler is a ?at the moment. JR can be a true swing man that moves everywhere.
Practice the foul shots and we may be all set.

You know something about Hare that we don't?

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 10 years ago

The Affiliates ‏@RIAFFILIATED · 16h
URI has a reason to be excited about next year. Jarvis Garrett is coming in to town. The young man can flat out ball and will make a diff.

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