Most Impactful Returning Player

[Jersey77]

This is tough because all 5 can play a big role for us this season.

But at this time, I give a slight edge to Martin.
He seems to be our glue and can play multiple positions.
Also his defense, rebounding and experience will be vital.

We saw Carey improve this past season and if he works on his handle and outside shooting, this could be a breakout season for him.

After a strong freshman year, Ish struggled a bit this past season.
We know he has the tools, and is aggressive on both ends of the floor.
I expect him to play well this season.

Bassy contributed more than I expected his first season.
He has a great attitude, willing to learn, get stronger, and improve his shot.
You can't help but cheer for this kid, he is also local.

Samb, we don't know what to expect.
I thought he was a very good signing, but sat out last season and had some injury issues in HS.
I still think he will be a force for us down the road, maybe even in 22-23.

[Jdrums#3]

Martin is a good choice, Jersey. This should be a good thread.

To stir the pot, I’ll say Carey, hands down.

[Billyboy78]

Malik will be the captain and leader on and especially off the court. Archie wants to change the culture. Malik is the guy to help Archie do that.

[Jdrums#3]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

[Billyboy78]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I was going to ask why Parnell isn't getting any love, but decided to go with Malik.

[Jersey77]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I was going to ask why Parnell isn't getting any love, but decided to go with Malik.

That's funny 78.

You did bring up a good point about Malik.
Aside from what he will contribute on the court, his character and team leadership will be most important.

[Jdrums#3]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I was going to ask why Parnell isn't getting any love, but decided to go with Malik.

That's funny 78.

You did bring up a good point about Malik.
Aside from what he will contribute on the court, his character and team leadership will be most important.

Jersey, this take is totally outrageous! Parnell’s plus minus at N/A is much better than Martin’s in our A10 away games in March where we lost by less than 5 points. You and 78 are waaaaaay off base! Did you guys watch our games last year?

looks like I’m gonna need a bigger pot.

[steveystuds06]

I love Malik, but I think he will be a similar player as last year. A leader that plays strong defense and he'll be a decent piece on the offensive end.

I think the two players with the highest upside are Ish and Carey....

Some people on here act like Ish was much worse than he was last season. He underachieved, but he was still one of our best defenders and had some good moments on the offensive end.... I was looking at some of his stats and he averaged close to 10 pts while shooting 35% from 3 in his last 10. I felt like he developed a better midrange as the season went on, which I expect will improve next year. He needs to take some lessons from Carey on how to bounce back your junior year. Archie will get the best out of him

Carey was a much better offensive player last year. His 3ball improved, and he took smarter shots. He also showed why he's the most athletic player on the team. However, I think Cox was hesitant to play him big minutes because he turned the ball over more than you would like and didn't impact the defensive end. If you look at the per 40 stats, Carey was only behind Makhi in turnovers. If he can clean that up, the sky is the limit for Carey.

[NYGFan_Section208]

Martin is a good choice, Jersey. This should be a good thread.

To stir the pot, I’ll say Carey, hands down.

Carey, easily.

[steveystuds06]

Martin is a good choice, Jersey. This should be a good thread.

To stir the pot, I'll say Carey, hands down.

Carey, easily.

Any input on why you guys think Carey is the easy answer? Where do you think he will improve the most to become our most impactful player?

My only worry with Carey is when we expected him to be good, he was horrible. He was great when he had no expectations and played a lesser role. I hope he doesn't get in his head as he did in his first year here. But he has a lot more experience and a much better coaching staff now.

[Jdrums#3]

There are a number of good guards on the team that could cut into Carey’s and ish’s playing time. So, I think that will impact their odds of being most impactful. However, I do think Carey and Ish will thrive under Archie.

Samb is intriguing choice to me because of comparable unknowns in the front court plus the other players returning have a scouting book out on them by opposing A10 coaches and Samb doesn’t due to lack of PT.

As for my pot stirring, alternative take…the Mitchell’s will be most impactful….by leaving.

[Jdrums#3]

NYG, are you asking me or my pot stirring alter-ego?

[DeanDome88]

Martin is a good choice, Jersey. This should be a good thread.

To stir the pot, I'll say Carey, hands down.

Carey, easily.

Any input on why you guys think Carey is the easy answer? Where do you think he will improve the most to become our most impactful player?

My only worry with Carey is when we expected him to be good, he was horrible. He was great when he had no expectations and played a lesser role. I hope he doesn't get in his head as he did in his first year here. But he has a lot more experience and a much better coaching staff now.

I like his ability to finish on the break more than the other returning guards. He is actually a decent defensive player when he does not gamble too much as he has good lateral quickness. If he has improved his outside shot (which was already respectable last season) he will be dangerous. He became a much better player when he stopped passing up open looks to drive into a crowded lane. He is also good at grabbing rebounds. Better coaching should help his game. He seems more well rounded than the other returning players IMHO.

[STC]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

[Billyboy78]

In my opinion, impactful doesn't necessarily just mean points, rebounds and assists. I considered the intangibles too.

[steveystuds06]

Carey, easily.

Any input on why you guys think Carey is the easy answer? Where do you think he will improve the most to become our most impactful player?

My only worry with Carey is when we expected him to be good, he was horrible. He was great when he had no expectations and played a lesser role. I hope he doesn't get in his head as he did in his first year here. But he has a lot more experience and a much better coaching staff now.

I like his ability to finish on the break more than the other returning guards. He is actually a decent defensive player when he does not gamble too much as he has good lateral quickness. If he has improved his outside shot (which was already respectable last season) he will be dangerous. He became a much better player when he stopped passing up open looks to drive into a crowded lane. He is also good at grabbing rebounds. Better coaching should help his game. He seems more well rounded than the other returning players IMHO.

Totally agree. I don't know if you saw the video I posted of Archie talking about Carey. Archie talking about his shot gets me VERY excited.

[DeanDome88]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

Ish looked like a more fluid athlete to me his freshman season than last year. Is our training staff top notch?

[Jdrums#3]

Good point, 78. You and Jersey alluded to intangibles earlier in the thread.

We can’t underestimate the defensive end either. I tend to do that.

[Jersey77]

Any input on why you guys think Carey is the easy answer? Where do you think he will improve the most to become our most impactful player?

My only worry with Carey is when we expected him to be good, he was horrible. He was great when he had no expectations and played a lesser role. I hope he doesn't get in his head as he did in his first year here. But he has a lot more experience and a much better coaching staff now.

I like his ability to finish on the break more than the other returning guards. He is actually a decent defensive player when he does not gamble too much as he has good lateral quickness. If he has improved his outside shot (which was already respectable last season) he will be dangerous. He became a much better player when he stopped passing up open looks to drive into a crowded lane. He is also good at grabbing rebounds. Better coaching should help his game. He seems more well rounded than the other returning players IMHO.

Totally agree. I don't know if you saw the video I posted of Archie talking about Carey. Archie talking about his shot gets me VERY excited.

Yes, Carey can be really good this season, maybe a little more upside than Ish who is also capable of a breakout year.

We know what we are getting from Martin who was arguably the team's best player towards the end of last season.
Also Martin brings all the positive intangibles, which is difficult to measure.

[Jdrums#3]

What I think will be interesting to watch is Archie’s impact on intangibles. I think a good coach can develop intangibles in players as well as hard bb skills. Tough to measure as Jersey posted above regarding intangibles but, something to watch for over the next year or two.

This should be an interesting thread to re-visit in a year.

[RhowdyRam02]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

Ish looked like a more fluid athlete to me his freshman season than last year. Is our training staff top notch?

From what I remember of the season ticket holder night Archie mentioned either shutting Ish down early or starting him on the program late to let him heal up from injuries he had this past season

[RamStock]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I actually think that none of the guys are huge impact guys and none are starters on a tourney team, but think Ish has the most upside if he can return to what he did his freshman season. Especially having three years of eligibility left

[rhodylaw]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I actually think that none of the guys are huge impact guys and none are starters on a tourney team, but think Ish has the most upside if he can return to what he did his freshman season. Especially having three years of eligibility left

Wow - harsh take. People really underestimate Carey. On a team with bad coaching, he cut down his mistakes significantly and matured as an individual player. Give him space and a role with a good coach he will be very good. Ish and Martin will be solid.

[Jdrums#3]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

Ish looked like a more fluid athlete to me his freshman season than last year. Is our training staff top notch?

From what I remember of the season ticket holder night Archie mentioned either shutting Ish down early or starting him on the program late to let him heal up from injuries he had this past season

Now that you mention it, that sounds familiar. I think I heard it in one of the videos SteveyS posted from that event where Archie discussed Ish and an injury issue? I don’t recall the exact details.

[SGreenwell]

Echoing some of the comments here... I think the safest pick for impact is Martin. He's almost certainly going to start and play major minutes this year. But for the sake of team success - present and future - it would be better if the most impactful returning player ended up being Carey or Leggett or Thomas, because it means they've taken a major step forward in production.

[Jdrums#3]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I actually think that none of the guys are huge impact guys and none are starters on a tourney team, but think Ish has the most upside if he can return to what he did his freshman season. Especially having three years of eligibility left

Wow - harsh take. People really underestimate Carey. On a team with bad coaching, he cut down his mistakes significantly and matured as an individual player. Give him space and a role with a good coach he will be very good. Ish and Martin will be solid.

Rhodylaw, don’t be too rough on Ramstock. I believe he may be taking his cue from my alternative ego (devils advocate) facilitation strategy from the beginning of the thread onward.

[Jersey77]

Echoing some of the comments here... I think the safest pick for impact is Martin. He's almost certainly going to start and play major minutes this year. But for the sake of team success - present and future - it would be better if the most impactful returning player ended up being Carey or Leggett or Thomas, because it means they've taken a major step forward in production.

SG, I agree about Martin.

But because guards/wing will be our strongest position, for the sake of team success this season, it would be better if Samb is our most impactful returning player.
Our frontcourt has the most question marks and inexperience.

[Running Ram]

Martin will be playing the 4 spot 80% of his minutes. Book it.

[steveystuds06]

Martin will be playing the 4 spot 80% of his minutes. Book it.

Agreed…. He’s going to be our Stan Robinson this year

[NYGFan_Section208]

In my opinion, impactful doesn't necessarily just mean points, rebounds and assists. I considered the intangibles too.

For now, I'm going with, "just points" and I think Carey has skills to score at the rim and with a decent shot. But, issues getting to to where he could initiate making those happen. Better coaching should help there...a lot.

ETA:. An improved handle is a must, of course.

[Blue Man]

These sensesical, logical points are not going to help spur discussion.

I fear it will be a quiet weekend around these parts. I may have to change my choice to, none of the above.

I actually think that none of the guys are huge impact guys and none are starters on a tourney team, but think Ish has the most upside if he can return to what he did his freshman season. Especially having three years of eligibility left

Wow - harsh take. People really underestimate Carey. On a team with bad coaching, he cut down his mistakes significantly and matured as an individual player. Give him space and a role with a good coach he will be very good. Ish and Martin will be solid.

You can’t understate how terrible the Mitchell twins were for our guards who are primarily slashers.

The Cox “system” of letting those two clog up the inside and take away our guards ability to get downhill to the rim was destructive to all all 3 of the returning Rams (I’m not counting Samb).

When you make our guys one dimensional, it’s harder to shoot as well. I expect a big bounce back year from all 3.

Put me down for Carey though. As impactful as I think Martin will be from a leadership/TJ type role, and I expect Ish to bounce back, I think Carey is going to find his form under a great coach.

Archie is going to put this kid in spots where he will succeed. Archie’s offense wants players running and scoring before a half court D can set up. Carey’s biggest problem was dribble penetration. Archie’s offense is predicated on players moving to the basket before the D sets up.

[ramster]

I actually think that none of the guys are huge impact guys and none are starters on a tourney team, but think Ish has the most upside if he can return to what he did his freshman season. Especially having three years of eligibility left

Wow - harsh take. People really underestimate Carey. On a team with bad coaching, he cut down his mistakes significantly and matured as an individual player. Give him space and a role with a good coach he will be very good. Ish and Martin will be solid.

You can’t understate how terrible the Mitchell twins were for our guards who are primarily slashers.

The Cox “system” of letting those two clog up the inside and take away our guards ability to get downhill to the rim was destructive to all all 3 of the returning Rams (I’m not counting Samb).

When you make our guys one dimensional, it’s harder to shoot as well. I expect a big bounce back year from all 3.

Put me down for Carey though. As impactful as I think Martin will be from a leadership/TJ type role, and I expect Ish to bounce back, I think Carey is going to find his form under a great coach.

Archie is going to put this kid in spots where he will succeed. Archie’s offense wants players running and scoring before a half court D can set up. Carey’s biggest problem was dribble penetration. Archie’s offense is predicated on players moving to the basket before the D sets up.

Is Carey in your starting 5?

[ramster]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

It looks like STC called it from 5 months ago with Ishmael Leggett!

Leggett Statistis thru 6 Games:
33.3 mpg - team high
19.7 ppg - team high
5.8 rebounds pg - 2nd on team
13 offensive rebounds - 2nd on team
20 assists - 2nd on team
9 steals - tied for team high
82.2% FT - 3rd on team
37.9% 3P - 2nd on team
47.9% FG - 3rd on team

[Jersey77]

I’m going with Ish. He had a pretty brutal regression this past year under Cox but he had a very solid freshman year. Freshman year averages of 6.6 PPG on 46%/42%/75% shooting percentages across 20 MPG.

I don’t think this is a Jermaine Harris situation. I expect Archie to create better opportunities for Ish and to play to his strengths.

I’m not saying Ish becomes Jared Terrell but I think he can be a very solid contributor with some better coaching.

It looks like STC called it from 5 months ago with Ishmael Leggett!

Leggett Statistis thru 6 Games:
33.3 mpg - team high
19.7 ppg - team high
5.8 rebounds pg - 2nd on team
13 offensive rebounds - 2nd on team
20 assists - 2nd on team
9 steals - tied for team high
82.2% FT - 3rd on team
37.9% 3P - 2nd on team
47.9% FG - 3rd on team



159287B4-6962-469C-B6DC-DA8164F95667.jpeg

Good job STC, I never expected Ish to be this impactful and the team's star.
We saw potential his freshman year and then he went through the sophomore slump.

But wow, Ish is a stud.

[bigappleram]

He’s playing at an all conference level right now.

[reef]

Great call STC , what a pleasant surprise ISh has been !!

[Rhody72]

STC, welcome to the Ish bandwagon.

[Rhody74]

STC, welcome to the Ish bandwagon.

So who do YOU think has been the most impactful player so far?

[Jdrums#3]

Great job Ish (Swish). I didn’t expect this either.

We need him to keep this up until others step up on a regular basis to support him and defended key on him. He will be receiving a lot more scouting and attention from defenses going forward.

[bigappleram]

Fake news

[Jdrums#3]

The Vault is quite the spin doctor.

[bigappleram]

It’s now a pattern of digs at the coach. From a purported “fan.” Smdh this is why we can’t have nice things.

[Rhodymob05]

Yea he’s almost putting URI last on his list now.

[steveystuds06]

Fake news

I'm assuming you saw his posts that Archie benching him wasn't a good coaching move as, well. So when he doesn't play well, it's Archie's fault. When he does play well Archie gets no credit.

[bigappleram]

Yes I have and it’s toxic. It’s like purposefully sowing discontent between a coach and player of the school you say you support. Wolf in sheeps clothing; my least favorite online persona.

[Billyboy78]

I guess I should be thankful RV blocked me a while back.

[reef]

Fake news

Right and the way he worded it , only cuz Arch gave him consistent playing time is why Bray went off , RV is a boob

[Blue Man]

Fake news

Right and the way he worded it , only cuz Arch gave him consistent playing time is why Bray went off , RV is a boob

Lol it’s a masterclass is gaslighting. Like Archie has no idea what he’s doing, but vault is an expert after 7-8 months of being a “professional.”

It’s sad. He’d have been a great asset and could’ve helped URI/they could’ve helped him.

Instead he’s so painfully obviously salty because Archie won’t give him any scoops.

[ATPTourFan]

...and he's blocking replies to his tweet. Weak!

[Rhody72]

No question that Brayon has talent and can score when he gets to the rim. The sample size is too small to generalize on his impact. I still have questions about his mid-range and three point shooting, and whether he will make his teammates better. I hope he doesn't turn into a shoot first PG. Can he slash and pass? Time will tell.