This team is good

6,494 Views | 49 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by tehmackdaddy
Aston04
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Enough to play fairly mediocre and routinely blow out other average power 5 teams. Davis really struggled tonight, but it didn't matter because we are so deep. Sky really is the limit here.

I guess our weakest spot on the floor is point- but damn the newbs look good and we haven't even seen Caldwell (our best pg) yet.
West Point Aggie
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Agreed...Davis was a mess today...and we still poked the pokes rather easily...impressive
Pumpkinhead
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Hogg has been huge these first 3 games. Showing the NBA potential that we had read some NBA scouts had been intrigued about. Hogg threes and Williams dunks were key to the separation in the first half.
Dallasag02
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A little curious what it looks like when Hogg isnt shooting 70% from 3, but agree.

Gilder needs to keep knocking down outside shots.
Goose
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Pumpkinhead said:

Hogg has been huge these first 3 games. Showing the NBA potential that we had read some NBA scouts had been intrigued about. Hogg threes and Williams dunks were key to the separation in the first half.
We played very, very good defense in the first half.
EKG1996
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I'm a little concerned with Hogg's shooting drop off tonight. With his 4 for 7 from three tonight he dropped his three point % to 65% for the season.
bobinator
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Not sure I agree Davis "was a mess" but he wasn't very effective. Part of that was their defense, they basically decided the one thing that absolutely wasn't going to happen was Tyler Davis getting iso'd in the paint.

He did get frustrated a couple of times and pick up some cheap fouls though.
expresswrittenconsent
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Pumpkinhead said:

Hogg has been huge these first 3 games. Showing the NBA potential that we had read some NBA scouts had been intrigued about. Hogg threes and Williams dunks were key to the separation in the first half.

That's gonna really give txag72 some heartburn.
GenericAggie
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Don't take this as me being negative, because I see a lot of potential, but isn't it a bit early to say we're good? I mean, 4-0 is good but who have we played that's a real top 10 team?
bobinator
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It depends on what you define as good. We're definitely good in my book. Good to me is like you're probably going to be ranked most of the season.

Are we great? We'll see.
West Point Aggie
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bobinator said:

Not sure I agree Davis "was a mess" but he wasn't very effective. Part of that was their defense, they basically decided the one thing that absolutely wasn't going to happen was Tyler Davis getting iso'd in the paint.

He did get frustrated a couple of times and pick up some cheap fouls though.


He looked out of sorts...flustered a few times when bad entry passes were sent his way and missed several easy open shots...maybe "a mess" was a bit over the top, but he wasn't his smoother self...
Maroon Dawn
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Still have games at USC, Zona and KU

Plenty of chances to see how good we really are
LouisvilleAg
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See last year when we didn't have a PG.
Pumpkinhead
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Maroon Dawn said:

Still have games at USC, Zona and KU

Plenty of chances to see how good we really are


They have shown enough to me already to be 100% confident this team will comfortably get into the NCAA tournament. No sweating at all on Selection Sunday.

The games that you mention, how they look in those kind of games will indicate a lot to me whether this team is actually a legit Final Four team kind of good. Even in a loss to any of those teams, given all three of those are either true road games or pseudo road game, it will say a lot if we fight hard close battles wth tbose guys.
Matsui
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Just bc you don't beat a top 10 team doesn't mean you aren't good. Anything ranked is a solid team. Just enjoy this all court talent we have.
Method Man
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What does that even mean?
cords12
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By far the most talent and depth I've seen on an Aggie basketball team in many many years! I just hope this team can stay focused because they have amazing potential if we can stay healthy!
tehmackdaddy
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This team is definitely good. Some random thoughts:

1) Through three games we have relied upon superior talent and athleticism to overwhelm our opponents and then coast to victories. I am extremely curious to see what happens when we face a team similarly or even more talented than we. I want to see how much grit this team has. How much desire. How it handles adversity.

2) I can see on DJ Hogg's face that he is a different player this year. He looks as though he FEELS like he belongs, and with that has brought the confidence he needs to be successful by exploiting his advantages.

3) What a difference having point guards makes! Last year didn't have a serviceable one and now we (will) have three of them, two of which return next year. Awesome!

4) Robert Williams doesn't have a post-game. Or a mid-range game. And definitely nothing from long-range. His points largely come from offensive rebounds and others creating opportunities for him through screens. That said, he will probably average a double/double this season and be a lottery pick in the draft. He relies on his freakish athleticism and is REALLY fun to watch. I hope he doesn't just rest on his abilities, but challenges himself to better his game. And I hope his teammates and coaches challenge him as well.

5) Someone posted our KenPom defensive ranking as #2 in the country. Yes, it's too early for the statistics that make up that ranking to be meaningful. What troubles me is what has troubled me with ALL of Kennedy's teams. Their defense is not intense. The players' hands are not up and moving constantly. We have the length and talent to have a SUFFOCATING defense. Watch how elite teams like Duke, MSU, Kansas, Kentucky, and Villanova play defense. And while we have all season to improve it, we have history telling us that this is indicative of BK teams along with the reminder that what we practice in games early in the season becomes a habit for the REST of the season.

6) We'll be losing Trocha and Williams after this year and thus have most of the roster returning. That's great, but we seem to be missing some bigs to replace those two. Assuming we have Davis back, who else is a post player we expect to step up? Jasey looks promising, but we don't seem to have any backups for them or any 2018 commitments to address the issue. Given this, we'll likely play a different type of offense next year predicated more on speed, transition, and movement away from the ball.

7) The offense still seems painfully anemic at times. Especially when Trocha gets the ball with his back to the basket. Another frustrating BK effect.

8) Gilder is steak-sauce.

---
That seems a little more critical than I anticipated. I suppose I just want to see them play to their potential because I really think they can do something special this year.

Gig 'em!
MidTnAg
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Robert Williams He (and the coaches) need to improve his offensive skills. That will greatly increase the success of us this season and increase his ability to succeed in the NBA in his future.

Hogg If he can continue to hit outside jumpers, we should have a tremendous season.
Frok
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I'm jumping on the Aggie basketball bandwagon. I've watched two games and we look pretty legit.
GE
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tehmackdaddy said:

6) We'll be losing Trocha and Williams after this year and thus have most of the roster returning. That's great, but we seem to be missing some bigs to replace those two. Assuming we have Davis back, who else is a post player we expect to step up? Jasey looks promising, but we don't seem to have any backups for them or any 2018 commitments to address the issue. Given this, we'll likely play a different type of offense next year predicated more on speed, transition, and movement away from the ball.
Josh Nebo is the name you're looking for. He'll be a junior and eligible next season. Guy can really play and is an above the rim alley oop and shot blocker kind of like a Robert Williams light but thicker.
tysker
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Quote:

2) I can see on DJ Hogg's face that he is a different player this year. He looks as though he FEELS like he belongs, and with that has brought the confidence he needs to be successful by exploiting his advantages.
Of course its only been three games but DJs body language thus far has been night and day since last season.
agsquirrel97
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tehmackdaddy said:

This team is definitely good. Some random thoughts:

1) Through three games we have relied upon superior talent and athleticism to overwhelm our opponents and then coast to victories. I am extremely curious to see what happens when we face a team similarly or even more talented than we. I want to see how much grit this team has. How much desire. How it handles adversity.

2) I can see on DJ Hogg's face that he is a different player this year. He looks as though he FEELS like he belongs, and with that has brought the confidence he needs to be successful by exploiting his advantages.

3) What a difference having point guards makes! Last year didn't have a serviceable one and now we (will) have three of them, two of which return next year. Awesome!

4) Robert Williams doesn't have a post-game. Or a mid-range game. And definitely nothing from long-range. His points largely come from offensive rebounds and others creating opportunities for him through screens. That said, he will probably average a double/double this season and be a lottery pick in the draft. He relies on his freakish athleticism and is REALLY fun to watch. I hope he doesn't just rest on his abilities, but challenges himself to better his game. And I hope his teammates and coaches challenge him as well.

5) Someone posted our KenPom defensive ranking as #2 in the country. Yes, it's too early for the statistics that make up that ranking to be meaningful. What troubles me is what has troubled me with ALL of Kennedy's teams. Their defense is not intense. The players' hands are not up and moving constantly. We have the length and talent to have a SUFFOCATING defense. Watch how elite teams like Duke, MSU, Kansas, Kentucky, and Villanova play defense. And while we have all season to improve it, we have history telling us that this is indicative of BK teams along with the reminder that what we practice in games early in the season becomes a habit for the REST of the season.

6) We'll be losing Trocha and Williams after this year and thus have most of the roster returning. That's great, but we seem to be missing some bigs to replace those two. Assuming we have Davis back, who else is a post player we expect to step up? Jasey looks promising, but we don't seem to have any backups for them or any 2018 commitments to address the issue. Given this, we'll likely play a different type of offense next year predicated more on speed, transition, and movement away from the ball.

7) The offense still seems painfully anemic at times. Especially when Trocha gets the ball with his back to the basket. Another frustrating BK effect.

8) Gilder is steak-sauce.

---
That seems a little more critical than I anticipated. I suppose I just want to see them play to their potential because I really think they can do something special this year.

Gig 'em!
We are used to under performing in athletics as a university, your criticisms are warranted. I am going to just enjoy this surprise of a team, and am excited to be distracted from FB
mallen
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Quote:

5) Someone posted our KenPom defensive ranking as #2 in the country. Yes, it's too early for the statistics that make up that ranking to be meaningful. What troubles me is what has troubled me with ALL of Kennedy's teams. Their defense is not intense. The players' hands are not up and moving constantly. We have the length and talent to have a SUFFOCATING defense. Watch how elite teams like Duke, MSU, Kansas, Kentucky, and Villanova play defense. And while we have all season to improve it, we have history telling us that this is indicative of BK teams along with the reminder that what we practice in games early in the season becomes a habit for the REST of the season.

This is a strange thing to criticize given past years' performance and what we have seen so far this year. Good defensive play and defensive effort has been a consistency under Kennedy, probably moreso than any other area. If your argument is that we haven't seen elite top 10 defenses year over year under Kennedy that is probably true, but we have definitely seen good to great defenses under Kennedy... at the top of the SEC and well above average for a power 5 team.

There is no reason to believe this team can't play at an elite defensive level with the right personnel on the court. If anything, history has shown Kennedy's teams identity is built around defense. My concern for this season is that the Freshmen, particularly Caldwell, might have a steep learning curve initially.
94chem
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This team should expect to be in San Antonio. There, I said it. I am a UNC grad. I know what good basketball looks like. If these guys were wearing Carolina blue, I'd be expecting a title, just like I did in '05, '09, '13, '16, and '17. We got 3 of those, lost on a last second shot in the finals once, and had Kendall Marshall injured in '13.

This A&M team can defend the perimeter. You just don't see that very often. I love that our bigs can hedge without fouling, and that we can run the jump double or double off the hedge when we want to. I like Hogg's handle. He looks like he can play point forward at times, which is a nightmare match-up in iso situations, ala Kris Middleton. Gilder put a filthy cross-over on somebody last night...if that's your 3rd or 4th option at PG, you've got some pretty good ball handlers.

This team could win it all or be a first weekend flame-out. It's up to them. I'm glad Williams came back to school, but we don't need him to "work on his game." We don't need him to hit mid range jumpers, handle the ball in transition, or show next level skills. We need him to be a freak on the glass, finish at the rim, and protect the rim without fouling.

I love that we can go small in clock kill situations, put Hogg at 4, and put our best FT-shooting big at the 5. This is a team that should be able to spread the floor with a 6 point leads and 6 minutes to go and basically put games to bed.

This is the most talented team in A&M history. They will have some stumbles, but if they commit to getting better, playing together, and playing hard every night, they can beat anybody.
bobinator
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I think he's talking more about defensive style than its actual effectiveness, but we have definitely been a lot more in-your-face this season than in year's past also.

Oklahoma State shoots a lot of threes, and they aren't very good at it, so we probably gave them more space than we will most teams.

USC will be a good barometer for how much we believe in being aggressive. We need to get into their wings and create some havoc.
tysker
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Quote:

I like Hogg's handle. He looks like he can play point forward at times, which is a nightmare match-up in iso situations, ala Kris Middleton.
I recall Wilson directing Hogg to start the halfcourt offense late in the game last night. I dont exactly remember the sequence but Hogg dribbled inside the 3-pt line allowing Tyler's (?) man to come off just slightly and then dumping into Tyler for a layup, in which Tyler was fouled. I'm not sure if that was the plan, if Wilson was tired or what but Wilson seemed pretty adamant that DJ should take the ball off the dribble.
CapCity12thMan
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our inability at PG last year stymied Hogg. Now that we have a real PG, it enables Gilder and Hogg to be better players and that is what makes the team better. With attention required to give to Hogg and Gilder, it makes Williams and Davis better.

You could see last night (Davis just had an off night, but when you have 4-5 other potential double digit scorers on the floor, it doesn't hurt us as bad).
JJxvi
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Holy ****, I just looked up West Virginia to see how they've been doing. They won their next 3 games by an average of 42 points?
bobinator
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JJxvi said:

Holy ****, I just looked up West Virginia to see how they've been doing. They won their next 3 games by an average of 42 points?
Getting your ass kicked is a good way to get fired up to mow down overwhelmed opponents. They probably don't play anyone worth anything (unless Porter comes back for Mizzou) until 12/5 when they play Virginia. I'll be interested to see how they do.
90ags
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Half court offense still suffers at times (maybe partially due to Tyler's poor night). There were several times that they just stood around waiting for a 1-on-1 move. Better teams will take advantage and shut down our scoring (a very tough OOC sched forthcoming will be a great test for this to improve).

On the move, pg play and guarding the perimeter have improved tremendously with plenty of upside still to be had. Hope they can make some noise this year!!
______________________________________________________ Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the back...
JJxvi
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bobinator said:

JJxvi said:

Holy ****, I just looked up West Virginia to see how they've been doing. They won their next 3 games by an average of 42 points?
Getting your ass kicked is a good way to get fired up to mow down overwhelmed opponents. They probably don't play anyone worth anything (unless Porter comes back for Mizzou) until 12/5 when they play Virginia. I'll be interested to see how they do.
Well yeah, you probably aren't going to beat just anyone by 42. I would guess without checking in detail that Long Beach State is probably at least a team with a pulse, though the other 2 may not be.
wacarnolds
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JJxvi said:

bobinator said:

JJxvi said:

Holy ****, I just looked up West Virginia to see how they've been doing. They won their next 3 games by an average of 42 points?
Getting your ass kicked is a good way to get fired up to mow down overwhelmed opponents. They probably don't play anyone worth anything (unless Porter comes back for Mizzou) until 12/5 when they play Virginia. I'll be interested to see how they do.
Well yeah, you probably aren't going to beat just anyone by 42. I would guess without checking in detail that Long Beach State is probably at least a team with a pulse, though the other 2 may not be.
LBSU is a bad team, but the huge MOV is still impressive (and a nice boost for our computer numbers, by extension).
bobinator
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I wasn't disagreeing with you or anything, I mostly meant I'll be interested to see how they do against someone decent. They looked like garbage against us but maybe we're really just that good right now.
BenFiasco14
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94chem said:

This team should expect to be in San Antonio. There, I said it. I am a UNC grad. I know what good basketball looks like. If these guys were wearing Carolina blue, I'd be expecting a title, just like I did in '05, '09, '13, '16, and '17. We got 3 of those, lost on a last second shot in the finals once, and had Kendall Marshall injured in '13.

This A&M team can defend the perimeter. You just don't see that very often. I love that our bigs can hedge without fouling, and that we can run the jump double or double off the hedge when we want to. I like Hogg's handle. He looks like he can play point forward at times, which is a nightmare match-up in iso situations, ala Kris Middleton. Gilder put a filthy cross-over on somebody last night...if that's your 3rd or 4th option at PG, you've got some pretty good ball handlers.

This team could win it all or be a first weekend flame-out. It's up to them. I'm glad Williams came back to school, but we don't need him to "work on his game." We don't need him to hit mid range jumpers, handle the ball in transition, or show next level skills. We need him to be a freak on the glass, finish at the rim, and protect the rim without fouling.

I love that we can go small in clock kill situations, put Hogg at 4, and put our best FT-shooting big at the 5. This is a team that should be able to spread the floor with a 6 point leads and 6 minutes to go and basically put games to bed.

This is the most talented team in A&M history. They will have some stumbles, but if they commit to getting better, playing together, and playing hard every night, they can beat anybody.


Stop. I can only get so erect.
CNN is an enemy of the state and should be treated as such.
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