Onward and upward

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Onward and upward

I'm no compliance expert, but it seems to me from the NCAA bylaws that there's at least some wiggle-room for making the case that Griffan C. might be able to play the full season in basketball:
We might have to petition the NCAA for a waiver for him, or he may "satisfy the applicable transfer requirements." The water is made muddy by UND's move to D-I which eliminates Griffan's chance to compete in the post-season for the remainder of his eligibility, if he had remained.

I guess we'll see what happens . . .

I didn't get through all of your next two posts yet, but I don't believe (d) would help as 22.3.3 is in reference to institutions that are required to take corrective action because they have not met certification requirements. I don't know if the mascot issue would fall under this, but other than that, I am unaware of any certification problems for UND. Good find in the regs though.

[filbert]

Re: Onward and upward

I didn't get through all of your next two posts yet, but I don't believe (d) would help as 22.3.3 is in reference to institutions that are required to take corrective action because they have not met certification requirements. I don't know if the mascot issue would fall under this, but other than that, I am unaware of any certification problems for UND. Good find in the regs though.

Well, I said I wasn't a compliance expert. And with the rest . . . take your time . . . we have a while until next October 15th!

[NorCalJack]

Re: Onward and upward

First off that must have take some time to write and I know your passionate about the Jacks, but I have a couple of points I disagree with.

Kai Williams needs to come back dedicated to scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds per game. That's right. A double-double average should be Williams' goal next year. Even more than his rebounding, the Jackrabbits need Kai to score more. He's got First-Team All-Conference ability. He needs to channel that ability effectively, something that he seems to struggle with at times. He needs to get open, and his team-mates need to GET HIM THE BALL!!!

My prescription for the coaching staff for next year regarding Kai Williams is two-fold: first, cut Kai's minutes down from this year's 35 minutes per game to 30 per game, and make the rest of the guys pick up the offensive and rebounding slack.

This seems to be a contradiction of thoughts. I don't understand how you can expect Kai to increase his production when you want to cut his minutes. There are only three players in the league that score more than 20 points a game and all three average more than 36 minutes a game. I also disagree with your rebound prediction. Nobody in the league averages 10 rebounds a game. I thought Kai actually overacheived in this area. I also hope that Davis will get more rebounds than Beran did this year. That would also cut down on some of Kai's opprotunities.

I think, for roster balance purposes, you absolutely have to redshirt incoming freshman Rader.

We will have three freshmen next year with Rader, Cassaday and the younger Griffin. I'm not sure how redshirting Rader will help out with the imbalance of classes. I think they need to redshirt Moss or Palarca to help balance out the classes.

Go State!!!
Go Jacks!!!

[filbert]

Re: Onward and upward

Well, my theory on Kai is keep him fresher and going harder in the games by cutting back on his total minutes. I could possibly be completely full of it here. Only Kai and possibly coach Nagy know for sure.

And, if Rader really can help us more on the floor than on the bench, I'm OK with that, too. I'm just that fan up in the stands with all kinds of ideas how to "make things better." I just type faster (and have more time on my hands?) than most of the rest of you!

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Onward and upward

I'm on record for being an optimist about the future of the program. I believe the pieces are there to see improvement and the new faces should only add to that.

Looking at the positions, here is what I see:

Point Gaurd-Casey should be the starter if the comments Nagy has been making are true. He has better size and is a better shooter than Pallarca from the outside. Pallarca was a real spark plug at times this year. He needs to work on his outside shot so that defenders have to respect it. It is vital for this team that one of these guys step up and become a real force. Clint played a lot in this spot but doesn't have the quickness to get to the hoop. Dale lacks the outside shot similar to Pallarca. Look at Centennary and what the value of a point gaurd that hits the three but can take it to the hole meant for them. A strong point gaurd is also needed to get Kai, Garrett, and Clint the open looks that they need. If one of these guys becomes a force than our prospects for success next year go way up! Offensively is where we struggled this year.

Shooting Gaurd-Clint and Garrett are both suited best for this spot and will see a lot of time on the floor. They are both excellent outside shooters. Clint is good at posting up and is a strong rebounder. Garrett has the ability to create his own shot which we really need. He needs to become more consistent and will start if he does. They are two of our better players so it wouldn't suprise me to see them both on the floor at the same time a lot.

Small Forward-Kai Williams is the man here and a number of possibilities to back him up. Kai needs to be closer to the basket more of the time on offense. He was way out top a lot of the time and still led the league in scoring. We all kept waiting for him to take over and dominate by becoming more aggressive. He is still our best player by a landslide and if he does become more aggressive it is going to be a lot of fun to watch. Kai would benefit from a strong point gaurd more than anyone. We have a number of great athletes that could fit in as a back up. Griffan Callahan sounds like the most proabable but Moss could be there when we go small/quick and Cassaday when we need to go big.

Power Forward-Anthony Cordova gets the nod for me. No doubt Bassett has the physical tools but he needs to figure the rest out like many have said. My guess is this where Cassaday may see most of his minutes although he isn't quite as big.

Center-Anthony Davis appears to be headed for the starting role. He appears to be very talented and may make a big impact on the team. Engen will be counted on for many more minutes than this year and we need him to make big strides in the off-season.

After looking through the above notes, you will notice some names missing. Dale Moss is the biggest wild card. He is a good enough athlete that he demands playing time but where that will come is hard to say. He can play the 1, 2, or 3. He has a huge upside and if he can develop an outside threat he would become a beast to defend. He is also going to be counted on heavily at the defensive end and on the boards. When it all gets boiled down he may very well start or be the first off the bench but he will definitely get a lot of minutes. Griffan Callahan and Cassaday are the other two that we don't know much about but I have high hopes for them. If one or both of them are big contributers it would be a big bonus.

There is a lot of flexibility available with the players that we have for next year. I think we will also be a deeper team than this year and definitely will be more expedrienced. All of those things should point to improvement. I guess we will have to see!

SUPERBUNNY

[JimmyJack]

Re: Onward and upward

If he can keep his mouth shut and not talk back to the coaching staff he will see some more playing time.

In our interviews with the players before the season, several named Thomas as the funniest teammate. And most of them mentioned that nobody ever wins an argument with Thomas... except Coach Nagy.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Onward and upward

Keeping everything else equal, I recalculated the final scores of the games the Jacks lost, by calculating what the score would have been if the Jacks had shot the same 3-point percentage as their opponents in each game. Seven losses turn into wins.

Good point, and an interesting analysis overall. A footnote to my list of projected starters: I'd love to see Mackenzie Casey step up and win the starting point guard position next season. That certainly could happen. Moss and Palarca also have to be considered strong contenders. Maybe Callahan, too, but shooting guard may be a better fit for him. For now Sargent may have the best set of tools - ball handling skills, height and shooting ability. He shouldered a lot of responsibility as a true freshman and will get better.

[JacksFroshFan]

Re: Onward and upward

Well start the tally, we have one player that was on the roster this year, that won't be next. Can't give names, but can say it is one of our big guys.

[ViciousCircle]

Re: Onward and upward

Where did you hear this?

Well start the tally, we have one player that was on the roster this year, that won't be next. Can't give names, but can say it is one of our big guys.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Onward and upward

Careful, guys... speculation like that is a big no-no!

[bballfan54]

Re: Onward and upward

I am afraid it is true......I am sure the Coaches or whoever it is who makes this information public will be making a statement in print soon enough...

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Onward and upward

As Moderator, I've been advised that this is true. And no surprise. Let's let our Athletic Dept. make the announcement tho.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Onward and upward

I don't like what I am reading here...

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: Onward and upward

Sounds like we may have a schollie open to offer that shooter from MN....the one Cadsev mentioned....can't remember his name off hand...

edit: Michael Felt from Redwood Falls, MN

[NorCalJack]

Re: Onward and upward

I don't think that SDSU usually makes these types of announcements. Maybe I'm wrong. Terry V. may make mention of it in his Tueday Tidbits blog.

As far as how we will use the scholly, if we lose a post player then I would like to see a post player recuited. Although I understand that Felt is a scoring machine and would help this team. I would be OK either way.

Go State!!!
Go Jacks!!!