Why does almost everyone think Black is going to supplant Finke at some point this year? I don't get it. Finke showed he can hang in the B1G, can shoot from anywhere, showed he can learn and progress, and makes good basketball plays with regularity. Leron has shown he can rebound but he's coming off a year long injury and a suspension to boot. He fouls like the old man at the Y who can't move with the young kids. His defensive rotations and awareness have probably been worse than Finke's. Finke is also the perfect compliment to Thorne and his post game. I think Leron would be a better fit along side Mav on the second unit.
Illini Basketball 2016-2017
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Besides Minnesota he really didn't play that well in conference play. The belief of Black being the starting pf is based on his rebounding and the expectation that he has improved since his freshman year. The rebounding alone is enough for me to want him to start over Finke. It's just an opinion though, I don't think anyone is saying that it's a lock.
Because if Leron plays to his full potential/capability then he will be our 2nd or 3rd best player... There is a reason all his teammates rave about him
didn't Black have a double/double in every game in Europe?
He averaged a double double in Europe and he did it while playing 20 minutes per game. I'd love to see Finke outplay that.
Eh, European's are soft. They didn't stand a chance.
Seriously though, if Leron and Finke both play to their potential then they will both get plenty of playing time regardless of who starts.
Finke might be able to, though.
They'll likely share minutes at the 4 (assuming health). Both should play alot.
I do agree that Finke will likely start. You're right -- he complements Thorne better. Whereas Black complements Morgan better. That's a nice four-man rotation at the PF/C spots. Cross fingers they all stay healthy.
Not on defense.
In that scenario, we'd need to go zone.
Well then he's not really playing the 3, positions don't have much meaning in a zone.
Leron has his work cut out for him on defensive iq, but as a true freshman he showed he had the potential to get double-doubles off garbage buckets around the rim and because of his toughness, length and high motor. What we saw in Europe/from the coaching staff is that Leron added a mid-range jumper which looked pretty steady to me. I think Finke can be an excellent stretch 4, but until he can do the dirty work down low, Leron is the better player. With that said, I think Finke is probably a better compliment to Thorne. It's not a bad problem to have
What? Why not?
Wouldn't the opposing "3" have to guard him if he were on the court playing the wing along with Abrams, Hill, Black, and Thorne?
I won't be all that shocked when we see this lineup at some point this season. Offensively Finke would be on the wing (as a 3) and defensively (assuming a 2-3 zone here) he's on the bottom, in which case you're right, there is no difference between the 3 and 4 positions.
I totally agree with that, and with Morgan's ability to block out and seal his man (even without getting the rebound for himself), it creates a lot of space for Black to operate on the glass.
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Finke is a hard worker in practice from what I've heard (and knowing his dad when we played against each other in HS that is what I would expect). He might just improve his defense from one year to the next. Let's hope so.
Why would you want to play either Black or Finke at SF? Have you watched college ball in the last 10-15 years? The game is all about speed and skill. Neither Black nor Finke have the skill set to be a perimeter player. Neither is quick enough or handles the ball well enough.
Hell, the NBA seems to be moving the same direction. Golden State plays a 6'7 PF who frequently moves to C. Cleveland's best lineup seems to be with Lebron at PF along with a 6'9 or 6'10 Center.
Kipper Nichols will surprise a lot of people with his speed and versatility. He will probably start off as the team's best front court defender. Of course, that's not saying much.
I was creeping on Malcolm's Twitter and saw some pictures of the team celebrating Dustin fords birthday & other public events. Kipper is huge. I know most sites have him listed at 6'6", But he definitely looks taller and is really filled out. He's built like a truck.
Because he's a stretch 4.
Maybe? Most people define the positions by who you guard, not who guards you. Maybe the other team doesn't have a 3 on the court either?
We might see it, but probably not often. I want JCL on the court as much as possible.
Finke was playing out of position most of the year and he was only a redshirt freshman. Give him a break.
COB acceptance letters came out today :typing:
Was he accepted?
Typical of most freshmen, especially bigs.
Finke is a talented kid and a hard worker. I expect improvement on both ends of the court.
He's really big in Finland
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