Not sure Grffin is uber athletic either, but just FYI, he is significantly more athletic than AJ. I've been to 2 games this year and during warmups Grffin routinely throws himself alley-oops and finishes well above the rim with ease. Would say he is one of our springiest players, maybe second only to Jones. I think he was a steal and excited to see how he develops.
Purdue 73, Illinois 56 POSTGAME
Not sure Grffin is uber athletic either, but just FYI, he is significantly more athletic than AJ. I've been to 2 games this year and during warmups Grffin routinely throws himself alley-oops and finishes well above the rim with ease. Would say he is one of our springiest players, maybe second only to Jones. I think he was a steal and excited to see how he develops.
I agree, I imagine Giorgi's offseason homework is going to be extending his range to the FT line. If people respect him a little more, playing him with someone like Kofi will be a lot more effective. If they don't respect either big to step out a bit, things just get crowded and there will be no dribble drive.
Honestly, he doesn't need to have a good midrange game. His post up moves are top notch already, I think it would be more beneficial to him to become more of a 3 pt threat. He obviously has some confidence in that shot already. With Kofi and presumably another big coming in (January), it means Giorgi should be able to roam a little more free. Yes a midrange game would be awesome for him to add, but if he can shoot 35% from 3, thats an even bigger asset (and I think he's closer to that mark than most might imagine he would be.)
I agree it's hard to imagine a "pure" post presence like Kofi in the flow of this offense. Kofi is a physical stud of mythical proportions. I also think people are overestimating his skillset, or how his physicality will translate. He'll have to move well, break some of his bad habits, learn to shoot the 10 footer, learn the art of defending, etc. However, I do think you can swap out Giorgi and use him as a cutter, and he could potentially help Kofi along. He and Samba should compete for the back-up role with ADR's eligibility done. Giorgi is so versatile, I wouldn't rule out him being able to be on the floor with Kofi, but Kofi looks very raw to me as anything other than a traditional post center...at least for now.
As much as I like to complement Kofi's physical development, the way the NBA is, guys aren't going to make it as a traditional center. It will be a huge (no pun intended) test of the staff to round out his skillset in the areas he hasn't really had to use in hs. I can't imagine he's had to do anything other than get the ball close to the basket and crush it. BIGTEN ball will have good bigs, and the NBA skillset for a center has gone up a lot in the last 10-20 years away from post scorer. Centers have a lot of responsibility to kick-out when there's a double-team, help with spacing, and have good awareness of how to help the offense, in addition to being able to score in the post when the right match-up is there. I honestly think it's expecting too much of him to think he'll be on the floor much his freshman year. Great ceiling, but a long way to go IMHO.
By the way, I should add that this was THE hardest game on our schedule after the run of wins we had. I fully expected a loss, and was happy we were still in it at 48-48. Purdue knows how to close a game, that's why they're 14th in the nation. I think this very young team is also struggling with how hard it is to be consistently good over a long stretch of season. I take nothing away from their progress with this loss. They'll recover. This kind of game is a reminder of how competitive you have to be to rise to the top. It's part of the rebuild IMO to see ups and downs over a season, especially on the road. We still pass the eye test pretty easily. Guys are running the offense, just making execution errors, or struggling at times.
I will say this, in the two games I've watched Kofi play in, it's clear he isn't afraid of shots in the 10-15 foot range. I totally agree he looks raw. I think we might need to temper expectations of him playing 20+ minutes a games next year, though I do think he impacts this team immediately. Even averaging 15 would mean so much for us.
We should be a tournament team next year (assuming the core of the roster stays as currently constructed). 1-5, the only question mark will be the 3. If we miss the tournament next year, BU's seat will start getting warm.
I'm going to be hopeful, it seems we had similar worries about another fr center recently.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
I don't have the energy to listen to the post presser and hear " give purdont credit " (if thats what he said...tied at 48 we ran out of gas and the whistledome took over...home cooking at it's best....BTW, purdont players are a whiney bunch after every call against them...they are in the mix with Iowa and the loosiers in my most hated list.
very disappointing season and all the conjecture about being better next year and years to come is purely conjecture and I will believe it WHEN it happens....I am a glass half full person, but that glass level is lowering as each season passes with no tourney appearance and hopes are all we have to bank on....
The lack of a killer instinct especially coming out for the second half in most of our games has me worried the most....I know and have read all the beliefs of my friends here but it's time to see the hopes at least have a chance to be seen on the floor...I expressed my opinion long ago that it's time to play Tev and Alan G.
at least 20-25 minutes a game to see if they have the goods to improve the team enough to think we might be a tourney team sooner than later...
Color me a lifelong Illini fan that is tired of losing and missing out on the dance every year....
very disappointing season and all the conjecture about being better next year and years to come is purely conjecture and I will believe it WHEN it happens....I am a glass half full person, but that glass level is lowering as each season passes with no tourney appearance and hopes are all we have to bank on....
The lack of a killer instinct especially coming out for the second half in most of our games has me worried the most....I know and have read all the beliefs of my friends here but it's time to see the hopes at least have a chance to be seen on the floor...I expressed my opinion long ago that it's time to play Tev and Alan G.
at least 20-25 minutes a game to see if they have the goods to improve the team enough to think we might be a tourney team sooner than later...
Color me a lifelong Illini fan that is tired of losing and missing out on the dance every year....
I hope Underwood gets things turned around. I know it takes time and there have been improvements in stretches this season. But that second half Mirrored a lot of our loses. Have a lead at halftime then boom first 4 mins down double digits fight to get back then fail to take the lead, boom another run game over. I realize Purdue is a better team 14th in the country, they took us out of every set we ran, plus watch how Jones Kipper and Griffin we're lost alot. Fraizer and Feliz had to redirect them alot which caused alot of the late clock 3 point contested jump shots 30plus 3s way to many. Home against NW #wewillwin Go Illini
Whenever I see Tevian, I get the sense that if he can get more minutes and find the right balance of staying aggressive and staying patient on offense to let them game come to him, that he has dynamite potential--maybe even the highest ceiling on the team. His length and quickness really disrupts other teams on defense--he often causes turnovers without directly stealing the ball and seems to actually be open for ally-oop passes way more than other cutters on our team. He has a little Scottie Pippen to his game and will be great to see him develop--I really wish he could be 8 games further along in his development.
Lock the kid in the gym with a copy of "Pistol Pete's Homework Basketball" for the summer and I think you've got a quality B1G player.
Being consistent is nice, but I believe you are consistently wrong in that assessment. This team will make the Dance next year and if we can land Kofi's teammate, we can make some real noise in the B1G.
I thought their 2nd half D was as good against us as I've seen all year.
Context is always important. If we played a schedule like last year, we'd be looking at 17-18 wins and some bubble talk, though we wouldn't have enough to get in.
As for Painter, Keady's last team played a brutal schedule that looks a lot like ours from this year, and Painter's second team had a couple of very good seniors (Landry and Teague) which is a luxury that Underwood does not have, so the 'turnaround' he oversaw played out a bit differently than what it looks like on the surface.
From your post, I don't think that you're making a case that Underwood's tenure has been a failure, though some are. I'm not really concerned about the direction of this program, though November can't come soon enough. I know freshman bigs are freshman bigs, but I can count on zero fingers the number of prospects we've brought in during 40 years of watching this team that look like Kofi Cockburn, at least in terms of physicality. I'm eager to see what a team with a bit more talent and experience can do here.
Yeah, I can say I have zero concerns about next year irrespective of what happens the rest of this year. These underclassmen will get stronger and better and Kofi will help a bunch. Go ahead and push us around this year, cause next year we'll be doing the pushing.
Deleted member 746317
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I agree with this conversation thread, with a couple of additional comments/questions:
- Agree that Giorgi was completely out of (or taken out of) his game, but I put a lot of focus on the fact that Haarms is 7'3''/ moves well/played with great energy and emotion. Seems likely that Giorgi has not so far been presented a challenge quite like that. Probable, too, that, over the next three years in B1G play GB won't see another package like Haarms. When a guy with Haarms's dimensions and mobility plays with determination on defense, it's going to be rough on any offense.
- I think Haarms is going to impact you on offense regardless of what you do, but you try to limit the impact by having your post player seal Haarms away from shooters (Kofi-sized body would help with this) and you green light your post player to shoot the elbow jumper.
- I think GB has enough combined strength and mobility to seal Haarms, but I'm not sure what is going on with GB's jump shot. If the floor is spread and GB gets the ball at FT line (and does not hand it off), then I think GB can take most opposing post players off the dribble, if they are tight to him at the FT line. If the other post is sagging back toward the rim and daring GB to shoot at the elbow … then we're stuck if GB can't or won't shoot it. I'd appreciate any insights that others might have on GB's jump shot -- he just hasn't been working on it? Has poor form? I does seem to me that GB is not green-lit to shoot any jumpers right now.
- I think BU's offense really will work when the pinch post guy is a threat to turn and shoot, and that's clearly not happening right now. If the other team's post is lurking back near the rim, our guards taking handoffs (during the weave or from a pinch-post teammate) can't really turn sharply and drive it. It seems right now that Kipper would be the most threatening pinch-post player.
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Winters and Montgomery were serious physical specimens, yes?
George was a specimen, but maybe of a different sort...I recall Lou talking about how they needed to hide the cinnamon rolls on the training table when he came in. He was my favorite player on those teams, though. Funny to think about a time and place where athletes were a bit less serious about nutrition and fitness, isn't it?
We've had plenty of post players who were plus athletes over the years, don't get me wrong. Myers Leonard was certainly one, though of a different type than Kofi. I just don't recall anyone who looked so completely out of place playing alongside high school kids, and I mean that in a very good way.
Watching that game...
One question: “Why do other teams always pass a better eye-test offensively?”
One question: “Why do other teams always pass a better eye-test offensively?”
Answer: Their best players aren't all freshmen and sophomores.
Comparisons are always dangerous. But it feels like Tevian's performance as a Freshman resembles Kendall Gill's Freshman year skill set. Similar body control, with moments of "wow" coupled with moments of awkwardness. Glimmers of great shooting potential. Same competitive grit and court presence. Signs of growth from week to week.
And the stats don't tell an entirely different story:
Kendall Gill's Freshman year:
Tevian's Freshman year (so far with fewer games to reference):
Time will tell, of course. But I wouldn't mind seeing seeing Tevian develop along the same path as an Illini legend.
Is Underwood's thinking that playing the two big men simultaneously does not furnish enough speed to run his defense?