GM nightmare

[slu72]

Last year's GM games were very hard to watch. The one at the Fetz particularly painful. GM getting 3 and sometimes 4 attempts after missed shots. They pushed, bullied, and pounded us on the boards. I sure hope our bigs man up tonight. There isn't anything more frustrating to a fan than to see your team get a good stop only to see the opponent get another one or two cracks at a basket.

[kmbilliken]

Hopefully RA plays like last game. If he does, he will get significant minutes.

[slu72]

I was thinking the same thing, KM. This isn't a game for the timid inside player, and, if anything, RA's not timid. I can't see TL getting many, if any, minutes tonight. And JM better bring it big time. Playing in VA I'm assuming he's got some family going to the game, so maybe that will inspire him a little. These guys manhandled us last year on the boards, we won't win if that happens tonight. Going to need some 3s as well, as it'll be tough sledding to score in the paint.

[waldo027]

This sounds like a good thread to mention that GMU has a 6-11 guy who is averaging a double double, who wasn't on the team last year.

[ACE]

I would like to see RA get a lot of minutes the rest of the season. We need to figure out what we have at the 4 and what RA can do heading into his junior season.

[MB73]

so many posters here were brutal, wrote inexperienced big agbeko off as a player. now he has emerged as a potential contributor with his recent performance.

he has a long way to go but at this point he might become the player we had hoped he would be; two and a half years to go.

[rgbilliken]

This sounds like a good thread to mention that GMU has a 6-11 guy who is averaging a double double, who wasn't on the team last year.

Yeah I was looking at his stats. 13 pts, 11 reb. The wiz said we need to hold him to 50%. Currently he's at 54.

[Cowboy]

so many posters here were brutal, wrote inexperienced big agbeko off as a player. now he has emerged as a potential contributor with his recent performance.

he has a long way to go but at this point he might become the player we had hoped he would be; two and a half years to go.

-potential is correct as 11 minutes in one game doesn't go too far, need to see 'it' consistently

[slu72]

so many posters here were brutal, wrote inexperienced big agbeko off as a player. now he has emerged as a potential contributor with his recent performance.

he has a long way to go but at this point he might become the player we had hoped he would be; two and a half years to go.

I plead guilty, but he's still got a lot to prove. One good game doesn't wipe out all those stupid TOs he was prone to make. I don't think any of us were wanting him to fail, we were passing judgement on what we'd seen. Which, even you'd have to admit, wasn't much.

[Billikenboy]

If the kid can replicate that performance he had vs VCU then you know something has clicked. His defense is what excited me vs Graham. Graham was not comfortable being guarded by a mobile, bigger, and stronger big. Once comfortable RA can score in bunches in the paint which could give us a needed lift. Credit the staff for bringing him along slowly to build on small successes. For him the game just has to be slowed down. Lets see what he does tonight.

[SLU_Nick]

If the kid can replicate that performance he had vs VCU then you know something has clicked. His defense is what excited me vs Graham. Graham was not comfortable being guarded by a mobile, bigger, and stronger big. Once comfortable RA can score in bunches in the paint which could give us a needed lift. Credit the staff for bringing him along slowly to build on small successes. For him the game just has to be slowed down. Lets see what he does tonight.

I agree with SLU72...I am skeptical still. He had one "not awful" game. He hit 3 shots and had 3 rebounds in 11 mins and played decent D. Was it a massive improvement from the past, of course....but he didnt have anywhere to go but up. He was basically averaging 0.8 turnovers per ball touch for all of conference play before VCU.

He is still too raw for my liking and he does not play like some kind of chris wilcox-type athletic freak. He plays below the rim and there are about 90-100 D1 Bigs who are better athletically. He has a LONG way to go in order to not get lost in the shuffle.

[Billikenboy]

I agree with SLU72...I am skeptical still. He had one "not awful" game. He hit 3 shots and had 3 rebounds in 11 mins and played decent D. Was it a massive improvement from the past, of course....but he didnt have anywhere to go but up. He was basically averaging 0.8 turnovers per ball touch for all of conference play before VCU.

He is still too raw for my liking and he does not play like some kind of chris wilcox-type athletic freak. He plays below the rim and there are about 90-100 D1 Bigs who are better athletically. He has a LONG way to go in order to not get lost in the shuffle.

You are so right Coach! He has no where to go but up.

[hsmith19]

Totally agreed. Everyone who has been "brutal" in their assessment of Agbeko had hoped he would be able to contribute more than he had so far. We knew he could rebound but was a turnover machine. I was thrilled with his performance in the VCU game, but that doesn't do much to change my assessment of his strengths or weaknesses. I said recently I hoped he would eventually fill a Grandy-type role in terms of rebounding and "energy," and I still hope he'll be able to get there in the next year or two. But if part of the problem is still inexperience (which I'm sure it is), one game over a ranked opponent doesn't instantly add much in the way of experience.

[waldo027]

He only needs to rebound, get some putbacks here and there, and not be a walking turnover. But mainly just rebound.

[moytoy12]

This sounds like a good thread to mention that GMU has a 6-11 guy who is averaging a double double, who wasn't on the team last year.

No biggie, we have a 6'11" guy with NBA potential.

[Taj79]

You guys are missing one thing about the VCU game and Reggie .. that is the style of play VCU brings on the court. Their pressure is mostly asserted by their guards. Which means their big men have to rotate to different areas and provide help defense. The front is a swarming man-to-man pressure while the back is essentially a zone read. They are about the only team in the country that does this and it leads to areas of vacancy in the paint that Reggie obviously exploited three times last Friday. He has proven he can play in that helter-skelter, pick up gym kind of game. Let's see what happens with Mason tonight and how he repsonds before we annoint him the 4-spot savior. Frankly, I'll be pleasant surprised if he replicates last week's game.

[moytoy12]

RA goes for 16 and 12 tonight

[Cowboy]

RA goes for 16 and 12 tonight

-nicely done not to say 16 and 12 of what

[slu72]

You are so right Coach! He has no where to go but up.

I know this was sarcasm. I'm not that old, so I'd miss that. But if you're plugging RA give it up until there's more than just one outburst of greatness. We may very well need him tonight as GM was a rebounding machine against us last year, but, to my eyes, RA is still a little raw.

[Clock_Tower]

Totally agreed. Everyone who has been "brutal" in their assessment of Agbeko had hoped he would be able to contribute more than he had so far. We knew he could rebound but was a turnover machine. I was thrilled with his performance in the VCU game, but that doesn't do much to change my assessment of his strengths or weaknesses. I said recently I hoped he would eventually fill a Grandy-type role in terms of rebounding and "energy," and I still hope he'll be able to get there in the next year or two. But if part of the problem is still inexperience (which I'm sure it is), one game over a ranked opponent doesn't instantly add much in the way of experience.

Eventually fill a Grandy-type role? Wow, how low expectations have fallen!!

Will RA continue his limited but good play from the VCU game? I sure hope so. Is RA still an inexperienced "big" -- yes but he is much older than most Sophomores and even some Seniors. Should we on this Board withhold comment for a player's first two (2) years or longer ? (Reggie has been here 1 1/2 years). I don't think so.

Final question: when do you (73 and 19) send out the t-shirts and decals to fellow members of the RA Fan Club?

[hsmith19]

Not

Eventually fill a Grandy-type role? Wow, how low expectations have fallen!!

Will RA continue his limited but good play from the VCU game? I sure hope so. Is RA still an inexperienced "big" -- yes but he is much older than most Sophomores and even some Seniors. Should we on this Board withhold comment for a player's first two (2) years or longer ? (Reggie has been here 1 1/2 years). I don't think so.

Final question: when do you (73 and 19) send out the t-shirts and decals to fellow members of the RA Fan Club?

Not sure I get the joke/final question. I was agreeing up above with everything you're saying.