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Post by hchoops on Mar 2, 2020 10:54:38 GMT -5
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Post by lou on Mar 2, 2020 11:07:18 GMT -5
Pretty obvious the Globe reporter has never seen Joe play. Only ranked 9th among local freshmen, and has the potential to be a good PL player...what?
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 2, 2020 11:24:16 GMT -5
What a joke
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Post by efg72 on Mar 2, 2020 11:25:34 GMT -5
Ranking the region’s college basketball freshmen
Ranking the region’s college basketball freshmen By Joe Sullivan Globe correspondent,Updated February 25, 2020, 7:32 p.m.
The most intriguing part of the local men’s college basketball season has been the freshmen. Almost every team has a good one or multiple good ones, and that’s helped sustain interest during a season when postseason bids are going to be scarce. Freshman players are like baseball’s minor league prospects; their potential is exciting to fans. Considering how many good freshmen there are locally, I’ve decided to rank them. 1. Tre Mitchell, UMass — Clearly, the best in his class. The 6-foot-9-inch big man has great touch, hands, and footwork around the basket. He can nail a 3-pointer, too. He needs to rebound more consistently and get tougher on defense, but there’s plenty of time for that. He should be the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year, and he’ll get some votes for first-team All-A-10, too. The future of UMass basketball revolves around him.
2. Jay Heath, Boston College — Before the season, BC coach Jim Christian said that fans were going to love him. He was right. Heath provides effort, hustle, decent (if inconsistent) outside shooting, and tough defense. A quiet sort off the court, Heath says defense is the best part of his game. He also loves school — the academic part. No wonder Christian loves him.
3. Sean East, UMass — He can be a little too adventurous at times, but he’s an outstanding passer. His outside shot deserted him for a while, and coach Matt McCall took him out of the starting lineup. Despite that, he can instantly affect the game. If he improves, he’ll be an excellent player. He needs to work on that shot, however.
4. Tyson Walker, Northeastern — Once or twice a game, Walker will make a play that’s astounding. Usually, it’s a drive to the basket and a layup against a taller defender. He’s a natural point guard who will evolve into a more consistent scorer. He does need to improve his outside shooting.
5. Chris Ledlum, Harvard — Coach Tommy Amaker said it best: “He brings us an edge and toughness that we absolutely need. He’s a put-together kid, he’s physical, plays with abandon, that’s what you have to like. And if you can kind of harness it, guide it a little bit, boy, he’s going to be hard to deal with.’’ He’s come off the bench behind veteran players but he’s set up to be the next star.
6. C.J. Felder, BC — At 6-7, Felder is kind of caught between being a big man and a perimeter player. He’s quick and jumps well, but as Christian said, “In high school, he was used to just jumping over people; you can’t do that in our league.’’ He has the talent to adjust and become a solid forward.
7. Preston Santos, UMass — For most of the season, he made no impact. Then, McCall suddenly pushed him into the starting lineup and he’s made a difference with his hustle, defense, and rebounding. “He does what I tell him to do,’’ said McCall. If this list was made a month ago, he wouldn’t have been on it.
8. Julian Rishwain, BC — He’s a fan favorite. Just shoot it, they’ll say. He has great form, but the numbers haven’t been great. Form usually wins out eventually. An injury has slowed him as the season winds down. I would expect him to become a dangerous 3-point threat at some point. Christian also points out that when he’s on the court, the ball seems to move better on offense.
9. Joe Pridgen, Holy Cross — In the darkness of a nightmare season for the Crusaders, he’s been a sliver of light. He has shown he will develop into a good Patriot League player. He’s already the team’s leading scorer. At 6-5, he gets most of his points with rugged play near the basket.
10. T.J. Weeks, UMass — He’d be a lot higher on the list, but he played only 10 games before hernia surgery knocked him out for the season. Before he got hurt, he was an outstanding 3-point shooter with an aggressive attitude, averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from three.
Coaches would never admit it, but many times they have their favorite players. Here’s a pretty good guess at some coaches’ favorites.
BU — Jonas Harper, who mostly provides defense and ballhandling. BC — Heath, see above. Harvard — Justin Bassey. Amaker relies on him to be a top-notch defender and ball mover on offense. UMass — Santos. He does what he’s told to do. An obvious coach’s favorite. Merrimack — Juvaris Hayes. Coach Joe Gallo will defend the flaws in his game to the death. Hayes had four steals in Sunday’s loss at Mount St. Mary’s, giving him 452 for his career, the most in NCAA history on any level. Northeastern — Max Boursiquot. He’s undersized and not athletic, but Bill Coen still sees the value in the matchup problems he causes.
8
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Post by hchoops on Mar 2, 2020 11:38:59 GMT -5
Some of the guys ahead of Joe do not start. Many of Sullivan’s dumb comments have to do with those players potential, not what they have done this year. No stats—what a lazy writer.
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Post by hchoops on Mar 2, 2020 11:39:46 GMT -5
Will Joe make 2nd, 3rd or no PL team ?
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 2, 2020 11:47:54 GMT -5
Some of the guys ahead of Joe do not start. Many of Sullivan’s dumb comments have to do with those players potential, not what they have done this year. No stats—what a lazy writer. Joe's stats may get inflated compared to someone who is in a much more competitive conference and doesn't receive 35+ minutes a game. Averaging 20 points in the PL doesn't necessarily make one better than an ACC or A10 player who is averaging half of that. I thought the list was fair.
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Post by WorcesterGray on Mar 2, 2020 12:00:42 GMT -5
I think Pridgen should be a couple notches higher, but agree that comparing stats is not an apples-to-apples exercise here.
Believe Joe will be earn a place on the 3rd team All-PL in addition to RoY - 2nd team would put him in rarefied company among PL frosh of the past.
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Post by hchoops on Mar 2, 2020 12:02:40 GMT -5
Some of the guys ahead of Joe do not start. Many of Sullivan’s dumb comments have to do with those players potential, not what they have done this year. No stats—what a lazy writer. Joe's stats may get inflated compared to someone who is in a much more competitive conference and doesn't receive 35+ minutes a game. Averaging 20 points in the PL doesn't necessarily make one better than an ACC or A10 player who is averaging half of that. Good point, but mine is that stats should be included in this ranking to give it some objective basis.
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Post by WorcesterGray on Mar 2, 2020 12:12:18 GMT -5
Good point, but mine is that stats should be included in this ranking to give it some objective basis. Stats lose some objective weight when compared across conferences and eras. For example, do stats tell you that Pridgen's season is as good as (or better than) another freshman we'll call Player A?
Pridgen. 17.2ppg, 6.7rpg, 2.1apg, 55.2FG% Player A. 14.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.9apg, 47.3FG%
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 2, 2020 12:16:51 GMT -5
Got to be Michael V
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Post by WorcesterGray on Mar 2, 2020 12:17:29 GMT -5
Correct. Pridgen's a terrific player, but the competitive environment and team situation he has operated in make a difference when comparing him with others, past and present.
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Post by efg72 on Mar 2, 2020 12:30:16 GMT -5
He also performed and delivered without a point guard and a team that didn't excel beyond the arc to help create easier opportunities for him.
My guess is those factors likely are overlooked by most writers, but I would think most coaches who tried to contain him recognize what he has accomplished. I think his performance is worthy of a third-team All PL, but if stats are the main driver he could sneak on to the second team
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Post by hchoops on Mar 2, 2020 13:04:00 GMT -5
Some of the guys ahead of Joe do not start. Many of Sullivan’s dumb comments have to do with those players potential, not what they have done this year. No stats—what a lazy writer. Joe's stats may get inflated compared to someone who is in a much more competitive conference and doesn't receive 35+ minutes a game. Averaging 20 points in the PL doesn't necessarily make one better than an ACC or A10 player who is averaging half of that. I thought the list was fair. Just curious How many of these players have you seen ? How often have you seen them ? I have no idea if this is a fair list. I have not seen many of these guys play, certainly not often.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 2, 2020 13:10:30 GMT -5
I’ve seen all of them multiple times with the exception of the UMass guys.
I was at the bargain basement last Friday and Chris Ledlum was impressive.
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Post by hchoops on Mar 3, 2020 23:19:01 GMT -5
Joe finished with 521 points, second to RP jr for HC freshmen
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 3, 2020 23:47:15 GMT -5
I’d be interested to know how JP’s points per 40 minutes stacked up against other top freshmen over the past 30 years.
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Post by hchoops on Mar 4, 2020 0:02:05 GMT -5
I’d be interested to know how JP’s points per 40 minutes stacked up against other top freshmen over the past 30 years. Probably not too favorably since he played so many minutes, esp in the last half of the season. 35.2 mpg for the season
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 4, 2020 0:17:35 GMT -5
I’d be interested to know how JP’s points per 40 minutes stacked up against other top freshmen over the past 30 years. Probably not too favorably since he played so many minutes, esp in the last half of the season. 35.2 mpg for the season I'll bet he does well because we have not had many high scoring freshmen. I'll check a few more (Sports-reference presents some nice "per 40 minutes" stats) but here's a few who come right to mind Joe Pridgen= 19.7 per 40 minutes as a freshman Tim Szatko= 14.8 per 40 frosh Keith Simmons= 18.9 per 40 frosh Walter Brown= 14.5 per 40 frosh R.J. Evans= 18.2 per 40 frosh Rob Feaster--can't tell as we don't have a record on minutes played for his freshman season. He got 233 points in 29 games. That would be 20 points per 40 minutes IF he played only 16 minutes per game
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Post by hchoops on Mar 4, 2020 0:29:35 GMT -5
I presumed that SoV meant all college freshmen, not just HC
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 4, 2020 0:39:49 GMT -5
I presumed that SoV meant all college freshmen, not just HC Should have been clearer. Meant only HC freshmen.
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