|
Post by KY Crusader 75 on May 26, 2020 23:08:06 GMT -5
As we come off the worst season in HC basketball history, I guess it's the eternal optimist in me that makes me anxious for the upcoming season. With the vast number of transfers out and a plethora of incoming players, our 20-21 team will bear little resemblance on the floor to last season's squad. We've talked a lot about our incoming freshman recruits and about two transfers (one must sit out the season) and we have some experienced holdovers as well. So, I thought it might spur some interesting exchanges to see what players we each are most looking forward to seeing play for Holy Cross this coming season. We'll each have our own reasons for the players we select. It could be that Player A is highly touted and we anticipate some big contributions while we believe Player B is flying under the radar and will surprise some observers. We might look forward to Player C moving forward as a sophomore or Player D leading the team as a senior. You get the idea, so please select your two players and feel free to elaborate on why you chose them. This is not a poll of who you project as the two biggest contributors.
|
|
|
Post by bringbackcaro on May 27, 2020 0:39:13 GMT -5
1) Bo 2) Bubba
I have my fingers crossed that Nelson identified two guys who will completely transform our wing play at both ends of the floor over the next few years.
It’s hard to get too excited about watching Freshmen big players with the jump from high school/AAU paint play to D1, but I’m also excited to see Rabinovich rebound and throw some bodies around in the paint.
|
|
|
Post by longsuffering on May 27, 2020 1:07:02 GMT -5
Martindale and Rabinovich. I'm pleased that two kids from Worcester Academy will move from Union Hill to College Hill and stay in Worcester. I have a high opinion of WA and think it is an endorsement of Holy Cross they are coming here. Because they invested so much time attending games and getting to know the coaches, they should be less likely to look to transfer and that commitment can trickle down to recruits from farther away. It will also be good to have a true center.
|
|
|
Post by Crucis#1 on May 27, 2020 1:51:08 GMT -5
Randy Johnson.
During his recruiting weekend I watched him talking with Mike R and several other people and he seemed extremely at ease and comfortable in his interactions and not reticent. He was upbeat and appeared very happy to be in the Hart Center. Let’d hope he will be a steady floor general for the team, as well being more than a basketball player while attending HC.
I also like that Randy committed to HC during his trip and did not string along the coaching staff while looking for another offer. He had already been the App State prior to his visit to HC.
I am also looking forward to Mike R.
After signing his NLI he was at a number of HC home games and was studying the system that CBN was implementing. I like his attitude and personality as well. My son and I attend a WA away game not far from my home, He saw us before the game in a corridor outside the gym, recognized us from the Hart and thanked us for coming to see his team. He is well poised, friendly and will be a rock in the front court.
|
|
|
Post by nycrusader2010 on May 27, 2020 5:19:16 GMT -5
1) Butler 2) Wade
I don't really follow recruiting too much so know little about the frosh and the two transfers. But that being said, I am probably not the only one on this board who will be dying to watch some in-person basketball at the Hart. Hopefully by November Fauci has this virus on the ropes and we can start talking about large gatherings again. Not that it was hard to socially distance at the Hart Center for the last ten years.
|
|
|
Post by trimster on May 27, 2020 7:27:08 GMT -5
Matt Faw. I thought he did well last year in revamping his game to become a presence in the paint and look forward to his continued development this year. I am really hoping to see it in person but will take watching it on Stadium if option one doesn’t happen.
|
|
|
Post by hchoops on May 27, 2020 7:30:58 GMT -5
Johnson and Coulibaly I believe that these two could have the biggest influence in the biggest needs: point guard play and inside play at both ends
|
|
|
Post by Sons of Vaval on May 27, 2020 8:29:07 GMT -5
Surprised it took until the sixth post for Coulibaly to be mentioned. Agree, hoops.
|
|
|
Post by rgs318 on May 27, 2020 8:37:22 GMT -5
I do look forward to seeing each one the players mentioned. However, Butler and Wade have paid their dues in last year's rough season. I look forward to that showing in veteran leadership. If the "youngsters" can pick of some of Butler's toughness, this will indeed be a very different Holy Cross team.
|
|
|
Post by HC92 on May 27, 2020 8:57:13 GMT -5
I picked Butler because I always like watching him compete. I also picked Wade because I think he’ll have a big jump in production from year 1 to year 2. Wade was highly regarded coming out of high school. I think people forget how hard the adjustment normally is from high school to D1. Of all the great players we’ve had over the years, very few of them put up big numbers as Frosh. Big things coming for Ryan.
|
|
|
Post by Sons of Vaval on May 27, 2020 8:58:00 GMT -5
If the "youngsters" can pick of some of Butler's toughness, this will indeed be a very different Holy Cross team. I think it has mostly been talent and skill, rather than toughness and desire, that have been the reasons for our struggles.
|
|
|
Post by hc17 on May 27, 2020 9:03:14 GMT -5
While many of these guys are unknowns, it's reassuring that there is a positional balance across the roster. Capable ball-handlers, longer athletic wings, shooting, and size on the inside has me more optimistic than previous years. I think it will have a trickle down effect on the rest of the roster. Butler no longer needs to be a makeshift point guard. He can focus on 3 & D responsibilities. Faw, who struggled with fouls last year, won't always be tasked with playing the 5. I hope he makes the move back to being a stretch 4. I think we'd all love Wade to take the ball to the hoop more this upcoming season, but if his role is to stretch the floor with his 3 point range so be it. After all, we saw him drop 24 vs UNH this past season. To summarize, hopefully the returners are now put in positions to be the best versions of themselves.
I personally want to see the WA duo the most, but all of these guys are promising. Interested to see Townsel make the jump from JUCO. Have there been an JUCO transfers to PL schools in the past? I wonder how those fellas adjusted. From the little I have seen of Townsel, I really like his ability to attack the basket, which seems to be a common trait across all of the wings we've recruited.
|
|
|
Post by hc6774 on May 27, 2020 9:04:40 GMT -5
Johnson and Coulibaly I believe that these two could have the biggest influence in the biggest needs: point guard play and inside play at both ends I'm with hoops for his reasons; but I look forward to seeing all the freshmen get meaningful minutes because at least 2 others have to emerge to put this program on the right track
|
|
|
Post by thecrossisback on May 27, 2020 9:05:08 GMT -5
Martindale and Rabinovich. I'm pleased that two kids from Worcester Academy will move from Union Hill to College Hill and stay in Worcester. I have a high opinion of WA and think it is an endorsement of Holy Cross they are coming here. Because they invested so much time attending games and getting to know the coaches, they should be less likely to look to transfer and that commitment can trickle down to recruits from farther away. It will also be good to have a true center. I couldn't agree more. Martindale and Rabinovich.
|
|
|
Post by KY Crusader 75 on May 27, 2020 9:53:35 GMT -5
This is a tough question. Austin Butler is a given as I just love the way he plays and I respect his talent. He's #45 on the all-time HC scoring list and, given a full season, should end up somewhere in the #15 to #20 range. His leadership will be key to helping develop the incoming players so we can post that 10+ wins season that we need so much. Deciding on the second player was a challenge and I like the reasoning you all used in your selections. It could have been Ryan Wade, looking to move forward as a sophomore as many players have done in the past, or a newcomer. I thought of Randy Johnson (point guards, when great, have led HC to success) and Judson Martindale (think he can be a big scorer) but then decided it had to be Mike Rabinovich or Louth Coulibaly. I'm going to go with Rabinovich as I think he may well be better in college than he was in high school. We know that WA had guards that fired up the ball as soon as they crossed the mid-court line and a center, bound for Iowa, who got some focus. So, Mike did not get as many touches as he might have had on a different team. I like what hchoops and others have said about Mike's footwork and other big man skills. I can't wait to see what he does on the court.
|
|
|
Post by hc17 on May 27, 2020 9:58:59 GMT -5
Wishing AB a speedy recovery
|
|
|
Post by gocrossgo on May 27, 2020 10:05:36 GMT -5
Ryan Wade and Bubba. Could’ve chosen a lot more than 2 as i’m excited to watch all of them but i look forward to being able to watch Wade be able to play his own role in a reasonable amount of minutes after a full offseason of growth rather than play 40 MPG in conference play as a freshman and be forced to play a brand of basketball that seems to be out of his comfort zone. I’m a big fan of Bubbas game and look forward to seeing how it translates to the D1 level. BTW, does anyone know what happened to AB?
|
|
|
Post by trimster on May 27, 2020 10:21:30 GMT -5
Ryan Wade and Bubba. Could’ve chosen a lot more than 2 as i’m excited to watch all of them but i look forward to being able to watch Wade be able to play his own role in a reasonable amount of minutes after a full offseason of growth rather than play 40 MPG in conference play as a freshman and be forced to play a brand of basketball that seems to be out of his comfort zone. I’m a big fan of Bubbas game and look forward to seeing how it translates to the D1 level. BTW, does anyone know what happened to AB? Whatever happened, I hope he is out of the hospital soon and feeling better.
|
|
|
Post by possum on May 27, 2020 10:38:03 GMT -5
Johnson and Montgomery, Johnson is most important newcomer because if he is not at least competent at the point we have little chance at success.
|
|
|
Post by trimster on May 27, 2020 12:05:52 GMT -5
Johnson and Montgomery, Johnson is most important newcomer because if he is not at least competent at the point we have little chance at success. Let’s not sell Joey Reilly short. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do in year two.
|
|
|
Post by dadominate on May 27, 2020 13:49:48 GMT -5
johnson (filling far and away the most important hole on the team) and coulibaly (filling the second biggest hole on the team).
it will be nice to see butler back at his natural position, faw back at his more natural position, and martindale should be exciting for what sounds like instant offense.
|
|
|
Post by lou on May 27, 2020 13:52:34 GMT -5
Johnson and Montgomery, Johnson is most important newcomer because if he is not at least competent at the point we have little chance at success. Let’s not sell Joey Reilly short. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do in year two. I would love to see him succeed. But that was the problem, getting a chance to see him. Even as we lost 29 and guys ran till they dropped, Joey sat
|
|
|
Post by alum on May 27, 2020 14:34:39 GMT -5
I took Mike R and Wade. The former because I would like to see a big who can make a difference. The latter because he really paid his dues and I would like to see good things happening for him. I hope that Coach Keith Wade has him out in the driveway taking a pass on the move, dribbling between two lawn chairs and shooting over a sibling holding a broom---over and over again until Dr. F gives us the all clear.
|
|
|
Post by bringbackcaro on May 27, 2020 15:21:18 GMT -5
Surprised there's only 1 vote for Bo so far.
Going to be some hefty prices to get aboard the bandwagon in a few months!
|
|
|
Post by timholycross on May 27, 2020 15:38:36 GMT -5
I picked the point guard because we really didn't have one last year, not that AB (who I still want out there, make no mistake about that) isn't a capable option in spots going forward.
|
|