I love Davante's game...

[SonofPianoMan]

but watching this game tonight he needs to seriously spend the off season focusing on conditioning... for both the team and his future, he needs to commit to finding out how good he can actually be.

[🏀]

So you love his game, but he's too fat? His weight is his game.

[SonofPianoMan]

I actually think his solid footwork, good hands and a soft touch is his game. It's not the fat, it's the muscle underneath that gets it done. But his is not in any shape to take full advantage of his skills.

[4everwarriors]

We need to get to the level where Gardner is a 10-12 minute/game back-up to our 5 star center.

[SonofPianoMan]

4ever, that will be nice. Not happening next year as far as I know, but it will be nice...

[Marqevans]

Now it's up to Davante to get into NBA shape.  At is weight he may be able to earn a living playing basketball but to get the big money he needs to slim down.

[77ncaachamps]

Lateral movement needs to improve (he almost always gets beat on the hedge, and he hedges FAR OUT sometimes) and honestly he needs to be more physical in the block.

[GGGG]

Davante is a big boy.  I honestly think he can only get into so much shape.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

he tweeted last night that he was doing conditioning and running.


TWITTA TRACKA

[Coleman]

I love Devante, but a HUGE part of his game is drawing foul calls on plays that might not necessarily have been fouls, and then making 85% of his free throws.

Its effective for the most part, but the effictiveness wanes throughout the season and I'm not sure that it will get him to the NBA.

[Galway Eagle]

Hey with that impressive midrange and outside shooting display against Cuse maybe he could slim down and play point next year. 

[Dawson Rental]

I actually think his solid footwork, good hands and a soft touch is his game. It's not the fat, it's the muscle underneath that gets it done. But his is not in any shape to take full advantage of his skills.

This says it all.

[CAGASS24]

Some perspective on just how far DeDe's come...

January, 2009: Gardner is one of the biggest post players in the 2010 class. He has tremendous hands and does a good job catching the ball and scoring in the painted area. He lacks the lift, quickness and stamina at his current weight to be a major player. There are times when he does not cross half court. Offensively he scores the majority of his baskets on put backs and jump hooks. He is most effective because of his width and when he has 4 to 5 inches on his opponent. Because he has little elevation in his game he struggles with taller and more athletic players. Defensively Gardner relies on his size and positioning. He does a poor job in his lateral defense and poses no threat to block shots. His high school team hides him by playing zone. Overall Gardner has very good basketball skills but does not have the stamina or conditioning to play at the collegiate level. If he can improve his conditioning and body weight he could be a solid four-year player in a system that focuses on half court basketball. Size and potential alone are worth a low major gamble.


April, 2010: Davante has come a long way over the last year plus. His number one issue is clearly his weight and he has done a much better job of body maintenance and dropping pounds. He has a lot of skill for a big man; runs pretty well and has really good hands. He can knock down jumpers and does a godd job of scoring in the paint. He's more athletic than he looks. Combine this with an improvement in the classroom and you have a Big East scholarship player. If he keeps getting his body in shape he has the chance to be a really good player for Marquette.

From ESPN Insider.

Split the minutes between CO and DeDe next year, with another 5 minutes or so of them playing together, and I believe this is almost as good a frontcourt as you will see in college.

If we can average 3.5 more three point makes a game, this is a top ten team all year long assuming this new league competes well 

[MUFC9295]

he tweeted last night that he was doing conditioning and running.


TWITTA TRACKA

Anything about playing more effectively vs the zone?

[jesmu84]

Anything about playing more effectively vs the zone?

um.. what? did you watch the first syracuse game? i'd say he played "effectively" during that one.