Vander

[avid1010]

I appreciate Vander's attitude towards coming in and playing defense, but man does he have a long way to go on the offensive end.  It's amazing to see how much he struggles in BEAST play compared to how "good" he looked to start the season.  It shows the level of play in the BEAST, especially considering we're this deep in the season.  He needs to be able to give us a little bit of offense, at least enough to keep his defender honest, but neither he or Junior seemed to help us much off the bench.  While I'm impressed with the improvements MU players make under Buzz from year-to-year, it is hard to watch so many of the BEAST teams have impact true freshmen and MU's are FAR from being BEAST ready.

[wojosdojo]

Yes, I and a lot of people would've thought he'd perform better by now but a lot of us need to take a step back and realize he's still a freshman. Give him some time, in a few years this is going to be his team.

[OhioGoldenEagle]

I think it's been an unexpectedly large jump for Vander.  Aside from his jumper, which wasn't his strong suit coming in, the biggest adjustment has been going to the basket.  He looks extremely timid taking the ball strong to the hoop when it presents itself.  He'll go but as he is going up, he goes up weak and tends to bail half way up every time resulting in a block, turnover, or flat out ugly shot (couple of those 2day).  It will come with time......I've got faith anyways.  I recall Kemba Walker not being very good his freshman year and he was also highly touted.  Hek, even Fab Melo, who was a top20 guy and everyone said was a can't miss, hasn't had a big impact on their team as I think he's averaging just 2pts 2rbds per contest

[Untucked]

He's a joke on offense, and can't guard anybody on d. He doesn't deserve any minutes. Bring on Jamail Jones

[tower912]

If JJ was showing more in practice than Vander, he would be playing. 

[jtrash37]

If JJ was showing more in practice than Vander, he would be playing. 

Vander is playing well on D, and contributing on the glass.  This experience (and the struggles on O) will help, as you see the other guys talking him through things.

[NYWarrior]

Vander is playing out of position by necessity .... he's an Alpha Guard ala Arenas or Wade.  When Buycks graduates he'll do just fine and play in position  --- no worries. He's an explosive athlete who plays better with the ball in his hands.

[mrr1981]

I liked his drive down the lane that was called goal tending.  I would like to see more of that.  But his long air ball 3 in the first half was painful to watch.  As were the multiple baseline drives that resulted in turnovers.  

I did like on the 'cuse possesion immediately after one of the turnovers, he got back on D and had a nice stop on his man.

The offense will come.  The game will slow down for him and he will be more effective.  

[jfmu]

I'm starting to think that while the U18 team was great for him to play in, it may have held back his offense. His shot needs to be completely retooled and there just wasn't enough time before practices started. He's got a lot of work to do on his jump shot over the offseason

[Pakuni]

The kid is pressing right now, forcing shots he shouldn't, trying to do things he can't. He'll be fine once he 1) develops a more consistent outside shot and 2) let's the offense come to him in the natural flow of the game rather than forcing things. He's really scuffling right now, but I think he's got too much talent to not be good eventually.

Bring on Jamail Jones? Nothing against Jamail, but it's not as if Vander is stealing minutes from him. They don't and can't play the same position or do the same things. Jamail will get his chance next year when he, Jamil and and Juan battle it out for JFB's minutes at the three.

[GOMU1104]

For all of the complaining about Vander going on around here...I cant help but think how crazy this board would be if we had a freshman 7 footer that was rated in the Top 15 (#3 C overall) struggle the way Fab Melo is.

10.3 MPG
2.1 PPG (single game high of 9)
1.9 RPG (single game high of 7)

Some freshman play well...most freshman struggle. Vander will be fine.

[avid1010]

I do think he'll be an excellent player when it's all said and done, but I have two knocks on Buzz (who I think it doing a great job) and one is that he doesn't develop freshmen well in their first year.  My belief is that Vander will have a big summer, development wise, and be a contributing starter next year.  It just seems odd that Buzz can't get a true freshman that contributes right away...it's going to become painfully obvious that if you're a top 100 recruit there's still a good chance you don't see the floor as a freshmen.  Maybe Juan will break that trend, and hopefully it become painfully obvious that after a few years with Buzz players will develop to their full potential (give a little early on to gain more later on).  

[avid1010]

Some freshman play well...most freshman struggle. Vander will be fine.

No one is really arguing that.  Just wondering why "some freshman play well" (not ours under Buzz)...."most freshman struggle" (all freshmen under Buzz). 

I really think Buzz just has "trust" (for lack of better words) issues with playing freshmen, and because he won't play them from day one, on day 90 they're behind others.  A couple recruits could surely blow that theory away....I hope.

[GGGG]

No one is really arguing that.  Just wondering why "some freshman play well" (not ours under Buzz)...."most freshman struggle" (all freshmen under Buzz). 

I really think Buzz just has "trust" (for lack of better words) issues with playing freshmen, and because he won't play them from day one, on day 90 they're behind others.  A couple recruits could surely blow that theory away....I hope.

Blue has played from day one...and look what it has gotten him.  A guy who doesn't trust his shot one bit and is thinking too much on the court.  Seriously, what do you want him to do?

[mu-rara]

No one is really arguing that.  Just wondering why "some freshman play well" (not ours under Buzz)...."most freshman struggle" (all freshmen under Buzz). 

For the same reason that a 1st year auditor isn't expected to do the same work as a Sr. manager.  For the same reason George Karl hates rookies.  For the same reason that a rookie quota in sales is less than a 5 year producer.  There a very few John Walls ( one or two per year ) compared to the hundreds of other struggling freshman.

[wyzgy]

Vander is playing out of position by necessity .... he's an Alpha Guard ala Arenas or Wade.  When Buycks graduates he'll do just fine and play in position  --- no worries. He's an explosive athlete who plays better with the ball in his hands.

good thing his daddy don't pull his ass from MU and go play for pearl's assistants

[MUDPT]

Agree on the pressing.  You could feel that 3 had a lot of adrenaline behind it.  It's like in baseball when you hit a two-three hop chopper to the short stop because you are squeezing the bat so hard.  It's like he feels that he has limited minutes so he has to capitalize. 

[Da 'Lanche]

Let's remember one other thing....we do not see Vander in practice nor in any other basketball situation except during the games.   I would venture a guess that Buzz sees something we do not.   I don't think it is earth-breaking news that a freshman guard is struggling during his first BEast season on offense.   Right now it looks like his confidence on offense is all but gone and so he is pressing even harder.  He is a great athlete, a solid defender and can get to the hoop.   I trust his outside game, as well as his offense, will come around as this 18 year old kid continues to grow up.   On the upside, he is getting experience (maybe in a frustrating way) and if he keeps his head and his heart toward continually learning (which is something Buzz praises him for), he could be really solid for us the next 3 years.  Who knows what his game will be by the time he is a junior or senior....could meet all the promise and high expectations we have for him...or not....that is D-1 sports.  For now, I am rooting for him to keep at it and not getting down on his playing time nor his play.

[warriors1965]

Blue's outside shot has been screwed up since his Senior year of high school.   He's going to have to work extremely hard over the summer to get it straightened out.

Not sure if it's true or not, but I heard at school today from someone who would know that Blue has expressed a strong desire to play some PG next season.

[Da 'Lanche]

Blue's outside shot has been screwed up since his Senior year of high school.   He's going to have to work extremely hard over the summer to get it straightened out.

Not sure if it's true or not, but I heard at school today from someone who would know that Blue has expressed a strong desire to play some PG next season.

He still will need an outside shot at PG...but, he does have great athleticism, can handle the ball and sees the court well.   I would think he could be as successful (or moreso) than DB at the point.   Coudagon is gaining a lot of experience and looks like a solid distributing pg for the future, though.

[96warrior]

Vander is going to be great for this team but he's got some work to do. He needs to get some more experience. I was really hoping today when DJO had to sit out with 4 fouls that Vander was going to spark and step up to be the guy. He's too much in his own head right now. Like murobrob said, Buzz sees his performance in practice and he must be showing his stuff there to be seeing the floor so much in the games. Maybe it's just stage fright. I'm still excited as hell that he plays for us and think once it clicks for him, he's going to be very dangerous.

[avid1010]

For the same reason that a 1st year auditor isn't expected to do the same work as a Sr. manager.  For the same reason George Karl hates rookies.  For the same reason that a rookie quota in sales is less than a 5 year producer.  There a very few John Walls ( one or two per year ) compared to the hundreds of other struggling freshman.

I'm not looking for a John Wall....that's a dumb comparison.  No one is saying Buzz should have a Wade every year...I don't know where you're pulling that out of.  

I don't think it's normal that a coach go three years without recruiting a single freshman that contributes offensively in the freshman year.  When TC had the three amigos come in, he gave them serious focus and PT from day one.  I'm just questioning if some coaches strategically give freshmen more time/focus than Buzz...not even saying one way is right/wrong.  For the same reason that some first year brokers out produce their seniors, for the same reason some first year salesmen crush their quota, for the reason that most coaches recruit a at least one freshman in three years that has an offensive impact on their team.  

[Tugg Speedman]

I don't care how screwed up his shot is, you don't miss an open three by two feet because of mechanics.  You miss it because of what is going in between your ears.

Eventually he'll have a breakout game and relax/gain confidence.  Hopefully it is this year.

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The same "expert analysis" about what is wrong with VB is pretty much the same "expert analysis" about what was wrong with DJO's shot earlier this year.   That was right before DJO started shooting 3s better than 40%.  Wrong about DJO.

These same "experts" also said that Junior would never ever be a good FT shooter (and wanted him locked in a gym shooting 100 FTs a day) and was too slow for the BE.  Since these "experts" spoke, Junior FTs have been 12 for 15 (80%) in his last 5 games.  Since the "experts" announced Junior was to slow for the BE, he became the best distributor of the basketball on this team.

These same "experts" were also unimpressed with Crowder's game through the first 10 games this season.  They proclaimed they saw nothing from him that suggested he was a BE caliber player.  Wrong about Crowder.

Why are the "experts" always wrong (and will eventually be wrong about VB)?  Because they fail to recognize the importance of confidence and believing in yourself on the field of play.  They all think its mechanical or a lack of effort.  VB needs to believe he is a BE player and not think the ball is a piece of nuclear waste.  Once this happens, we'll have yet another in a very long list of wrong "expert" analysis about this team.

[Tugg Speedman]

He's a joke on offense, and can't guard anybody on d. He doesn't deserve any minutes. Bring on Jamail Jones

Their is a joke in the NFL that the most popular player on a struggling team is the back-up QB.

Same joke in college Bball ... the most popular guy on a struggling team is the freshman shooter that never plays.

[avid1010]

Again, I don't think anyone is writing Vander off...by any means.  I did find it interesting that Homer/Mac talked about how he fixed his free-throw mechanics and is now shooting them much better.  They felt that would eventually transfer to his 3 point shot...talked about concerns over him jumping too high on his shot, etc.  If they fixed his free-throw it's more than what's going on between his ears.  Not saying he isn't struggling mentally...because his lack of confidence with the ball in his hands is obvious, but there's a reason he doesn't trust his jumper.  He'll get going, I have no doubt.  If someone like E-Will can improve his shot as much as he did in one summer, I expect the same or more from Vander.  Just wish we were seeing Vander get better as the year progresses, is that ridiculous to question?

I don't care how screwed up his shot is, you don't miss an open three by two feet because of mechanics.  You miss it because of what is going in between your ears.

Eventually he'll have a breakout game and relax/gain confidence.  Hopefully it is this year.

-----

The same "expert analysis" about what is wrong with VB is pretty much the same "expert analysis" about what was wrong with DJO's shot earlier this year.   That was right before DJO started shooting 3s better than 40%.  Wrong about DJO.

These same "experts" also said that Junior would never ever be a good FT shooter (and wanted him locked in a gym shooting 100 FTs a day) and was too slow for the BE.  Since these "experts" spoke, Junior FTs have been 12 for 15 (80%) in his last 5 games.  Since the "experts" announced Junior was to slow for the BE, he became the best distributor of the basketball on this team.

These same "experts" were also unimpressed with Crowder's game through the first 10 games this season.  They proclaimed they saw nothing from him that suggested he was a BE caliber player.  Wrong about Crowder.

Why are the "experts" always wrong (and will eventually be wrong about VB)?  Because they fail to recognize the importance of confidence and believing in yourself on the field of play.  They all think its mechanical or a lack of effort.  VB needs to believe he is a BE player and not think the ball is a piece of nuclear waste.  Once this happens, we'll have yet another in a very long list of wrong "expert" analysis about this team.