Cheatham

[Marquette4life]

What does haanif need to do to get out of his slump?

[GGGG]

Play better.

[CTWarrior]

It would help him on those drives if he could use his right hand some.  He gives himself some awkward angles shooting with his dominant left all the time.

[doc K]

I think Cheatham has problems when he drives because his momentum is all horizontal. If he could translate his motion into some vertical height, he would be much more effective.

[brandx]

His game is in transition from last year where he stayed in the corner and either got an open '3' or drove to the hoop.

He's being asked to do a lot more this year as we have better 3 point shooters.

[Herman Cain]

He has to focus less on scoring. We have guys who can shoot and he needs to work it into their hands more.  If he lets the game come to him he will be fine. His shots will be more open and he will have more lanes to drive in. He is still a great player just going through a sophomore slump of sorts.

[forgetful]

What does haanif need to do to get out of his slump?

Nothing, just keep doing what he is doing.  He's fine, if he didn't miss the two 2-3 footers today he would have had 10 points in limited minutes.  It's early in the year, he'll be fine when we need him.

Right now defenses focusing on him is helping open up the game for H and H.

[Lennys Tap]

His game is in transition from last year where he stayed in the corner and either got an open '3' or drove to the hoop.

He's being asked to do a lot more this year as we have better 3 point shooters.

Maybe we're asking him to do too much. Looks out of control.

[vogue65]

Could it be that the opposition scounting reports are singling him out for special attention?  Now the attention may shift to the freshman phenoms.

[CubillanSandwich]

He has to focus less on scoring. We have guys who can shoot and he needs to work it into their hands more.  If he lets the game come to him he will be fine. His shots will be more open and he will have more lanes to drive in. He is still a great player just going through a sophomore slump of sorts.

+1.  Both Haniif and JJJ need to drive and swing it.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What does haanif need to do to get out of his slump?

Pull up for a jumper or pass out on a v cut.  Both he and JJ have been scouted.

[MU82]

Pull up for a jumper or pass out on a v cut.  Both he and JJ have been scouted.

JJJ can consistently hit the pull-up from inside the lane or at the elbow. He also is probably the best passer on the team. Haani ... take away his left hand and he's an ordinary player. I'm NOT saying he stinks or he doesn't deserve to play or anything like that. I'm just saying that he's a soph who still isn't strong enough with his right hand and who isn't a very good drive-and-dish guy if he gets picked up; both of those things result in him taking some tough shots.

[jaygall31]

He will be fine. Soph slump. Rather have it now than when BE starts. I think he's just finally realizing how good he can be, and he's adjusting.

As other's have said on this board, once he becomes Dominant with his right hand, he will be unguardable. He's as valuable as anyone. Hani will be fine.

(Trying to be optimistic, I just think he's too damn good to be playing like this).

[tower912]

Last year, the opponent's defense was focused on Henry at all times.   Haanif didn't face defenses shaded toward him.   This year, he is near the top of the scouting report.    They are sitting on his left hand.    They are collapsing hard when he starts his drive knowing that (A) he is going to the rim, (B) he does not finish with his right hand, and (C) he isn't giving it up once he starts his drive.     They have adjusted to him.    Now it is on him to adjust to them expand his game. 

[jsglow]

Last year, the opponent's defense was focused on Henry at all times.   Haanif didn't face defenses shaded toward him.   This year, he is near the top of the scouting report.    They are sitting on his left hand.    They are collapsing hard when he starts his drive knowing that (A) he is going to the rim, (B) he does not finish with his right hand, and (C) he isn't giving it up once he starts his drive.     They have adjusted to him.    Now it is on him to adjust to them expand his game.

This.  He'll get there.

[MerrittsMustache]

Last year, the opponent's defense was focused on Henry at all times.   Haanif didn't face defenses shaded toward him.   This year, he is near the top of the scouting report.    They are sitting on his left hand.    They are collapsing hard when he starts his drive knowing that (A) he is going to the rim, (B) he does not finish with his right hand, and (C) he isn't giving it up once he starts his drive.     They have adjusted to him.    Now it is on him to adjust to them expand his game.

He also needs to get back to being aggressive and get to the line. He's only shot 2 FTs in his 3-game mini-slump. He was averaging 5.4 FT/gm in 5 games prior.

[HoopsterBC]

Cheatham has a different type of game.  Slashing to the hoop and shooting a set shot 3.  He looks right now a little out of control on his drives and does not have
enough hops to finish.  He is dominant lefty and has shown no right hand ability to score with.  Is great in the open court, but once the Big East starts MU will not
get as many opportunities in the open court.  Bottom Line, no mid-range game, or jump shot.  Has to stop and pop, has to work on that.  Also, with 10 players, the
other kids can score so he will not get the opportunites he had last year.   JJJ, Luke and the freshman are scoring, add Rowsey at times, plus Reinhardt shooting,
not very good, and the shots for him are less.

[GB Warrior]

Cheatham has a different type of game.  Slashing to the hoop and shooting a set shot 3.  He looks right now a little out of control on his drives and does not have
enough hops to finish.  He is dominant lefty and has shown no right hand ability to score with.  Is great in the open court, but once the Big East starts MU will not
get as many opportunities in the open court.  Bottom Line, no mid-range game, or jump shot.  Has to stop and pop, has to work on that.  Also, with 10 players, the
other kids can score so he will not get the opportunites he had last year.   JJJ, Luke and the freshman are scoring, add Rowsey at times, plus Reinhardt shooting,
not very good, and the shots for him are less.

Hit it head on, I think. The offense doesn't flow through him quite as much, so his utilization is going to go down. Others hit the same shots that he does, so he needs to be a secondary facilitator when slashing and keep the turnovers down.

[Goose]

HC reminds me of Roney Eford to some degree. Not in style of player, but ceiling of the player. Eford was an outstanding Frosh that really never got a great deal better. He was a solid 4 year guy and to some degree I worry up HC's upside. Moving forward I believe that both Howard and Hauser will end up having better careers.

[Lennys Tap]

HC reminds me of Roney Eford to some degree. Not in style of player, but ceiling of the player. Eford was an outstanding Frosh that really never got a great deal better. He was a solid 4 year guy and to some degree I worry up HC's upside. Moving forward I believe that both Howard and Hauser will end up having better careers.

I agree, Goose. Cheatham is a very good player but I don't think anything beyond incremental improvement is likely. Hope I'm wrong but I don't see potential for greatness.

[GGGG]

Cheatham has been called a "pocketknife" kind of player.  He does a lot of things very well.  However he doesn't do one thing spectacularly.  I think he is one of those guys who is going to do a lot to win you games, but isn't going to stand out.

For instance, he can most certainly take it to the rim - but not like JJJ.
He can shoot - but not like Sam or Markus.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

[MerrittsMustache]

Haanif has some Jamil Wilson in him where he's obviously capable of having big games, but his ceiling seems to be the #3 option (which isn't a bad thing unless the team needs you to be more than that, which was an issue Jamil's senior year). Unlike Jamil, however, Haanif isn't overly athletic. He's more crafty than athletic and he shoots a set shot. Blue and JJJ are uber-athletes so it was much easier for them to add a pull-up jumper to their games. It's tough to add a pull-up to your game when you don't shoot with much "up" to begin with.

Haanif will be fine. I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up as MU's third-leading scorer in each of his 4 years.

[brewcity77]

This is somewhat amusing. Throughout last year and into this year, it seems like many thought Cheatham would go down as an all-time great here and had the ability to challenge McNeal's scoring record. Now just as many seem to have written him off as a guy that will never improve.

He's had a few off games. Let's not call it a career on him based on less than a month of sophomore slump type play.

[tower912]

Agreed.   He is a talented versatile ball player who has had some bad games.   I have little doubt that he will be fine. 

[Goose]

Brew

Last year I though HC was an outstanding Freshmen and I still feel he will have a very good career. I noted several times last season that he benefited from Henry quite a bit. He is a very, very solid player and very happy he is on MU. My comments/thoughts are the same I felt last season.