In the Absence of Tower

[ATL MU Warrior]

I think Rocky kicked him off this board, but he's still on Dodds. Check there.

Wow. For what?

[Newsdreams]

Wow. For what?

For sarcasm 

[brewcity77]

I really don't mind all the Kolek hate. It's a dog whistle for people who don't know much about the nuances game.

Agreed, though it also shows a weakness in the advanced statistics too. Tyler took two shots and had two turnovers, but also 6 assists. So that's 10 possessions. Those 6 assists led to 15 points. 1.5 points created in those possessions is elite, but his offensive rating was awful.

[Scoop Snoop]

For sarcasm 

Gotcha Atlanta! 

[ATL MU Warrior]

Gotcha Atlanta! 

That's what happens when I spend too much time actually living life and not on Scoop. Thought I missed something.

[Scoop Snoop]

That's what happens when I spend too much time actually living life and not on Scoop. Thought I missed something.

Yep! Seriously though, I hope Tower is OK.

[panda]

Agreed, though it also shows a weakness in the advanced statistics too. Tyler took two shots and had two turnovers, but also 6 assists. So that's 10 possessions. Those 6 assists led to 15 points. 1.5 points created in those possessions is elite, but his offensive rating was awful.

He had a couple passes for really good looks where shots didn't fall too. Probably should've been 8/9 assists.

[warriorchick]

Wow. For what?

For abusing Horsey Sauce.

[brewcity77]

He had a couple passes for really good looks where shots didn't fall too. Probably should've been 8/9 assists.

I really hope we have a second point guard emerge alongside Kolek. Not this year, but in the next couple. This offense with two creators like that to take pressure off each other could be insane once it gets going.

[jfp61]

I really hope we have a second point guard emerge alongside Kolek. Not this year, but in the next couple. This offense with two creators like that to take pressure off each other could be insane once it gets going.

They have put their eggs in a lot of baskets too. Mitchell, Kam, Ellis, and Sean Jones. That's 4 guys beyond Kolek that could at least play middle of the pack minutes at the point guard spot in a pinch. One of them is bound to be able to do it.

Sean and Mitchell can play defense at high levels, especially for their size. Ellis has the most size and room to grow. Kam could score and carry 30% of an offense tomorrow if he had too.

[JakeBarnes]

They have put their eggs in a lot of baskets too. Mitchell, Kam, Ellis, and Sean Jones. That's 4 guys beyond Kolek that could at least play middle of the pack minutes at the point guard spot in a pinch. One of them is bound to be able to do it.

Sean and Mitchell can play defense at high levels, especially for their size. Ellis has the most size and room to grow. Kam could score and carry 30% of an offense tomorrow if he had too.

Sean reminds me of (and I hope projects to at least) Fatts Russell. Constant pest on defense that can find a bucket when you need him to.

[brewcity77]

They have put their eggs in a lot of baskets too. Mitchell, Kam, Ellis, and Sean Jones. That's 4 guys beyond Kolek that could at least play middle of the pack minutes at the point guard spot in a pinch. One of them is bound to be able to do it.

Sean and Mitchell can play defense at high levels, especially for their size. Ellis has the most size and room to grow. Kam could score and carry 30% of an offense tomorrow if he had too.

Good points, especially on Ellis. He's the guy the staff raves about. This has essentially been a redshirt year for him, but if he turns into what they expect, he could certainly be that guy, and at a long, athletic 6'5", would be a tough matchup.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Good points, especially on Ellis. He's the guy the staff raves about. This has essentially been a redshirt year for him, but if he turns into what they expect, he could certainly be that guy, and at a long, athletic 6'5", would be a tough matchup.

Hopefully they can keep him around.  Of any guy on the roster, he seems most likely to use his free transfer to dip out after this year based on the fact he's been glued to the bench all season.  Can't imagine this is how he expected his freshman season to go.

[JakeBarnes]

Hopefully they can keep him around.  Of any guy on the roster, he seems most likely to use his free transfer to dip out after this year based on the fact he's been glued to the bench all season.  Can't imagine this is how he expected his freshman season to go.

I would agree. The metrics point to a lower "Slap of five" Adj efficiency right now on the bench.

That said, I do hope he stays. He has A LOT of potential and has hopefully been working on the gaps in his play.

[brewcity77]

Hopefully they can keep him around.  Of any guy on the roster, he seems most likely to use his free transfer to dip out after this year based on the fact he's been glued to the bench all season.  Can't imagine this is how he expected his freshman season to go.

I think they've been preparing him for this. Since before the start of the year, all the talk around Ellis was about potential and long-term realization. I was more surprised he didn't redshirt than that he had the role he did. He was the most raw freshman and the staff knew it and made sure everyone around the program knew it too. I'm sure they made sure Ellis knew that as well and that his opportunity was in the future, not the present.

[wildbillsb]

So, you are saying that Shaka is as good at in-game strategy as you are? 

I wouldn't go that far, but he is getting better, no?

[rocky_warrior]

I'm sure they made sure Ellis knew that as well and that his opportunity was in the future, not the present.

Hopefully, but that wasn't his day 1 expectation:

https://www.ourquadcities.com/sports/local-sports/former-assumption-guard-emarion-ellis-is-ready-for-marquette/

"Emarion's first varsity game as a freshmen at Bettendorf. He played against DJ and it was new to him. I mean he had the second highest points scored in that game but I think it's good it kinda gets the Quad Cities riled up, you know you got two guys. Two top quality games playing on the same team. It makes for good TV" said Thomas.

"That will actually be good, I mean home town kids playing two kids for the MAC. Two top killers that will be nice. Especially from the same area to motivate a lot of younger kids that's coming up" said George Todd Emarion's Cousin.

Emarion Ellis is confident he will come in year 1 and contribute.

[withoutbias]

Hopefully we can come back on this and cold takes expose me, but I don't see it with Ellis.  With Joplin and Stevie, they have holes in their game where they're not ready to consistently contribute right now.  But you can see what they bring to the table and that they'll be big time contributors in a year or two.

Ellis reminds me of Symir at this level.  Both look like Bambi on ice to me.  Just in over their heads at this level of basketball.  We'll see what happens, but nothing I've seen suggests he's got big contributor written all over him.

[Elonsmusk]

Hopefully we can come back on this and cold takes expose me, but I don't see it with Ellis.  With Joplin and Stevie, they have holes in their game where they're not ready to consistently contribute right now.  But you can see what they bring to the table and that they'll be big time contributors in a year or two.

Ellis reminds me of Symir at this level.  Both look like Bambi on ice to me.  Just in over their heads at this level of basketball.  We'll see what happens, but nothing I've seen suggests he's got big contributor written all over him.

Ellis is a hard one to project.  He hasn't appeared all that confident while on the floor, yet there certainly are flashes where I can see the potential.  He's made a few drives baseline that showed some really good athleticism.  Think he needs another year of strength/conditioning and a a lot of ball-handling drill work.  I can see him evolving into a JuJuan Johnson type of player, though maybe not with quite the same passing ability as JJJ had.

[JakeBarnes]

Ellis is a hard one to project.  He hasn't appeared all that confident while on the floor, yet there certainly are flashes where I can see the potential.  He's made a few drives baseline that showed some really good athleticism.  Think he needs another year of strength/conditioning and a a lot of ball-handling drill work.  I can see him evolving into a JuJuan Johnson type of player, though maybe not with quite the same passing ability as JJJ had.

Interestingly enough, I've been most impressed with EE's passing in limited action.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I've consistently heard that Ellis is the player on roster who the staff thinks will have the best NBA career one day...but he's the youngest and the most raw. Hopefully, they can keep him around and he realizes that potential here.

[brewcity77]

Hopefully, but that wasn't his day 1 expectation:

I can't imagine many seniors going to a high-major are going to tell the local paper "I can't wait to get there and sit out the first year." It may not have been his expectation right after wrapping up his senior season in high school, but the staff had the full summer and all of this season to change that expectation. At the open practice in October, it felt very clear from Shaka that Ellis was a guy who was seen as more of a project, and I've heard the same all season long.

I understand why people think he will transfer, but I don't think it's nearly the given some believe.

[rocky_warrior]

I can't imagine many seniors going to a high-major are going to tell the local paper "I can't wait to get there and sit out the first year." It may not have been his expectation right after wrapping up his senior season in high school, but the staff had the full summer and all of this season to change that expectation. At the open practice in October, it felt very clear from Shaka that Ellis was a guy who was seen as more of a project, and I've heard the same all season long.

I understand why people think he will transfer, but I don't think it's nearly the given some believe.

1) Not disagreeing at all.  Like I said, hopefully they have communicated well and he's bought into "the plan"
2) But this is different than a player saying "I'll  be given a chance to make an impact immediately"
3) Interesting that the family was excited to see him play with DJ.  I guess it makes sense.  I hadn't considered that expectation in the 'happiness of EE camp' conversation.

[MU82]

I really hope we have a second point guard emerge alongside Kolek. Not this year, but in the next couple. This offense with two creators like that to take pressure off each other could be insane once it gets going.

We need improvement from the position if we're gonna be serious contenders for anything.

I like to think we'll get it from Kolek getting better and/or Stevie gaining confidence and offensive consistency and/or Ellis being next year's Oso and/or Sean Jones being an instant impact player.

[Jay Bee]

Hopefully, but that wasn't his day 1 expectation:

https://www.ourquadcities.com/sports/local-sports/former-assumption-guard-emarion-ellis-is-ready-for-marquette/

I don't find this to be good evidence. It's a local paper of a prep kid... there's no reason for any of the parties involved to say, "I/he plans to ride the pine and just learn. He's not quite ready, but give him a year on campus and he could make a big impact"

Edit: ooops, brew had beat me to it