LSU Postgame Report

[pimo1]

I’m down on SV as a PG. I don’t see the athleticism needed to beat people off the dribble

So..who on the roster is more suited for that role? I'd wait but that would be a looooong wait. He might not be great but he is the best option we currently have.

When making statements understand this does not happen in a vacuum. He can only be compared to the options we have available. Comparing him to other hairdos on other rosters you have a point. But on our roster he's currently by far the best option at point for dribble penetration. JJJ ain't gonna do it neither is Bowden so who? Gaines? The only other person on roster with that skill set is a transfer. So he's the best we got so we gotta figure something out. I again refer to my JG example. No matter how much people say he wasn't the best QB. He was the best QB on our roster and proved it over and over all season. We have other options, they are worse.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I think Vescovi would benefit by losing a few pounds. Would help his quickness and stamina. He is one of those deceptively quick guys with the ball, but maybe not so quick on D. The team will adjust to that, imo.

I was shocked to see the rebounds being even BUT when your new point guard leads you in rebounding then you have a problem. Fulky has a little "dog" in him and will go after rebounds, but I haven't seen anyone else do it. As undersized as we are, we have to go after rebounds with a vengeance. We sorely need an inside presence but it won't happen this season (let's hope Plavsic is very good or it may not happen next year).


Until/unless Bowden comes around, we are going to keep getting blown out. We aren't very good at this point.

Really need Bowden to wake up, and also be nice if Olivier got a bit of that Fulkerson motor. I think he (Olivier) plays unsure of himself, and sometimes it's just about getting aggressive and going after it. Especially when rebounding.

We really REALLY need to work on boxing out more, don't have the size or length underneath to try and jump/tip for rebounds. Keep your feet on the court and box out, force the refs to call more of the obvious over the backs by not leaving your feet.

I like Vescovi a lot, and he's obviously not in great shape for the grind just yet. Barnes even mentioned that he'll have to "play himself in shape" just is what it is, young man has all the tools though. He'll get stronger in a D1 program and he'll only get faster/quicker and more explosive.

 

[VOLED]

The speed and athletes bothered Vescovi passing and handling the ball but as time passes he will adjust. He obviously gives a scoring threat from outside that now has to be accounted for.
Hes not gonna out athlete many people but he can still be very productive.
This team doesnt have anyone right now that can get to the rim or take the ball on entries from 15 ft and in and get you consistent baskets. We shot a high % last year because we had a go to in Grant and a PG that could break Ds down.

This bunch is gonna have to shoot the 3 well like they did Saturday and defend a lot better. Bowden cant struggle that bad and things work out. The inside options are just not there.

Looked like Vescovi improved from the first half to the second half, but got fatigued and made a few careless mistakes. He also learned that if you stand still or just move side to side with the ball that it will get stolen by a good defender. He wasn't making the defender move back and diagonally so they basically just held their positions and reached in for the steal. I bet he doesn't do that again.

 

[calban]

Looked like Vescovi improved from the first half to the second half, but got fatigued and made a few careless mistakes. He also learned that if you stand still or just move side to side with the ball that it will get stolen by a good defender. He wasn't making the defender move back and diagonally so they basically just held their positions and reached in for the steal. I bet he doesn't do that again.

Some interesting trivia. Smart (the guy Santi was guarding) scored more points on bone and turner last season. Make sense of that one.

 

[BeecherVol]

Looked like Vescovi improved from the first half to the second half, but got fatigued and made a few careless mistakes. He also learned that if you stand still or just move side to side with the ball that it will get stolen by a good defender. He wasn't making the defender move back and diagonally so they basically just held their positions and reached in for the steal. I bet he doesn't do that again.

Its a very different style of basketball and he's been at it a week and 1 game. He'll adjust as time goes on.

 

[VOLED]

Some interesting trivia. Smart (the guy Santi was guarding) scored more points on bone and turner last season. Make sense of that one.

He eats us up for some reason. He had apparently been a a shooting slump but came to life against us. He is a player - but I could only like him if he was a Vol.

 

[BruinVol]

So..who on the roster is more suited for that role? I'd wait but that would be a looooong wait. He might not be great but he is the best option we currently have.

When making statements understand this does not happen in a vacuum. He can only be compared to the options we have available. Comparing him to other hairdos on other rosters you have a point. But on our roster he's currently by far the best option at point for dribble penetration. JJJ ain't gonna do it neither is Bowden so who? Gaines? The only other person on roster with that skill set is a transfer. So he's the best we got so we gotta figure something out. I again refer to my JG example. No matter how much people say he wasn't the best QB. He was the best QB on our roster and proved it over and over all season. We have other options, they are worse.

Wait where did my post say anything about this roster and this roster only

So maybe you need to hear it this way

I don’t think this guy is the answer at PG for this program even next year. He’s just not athletic enough, he isn’t anywhere close to the same athletic skill set as Bone, turner, keon Johnson or Springer.

So this kid will be a solid player for us at SG going forward but we can’t win “big” with this guy as our PG for 30+ min a game. Just not enough quickness and athleticism imo

 

[calban]

Wait where did my post say anything about this roster and this roster only

So maybe you need to hear it this way

I don’t think this guy is the answer at PG for this program even next year. He’s just not athletic enough, he isn’t anywhere close to the same athletic skill set as Bone, turner, keon Johnson or Springer.

So this kid will be a solid player for us at SG going forward but we can’t win “big” with this guy as our PG for 30+ min a game. Just not enough quickness and athleticism imo

Since when did Barnes offensive system require an athletic slasher. Vescovi has Elite court vision and his passing abilities can be honed. We've seen what our guys can do with a guy that can distribute at a high level. Being athletic would be a plus, but not a necessity. PS He also has 2 healthy shoulders and can chuck it from Pro distance.

 

[BruinVol]

Since when did Barnes offensive system require an athletic slasher. Vescovi has Elite court vision and his passing abilities can be honed. We've seen what our guys can do with a guy that can distribute at a high level. Being athletic would be a plus, but not a necessity. PS He also has 2 healthy shoulders and can chuck it from Pro distance.

Admittedly I don’t know the list of PGs very well at Texas that Barnes had but my assumption was most were similar to Bone in athleticism.

This guy is very very different than Bone and perhaps it isn’t fair or accurate to base some of my thinking on that.

 

[cncchris33]

Really need Bowden to wake up, and also be nice if Olivier got a bit of that Fulkerson motor. I think he (Olivier) plays unsure of himself, and sometimes it's just about getting aggressive and going after it. Especially when rebounding.

We really REALLY need to work on boxing out more, don't have the size or length underneath to try and jump/tip for rebounds. Keep your feet on the court and box out, force the refs to call more of the obvious over the backs by not leaving your feet.

I like Vescovi a lot, and he's obviously not in great shape for the grind just yet. Barnes even mentioned that he'll have to "play himself in shape" just is what it is, young man has all the tools though. He'll get stronger in a D1 program and he'll only get faster/quicker and more explosive.

Nkamhoua has zero rebounds in 11 minutes vs LSU. That was a sobering statistic.

 

[i2amavol]

Admittedly I don’t know the list of PGs very well at Texas that Barnes had but my assumption was most were similar to Bone in athleticism.

This guy is very very different than Bone and perhaps it isn’t fair or accurate to base some of my thinking on that.

I would call him the anti-Bone. That is not necessarily a knock on him though. Bone came in super athletic, but not much idea what to do. Santi just has a knack for the game, but may be a less than a stellar athlete. Both styles can work. It is just a very different skill set. This staff just needs to use and enhance the skills that he already has, maybe adding a few wrinkles here and there.

 

[BruinVol]

I would call him the anti-Bone. That is not necessarily a knock on him though. Bone came in super athletic, but not much idea what to do. Santi just has a knack for the game, but may be a less than a stellar athlete. Both styles can work. It is just a very different skill set. This staff just needs to use and enhance the skills that he already has, maybe adding a few wrinkles here and there.

Good post

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Wait where did my post say anything about this roster and this roster only

So maybe you need to hear it this way

I don’t think this guy is the answer at PG for this program even next year. He’s just not athletic enough, he isn’t anywhere close to the same athletic skill set as Bone, turner, keon Johnson or Springer.

So this kid will be a solid player for us at SG going forward but we can’t win “big” with this guy as our PG for 30+ min a game. Just not enough quickness and athleticism imo

Yeah, you're wrong on this one Bruin.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

There’s quite a few PG’s that had average or below average athleticism and were very successful...change of pace and feel for the game muse be elite though.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Nkamhoua has zero rebounds in 11 minutes vs LSU. That was a sobering statistic.

He's got the most upside of this 2019 class imo, but he's also got a far lower floor than James or Santiago. If he takes to coaching as well as Kyle....he could be really good.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

He's got the most upside of this 2019 class imo, but he's also got a far lower floor than James or Santiago. If he takes to coaching as well as Kyle....he could be really good.

I think he’s gonna be very good, maybe I’m wrong, but I put a lot of stock in how Barnes talks about him and rides him...it’s very Grant Williamsish.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I would call him the anti-Bone. That is not necessarily a knock on him though. Bone came in super athletic, but not much idea what to do. Santi just has a knack for the game, but may be a less than a stellar athlete. Both styles can work. It is just a very different skill set. This staff just needs to use and enhance the skills that he already has, maybe adding a few wrinkles here and there.

The beauty of Santi is that he learned our offense watching YT clips and having a few plays sent to him. On his own, at 18 in the few weeks before coming to UT.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

This guy with a handful of practices came in against a very good LSU team, first game in front of a real crowd and had the best debut of any player since probably Tobias Harris (who btw had a full fall practice & was playing Chattanooga) and this was at PG which is without question the most demanding position on a Rick Barnes team.

The kid has all the potential in the world to become a great PG in the SEC & NBA. He's got a great mind for film study to learn our system so well, and if he takes after Admiral/Pons and puts in the work in the gym he'll improve his only two areas where he lacks a bit endurance & quickness.

18 points, 6 rebounds 4 assist 1 steal shot 46% from the field and 67% from 3, yeah he had 9 TOs but Turner's in his 5th year here and was averaging almost 4 a game. I'll take a fresh on campus freshman making that many TOs in a game where he plays probably one of the best backcourts in the SEC.


He's not going to one-step blow by defenders like Bone did, hell most people won't. But he's quick enough he can get around lazy defenders when needed, he even did it a few times against LSU. That dime he gave to Pons came off him penetrating. I mean Punter did pretty good at PG for Barnes, I think that's a closer comparison than Bone to Santiago.

 

[Lefteye]

There’s quite a few PG’s that had average or below average athleticism and were very successful...change of pace and feel for the game muse be elite though.

Cassius Winston isn't crazy athletic but can get just about anywhere he wants on the floor because of the reasons you mention.

 

[cncchris33]

He's got the most upside of this 2019 class imo, but he's also got a far lower floor than James or Santiago. If he takes to coaching as well as Kyle....he could be really good.

I think that is possibly a good way to put it, but I’m not certain that Gaines doesn’t have the highest ceiling of all the 2019 class. And by saying that, I’m not counting SV as part of that group since he was technically in the 2020 class to start with.

Gaines just needs to add strength to his frame. He has the requisite skill set to be a really, really good big guard, and at his height and length, he could dominate that position. He certainly doesn’t seem timid or scared of the big stage, which is sometimes the biggest hurdle for young kids.

He seems like the closest thing we’ve had to the type of player JP Prince was in the last 10 years. Gaines already has a better jumper than Prince, not that that was a difficult achievement.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I think that is possibly a good way to put it, but I’m not certain that Gaines doesn’t have the highest ceiling of all the 2019 class. And by saying that, I’m not counting SV as part of that group since he was technically in the 2020 class to start with.

Gaines just needs to add strength to his frame. He has the requisite skill set to be a really, really good big guard, and at his height and length, he could dominate that position. He certainly doesn’t seem timid or scared of the big stage, which is sometimes the biggest hurdle for young kids.

He seems like the closest thing we’ve had to the type of player JP Prince was in the last 10 years. Gaines already has a better jumper than Prince, not that that was a difficult achievement.

I love Gaines & Olivier a ton. And I agree SV I count as 2020 class.

What excites me most about Gaines is he has the most important unteachable, imo which is "want to" or hustle or motor. The kid is a maximum effort player, and he'll be a baller once everything else catches up.

2019 & 2020 are two of the most exciting classes I've seen here in a long time.

 

[cardvolfan]

The speed and athletes bothered Vescovi passing and handling the ball but as time passes he will adjust. He obviously gives a scoring threat from outside that now has to be accounted for.
Hes not gonna out athlete many people but he can still be very productive.
This team doesnt have anyone right now that can get to the rim or take the ball on entries from 15 ft and in and get you consistent baskets. We shot a high % last year because we had a go to in Grant and a PG that could break Ds down.

This bunch is gonna have to shoot the 3 well like they did Saturday and defend a lot better. Bowden cant struggle that bad and things work out. The inside options are just not there.

ALL of this is spot on.

 

[cardvolfan]

Some interesting trivia. Smart (the guy Santi was guarding) scored more points on bone and turner last season. Make sense of that one.

Smart just has our number.

 

[therickbol]

I think that is possibly a good way to put it, but I’m not certain that Gaines doesn’t have the highest ceiling of all the 2019 class. And by saying that, I’m not counting SV as part of that group since he was technically in the 2020 class to start with.

Gaines just needs to add strength to his frame. He has the requisite skill set to be a really, really good big guard, and at his height and length, he could dominate that position. He certainly doesn’t seem timid or scared of the big stage, which is sometimes the biggest hurdle for young kids.

He seems like the closest thing we’ve had to the type of player JP Prince was in the last 10 years. Gaines already has a better jumper than Prince, not that that was a difficult achievement.

Agree completely. Gaines ceiling is really high. He brings very similar qualities as Prince but has more upside as a perimeter scorer. If Gaines gets anywhere near his ceiling in the next few years he will be All-SEC.

 

[pimo1]

Wait where did my post say anything about this roster and this roster only

So maybe you need to hear it this way

I don’t think this guy is the answer at PG for this program even next year. He’s just not athletic enough, he isn’t anywhere close to the same athletic skill set as Bone, turner, keon Johnson or Springer.

So this kid will be a solid player for us at SG going forward but we can’t win “big” with this guy as our PG for 30+ min a game. Just not enough quickness and athleticism imo

then you're making a pointless argument because all this team has is what this team has. You're just complaining for the sake of complaining. This is not the offseason the team has what it has can't go making a wishlist.

The guy has played 1 game if you're able to pass judgement on him accurately based on that you're in the wrong line of work pal you should be selling your services to the NBA because you'd be like the Rainman of scouts. I wonder what you'd say if you saw tape of Giannis the first game he played in the NBA.. scrub not good enough..

 

[BruinVol]

then you're making a pointless argument because all this team has is what this team has. You're just complaining for the sake of complaining. This is not the offseason the team has what it has can't go making a wishlist.

The guy has played 1 game if you're able to pass judgement on him accurately based on that you're in the wrong line of work pal you should be selling your services to the NBA because you'd be like the Rainman of scouts. I wonder what you'd say if you saw tape of Giannis the first game he played in the NBA.. scrub not good enough..

Look I’m making a simple fairly easy judgment about this guy. He isn’t an elite athlete and I don’t really see anyone saying I am wrong on that

And if that’s true I don’t see this guy being our primary PG if we are to get back to talking about SEC titles and final fours.
And with the talent this program has coming in next adding to a very experienced team we will have coming back we should be talking about those things


Sorry but that’s the only point I am trying to make.