Pesik gets it. Cumberland is 6’5 to 6’6. We were content to let Rose score his points. It was more important to focus on Alston and his total game
A review the game stats for the UCF vs Duke NCAA tourney game is quite revealing -
UCF’s starting front court: 7’ 6" Sr. Tacko Fall - 15 points & 6 boards; 6’ 11" So. Smith - 4 points & 8 boards; and three guards.
vs Duke’s starting front court: 6’ 7" Fr. Williamson - 32 points & 11 boards, 6’ 7" Fr. Barrett - 16 points & 8 boards and 6’ 8" Fr. Reddish -13 points & 4 boards; and two guards.
RECAP: Duke’s all freshmen (5 star) front court scored 61 points with 22 boards while UCF’s much taller (+4" to +11") (3 star) front court scored 19 points with 14 boards.
So (#1) taller certainly isn’t necessarily better, (#2) talent really trumps height, and (#3) star ratings really do seem to matter a lot in college hoops. The only way that UCF could try to compete with Duke was to go with a 3 guard lineup and shoot lights out from 3 point range.
Does this approach sound vaguely familiar?
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The point he was making that there is a HUGE chasm between saying “I’m going to the NBA next year” and saying “I’m going through the process.” Neither even has a game as a starter for Houston. Let’s hope their progression this offseason matches the level of their NBA aspirations.
Either one would have to have an AAC player of the year type season next year to even be in consideration for a 2nd round pick. If Dejon got drafted next year, he would be the first 200 lb draft pick since Mugsy Bogues. 
Your tone makes it sound like you just don’t like taller players. What if we had everything we have now as far as style of play but bigger and taller? You’re saying that’s impossible to do at UH because we aren’t a blue blood?
Dejon is the exact same size ( Abit taller) than ja Morant
Dejon doesn’t need players of the year type of year… but would need a 15+Pts 4+AST with Houston being top 25 (all of which isn’t impossible) … scouts were already looking at him… (elite handles for his size)
Hinton on the other hand I don’t see anyway he gets drafted next year without a POY type year…his junior year I could see after a few more years of polishing…hes good at most things but not great at anything to diffentiate himself yet…
Do you not see the flaw in saying he doesn’t need to be bigger because he is Ja Morant’s size but then you say he can have half of Ja Morant’s production and still get interest? Ja Morant averaged 24 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. If he had averaged 15 points and 4 assists, you wouldn’t know his name.
No, I like taller players just fine but I understand that basketball skills and quickness trumps height and is reflected in the star ratings for top recruits.
According to “sports-reference.com” (based on players’ average minutes played) - 2019 national champion Virginia’s average height was 6’5" and average experience was 1.6 years, while 2019 UH’s average height was 6’4" and average experience was 1.4 years.
What I believe is that CKS knows precisely what he’s doing and the 2019-20 UH BB team will have about the same average height and average experience as last years national champion.
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Virginia also has players who are 7’0,7’1, 6’9, and 6’10. They clearly didn’t neglect having big bodies down low. I know that we can win without it but I think it would add another dimension to our attack as opposed to just spreading it out and shooting threes.
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ja played for murray state in a trash conference with no help, and note i wrote about how “we needed to be top 25”…he will get attention for winning…note melvin frazier was drafted on 15 and 3…while playing for tulane
i just read an article the other day that dejon is the highest rated prospect in the aac this year (in the long run)…
note the article was before the duke/ucf game not sure if that changes any perceptions (refering to dawkins)
dejon needs to get bigger when he is in the NBA (like ja) but few will care going in…
both these bag of bones brothers will be drafted in the next 2 years (1 in a few months)
https://mk0slamonlinensgt39k.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/McDaniels-2080-1000-2-compressor.jpg
You gotta be kidding me with his “trash conference” excuse. What about his performances in Quad I games?
@Alabama 38 pts, 9 rbs, 5 asts
@Auburn 25 pts, 8 rbs, 7 asts
tourney
Marquette 17 pts, 11 rbs, 16 asts
FSU 28 pts, 5 rbs, 4 asts
Just trashing Ja Morant’s stats because of the conference he is in, was just a lazy argument.
Looking at their stats, Virginia’s 7’1" So. Huff played 9 minutes/game and averaged 4 ps & 2 boards; 7’0" Fr. Caffaro didn’t play at all; 6’10" Sr. Salt played 17 minutes/game and averaged 4 pts & 4 boards; and 6’9" Jr. Diakite played 22 minutes/game and averaged 7 pts & 4 boards.
So their 4 tallest players (that were noted above) combined to play 48 minutes/game and averaged a combined 15 pts & 10 boards per game. Not too impressive.
UH COMPARISON:
6’10" Jr. Harris played 11 minutes/game and averaged 3 pts & 3 boards; 6’8" Sr. Brady played 14 minutes/game and averaged 6 points & 4 boards; 6’8" So. Gresham averaged 14 minutes/game and averaged 4 pts & 4 boards; and 6’7" So. White averaged 18 minutes/game and averaged 6 pts & 4 boards.
So UH’s tallest 4 players combined to play 57 minutes/game and averaged a combined 19 pts & 15 boards. So UH big’s stats were actually better than Virginia’s big’s stats.
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Sounds they were young and still getting acclimated. Regardless of what the situation was (I never watched them play, except for the title game), the coach made the effort to have size on his roster. When we struggled against Cumberland, I remember Sampson saying that we didn’t have anyone that could guard him. That Dejon had the build of a high school player and everyone else was too small to guard him. Sounded like he recognized that size would have helped. Judging by some of the incoming guards coming in, we are moving towards taller guards. I would love a featured big bruiser down low too. Just my opinion.
I think the quote was something like “Dejon is built like a sophomore … a high school sophomore.” Corey had a rough time containing his laughter.
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Also, 15 points and 10 boards from the big men would be fine by me.
Then I guess you liked the 19 points and 15 boards that UH’s bigs put up this year.
murray state went 1-3 in that stretch…
you seem to be missing the bigger point and im not sure why…
when you play on a good team with surrounding talented players and tougher defenses regularly the stat comparison doesnt work…
Indeed, I did. I liked the combined effort from Brady, White, Gresham and Harris. I would just like to have another Harris, size wise, maybe even taller and thicker, that when our shots don’t fall, can take over a game if needed to. A true big man. But that’s just my preference.
You are just joking about the 200 pounds thing, right? Tons of guys get drafted weighing less than that. Tre Young last year was 6’2" 180, Sexton 6’2" 190, Gilgeous Alexander 6’6" 180. That’s 3 guys in the top 11 from just last year.
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Patrick Beverly one of the toughest in your face defenders in NBA is like 6’1"-- 185lbs give or take 5 lbs. . Without looking up Chris Paul future HOF doesn’t crack 180 I doubt. Somewhere in 170s.
The 200 lb thing was obviously tongue in cheek when I said Mugsy Bogues who was listed as 5’3. SMH TJCoog at least listed one guy (I never heard of) that was 6’5 or taller and around Dejon’s alleged weight. We are talking about a 6-5 guy listed as 185 lbs. Not 6-1. 6-2. To be honest, I’m willing to bet you that the only way Dejon weighs 185 lbs is if he is wearing sneakers, jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie with a basketball under his arm.