I believe we’ll run quite a bit of what is called the “get game” or “throw and go” with JoJo on the perimeter. He either hands the ball off to a guard or keeps it facing the basket. We saw a lot of that the last 10 or so games last year.
Yep… same thing with him & J’Wan the year before that…
Curious if Jojo will shoot 3s this year like Fabs did his senior year.
Less than ten probably not even 5
I’d rather he got really good at not throwing fastballs against the backboard. ![]()
I’m being condescending for pointing out that you use the word bad when it came to shot blocking numbers in relation to defense? And no one really wants a 2000 word dissertation defending your position Pesik!
Shot blocking is nice but less impactful than body position, strength and being in the right place.
I have no problem with JoJo being on the perimeter, giving shooters hell trying to get their shots up and being one of the top players in the country in the passing lanes while still having the ability to drop down for doubles in the post.
All offenses aren’t built the same and I don’t expect us to attack each one of them the same either.
I still expect Gillespie to start, but as noted, I don’t see the practices every day. If Diane is able to start, then I think we’re even more loaded than originally thought.
Me too… but it looks like his ability to shoot is there…
I think Jojo can be a decent mid range shooter
If that develops his face up game is going to be lethal, even at the 4.
We already knew Jojo was going to have to play some 4 when he is in the game with Diane. With Recco at center that means Jojo plays the 4 full time.
This actually makes more sense for the defense. Instead of the 4 and 5 being interchangeable on defense, it makes the 3 and 4 interchangable. No huge drop off on perimeter defense with Chase and Jojo guarding forwards.
Some mention a stretch big camping at the 3 point line and taking Jojo out the paint. I think this is a plus instead of a negative. Sampson likes blocks from help defense. Not on the ball where you get fouls. Jojo wants to block everything so he gets silly fouls. This move could also keep him out of foul trouble as long as he doesnt foul jump shooters.
As fas a Recco in the paint by himself with a dominant center…there’s not too many centers in college that you can just constantly feed and they carry the offense.
Maybe he’s got a future as an Olympic shot putter?
Some of those shots… ![]()
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JoJo’s offense was improving towards the back half of the year. Him being injured preseason really hurt. I think last year was going to be his season to take a big leap offensively, the injury likely kept him from being drafted. If he can stay healthy I think we see him becoming a bigger part of the offense. We’ve seen guys under Sampson before, go from basically zero offense to contributor. And JoJo is a better athlete than all of them.
I think it’s just how big his hands are… it’s like most of us trying to put touch on a softball… it’s easy to kind of throw it instead of have it roll off your fingers… I think… lol
A staff member half-jokingly said JoJo might become Fabian White shooting 3s. I couldn’t tell if the staff member was serious or not. It’s in one of our 3 Old Men episodes coming up.
Great minds think alike… lol
Can JoJo hit a random game winner from 10-15 ft. facing the basket? Yes. Can he do it consistently? Not from what we’ve seen.
Realistic scenario. UH down by one with 3 seconds left on the clock. Somehow the ball ends up in JoJo’s hands, the defense backs off, daring him to shoot, instinctively, JoJo shoots and scores, winning the game by one.
The Earth straightens its axis, all wars are stopped, and everyone gets a $10,000.00 refund from the IRS. JoJo is named “Man of the Year”, and People Magazine has JoJo on the cover as “Sexist Man Alive”. JoJo is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his winning shot and ending all wars.
Damn… what did Jojo ever do to you?
Sexist?
While I complain about people using AI to try and answer questions, AI for Excel is incredibly useful/valuable. I felt that JoJo’s offense improved over the back half of last year, so I loaded all his game logs into Excel (you can get the file from Basketball Reference.
The Results.
The numbers strongly support improvement across ALL offensive categories:
- Scoring Volume & Efficiency Both Up — This is the key indicator. It’s easy to score more if you just shoot more (and miss more). But this player is:
- Shooting more (+41.9% FGA)
- And shooting better (+10.7% FG%)
- Resulting in significantly more points (+64.3%)
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Free Throw Transformation — FT% jumped from 54.7% to 73.8%, while also getting to the line 56% more often. This suggests improved finishing ability and drawing contact.
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Game Score (GmSc) Up 40.5% — This composite metric captures overall game impact, confirming the improvement isn’t just in one area.
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Assists Nearly Doubled (+87.6%) — Shows expanded offensive role beyond just scoring.
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Context: Minutes Up Only 21% — The stat increases far exceed the minutes increase, meaning this is per-minute improvement, not just more playing time.
Bottom Line: The final 17 games (89-105) show a statistically significant offensive breakout compared to the first 88 games. This isn’t just marginal improvement — it’s a different level of offensive production and efficiency.
Jojo won’t be settling for 15 foot jump shots. If he does his azz will be on the bench.
Hill, I"m so grateful to you for providing these statistics. I’ve been baffled why people keep describing his shot as though they missed the second half of last year. Your stats confirm what I already knew because my eyes told me. Jojo was at points hitting a groove with that little line drive hook of his that reminded me of the way J’wan would get into a groove. I hope you’ve put an end to that nonsense. Who knows whether he will continue the improvement or backslide, but I’m optimistic that Tugs will finally reach his full potential.
Not settling… but if the threat is there that opens up the pump fake & drive…
