He’s a freshman. He will only get better.
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I definitely didn’t. I thought we’d make the tourney as an 8 to 10ish seed. Also, I finally came around in mid February after the road win over UCF and home win over Cincy that we might be as good or better than last year’s team.
But still, let’s not sell last year’s team short. That was a really good team that should have been a 4 or 5 seed and was a flukey ending and the only five point play I’ve ever seen from making it to the Sweet 16 with a very clear path to the Final Four and National Championship game.
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Not the last three games it hasn’t. But he brings energy and can knock down free throws (albeit missing one last night) something we’re struggling with. Hinton and Armoni have to work on getting their shot off going left or right. Hinton seems to be stronger to the right, Armoni to the left IMO.
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But that wasn’t my question lol. I think Caleb Mills & Justin Gorham & Hinton will pick up alot of the slack left by the graduation of Corey Davis & Brady, tho. Sasser can be a sleeper.
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Ridiculous response I’d expect from you. What, 3-game sample? Once again as shaggy has pointed out the stats numerous times, we are not a bad FT shooting team
Right now it seems like Hinton struggles from distance unless he’s set up in the corner. He will almost certainly get better with the experience he’s gained this year. He is already very good at the 15-17 footer even when he’s moving. He clearly has the potential to be the go to guy next year, but I agree with @Progs that he’ll need some improvement to get to that level. I also agree with @PortlandCoog that he’s just a freshman and will get better, especially under CKS. Good times are only getting better, guys. Enjoy the ride.
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No need to sell last year’s team short. They had an outstanding team, but Kelvin stated al last season we would be better. He’s also made that statement about next season as well
I didn’t see how we could be losing Rob. But I was wrong.
I don’t see how we are going to be better losing Corey, Galen and Breaon. I hope I am wrong again.
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Gorham is supposed to be good enough that he may offer more scoring that Breaon and Gresham may get better as well. Then Sasser and Mills are supposed to be great on offense and Hinton and Jerroux should improve upon already sound bases. If we just hold serve on defense our offense may be even better making us a very elite team.
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I am really excited about the new guys coming in next year, especially the way CKS is talking them up. I, too, had my doubts about this year after losing such a dynamic scorer in Rob. But I think we are much better defensively this year and Galen has turned it up a notch offensively. We have some serious talent already on board for next year, and who knows who we might get on the transfer market. As much as it’s going to hurt to lose Galen and Corey, it looks like we’re well positioned to reload.
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I honestly believed that we would be better in 2018-2019 than 2017-2018. Our big losses were Rob and Devin Davis, but I felt like Fabian and Armoni could step into those starting spots, Corey step up, and that Jarreau and Hinton would be ballers. All of that was true.
Looking ahead to 2019-2020, I am much more cautious. Jarreau likely will have to take on the full time PG role, with Mills (a freshman) backing him up. Jarreau is awesome, but Galen’s contributions cannot be minimized.
And Corey Davis’s production will have to be replaced by Hinton stepping up and someone else (maybe Sasser, who will be a true freshman). That is a hell of a lot to ask.
We also lose Brady and add Gorham. The coaches seem to really like Gorham.
In all, I predict a really good team next year, but we could take a bit of a step back. I still see us winning more then 20 games though, especially with UCF and Cincinnati also losing a lot of talent. I think Temple, Memphis, and Wichita State will be much improved though.
You can see Mills practicing with Galen covering him in a practice in one of the behind the scenes shorts by CBS. He will not be the normal freshman next year with his experience from this year. I think Fabian White picks up his role next year as well.
I would like for us to add a grad transfer point guard if possible for depth.
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as far as next year, if we are “better” really depends on what happens vs kentucky…if we lose we could definitely be better
if we win and make to an ELITE 8, while having a a 34-4 record …even if next years team is “better” history will remember this year as better…as the conference gets drastically harder next year, and pilling up wins wont be as easy…and we might not a good tourney “match-up”
but yes, as far as quality of team next year could be a “better quality team”… adding a jump shot to dejon and improving his and nate defense makes up alot of what is lost
to speak on some other things in this thread: hinton is 6’6 with the body of a college senior, his shoot is good enough, he needs to add a half-court driving game, he has the body to draw fouls (like cumberland at UC) would be waste to just make him a spot shooter…also
i could make a long highlight reel of him constantly getting blocked, he needs to learn to go up stronger
and for galen, he has 1 special skill that i think we wont have next year …he can break a full court press like no other, a very handy skill to have, that we wont have next year (duke pushed a lead on ucf when it began to press)…but not many teams we play press like that…so i dont think its season changing
as far his defense, his replacement is 6’5, his defense doesnt need to be as good as galen, he just needs to improve some in the offseason and, his height will make up the difference
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We will just be different team next season, just as the dynamics of this season were not the same as last year’s team.
That said, no doubt we will miss Corey and Galen
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CKS really said repeatedly last year that the 2018-2019 team would be better? I guess I either missed or don’t remember that.
I mainly meant that I think this year’s team is better than last year’s, but it’s not by that much.
sampson was hyping this season, even before last season ended…
watch any of the sdsu pre-game interviews, he kept diverting any of the questions about a potential run , and kept saying that it was okay to lose and we were bringing back a hell of team next year regardless of what happens in the tourney …almost every interview he did this
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Yep. He’s maintained for the past few seasons that the next team would be better. He made statements along those lines at basically every one of his radio shows from Year 1
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I’m with pesik we upgraded height at guard this year with Armoni replacing Rob and next year we will upgrade at guard height even more. That’s huge. I also thought we would be deeper this year than last. Remember at the beginning of last year WVB started and Corey was a PG going head to head with Galen for minutes. That seems preposterous knowing what we know now. WVB would be getting sunshine minutes on this squad. This year’s team didn’t have near the growing pains. 4 of 5 starters were locked in no doubt. The only concern was losing Alpha Rob, but I’ll take depth and height over that and had confidence Corey could fill in at alpha when needed.
Coming into this season:
Sweet 16? Yes. 30+ wins, top 10 ranking? No. Didn’t see that coming.
Next year primary concern:
Leadership. Galen and Corey are coaching material.
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I thought we would be better. Next year could be as good, or slightly better.
I figured we could be better because I figured guys like Armoni, Davis and White would step up. I had no idea that Jarreau and Gresham would be this good.
Not sure about next year because we lose one of the defensive back courts we have had here in Davis and Robinson.
Can’t say enough about Robinson. He is the leader on this team, a coach on the floor. He will be a huge loss due to his hustle and basketball IQ.
Fabian is breaking out of his shell just in time this year and it will be interesting to see how he does against a talent rich Kentucky team, a blue blood school I am sure him and all the rest of our kids have read about for years.
Gorham will be the mystery man next year as will Mills…and if coach thinks as highly as he does about them, then I am on board with them being good.
Hinton has all the tools and will be a great player here. I love his athleticism, his ability to take good shots and his unselfishness. He is not a great outside shooter right now, but don’t blink because he will be getting there.
For once in many years I am excited about this program…it has unlimited potential. And as long as coach Sampson is our man, we will be in good hands.
I think many of you are expecting for us to start recruiting five star players like the blue bloods, but I think I can safely say you can forget that.
Sampson will go after kids who fit his system regardless of stars and regardless where they come from.
Since Guy V. retired we have had two coaches, Foster and now Sampson…and that covers lots of years.
Just hoping coach Sampson is paid well and continues to run the Cougar family…I think him and UH were meant to be. Just wish coach Lewis was around to see the program finally bouncing back…
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