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Post by grayman on Mar 18, 2023 18:51:52 GMT -8
I keep using the term true point guard but I think we're getting a little too stuck on semantics here. It's really about filling roles. What I mean by a true point guard is a player who has strong ballhandling skills combined with enough quickness to handle pretty tough defensive pressure and the ability to take the ball to the hoop. And then good passing ability along with a solid understanding of the offense. And a good outside shooter to boot. If that player is a combo guard in that she can move to the 2 at times if there's someone else who can take on the point guard role, then great. I would be interested in seeing what Marotte can do at the point. If she can play it at a high enough level that would definitely make her a combo guard. On the other hand, I don't think she's a good fit for the 4 at all. She lacks height for the spot and she's pretty slender. Not sure if she can thrive in physical play. A true point guard to me is a pass first player...old school. Someone who gets the ball to the players in the right position for their best chance of success. I'm not particularly thinking we need a player like that,or can have good success without have one. I want two guards who don't have defined roles,but can have a bit of point and off guard in their skill set. That being said,guards win you games. As Ralph Miller used to say...guards set your offense and your defense. They are your first line of defense. I would much rather have great guards than interior players personally. Yeah, that would be two combo guards. I'm not sure I totally agree that your idea of a true point guard is old school (or that it's necessarily a pass first player. Lots of great PGs throughout history have been great scorers as well as distributors)...and you still see quite a few playing right now in the tournament. Either way, I think Rueck looks for players who are primarily point guards as well as players who are primarily 2 guards. But he clearly doesn't lock a player into one slot.
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Post by sewingbeaver on Apr 7, 2023 20:04:24 GMT -8
April 7th update to roster: Guards/wingsTalia Adlee Martha Lily Donovyn Kennedie
Wings/4'sShalexxus AJ Timea
Post/Center Raegan
Major need in the 4/5 positions. Some targets in portal but lots of competition too.
Any thoughts on new coach targets?
Oh and another question - what selling points does Scott use to actually land a player from portal? won-loss record isn't going to cut it...
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Post by beaverwbb fan on Apr 7, 2023 20:18:17 GMT -8
We're currently at 10 on the roster for 2023-24. Possibly adding a late frosh and two transfers would put us at 13 which would be a good number. Aside from Mack and Slocum Rueck's track record on incoming transfers has been pretty meh.
We could probably use some experienced players. A post is clearly the biggest need, followed by a quick, experienced PG IMO.
I think OSU and UW are the only two PAC-12 teams without a transfer out, which is pretty good to see.
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Post by believeinthebeavs on Apr 7, 2023 21:06:15 GMT -8
I can see times when there will be 4 guards/wings and a post on the court. Especially with the current roster. Timea may end up at the 5 part of the time.
Hopefully Rueck will land a big or two.
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Post by rgeorge on Apr 7, 2023 21:11:22 GMT -8
We're currently at 10 on the roster for 2023-24. Possibly adding a late frosh and two transfers would put us at 13 which would be a good number. Aside from Mack and Slocum Rueck's track record on incoming transfers has been pretty meh. We could probably use some experienced players. A post is clearly the biggest need, followed by a quick, experienced PG IMO. I think OSU and UW are the only two PAC-12 teams without a transfer out, which is pretty good to see. I think this team needs at least (2) big "types". I see Timea as a swing post/wing. She's not a true wing in handle or defending an athletic wing. But, she and Beers are interchangeable in a high/low game. Reagan more power moves, Timea more post moves/better footwork and can extend to 3 pt range. That said, I see the need for a sub for each with no Jelena. No one else on the roster is a threat with their back to the basket or with post moves. SR simply can't go into next season with Reagan and Timea as the only inside threats. There really needs to be a 4 player rotation inside, even if the 4th is just limited minutes. If you can land a versatile player, 6'2"+ like Timea OSU could get by with just three??
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Post by rmancarl on Apr 9, 2023 20:54:01 GMT -8
The past two seasons, the Beavs have been really short on players with the ability to put the ball in the basket (scorers). With starters like Kennedy, Greta, Tea, and Emily two seasons ago, it was up to Talia to carry the team offensively which also meant other teams were going to concentrate on Talia defensively. It just didn't make for a winning combination. The past season started much the same, but as the season went along players emerged. Raegan, Tamia, and Adlee joined Talia in showing ability to score. AJ, Jelena, and Shalexxus showed flashes, and Lily and Martha had moments which gave hope for the future.
At best the Beavs go into 2023/2024 with a Post player who is all Pac12, a PW with all Pac12 capabilities, a wing (Adlee) who can shoot with the best, and a two guard who returns to an all Pac12 level. That would leave the only question in the starting lineup to be whether sophomore Marta, or one of two incoming freshmen could fill the starting PG spot, or would Talia return to point guard and would Shalexxus, Lily, or AJ start at the wing sending Adlee to the two?
The Beavs could survive like this, and likely be much better than last season. The incoming freshmen could be better than anticipated, the front court could stay healthy, and the bench could be strong and provide scoring punch. They would need to play small at times, but 3pt shooting, and the length of Shalexxus, Lily, and AJ could get them through those minutes.
All of this is best case scenario. What happens if Talia isn't healthy or doesn't return to form? What if neither Martha, Kennadie, or Donovyn aren't ready to start at PG. What if Raegan or Timea are injured for any extended time? What if Adlee can't continue her late season play, or AJ or Lily don't show continued development?
In the old days, SR would only want 12ish players around so everyone can play, but if anything, the last few years have showed us that injuries can kill your momentum. In the current age of basketball, the successful programs are getting as much player talent as they can, and lesson the pain of injuries and transfers.
If I'm the Beaver coaches, and I'm definitely not, I go after 2 front court players, and one point or combo guard in the portal and hope to land at least 2 of those 3. If that leads to a player transferring out, so be it. You have to do everything you can to field a competitive team. You can't sit back and let things (injuries, transfers, etc) happen to your program. You have to make things happen. For the Beavs, who probably have some disadvantages in the area of NIL, you have to fight twice as hard. I suspect this is a major reason coach Huth is no longer with the Beavs. She was the recruiting coordinator, but we see more and more 2024 recruits committing to other schools and no solid rumors of top recruits showing interest in the Beavs.
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Post by beaveragain on Apr 9, 2023 22:07:06 GMT -8
The past two seasons, the Beavs have been really short on players with the ability to put the ball in the basket (scorers). With starters like Kennedy, Greta, Tea, and Emily two seasons ago, it was up to Talia to carry the team offensively which also meant other teams were going to concentrate on Talia defensively. It just didn't make for a winning combination. The past season started much the same, but as the season went along players emerged. Raegan, Tamia, and Adlee joined Talia in showing ability to score. AJ, Jelena, and Shalexxus showed flashes, and Lily and Martha had moments which gave hope for the future. At best the Beavs go into 2023/2024 with a Post player who is all Pac12, a PW with all Pac12 capabilities, a wing (Adlee) who can shoot with the best, and a two guard who returns to an all Pac12 level. That would leave the only question in the starting lineup to be whether sophomore Marta, or one of two incoming freshmen could fill the starting PG spot, or would Talia return to point guard and would Shalexxus, Lily, or AJ start at the wing sending Adlee to the two? The Beavs could survive like this, and likely be much better than last season. The incoming freshmen could be better than anticipated, the front court could stay healthy, and the bench could be strong and provide scoring punch. They would need to play small at times, but 3pt shooting, and the length of Shalexxus, Lily, and AJ could get them through those minutes. All of this is best case scenario. What happens if Talia isn't healthy or doesn't return to form? What if neither Martha, Kennadie, or Donovyn aren't ready to start at PG. What if Raegan or Timea are injured for any extended time? What if Adlee can't continue her late season play, or AJ or Lily don't show continued development? In the old days, SR would only want 12ish players around so everyone can play, but if anything, the last few years have showed us that injuries can kill your momentum. In the current age of basketball, the successful programs are getting as much player talent as they can, and lesson the pain of injuries and transfers. If I'm the Beaver coaches, and I'm definitely not, I go after 2 front court players, and one point or combo guard in the portal and hope to land at least 2 of those 3. If that leads to a player transferring out, so be it. You have to do everything you can to field a competitive team. You can't sit back and let things (injuries, transfers, etc) happen to your program. You have to make things happen. For the Beavs, who probably have some disadvantages in the area of NIL, you have to fight twice as hard. I suspect this is a major reason coach Huth is no longer with the Beavs. She was the recruiting coordinator, but we see more and more 2024 recruits committing to other schools and no solid rumors of top recruits showing interest in the Beavs. Glad you wrote this so I don't have to. 😉 It's a very thin team, but if they stay healthy and someone is able to play the PG decently I would be surprised if they didn't end up a ranked team.
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Post by rmancarl on Apr 17, 2023 20:42:14 GMT -8
With recent additions of Sela and Dom the Beaver count for this fall is at 12. If SR holds to form, I wouldn't expect more than 13 this fall. Going for a full 15 is possible, but just hasn't been something SR normally does. I think Dom is a great addition to the freshman class, really giving it a boost in overall strength. With all 5 of the 2022 class returning, adding 3 freshman makes for a very nice young group of underclassmen.
Going by what SR has done in the past I hope for at least one more addition, likely a transfer who can play the 4 and/or 5. I know many were hoping for a PG, but I have a feeling that with the development of Beers, Gardiner, and Blacklock, SR will be fine with a PG who can handle and distribute the ball, and that Martha or one of the two freshman will be the answer. With this offense, the PG position shouldn't feel pressure to provide a lot of scoring. On the other hand, even with the addition of Sela, the Beavs may be forced to play small more than they want, unless they land another 4/5 player. Personally, I'd like to see the Beavs add an experienced guard and an experienced forward, but I doubt SR adds more than one more player, if he even adds one more. There are still some very good players in the portal, but nearly 200 players have already found a new team.
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Post by believeinthebeavs on Apr 17, 2023 22:46:38 GMT -8
I think he would add a big if he has the chance. They would have to be special to add another guard/wing.
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Post by rmancarl on Apr 18, 2023 7:54:48 GMT -8
I think he would add a big if he has the chance. They would have to be special to add another guard/wing. Perfectly said. My sentiment exactly. Now let's see if there are any more moves.
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Post by sewingbeaver on May 13, 2023 6:05:46 GMT -8
May 13th update to roster: total 12 Guards/wings/4'sTalia Adlee Martha Lily Donovyn* Kennedie* Dominika* AJ Timea Susana** Post/CenterRaegan Sela** *freshman **transfer New Asst Coach - Aleah
Only transfer out: Lex
Really could use some more height and players in the 4/5 spots.
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beav74
Freshman
Posts: 703
Grad Year: OSU 1974
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Post by beav74 on May 14, 2023 19:16:52 GMT -8
Possible new addition soon…
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Post by rmancarl on May 14, 2023 19:28:23 GMT -8
Hoping for someone who is ready to contribute.
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beav74
Freshman
Posts: 703
Grad Year: OSU 1974
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Post by beav74 on May 14, 2023 19:30:45 GMT -8
That is the case!
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Post by 411500 on May 15, 2023 7:42:06 GMT -8
Who else but beav74 can generate this much interest with a 4-word post? GO BEAVS!!
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