Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Coach Mark Wudel on Jay Nagle

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Thanks Coach Wudel, for taking this interview. Let's talk about Jay's background.  His father was a basketball coach.  Did that help in his growth as a basketball player in high school?.  Was he easier to coach in high school?

Mark Wudel ("MW")Jay is a coach’s son.  He has been around coaches all of his life.  He sees things as a coach does and plays on the court like a coach would.  His dad coached him in AAU and Jay was able to work out with his dad’s community college team during his youth.  So, he has always been exposed to high quality basketball.  He was very easy to coach in high school because he never had the attitude that he knew it all.  He was always willing to learn and work hard.
 

GH:  Did he play other sports?
 
MW:   Jay didn’t play any other sports in high school.
 

GH:  When did you know he would be special in basketball?
 
MW:   You could see that Jay was going to be special in grade school.  He saw things on the court that the other kids did not see at that age.  But it wasn’t until high school when he started to grow 2 inches a year, that you knew he would be special and play in college at the Division 1 level.
 

GH:  Can you give us some color on his high school playing days?  How was he as an AAU player?
 
MW:   Jay was always known as a shooter in high school and in AAU.  It was his Sophomore thru his senior years that he really concentrated on his defense.  He became more of a complete player.
 

GH:  What was his recruitment process like?  Why did he choose UCSB over other schools?  Who else offered him?
 
MW:   Jay was recruited by several schools, Santa Clara, University of San Francisco, Sacramento State, Harvard for example.  As soon as he talked and visited UCSB, he had his choice pretty much made.  He really liked the school and the coaches.  It was also close to home so his parents could come watch him play.
 

GH:  What position did he play in high school?   What position is he best suited at the Div. 1 level?
 
MW:   In high school, Jay played a little bit at the point guard position and the wing position.  His best position in college will probably be at the wing, but if he keeps growing and putting on weight, he might be able to play at the stretch four position.
 

GH:  Coach Pasternack said Jay has one of the purest shooting strokes he's coached.  Was this something that came natural to him?  Or was it just pure work ethic?  What special traits give him such a shooter's touch?

MW:  Jay has always been a good shooter, but he wasn’t satisfied with that.  Our team did a lot of 6 a.m. shooting work outs in the summer where we would do shooting drills for an hour and a half each day.  He put a lot of time in his shot.  He has a quick release that enables him to get his shot off when someone is guarding him.
 

GH:  What are his other strengths?
 
MW:  Jay’s other strengths are that he is a good passer, sees the court well and is unselfish.


GH:  What is he working on to improve his game?
 
MW:  Jay has been working on his strength, conditioning and defense.
 

GH:  Tell us one thing about Jay that most people don't know about him?
 
MW:  Jay is a picky eater.  He doesn’t like to try foods that he hasn’t had before.
 
 
GH:  Anything else you want to add about Jay?
 
MW:   Jay played on an AAU team that was mostly comprised of friends that lived in his neighborhood.  They were a very unselfish team, mostly because they were all friends.  Off that team, 2 other friends received scholarships that were on the same high school team.  Carson Strong received a scholarship in football at University of Nevada, Reno and Michael Wudel received a scholarship in basketball at Lewis & Clark College in Portland.  Another player, Zach Perlstein, who lived near everyone but went to a different high school received a scholarship in basketball to Cal State East Bay.  He has always played on  close knit teams.
 

GH:  Thanks Coach!

Coach Jake Jackson on Jaquori McLaughlin


Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Let's talk about Jaquori's background.  You both started at Peninsula at the same time. What was he like when a freshman, both as a player and a kid?  And how was his transformation by the time he graduated?

Jake Jackson ("JJ")When I first met JaQuori in April of 2012, we knew right away he was going to be a special young man on and off of the court. Many influencers in the Seattle-Tacoma community informed our coaching staff we had a special kid on our hands. He was 5’11” and 130 pounds at the time but I could see right through that little physique. His IQ, court awareness, shooting mechanics, ball-handling, rebounding outside of his area and defensive grit provided the most insight to me that he was going to be one of the best to come out of the state of WA. JRoc had high expectations going into his freshman season and we made it clear to all students that their role was going to be earned, not given. No matter how old you are or what your role was last season. Earned by how each student practices. We made it very clear you practice like you play, everything you do matters. We have a system called the The Gold Standard (I learned this from working under Sean Miller as his head manager during the 2009-10 season at Arizona. Coach Joe Pasternak also uses this at UCSB). The Gold Standard point system was established to eliminate subjectivity.  The system relies on precise data to back-up decisions and defining roles.  We have a performance driven culture and this system holds students accountable to their achievements on the court.  We keep track of the Golden Standard points in every live practice drill for each Varsity student. We keep track of Gold Standard Points in games as well. Each student has a PER (practice efficiency rating) and GER (game efficiency rating). If you review his progression below, he became better and better in all areas of his game. Whether it was in practice, games, team wins or accolades, each season was better than the last. He never plateaued!


FRESHMAN SEASON: In JRoc’s first season, 2012-13, he dominated practice more than anyone. He was #1 in GS points at 398 (+10 practice efficiency rating). Being #1 was great, but we knew he had a long way to go. He finished 2nd overall in GS game points at 172 where he shot 44% from 2’s and 33% from 3’s as a freshman. He finished SPSL 3A 1st Team All-League honors. He won the Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors voted by his teammates. However, we only won 4 games as a team and no playoffs. This was our first season at Peninsula and the 4 wins was actually more than the previous three seasons. However, we expected much more.

SOPHOMORE SEASON: Season 2, as a sophomore, he became our captain and leader in all areas. His body was finally growing where he sprouted into a 6’2” frame and 150 pounds. He was stronger and his body could handle the physicality. His practice performance was on a whole different level, dominating every drill where he finished with, 1,204 GS points (+30 practice efficiency rating). This carried over to his game performance where he averaged 18 PPG and +31 game efficiency rating. His shooting % went up, where he shot 45% from 2’s and 34% from 3’s. He acquired 21 Golden P’s throughout the season, voted SPSL 3A 1st Team All-League honors, team captain, Offensive Player of the Year and he won the Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors voted by his teammates. The team won 15 games, advanced to Districts and had the most wins since the 2006-2007 season. Peninsula was finally on the map as an up and coming program thanks to JRoc.

JUNIOR SEASON: Season 3, as a junior, he was waking up at 5 AM before school each day to make 300+ shots. After school, he would do his HW, then do agility and weight room workout, then make another 300+ shots at night before going to bed. He would repeat this. He was now 6’3” and 160 pounds. His practice performance was impressive. He accumulated 1,942 GS points (+48.6 per practice efficiency rating), +34 game efficiency rating. He averaged 23 PPG and 46% from the field. He acquired 22 Golden P’s throughout the season, voted SPSL 3A Most Valuable Player of the Year honors, team captain, Offensive Player of the Year and he won the Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors voted by his teammates. The team won 18 games, advanced to Districts and had the 2nd most winningest season in school history.

SENIOR SEASON: Season 4, he invested more time than anyone I have ever seen. His body was now 6’4” and 170 pounds. We started off the season 14-0! We finished 21-4 where we made it all of the way to the District Tournament Semifinals earning us a State bid. We lost in the State Sweet 16 game. However, 21 wins was the most in school history. JRoc was named the WIBCA Mr. Basketball for the state of Washington which was the most prestigious award you can win for basketball in our state. He accumulated 1,961 practice points (+56 practice efficiency), +42.44 game efficiency rating, 18 PPG and 8 APG. What allowed us to be successful was how he facilitated our offense getting his teammates involved more. We had another D1 player in Garrett Kingman, along with two D2 players and one D3 player. We were loaded and JRoc no longer had to shoot 15+ shots per game. He was voted SPSL 3A 1st Team All-League honors, team captain, Offensive Player of the Year and he won the Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors voted by his teammates.




GH:  When did you know he would be special in basketball?

JJ:  During our first open gym back in April 2012.


GH:  Can you give us some color on his high school playing days?  Also, how was he as an AAU player?

JJ:   I gave the progression above which sheds light on individual and team success through all four seasons.


JRoc played for Team Access out of Tacoma. However, he played in very little AAU tournaments. He was more about skill development in the off-season. He was invited to many national camps like the Under Armour All-America Camp, etc. We would play 30+ games as a high school team in the summer, where he did not play on the AAU circuit until the summer going into his senior season.


GH:  What was his recruitment process like?  Why did he choose Oregon State over other schools?  Who else offered him?

JJJRoc traveled down to Oregon State and attended their youth basketball camp each summer. Craig Robinson met JRoc there and they established a close bond. JRoc would dominate his youth camp and Coach Robinson followed him to high school with his recruitment. Oregon State was his dream school because of attending the youth camp, rapport with the coaching staff and past players like Gary Payton. After Craig Robinson was let go, JRoc re-opened his recruitment. We had every major coach on the west coast in our gym when that happened. Washington, Gonzaga, Arizona, Cal, Utah, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, Boise State, Memphis etc. He had offers from Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Utah, Colorado, Memphis, Boise State, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Wisconsin…When the head coach comes, you know that college program values you. Mark Few from Gonzaga showed up to our Peninsula gym one afternoon. That sparked many more. Greg Gard from Wisconsin. Dana Altman from Oregon, Ernie Kent from Washington State, Wayne Tinkle (OSU), Cuonzo Martin (Cal at the Time)…but no one more than Lorenzo Romar at Washington. Coach Romar gave the most effort and genuine interest for JRoc. That is when he committed to UW in November of 2014. He wanted the circus of his recruitment to be over so he could focus on his development and HS seasons. However, JRoc then de-committed from UW in May of 2015 looking for a different fit. He decided to go back to Oregon State, which was his gut choice. He re-committed to Oregon State in September 2015 before his HS senior season started.


GH:  Why did he choose UCSB after transferring out of OSU?

JJHe started every game at Oregon State as a freshman. He played 34 out of 40 minutes available per game as a freshman. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds as a freshman in the PAC 12 conference! He shot 38% from 3-pt. range and his 58 made 3-pt. shots became the most for any freshman in Oregon State history! However, he did not feel it was the best fit for him. We respect the Oregon State coaching staff. In life, sometimes you do not know if the fit is going to be good until you experience it firsthand. His GPA was right around a 2.7 cumulative which is not the reason why he left. There were rumors that he did not have the grades to continue at OSU and that is not true at all. JRoc graduated HS with honors where he had 3.5+ cumulative GPA. He is intelligent and can dominate the classroom. He wanted to find a program that would elevate his performance in the classroom, in practices, in games along with winning.


One of the first coaches to ever recruit JRoc back in 2012 was John Rillie, who was an assistant coach at the time for Boise State. JRoc and his family developed a special bond with Coach Rillie. Fast forward to December 2017 when JRoc asked for his release from Oregon State, Oregon State wanted a list from JRoc of schools he planned to speak with about transferring to. One of those schools was UCSB. John Rillie was now an assistant at UCSB and then there was the Arizona effect. I spent five seasons as a team manager at the University of Arizona under four different head coaches. One of them was Sean Miller back in 2009-10 (Archie Miller was the associate head coach at the time. Joe Pasternak arrived to Arizona after I left. I only knew Joe through Sean Miller). One of the team managers with me at the time was Ben Tucker. Coach Tucker and I had a close relationship. Joe hired Ben Tucker on staff as an assistant coach at UCSB. Then you have the brilliant mind of Joe Pasternak who is an unbelievable head coach who is similar to my energy and expectations regarding coaching style. Coach Tucker informed me that Coach Pasternak is running the same practice drills, offensive system, defensive system, terminology, player development program and Gold Standard system that JRoc excelled in while at Peninsula. That was more than appealing to JRoc. Coach Pasternak and his entire staff flew into the Gig Harbor Airport one night and their actions spoke so loud, JRoc did not care what other programs had to offer. JRoc felt the most comfortable with the UCSB staff. He had the prior relationship with Coach Rillie. He had trust in me knowing that Coach Pasternak was an Arizona guy running the same system he excelled in at Peninsula. It was the best overall fit and JRoc believes they will provide the tools for him to become the best he is capable of becoming.


GH:  What position did he play in high school?   What position is he best suited at the Div. 1 level?

JJJRoc is a true POINT GUARD when you look at old school basketball. However, with new school basketball, it has become position less at times. JRoc can play off of the ball as a shooting guard or facilitate the offense as the point guard. It would be hard to imagine someone better than JRoc regarding his IQ, awareness and vision. Coach Pasternak will put him in position to be successful and cater to his strengths. One area that JRoc proved at Oregon State is how well he can shoot the 3-point shot. He broke Oregon State’s [freshman] record for the # of 3’s made in a season!


GH:  UCSB is stacking their lineup with good shooters.  Jaquori set a freshman record for made 3 pointers.  What makes Jaquori such a good shooter? Was this something that came natural to him?  Or was it just pure work ethic?

JJ:   I would say it is part genetics and other part is work ethic. How many HS kids were getting 600+ makes per day consistently during season and out of season? JRoc invested more quality time at game speed than any player I have ever coached. His game shooting % and 3-point shot is directly correlated to his drive of becoming the best player he is capable of becoming. His shooting mechanics are pure where he has a solid base, strong leg drive and pure form.


GH:  What are his other strengths?

JJ 
·         His basketball IQ is unrivaled. When Coach Pasternak makes in-game adjustments, JRoc will be able to execute with little explanation. In-game reads coming off screens or knowing what the opponent is trying to execute.

·         His court awareness and vision. He sees the floor better than anyone I have seen and will rack up assists if guys run the floor!
·         When he plays angry, no one can guard the ball better than JRoc. I feel he could have been challenged more at Oregon State in this area. They ran a lot of zone which is why the switch was not flipped in JRoc’s head. However, excuses aside, he is fully capable of dominating within man defense.
·         Ball-handling.
·         Obtaining deflections on defense due to his length. Active hands!
·         Hustling after rebounds outside of his area on both ends.


GH:  What is he working on to improve his game?

JJBeing an every possession player. Being more vocal. He leads by example and through his actions. However, he will need to command more with his voice. Investing more time watching film, scouting opponent and how they play certain offensive actions and staying a gym rat.


GH:  How is Jaquori as a teammate, a player, and a leader?

JJHe is a phenomenal teammate that brings out the best in each of his teammates. He demands excellence. As a player, he will run through a wall for his team and coaches. He will lead through his actions. He is a servant leader where he is happiest when his teammates are performing and the team is doing well.


GH:  Tell us one thing about Jaquori that most people don't know about?

JJ:  We call him “JRoc” which is pronounced “Jay-Rock.” His nickname throughout HS was “Quattro” where he is a threat from four areas: at the rim, midrange, FT’s and 3-point. One of the most family oriented kids you will ever meet. Blesses his food before he eats it. More than polite and well mannered. Shared one bedroom with his three other brothers. All four brothers slept in the same room growing up.

GH:  Thanks for the great interview Coach!

Saturday, October 13, 2018

UCSB Guard Jaquori McLaughlin, Former Peninsula Hoopster

Devearl Ramsey on KCSB

https://soundcloud.com/kcsbfm/mbb-devearl-ramsey-on-his-improvement-during-redshirt-year-playing-under-pasternack-10418

Armond Davis on KCSB

https://soundcloud.com/kcsbfm/mbb-armond-davis-on-his-path-to-ucsb-gauchos-all-in-mentality-101118

Interview with Earl Ramsey, Devearl Ramsey's Older Brother

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Thanks Earl for taking this interview.  Let's talk about Devearl's childhood.  Where did you all grow up and what's your relationship with Devearl?  When did he get a basketball in his hands?
 
Earl Ramsey ("ER"):   We grew up in south central LA on Gage Avenue. That's my little brother [Devearl].  I helped raise him and my youngest brother Jerearl from birth.  Everything I did he had to do.  I played ball so it was automatic for him.  I started playing at 5 yrs old.  He literally started at 2 or 3.


GH:  Did he play other sports?
 
ER:  [Devearl] didn't play other sports, but whenever he'd play football, he'd dominate because of how athletic he is and how big his hands are.
 
 
GH:  When did you know he would be special in basketball?
 
ER:  I knew Devearl was special when he was 4 or 5.  He would want to play with us (my friends were all 6+ years older than him).  And when we didn't let him, he would cry or tell on us.   lol  
We started letting him play but we would intentionally play him really rough.   lol   [We would] make him fall, even cry...but he'd get up and finish every single time.  And he'd always WOW us with some shot he'd make, crazy stuff like fall out of bounds fade aways.  So when he was about to play at the YMCA at 4, he was so advanced we had to keep playing him 2 divisions above his age group.


GH:  Did you coach him, to what extent, and who were his other big influencers?
 
ER:  I've always taught Devearl what I learned.  I'd learn a move from watching basketball, go in the backyard and practice it until I got it.  Then he'd come and I'd make him do it until he got it (he was 6 years younger than me).  lol  When I was in high school, my dad got sick and I had to do alot more around the house so I didn't play for my school, but I made sure Devearl continued.  I focused on him maximizing his ability.  And it paid off.  He ended up going from the YMCA, to his first AAU team Hoop Masters, then a national travel team Cali Style, and eventually California Supreme EYBL and the USA basketball team U16 and U17.


GH:  Can you talk us thru his high school and AAU playing days?
 
ER:  For high school, we took a leap a faith.  I convinced my dad to let him go to Sierra Canyon High School.  Even though it was an hour away, it was a much better option academically, and it was a much better environment than where I went to school.  Crenshaw High School was fun, but I didn't focus like I should've.  I didn't want Devearl to do what I did and waste his opportunity.  It ended up being the best thing we could've done.  The people we've met, and the opportunity he's gotten being at Sierra Canyon, playing a national schedule against the very best teams in the country...we couldn't ask for more.  It sharpened his game and proved to us he was really one of the best players in the country.  Academically, Sierra Canyon prepared him for any college of his choice. Best of the best.
 
 
GH:  What about his international play?  How did that impact his growth as a player and as a person?
 
ER:   He was one of the last picked to be invited to USA basketball.  They were actually coming to see his teammate.  Devearl was still under the radar nationally; locally everyone knew [of him].  So when he went to the try out/camp he had a huge chip on his shoulder.  He was one of the very few not ranked, etc.  Devearl killed it at USA camp.  I went and the talent in there was second to none.  Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox, Harry Giles, just to name a few.  He stood out because he picked up [defensively] 94 feet, he was one of the most vocal players there, which his coaches told him to be. He was a leader, his teams won alot.  He played with extreme confidence, and he DUNKED on Horace Spencer (7 footer) right in from of me, with everyone watching off of a steal at half court.  [That was the] craziest moment I can remember actually in his basketball career.  Cuts were the next morning.  If you didn't make the team, you had your plane ticket waiting for you.  He texted me "happy birthday.. I made the team".  That was the best text ever.  Him actually playing in Uruguay and Dubai was awesome but making that team was the real accomplishment, if you ask me.  Devearl wore his entire uniform and sweatsuit from the moment they won gold until the summer was over.  lol  I took a sweater and a shirt immediately after picking him up from LAX.


GH:  What was his recruitment process like?  Why did he choose Nevada over other schools?  Who else offered him?  
 
ER:   Devearl had over 13 offers and alot of interest.  [He had] offers from USC as an 8th grader, shortly [there]after Washington, Cal, Colorado and most of the PAC12, Memphis, Pitt, Michigan, interest from Louisville, UConn, etc.  Nevada was a late one going into his senior year ..our dad passed away on Father's Day 2015.  He wanted Devearl yo go to USC all along.  Once we made that decision, that scholarship was already given to another player.  Then we made the decision to go to who wanted him the most.  Nevada--no one recruited him harder, and their assistant at the time was Jay Morris, from LA.  We felt comfortable with that decision.


GH:  Why did he choose to leave Nevada? What made him choose UCSB?
 
ER:   Musselman told us he'd turn that program around--which he did, and they'd play Devearl's style.  Things changed, and he moved on.  UCSB happened because Pasternak recruited Devearl as an 8th grader when he was at Arizona.  He knew us.  Once he found out we got a release, he called immediately and told us how he'd change UCSB around and he'd need players like Devearl to do it.  I trust him he knows Devearl's game.  He's going to let Devearl be Devearl.


GH:  How did he take his redshirt year?
 
ER:   Devearl's job was to become really comfortable with his shot and to study the game for the first time ever from the sideline.  I think he's much better because of it.
 

GH:  Where do you believe he will contribute at the point guard position?  What does he bring in terms of leadership?
 
ER:   Devearl is a natural leader.  People want to play with him.  He's especially someone who can get his own shot and fill up the scoreboard in a hurry.

 
GH:  What are his strengths?
 
ER:   His strengths are scoring and on ball defense. [And] speed.


GH:  What is he working on to improve his game?
 
ER:   [He's] constantly working on shooting off the catch from deep.
 

GH:  Tell us one thing about Devearl that most people don't know about him?
 
ER:  One thing not everyone knows is Devearl eats his tacos with just meat and cheese.  lol  Haha... sometimes ketchup.
 

GH:  Anything else you want to add, Earl?
 
ER:   Every teammate he's had loves him.  [He's the] funniest kid to be around .. and he's going to go to war with his guys.


GH:  Thanks Earl!
 
 
Editor's note:  Earl Ramsey is a basketball trainer who runs Gage Training.



Christian Terrell in Dunk Contest

Thursday, October 4, 2018

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/gauchohoops/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogQ-nIF1ex ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogYq5ilHmN ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogY5isl_Fw ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogZHqqF9HN ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogZRnyF4Fu ... auchohoops

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice Video, 10-1-18

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice, 10-1-18

I took contemporaneous notes, recorded basic drills before turning off the recorder, and got a short interview with Coach Pasternack.

Ramsey’s jumper is solid.

Idehen’s as quick as most 3’s and his wingspan is huge.  He’s more than capable and assertive on offense.  At this point, he will get the most minutes in the post, as long as he minimizes his mistakes guarding the high ball screen.  He's really fast in flashing, and hustling back to guard his man.  He just needs to learn to better read the screener and ball handler.

Gauchos have many different variations on the fast break offense, more than say, Coach Williams' teams.  They certainly practice transition offense more.

Even 5’s have to sprint on breaks.  There are plays where the 5's will get the ball if they beat their defender downcourt.

With Heidegger and McLaughlin out, Ramsey ran the point most.

Lakoju was limited to drills, but they did include fullcourt drills.  Heidegger was under the weather, and McLaughlin held out of full practice for cautionary reasons.  All 3 will be at full strength for the season.

Davis and Terrell played point on some drills.  That would be a tall lineup.

They practiced against 2-3 zone defense, even if they don't play one.

Toure can shoot the 3, with good results and good form.

Coach really emphasized reversing the ball

Freshmen look good and seasoned, as did Idehen.  A person from Mars wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the three freshmen, Idehen, and the rest of the players.  There is no drop off in talent at all between the older players and the underclassmen (which could be even truer if you include McLaughlin and Ramsey as underclassmen).

We could easily go 10 deep, with Blackmon, Moore, and Kupchak on the outside looking in.  Toure and Nagle are just too good to redshirt, so they probably won't?  It's up in the air and a lot can happen til November.  Blackmon can rebound on offense, Moore can shoot in the perimeter, and would be in the rotation and even start on many Div. 1 teams.  That indicates our depth, and doesn't even take into account we have potential all-BW players.  With little drop off from 1 through 10, will a few emerge as go-to players?  Heidegger is an obvious candidate because he's already established as a mid-major all-American, but it's a tossup on who else will step up.

Nagle and Toure are composed freshmen, and can play both offense and defense.  Nagle's strength is obviously his perimeter shot, but he was more athletic than I thought.  Toure is a lock down defender, but his perimeter shot is WAY better than I thought it would be, both in form and in results.

Cyrus can score, especially driving to the rim and has an effective mid-range game.  On the scout team sometimes, he is a terror vs. the rotation players.

Idehen is the tallest but also fastest player when running lines.  He has to clean up some mental mistakes guarding the high ball screen, but he is well rounded in other aspects of the game.  I saw him knock down 8 three point shots in a row, 9 out of 10 at the top of the key.  He actually is a better shooter from 22 feet than 10 feet, even if the offense won't allow him to shoot the 3.  He is an obvious future pro player, maybe even NBA level.  As I speculated, the doubters from other BW teams will be disappointed if they think he is merely a juco bust.

Sow is athletic, but he was gassed.

Transition defense picks up at half court

One lineup was 6’5” and over.  That is a tall lineup, but probably won't happen much since, Heidegger and McLaughlin were on the sidelines

Terrell's shot is more stable.  It was getting better as last season progressed, and he's on the same improvement trajectory.

Bigs flash to the high post a lot from the opposite low post, with some high-low action.

Defending high ball screens is an emphasis

Blue vs gold scrimmage was very competitive.  No one gets anything free.

We have a lot of potential

“Potential doesn’t mean anything.  We were picked to finish 6th in the big west.  Nobody outside this gym respects us.  We lost four double digit scoring seniors, who are now pros.
How you practice every single day determines how the season goes.  Honor the process." - Coach Pasternack

Sow, Toure and Robinson have range to the three point line, surprisingly.

So does Nagle, unsurprisingly.  His touch is as featherly as advertised.  He shoots a set shot, kinda like Dell Curry, Steph's father, only he's 6'8".

I watched Coach P improve Sow's free throw shooting to 90% in real time.  He really monitors every detail, coaching every nuance of their shooting, and asking for feedback on how it feels.

Videos coming.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Gabe Vincent Signs With Sacramento Kings