I apologize for delayed post, but in part was waiting for FB drama to pass and see folks getting excited about the men's hoops season. The weekend of the OU football game, Huggins staff hosted the 10th or more Huggins fantasy camp (highly recommend btw). While usually in first week of June, this one was move to fall for COVID concerns, but also to try and do some things with full team there and practices ongoing. A great weekend (other than outcome of OU game) with one of the highlights being a full team officiated scrimmage on Sat for an hour. The comments below are only some casual observations (from a long-time hoops fan, high school point guard with average hoops knowledge) that I think are OK to share, and hopefully some of these views are evidenced in part tomorrow night, but I thought worth sharing (and are my opinions, which are not necessarily right or wrong - guys like @polar80 who were there, please feel free to correct me or add insight that I missed):
1) We are very athletic as a whole, with so many long wing/forward types who can run like deer. During one of the first warm-up drills, several of us had jaws drop when we saw how our bigs can run...the drill was with 3 guys all starting at the baseline, with a rebound off a lay-up, turn and one pass to half court and the next one to foul line for a quick finish (end to end in 4 seconds...). Okonkwo, , N'Diaye, Paulicap, Carrigan, Cottrell all 6'-8" to 6'-10" were up and down the court with so much fluidity, rebound on one end and finish on the other. Okonkwo and N'Diaye in particular were surprising, as Okonkwo has thick legs/base and might have been the quickest with great feet. N'Diaye looks 10-15 lbs bigger (6'10/245 sounds right) and such a different person...Cottrell had no restrictions and looks so much more confident. Of course we know Gabe and Bridges can run, and then couple in Jamel King and Taj Thweatt, that makes 9 guys who are 6'-7" or better...and then Carrigan is long (looks bigger than 6'-9" with longer wingspan) and Paulicap is 6'-8" and 235 with a 4% body fat measurement...yes, 4%... is that good @Mountaineer Gooch ? I am not sure how it will play out with our bigs, but love the size and potential there.
2) At guard, was great to see Taz and Sean as leaders as well as Kedrian - both Taz and Sean look great, have an air/aura of quiet confidence about them, and will be surprised if they are not the leaders, with of course Gabe. Kedrian is also much more comfortable, and I can see him contributing on the offensive end in addition to his defensive antics (he's the best on ball guy at guard, gave Curry fits). Curry looked the part, lefty who can get to the rim and can score from outside, and looks to create opportunities for others. Still trying to figure his role, but I can see him being a 10-11 pt, 5.5 assist guy at point, sharing time with Kedrian. As to the freshmen guards, learned that Seth Wilson had lost almost 25 lbs in last few months from conditioning/training after being told he was too big for his long-term good, knees, etc. - he is 6'1" and 215 and looks like a LB, so where those 25 lbs were to begin with is beyond me. While he might have further to go, he will be a player here and playing a role next year. Kobe Johnson looks like a soph already (reminded me some of Dax in terms of athleticism) and has a great handle - he is likely our 5th guard as needed.
3) Taz, Sean and Kedrian each were assistant coaches on the 4 fantasy teams, with Gabe and Bridges serving as HC/assistant on their own... we had so many great conversations, just great guys and teammates who truly love hanging out with each other. Their roles as coaches was part of an NIL opportunity (they can now get paid to do these things) and we spent some time talking about some of the other opportunities. We've seen some, others will come - the days of seeing a hoops player in a new truck, sports car, SUV and thinking something is not right are long gone, as several guys will have them. More on NIL later.
4) The scrimmage was two 20 minute halves, with clock running for a portion other than timeouts and then the last few minutes of each half - only a 5 min halftime. The winning team as I can recall had Sean, Kedrian, Gabe, Cottrell, Paulicap, Taj, King and Seth, while the losing team had Curry, Taz, Bridges, N'Daiye, Kobe, Carrigan and Okonkwo. See Roster I think the game was about 10-12 points at half and most of 2nd half, and then Curry led a late charge to cut to 3 or 4 with a pair of 3s and some tough drives in the last two min when he was looking to score (most of the half, he was just trying to facilitate) - some particular observations:
- the best player on the floor, offense and defense was Gabe...he was playing high on pick and roll, got several nice dishes from Kedrian and Sean and finished with left and right, some flushes and some nice high off the glass, at least 3 and1s and believe he converted at least two...hit several jumpers from the foul line, and even was 1-3 on threes and they all looked on...while I counted him for zero offense last year, I think he'll be a 6-7 point scorer at a min, just on effort alone. On D, he was calling out switches, took at least 3 big charges, blocked shots, hit the boards... he's just such an invaluable piece
- Taz was smooth, hit a few from deep, but was somewhat less assertive, as was Sean - at some level, I think they were just trying to be role players and watch the others newbies go at it, but you felt at any moment they could go off - on 2-3 times each did with a drive, pull-up or take. Sean has worked in particular at beating a guy off the dribble and getting to the rim, and finished to his left on a couple occasions with sweeping lay-ups over the hands of bigs that was very impressive. Huggs was giving him some crap, how he should have done that last year, how a little work is paying off, and you can tell they are close. The importance of Sean and Taj being able to take a guy to the rim is as much about the two of them being able to get separation when they need to get off their own 3 on the dribble.
- Curry is crafty, has the ball in his hands a lot but is looking to create - one of the best battles was watching him work to get the ball upcourt against Kedrian, and I mean work...Kedrian has great feet, reminds be of the JYD in how he keeps in front and cuts off every movement, disrupting the ball flow (Curry was visibly frustrated in in several instances). I only saw a shot or two from Kedrian, as he was more content to run offense, and was sure-handed. Curry was also more passive early on, then caught fire at the end when his team has to make a run (and he put them on his shoulders) - we'll see how his role goes, but I like our 4 guards. Kobe and Seth matched up pretty well, with Seth showing a nice outside stroke and Kobe showing poise and great handle as a PG - I like them in the coming years.
- Bridges looks so much more confident (he's also thicker, now up to 225) and has a smooth stroke from deep; likewise, Cottrell has a nice stroke, and also took it inside a couple times and was active on boards with several tips/deflections. I see both starting or in top 6 rotation depending if we are 2 or 3 guards. I was surprised to see Taj Tweatt take several from deep and hit a few, was very comfortable there...the most surprising was Jamel King, who is long-armed and lanky, with great spring and who shot it very well from deep (he was definitely not shy to jack it up and hit several), as folks kept asking "who is that?" I can see Taj getting some run this season as the 3rd wing, maybe 5-7 min a game, while I think King will RS or have minimal role, BUT I think he will really contribute in the years to come - in warm-ups, one of the most impressive dunkers for sure!
- Another good battle from time to time was Paulicap and Carrigan - while neither was particularly imposing on O, they both seemed to be around the ball a lot when 50/50 balls were in play, with Paulicap having a little more offensive polish and confidence, and Carrigan plays like he's 6'11 or more as he gets off the ground quickly. I could see us getting collectively 20-25 min and 8 points/10 boards from the combo. Throw in N'Diaye who appears much improved down low, had a few blocks and boards and is active...as we were up close, it was hard to tell what happened, but on 4-5 occasions one of the wings attempted to throw it down with authority on a drive and there were 2-3 defenders there to turn it away with some violence...several woahs and oohs that afternoon. I can see us getting many put backs from our guys with some authority.
- Okonkwo was a surprise, as there is no way that kid is 17 years old - his base, his feet, his athleticism (runs like a deer) and skillset were impressive - had this guy waited another year, he is top 25-50 guy, and recruited by everyone - RS a year and look the freak out...
5) As noted above, the camp was a chance for NIL opportunities for players - the men's staff (operations Josh and Jay) are actively speaking with sponsors/donors on numerous opportunities for our guys…it is hard additional work on their plates…while our ability to keep up the Jones in NIL for football is going to be very difficult, we might be in a position to really compete in hoops on the NIL front. We do not have to necessarily take care of all 13 the same, but can someday see the top 5 guys getting $100k and 3-4 others in $25k or more range. Several folks at the camp are also thinking about some event we can conduct, e.g., golf outings where each player joins a foursome and makes a couple thousand as a host, speaking engagements, attending networking events with customers/clients of donor companies, player appearances and signings. I encourage this board even to think about doing something in this manner if your company can benefit from having hoops players attend some function, speak, etc. (just reach out to Josh and Jay - Staff emails here Contact Info
6) What does all the above mean, I don't know...I do not think we will finish the season lower than 4th, but this year might take longer for this team to gel given all the new faces and no clear leader going in...by season end, I think we will be dangerous, maybe very dangerous and deep. I've seen a few quotes from Huggs that we are not guarding like we should, but I can recall only about 6-7 open, uncontested looks from 3 all game from both teams, if that, and much of the shot clock was spent trying to get into position to run O, with half court trapping going on on most possessions. There were very few uncontested scores at the rims, lots of deflections, and you better go strong to the hole or you were getting the ball jammed back down your throats...If we can be better on getting over on screens, limiting the uncontested 3s and with expected even better shooting from deep (Taz, Sean, Cottrell and Bridges for sure and then Curry, Kedrian, and Taj being capable, and yes, an occasional Gabe...) I can see us making a deep run. I am looking forward to how the lineups work out, as we can go small ball, big and pound, shooters, defenders, etc. - cannot wait to see a few games and @Thick doing his thing at lineups - suspect we'll see some surprises.
I do expect us to have a few head scratchers, but I also suspect we'll have some games we put a hurt on some really good teams and the media and outsiders go wow...and we end up in top 15 year end...it should be fun.
Let's go Mountaineers! and Let's go Huggs and team!
Lee
1) We are very athletic as a whole, with so many long wing/forward types who can run like deer. During one of the first warm-up drills, several of us had jaws drop when we saw how our bigs can run...the drill was with 3 guys all starting at the baseline, with a rebound off a lay-up, turn and one pass to half court and the next one to foul line for a quick finish (end to end in 4 seconds...). Okonkwo, , N'Diaye, Paulicap, Carrigan, Cottrell all 6'-8" to 6'-10" were up and down the court with so much fluidity, rebound on one end and finish on the other. Okonkwo and N'Diaye in particular were surprising, as Okonkwo has thick legs/base and might have been the quickest with great feet. N'Diaye looks 10-15 lbs bigger (6'10/245 sounds right) and such a different person...Cottrell had no restrictions and looks so much more confident. Of course we know Gabe and Bridges can run, and then couple in Jamel King and Taj Thweatt, that makes 9 guys who are 6'-7" or better...and then Carrigan is long (looks bigger than 6'-9" with longer wingspan) and Paulicap is 6'-8" and 235 with a 4% body fat measurement...yes, 4%... is that good @Mountaineer Gooch ? I am not sure how it will play out with our bigs, but love the size and potential there.
2) At guard, was great to see Taz and Sean as leaders as well as Kedrian - both Taz and Sean look great, have an air/aura of quiet confidence about them, and will be surprised if they are not the leaders, with of course Gabe. Kedrian is also much more comfortable, and I can see him contributing on the offensive end in addition to his defensive antics (he's the best on ball guy at guard, gave Curry fits). Curry looked the part, lefty who can get to the rim and can score from outside, and looks to create opportunities for others. Still trying to figure his role, but I can see him being a 10-11 pt, 5.5 assist guy at point, sharing time with Kedrian. As to the freshmen guards, learned that Seth Wilson had lost almost 25 lbs in last few months from conditioning/training after being told he was too big for his long-term good, knees, etc. - he is 6'1" and 215 and looks like a LB, so where those 25 lbs were to begin with is beyond me. While he might have further to go, he will be a player here and playing a role next year. Kobe Johnson looks like a soph already (reminded me some of Dax in terms of athleticism) and has a great handle - he is likely our 5th guard as needed.
3) Taz, Sean and Kedrian each were assistant coaches on the 4 fantasy teams, with Gabe and Bridges serving as HC/assistant on their own... we had so many great conversations, just great guys and teammates who truly love hanging out with each other. Their roles as coaches was part of an NIL opportunity (they can now get paid to do these things) and we spent some time talking about some of the other opportunities. We've seen some, others will come - the days of seeing a hoops player in a new truck, sports car, SUV and thinking something is not right are long gone, as several guys will have them. More on NIL later.
4) The scrimmage was two 20 minute halves, with clock running for a portion other than timeouts and then the last few minutes of each half - only a 5 min halftime. The winning team as I can recall had Sean, Kedrian, Gabe, Cottrell, Paulicap, Taj, King and Seth, while the losing team had Curry, Taz, Bridges, N'Daiye, Kobe, Carrigan and Okonkwo. See Roster I think the game was about 10-12 points at half and most of 2nd half, and then Curry led a late charge to cut to 3 or 4 with a pair of 3s and some tough drives in the last two min when he was looking to score (most of the half, he was just trying to facilitate) - some particular observations:
- the best player on the floor, offense and defense was Gabe...he was playing high on pick and roll, got several nice dishes from Kedrian and Sean and finished with left and right, some flushes and some nice high off the glass, at least 3 and1s and believe he converted at least two...hit several jumpers from the foul line, and even was 1-3 on threes and they all looked on...while I counted him for zero offense last year, I think he'll be a 6-7 point scorer at a min, just on effort alone. On D, he was calling out switches, took at least 3 big charges, blocked shots, hit the boards... he's just such an invaluable piece
- Taz was smooth, hit a few from deep, but was somewhat less assertive, as was Sean - at some level, I think they were just trying to be role players and watch the others newbies go at it, but you felt at any moment they could go off - on 2-3 times each did with a drive, pull-up or take. Sean has worked in particular at beating a guy off the dribble and getting to the rim, and finished to his left on a couple occasions with sweeping lay-ups over the hands of bigs that was very impressive. Huggs was giving him some crap, how he should have done that last year, how a little work is paying off, and you can tell they are close. The importance of Sean and Taj being able to take a guy to the rim is as much about the two of them being able to get separation when they need to get off their own 3 on the dribble.
- Curry is crafty, has the ball in his hands a lot but is looking to create - one of the best battles was watching him work to get the ball upcourt against Kedrian, and I mean work...Kedrian has great feet, reminds be of the JYD in how he keeps in front and cuts off every movement, disrupting the ball flow (Curry was visibly frustrated in in several instances). I only saw a shot or two from Kedrian, as he was more content to run offense, and was sure-handed. Curry was also more passive early on, then caught fire at the end when his team has to make a run (and he put them on his shoulders) - we'll see how his role goes, but I like our 4 guards. Kobe and Seth matched up pretty well, with Seth showing a nice outside stroke and Kobe showing poise and great handle as a PG - I like them in the coming years.
- Bridges looks so much more confident (he's also thicker, now up to 225) and has a smooth stroke from deep; likewise, Cottrell has a nice stroke, and also took it inside a couple times and was active on boards with several tips/deflections. I see both starting or in top 6 rotation depending if we are 2 or 3 guards. I was surprised to see Taj Tweatt take several from deep and hit a few, was very comfortable there...the most surprising was Jamel King, who is long-armed and lanky, with great spring and who shot it very well from deep (he was definitely not shy to jack it up and hit several), as folks kept asking "who is that?" I can see Taj getting some run this season as the 3rd wing, maybe 5-7 min a game, while I think King will RS or have minimal role, BUT I think he will really contribute in the years to come - in warm-ups, one of the most impressive dunkers for sure!
- Another good battle from time to time was Paulicap and Carrigan - while neither was particularly imposing on O, they both seemed to be around the ball a lot when 50/50 balls were in play, with Paulicap having a little more offensive polish and confidence, and Carrigan plays like he's 6'11 or more as he gets off the ground quickly. I could see us getting collectively 20-25 min and 8 points/10 boards from the combo. Throw in N'Diaye who appears much improved down low, had a few blocks and boards and is active...as we were up close, it was hard to tell what happened, but on 4-5 occasions one of the wings attempted to throw it down with authority on a drive and there were 2-3 defenders there to turn it away with some violence...several woahs and oohs that afternoon. I can see us getting many put backs from our guys with some authority.
- Okonkwo was a surprise, as there is no way that kid is 17 years old - his base, his feet, his athleticism (runs like a deer) and skillset were impressive - had this guy waited another year, he is top 25-50 guy, and recruited by everyone - RS a year and look the freak out...
5) As noted above, the camp was a chance for NIL opportunities for players - the men's staff (operations Josh and Jay) are actively speaking with sponsors/donors on numerous opportunities for our guys…it is hard additional work on their plates…while our ability to keep up the Jones in NIL for football is going to be very difficult, we might be in a position to really compete in hoops on the NIL front. We do not have to necessarily take care of all 13 the same, but can someday see the top 5 guys getting $100k and 3-4 others in $25k or more range. Several folks at the camp are also thinking about some event we can conduct, e.g., golf outings where each player joins a foursome and makes a couple thousand as a host, speaking engagements, attending networking events with customers/clients of donor companies, player appearances and signings. I encourage this board even to think about doing something in this manner if your company can benefit from having hoops players attend some function, speak, etc. (just reach out to Josh and Jay - Staff emails here Contact Info
6) What does all the above mean, I don't know...I do not think we will finish the season lower than 4th, but this year might take longer for this team to gel given all the new faces and no clear leader going in...by season end, I think we will be dangerous, maybe very dangerous and deep. I've seen a few quotes from Huggs that we are not guarding like we should, but I can recall only about 6-7 open, uncontested looks from 3 all game from both teams, if that, and much of the shot clock was spent trying to get into position to run O, with half court trapping going on on most possessions. There were very few uncontested scores at the rims, lots of deflections, and you better go strong to the hole or you were getting the ball jammed back down your throats...If we can be better on getting over on screens, limiting the uncontested 3s and with expected even better shooting from deep (Taz, Sean, Cottrell and Bridges for sure and then Curry, Kedrian, and Taj being capable, and yes, an occasional Gabe...) I can see us making a deep run. I am looking forward to how the lineups work out, as we can go small ball, big and pound, shooters, defenders, etc. - cannot wait to see a few games and @Thick doing his thing at lineups - suspect we'll see some surprises.
I do expect us to have a few head scratchers, but I also suspect we'll have some games we put a hurt on some really good teams and the media and outsiders go wow...and we end up in top 15 year end...it should be fun.
Let's go Mountaineers! and Let's go Huggs and team!
Lee
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