Freshman Class

[lehigh90Participant]

In the offseason, we all had a lot of posts about how crucial this new incoming class was to the program.  With the loss of CM, HG and GK at the end of this season, this class was the key to bridge to the next era.  Sustained success was what we were looking for to put Lehigh on the mid-major basketball map, season after season.  Get us to Bucknell’s level.  Reed needed to hit a home run with this class.  After all, he is looking to replace 2 of the best players to play at Lehigh and HG who has had a nice career.  A big misstep and this program would be back to mediocrity.  Complicating matters was the status of BB and whether this is his last season as well (not sure where we stand on that with new injury). 

Most of us on the board loved the class.  We thought we had future stars in Chuku and Carter and a serviceable big body in Goldsborough.  Well, so far, I am extremely worried that this class may be a bust.  I know it is early, but I am very worried from what I see, or do not see, so far.  Following another mediocre class CS, SC and CB, where nobody projects to be a potential all league selection, makes things worse.

1) Chuku – ineligible, don’t know what we have, missing his body for sure on this team.  Still hopeful he is a stud.

2) Carter – invisible, can’t get any meaningful run, and at this point he is the 7th or 8th guard on the team behind CM, MM, AD, SC, CS, BB for sure.  Last night, he got minutes even later than a walk-on, CG, even though it was seconds in difference, and may have been the situation with the foul shooter/shooting.  But, this is one of the biggest stories so far in the young season.  Is this guy a player?  Can he be the force we thought he would be?  What is the problem?  We know he is a plus athlete, only behind MM, CM and BB in athleticism and potentially at their level.  Can he not defend?  Attitude?  Can’t understand the offensive and defensive sets (doubtful as he had a 4.0 in high school)?  There is something going on here and it is not good.  If a highly recruited guy comes to a mid-level program with big expectations and sits, will he be here for 4 years?  This is a guy who constantly talks about playing in the NBA.  Hard to get there from the PL bench.

3) Goldsborough – early to project here.  Long body, looks like he has potential to be a defender/rebounder/shotblocker, but it is clear that he is only getting minutes because we have nobody else.  He has an athletic body, but zero offensive skills so far.  He is an offensive project for sure.  I can’t see him developing into a real factor, as anything but a defensive specialist, until perhaps his junior or senior season. 

So, doesn’t look good early on for this class.  Somebody talk me off the ledge.  I know it’s early, and that might be the answer, but am I missing something?

[RichHParticipant]

Bobby Knight had intetrsring view on playing tough games early. Said it was most important for HC to learn what his team could NOT do quickly so it could be fixed.
Perhaps we should look at these games like BK. .
Off the ledge, frosh are just that. If they were primetime ready likely not at LU. Time and PT. Am a bit bothered by DC. At end of bench, not a plus for a highly recruited player. Time is only answer.

[StablerBumParticipant]

Not sure why some insist on calling Devon Carter a highly recruited player.  If memory serves the only two other schools he visited were Bethune-Cookman and Columbia.  He had a good grade from the ESPN recuiting network, but wasn’t recognized by Scout or Rivals, and he received little local media attention or major post season accolades.

Goldsborough as well received no local media attention, and I still have never found another reported offer for him.

I do not say this at all to demean these two, and I could very well be misinformed, as following mid-major recruiting is mostly just hunting for scraps of info.  However, I do think we might need to rein in our expectations for these two.

Also, as an FYI, Zach Stahl who committed to LU last fall, only to “mutually part ways” (maybe due to a knee injury) with Lehigh is off to quite a good start at Northeastern.  He struggled to shoot the ball in his first game, but is playing 30 minutes a night for a 2-0 Northeastern team that has beaten solid Princeton and BU squads.  Not sure of who initiated the “parting of ways” but I really hope it was Zach and not the LU staff.

[LUHoops00Participant]

Agreed, I’d say get off the ledge 90, but I think you have every bit of good reason to be opening the window and peeking over to see how far the fall might be! In all seriousness, 90, you’re tapped into my inner thoughts buddy, as I had a long drive into work today I was thinking about this very same topic. I totally agree with you in that we had high hopes for this class and we realized that this was the bridge year, this years class is the one the staff had to get right. In part because of the big 3 graduating after this season, and in part because the class above them doesn’t project at this time to have any all league players at this point in time. With that as the backdrop, it is impossible to give a score other then an incomplete at this point in time, which is why I want you back in your bedroom and away from the window. Clearly not the grade we wanted, but we’re only 3 games in, so let’s let this play out(Rich has to be impressed with my last paragraph, pretty sure that is most sane crap I’ve written in long time)!

Let’s start at the top.

DC – By far and away the biggest shock right now in the 12-13 season, that is if you get by the fact that we’re playing 2 schollies down in the best player to ever step foot on campuses last season! Had to throw that in there. But in all seriousness, this is really really shocking to me. I’ll put my name on this one 90, I was one of the guys on here that was very high on DC, not afraid to admit it one bit. I watched a lot of tape on DC, and came away impressed. He came from a good bball state, nice pedigree with the king james aau gig, and put up nice numbers in high school against some decent competition. He had a college ready frame, and work ethic that is off the charts. DC is a great kid, hard working and determined, so I don’t think he has done anything wrong that has put him in the “last man off the bench status”. I’m afraid it is what it is, and right now he is behind those other guys. I find it hard to believe, but why would staff have him behind the others if he was a better player. At the least, he projected as more of a defensive wing who could rebound and defend some bigger wings with his body/frame. We’ve not seen him play, let’s be honest, those are scrub minutes after being inactive for 2 hours, so we can’t tell anything. But I’m really really shocked, I had high hopes, and maybe I just flat out sucked and missed big on this one. I hope not, obviously, but as I think Rich said – time will tell. TAlent rises to the top, so we’ll see. I mean what else could be going on here? I don’t think the kid did anything to put himself in this situation from a discipline standpoint or anything like that.

JG – The only real frosh we’ve seen actually on the floor, and yes it is pretty clear he needs some work. He was the wildcard of this class coming into the season because we knew zero about him, and he certainly has a ways to go. But, I liked some of the things we saw last night, thought he should have gotten more minutes actually….he might develop into a really good defensive/rebounding guy with legit PL frontcourt size/length at a full 6’8….we’ll see how much offensive game grows, again, time will tell…

JC – obviously, no clue, wait til next year.

Hate giving 90 all this credit(kidding), as I had thought about it as well but 90 was first I saw put pen to paper on this topic – BJB status post this year? More and mroe I think about it the more and more I’m convinced this is it for BJB. Kid has been through a lot, got another concussion that he is dealing with right now, will be graduating, considers hijmself a senior and his teammates do as well….I have no inside knowledge, no idea if BJB even knows what his deal is yet(although he may), but all I’m saying is I’ll tell you now if you held a gun to my head and said guess if he stays or goes after this year, get it right and you live another day, I’d say he walks away with CJ’s class and is done and done…that is just my gut talking, but that is what I’d choose. Reason I was thinking about this as well today was schollie numbers.

So as of now, you got the big 3 leaving the program and 3 coming in next year in AP, SW, TK. But as we all know, we’re currently down 2 schollies. But JC is coming back next year, so if nothing else changes, if we bring in those 3 only, we’ll still be a schollie short for 13-14. Could we possibly play another f***ing year down a body? Who the heck knows, but I wouldn’t rule it out at this point.

Then, if BJB goes, we’re down 2 bodies again? So if BJB is 50/50 in coaches mind, then at worst you’re 2 schollies down if you don’t add another kid to this years class and at best you’re one man down….so with that, if we don’t sign another freeking guy to this years class I’m going to be frustrated.

 

[norcalfanParticipant]

Lehigh90,

 

Whoa, get off the ledge. My take is you and everyone else had high high high hopes for this team. They are slow getting out of the gate and need to find their way. A lot of attention was placed on CJ, not all team members can deal with that. Remember a few of these guys were stars on their team, unlike the last three seniors who were part of winning teams, but huge role players. Talk of NBA while another a younger player aspires the same can be distracting. Sorry to be so analytical, but I am trying to find a reason why LU is not playing to their potential. As was stated earlier, the players have improved, but the play has not. HG came off a disappointing second half of the season. Where is that fire? GK battling possibly his first major injury, other than the eye last year, may be playing tentatively, MM is trying to do a little too much, needs to trust his team and let’s not forget CJ, all teams are looking at his film multiple times. No one wants to be upset like Duke. Now the next logical step is for others guys to take the opportunity to shine, be the surprise player that no one expects! I look forward to seeing this team get it together and make this a competitive season. Stay off the ledges people. Peace!

[lehigh90Participant]

Re: Carter as “highly recruited”

Not sure on his offers as well, never could get a solid list.  I have heard rumors from others around Philly, that he had a LaSalle offer at one point.

He was ranked the #1 shooting guard in Cleveland area, and #3 shooting guard in Ohio.  To me that means something.  That is pretty impressive.

[RichHParticipant]

Did the same research last nite. So the Q is why is he at the end of the nench. Reading his tweets, I get the impression he is going to keep doing what he does ( his words). That may mot be what coaches want. Speculation from me. His tweet could also mean he will keep working.

[Author]

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