Armando’s replacement *identified* and his name is…
- Thread starter KinstonNC
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i went to LA for the sweet 16 and watched that guy shoot like 1 of 9 from the line hard pass
If Jalen Washington can become a fleet footed, monster rebounder and defensive ace overnight, no reason this guy can’t be a 90% FT shooter by November.
A hard pass for 1 bad game? Lol I sure hope you didn’t watch RJ Davis last game otherwise hard pass for him as well I guess.
He shot 49% at the FT line this season. It's definitely a problem.
Yelp Gotta give up something, Dave! I just think with Edey and Donovan heading to the league there wont Be anyone left in college basketball who could stop this guy, and I mean nobody! And let’s face it, besides low ft%, Ballo is everything Armando wasn’t; he’s athletic, agile, a mean mf that plays waaaaa ABOVE the Rim!!! With EC passing it would be Lob City all-day-long!! Ballo’s unstoppable dominance will easily erase his bad ft%. It sure didn’t stop Arizona from being one of the few teams capable of winning it all this year! Jmo.
Go big or Go small…
* EC/athletic Freshman6’6
* RJ/ Seth6’4
* Ingram6’7 230 /JWit6’9/ High6’9-prbtransfer
* Ballo7’ 270/JWash6’10 235 /James Brown6’9
* Athletic Freshman6’6/Ryan’s replacement(portal). Seth
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Anyone with fouls to give can stop him. At the end of close games you basically can't play him.
Now if Hubert and Marcus can fix his shot, I love everything else about him. But he's already been in college 5 years. I'm afraid he is what he is.
We don't need him we have been hiding JWash's game and ability for him to take over now that Bacot is leaving.
But you can't have him in during crunch time in a tight game, when you need him most, because he can't hit free throws.
Yeah .. let's just forget about using Wash as a 4 with a true big body in the middle as that would never work !!
Loyalty to Jwash shouldn't be a factor at all for not seeking a big that can push him for the position. Gd healthy competition from your peers is the only way to go imo. And that goes for Oumar Ballo as well! If he gets outplayed by JWash overall (can’t be just ft% cause everyone have some type of weakness), but if that were to happen JWash gets the nod simple as that.
As for loyalty goes, UNC showed a tremendous amount of loyalty to JWash when he got injured in high school so loyalty should never be in question.
Let the big boys push each other for the spot an EARN it.
As for loyalty goes, UNC showed a tremendous amount of loyalty to JWash when he got injured in high school so loyalty should never be in question.
Let the big boys push each other for the spot an EARN it.
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He has great athleticism and, as you note, a whole lot of work to do to become a consistent top level all-around basketball player.
I could live with a guy who's averaged 13.5 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 26.8 minutes the last 2 seasons.
I'll live with a guy who averaged like 20 PPG, 16 RPG per 40 minutes despite attempting half the FGs that Caleb Love attempted last year.
For you Jalen Washington fanatics, it wouldn't close the door on him either. It doesn't look like Ballo is a 30+ minutes/game player. Washington might have an even bigger role with Ballo than he had with Bacot.
I'll live with a guy who averaged like 20 PPG, 16 RPG per 40 minutes despite attempting half the FGs that Caleb Love attempted last year.
For you Jalen Washington fanatics, it wouldn't close the door on him either. It doesn't look like Ballo is a 30+ minutes/game player. Washington might have an even bigger role with Ballo than he had with Bacot.
Washington would basically have to be on the floor for all offensive possessions late in the game. Because any smart coach would simply hack Ballo and let him waste our possessions at the FT line.
I think I like the Rutgers big more just because his FT % isn't as bad. It's about 12% better than Ballo, and there is at least a decent chance our coaches could help him improve enough so he could stay on the floor in close games.
I would take Omoruyi since he's more of an above-the-rim presence on both ends. Ballo is gigantic, but a more below the rim IMO.
But Ballo is a ridiculously productive player and is a dominant offensive rebounder.
The ONLY, I repeat ONLY concern I have with Ballo is shooting free throws, especially KNOWING Hubert wants us to pound the ball inside to our big man deep in the paint, as he should, and that big man is going to pick up a lot of fouls, even more knowing that big man struggles to hit free throws. How much better was Bacot this season with that uptick in his free throw shooting.
You tell me, in a really tight game, with less than 2mins left how would you feel with a 50% free throw shooter going to the line for a 1 and 1? I would be all for picking the guy up but if we did I would want us to add a guy like Vlad from FAU or the Stanford kid who gives us length but can still go to the line in a tight game and cash free throws.
Al, yeah, I got and agree with the sarcasm tilt. I am looking at things very much as if Ingram is already moving on and due to that I would bring in 2 big men, one a wide shoulders big old strong mountain in the lane guy, Ballo would fit that nicely, but I would as well grab a 7ft guy that is more a shooter, why I like Vlad. Ya know, Bradshaw may also be a better fit than Ballo if we can wash the Ky taint off him. LOL I think I would be all about bringing in both Bradshaw and Vlad to combine with Jalen and JWit.
Basically Ballo is Meeks but can't hit free throws, what am I missing?
I don't see that comparison at all from the little I watched of Zona. Ballo is much more physically intimidating, bigger, stronger, more athletic. Whoever called him a below the rim type player...wut? I didn't see that when I watched him.
On the flipside, I doubt he is the passer that Meeks was and I doubt he has the touch Meeks had.
Like I said, I don't see them as similar in any way whatsoever.
Also, regarding Ballo’s poor FT shooting, his first year at Zona, he went 68/97 for a 70.1 FT%. That’s fine and we’d all take that in a heartbeat. The following year, it went down to 56% (on 208 attempts) and then down to 50% (on 197 attempts) this past season. Strange to see a guy get worse like that. The only explanation I could offer is that he basically doubled his minutes from year 2 to year 3 (and 4) so fatigue could have been a factor. I’m sure it’s tough to pull that kind of weight up and down the floor for 25+ mpg.
Ballo is the best and most intimidating big left in college basketball. Wtf he’s literally a cloned Shaq O’Neil!! Pair that man up with JWash/Harrison Ingrim and EC’s game would be truly UNLOCKED! It would be lob city in the Hill!
Hell I might even get a lob!
But he can't make free throws, that is a real important factor for a UNC big man. Damian Grant was big and intimidating, is his jersey in the rafters? The 2 big men in the Natty game were both big well filled out 7ft guys but they had nice skill to go with that size. I am not opposed to bringing the kid in but if we do we will not be able to have him in during crunch time and until Jalen proves he can be a factor players for us consistently, we need insurance with a guy like Goldyn or even Bradshaw, I prefer those 2 to Ballo.
Look, Bacot is gone now and I would think that it would be hard to find a UNC Fan that would not like to see the lane clear up a little to allow more driving lanes for our guards. With all the good Bacot brought us, there was always the fact that he was ALWAYS going to be found deep in the paint, along with at least not only his primary defender but with a help defender not far away. So in addition to the primary defender on our driver, you have Bacot and his 2 defenders all in the paint, makes it kinda hard to finish. Now Jalen can shoot over but the question of will he be able to defend remains until he proves other wise, Bradshaw, Goldyn, Raymound all have the length to rim protect, Jalen does as well, if we just wanted a big ole strong man inside the paint we should have gone after Lampkins. BTW, Bradshaw was a 5 star freshman this past season and he gave Bacot fits when we played them in his 1st or 2nd game ever for Ky? Well worth a long strong look!
Speaking of free throws, everyone knows who our top free throw shooters were this past season in RJ and Ryan but a quick pop quiz. Of players that were in our regular rotation, say all the way down to Paxon and including him, who was our #3 free throw shooter and don't go check before you answer? LOL
I can only find evidence of Ballo completing an alley oop a few times this entire season. He's not some high flying big man. He usually has to catch the ball and gather himself before going up to dunk.
You're misrepresenting what this player is. He's been in college 5 years. There is plenty of game film on him.
Also, you can't pair him up with Washington. Someone has to guard the perimeter in that situation and both those guys are centers.
Kennedy Meeks in 2016-17: 67.6% on FGs at the rim. Career high 68.1% at the rim.
Armando Bacot this past season: 58.9% on FGs at the rim. Career high 68.3% at the rim.
Ballo this past season: 73.3% on FGs at the rim. That's also his lowest percentage at the rim over the last 3 seasons.
He isn't a perfect player, but for a pretty soft team around the rim, Ballo would at least provide that.
I’m sure you all watched the national title game?? Both teams had enormous centres surrounded by dynamic, shooting, driving guards and wingmen.
You all saw how far the woofies went with a 6-9 mountain… who only came unstuck when he ran into a 7-4 mountain.
The college game still has a place for less athletic giants…
but yes, free throws are an issue - Eady lived at the line.
You all saw how far the woofies went with a 6-9 mountain… who only came unstuck when he ran into a 7-4 mountain.
The college game still has a place for less athletic giants…
but yes, free throws are an issue - Eady lived at the line.
Yeah man .. Wash/Wit and a true big in the middle would be a formidable front line and I'll be the first to admit Wash needs to work on his size/strength for his inside defense and his footwork and lateral movement for his outside the lane defense but man, the length he has is golden around the rim and for disrupting them outside jumpers.
I think all 8 teams in the Elite 8 had a big guy who could trigger the entire offense. When we made the Final Four, we could run offense through Manek too. I'm probably being harsh on Bacot, but I never viewed Bacot as a big you can consistently run offense through because he couldn't really pass or dribble.
But UConn had 2 6'8" or taller guys that could trigger their offense: Karaban and Clingan. Purdue obviously had a big. NC State had a big. Duke had one of those bigs. Illinois had a couple of 6'8" dudes that were really skilled. Clemson had 2 skilled 6'8" or taller dudes.
Whether it's your traditional center or a 6'8" hybrid 4, it really helps your offense to have a big guy who you can run your offense through. I don't think Bacot was that. I don't really think Harrison Ingram is that (if he returns either).
Whoever plays that 4 position will be really important.
I am against the whole stretch 5 thing. I thinks it’s dumb. Stretch 4, sure. Surround Ballo with shooters and let him clean up the misses. If we have enough shot making elsewhere, there is no need for the center to be popping 3s.
No .. but it's not a bad thing to have a 5 that can step out and consistently hit mid-range jumpers as well as the occasional 3. But you're 100% correct that a good passing big that can either hit the open man or initiate a break is premo especially in the UNC system.
I just don't want to see opposing teams back us down for easy baskets over and over. We need at least one physical center on the roster. Whether that's a shotblocker or simply a strong guy like Meeks/Hansbrough/May, I don't really care. I just don't want to be losing games because we have no one who can hold off an opposing center.
I’m not misrepresenting anybody and really it’s not that serious. We simply agree to disagree I guess but there is a reason why UNC and others are interested and it’s not because he(Ballo), likes to tippitoe around the rim. He is very aggressive, and wired to dunk everything he gets his hands on! Additionally he is a big time rim protector!
7ft, 260lbs, gifted Rim protector, very athletic- geesh what more do we want? Lol.
As someone stated earlier no Ballo is not perfect…but imo if added to the roster UNC becomes a problem!
I'm just disagreeing solely with your statement that Ballo, Washington, and Ingram would be "lob city." That's it. We know Ingram and Washington don't finish many (if any) alley oops, and Ballo rarely does either.
That's all I'm disagreeing with. I like everything about Ballo except his FT shooting. I hope we get either Ballo or the Rutgers center.
"I am against the whole stretch 5 thing"... Man, that is a multiple page thread topic waiting to happen! LOL
Not sure if I agree or not, my gut says I don't like the stretch 5 deal but... But I didn't like the stretch 4 when it was Pete Nance, liked it a lot when it was Brady Manek? Maybe it is more about the player than the scheme (which of course it is)? Would you still hate the stretch 5 if our 5 was Kevin Durant?
Have a lot more to say about this question, I think it is an excellent topic. But for this thread I would add Jalen would be a guy I could see and actually want to see take 2-3 treys a game by setting the screen up top and rather than rolling down every time, steps out for the return pass and splash, as we saw him do several times. That is as opposed to maybe any center we have had in recent memory. David Sisk had an interesting take on this last spring when discussing Bacot vs Nance when Nance played the 5 for us and Bacot was on the bench.
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