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Wanted: Go-To Guy


sgm405

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As I've watched the NCAA Tournament, I've seen a lot of different styles of basketball. Teams relying on post players, teams relying on outside shooting...up-tempo, half-court...that's the great thing about the Tourney - you get to see a lot of different ways of winning. One constant to me with every team I can think of that has any kind of success in the tournament is this: they have at least one go-to guy. Most of the majors have at least 2, but even mid-major and smaller schools have at least one. One guy who can put the ball in the hole during a drought. One guy who can take the big shot. One guy who - when the team needs it most - puts his team on his back and carries them through. Which led me to thinking about the Zips program. Did we have one this year? I honestly don't think so. The default would be Dru Joyce. But Dru couldn't create his own shot enough to be a true "go-to" guy. He also struggled at the line, especially towards the end of the year. Romeo? No dice. While Romeo was solid, I never once got the feeling of "We're ok...the ball is going to Romeo"...ever. I'm not even sure that - deep down - Romeo wanted the ball with the game on the line. Of course I have nothing to back that up with...just my gut feeling, watching him playing without much confidence many times, even during his senior season. Dials? Negative...too streaky. Wood? Maybe. The way he played in the MAC Tournament was inspiring - he took over the game numerous times and seemed to want the ball in key situations. However, it was only two games...but maybe. Middleton? Of any player on the roster, he might be the one who could turn into that guy. He's extremely quick, can shoot well, moves well without the ball, plays terrific defense - he is streaky at times though...and he'd definitely need to improve his free throw shooting. So maybe...but he needs a big offseason. Linhart? No. Milum? No. I'm just not sure last year's team had a true "go-to" guy. And while I love the team aspect and enjoy that different players step up every night - I think we need at least one GTG to make a successful postseason run. I'm not sure we've had one since Derrick Tarver graduated - while some people don't seem to like him, you could at least say this for him - he could take over a game, he could score in bunches, and he wasn't afraid to take the big shot (although there weren't many during his tenure). Could it be Swiech next year? Maybe eventually - big men in the MAC can be HUGE (See: Edwards, John). So the questions are: 1) Am I right - do we need a GTG? 2) Did we have one last year?3) Do we have one on the roster for next year?

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Actually I am not completely sold on the idea that you need one true "go to guy". I think what you really need is a team that has a few "go to guys", especially if you have at least one both inside and outside.I mean just look at the Zips this past season without one true "go to" guy and compare it to the team a couple of years ago that had Derek Tarver, which team do you think would stand a better chance of winning against a Top 10 or Top 15 team?To answer your questions though:1. I am not sure we need a single go to guy2. No, we didn't have one guy last year but it varied as to who was the "go to" guy from game to game.3. Yes, I think there is one on next year's roster. Just a hunch, but I think Jeremiah Wood just might be the MAC Player of the Year next season if he remains healthy.I also think any one (or more) of the three guys coming in as freshmen next year could easily be the "go to" guy(s) of the future. I love those incoming recruits.

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Actually I am not completely sold on the idea that you need one true "go to guy". I think what you really need is a team that has a few "go to guys", especially if you have at least one both inside and outside.I mean just look at the Zips this past season without one true "go to" guy and compare it to the team a couple of years ago that had Derek Tarver, which team do you think would stand a better chance of winning against a Top 10 or Top 15 team?To answer your questions though:1. I am not sure we need a single go to guy2. No, we didn't have one guy last year but it varied as to who was the "go to" guy from game to game.3. Yes, I think there is one on next year's roster. Just a hunch, but I think Jeremiah Wood just might be the MAC Player of the Year next season if he remains healthy.I also think any one (or more) of the three guys coming in as freshmen next year could easily be the "go to" guy(s) of the future. I love those incoming recruits.
Derrick Tarver's teams were poorly coached and had nowhere near the overall talent that recent Zips squads have had. While I wouldn't want his attitude or defense on last year's team, I think if they would have had someone with his scoring ability on the roster they would've won 2-3 more games and would've definitely been dancing. Just my opinion :thumb:
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Those are all good points, but I still like the idea of not having a single "go to" guy. It makes it harder for a team to prepare to play you if they don't know who is going to be the "go to" guy on that particular night.

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Those are all good points, but I still like the idea of not having a single "go to" guy. It makes it harder for a team to prepare to play you if they don't know who is going to be the "go to" guy on that particular night.
I'm not saying I want to abandon the "team" aspect...I'm just saying most successful postseason teams are ones that have that "team" concept but ALSO have at least one player who you know you can count on stepping up. Was there any Zip this past year that you knew would have a good game each and every game?
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I see what your saying sgm. It's great to have a team where on any given night you have half a dozen or more guys who can step up and really control the game and you usually have 4-5 guys in double digits scoring wise. But that makes it tough in those pressure situations when you don't have that one guy that you know is gonna come through for ya 9 times outta 10. Late in some of those close games this year I don't think I was the only one looking around going "ok, who is it gonna be this time???" Bottom line is that team mentality where you wait and see who it is going to be on a given night is just fine so long as SOMEONE steps up each and every night. Hit a night when noone really steps up however and you are in trouble. I guess when it comes right down to it having that one guy who you know is gonna step up is more a comfort thing in knowing that you have that guy than it is a true necessity.

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I would like the Zips to have a go to guy who could be given the ball when the shot clock is running out and he could drive to the basket to score or get fouled. I think that is the best go to guy because he can be that guy the entire game. One top notch player like that goes a long way in the MAC. I don't think the Zips have anyone on their team that fits the description.

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I would like the Zips to have a go to guy who could be given the ball when the shot clock is running out and he could drive to the basket to score or get fouled. I think that is the best go to guy because he can be that guy the entire game. One top notch player like that goes a long way in the MAC. I don't think the Zips have anyone on their team that fits the description.
Conyers has the physical makeup to be that guy. I look at this year as one to get the rust off. I hope that he makes some big strides next year. The only other guy who is athletic enough is Middleton. Wood can be tough down low but it is too easy to deny the big guys the ball late in the game.
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Conyers has the physical makeup to be that guy. I look at this year as one to get the rust off. I hope that he makes some big strides next year. The only other guy who is athletic enough is Middleton. Wood can be tough down low but it is too easy to deny the big guys the ball late in the game.
zipboy & I will be called nuts for the next 6 months for this ..I agree that Jimmy can become that guy. He showed glimpses .. on a few occasions .. of being that guy. I think it was the Can't game at the MACC where he dusted by Singletary 2 times to get to the rim and both times passed the ball out for a worse shot than the one he had created for himself. Two times he came out of that game in the second half to have KD tell him "Shoot the Ball!!" Most everyone will agree that he's got the physical athleticism needed .. his man defense demonstrated that clearly in the last 2 weeks of the season. I think he was just a bunch too tentative on the offensive side of the ball. The summertime will do wonders for Jimmy.Cedrick can get to the rack when he wants to. He's not Rashon by any stretch .. but at least in conference, he can get to the rim pretty consistently.I think Jeremiah will be generally unguardable in the league next year. One on one, there's no one that can check him at this point. The big kid at BG may grow into the guy that do it .. but maybe not until 08-09. My only hope is that the Zips don't fall in love too much with the one on one in the block. Good to have it and use it to beat people down .. but the all around thing works best if you can keep it going. Those of you who have the Can't game @ the Q still on your DVR, check out the pass that J Wood makes out of the TRIPLE team to hit Joyce for a wide open 3 during the big run in the 2nd half. Awesome stuff ... really should be amazing to see the inside out next year with Wood.And by the way, SGM .. Edwards was a stiff. Always was. If you want to talk about a big guy being key in the conference, at least pick a guy from the list of really good big guys (for example: Hunter, Stacey, Kaman, Gates, Stempin, VanHoose ... heck, even John Whorton was better). Edwards was never anything more than the weak side guy in Jimmy C's rotations, cleaning up the misses and feasting on open shots because teams would double Gates or Gerwig .. drop Bruce Weinken or Nick Meyers in the same role & the results would have been similar. Edwards did improve from the start to his senior year .. but he was far from a "HUGE" factor. He was tall and played on some damn good teams.I'll take my chances with Swiech or Bardo. I think Swiech probably had more points in the month of January this year than Edwards had in his HS career. Just a hunch.Keep those shades handy Zips fans ... B)
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Just a few notes here from someone who's been around basketball a long time, and comes from a basketball family of players and coaches...When we're speaking of that "go-to-guy", it's not something where you look at your roster at the beginning of the season and say "yes, he's the guy". This sort of player emerges during the course of the season. The team starts to see that a certain individual can be counted on, and they start to lean on him when games are on the line.What's funny is that Romeo appeared to be this guy during his sophomore year. During several games, they went to him down low in crucial situations. But for some reason, he sort of faded from that role over the next two years. This year, I think Dru Joyce was the guy that they wanted to have the ball during crucial situations, but he didn't come through with the opportunities he had.But, I really believe that Wood became that guy towards the end of the year. And I hope that carries over into next season, especially if he continues to improve his free throw shooting.

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And by the way, SGM .. Edwards was a stiff. Always was. If you want to talk about a big guy being key in the conference, at least pick a guy from the list of really good big guys (for example: Hunter, Stacey, Kaman, Gates, Stempin, VanHoose ... heck, even John Whorton was better). Edwards was never anything more than the weak side guy in Jimmy C's rotations, cleaning up the misses and feasting on open shots because teams would double Gates or Gerwig .. drop Bruce Weinken or Nick Meyers in the same role & the results would have been similar. Edwards did improve from the start to his senior year .. but he was far from a "HUGE" factor. He was tall and played on some damn good teams.I'll take my chances with Swiech or Bardo. I think Swiech probably had more points in the month of January this year than Edwards had in his HS career. Just a hunch.Keep those shades handy Zips fans ... B)
I couldn't disagree more about him not being a factor. Was he a very skilled player? No. Was he a go-to guy? No. And that's my point. Talent-wise, he WAS a stiff. BUT - he was STILL a big-time factor for those Can't State teams. Having his size down low altered many opponents' shots, kept opponents off the glass, and gave the flushes many second chances. NBA scouts must disagree with you as well - he went undrafted but has had two separate stints in the league. Again, not saying he's anything great...but you don't get into the league at all if you don't play a factor in games. Oh, and to say Nick Meyers could've done the same thing is ridiculous. But back to my point. If Edwards could play such a factor without much skill at all - a skilled-player like Swiech could do wonders in the MAC.
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I couldn't disagree more about him not being a factor. Oh, and to say Nick Meyers could've done the same thing is ridiculous.
Not saying he wasn't a factor at all. I'm saying ANY 7' guy would have done the same thing on those teams. Anyone 6-10" or so on those teams in that spot would have provided those same things.
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I couldn't disagree more about him not being a factor.  Oh, and to say Nick Meyers could've done the same thing is ridiculous. 
Not saying he wasn't a factor at all. I'm saying ANY 7' guy would have done the same thing on those teams. Anyone 6-10" or so on those teams in that spot would have provided those same things.
But not many teams in the MAC have a guy that size with any kind of skill. Which goes back to my point - if Swiech is the real deal, he could absolutely dominate in the MAC.
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