Zips vs Gamecocks Charleston Classic

[zippy5]

His conditioning is poor because he has been injured all preseason. Obviously going to take him some time to get back in basketball shape.

He hurt his wrist

[zippy5]

Nice win! 3-1 with wins over PAC-12 and SEC teams with a chance for a B1G win coming up. Tree-less life seems a little less scary now.

[LZIp]

I dont think either of our wins were against even average teams, but it was nice to go 2 for 3 against high major programs. The Miami loss wasn't disappointing, but the margin of defeat was. Hope everyone that went had a good time. I'd call it a success.

My take on the tournament:

Robotham- This kid..just wow. I dont know or need to know the quality of freshman in the conference this season and I'm calling it now, he's winning freshman of the year.

Pat- He's probably the MVP of the tournament for the team. Hope he can keep it up. We'll need him to.

Deji- Seems to be picking up where he left off last season. I still remember posters on here calling for him to transfer.

Kwan- Such a dynamic player. I think he had a solid tournament and looking forward to watch him during the rest of his career.

Antino- I'd like to see better shot selection, and he had a few bad turnovers this game, but I like him as a back up PG.

Kretz and McAdams- They aren't asked to do much on offense. They need to hit wide open set shots.

Nyles- He looks better playing off the ball at the 2.

Big Dog- Looked bad, but willing to cut him some slack for the time being.

Gladden- Probably most disappointed in him so far, especially considering his offer list. Just looks like he doesn't belong on the floor.

I'm not a fan of the 10 man rotation. I'd like to see KD tighten it up and go 8-man. Right now, the odd men out to me are Gladden and McAdams. I choose McAdams because he is doing absolutely nothing. He went 1-3 from the FT line in a critical juncture in the game tonight. Kretzer needs to hit shots, but he does some nice things on defense and makes hustle plays.

From watching these young guys, I think KD has taken the recruiting up a notch, which is essential to taking the program to the next level. Less one dimensional players, and more complete basketball players. Have to give kudos to him.

[LZIp]

He hurt his wrist

Basketball requires a special kind of conditioning that you really only get from actually playing. Dealt with it every year in high school going from football to basketball.

[Quickzips]

Haven't been around a lot lately, so not posting much. First game I've actually had a chance to see all year.

Ok, now for the big question. Raise your hand if you thought going into the week that, without Tree, the Zips would take 2 of 3 and come out of it with wins against the PAC-12 and SEC. If your hand is up right now I've got some real-estate deals to discuss with you. Excellent property. Oceanfront view. Located in Boise Idaho. Priced to move.

Seriously though, excellent game by the Zips. We have a real find in Robotham. Plays the game the way a PG should. Under control. Picks his spots. Scrappy on defense. Keeps his teammates involves. Love everything about this kid. If he keeps his head on straight for 4 years he will be an all conference player before it is all said and done. (Sad that I have to use that qualifier).

What is more startling to me is the play of guys like Evans, Forsythe, and Cheatham. They look like completely different guys out there from what I saw last year. Sign of a really good team when you lose your best player and have guys step up like that.

The biggest thing hurting this team long term is lack of depth up front. Forsythe and Cheatham can't play 35 - 40 minutes a night all year. Gladden is clearly not ready to play at this level. Johnson is still an absolute boat anchor out there. You can play him against the couple of teams a year that you will see that try to slow the game down and play it in the 40s or 50s, but against 90% of the teams in the NCAA he simply can't keep up. I'm afraid he never will be able to. It is about a lot more than just the injury. He was a boat anchor before the injury.

[Balsy]

He's more than just a little out of shape. One can keep weight off while hurt by shoveling in less food.

I'm beginning to think you're a grumpy old man GP1. Don't be a grumpy old man; embrace the players on your team who decided to come play for the Zips.

[ZippyforPresident]

Excellent job finishing 3rd in this tournament. Had no idea what to expect out of this team coming into the season, but things look very promising so far. Love Foresythe's play thus far this year. Tonight was a dogfight and he looked like a starving pit bull fighting for a steak.

The improvement in back court play over last season is just ridiculous. Antino and Noah are already difference makers. Having a solid point guard is just so fundamentally important.

Cheatham and Evans have taken huge steps forward. Love their play so far. Kwan poses a lot of matchup problems with his diverse skill set.

Four years of hard work are paying dividends for Deji. Great game tonight. Played under control and with confidence. Could become a nightmare for conference opponents.

Reggie and Jake will find their groove this season and remain solid contributors. Will likely be difference makers at least a few times during the conference grind.

I think this team has the potential to be much better than last year's team. From what I've seen so far this looks like a group of unegotistical guys who are coachable, play hard on both ends of the floor, and play for each other, which is not only great to see but could potentially result in a lot of victories.

Southen Cal and South Carolina are nowhere near world beaters, but for a MAC team to have wins over the Pac12 and SEC four games into the season it looks impressive regardless.

Keep up the hard work.

[Dave in Green]

I'm surprised at some of the uneducated comments about Big Dog. He didn't just hurt his wrist. His wrist was seriously broken. There was concern that he might be out for a long time as that kind of break doesn't always heal quickly. He hasn't been able to practice with the rest of the team. He probably wouldn't have played at all except for the fact that Tree is out and Pat had to call to be taken out of the game a couple of times because SC was running him ragged. Pat still played 35 minutes which is a lot for a 6-11 center. He has transformed into a true warrior.

On the bench Big Dog was apologizing to his teammates for being out of shape and out of step with the team. They were all patting him on the back and telling him not to worry. Big Dog's teammates all want him back in the lineup because they saw what he could do in practice this year before breaking his wrist. Let's revisit the discussion about Big Dog's value to the team once he's had a chance to get back into game shape and is back in sync with the rest of the team.

As a team the Zips played with a lot of heart with different players stepping up at different times. That's the way it's going to be this season. Noah will get the ball to whoever has the hot hand in any given game, and when others are struggling he will step up and be the leading scorer as he was tonight. Nyles' all-around game is just miles ahead of last season, and the Zips would have been toast without Deji's energy and major scoring contribution. Kwan's shot was a little off, but he had a couple of good blocks and hit some key free throws. Speaking of free throws, making 81.5% was the difference in the game. That's one area where Tree won't be missed, though the team sure could have used his rebounding tonight as they were slaughtered on the boards.

You can talk about the fact that both USCs are not elite teams. But beating any high major team without your star player, with another frontcourt player ineffective due to injury and a true freshman running the show is not inconsequential. It's a big confidence builder for a young team that's just going to get better and better as the season goes on. The 20-win per season streak is safe with this Zips team,

[Quickzips]

That is all fine and good Dave. I think everyone understands that Johnson is injured. I understand that you can't blame him for being a little out of shape.

The problem that I have, and I think I speak for many others on here as well, is that we saw a lot of the same conditioning problems from him last year. Would it have made a difference if he had a full healthy offseason? Maybe, maybe not. Unfortunately this isn't a situation where he needs to just get a little bit better with his conditioning. He was maybe 60-70% for the majority of last year. Right now. I would be generous to say that he is 40-50% of where you need to be to compete at this level. It is going to take a monumental effort over the next 2 1/2 years for him to get there.

[Dave in Green]

... Would it have made a difference if he had a full healthy offseason? Maybe, maybe not. ...

There's no maybe about it. Big Dog's coaches and teammates know that prior to his broken wrist he was in better condition than last season. But if you feel better positioned to judge that than those who work with him on a daily basis, it's certainly your right to believe otherwise.

[akronzips71]

I was one of the Deji haters in the past. I used to scream at the screen every time he came in.

He turned into a star! Three pointers, drives to the bucket, rebounds. Obviously KD saw something in him.

If he keeps playing this way, he will be a strong candidate for 6th Man of the Year.

Tino has the old Deji disease - telegraphing his passes. He is a PG, he needs to work hard on that. But I do like the way he drives and shoots, he is an asset.

Gladden needs to redshirt another year. Right now his is a liability on the floor. Turnovers AND missed shots. I stated earlier, if we lost this game it would be on him. In both the first half and when he came in in the second. Horrible. Needs to not play until he gets a lot better.

Kwan, well I have always liked Kwan and said so. I think he still has some butterflies, but he can shoot threes, he can make jump shots, he can drive. He can block shots. This guy could be POY as a senior if he just keeps improving.

Pat is a shock. Scores, defends. Wow. Who knew?

Evans is playing very well, much better than last year.

But the biggest problem I see right now is on the boards. USC was getting three and four shots. No good. Can not have that.

[Staton14]

Am I the only one who knew Pat was capable of this from the very beginning?

[Dr Z]

Entertaining games in Charleston. I don't know what changed with the ball movement this year, but I love it. I have seen more backdoor cuts from this team in one week, than I saw all last year. All of a sudden players away from the ball are moving to the proper spots on the floor? We actually have players that can drive the lane, and finish at the rim? We make foul shots? Did we finally dumb down the offense? Please bring this same team back from Charleston. I don't really care that the Gamecocks and Trojans aren't that good, I enjoyed watching the Zips beat both. I have minor critics, but it seems picky at this juncture of the season. I'll save them. We need to continue to grow and get better. NR14 makes a huge difference.

[GP1]

I was one of the Deji haters in the past. I used to scream at the screen every time he came in.

He turned into a star! Three pointers, drives to the bucket, rebounds. Obviously KD saw something in him.

If he keeps playing this way, he will be a strong candidate for 6th Man of the Year.

I never liked or disliked him in the past.

What I see now is a guy who brings energy into the game and I like it alot. Not yet ready to call him a star after one good game.

6th man of the year? He should be starting and McAdams should be coming off the bench for 4-7 minutes a game until he can prove he can make some shots.

[GP1]

After the Maimi game, I wanted to see Pat more decisive and he was in a way that moved the offense. Wanted to see more #4 and got it in a big way...would still like to see him starting. Wanted to see less McAdams...did he even play yesterday...oh, he started.

I'm happy today with what I saw.

[Jalapeño Zippy]

Early changes to this team from last year:

• Ball Movement is fantastic at this early stage of the season. The ball doesn't get passed down to the post and stay there. If the guy has no shot, it gets kicked back out and swung around to the open player. This hasn't happened in a while. It seems like we would dribble, dribble and dribble some more and sometimes the ball would get passed down and if it did, the shot was forced.
• Players are picking each other up off the floor. I never saw this over the past few years, where I always saw other teams doing this all the time. I didn't get it. Well now I do...chemistry, egos, etc... got in the way. In the past it has been a me first group, this group is clearly team first.

I'm excited again about Zips Basketball!

Looking forward to the Penn State game and beyond.

[VAZip]

How great to be a Zips Fan this morning! Only time I yelled at the TV was when Gladden was on the court! Just thinking....Is this a better TEAM without Tree? If so, what do you do if he magically reappears? Can't wait for Tuesday night.

[1981 grad]

Biggest change from last year is this team won a game from the foul line and shot 81% while South Carolina shot 55%.

Evans had a solid game shooting 4 of 6 with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. He had some great drives and finishes to the basket. I would like him to learn to take some easy jump shots. He does not have to take 3 pointers every time he shoots.

Pat looks very solid in the post. He did not drop any passes and had only 2 turnovers. I think it is essential that we play with only one post player. Pat is much better when he has the whole lane to operate. He can drive to the left and use his drop step moves. I believe that it why he is more effective. Without Big Dog and Tree clogging the lane with their defensive players, it is much more difficult to double and triple team Pat. Kwon is not a post up player and this keeps the lane open for our guards. Even in the second half at Miami, Pat had open shots but they were not dropping.

I really thought that McAdams would have a solid tournament. He was rebounding well in Akron and seemed to be doing more that just standing on the wing. I do not like our offense where Kretzer and McAdams are wing players to shoot the 3 ball but that seems to be their role. Kretzer was at his best when Miami went to a zone and they left him wide open for the 3 ball. After he made a couple they came out of the zone.

I thought Kwan is much improved from last year. He was perfect from the line and made 2 foul shots to seal the game. (Also something different from last year). The only time he hurt us was in the second half of the Miami game where he forced a three, took a bad 2, and then lost his man on defense who sunk a 3. Their 5 point lead quickly went to 10 point lead. He has a great deal of potential and could be a beast the next 2 years if he gets stronger and learns to slash to the basket.

[MDZip]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this seems like as good of a spot as any. Was seated beside Kwan Cheatham at the team dinner on Saturday night and I just have to comment on what a terrific young man he was. Really polite, obviously very smart, good sense of humor, seemed very serious about both court work and classroom work, just was a really delightful guy to talk to. Love to see players like him on the team and really love it when they also start playing well. I will be rooting hard for this player for the next several years. Go Kwan!

[Captain Kangaroo]

After all the years of getting overly excited about Zips hoops, this was one preseason where I tempered my enthusiasm. Now, after 4 games, the Zips have suckered me in again. Bastards.

USC proved the don't completely suck, as they finished the tournament respectably. And we absolutely whupped 'em.

Going into the state of South Carolina and beating the Gamecocks? Beating them essentially wire-to-wire? Watching them choke-away free throws and be forced into late-game turnovers? Awesome.

Dr. Z is correct. Best ball movement I've ever seen from a Zips team. Robotham is a legit threat the drain a 3, or dribble-penetrate. So was Abreu, but his paella-addled belly prevented in from playing any defense. Noah plays great D too...I've wondered for years who'd be The Next Eric McLaughlin?" and I think he's finally arrived.

Forscythe was an absolute force. And that's without any Tree to share the load. I never saw that coming.

I never saw Cheatham's contributions coming so soon either. Every game he seems to be taking big strides forward. Especially in the post.

Deji seems to have grown from liability (year #1 and #2) to a high-percentage 3-point shooting guard and defensive specialist (year #3) to a confident kid who, on top of everything else, is now finishing at the rim, hitting his FT's.

I can't get too down on Gladden. He looked like a manic trainwreck for most of his game minutes. But he has the game and athleticism to contribute good Freshman minutes once his pulse slows down a bit.

Antino had some good learning moments this past weekend. He's a baller. He just needs minutes under his belt to improve his game.

Big Dog? He's gotta give Forscythe a breather. I know his hand was injured, but OMG was his "plus/minus" scary. And man was he slow to get up-and-down.

There should be a great deal of confidence and swagger on display as the Zips take the floor against Penn State. They're on a roll. Win this one, and people will start talkin'!

And as a final note - I hope this Tree situation comes to a quick conclusion. I'm already tired of seeing his face on the TV screen and hearing the story. He has his right to a fair and speedy resolution. It isn't fair to anyone that he twists in the wind for weeks-on-end.

[johnnyzip84]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this seems like as good of a spot as any. Was seated beside Kwan Cheatham at the team dinner on Saturday night and I just have to comment on what a terrific young man he was. Really polite, obviously very smart, good sense of humor, seemed very serious about both court work and classroom work, just was a really delightful guy to talk to. Love to see players like him on the team and really love it when they also start playing well. I will be rooting hard for this player for the next several years. Go Kwan!

I'm not surprised at all. He certainly comes across this way on post-game interviews. Frenchy has even commmented on what a great radio voice Kwan has to boot. That late high school growth spurt of his has provided the Zips with a player of an unusual skill set. With a little more strength development, he can hopefully become a better rebounder - he's already shown me that he has worked extremely hard on his defense between this season and last.

It's early still, but Kwan is one of several Zips in 2014-2015 who are threatening to at least partially disprove the commonly held notion that player development is nonexistent under KD.

[K92]

Great post, CK. I am attempting to tamp down my expectations or I might wind up disappointed. Lessons learned as a Zips fan should stay with me longer before the irrational exuberance bug bites me again. Oh well. Go Zips!

[Zips Win!]

Agree, Excellent post CK. I had to listen to this one before I got to watch it. The radio broadcast was like a million times better than listening to the two dudes on

ESPN pulling for South Carolina to find a way to win.

Four games in and what a difference it makes when you have a point guard. Already he is making everyone of his teammates a better player.

Hats off to those who travelled. I felt bad when Tree was suspended....Seems like it all worked out OK.

[akronzips71]

How great to be a Zips Fan this morning! Only time I yelled at the TV was when Gladden was on the court! Just thinking....Is this a better TEAM without Tree? If so, what do you do if he magically reappears? Can't wait for Tuesday night.

You get a lot more rebounds

[Dave in Green]

Maybe a Zips first here: The two leading rebounders were the starting guards -- Noah (6) and Nyles (5). Great hustle. Plus SC frontcourt players were crashing the boards so hard that longer rebounds were going over their heads and getting out to the guards.