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Three Freshman of the Apocalypse


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We're 7-2, and about to receive the infusion of three "impact" players for the remainder of the season. How soon can they adjust? Who's playing time is diminished?Will Ced get time to rest his knees?Which of the three will be "game-ready" the quickest?Look out, MAC, here we come!ThreeFreshman_a.jpg
Their freshman remember, I just don't see them getting that much minutes, and I think Steward will be redshirted... we will see
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Very creative. I guess this is why everyone keeps calling them the "cavalry".I'm not quite sure why some people are thinking that this is going to make a big difference with this basketball team this year. They'll be fighting just to get playing time this year. Maybe, if we're lucky, one or two might develop into impact players for the future. But to expect any of them to make us a significantly better team, this year, is probably wishful thinking.

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Very creative. I guess this is why everyone keeps calling them the "cavalry".I'm not quite sure why some people are thinking that this is going to make a big difference with this basketball team this year. They'll be fighting just to get playing time this year. Maybe, if we're lucky, one or two might develop into impact players for the future. But to expect any of them to make us a significantly better team, this year, is probably wishful thinking.
What I said! Agreed, and are we that bad that people think this is going to make the difference? Don't see it... don't think they will impact that much.....
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Very creative. I guess this is why everyone keeps calling them the "cavalry".I'm not quite sure why some people are thinking that this is going to make a big difference with this basketball team this year. They'll be fighting just to get playing time this year. Maybe, if we're lucky, one or two might develop into impact players for the future. But to expect any of them to make us a significantly better team, this year, is probably wishful thinking.
:rolleyes: Yep .. no room for improvement or added depth on this team. And some backcourt depth here wouldn't help our shooting percentage. Whatever.It is entirely feasible that one or more of these guys can make an impact on the outcome of the season for this team. No one here is saying any of these guys are coming in here to average a triple double. We're seeing weaknesses on the team surrounding numbers & rest in the backcourt .. and specifically having to play guys (Dials) out of position, which affects their normal output.Besides, if I listen to some of you guys, we've NEVER had a freshman make an impact on the team. Not Peterson, not Joyce, not Travis or Wood. And thats the past 6 years.I for one look for a little infusion of energy from the new guys .. and some better substitution numbers.Go Zips! B)B)B)B)
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Be at Wednesday's game against NC A&T. Then decide if they are impact players. I say they are. Most especially Bret McKnight who may well be the best player on theteam RIGHT NOW. If Darryl Roberts emerges as he should, Dambrot will have the luxury of red shirting Ronnie Steward.Friday against YSU should be even more of an eye opener.Really glad to have these men in uniform and a bit sorted out in time for the Dayton game.Now, if I can only talk my son into driving down to Dayton. I'll be a tad trashed as I return from Providence that morning after celebrating New Years with friends.Personally, I believe Zippy kicked some gopher butt. I managed to vote over 500 times Monday morning to go along with 500 Sunday votes, 900 Saturday votes and350-500 each of the other days. Not to brag, just want Zips fans to know some serious votes came from this old laptop.

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even if these guys can come in to give the starters some rest it would help.right now dials and middleton do not seem to be healthy.all we need these guys to do is come in and give us a few min here, and there.it would do wonders at the end of the game.i would think middleton,dials,and mc neese have to be gassed at the end of the game.they dont have to be superstars just come in and give us some quality min should do wonders to this team.i would think kd could press a little more with a deeper team if he wanted to and force things up tempo.

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even if these guys can come in to give the starters some rest it would help.right now dials and middleton do not seem to be healthy.all we need these guys to do is come in and give us a few min here, and there.it would do wonders at the end of the game.i would think middleton,dials,and mc neese have to be gassed at the end of the game.they dont have to be superstars just come in and give us some quality min should do wonders to this team.i would think kd could press a little more with a deeper team if he wanted to and force things up tempo.
Have these guys been practicing, or are ethey just now allowed to practice too?If they haven't been practicing, they will have very little impact.
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Have these guys been practicing, or are they just now allowed to practice too?
If you're ineligible, there's no practice. You can't even attend practice as an observer. You'd like to think that Chris McKnight might have discussed the playbook with his little 'bro over Thanksgiving, however. ;) In Steward's case, he practiced only briefly before the injury.
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Have these guys been practicing, or are they just now allowed to practice too?
If you're ineligible, there's no practice. You can't even attend practice as an observer. You'd like to think that Chris McKnight might have discussed the playbook with his little 'bro over Thanksgiving, however. ;) In Steward's case, he practiced only briefly before the injury.
Pretty sure Steward won't be playing Wednesday, the other two, yes.... but they have just started practice like the others have said, so not sure what kind of impact they are going to have this week.....
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ok...ok...Some of you are insisting that this team instantly becomes a dramatically better team with these guys in the lineup. Unless we have an Eric McLaughlin or Jimmal Ball in the group, it's rare that a freshman steps on the court and becomes a difference maker. At this point, all of these guys have "potential". Yes, Brett McKnight comes in as a highly-touted freshman. I hope he lives up to his billing. But, he'll likely need some time to develop. This team will win or lose this year behind Wood, Dials, and Middleton. Plain and simple. All I am saying is that we should keep our hopes in check when thinking that this will instantly make us a great basketball team. But... I am looking forward to seeing these guys finally get on our court.

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Have these guys been practicing, or are they just now allowed to practice too?
If you're ineligible, there's no practice. You can't even attend practice as an observer. You'd like to think that Chris McKnight might have discussed the playbook with his little 'bro over Thanksgiving, however. ;) In Steward's case, he practiced only briefly before the injury.
Pretty sure Steward won't be playing Wednesday, the other two, yes.... but they have just started practice like the others have said, so not sure what kind of impact they are going to have this week.....
If they haven't been practicing, it will take them a minimum of a few weeks just to get their legs back and the rust out. I don't see any freshman that missed all of preseason practice, and the first part of the season making an impact.Maybe by February, after they have 1-1/2 months of practices and games under their belt, but not now.
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Guys,Let's be realistic here.....There were quite a few people on this board that were saying 6 months ago that guys like Swiech, Steward, and B. McKnight would give us the guys we needed to win the MAC this year.Well...I don't think Swiech will even play this year.Steward may redshirt as well.B McKnight might be the only one ready right now to contribute anything, but that will likely be in limited minutes.Just like C. Jackson, our prized QB that we couldn't WAIT to see play, things don't always turn out as we expect.Let's hope that the cavalry can contribute "something" to our success this year, and leave it at that. I'd rather be surprised, as opposed to setting my expectations way too high. And with freshman....well...you never know what you are going to get. Like I said earlier, a freshman season like Jimmal Ball's or Eric McLaughlin's doesn't happen very often. Let's hope for the best.Go Zips !!

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In the "big picture", it's far more important how these guys are able to pitch in come February than over the next few games. If they have the ability that some seem to think, it's hard to see them NOT contributing on this team. Miami, OU and Can't all appear to have decent depth, so I would not discount this factor down the stretch in the MAC East.

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And with freshman....well...you never know what you are going to get. Like I said earlier, a freshman season like Jimmal Ball's or Eric McLaughlin's doesn't happen very often.
Exactly who is expecting that much here? Ball's freshman year was one of the worst seasons in Zips history .. he had to take every shot. McLaughlin was on a good team .. and has his number retired (finally).I don't see folks here saying these 3 guys are going to play 30 minutes each and supplant CM or ND as the stars of the team. What we're all hoping for is DEPTH .. especially at the guard spot. Even 10 minutes from DR will make an impact on the fortunes of the team. Not an impact because he's going to score 20 .. an impact because he spells CM & ND and allows the Zips to press more and with more energy. And better defense at the point will make the half court defense better.This isn't about going from 2-8 to go win the MAC. This is adding some bodies and athleticism to an already good team .. helping the team get more rested & get down to what it does best .. defend defend defend .. and shut people down.
Let's hope for the best.Go Zips !!
Amen .. isn't that what everyone is doing? B)B)B)B)
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This isn't about going from 2-8 to go win the MAC. This is adding some bodies and athleticism to an already good team .. helping the team get more rested & get down to what it does best .. defend defend defend .. and shut people down.
That pretty much sums up how I feel too. We're 7-2, and just got a lot deeper at guard.
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We'll see what happens. Hope for the best.I didn't make any comments about how McLaughlin or Ball's teams performed. Regardless, they did have good freshman seasons, and that is very rare. Someone made the comment that B. McKnight will instantly be the best player on the team. And all I am saying is "slow down folks"!!! :D

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The discussion of depth reminds me of one of my most favorite sports comments...."Depth is great until you have to use it." An injury to CM or ND would spell disaster for this team.How is McNeese (sp?) playing? I thought he played well enough at Winthrop that the inclusion of these three freshman wouldn't be that important......unless they are better players.

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We'll see what happens. Hope for the best.I didn't make any comments about how McLaughlin or Ball's teams performed. Regardless, they did have good freshman seasons, and that is very rare. Someone made the comment that B. McKnight will instantly be the best player on the team. And all I am saying is "slow down folks"!!! :D
Didn't everyone think that about Chris McKnight too?
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We'll see what happens. Hope for the best.I didn't make any comments about how McLaughlin or Ball's teams performed. Regardless, they did have good freshman seasons, and that is very rare. Someone made the comment that B. McKnight will instantly be the best player on the team. And all I am saying is "slow down folks"!!! :D
Ball was great as a freshman. He looked like a future NBA player off his Freshman year.
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GP1...I think that was the downfall of the Dan H. era. Ball was a great freshman. I was at the game where he scored 44 (I think) against Xavier. I thought he was a world beater. But, as that era would teach us, "development" as individuals, and as a team, really never happened over the next few years. Because, if I recall, there were many other freshmen on that team who we assumed "could only get better". Probably the primary reason why Dan was never looked upon by many as a guy who could grow a program.

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