How Good Is Swiech?

[sgm405]

Anyone see him play or know how he's looked in practices and workouts? He could be the X factor next year - relying on Mike Bardo to fill the middle won't be a good thing for this team.

[GoZips]

Steve has a BIG body. He also has potential. He can score which is something that seems to escape Bardo. However, Swiech is a liability on defense. Jeff Boalsand company have all Spring and Summer to improve Steve's defensive skills.The Zips sure could use both big men. Both need to make big improvements to be effective and get a lot of playing time.I, personally, have come to see it KD's way. KD covets Zeke Marshall. Zeke is supposedly better than either Bardo or Swiech. Zeke still has a year of high school.We need Zeke. Let us hope that coach James can reel him in.Second choice is Reggie Keely. Keely is a six-seven wide body with an attitude. One thing the Zips sorely need is a player on the floor with attitude and a body to back it up.

[Blue & Gold]

Let us hope that coach James can reel him in.

Ha! Coach James! Go LBJ! He's a true homeboy! I love that guy; he's really "kept it real," and still loves his hometown of Akron! Gotta love Bron-Bron.

[Valpo Zip]

Good one Gozips I remember when the hippies were flipping him up in the Mac center last year. If anything, we now know that he will never donate a penny or do anything to directly or indirectly help their institution.

[Blue & Gold]

Good one Gozips I remember when the hippies were flipping him up in the Mac center last year. If anything, we now know that he will never donate a penny or do anything to directly or indirectly help their institution.

That incident was likely the icing on the cake. LBJ is now friends with Warren Buffet - the world's richest man - and receives investment advice directly from Warren himself. I'm sure that the ingenious and financially savvy Mr. Buffet had already warned Bron-Bron that any monetary investment in Can't State would be the financial equivalent of pissing down one's leg!

[nbs95]

Hmm, I'm very disappointed that you all seem to feel that Swiech is not as good as you think.Don't you have faith???I ran in to Coach Boals and he tells me that Swiech is not the player you saw play against Walsh University nor the high score that played in high school. In fact to quote coach Boals "You won't even recognize him".Swiech Stands 6'9.5" 255 pounds He is at the gym training every morning at 7:00 AM In his own free time he is on the court when ever he can. The boy knows and understands what all of you expect of him. Steve is dedicated and committed to the program and wants to strive for excellence, so please don't under estimate him. Sure he will be a little rough in the beginning, but what freshmen isn't?Some of you already have replaced him with Zeke and Zeke still is in high school. I saw Zeke play and no offense to the young man, but he couldn't score in all the first half of the game I wasn't really all that impressed Sure he has talent height but needs a Lot of work. Steve was 60 points shy of breaking 2000 points in high school, all of those points came from shooting 1's & 2's no 3's just 1's & 2's that is hard to do. Akron lost games because of the lack of not making their free shots. Swiech has a nice touch when shooting free throws. I heard that he is a better center, then Bardo, Swiech only red shirted because he would not get playing minutes. By Swiech red shirting, he will get more playing time next season. Who know he might even start.Partial I maybe but, at least lets wait to next year to see how he plays before you right him off.

[Valpo Zip]

Hmm, I'm very disappointed that you all seem to feel that Swiech is not as good as you think.Don't you have faith???I ran in to Coach Boals and he tells me that Swiech is not the player you saw play against Walsh University nor the high score that played in high school. In fact to quote coach Boals "You won't even recognize him".Swiech Stands 6'9.5" 255 pounds He is at the gym training every morning at 7:00 AM In his own free time he is on the court when ever he can. The boy knows and understands what all of you expect of him. Steve is dedicated and committed to the program and wants to strive for excellence, so please don't under estimate him. Sure he will be a little rough in the beginning, but what freshmen isn't?Some of you already have replaced him with Zeke and Zeke still is in high school. I saw Zeke play and no offense to the young man, but he couldn't score in all the first half of the game I wasn't really all that impressed Sure he has talent height but needs a Lot of work. Steve was 60 points shy of breaking 2000 points in high school, all of those points came from shooting 1's & 2's no 3's just 1's & 2's that is hard to do. Akron lost games because of the lack of not making their free shots. Swiech has a nice touch when shooting free throws. I heard that he is a better center, then Bardo, Swiech only red shirted because he would not get playing minutes. By Swiech red shirting, he will get more playing time next season. Who know he might even start.Partial I maybe but, at least lets wait to next year to see how he plays before you right him off.

nbs i don't see why would you be disappointed. We are not saying that Steve is not good, How could we? we never seen him play to start with. Some of us are worried about the team's performance next year because it consists of a lot of new comers and you don't know what to expect from someone who never played before.Also, How would we sell Steve for Zeke? Neither Steve nor Zeke can play 40 minutes a game so we need both of them and being excited about Zeke should not alert Steve at all.How would you like this line up in 2 years if Zeke decides to come here?PG: Steward, HumptySG: Sullivan, McneeseSF: Brett, CventinovicPF: Bardo, ChrisC: Steve, ZekeI don't know where would you fit Roberts, Parish, and Mclanahan... but if those guys are half as good as advertised, we should be in a pretty good shape.

[nbs95]

Steve is a solid player and I think that the hype around him was dash when KD red shirt him. When that happen I felt that he lost any chance to make it to the NBA. The kid has talent and more importantly drive to excel. I even question his decision to come to Akron. No one was more disappointed in what happen, then his fan back home. Now I sit here and look positively and say, look at McNees he red shirt and now has been voted top freshmen in the MAC and 14th in the country.So thier is hope.

[Blue & Gold]

nbs, none of us were dissing Steven at all. GoZips did mention that he had heard that Steven needs a bit of work on his D, but who doesn't, eh? Then the topic was changed to "Coach LeBron James" for a bit.I think we're all very excited to see Steven out on the court. Honestly, I believe that Steven will be the first truly skilled center we've had since I've been following Zips basketball. I love Jeremiah Wood, but he's only 6-6, so I actually consider him more of a power forward playing out of necessity at the 5-spot. And, skhorbotly, here's how I'm thinking the lineup will shake down if Zeke commits to UA:PG: Steward, HumptySG: Sullivan, Mcneese, Roberts, Brooks (good grief where do we find minutes here?)SF: Brett, MclanahanPF: Chris, Cventivovic (I just call him Nic!)C: Steve, Zeke, Bardo in mop-up minutesI moved Mclanahan to SF, Nic to PF and Bardo to mop up duty at the 5-spot. Wow, what a roster; what versatility! If Can't State doesn't strike gold w/ another JUCO recruit next year, then after Al Fisher graduates we should be ahead of the Golden Flushes for the following 3 years.

[Quickzips]

I don't think anyone is really down on Steve, but noone really knows exactley what we have in him yet. He wouldn't be the first player to redshirt a year and have a great career here and he wouldn't be the first person to bust out after coming in with high expectations. This is going to be a VERY young team next year. We're going to be developing a lot of these guys on the fly so to speak and Steve isn't going to be one of them. I'd love nothing more than to see Steve come in and give us 20-25 minutes at C, scoring 8-12 points per game, grabing 6-8 rebounds per game and playing tough defense inside. As far as people giving up on Steve for Zeke, I don't think anyone is doing that at all. At the MAC level you can NEVER have enough talented big men. Having a 7'0" (by the time he gets here if he comes) Zeke and a 6'9"-6'10" Steve along with a 6'10" Bardo gives this team a leg up on just about every other team in the conference down the road and I have to believe that KD could find enough playing time for all of them. I don't know about you guys but in 2 years I really like a lineup like this:G:McNees: 3rd year of experienceRoberts: 3rd yearHitchens: 2nd yearSullivan: 2nd yearSteward: 2nd yearF:Chris McKnight: 4th year of experienceBrett McKnight: 3rd yearCvetinovic: 2nd yearMcClanahan: 2nd yearParrish: 2nd yearC:Bardo: 3rd year of experienceSteve: 2nd yearZeke: 1st yearI don't see a whole lot of holes in that kind of a lineup. There's depth, there's quickness, there's shooting, there's inside presence. That lineup gives us at least two to three more years where we have a legit chance to make some tourney runs.

[nbs95]

Well I know one thing is that the zips are awful on the free throw line and they don't seem to get the rebounds.Swiech is solid on the line and is good at getting the rebounds.