http://www.espn929.com/johnmartin/20-for...s/19273583

Very interesting stuff ... finishes with:

20. My take: It's an important season for Pastner, given that the Tigers won't be ranked in the Top 25 to start the season, and a lot is riding on the continued development of his sophomore forward. Strange as it sounds, Pastner has vowed to play through the post this season, and the Tigers need a fearless Nichols on the floor.

Wow. Great read. Thanks for posting. Hope Avery is a deadeye in games. Drew barham always shot light out in practice too.

This is the third time I've heard something really positive about Avery Woodson. That the kid can really light it up from outside and is a player. I'm kind of excited and anxious about this season

I like to hear that Akujobi is putting the kids through hell.

avery will be an impact player from the outside if he's at least as good as last year. don't know much beyond that although I believe ke stated he was one dimensional. I'm hoping he can become more of a complete player with defense

I don't claim to be a BB expert. Just a avg fan but JP's comment about Austin needing to work on a 17' shot caught my attention. Seemed like Austin played the low post while shaq would go to the high post. Does this indicate Austin will play the high post more this season? If so then it might imply that Dom is coming around and perhaps shaq will play more low than last year. Shaq is a good passer and if very active but not really a threat from the elbow.

(06-24-2014 08:19 PM)murphster Wrote:  I don't claim to be a BB expert. Just a avg fan but JP's comment about Austin needing to work on a 17' shot caught my attention. Seemed like Austin played the low post while shaq would go to the high post. Does this indicate Austin will play the high post more this season? If so then it might imply that Dom is coming around and perhaps shaq will play more low than last year. Shaq is a good passer and if very active but not really a threat from the elbow.

I feel like I saw Shaq make those elbow shots a decent amount last year, but I don't have the stats.

I really hope the 37% guy from JC isn't our big expectation.

(06-24-2014 09:51 PM)TigerStrong Wrote:  I really hope the 37% guy from JC isn't our big expectation.

You know we're going to have outlandish expectations about some player or another (every fanbase does, it's the preseason), why do you not want it to be Avery?

Good article; shows AN is maturing nicely. We need articles on the incoming guys, especially the transfers. I don't waste money on CA, so a free article on Tiger basketball is a gem for out of towners.

Just FYI --- BOTH Skal and Nichols are reported as putting on about 20 lbs of muscle during the off season.

(06-24-2014 04:47 PM)I_LUV_MEMPHISTIGERS Wrote:  "He took three weeks off after the season ended and then immersed himself in strength training..."

It was my understanding Austin had Sarwar lined up before the end of the season to immediately begin working out after the tournament. Does John Martin just make stuff up or am I mistaken?

"So he reached out to his former personal trainer, Tony Sarwar, with whom Nichols had worked closely on improving his strength while in high school at Briarcrest Christian, and put together a plan. He said, ‘Listen, the moment the season’s over, I know that I’ve gotta get stronger. I know that I’ve gotta be able to dominate the inside. I know that I’ve gotta push back offensively to be able to gain my position first. So the moment the season’s over, I want to get back to work,’ ” Sarwar said. “We started that Monday after the season and for the last two-and-a-half to three months we’ve just been killing it.”

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/201...id=dlvr.it


And Shaq said the same thing about Avery Woodson that he was the one that impressed him the most.

Maybe Sarwar was speaking in general terms. Maybe Martin was. Maybe AN was.

Not an issue as far I as I see it. Taking a couple of weeks off would seem to be a good idea after a long season. Let your body recovery, re-energize. The important thing is AN did what he needed to do and his body is proof.

(06-25-2014 11:16 AM)Tigerx3 Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 04:47 PM)I_LUV_MEMPHISTIGERS Wrote:  "He took three weeks off after the season ended and then immersed himself in strength training..."

It was my understanding Austin had Sarwar lined up before the end of the season to immediately begin working out after the tournament. Does John Martin just make stuff up or am I mistaken?

"So he reached out to his former personal trainer, Tony Sarwar, with whom Nichols had worked closely on improving his strength while in high school at Briarcrest Christian, and put together a plan. He said, ‘Listen, the moment the season’s over, I know that I’ve gotta get stronger. I know that I’ve gotta be able to dominate the inside. I know that I’ve gotta push back offensively to be able to gain my position first. So the moment the season’s over, I want to get back to work,’ ” Sarwar said. “We started that Monday after the season and for the last two-and-a-half to three months we’ve just been killing it.”

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/201...id=dlvr.it


And Shaq said the same thing about Avery Woodson that he was the one that impressed him the most.

Maybe Sarwar was speaking in general terms. Maybe Martin was. Maybe AN was.

Not an issue as far I as I see it. Taking a couple of weeks off would seem to be a good idea after a long season. Let your body recovery, re-energize. The important thing is AN did what he needed to do and his body is proof.

It appears he has worked hard...But hard work and performance increases are not one in the same...It all depends on what Sarwar had him working on.

(06-25-2014 11:34 AM)macgar32 Wrote:  

(06-25-2014 11:16 AM)Tigerx3 Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 04:47 PM)I_LUV_MEMPHISTIGERS Wrote:  "He took three weeks off after the season ended and then immersed himself in strength training..."

It was my understanding Austin had Sarwar lined up before the end of the season to immediately begin working out after the tournament. Does John Martin just make stuff up or am I mistaken?

"So he reached out to his former personal trainer, Tony Sarwar, with whom Nichols had worked closely on improving his strength while in high school at Briarcrest Christian, and put together a plan. He said, ‘Listen, the moment the season’s over, I know that I’ve gotta get stronger. I know that I’ve gotta be able to dominate the inside. I know that I’ve gotta push back offensively to be able to gain my position first. So the moment the season’s over, I want to get back to work,’ ” Sarwar said. “We started that Monday after the season and for the last two-and-a-half to three months we’ve just been killing it.”

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/201...id=dlvr.it


And Shaq said the same thing about Avery Woodson that he was the one that impressed him the most.

Maybe Sarwar was speaking in general terms. Maybe Martin was. Maybe AN was.

Not an issue as far I as I see it. Taking a couple of weeks off would seem to be a good idea after a long season. Let your body recovery, re-energize. The important thing is AN did what he needed to do and his body is proof.

It appears he has worked hard...But hard work and performance increases are not one in the same...It all depends on what Sarwar had him working on.

That story will begin to be told in a few weeks in Canada but AN seems to think he got bigger and stronger at no deficit to his quickness or hops. He had a lot of margin on his frame.

I don't mean this to diminish the hard work that AN has put in over the past few months at all, but 18 year old bodies are extremely susceptible to huge spurts of growth and huge strength increases when a kid first starts seriously lifting weights.

I was a junior (or maybe senior) in HS when I started lifting, and I gained 20 lbs in a semester. My bench press went up 40 lbs in 3 months. And the coach that was training us was your ordinary run of the mill HS slapd*ck coach who thought it was the height of strength training innovation to have upper body and lower body splits, and then a day in the middle of the week that we worked cardio and abs. Who knows what would've happened if I had a high-major NCAA trainer overseeing me.

(06-25-2014 01:12 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  I don't mean this to diminish the hard work that AN has put in over the past few months at all, but 18 year old bodies are extremely susceptible to huge spurts of growth and huge strength increases when a kid first starts seriously lifting weights.

I was a junior (or maybe senior) in HS when I started lifting, and I gained 20 lbs in a semester. My bench press went up 40 lbs in 3 months. And the coach that was training us was your ordinary run of the mill HS slapd*ck coach who thought it was the height of strength training innovation to have upper body and lower body splits, and then a day in the middle of the week that we worked cardio and abs. Who knows what would've happened if I had a high-major NCAA trainer overseeing me.

Feed the positive dog

Just as long as it doesn't puke on the rug later.

Sarwar had photos of Austin (NCAA violation) on his website, and mentioned him by name (NCAA violation), and he showed up on campus as skinny as he was in high school. Stokes; after supposedly being worked out rigorously by Sarwar showed up on campus in horrible condition. For many reasons, I'm thrilled to see AN being looked after by our strength coach.

(06-25-2014 01:38 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Sarwar had photos of Austin (NCAA violation) on his website, and mentioned him by name (NCAA violation), and he showed up on campus as skinny as he was in high school. Stokes; after supposedly being worked out rigorously by Sarwar showed up on campus in horrible condition. For many reasons, I'm thrilled to see AN being looked after by our strength coach.

I've got to agree.

(06-25-2014 01:24 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  Just as long as it doesn't puke on the rug later.

I've got to agree.