(11-19-2014 12:45 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  

(11-19-2014 12:42 PM)Atlanta Wrote:  

(11-19-2014 12:14 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  Kedren is out of shape. WAAAAAAAAYYYY out of shape. Physically as well as mentally, it appears.

Pookie is a redshirt freshman who, like most freshman in their first real game, shat the bed so to speak. It didn't sound like he looked nearly as timid when he was playing in Canada, and he was being guarded by a preseason All-American yesterday. I think he will come along, and right now he looks like our best option at PG with the way that Johnson is defending.

The plan was for Pookie to be eligible last season, and hopefully get some mop-up duty (not that I trust it would've happened). Pookie was only a partial qualifier, so that threw a wrench in things. He's still been on campus for two years though, and it appears as though the staff hasn't brought him along very fast at all.

This staff has just not been very successful devloping any of the guards that they've brought in as freshman. Joe and Chris were good players, and Joe was borderline great in his last season, but it was a long road getting there.

But how can a coach overlook the need for a pt guard? Pookie has been enrolled for over a year. Even if he couldn't practice with the team (I don't know whether he could or couldn't), he could have been working at pt guard somewhere (summer leagues, controlled pick up games, etc) if it was JP's intent to use him at pt guard. Pookie has some real talent as a shooting guard even though he didn't show it against WSU - but put a guy like that at point with no experience against an AA guard just isn't going to help him or the team.

Pookie isn't a shooting guard anymore than Woodson is a point guard. Pookie has a nice stroke (although you can't tell from the past 2 games), but he's in his element running the pick and roll.

Pookie is a point guard. Kedren is a point guard. Those are the guys that you roll with.

Why Pookie hasn't developed more after a year of being around a college program is baffling, though. What has the staff had him doing?

It isn't much different from the 2011 team that had Coleman and Witherspoon as their leaders. Pookie needed for Kedren to play well, and to be a stabilizing force, and to keep everyone else calm. Instead, he was the worst player on the floor. When you have a bunch of guards that have never played D1 ball before and they see an experienced player like Kedren fall apart, it has to add to the shock of playing in their first meaningful game.

Hopefully; Kedren will improve quickly, will eat up a lot of minutes and will allow the rest of the guards to slowly get in the groove. If he doesn't, the rest of the guards are going to get better, but they will probably take more of their share of lumps than they should have to.