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https://thedailydragon.com/2017/02/20/st...-struggle/

(02-20-2017 01:53 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  https://thedailydragon.com/2017/02/20/st...-struggle/

I had a bad feeling before this season started when I heard that Watts and Sullivan were being red shirted. It immediately cost the team depth and options if someone got hurt or went into a slump. I just can't understand why this was done in the first place with upperclassmen that both added a lot to the team.

(02-20-2017 03:04 PM)bigdunks Wrote:  

(02-20-2017 01:53 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  https://thedailydragon.com/2017/02/20/st...-struggle/

I had a bad feeling before this season started when I heard that Watts and Sullivan were being red shirted. It immediately cost the team depth and options if someone got hurt or went into a slump. I just can't understand why this was done in the first place with upperclassmen that both added a lot to the team.

It was because neither was expected to play meaningful minutes and they could sit out a year, work on their game, and have a much bigger role next year plus provide added experience. Kinda ironic in that many wished Sullivan would have to taken a redshirt frosh year to be around and have a larger role later anyway...

Yeah, I think that those guys red-shirting is still a good idea. Seeing how this year has played out, I'm actually bummed for Watts that he had to come off his redshirt year. Can't imagine playing without him would have made that big of a difference in our post-season prospects. But you know...hindsight.

(02-20-2017 03:26 PM)iam4uab Wrote:  Yeah, I think that those guys red-shirting is still a good idea. Seeing how this year has played out, I'm actually bummed for Watts that he had to come off his redshirt year. Can't imagine playing without him would have made that big of a difference in our post-season prospects. But you know...hindsight.

I just don't understand the idea of going into the season with one true PG on the roster, especially one with a history of knee problems. Like you, I agree that in hindsight it would have been best to leave the redshirt on Watts given the way this season has turned out.

Other team scores more points than we do, in a lot of cases lately at least a dozen more points.

Kinda wish we would have redshirted Smallwood this season based on his playing time...

(02-20-2017 03:48 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Kinda wish we would have redshirted Smallwood this season based on his playing time...

Agree with this given Smallwood's complete lack of development. Williams and Darling have basically been non factors this year also.

(02-20-2017 04:05 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  

(02-20-2017 03:48 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Kinda wish we would have redshirted Smallwood this season based on his playing time...

Agree with this given Smallwood's complete lack of development. Williams and Darling have basically been non factors this year also.

I think back to the Kansas game where I believe Ehsan staff made a decision to work in to the roster deep and frequently throughout the season to work towards next year. I can't imagine anyone would have expected we would have seen our two freshman get first half minutes against Kansas. We had a perfect storm of roster shake up.

(02-20-2017 03:48 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Kinda wish we would have redshirted Smallwood this season based on his playing time...

I believe Smallwood was only granted 4 years to play 4 by the NCAA so redshirting is not an option.

Williams played better early on but seems to have hit the "freshman wall".

(02-20-2017 04:32 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Williams played better early on but seems to have hit the "freshman wall".

Not sure if it's been mentioned on here but it's my understanding he was asked to completely change his shot form once he arrived at UAB. You can see it, too. He was a much better shooter in high school.

(02-20-2017 04:45 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  

(02-20-2017 04:32 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Williams played better early on but seems to have hit the "freshman wall".

Not sure if it's been mentioned on here but it's my understanding he was asked to completely change his shot form once he arrived at UAB. You can see it, too. He was a much better shooter in high school.

Makes zero sense why they would ask him to do that. Williams athleticism is off the charts; unfortunately he hasn't shown more than a couple of flashes of his abilities as a basketball player. This is not a knock on him because I've seen the kid play in high school so I know he can.

I seem to recall his having a pretty low release point in HS. It is still pretty low(as is Norton, Denzell, & Darling)...

From interviews, it was my impression that it was Watts decision to redshirt, not the coaches. I remember an interview after the injury where Ehsan stated that Denzell decided to pull the redshirt.

It might have been Sullivan's decision as well

Despite the current outcome of games played, we pretty much have - split all games - except Middle and that game, has yet to be played. I like the makeup of UAB's Team and what we are doing; the thing; I see, is what/ is separating this team and the goods/ are that they are winning- the away games - late in the season and we seem to be dropping off. But I attest, the teams that we have played are really - well coached/ to me, it's not a loss, in terms of the team - just the schedule in which we have played and these teams come out hungry after a loss and were on the road (this divides the upper winning teams) (I Still think/ this team /is as\ talented - as any one (team) in our league) I Still Believe in this Basketball Team At UAB. I Like Our Team and our Coaches, Belief in a [Team] can go a long way.

(02-20-2017 05:38 PM)BirminghamJoseph2770 Wrote:  Despite the current outcome of games played we pretty much have split all games except Middle and that game has yet to be played. I like the makeup of UAB's Team and what we are doing the thing I see is what is separating this team and the goods are that they are winning the away games late in the season and we seem to be dropping off. But I attest the teams that we have played are really well coached to me its not a loss in terms of the team just the schedule in which we have played and these teams come out hungry after a loss and were on the road (this divides the upper winning teams) (I Still think this team is as talented as any one in our league) I Still Believe in this Basketball Team At UAB. I Like Our Team and our Coaches, Belief in a Team can go a long way.

Punctuation is your friend, bud.

(02-20-2017 05:48 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  

(02-20-2017 05:38 PM)BirminghamJoseph2770 Wrote:  Despite the current outcome of games played we pretty much have split all games except Middle and that game has yet to be played. I like the makeup of UAB's Team and what we are doing the thing I see is what is separating this team and the goods are that they are winning the away games late in the season and we seem to be dropping off. But I attest the teams that we have played are really well coached to me its not a loss in terms of the team just the schedule in which we have played and these teams come out hungry after a loss and were on the road (this divides the upper winning teams) (I Still think this team is as talented as any one in our league) I Still Believe in this Basketball Team At UAB. I Like Our Team and our Coaches, Belief in a Team can go a long way.

Punctuation is your friend, bud.

Thanks Pal, I Agree, Content is meaning, My Friend. ./ (Still, Have my grammar book (from College), It's in storage, waiting to get it back out but really appreciate it. Is I ever lower case, think when its used in a word it is, but used alone its upper case. Just the same, Thanks Bud, I still like our Team. Made a few quick edits - it might not flow the same but might be more understandable.

(02-20-2017 01:53 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  https://thedailydragon.com/2017/02/20/st...-struggle/

Good analysis. Thanks

Sullivan definitely was the one responsible for his red shirt.

Watts may have thought he would be out of action until January and that it would be best if he redshirted as well.

Once Norton went down Watts saw that his playing time would go up.