Paul Lewis (Matt's brother) re-offered by Coach Byington

https://twitter.com/iampaullewis_/status...4179770370

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/paul-lewis

Class of 2022 along with Paul Lewis and Tyler Nickel. Posting to here for now.

Offered Alphonzo Billups, 6-6 combo guard from Varina HS
Offers from Texas A&M, Murray State, Ole Miss, Richmond, Temple, Clemson, VCU, ODU, App State,

Verbal Commits: https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/al...illups-iii
247: https://247sports.com/Player/Alphonzo-Billups-46101684/
Rivals: none?

Also, unrelated but I was wondering if anyone knew the connection of our staff to Will Tschetter? I noticed he does have a couple of offers from schools in VA but he seems like a stretch offer without even factoring in that he is in Minnesota. He would be a absolutely huge get but I wonder what ties he has to our staff or VA?

http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/will-tschetter

(06-12-2020 12:05 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 11:36 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Lou recruited good athletes but I am not sure they were good basketball players. Their record would suggest they were not but maybe it was all coaching...maybe both.

On the Duke Club Zoom call, Byington mentioned recruiting small players. He went on to say that a smart player isn’t necessarily one that excels in the classroom but the player is smart on the court. This type of player reacts instinctively to the changing situations of the game very quicker. He said Cremins always told him that if he recruited smart players, they would always make him look like a smart coach.

The down fall for Lou imo is that although his players were good in the classroom and athletic, they weren’t real smart on the court. They also lacked mental toughness as evidenced by their missed free throws and inability to close games out.

Byington can add at least another 10 wins next year if his team makes a high percentage of their free throws and holds on to the lead late in games. Those were two things that led to most of JMUs losses.

One of the big concerns for Rowe being fired was that Rowe was such a good recruiter. I think in Coach B's short time here he has blown that argument out of the water.
I will say this about Rowe's program- he brought in players with great character. The program was clean.
I don't blame Rowe's recruiting as the problem. He brought in some very talented guys. The problem was always coaching. He was never able to escalate the players he brought in and work as a powerful unit. Players made the same mistakes on day 1 as they were making years later.
For the players that chose to stay, I expect to see them much better than they were a year ago. I think Lewis has the potential to be a star this season.

Totally agree.

I thought/think GOAT LR brought in plenty of talent, just never really got em “coached up”. Bit of Lefty-ism if you will.

More excited about this coming season than I’ve been in a decade+.

Lessssgo!!!

(06-16-2020 04:36 AM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 12:05 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 11:36 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Lou recruited good athletes but I am not sure they were good basketball players. Their record would suggest they were not but maybe it was all coaching...maybe both.

On the Duke Club Zoom call, Byington mentioned recruiting small players. He went on to say that a smart player isn’t necessarily one that excels in the classroom but the player is smart on the court. This type of player reacts instinctively to the changing situations of the game very quicker. He said Cremins always told him that if he recruited smart players, they would always make him look like a smart coach.

The down fall for Lou imo is that although his players were good in the classroom and athletic, they weren’t real smart on the court. They also lacked mental toughness as evidenced by their missed free throws and inability to close games out.

Byington can add at least another 10 wins next year if his team makes a high percentage of their free throws and holds on to the lead late in games. Those were two things that led to most of JMUs losses.

One of the big concerns for Rowe being fired was that Rowe was such a good recruiter. I think in Coach B's short time here he has blown that argument out of the water.
I will say this about Rowe's program- he brought in players with great character. The program was clean.
I don't blame Rowe's recruiting as the problem. He brought in some very talented guys. The problem was always coaching. He was never able to escalate the players he brought in and work as a powerful unit. Players made the same mistakes on day 1 as they were making years later.
For the players that chose to stay, I expect to see them much better than they were a year ago. I think Lewis has the potential to be a star this season.

Totally agree.

I thought/think GOAT LR brought in plenty of talent, just never really got em “coached up”. Bit of Lefty-ism if you will.

More excited about this coming season than I’ve been in a decade+.

Lessssgo!!!

Agree. However, I will say that my excitement is a little reserved. I've been disappointed so many times by this program I am not at a point where I can overlook what has happened year after year after year, etc. I will say this is the first time as far back as I can remember where I actually have hope that we have the right person for the job for a change. Lefty was the last time I didn't have any doubts when it came to the head coach.
I am used to this program disappointing me so my bar is set pretty low. The good news is that Coach B really doesn't have to do much to exceed my expectations. I don't expect too much this season (especially due to Covid-19) and understand it will take time (despite Coach B's assertions that we can turn things around right away).
What would it take to consider this a good season? Over .500 and winning more than a play-in game at the CAA tournment.

(06-16-2020 07:32 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 04:36 AM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 12:05 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 11:36 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Lou recruited good athletes but I am not sure they were good basketball players. Their record would suggest they were not but maybe it was all coaching...maybe both.

On the Duke Club Zoom call, Byington mentioned recruiting small players. He went on to say that a smart player isn’t necessarily one that excels in the classroom but the player is smart on the court. This type of player reacts instinctively to the changing situations of the game very quicker. He said Cremins always told him that if he recruited smart players, they would always make him look like a smart coach.

The down fall for Lou imo is that although his players were good in the classroom and athletic, they weren’t real smart on the court. They also lacked mental toughness as evidenced by their missed free throws and inability to close games out.

Byington can add at least another 10 wins next year if his team makes a high percentage of their free throws and holds on to the lead late in games. Those were two things that led to most of JMUs losses.

One of the big concerns for Rowe being fired was that Rowe was such a good recruiter. I think in Coach B's short time here he has blown that argument out of the water.
I will say this about Rowe's program- he brought in players with great character. The program was clean.
I don't blame Rowe's recruiting as the problem. He brought in some very talented guys. The problem was always coaching. He was never able to escalate the players he brought in and work as a powerful unit. Players made the same mistakes on day 1 as they were making years later.
For the players that chose to stay, I expect to see them much better than they were a year ago. I think Lewis has the potential to be a star this season.

Totally agree.

I thought/think GOAT LR brought in plenty of talent, just never really got em “coached up”. Bit of Lefty-ism if you will.

More excited about this coming season than I’ve been in a decade+.

Lessssgo!!!

Agree. However, I will say that my excitement is a little reserved. I've been disappointed so many times by this program I am not at a point where I can overlook what has happened year after year after year, etc. I will say this is the first time as far back as I can remember where I actually have hope that we have the right person for the job for a change. Lefty was the last time I didn't have any doubts when it came to the head coach.
I am used to this program disappointing me so my bar is set pretty low. The good news is that Coach B really doesn't have to do much to exceed my expectations. I don't expect too much this season (especially due to Covid-19) and understand it will take time (despite Coach B's assertions that we can turn things around right away).
What would it take to consider this a good season? Over .500 and winning more than a play-in game at the CAA tournment.

Most excited for me since the 2010-2011 season, but that's not saying much. I don't feel near the excitement that I use to have for Campanelli & Lefty. I'm nowhere near that at this point.

(06-16-2020 09:03 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 07:32 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 04:36 AM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 12:05 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 11:36 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  Lou recruited good athletes but I am not sure they were good basketball players. Their record would suggest they were not but maybe it was all coaching...maybe both.

On the Duke Club Zoom call, Byington mentioned recruiting small players. He went on to say that a smart player isn’t necessarily one that excels in the classroom but the player is smart on the court. This type of player reacts instinctively to the changing situations of the game very quicker. He said Cremins always told him that if he recruited smart players, they would always make him look like a smart coach.

The down fall for Lou imo is that although his players were good in the classroom and athletic, they weren’t real smart on the court. They also lacked mental toughness as evidenced by their missed free throws and inability to close games out.

Byington can add at least another 10 wins next year if his team makes a high percentage of their free throws and holds on to the lead late in games. Those were two things that led to most of JMUs losses.

One of the big concerns for Rowe being fired was that Rowe was such a good recruiter. I think in Coach B's short time here he has blown that argument out of the water.
I will say this about Rowe's program- he brought in players with great character. The program was clean.
I don't blame Rowe's recruiting as the problem. He brought in some very talented guys. The problem was always coaching. He was never able to escalate the players he brought in and work as a powerful unit. Players made the same mistakes on day 1 as they were making years later.
For the players that chose to stay, I expect to see them much better than they were a year ago. I think Lewis has the potential to be a star this season.

Totally agree.

I thought/think GOAT LR brought in plenty of talent, just never really got em “coached up”. Bit of Lefty-ism if you will.

More excited about this coming season than I’ve been in a decade+.

Lessssgo!!!

Agree. However, I will say that my excitement is a little reserved. I've been disappointed so many times by this program I am not at a point where I can overlook what has happened year after year after year, etc. I will say this is the first time as far back as I can remember where I actually have hope that we have the right person for the job for a change. Lefty was the last time I didn't have any doubts when it came to the head coach.
I am used to this program disappointing me so my bar is set pretty low. The good news is that Coach B really doesn't have to do much to exceed my expectations. I don't expect too much this season (especially due to Covid-19) and understand it will take time (despite Coach B's assertions that we can turn things around right away).
What would it take to consider this a good season? Over .500 and winning more than a play-in game at the CAA tournment.

Most excited for me since the 2010-2011 season, but that's not saying much. I don't feel near the excitement that I use to have for Campanelli & Lefty. I'm nowhere near that at this point.

Hang onto that thought. I think you might see that "excitement" rekindled with Coach B in da' house.

It's hard to evaluate the talent of Rowe's tenure because I think his teams were poorly coached. In my humble opinion, Byington is bringing in higher caliber players than Rowe did. If you watch the video clips, his recruits also fit the same mold across the board in that their playing styles fit with how he wants to play, as opposed to a hodge-podge of playing styles. Seems like a simple concept, but how many coaches adhere to that, at least in terms of what we've seen from JMU coaches? I think there's every reason to be excited about the prospects of a Coach B tenure. I also like the fact that he wants to play a challenging out of conference schedule. That allows for better recruits, more exposure and a true test of where the program stands, not to mention increasing fan interest. The caliber of his assistants is also significantly better.

Back to the thread on hand... 2021 and 2022 recruiting

Mettlen has a new article out https://www.dnronline.com/sports/nickel-...951cc.html with an awful opening line

"Teenagers staying up all night to answer calls and texts from middle-aged men they may never have even met might, under normal circumstances, at the very least raise some eyebrows." Who is editing this stupid take? DNR asleep at the wheel

East Rock HS Tyler Nickel now has an offer from JMU

That's a super creepy opening line, but recruiting can be a creepy thing... after all, Jim Harbaugh slept at a kid's house once.

(06-16-2020 09:38 AM)Purple Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 09:03 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 07:32 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 04:36 AM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 12:05 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  One of the big concerns for Rowe being fired was that Rowe was such a good recruiter. I think in Coach B's short time here he has blown that argument out of the water.
I will say this about Rowe's program- he brought in players with great character. The program was clean.
I don't blame Rowe's recruiting as the problem. He brought in some very talented guys. The problem was always coaching. He was never able to escalate the players he brought in and work as a powerful unit. Players made the same mistakes on day 1 as they were making years later.
For the players that chose to stay, I expect to see them much better than they were a year ago. I think Lewis has the potential to be a star this season.

Totally agree.

I thought/think GOAT LR brought in plenty of talent, just never really got em “coached up”. Bit of Lefty-ism if you will.

More excited about this coming season than I’ve been in a decade+.

Lessssgo!!!

Agree. However, I will say that my excitement is a little reserved. I've been disappointed so many times by this program I am not at a point where I can overlook what has happened year after year after year, etc. I will say this is the first time as far back as I can remember where I actually have hope that we have the right person for the job for a change. Lefty was the last time I didn't have any doubts when it came to the head coach.
I am used to this program disappointing me so my bar is set pretty low. The good news is that Coach B really doesn't have to do much to exceed my expectations. I don't expect too much this season (especially due to Covid-19) and understand it will take time (despite Coach B's assertions that we can turn things around right away).
What would it take to consider this a good season? Over .500 and winning more than a play-in game at the CAA tournment.

Most excited for me since the 2010-2011 season, but that's not saying much. I don't feel near the excitement that I use to have for Campanelli & Lefty. I'm nowhere near that at this point.

Hang onto that thought. I think you might see that "excitement" rekindled with Coach B in da' house.

Hope so - but I've found in life and business it's best for me to wait until you see the actual results.

Optimistic? Yes, but really I would say more "very hopeful". I don't recall a basketball coach, other than perhaps Lou, that fans were not super excited prior to their first season. Even with Lou there seemed to gather a bit of excitement about this time prior to his first season. I'd be surprised if we did not significantly improve after the coaching change. To really move the needle in Harrisonburg he's going to need to create a top 100 program, and likely 75 program. Not sure if he does it, but I think that is a very achievable goal at JMU. We'll see.......

As long as we don't end up in the Keener-Rowe round, I'll consider this season a success. Hoping to see the rising sophomores develop further as well.

A lot of reference to the "type" of players to fit Coach B's "style" of play. At the risk of sounding like the organized game has passed me by...because it has...what is that?
the only truly unique styles where you would need a certain type of player to fit I thought were...
Princeton - slow, efficient back door cuts
VCU - relentless pressure (Mayhem)
UVA - lock-down defense
Syracuse - long wing-span close-outs for that zone
Loyola's - run & gun
everyone else seems to have bits and pieces of all of those, but not any overriding theme. What is Coach B's objective in the players he is bringing in? They look talented, but what is the theme I am missing? slashers that get to the hoop?

(06-16-2020 06:29 PM)Halz87 Wrote:  A lot of reference to the "type" of players to fit Coach B's "style" of play. At the risk of sounding like the organized game has passed me by...because it has...what is that?
the only truly unique styles where you would need a certain type of player to fit I thought were...
Princeton - slow, efficient back door cuts
VCU - relentless pressure (Mayhem)
UVA - lock-down defense
Syracuse - long wing-span close-outs for that zone
Loyola's - run & gun
everyone else seems to have bits and pieces of all of those, but not any overriding theme. What is Coach B's objective in the players he is bringing in? They look talented, but what is the theme I am missing? slashers that get to the hoop?

He seems to favor "positionless" players who are interchangeable and can play at multiple spots/roles. Hasn't been afraid to recruit tall players, but I think even in taller players likes those that can also shoot outside shots and handle the ball well. Versatility is the adjective that comes to mind. Also looks for "basketball smart" players that can learn to create their own plays and take what opens up, rather than rely just on a fixed set of plays drawn up by coaches.

I might be missing something, but these seem to be the characteristics Coach B is talking about. Think his players at GSU tended to be a bit shorter, but with these same traits.

Question: does anyone on here have information or knowledge about a true PG from the 757, Allen Strothers? I heard JMU was looking at him but see no offer. I know Hampton has offered. His dad played in the NBA (drafted by Golden State and then traded to Portland) Lamont Strothers. Dad coaches down here too. Just wondering about this player, dad is a big name, have no idea if son has that kind of talent or would fit the system at JMU.

Does he coach at a school or AAU?

(06-17-2020 09:00 AM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  Question: does anyone on here have information or knowledge about a true PG from the 757, Allen Strothers? I heard JMU was looking at him but see no offer. I know Hampton has offered. His dad played in the NBA (drafted by Golden State and then traded to Portland) Lamont Strothers. Dad coaches down here too. Just wondering about this player, dad is a big name, have no idea if son has that kind of talent or would fit the system at JMU.

Haven't seen any news on him linking him to JMU (yet). 10 schools on him per VerbalCommits

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/allen-strothers

(06-15-2020 09:17 PM)Anders Wrote:  Also, unrelated but I was wondering if anyone knew the connection of our staff to Will Tschetter? I noticed he does have a couple of offers from schools in VA but he seems like a stretch offer without even factoring in that he is in Minnesota. He would be a absolutely huge get but I wonder what ties he has to our staff or VA?

http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/will-tschetter

I would guess the kid has a VA connection. I think he has 4 VA schools offering him and it seems like his interest is from VA and the Mid-West so he likely has family out here or some other connection out here more so than a connection to a coach on staff. Just my thoughts.

(06-16-2020 01:06 PM)Bawlmer Duke Wrote:  Back to the thread on hand... 2021 and 2022 recruiting

Mettlen has a new article out https://www.dnronline.com/sports/nickel-...951cc.html with an awful opening line

"Teenagers staying up all night to answer calls and texts from middle-aged men they may never have even met might, under normal circumstances, at the very least raise some eyebrows." Who is editing this stupid take? DNR asleep at the wheel

East Rock HS Tyler Nickel now has an offer from JMU

Tyler Nickel would be a big get. I believe his dad works at JMU. maybe with the new arena, the new coach and a little success this year, Tyler will give JMU strong consideration

(06-17-2020 12:47 PM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 01:06 PM)Bawlmer Duke Wrote:  Back to the thread on hand... 2021 and 2022 recruiting

Mettlen has a new article out https://www.dnronline.com/sports/nickel-...951cc.html with an awful opening line

"Teenagers staying up all night to answer calls and texts from middle-aged men they may never have even met might, under normal circumstances, at the very least raise some eyebrows." Who is editing this stupid take? DNR asleep at the wheel

East Rock HS Tyler Nickel now has an offer from JMU

Tyler Nickel would be a big get. I believe his dad works at JMU. maybe with the new arena, the new coach and a little success this year, Tyler will give JMU strong consideration

He looks like a mini Larry Bird.