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(06-05-2018 02:59 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-05-2018 01:54 PM)T-Mac Wrote:  

(06-05-2018 12:28 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  Just simply wanted to see if you were committed to your comment or if you had merely overstated it as sometimes happens to us all.

It isn't solely about freshman stats in determining what skills a player had coming into college although that certainly factors into it. Some players will adjust to the college game and to their role on the team quicker than others will, even if they are of comparable skills. That alone can skew what their stats would otherwise be. Adjusting to what your new coach wants you to do can make you shy about putting the ball on the floor, shooting the ball, etc. even if you felt that you could do it at the time. They aren't just adjusting to the game itself, but are also adjusting to a lot of other things at that same time such as college courses, sometimes still having to decide on a major, living in a new environment, making new friends, new coaches, new work out regimens, adjusting to the rigors of travel while keeping up in class, new eating habits, having to decide about new temptations that may be offered to them (drugs, alcohol), etc..

Lee came to the program with plenty of skills, and I think that you probably just forgot about him or maybe forgot that he came in after Laughton did.

Lee prior to his start at ODU -

IN FINLAND: Played for the Finnish under-20 team where he was averaging 17.1 points and 4.5 rebounds...Averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds Per game for the city team of Korihait which had seven players averaging double figures. He scored 28 points and 25 points in his last two games of the season. Averaged 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Finnish under-18 team in 2005...He Scored 30 points with eight rebounds against Hungary as his season high. ..He shot .566 from the floor...

I didn't forget about Lee. In fact, I went back to look at his stats to confirm that his freshman year was as average as I remember it being. I don't care what he did in Finland. The top level of basketball in Finland is about as competitive as many of our local districts.

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You cannot look at stats alone. When Lee was in the game his freshman year, Dahi or Valdas were the inside focal points for the offense. We have no idea how good or mediocre Lee was as a freshman because in his role, he was not asked to produce offense. The two freshmen coming in will have a different role because we have no other inside presence. I am quite confident that Dahi/Valdas/Lee will prove to be the far more productive frontcourt to whatever hodgepodge we throw together in the coming season.