Can USA do anything with all of the talent though? They've got one of the most talented rosters in the SBC, but it feels like Richie Riley is underachieving with it somewhat.
(03-29-2021 01:20 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote: Can USA do anything with all of the talent though? They've got one of the most talented rosters in the SBC, but it feels like Richie Riley is underachieving with it somewhat.
Last year we rode an 8-game winning streak into the SBC tourney as a #2 seed that was canceled due to COVID. This year we were one GSU win away from being the #1 seed in the East with a roster that played only 6 players at times. We had 7 players available on a good night. I think we’ll be good and realize more of our potential under Riley with a full bench.
(03-29-2021 01:20 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote: Can USA do anything with all of the talent though? They've got one of the most talented rosters in the SBC, but it feels like Richie Riley is underachieving with it somewhat.
Have to disagree. Thought Riley was home run hire. He deserves major props for this year.
If anything, he was too nice and shoulda sent a chunk of the roster packing long before this season... just like McKay did at Liberty his first year.
What he did with his core, was amazing. Give the man a recruit class or two... watch out.
(This post was last modified: 03-29-2021 06:57 PM by MOTIAW.)
Just noticed South has 6 guys in the transfer portal including 5 of the 7 man rotation they used. That also includes Michael Flowers. Why the mass exodus?
(03-31-2021 09:50 AM)High Country Student Wrote: Just noticed South has 6 guys in the transfer portal including 5 of the 7 man rotation they used. That also includes Michael Flowers. Why the mass exodus?
They also have six transfers enrolled or committed plus three incoming signees. Except for Flowers, the others saw the writing on the wall and knew they were about to be relegated to the bench. Flowers is going to see what the high-majors have to say and then decide if he wants to stay in college or go pro.
(03-29-2021 01:20 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote: Can USA do anything with all of the talent though? They've got one of the most talented rosters in the SBC, but it feels like Richie Riley is underachieving with it somewhat.
He only had 7 or 8 healthy guys that he could play. We had guys that transferred in but couldn't play this year. I want to see what he can do with 10 guys on a roster.
Jojo Toppin transferring out from Georgia State. Former .87 rated player from SEC. Wanted more playing minutes but too many talent on bench. Perhaps 7th or 8th guy deep on rotation.
Very athletic player with good hustle and big jumps but not sure what his role here to be honest.
His natural sweet spot seemed to be around the post, but wasn't going to break through three 6'10 240lbs bigs front of him in Jones, Thomas, and Nsoseme.
At 6'5.. his size is below average to play front court in our scheme but neither have the elite ball handling or shooting to take the job away from our guards.
Perhaps another mid-major coach who prefers a small ball lineup that sacrifices size for athleticism and hustle could use him.
Richie Riley was not a good hire. His "hired gun" philosophy means massive turnover in personnel every year. That leads to very poor team chemistry.
People on this board have been drooling about those transferring to South. They either pan out or they don't stay. Just like loading with nothing but JUCO's, if you decide to build your roster the way Riley builds his, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
(04-01-2021 08:24 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote: Richie Riley was not a good hire. His "hired gun" philosophy means massive turnover in personnel every year. That leads to very poor team chemistry.
People on this board have been drooling about those transferring to South. They either pan out or they don't stay. Just like loading with nothing but JUCO's, if you decide to build your roster the way Riley builds his, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
Blue Bloods have been dealing with one-and-dones for years, so it's not like there aren't coaches that can achieve results with roster churn.
USA hadn't had a winning season in five years before he arrived and the "winning" percentage was about 40%. Since he's arrived USA hasn't had a losing season, is winning about 58% of their games and was probably the favorite headed into the conference tournament last year before COVID derailed everything. It's hard to say Jag fans are disappointed in what he's done so far.
Very few coaches will take it to his level, but Riley's roster building method is going to become a lot more common in this new era of college sports.
Georgia State lands Chien-Hao Ma from the Taiwanese U19 National Team. Known for being an absolute offensive machine. 60% 3 pointer shooter for season average (yup, had to double take at his stat sheet.) Very clean shooting form. Strong ball skills to the rim. Very high IQ in breaking down defenses, great awareness to kick out for open assists. Reported interests from Temple and St.Mary. Apparently turned some heads at HoopSeen Tipoff Classic.
comment from a scout:
Ma’s performances on Saturday proved that he’s one of the more intriguing unsigned prospects. At 6-foot-7, the Taiwanese guard poses a mismatch problem for his opponents. The best part of his game is his ability to be a lights-out 3-point shooter. Ma has a picture-percent jumper that he can unleash over smaller guards, and he can put the ball on the floor and get into the paint at will. When he gets into lane, he looks to kick the ball to open shooters or posterize whoever’s in his way. Defensively, he has room to grow, but he has the physical tools to develop into a deflection-generating machine. As he continues to learn the intricacies of the game, Chien has the opportunity to develop into a bonafide star at the next level. - Josh Tec
(This post was last modified: 04-01-2021 02:10 PM by GSUALUM17.)
App has lost two to the portal this offseason, Deshon Parker and RJ Wilson. I don't think I've ever seen Wilson on the floor, but Deshon played occasionally with mixed results.
On the other hand, SBC Tourney MVP Mike Almonacy and three time all conference player Justin Forrest are both returning for their extra year.
I know many here don't follow women's basketball, but Troy just got a big-time transfer from Kansas (Tina Stephens).
She was the #24-ranked recruit in the 2019 class, and was a starter for Kansas. She originally had offers from Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma State, and Pitt.