While we are only 5 Games into the Regular Season, it looks like JT Shumate has improved his game a lot from last season and is becoming maybe Toledo’s best overall player with the following statistics to back it up: scoring (18ppg), Field Goal Percentage, (62% from 2, 55% from 3) rebounding (8.8rpg) and just overall court awareness. Who would have thought that was going to be the case when TK signed him out of Division II Walsh University before last season? There are very few cases where Division II or Division III College Players transfer to a Division 1 Program and make a major impact. I think the best example for that was Michigan’s Duncan Robinson who transferred from Division III Williams College to the Wolverines and is now an All Star for the NBA’s Miami Heat. With that said, we should give props to our Coaching Staff for first recognizing Shumate’s potential for playing Division 1 College Basketball and for his development from last season to this season!

I totally agree with your post Mr. Jones. Shumate has a chip on his shoulder since no Division I team wanted him. He has something to prove. He also seems to have assumed a leadership role. What a great addition to the program he has been.

Improving as expected. In the game that mattered he was 33% and 20% shooting and no one slowed down Cain at the forward position. I'm not bug on crowning "best player," but if I do, I'm looking at the tough games. I dont think we have a "best" player. It pretty much depends upon match-ups. We could use a little more lock-down dedication at the forward and guard and hope we never need it at the post.

(11-24-2021 11:32 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  Improving as expected. In the game that mattered he was 33% and 20% shooting and no one slowed down Cain at the forward position. I'm not bug on crowning "best player," but if I do, I'm looking at the tough games. I dont think we have a "best" player. It pretty much depends upon match-ups. We could use a little more lock-down dedication at the forward and guard and hope we never need it at the post.

Just curious, why did the Oakland game matter more than the Valpo, Detroit, Charlotte, and Tulane games? They're all regular season non-conference games that don't have any bearing on the MAC Tournament, which everyone places the greatest importance on.

(11-24-2021 11:54 AM)RocketBBallFan Wrote:  

(11-24-2021 11:32 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  Improving as expected. In the game that mattered he was 33% and 20% shooting and no one slowed down Cain at the forward position. I'm not bug on crowning "best player," but if I do, I'm looking at the tough games. I dont think we have a "best" player. It pretty much depends upon match-ups. We could use a little more lock-down dedication at the forward and guard and hope we never need it at the post.

Just curious, why did the Oakland game matter more than ..

If it didn't matter more to you than it didn't, to you.

There was a guy who transferred from Div III Bowling Green to OSU (Ohio version) a few years ago, did OK. For an undersized 4-5 Shumate has been awfully good even if lightly recruited. Reminds me of Manaus (ducking).

In Kyle Rowland's article about JT Shumate (link below), it says that Shumate's KenPom offensive efficiency rating is 19th in the country, ahead of all of the projected lottery picks in the 2022 NBA Draft.

https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/ut/20...0211210100