Scotty Hopson

[lacrossepro70]

Scotty Hopson is already better than Tatum.

[Matthew_Sullivan]

Hopson
Tatum
Prince
T. Smith
Williams...........thats my starting 5 next year......look at the height....every1 is over 6'5

[hatvol96]

Originally Posted by matts42012volfan

Hopson
Tatum
Prince
T. Smith
Williams...........thats my starting 5 next year......look at the height....every1 is over 6'5

That would be the worst ballhandling team in the history of basketball.

[lacrossepro70]

Originally Posted by matts42012volfan

Hopson
Tatum
Prince
T. Smith
Williams...........thats my starting 5 next year......look at the height....every1 is over 6'5

That's a pretty awful lineup.

Ramar
Hopson
Prince
Chism
Williams

(assuming T. Smith will be going pro). And based on the passing I saw from Prince, I would have no problem with him starting PG next year.

[pricevol5]

Ramar is one of the worst ball handling guards on the team. He wont touch the ball with his left hand. And he's a below average passer that can't run a team. Best case scenario:
Prince 6'8
Hopson 6'7
T. Smith 6'7
Crews 6'7.5
Williams 6'10
Solves rebounding problems if nothing else, but I think it's the best possible lineup for next season.

[Bassmanbruno]

Originally Posted by johnnybravo

I have never seen any stats or seen in video of Hopson, so I'm not saying that he can't come in and start, but we should have a very good lineup next year. I would think that he would have a hard time finding the starting line up when we will have the players that we have coming back unless he can play the point and beat out Ramar:

Ramar (hopefully he will be able to start at Point next year)
T. Smith (if he doesn't go Pro)
Prince
Tatum
Chism or Williams

The way it looks is that maybe Prince can play point and Ramar moves to second team and Hopson starts over Ramar.
T. Smith goes pro opening up a spot.
Or Hopson starts over Tatum

Not going to happen - even CBP shot this idea down. The only time he would do that is some emergency or some last second thing where they had to get the ball up court fast.

[Bassmanbruno]

Originally Posted by pricevol5

Ramar is one of the worst ball handling guards on the team. He wont touch the ball with his left hand. And he's a below average passer that can't run a team. Best case scenario:
Prince 6'8
Hopson 6'7
T. Smith 6'7
Crews 6'7.5
Williams 6'10
Solves rebounding problems if nothing else, but I think it's the best possible lineup for next season.

Man - with that lineup we turn into Memphis of the past. Tons of athletes but no true "ballers" like Lofton.

[johnnybravo]

Originally Posted by Bassmanbruno

Not going to happen - even CBP shot this idea down. The only time he would do that is some emergency or some last second thing where they had to get the ball up court fast.

Or if Ramar continues to prove that he is unable to run the team. Who else do you have next year at point? From the recruits we have coming in, I don't see a little pg beside any of their names. We don't have another PG on the team. We didn't signed one this year. Ramar can't play 40 minutes. I believe you will probably need 2 in the rotation. Who else will run the point next year Bruno? You tell me.

[Bassmanbruno]

JUCO - simple as that. The recruiting season is far from over... we can still land a normal PG out of higschool as well if things shake up in the spring period. Pearl has already said JUCO is a great possibility. He doesn't want some 6'8 guy handling the ball full-time, that would be very turnover prone.

[johnnybravo]

Originally Posted by Bassmanbruno

JUCO - simple as that. The recruiting season is far from over... we can still land a normal PG out of higschool as well if things shake up in the spring period. Pearl has already said JUCO is a great possibility. He doesn't want some 6'8 guy handling the ball full-time, that would be very turnover prone.

Wow, I'm glad you painted such a rosy picture. I really didn't know it was "that simple". If we happen to sign Hopson, then that gives us one more scholarship. If he can pick up Lashay Page, then Pearl might pull the trigger, but there is NO WAY he uses that one scholarship on a JUCO when he will only have one the following year when Childress is gone. Pearl will take at least 2 scholarship into the star studded class of 09. If Tylar goes then maybe he burns one on a Juco.

So if we don't sign a stud PG out of highschool in the spring then it kinda looks like Prince will either be backup or starting PG next year. It's that simple.

[pricevol5]

I don't know that Prince is turnover prone because he's 6'8, its because he has a history of being turnover prone when he plays the point. Still, with what we have coming back he is our best option IMO. We've learned he can be a great contributer and play spot duty there, but he isn't Penny Hardaway like people were calling him coming out of High School in Memphis.
I hope somebody would send Ramar Smith tape of Jeremy Pargo from Gonzaga this season. The two are almost clones in body and athleticism, but the way Pargo has improved over the past year should motivate Ramar to push himslef and get more out of his potential.
The Juco route is a good way to fill roles, but you usually only see a handful each year make a difference from the lead guard spot. if we can land a guy like Steffon Hannah at Mizzou I'd be as happy as anyone, but there is no surplus of impact JUCO point guards around.

[Bassmanbruno]

Originally Posted by johnnybravo

Wow, I'm glad you painted such a rosy picture. I really didn't know it was "that simple". If we happen to sign Hopson, then that gives us one more scholarship. If he can pick up Lashay Page, then Pearl might pull the trigger, but there is NO WAY he uses that one scholarship on a JUCO when he will only have one the following year when Childress is gone. Pearl will take at least 2 scholarship into the star studded class of 09. If Tylar goes then maybe he burns one on a Juco.

So if we don't sign a stud PG out of highschool in the spring then it kinda looks like Prince will either be backup or starting PG next year. It's that simple.

Don't be ignorant here. Prince will not be anymore more involved at PG than Lofton was supposed to be.

[Bassmanbruno]

We know you have a huge man crush on Prince - but this won't be where he fits in. And does it matter that we only have 1 scholly for the next class? Not really - since we're going to be loaded assuming none of the juniors jump early.

[johnnybravo]

Originally Posted by Bassmanbruno

Don't be ignorant here. Prince will not be anymore more involved at PG than Lofton was supposed to be.

I'm not being ignorant, but it's not hard to figure out that Pearl is not going to burn a valuable Scholarship on a Juco when he will only have 2 available. Not when you got these studs as possibilities in 09.

Derrick Favors
Farrakhon Hall
Jon Hood
Richard Howell
Noel Johnson
Leslie McDonald
Ari Stewart
Kenny Boynton, Jr.
Lorenzo Brown
Marlon Brown
Kenny Hall
C.J. Harris
Gentry Hines
Blake Jenkins
Anthony Marshall
Tariq Muhammad
Mason Plumlee
Chris Reaves
Terrence Shannon
Shaun Smith
John Wall
Johnny Williams
Jamil Wilson

Pearl has not done a great job in recruiting "his needs" the last couple years. He's got real lucky in landing T. Smith and Prince. I think he got lucky at filling a need at the 5 in BW also. Nobody thought he would be as good as he has been so far. For some reason he's had problems landing a guard. Hell, I think he was even kinda lucky getting Ramar in here at the last minute. Prince might not be the ideal PG to have next year, but who ever thought Howell would be a starting PG. This is the team that Pearl has built and every team will have it's weakness. Next years ours may be at the point, but if we do not sign one in the spring then Prince WILL be running the point some next year.

[Bassmanbruno]

Originally Posted by johnnybravo

I'm not being ignorant, but it's not hard to figure out that Pearl is not going to burn a valuable Scholarship on a Juco when he will only have 2 available. Not when you got these studs as possibilities in 09.

Derrick Favors
Farrakhon Hall
Jon Hood
Richard Howell
Noel Johnson
Leslie McDonald
Ari Stewart
Kenny Boynton, Jr.
Lorenzo Brown
Marlon Brown
Kenny Hall
C.J. Harris
Gentry Hines
Blake Jenkins
Anthony Marshall
Tariq Muhammad
Mason Plumlee
Chris Reaves
Terrence Shannon
Shaun Smith
John Wall
Johnny Williams
Jamil Wilson

Pearl has not done a great job in recruiting "his needs" the last couple years. He's got real lucky in landing T. Smith and Prince. I think he got lucky at filling a need at the 5 in BW also. Nobody thought he would be as good as he has been so far. For some reason he's had problems landing a guard. Hell, I think he was even kinda lucky getting Ramar in here at the last minute. Prince might not be the ideal PG to have next year, but who ever thought Howell would be a starting PG. This is the team that Pearl has built and every team will have it's weakness. Next years ours may be at the point, but if we do not sign one in the spring then Prince WILL be running the point some next year.

If that's the case - we're in big trouble... worse than this year.

And don't give me a long list of names. Remember back last year when we thought we were going to get a potential top 5 class? There were so many names out there but we landed the instate solid kid and some guy we didn't even expect to get. If you want Bruce to recruit to his needs than he would need go the JUCO route and pickup a PG.. since that is what we need.

Unless something changes you can mark Leslie McDonald and definetly Farrakhon Hall off that list.