Isaiah Washington committed to GOPHERS!!!

Donate To GopherHole


mygoodness_mygoldness said:
I'm assuming there was a "Everything Isaiah Washington Recruiting" page, but my account doesn't allow for me to use the search feature of the forums, and I couldn't find it paging through. Could someone bump that thread. Much appreciated.
Click to expand...

I don't believe there was an Isaiah Washington recruitment thread. Pretty much all of our in-state targets got their own thread, and none of the out of state targets did.
 

This is amazing news. Great week for Gopher bball. Feeling way better about our direction again.
 

I'm here to pour the cold water on. I like him as much or more than Wright, so that's fine, but is there any concern that his only offers were bottom-feeders, mid-majors, and VCU/Providence and we're about 2 months from signing day? A lot of good programs kicked the tires and passed.

Also, as I noted in the ther thread: I generally don't like small PGs in the BIG. The BIG is all about good interior play and taller guards and team shooting the ball very well. From what I understand, Washington needs to work on his 3-point shot. Hopefully he gets that going...and hopefully he can consistently get his shot off in this conference.
 


RickDornsby said:
I'm here to pour the cold water on. I like him as much or more than Wright, so that's fine, but is there any concern that his only offers were bottom-feeders, mid-majors, and VCU/Providence and we're about 2 months from signing day? A lot of good programs kicked the tires and passed.

Also, as I noted in the ther thread: I generally don't like small PGs in the BIG. The BIG is all about good interior play and taller guards and team shooting the ball very well. From what I understand, Washington needs to work on his 3-point shot. Hopefully he gets that going...and hopefully he can consistently get his shot off in this conference.
Click to expand...
Pour cold water or rain on our parade? You aren't even a Gopher fan are you? Just assuming based on your post history.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Pour cold water or rain on our parade? You aren't even a Gopher fan are you? Just assuming based on your post history.
Click to expand...

No...I am a diehard. I was on the Pitino bandwagon initially if he was going to play a fast, pressing style like his dad. Then you can have 6'0" or shorter guards and steal possessions from the other team.

Now that we aren't doing that, where are we going? Unless Amir is a superstar, how do we win in the BIG with not a great defense*, poor outside shooting, a somewhat slower pace, but at least a team that takes care of the ball fairly well? I just don't see the pieces fitting together and I can understand a guy like Coffey or Wright being good and staying home, but when we get a kid from NY that has been passed on by many coaches that are good at evaluating talent...just a bit worried.

* - yes, Lynch could improve us on defense, but I'm not sure how much.
 

RickDornsby said:
No...I am a diehard. I was on the Pitino bandwagon initially if he was going to play a fast, pressing style like his dad. Then you can have 6'0" or shorter guards and steal possessions from the other team. Now that we aren't doing that, where are we going? Unless Amir is a superstar, how do we win in the BIG with not a great defense*, poor outside shooting, a somewhat slower pace, but at least a team that takes care of the ball fairly well? I just don't see the pieces fitting together and I can understand a guy like Coffey or Wright being good and staying home, but when we get a kid from NY that has been passed on by many coaches that are good at evaluating talent...just a bit worried. * - yes, Lynch could improve us on defense, but I'm not sure how much.
Click to expand...

Isn't Wright 6'0 as well? I believe Davison is 6'2? So Washington isn't a dwarf compared to the other targets.
 

So you harp on him because he is only 6 feet tall? He is basically the exact same size as Wright! And this is college, you don't have to be a tall PG. Yogi Ferrell did just fine at IU. As long as he can create and finish, which be all accounts that is what he excels at, his height won't matter as much. Washington has offers from Georgia Tech, Prov, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and VCU. Not that bad of offers. Pitino and Co also established a relationship very early with this kid before his stock really rose. Also have to remember that if a school signed a highly rated point guard the last two years, they probably aren't going to go after another PG that hard unless they know they have a good shot of signing them.
 



Fair point on Wright. I think Davison may be 6'3" now, which is a big difference in getting a shot off.

Yogi Ferrell was a 5-star player that committed to a blue chip program 1.5 years before signing day. Washington had minimal major offers 2 months before signing day.

You listed a bunch of programs that stink because they keep making the same mistakes. Providence and VCU are good. Seton Hall plays a brand of basketball that wouldn't work in the BIG.
 

Looking at Washington's video he has a nice looking stoke. Much more natural the Wright. He also doesn't look like the average over-dribbling NY PG. Much rather have him Washington, even if that means losing John.
 

Here's my basic point. College basketball is a math equation.

A basketball game might be 70 possessions/each, on average.

Wisconsin and Virginia are going to play 65, but they're going to be efficient on defense by rebounding, not fouling...on offense they're going to (generally) have good shooters and take good shots.

UNC and Louisville may push the game to 75 possessions. UNC is going to win more possessions than you because they are just supremely talented. Louisville or VCU are going to steal the ball or force you into bad possessions where you get no shot or bad shot.

Michigan State is in the middle but they shoot extremely well and do everything well.

Washington apparently needs to improve his shot and shorter players are suited for fast basketball games.

Pitino said we're not going to press and run this year.

What's our plan? We stunk at shooting 3s last year. Our defense wasn't very good (yes, I know it may improve). We're going to not play fast but have a bunch of guys suited for less-efficient basketball games? Where do we gain our edge? That's my issue.
 

Washington also had an offer from SEC champs Texas A&M. Not listed on 247 for some reason, but I remember him tweeting it when it happened.

As far as using small quick guards to create steals, I think we were top 10 or 20 in steals nationally in Pitino's first two years here. FIU also created a lot of turnovers in his year there.
 



Cayman said:
Washington also had an offer from SEC champs Texas A&M. Not listed on 247 for some reason, but I remember him tweeting it when it happened. As far as using small quick guards to create steals, I think we were top 10 or 20 in steals nationally in Pitino's first two years here. FIU also created a lot of turnovers in his year there.
Click to expand...

Washington also was offered by Buzz Williams (VA Tech) recently.
 

Cayman said:
Washington also had an offer from SEC champs Texas A&M. Not listed on 247 for some reason, but I remember him tweeting it when it happened.

As far as using small quick guards to create steals, I think we were top 10 or 20 in steals nationally in Pitino's first two years here. FIU also created a lot of turnovers in his year there.
Click to expand...

Pitino says that we are not pressing anymore, right? I don't see Washington stealing the ball that much from some bigger BIG PG in the half court game incredibly often. It'll happen, but that PG may back him down and score just as often.
 

RickDornsby said:
Pitino says that we are not pressing anymore, right? I don't see Washington stealing the ball that much from some bigger BIG PG in the half court game incredibly often. It'll happen, but that PG may back him down and score just as often.
Click to expand...
When did he say that?
 

RickDornsby said:
Here's my basic point. College basketball is a math equation.

A basketball game might be 70 possessions/each, on average.

Wisconsin and Virginia are going to play 65, but they're going to be efficient on defense by rebounding, not fouling...on offense they're going to (generally) have good shooters and take good shots.

UNC and Louisville may push the game to 75 possessions. UNC is going to win more possessions than you because they are just supremely talented. Louisville or VCU are going to steal the ball or force you into bad possessions where you get no shot or bad shot.

Michigan State is in the middle but they shoot extremely well and do everything well.

Washington apparently needs to improve his shot and shorter players are suited for fast basketball games.

Pitino said we're not going to press and run this year.

What's our plan? We stunk at shooting 3s last year. Our defense wasn't very good (yes, I know it may improve). We're going to not play fast but have a bunch of guys suited for less-efficient basketball games? Where do we gain our edge? That's my issue.
Click to expand...

I think one area you will see a vast improvement is offensive rebounds, which will lead to extra possessions. Murph was 5th in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding % as a Freshman. Reggie was the best offensive rebounder in the Missouri-Valley conference. In fact, he had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds as a Sophomore. Both should put up double digit ORB%.

Then you have guys like Akeem Springs and Amir who are also good rebounders for their positions. I would be shocked if this wasn't Pitino's best rebounding team by far.
 

RickDornsby said:
Pitino says that we are not pressing anymore, right? I don't see Washington stealing the ball that much from some bigger BIG PG in the half court game incredibly often. It'll happen, but that PG may back him down and score just as often.
Click to expand...

For an alleged huge Gopher fan, you sure did not watch a much smaller DeAndre Mathieu very much did you? He had a ton of steals and not all of them were in full court pressure.
 

RickDornsby said:
Pitino says that we are not pressing anymore, right? I don't see Washington stealing the ball that much from some bigger BIG PG in the half court game incredibly often. It'll happen, but that PG may back him down and score just as often.
Click to expand...

From what I recall, he said we will play less uptempo this season because of personnel, I don't think he said it will be a permanent thing. Once Washington is on the team I would imagine we will be playing uptempo.
 

Keyser Söze said:
From what I recall, he said we will play less uptempo this season because of personnel, I don't think he said it will be a permanent thing. Once Washington is on the team I would imagine we will be playing uptempo.
Click to expand...

Right...it's hard to google the quote and find it but I'm pretty sure that's what he said.

And I say to that: other than Springs and Mason who are average...who hits the 3s for us? Are we that good on defense to win more than 6 conference games?
 

RickDornsby said:
Right...it's hard to google the quote and find it but I'm pretty sure that's what he said.

And I say to that: other than Springs and Mason who are average...who hits the 3s for us? Are we that good on defense to win more than 6 conference games?
Click to expand...

McBrayer shot 38% from 3 in conference play last year. Coffey I think should be able to muster something in the low 30's at least. I thought I remember Pitino mentioning a couple times that Davonte Fitzgerald is supposed to be one of the best shooters on the team. Murphy and Gilbert hit 3's in the low 20's, they could get better. Hurt is supposed to be a shooter, granted I'm not expecting him to play huge minutes.. Mason's percentages could go up now that he has more of a supporting cast; he shot 39% as a freshman and 30% as a sophomore.
 

If/when Pitino gets this team to a point where it fits the image he wants it to, pressing will be a staple.

It doesn't have to be "Press Virginia" out there or even like Louisville where they wreak havoc and only press. But it'll be part of his defense. He's like his dad and Donovan in that he wants to switch defenses. Play man, play zone, press and constantly mix it up.

You can't press if you don't have depth/can't score. You can't play zone if you don't have any rebounders. And you can't mix it up if you don't have the kids who can mentally handle that.

They haven't, to this point, had much depth outside of his very first year here. They haven't had the athletes to play much zone where you need kids who can rebound out of their areas.

Just because he says he isn't going to press much this year, doesn't mean that's always going to be the case.
 

Actually if u listened to Pitino at the state fair he said he will play more like his first year pressing. He said they couldn't last year because he couldn't play king at the front of the press.
 

gopherhoopsguy said:
Actually if u listened to Pitino at the state fair he said he will play more like his first year pressing. He said they couldn't last year because he couldn't play king at the front of the press.
Click to expand...

That would have been kind of funny to see. I'm just imagining Joey King slapping the floor and trying to go toe to toe with, say, Yogi Ferrell.

I still remember attending the preseason open scrimmage in 2013, my first live look at Pitino's Gophers, and just thinking "holy crap, these dudes are just flying up and down the court." Hopefully, with a deeper, more experienced, and better constructed roster these next couple years, I'll get to see more of that.
 


I picked up a Lindys college basketball yearbook which shows Washington ranked #33 among HS seniors. Pretty high end pick up in any case.
 

Biggsohnasty said:
If/when Pitino gets this team to a point where it fits the image he wants it to, pressing will be a staple.

It doesn't have to be "Press Virginia" out there or even like Louisville where they wreak havoc and only press. But it'll be part of his defense. He's like his dad and Donovan in that he wants to switch defenses. Play man, play zone, press and constantly mix it up.

You can't press if you don't have depth/can't score. You can't play zone if you don't have any rebounders. And you can't mix it up if you don't have the kids who can mentally handle that.

They haven't, to this point, had much depth outside of his very first year here. They haven't had the athletes to play much zone where you need kids who can rebound out of their areas.

Just because he says he isn't going to press much this year, doesn't mean that's always going to be the case.
Click to expand...

Ok, maybe by year 5 he'll be set with "his guys."
 

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 


<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sent from my LGL41C using Tapatalk
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom