Dre Hollins Tonight

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BOUNDOUTPASSDUNK

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I give him credit for trying to lead tonight, trying to be the scorer that could have opened up the offense for the Gophers.

With the emergence of Li' Dre and his ability to penetrate and the vast improvement of Mo Walker, giving the Gophers a legitimate post threat who now can finish, a healthy and effective Dre Hollins could easily have meant two more B1G wins and an assured trip to the Tourney.

But rather than thinking what he didn't do, or lamenting about how thin our bench truly was this year, I trust the Dre H comes back with restored quickness for his senior season and "with something to prove."
 

I'm sure that he will be fine coming back next year.

He was brutal tonight though. This may have been the worst that I have ever seen him play. Couldn't buy a basket (refuse to count his garbage time shots), was taking horrible shots, turned the ball over a few times, and completely lost his man on defense multiple times.....a few of which led to easy layups. We may have been able to keep this game respectable had he not played tonight.
 

I'll double down with Dre Hollins all year? Slow, missed contested shots, missed open shots, missed free-throws. What was up with him driving to to the hoop totally off-balanced and expecting to get the call? I know that he was one of their two talented offensive players, but it seemed to me that he forced when he didn't have to and took jumpers when he didn't have to. RECRUIT PITINO!!!!
 

We lack a dynamic scorer...
 

Dre is just not the same player since the injury. Even though he lacks explosiveness on offense, where he really hurts us is on defense. He is just like a statue when guarding anyone. Even defending one of the slow white guards from Wisconsin, who are known for their shooting abilities not their driving to the basket, they took him at will to the hole.
 


What in the world happened to Dre Hollins the last two games in the B1G Ten Tourney? His play was some of the worst I've seen from him since he's been here. (Outside of the 3 he made at the end of the PSU game.) I was disappointed as I expect more from him. Has to be lingering effects from the injury. He looked awfully slow the past two games.
 

Outside of possibly not being the same player after the injury there are a couple things that stand out.

He seems sloppy with the ball and his control of the dribble seems to have gotten worse. He sure fumbles a lot of balls recently.

Also, he is not getting the bumping balls at the top of the key that he used to get. I'm not sure if it's his style, where he throws his head back all the time, but it sure seems like a lot of other players are getting similar bumps called. He used to make a living drawing those fouls and getting to the free throw line.
 

If he becomes the player he was against Memphis a couple years ago putting up 30, then we have a great backcourt going into next season. I think we all have this high ceiling in mind for him, hard to tell how close he'll get to it.
 

His slowness troubles me - even before the injury. If there's a way to work on that in the off season, he needs to. I wonder if he and his coach need to re-think the idea that he should be a complete inside/outside player who drives to the basket and draws fouls. He tried that a lot last night, and it never worked. It's part of the larger phenomenon I saw that hurt the team: Dre trying to much to be like Deandre, and Elliott trying to emulate Mo.
 



He doesn't seem like the same player since his injury. He hasn't played very well the past several weeks. He played one of his worst games ever last night. However, he has proven many many times for many years that he is a very good player. He will have a great senior season with little Dre, two senior centers and hopefully some additional help.
 

I still have hope he can have a Voshon Lennard like senior season.

Even if he says his ankle is 100%, the question is whether he can play like it; I hope he can finish the season, whether NIT or NCCA, challenging his explosiveness.

The year for him started decent. He penetrated, got to the line, made his 80+ % FTs, etc.

Thinking there was a huge drop off after his injury, here are Dre's stats since his return against OSU:

Game Shots 3 PT FT Points
OSU 3-4 3-3 4-4 13
IA 4-7 3-6 3-4 14
MICH 3-10 2-6 2-2 10
PSU 3-5 1-2 6-6 13
PSU 3-7 2-4 1-2 9
WI 2-14 2-7 2-2 8

Totals 18-47 13-30 18-20 67
AVE 38.3% 43% 90% 11.2

The WI game obviously skews the totals. The toughest competition, against MI and WI, resulted in his worst games.
What is interesting to me is that the averages are not horrible, counter-intuitive as to how he appeared to play.
You have to give Dre credit for trying to be 'Voshon' against WI. It just wasn't there that day (like never making a putt from 15 feet and in).

Ultimately the question is whether Dre can raise his game, or he is a second team or third team all B1G player going forward. TBD.
 

e.bigelow said:
What in the world happened to Dre Hollins the last two games in the B1G Ten Tourney? His play was some of the worst I've seen from him since he's been here. (Outside of the 3 he made at the end of the PSU game.) I was disappointed as I expect more from him. Has to be lingering effects from the injury. He looked awfully slow the past two games.
Click to expand...

Make that the whole year. It's like someone else is in his body.

I have to wonder if he is/was not happy with moving to the 2 guard. He just doesn't seem into it. He just seems way too mechanical. Jerky when he has the ball in his hands. Not fluid at all. Loses the ball. Makes lazy passes. It's not the injury.

He's had some decent nights as a jump shooter but that's about it.
 

station19 said:
Make that the whole year. It's like someone else is in his body.

I have to wonder if he is/was not happy with moving to the 2 guard. He just doesn't seem into it. He just seems way too mechanical. Jerky when he has the ball in his hands. Not fluid at all. Loses the ball. Makes lazy passes. It's not the injury.

He's had some decent nights as a jump shooter but that's about it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. He was horribly inefficient all year. Had a couple of great games, but a pretty sad year overall. He is struggling in Richard's system and it's obvious. It was obvious before the ankle injury.
 



I think many people use Dre's ankle as an excuse for what was a mildly disappointing season. He was disappointing before he got hurt.

Dre has always had his physical limitations. He's not very quick laterally, he doesn't have great lift, and he's a mediocre ball-handler who cannot go left very well.

With that being said, he was a decent finisher and a good shooter, until this season. His shooting from outside was good, but I expected him to further improve his overall field goal percentage. Instead, he got worse.

I think Dre's biggest problem, outside of his physical limitations, is getting used to the system. He's not the primary ball-handler anymore. I don't think he knows how to play off the ball very well. Although Dre plateaued this season, I expect him to be better his senior year. He'll play better off the ball next year, and I fully expect that he sets his career high in field goal percentage next year. I expect him to hit 42-43% of his shots next year. That improvement alone would make us a tournament team.
 

station19 said:
Make that the whole year. It's like someone else is in his body.

I have to wonder if he is/was not happy with moving to the 2 guard. He just doesn't seem into it. He just seems way too mechanical. Jerky when he has the ball in his hands. Not fluid at all. Loses the ball. Makes lazy passes. It's not the injury.

He's had some decent nights as a jump shooter but that's about it.
Click to expand...

+1
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I think many people use Dre's ankle as an excuse for what was a mildly disappointing season. He was disappointing before he got hurt.

Dre has always had his physical limitations. He's not very quick laterally, he doesn't have great lift, and he's a mediocre ball-handler who cannot go left very well.

With that being said, he was a decent finisher and a good shooter, until this season. His shooting from outside was good, but I expected him to further improve his overall field goal percentage. Instead, he got worse.

I think Dre's biggest problem, outside of his physical limitations, is getting used to the system. He's not the primary ball-handler anymore. I don't think he knows how to play off the ball very well. Although Dre plateaued this season, I expect him to be better his senior year. He'll play better off the ball next year, and I fully expect that he sets his career high in field goal percentage next year. I expect him to hit 42-43% of his shots next year. That improvement alone would make us a tournament team.
Click to expand...

I do expect a great deal of improvement from our future seniors. Mathieau with a year of B1G basketball, I'm guessing will be one of the top 10-15 in the B1G. That said, how we use our next 3 scholarships will decide if we make it to the dance next season.
 

Agree that we are very close to being very good next year.

Can Dre play like a 2 and create his own shot and convert on screens and picks? If not, will Morris or one of the 3 spring scholly recruits be that creator? That's what this offense desperately needs to avoid the 5-8 minute offensive droughts that killed us so often, usually ending with Lil Dre having to do it himself.
 

BOUNDOUTPASSDUNK said:
Agree that we are very close to being very good next year.

Can Dre play like a 2 and create his own shot and convert on screens and picks? If not, will Morris or one of the 3 spring scholly recruits be that creator? That's what this offense desperately needs to avoid the 5-8 minute offensive droughts that killed us so often, usually ending with Lil Dre having to do it himself.
Click to expand...

Would also be nice to have some ball handlers. It's scary every time the ball is in the hands of anyone other that Mathieu.
 

BOUNDOUTPASSDUNK said:
I still have hope he can have a Voshon Lennard like senior season.

Even if he says his ankle is 100%, the question is whether he can play like it; I hope he can finish the season, whether NIT or NCCA, challenging his explosiveness.

The year for him started decent. He penetrated, got to the line, made his 80+ % FTs, etc.

Thinking there was a huge drop off after his injury, here are Dre's stats since his return against OSU:

Game Shots 3 PT FT Points
OSU 3-4 3-3 4-4 13
IA 4-7 3-6 3-4 14
MICH 3-10 2-6 2-2 10
PSU 3-5 1-2 6-6 13
PSU 3-7 2-4 1-2 9
WI 2-14 2-7 2-2 8

Totals 18-47 13-30 18-20 67
AVE 38.3% 43% 90% 11.2

The WI game obviously skews the totals. The toughest competition, against MI and WI, resulted in his worst games.
What is interesting to me is that the averages are not horrible, counter-intuitive as to how he appeared to play.
You have to give Dre credit for trying to be 'Voshon' against WI. It just wasn't there that day (like never making a putt from 15 feet and in).

Ultimately the question is whether Dre can raise his game, or he is a second team or third team all B1G player going forward. TBD.
Click to expand...

Voshon Lenard JUNIOR season. Voshon's heart wasn't in it when he came back for the final year
 

station19 said:
Would also be nice to have some ball handlers. It's scary every time the ball is in the hands of anyone other that Mathieu.
Click to expand...

Mcneil did a nice job when he had to play point at times this year. He is a better ball-handler than Mav or Dre. Next year we bring in Morris and Mason both of which look like they are pretty capable ball-handlers. Sure beats last year when we had Dre, Mav, and Julian as our PG's. Tubby, it seemed like, didn't like guys who could handle the ball. We had PG issues almost every year he was here.
 

station19 said:
Would also be nice to have some ball handlers. It's scary every time the ball is in the hands of anyone other that Mathieu.
Click to expand...

Don't know how much they will play but McNeil, Morris, and Mason appear to be capable ball handlers. I'm taking a WAG that Martin will go a long ways in fixing our rebounding woes. I see the major problem as lack of firepower and the obvious spot to fill is at the three. At this time of year it's very difficult to find a three level scorer. Let's hope the presumed committee approach adds up to B1G average.
 

DeathClutch said:
Mcneil did a nice job when he had to play point at times this year. He is a better ball-handler than Mav or Dre. Next year we bring in Morris and Mason both of which look like they are pretty capable ball-handlers. Sure beats last year when we had Dre, Mav, and Julian as our PG's. Tubby, it seemed like, didn't like guys who could handle the ball. We had PG issues almost every year he was here.
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Tubby like guys who could handle the ball, they just left in Cobbs and Joseph
 

I liked what McNeil was able to contribute defensively and he took good care of the ball, but will he develop an outside shot an ability to finish?
 

McNeil finishes pretty well around the rim already, but yes, his 3 point shot needs a lot of work.
 

McNeil's role was to play defense, distribute the ball and not make mistakes, typical of a room to grow back up freshman guard. He showed flashes of offensive ability.

Whether he can become more assertive offensively, show us he has a reliable jump shot, is TBD. I like his chances thou - i consider him a good RP prospect. He is athletic and has a good bball IQ.
 

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