Isaiah Washington Question??

[gray4heisman]

I am as excited as the next guy/girl in regards to this kid. But why was his only ACC offer from Georgia Tech? Not even an offer from St. John's. Am I missing something? This kid was ranked as high as #2 in the state of New York. Top 20 at his position. And that was before a lot of the hype surrounded him. Can someone shed a light on this?

 

[LesBolstad]

No one has answered that, but we will likely find out in about 3 weeks.

 

[GopherHoopsFan]

No one has answered that, but we will likely find out in about 3 weeks.

As in, you expect he will fail to live up to the hype? I think it'd be pretty unfair to expect instant high level play from a true freshman. I do expect that he'll contribute immediately though.

 

[bemidjigopher]

Can't think of the kid's name but St John's had a stud freshman PG last season. We were on him hard until Coffey committed here. Guessing Washington didn't want to be second fiddle potentially for three years. I'm thinking size could have backed some folks off. Who knows

 

[Keyser Söze]

I am as excited as the next guy/girl in regards to this kid. But why was his only ACC offer from Georgia Tech? Not even an offer from St. John's. Am I missing something? This kid was ranked as high as #2 in the state of New York. Top 20 at his position. And that was before a lot of the hype surrounded him. Can someone shed a light on this?

My assumption is that it had something to do with his flashy style of play, but who knows.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Can't think of the kid's name but St John's had a stud freshman PG last season. We were on him hard until Coffey committed here. Guessing Washington didn't want to be second fiddle potentially for three years. I'm thinking size could have backed some folks off. Who knows

Ponds

 

[RatherBeGolfing]

As in, you expect he will fail to live up to the hype? I think it'd be pretty unfair to expect instant high level play from a true freshman. I do expect that he'll contribute immediately though.

Don’t forget some people on this board legitimately think he’s going to be one and done...

 

[GopherNuts]

Despite the hype he was a fairly incomplete prospect when he committed to us. He can't be much taller than 6 foot and was listed at something like 160 pounds when he committed a little over a year ago so I think in projecting there was some concern about whether his game would translate with how undersized he was. He didn't have much of a jump shot either. But credit to him, he really seemed to attack his senior year hard, he's found some consistency in his jumper and has flashed decent range from 3. In the Spring and Fall here it looks like he's bulked up quite a bit too. Physically he looks about as ready as you would expect a freshman guard to be for the Big Ten. With how skilled he is, the scoring ability and basketball IQ he has it's tough to see him not being an impact freshman. If he could have a year like Nate Mason did as a freshman that would be huge for this team. That's probably where the bar should be set.

 

[macgopher]

Despite the hype he was a fairly incomplete prospect when he committed to us. He can't be much taller than 6 foot and was listed at something like 160 pounds when he committed a little over a year ago so I think in projecting there was some concern about whether his game would translate with how undersized he was. He didn't have much of a jump shot either........ it's tough to see him not being an impact freshman. If he could have a year like Nate Mason did as a freshman that would be huge for this team. That's probably where the bar should be set.

I thought I remember (but the memory isn't what it once was) that he was an earlier recruit then just a year ago and I suspected that he was an under the radar/others not on to him yet/ get.

 

[march madness]

thoughts

Some teams do not want players 6' and under. ACC will be way down beyond Duke this year, especially Louisville, UNC.

I would expect numbers similar to what DeAndre Mathieu provided his SR season from Washington this year. Seem like similar players with Washington having more size and a higher ceiling.
8.6 ppg, 2.7 reb, 4.3 ass, 1.9 stls. 31% from 3. 45% from the floor.

Hoping Washington's sophmore year can resemble Mathieu's JR year.
12 ppg, 2.7 reb, 4.2 ass, 1.6 stls, 49% from3, 51% from the floor.

From ESPN insider:
Bottom Line:
He's a fearless lead guard who makes plays for himself and others and has continued to take his game to new levels with each passing year but still needs to work to be more efficient and maybe even a little less ball dominant on the offensive end.

I am as excited as the next guy/girl in regards to this kid. But why was his only ACC offer from Georgia Tech? Not even an offer from St. John's. Am I missing something? This kid was ranked as high as #2 in the state of New York. Top 20 at his position. And that was before a lot of the hype surrounded him. Can someone shed a light on this?

 

[Cayman]

I thought I remember (but the memory isn't what it once was) that he was an earlier recruit then just a year ago and I suspected that he was an under the radar/others not on to him yet/ get.

He committed September 11th of last year, and I think he was still a 4-star at the time, though maybe ranked in the 70's or 80's instead of the 50's or 60's where he currently is.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Did he play on the EYBL circuit?

If not, that is something that causes kids to go under the radar.

I think he's one of those guys, whichever way he goes, boom or bust, it'll be easy to point as to why.

Boom - highly skilled, good attitude, under the radar type guy.

Bust - Playground ball, focused on Instagram, too small type guy.

Me personally, he's more than the descriptors I put up there. I think he's got a high ceiling, I could see him being a Melo Trible type guard. Great handles, tough to get off the ball, finish in a phone booth.

Melo Trible was an amazing college basketball player, so to EXPECT that is not fair. But that's what I want from him.

 

[Minnesconsin fan]

He is going to be able to score this year. Yesterday the Golden Dunkers got to sit in on a practice and went they went full court (3 possessions at a time) he knocked down 3 pointers on 3 straight possessions and then a layup and then another 3 before he finally missed. Then Nate got sick of being scored on and tightened up the D and also scored on Isaiah about 4 times in a row.
I think the good thing is that the kid can play and score when he wants to, he just always wants to. So has no fear and no conscience but also needs to learn when to reign it in a little bit.
other notes- Dupree, Reggie and Davonte did all the drills, just didn't go during the full court portion of practice. Dupree and Reggie both said they are ready anytime, training staff is just more cautious than 20 yr old kids. I didn't get a chance to talk to Davonte but he looked a little stiff in the stretching/warmup period but looked ok in the half court drills. Cutting and moving pretty normal

 

[WriterGoph]

He is going to be able to score this year. Yesterday the Golden Dunkers got to sit in on a practice and went they went full court (3 possessions at a time) he knocked down 3 pointers on 3 straight possessions and then a layup and then another 3 before he finally missed. Then Nate got sick of being scored on and tightened up the D and also scored on Isaiah about 4 times in a row.
I think the good thing is that the kid can play and score when he wants to, he just always wants to. So has no fear and no conscience but also needs to learn when to reign it in a little bit.
other notes- Dupree, Reggie and Davonte did all the drills, just didn't go during the full court portion of practice. Dupree and Reggie both said they are ready anytime, training staff is just more cautious than 20 yr old kids. I didn't get a chance to talk to Davonte but he looked a little stiff in the stretching/warmup period but looked ok in the half court drills. Cutting and moving pretty normal

Thanks for the insight!!

 

[macgopher]

He is going to be able to score this year. Yesterday the Golden Dunkers got to sit in on a practice and went they went full court (3 possessions at a time) he knocked down 3 pointers on 3 straight possessions and then a layup and then another 3 before he finally missed....I think the good thing is that the kid can play and score when he wants to, he just always wants to. So has no fear and no conscience but also needs to learn when to reign it in a little bit.

Sounds like an exciting kid but in reading this is he scoring with a defender in his face, or catching, turning and shooting quickly, or are his points just open looks? Nothing wrong with just being open looks mind you, but if it is also scoring with a defender in his face then he is even more intriguing.

 

[EG#9]

He is going to be able to score this year. Yesterday the Golden Dunkers got to sit in on a practice and went they went full court (3 possessions at a time) he knocked down 3 pointers on 3 straight possessions and then a layup and then another 3 before he finally missed. Then Nate got sick of being scored on and tightened up the D and also scored on Isaiah about 4 times in a row.
I think the good thing is that the kid can play and score when he wants to, he just always wants to. So has no fear and no conscience but also needs to learn when to reign it in a little bit.
other notes- Dupree, Reggie and Davonte did all the drills, just didn't go during the full court portion of practice. Dupree and Reggie both said they are ready anytime, training staff is just more cautious than 20 yr old kids. I didn't get a chance to talk to Davonte but he looked a little stiff in the stretching/warmup period but looked ok in the half court drills. Cutting and moving pretty normal

Thank you for sharing these notes. Greatly appreciated. Did anyone else garner your attention? Anything stick out about Harris or Hurt?

 

[Minnesconsin fan]

couple of other things--1 that i didn't want to come across as negative but-- the young guys (Washington and Harris) still need to learn what it takes to play at this level and that you play how you practice so you have to learn to practice hard. Little things like the stretching/warmup portion, Michael Hurt was working hard at it and getting all the way to the lines and doing the drills perfect and Isaiah was turning a step or two short of the line. He hasn't learned yet that all that he is being asked to do is to make him better, not just to have something to do. That sort of thing got better once the drill included a ball. Shooting drills included off the dribble and a curl and a spot up and then he was locked in. And Harris is a really good shooter, so he is always going to look good shooting. Harris had a little float to the direction he was heading when he was coming off a screen or moving- that made most of his misses being off right or left- but he wasn't alone in that regard. Most of the misses from everyone could have been linked back to off balance or floating one way or the other. One of the things i noticed about Harris this year at the Pro-Am was just how smart of a player he is. He doesn't need to do what he does best, he is willing to take what the defense is giving him. He got a reputation there as a shooter, so he became a driver. He wouldn't force a 3 when he had a mis-match if his teammate had a better mis-match.
Isaiah was scoring with a hand in the face- Coach Pitino had to get on the D to tighten up because the hot shooting was catchy- he even laughed about it.
Hurt looks stronger, but the live action was pretty ball handler dominated. Looked better but wasn't dominating or anything.
Davonte was the other one i was trying to watch because i was thinking we are going to need him to play big or as a 4 this year if Reggie and Jordan get in foul trouble but he was doing the drills with the guards and wings, so that means Bakary is going to have to step up. He still had too much thinking on every touch in the low post, Nothing is natural for him yet. Gas was Gas.
They are a really nice group of kids though. One of the best parts of being a Golden Dunker is the chance to interact with the players and coaching staff a little bit. This group of kids is very gracious to the youngsters as well as us old guys.

 

[underground629]

couple of other things--1 that i didn't want to come across as negative but-- the young guys (Washington and Harris) still need to learn what it takes to play at this level and that you play how you practice so you have to learn to practice hard. Little things like the stretching/warmup portion, Michael Hurt was working hard at it and getting all the way to the lines and doing the drills perfect and Isaiah was turning a step or two short of the line. He hasn't learned yet that all that he is being asked to do is to make him better, not just to have something to do. That sort of thing got better once the drill included a ball. Shooting drills included off the dribble and a curl and a spot up and then he was locked in. And Harris is a really good shooter, so he is always going to look good shooting. Harris had a little float to the direction he was heading when he was coming off a screen or moving- that made most of his misses being off right or left- but he wasn't alone in that regard. Most of the misses from everyone could have been linked back to off balance or floating one way or the other. One of the things i noticed about Harris this year at the Pro-Am was just how smart of a player he is. He doesn't need to do what he does best, he is willing to take what the defense is giving him. He got a reputation there as a shooter, so he became a driver. He wouldn't force a 3 when he had a mis-match if his teammate had a better mis-match.
Isaiah was scoring with a hand in the face- Coach Pitino had to get on the D to tighten up because the hot shooting was catchy- he even laughed about it.
Hurt looks stronger, but the live action was pretty ball handler dominated. Looked better but wasn't dominating or anything.
Davonte was the other one i was trying to watch because i was thinking we are going to need him to play big or as a 4 this year if Reggie and Jordan get in foul trouble but he was doing the drills with the guards and wings, so that means Bakary is going to have to step up. He still had too much thinking on every touch in the low post, Nothing is natural for him yet. Gas was Gas.
They are a really nice group of kids though. One of the best parts of being a Golden Dunker is the chance to interact with the players and coaching staff a little bit. This group of kids is very gracious to the youngsters as well as us old guys.

Thanks for all the info. That's a bit surprising to hear Davonte was working with the perimeter players. Hopefully Bakary and Hurt will be much improved. I'm sure we'll still see Davonte playing some 4.

 

[skauma]

Don’t forget some people on this board legitimately think he’s going to be one and done...

I dont think Ive read one comment where someone said he's one and done.

I do however think Isaiah thinks he might be a one and done.

 

[Cayman]

Thanks for all the info. That's a bit surprising to hear Davonte was working with the perimeter players. Hopefully Bakary and Hurt will be much improved. I'm sure we'll still see Davonte playing some 4.

For what it's worth, Fitzgerald's Rivals page lists him as a 6'7" shooting guard out of high school. Not sure how much of a banger he is, but I haven't watched him or anything.

 

[WanderingGopher]

For what it's worth, Fitzgerald's Rivals page lists him as a 6'7" shooting guard out of high school. Not sure how much of a banger he is, but I haven't watched him or anything.

Every other site listed him as a small forward, although his highlight video says "guard/forward." He looks long and bouncy, and has good handles for a forward, in his highlight video. But note the right knee brace even in high school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-shsNlF2Gk

 

[EG#9]

Thanks for all the extra info Minnesconsin fan. I agree that it sure seems like we will need Fitzgerald at the 4 at times this year. I am sure there will be times where Reggie is in foul trouble and we don't want to play Bakary (like at times there were last year) and we will need to play someone next to Murphy up front. I am cautiously optimistic that Bakary can give us a little more as Senior than he did as a Junior and actually be a pretty good backup 5. If he can just finish more consistently, improve his hands, and stay away from the moving screens...

 

[stocker08]

Thanks for all the extra info Minnesconsin fan. I agree that it sure seems like we will need Fitzgerald at the 4 at times this year. I am sure there will be times where Reggie is in foul trouble and we don't want to play Bakary (like at times there were last year) and we will need to play someone next to Murphy up front. I am cautiously optimistic that Bakary can give us a little more as Senior than he did as a Junior and actually be a pretty good backup 5. If he can just finish more consistently, improve his hands, and stay away from the moving screens...

Konate will be able to provide some valuable minute for us this year. A couple years ago? I thought he was a lost cause. But he made a significant jump last year. He has no finesse and will always be a liability on the offensive side of the court. But he plays some decent defense and can provide some fouls. My biggest issue with him a couple years ago was that he had brick hands. That greatly improved to the point where he's a decent rebounder.....which is what we'll need him for.

 

[die hard gopher]

 

[Moonlight]

I dont think Ive read one comment where someone said he's one and done.

I do however think Isaiah thinks he might be a one and done.

Bull, on both counts.
Are some Minnesotans going to be able to handle a confident, exciting player without comments like this? probably not.

 

[howeda7]

Bull, on both counts.
Are some Minnesotans going to be able to handle a confident, exciting player without comments like this? probably not.

No. If a coach is successful for more than 2 minutes, he's leaving. If a player is too good, he's leaving or will suffer a major injury imminently.

We prefer a team of above average players coached by a stoic, emotionless, unexciting Bud Grant clone. Uff-da!

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Konate will be able to provide some valuable minute for us this year. A couple years ago? I thought he was a lost cause. But he made a significant jump last year. He has no finesse and will always be a liability on the offensive side of the court. But he plays some decent defense and can provide some fouls. My biggest issue with him a couple years ago was that he had brick hands. That greatly improved to the point where he's a decent rebounder.....which is what we'll need him for.

Maybe Konate should just stay down on the defense end. Not even come down on the offensive end. Haha

 

[WanderingGopher]

Maybe Konate should just stay down on the defense end. Not even come down on the offensive end. Haha

He was terrible on the pick and roll last year. As soon as he came in the game, teams would run the P&R right at him.

I don’t know if it’s lack of understanding due to not playing the game as long as his American counterparts, or athleticism, or what, but he does not look natural on the court. Same with Diedhou, to an even greater degree.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

He was terrible on the pick and roll last year. As soon as he came in the game, teams would run the P&R right at him.

I don’t know if it’s lack of understanding due to not playing the game as long as his American counterparts, or athleticism, or what, but he does not look natural on the court. Same with Diedhou, to an even greater degree.

What a waste of scholarships. As long as you stagger scholarships correctly, I'm ok with having one or two allocated for development so they can be forces when seniors. Talk about a couple of swings and misses. Good thing we have Thomas and Oturu coming on to replace them

 

[SelectionSunday]

To lump Konate with Diedhiou is unfair. Not every rotation player can be a star.

Konate had value for last year's team, and he'll have even more this season now that Curry is out for the season. Bang, board, scrap, block a few shots, get a few garbage baskets off stick-backs. You need those kind of guys on a team. Trevor Winter is a name that comes to mind as a comparison.