Kudos to Eastern

[reswat]

The past two games, I've notice that Eastern has already improved the mechanics on his free throws. Earlier, he would make an unnecessary transition from the right side to the left as he was raising the ball. The mechanics now are much cleaner, and he just goes straight up.

This is significant because it shows a true desire to improve and a willingness to set aside past bad habits. That's hard for all of us. It's just so easy to justify our own behavior, in life or in basketball. Especially, I'm impressed that he's making that change in the middle of the season. He's already getting a great head start on the rest of his career.

I'm sure he will continue to work on it this summer. I don't expect immediate results, but I'm confident that his attitude and willingness to work will produce great results going forward.

If he can become a great outside shooter, his skill set will be tremendous. The sky's the limit if he can add outside shooting to his ball-handling, his court vision, his size and quickness, his defense and his ability to get to the rim.

Keep up the good work, Nojel. (and keep praying!)

 

[boilerHup]

Next to Vince, Eastern is probably the craftiest rebounder on the team

 

[Bulldog6969]

I was really impressed with Nojel today. The defense and basketball IQ is already up to Big ten standards (and normal big ten not this odd 2018 bad big ten) and I really liked what I saw on the offensive end today. In limited minutes he was calm, collected and dare I say ran the offense better than PJ at times. The stat sheet showed 0 steals but he definitely forced a few turnovers with his defensive intensity.

If Nojel can ever get the scoring to come around consistently (like the and one high off the glass floater) he will be a terror to the big ten for three more years. I can see opposing fans hating Haarms and Eastern for years to come.

 

[gkmorris]

I love that Painter is giving him quality minutes. That is going to pay dividends come March!

 

[cgnops]

I liked both PJ and Easterns defensive intensity. I also like Easterns demeanor, reminds me a bit of ETwaun, not a lot of smiles or exuberant celebrations but clearly focused and brings intensity.

 

[Esox54547]

I liked both PJ and Easterns defensive intensity. I also like Easterns demeanor, reminds me a bit of ETwaun, not a lot of smiles or exuberant celebrations but clearly focused and brings intensity.

After Eastern signed, Painter made the point repeatedly that with Carson able to guard the point, Eastern could play the point and guard off the ball. Well, Painter must think Nojel is there defensively already as he mostly guards the point when he's in.

 

[Boiler Buck]

Thought Eastern's play is trending upward. Thought he was the second best guy off the bench today behind Haarms. Was not impressed with Cline today.

With all the guys on the team, and how well they are playing, Eastern surprises me..... post wise.......I believe Eastern leads the way in posts per minute.

 

[DrEss]

Love to see him duplicate coming around on the dribble and driving the lane to the basket like PalmerJr was doing.

 

[tjreese]

The past two games, I've notice that Eastern has already improved the mechanics on his free throws. Earlier, he would make an unnecessary transition from the right side to the left as he was raising the ball. The mechanics now are much cleaner, and he just goes straight up.

This is significant because it shows a true desire to improve and a willingness to set aside past bad habits. That's hard for all of us. It's just so easy to justify our own behavior, in life or in basketball. Especially, I'm impressed that he's making that change in the middle of the season. He's already getting a great head start on the rest of his career.

I'm sure he will continue to work on it this summer. I don't expect immediate results, but I'm confident that his attitude and willingness to work will produce great results going forward.

If he can become a great outside shooter, his skill set will be tremendous. The sky's the limit if he can add outside shooting to his ball-handling, his court vision, his size and quickness, his defense and his ability to get to the rim.

Keep up the good work, Nojel. (and keep praying!)

I haven't noticed and I look for his shooting pocket on every shot frmo the line. Problem is I can't see because the scoreboard has a side view to knwo for sure what he is doing. However, it appears (and I may be wrong) that he still takes it to his right side of his head and then back left making alignment really hard. Again, I do NOT have but a side view and cannot truly tell from that angle and so I could be wrong. Two things "I think" that "could be" helpful to Nojel and that by no means suggest these would ever be all to work on. First, ball balance. I would like him to start out in front of the basket shooting with ONLY his left hand. Obviously unless he palms the ball it will not be balanced if it goes across his face (and fall out of his hand) adn so if he can lift it, push off the floor and finish with a goose neck finish shooting one handed in front of the goal for a couple of minutes and then continue to do the same thing backing up until he is shooting FTs and MAKING THEM by forcing him to get balance of the ball by only using one hand to shoot. I truly think a person constantly working on balance and holding the follow through will improve his or her shooting where all shots look like they could go in. Working the pocket for live conditions I would like for a person to throw him passes slightly outside the pocket and to watch and make sure he always takes the ball whether to his left side, right side, high or low into his pocket for alignment before he starts a lift.

What I can see is that he is getting more comfortable and once he starts to nail the FTs i think we will see him taking it more to the rim than today. He works hard on D and has good vision. He is providing solid minutes on a very good senior team with a bright future. We all just know that once he improves his shooting....he has few limitations. Lot of worthy things here

 

[tjreese]

After Eastern signed, Painter made the point repeatedly that with Carson able to guard the point, Eastern could play the point and guard off the ball. Well, Painter must think Nojel is there defensively already as he mostly guards the point when he's in.

I do think Nojel does a better job on the ball than off...same with Carsen. However, Nojel playing D on the ball and using his energy there...allows a bit more fluid in the tank for Carsen on O as well

 

[Treed1967]

I haven't noticed and I look for his shooting pocket on every shot frmo the line. Problem is I can't see because the scoreboard has a side view to knwo for sure what he is doing. However, it appears (and I may be wrong) that he still takes it to his right side of his head and then back left making alignment really hard. Again, I do NOT have but a side view and cannot truly tell from that angle and so I could be wrong. Two things "I think" that "could be" helpful to Nojel and that by no means suggest these would ever be all to work on. First, ball balance. I would like him to start out in front of the basket shooting with ONLY his left hand. Obviously unless he palms the ball it will not be balanced if it goes across his face (and fall out of his hand) adn so if he can lift it, push off the floor and finish with a goose neck finish shooting one handed in front of the goal for a couple of minutes and then continue to do the same thing backing up until he is shooting FTs and MAKING THEM by forcing him to get balance of the ball by only using one hand to shoot. I truly think a person constantly working on balance and holding the follow through will improve his or her shooting where all shots look like they could go in. Working the pocket for live conditions I would like for a person to throw him passes slightly outside the pocket and to watch and make sure he always takes the ball whether to his left side, right side, high or low into his pocket for alignment before he starts a lift.

What I can see is that he is getting more comfortable and once he starts to nail the FTs i think we will see him taking it more to the rim than today. He works hard on D and has good vision. He is providing solid minutes on a very good senior team with a bright future. We all just know that once he improves his shooting....he has few limitations

Sir he’s working on his game Dailey I no what’s best for him he is being helped by a shooting coach and we all have figured out what was his problem. That’s the least of things to worry about his shooting his FT are better his shot is better that is all he needs to concentrate on is getting better and he is. He’s gonna be just fine thanks for your input however

 

[Dodge St Boilers]

I haven't noticed and I look for his shooting pocket on every shot frmo the line. Problem is I can't see because the scoreboard has a side view to knwo for sure what he is doing. However, it appears (and I may be wrong) that he still takes it to his right side of his head and then back left making alignment really hard. Again, I do NOT have but a side view and cannot truly tell from that angle and so I could be wrong. Two things "I think" that "could be" helpful to Nojel and that by no means suggest these would ever be all to work on. First, ball balance. I would like him to start out in front of the basket shooting with ONLY his left hand. Obviously unless he palms the ball it will not be balanced if it goes across his face (and fall out of his hand) adn so if he can lift it, push off the floor and finish with a goose neck finish shooting one handed in front of the goal for a couple of minutes and then continue to do the same thing backing up until he is shooting FTs and MAKING THEM by forcing him to get balance of the ball by only using one hand to shoot. I truly think a person constantly working on balance and holding the follow through will improve his or her shooting where all shots look like they could go in. Working the pocket for live conditions I would like for a person to throw him passes slightly outside the pocket and to watch and make sure he always takes the ball whether to his left side, right side, high or low into his pocket for alignment before he starts a lift.

What I can see is that he is getting more comfortable and once he starts to nail the FTs i think we will see him taking it more to the rim than today. He works hard on D and has good vision. He is providing solid minutes on a very good senior team with a bright future. We all just know that once he improves his shooting....he has few limitations. Lot of worthy things here

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It wouldn’t surprise me if this was actually a drawback from the world university games. Usually freshman come in and spend the summer lifting and working on their game in a way where improvement is the primary concern. Nojel showed up on campus and the primary concern was getting ready to play major backup point guard mins in the WUG. Big difference in spending a few hours a week one on one with a coach targeting specific areas and going full squad focusing on scheme and strategy.

He seems to have a hitch in his shot, which probably could be corrected over a summer with a shooting coach

 

[tjreese]

Sir he’s working on his game Dailey I no what’s best for him he is being helped by a shooting coach and we all have figured out what was his problem. That’s the least of things to worry about his shooting his FT are better his shot is better that is all he needs to concentrate on is getting better and he is. He’s gonna be just fine thanks for your input however

I don't think there is anybody debating whether he is going to be fine. I think most if not all suspect he will be better than fine. Remember the players that have the most potential are the ones that get driven the hardest. If people didn't see all of his potential, didn't see what he already brings with on ball defense, his court vision and his turnovers going down he wouldn't even be in a position to critique his shooting. It is quite a compliment to him that so many are pulling for him to reach his potential and when comments cease that just means a coach or even fans have given up on you. Seeing Matt get on PJ at teh endi of the game...means that after four years Matt is STILL trying to improve PJ and hasn't given up...just like all of us that are still hopeful that the smiling face we see in the game reaches his goals ...and we know what a major force is that is fighting him...that is all. None of it has anything to do with not becoming a better player. Nobody tht writes here is anywhere near the ball player Nojel is, but that doesn't mean that some don't know basketball enough to see issues with everyone or no longer care. I'm glad he has a shooting coach working with him and I hope that teacher can diagnose areas and help fix them. You want Nojel to be as good as he can be and so does everyone ...(well the Purdue fans anyway) here.

Never should you ever think a Purdue fan wants anything but the best for Nojel.

 

[tjreese]

It wouldn’t surprise me if this was actually a drawback from the world university games. Usually freshman come in and spend the summer lifting and working on their game in a way where improvement is the primary concern. Nojel showed up on campus and the primary concern was getting ready to play major backup point guard mins in the WUG. Big difference in spending a few hours a week one on one with a coach targeting specific areas and going full squad focusing on scheme and strategy.

He seems to have a hitch in his shot, which probably could be corrected over a summer with a shooting coach

The "hitch" I believe is trying to find the shooting pocket from various angles instead of straight up. I'm not sure it takes a summer for real growth, but agree the summer is a great time for improvement. ask yourself this rhetorical question...over time have you witnessed a lot of good players but poor shooting form? What were the high school coaches doing in the summers or during various skill drills? Man is a creature of habits and so what kind of habits are being formed..because they are being formed...

 

[SIBoiler2]

While watching today from my skybox it did appear that his shooting mechanics at the line was much smoother and fundamentally improved from 4 or 5 games ago.

 

[Treed1967]

It wouldn’t surprise me if this was actually a drawback from the world university games. Usually freshman come in and spend the summer lifting and working on their game in a way where improvement is the primary concern. Nojel showed up on campus and the primary concern was getting ready to play major backup point guard mins in the WUG. Big difference in spending a few hours a week one on one with a coach targeting specific areas and going full squad focusing on scheme and strategy.

He seems to have a hitch in his shot, which probably could be corrected over a summer with a shooting coach

. That is incorrect was having problems with his shot way before he got to purdue. Lost confidence in his shot tried to fix it on his own because he is a perfectionist created bad habits now I have and the guy who is working with my son on his shot knows exactly what’s going on with his shot. No hitch anymore he just needs to now get plenty of shots up and he has. He does plenty of other things on the court that impact the game than him shooting shots. My son now knows what his issue is and he is working on getting it better. He use to shoot very well his 1st 3 years in HS he somehow felt something was wrong with his shooting he tried to figure it out in his on and just could not get it right. So now the guy he is working with has figured out what the problem is now my son is working Dailey to get it better. He’ll be fine for sure

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

It wouldn’t surprise me if this was actually a drawback from the world university games. Usually freshman come in and spend the summer lifting and working on their game in a way where improvement is the primary concern. Nojel showed up on campus and the primary concern was getting ready to play major backup point guard mins in the WUG. Big difference in spending a few hours a week one on one with a coach targeting specific areas and going full squad focusing on scheme and strategy.

He seems to have a hitch in his shot, which probably could be corrected over a summer with a shooting coach

Nope....WUG allowed CMP and Nojel to have usable video of what his strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Mandeville LA]

While watching today from my skybox it did appear that his shooting mechanics at the line was much smoother and fundamentally improved from 4 or 5 games ago.

This is correct. His last free through in the game he kind of reverted back to his old stroke. Before that he was using what appears to be a different motion. Most freshmen struggle with a few things at the high D1 level. It’s almost like starting their basketball career over and the pressure has to be tough. Going from being the man at their high school and being very comfortable to being the low man on the team with 15,000 sets of eyes on your every move.

 

[reswat]

. That is incorrect was having problems with his shot way before he got to purdue. Lost confidence in his shot tried to fix it on his own because he is a perfectionist created bad habits now I have and the guy who is working with my son on his shot knows exactly what’s going on with his shot. No hitch anymore he just needs to now get plenty of shots up and he has. He does plenty of other things on the court that impact the game than him shooting shots. My son now knows what his issue is and he is working on getting it better. He use to shoot very well his 1st 3 years in HS he somehow felt something was wrong with his shooting he tried to figure it out in his on and just could not get it right. So now the guy he is working with has figured out what the problem is now my son is working Dailey to get it better. He’ll be fine for sure

Treed1957. First, let me just say that it is fascinating having you post on this site. We fans out here don't often get inside glimpses of what's going on with the players.

Second, I do have concerns for your own heart. Coming onto this site is kind of like pulling your heart out of your chest and putting it on the floor for other people to stomp on. It's just easy for people to be mean on a forum like this. For myself, I have often written things on here that I wouldn't say to a person face to face. I'm trying to get better, but I still can't claim to be a master of my own frustration.

Finally, I'm excited to hear you confirm that Nojel is working on his mechanics, and your words confirm what I was seeing on TV. In my mind, a great point guard *absolutely must* be a good shooter Otherwise, the defense will just sag down and clog the middle. The great point guards (Nash, Curry, etc.) are able to shoot from outside. That's one reason I really like PJ Thompson - because he can knock down the outside shot, in addition to his ability to take care of the ball and run the offense. Nobody's going to be clogging the lane while their guarding PJ. If they do, he'll make them pay.

Not to mention the crucial importance of being able to hit free throws late in the game. Your primary point guard has to be a solid free throw shooter.

So, just to repeat, tell Nojel to keep up the good work and to get that outside and his free throws nailed down. Put in that time alone in the gym. (And on a more personal level, I was glad to read that he prays about this stuff. I believe God will guide him better than anybody else in all things, including his basketball shot)

 

[proudopete]

This is correct. His last free through in the game he kind of reverted back to his old stroke. Before that he was using what appears to be a different motion. Most freshmen struggle with a few things at the high D1 level. It’s almost like starting their basketball career over and the pressure has to be tough. Going from being the man at their high school and being very comfortable to being the low man on the team with 15,000 sets of eyes on your every move.

The free throw thing appears to be mainly mental affecting his mechanics. The three pointers he has shot this year look like a pretty decent stroke. Hopefully he can adjust as he is gonna be on the line a lot.

 

[Mandeville LA]

The free throw thing appears to be mainly mental affecting his mechanics. The three pointers he has shot this year look like a pretty decent stroke. Hopefully he can adjust as he is gonna be on the line a lot.

The mental side of things such as shooting free throughs can be solved with the right mechanics and repetition. For me, shooting from the foul line and chipping a golf ball around the green should be simple. Sometimes it is not. I have been playing golf for a long time and I go though times where it probably looks like I have never attempted a chip shot. It’s all mental. I want to score well, and that meant putting the ball near the hole. The more I think the worse it gets.

 

[SIBoiler2]

Seeing games on TV gives a one dimensional view focused on the ball. Actually viewing the game in person allowed me to watch individual players off the ball. Watching Nojel confirms that many B1G guards will have nightmares over the next 3 years just from his defensive skills. Watching him bring the ball up and the move in the second half where he hit the one handed 10 footer while slashing from the right made me realize that I was looking back to the late 70s to similar moves by a young oversized MSU guard. Not making comparisons but the basics are already there.

 

[tjreese]

While watching today from my skybox it did appear that his shooting mechanics at the line was much smoother and fundamentally improved from 4 or 5 games ago.

As I said before I do not have teh proper angle to see what I'm wanting to see. My view is the closeup of the scoreboard and it shows a side view which doesn't allow me to see what I want. Consequently, I do not know if it is smoother or not...but the real important thing is for me to see is the mechanics of being correct...and can be that to a fault in my case sometimes. This whole thing was what I noticed the first time he shot Fts that I could see...and this never just happened. My guess is that this has always been there and how a person can "work" on shooting in high school with "coaches" and have basic flaws is beyond me. Look at Terone as a recent Purdue player that had some major flaws. He was one of the best for Purdue during his time, but had big time flaws in his mechanics. How does that happen? Did MItchell not dig into detail? I can state for a fact that some coaches do NOT push fundamentals as much as others...and still win games...with the talent...

I just hope like all the others he reaches his goals

 

[Purdue 95]

Probably a confidence thing as much as anything else. Nojel will be fine. We'll need him to be. Come March, it's all hands on deck and he could be needed to play more minutes. Your primary ball handler has to be a reliable FT shooter, especially late in games.

He'll get there, but as we sit here today, he would not be my first choice of guys to be shooting critical FTs in the waning seconds of a close game.

Next year, he'll need to be that guy.

 

[tjreese]

Probably a confidence thing as much as anything else. Nojel will be fine. We'll need him to be. Come March, it's all hands on deck and he could be needed to play more minutes. Your primary ball handler has to be a reliable FT shooter, especially late in games.

He'll get there, but as we sit here today, he would not be my first choice of guys to be shooting critical FTs in the waning seconds of a close game.

Next year, he'll need to be that guy.

Even this year in a crucial moment and you want him on the court could Fts be crucial. Nobody has talked about Haarms and although I've been in his corner long before the first game this year was played, he too has a little hitch and it is between the "lift and the thrust" of his shot. Earlier he never had enough lift...I do think that has improved, but he has work to do on his shooting as well. Shoot PJ is deadly and is shooting pocket is too low...I mean everyone has shooting areas that could be improved, but when your muscle memory has memorized things that are close to being correct the results are good...no sense to change it. If you handle the ball...you invite yourself to go to the line in a close game...and confidence which ONLY comes from success is much more common when the right mechanics are in place. I'm probably more critical of some fundamentals than others and know that... being long criticised for expecting too much from players.

Did anyone think PJ knew he shouldn't go over the top against the press? PJ knows things and fatigue and human nature bring about errors when focus wanders.

 

[proudopete]

Even this year in a crucial moment and you want him on the court could Fts be crucial. Nobody has talked about Haarms and although I've been in his corner long before the first game this year was played, he too has a little hitch and it is between the "lift and the thrust" of his shot. Earlier he never had enough lift...I do think that has improved, but he has work to do on his shooting as well. Shoot PJ is deadly and is shooting pocket is too low...I mean everyone has shooting areas that could be improved, but when your muscle memory has memorized things that are close to being correct the results are good...no sense to change it. If you handle the ball...you invite yourself to go to the line in a close game...and confidence which ONLY comes from success is much more common when the right mechanics are in place. I'm probably more critical of some fundamentals than others and know that... being long criticised for expecting too much from players.

Did anyone think PJ knew he shouldn't go over the top against the press? PJ knows things and fatigue and human nature bring about errors when focus wanders.

I don’t want this to sound negative as it isn’t, but it appears Nojel also does a lean back type of thing similar to what Haas used to do and still does at times. To me it does appear it gets in his head when he is on the line, but I am sure it would for most people, so I don’t see it as a weakness, instead it’s a bad habit he can overcome.

 

[mryankee2397]

nojel has all the tools necessary to become a very good if not great player. he seems like what keady called a happy warrior and i believe he will work hard to improve his game. sheffler,rowinski and martin have shown us what happens when you are determined to improve. there is no substitute for game time experience and i am glad he is getting quality minutes.

 

[tjreese]

I don't consider any of this negative. We all want what is best for Nojel and we all want him to see improvement in areas that apparently have been there for some time to be so sensitive. Almost to a fault people have praised Nojel on this board and deservingly so..he brings a lot to the table adn everyone want to see him reach a magic level. We're all in his corner...

 

[Dodge St Boilers]

Nope....WUG allowed CMP and Nojel to have usable video of what his strengths and weaknesses.

this doesn’t mean what I said is wrong about that preventing the chance for more isolated improvement

 

[tjreese]

nojel has all the tools necessary to become a very good if not great player. he seems like what keady called a happy warrior and i believe he will work hard to improve his game. sheffler,rowinski and martin have shown us what happens when you are determined to improve. there is no substitute for game time experience and i am glad he is getting quality minutes.

I doubt too many want to see Nojel play any less..if any at all want to see that. Everyone can see many positives he currently has and a LOT more he can bring with confidence. Determination is crucial...but determination doing the right things beats determination doing less than the right things all the time. While you're on it...think we need Taylor getting more minutes and quality minutes? I do...and have been on that bus for a while...been on the bus to get Haarms more minutes early...been on teh bus to play two bigs together. I would rather try to be ready for all things and prevent problems that most fans don't consider problems until they show up as problems. Nojel offers a lot, but he like all others have an Achillees. Look at Taylor yesterday...two buckets at point blank he missed that probably goes in with more experience. he ran the court pretty well, but obviously rusty. Now, you don't want to create chemsitry issues by playing too many..but you also have to be prepared when you are trying to stop leaks due to a variety of issues. These are all the heart aches for the coaches to try to prevent so the fan doesn't see problems after they exist, but the coaches prevent those problems as much as possible with these very young men...

 

[Dodge St Boilers]

The "hitch" I believe is trying to find the shooting pocket from various angles instead of straight up. I'm not sure it takes a summer for real growth, but agree the summer is a great time for improvement. ask yourself this rhetorical question...over time have you witnessed a lot of good players but poor shooting form? What were the high school coaches doing in the summers or during various skill drills? Man is a creature of habits and so what kind of habits are being formed..because they are being formed...

I’m not sure that this is the same as a hitch in your shooting motion, which could be anywhere from fundamentals to instincts all the way to the yips, but you do see people go from liability to strength as a three point shooter over the summer all the time. I remember talking to someone about the Work Cuonzo put in with Keaton grant between is fresh and sophomore year and, based off what they told me KG did, I can’t imagine anyone finding the time to put in that kinda work which you’re also practicing and prepping for actual games

 

[tjreese]

this doesn’t mean what I said is wrong about that preventing the chance for more isolated improvement

If you are picky enough you can see a lot of flaws in players and I can state for a fact that some coaches really don't do much individual work with players but focus on team things. Shoot it is VERY common to see players in high school not execute a reverse dribble correctly....VERY common. I don't think team coaches can spend much time with players outside the season and if the season takes time to prepare for the next game it is easy to see why fundamentals slip. Perhaps I'll go on a diet after the new year...after memorial day, fourth of july, my birthday, thanksgiving adn so forth...

 

[tjreese]

I’m not sure that this is the same as a hitch in your shooting motion, which could be anywhere from fundamentals to instincts all the way to the yips, but you do see people go from liability to strength as a three point shooter over the summer all the time. I remember talking to someone about the Work Cuonzo put in with Keaton grant between is fresh and sophomore year and, based off what they told me KG did, I can’t imagine anyone finding the time to put in that kinda work which you’re also practicing and prepping for actual games

anytime there is something outside the fluid motion..a hesitation a "hitch" can occur. haarm's hitch is different than Nojels. I also think and have stated that "shooting" is an area that players can really improve. Still, I've watched players that put in the time and not the concentration on developing the right muscle memory and the growth was much less and slower. Like all of life..you need to do the "right things" and in the "right order" or you will get something less than the correct answer. No question that shooting can be improved immensely. I FIRMLY believe that and have stated such many times...else I wouldn't waste my time talking about it. Hell, I've made casual walks through a gym...walking now and catching a player shooting (never only looking to see if it goes in, to be distracted with fools gold) and immediately noticed that a player went to Baumgartner's camp...even though I didn't know he did just in seeing changes to his shooting. Not everyone has the same abilithy to shoot the ball, but ALL can be improved with the right technique and the right practice.

 

[Dodge St Boilers]

If you are picky enough you can see a lot of flaws in players and I can state for a fact that some coaches really don't do much individual work with players but focus on team things. Shoot it is VERY common to see players in high school not execute a reverse dribble correctly....VERY common. I don't think team coaches can spend much time with players outside the season and if the season takes time to prepare for the next game it is easy to see why fundamentals slip. Perhaps I'll go on a diet after the new year...after memorial day, fourth of july, my birthday, thanksgiving adn so forth...

I’m not sure I follow the analogy, but I can tell you that almost every professional in almost every sport has a personal coach/trainer where they work on isolated improvements during the offseason. They do it during the offseason because that’s when they have time to not only focus solely on a few things, but also not worry about aligning their recovery with trying to be in the best possible spot at game time.

 

[tjreese]

I’m not sure I follow the analogy, but I can tell you that almost every professional in almost every sport has a personal coach/trainer where they work on isolated improvements during the offseason. They do it during the offseason because that’s when they have time to not only focus solely on a few things, but also not worry about aligning their recovery with trying to be in the best possible spot at game time.

I'm only talking basketball...donn't know the other sports well. talking high school and prior to high school since I've never coached any college players. My issue is NOT having a personal trainer or coach working on things...I think you should...just like going to a specialist instead of the MD for some things. Still, a MD can treat a sore throat even if he can't do throat surgery in some cases. The off season is where the GREATEST potential for the GREATEST gain can take place, but THAT is different than just improving. I guarantee all of Purdue players are getting into teh gym to work on their shooting OUTSIDE of practice. However, "working on shooting" carries a different connotation to some than others. I guarantee you that "team things" are being improved right now on each individual within a team concept knowing it must take place now.

FWIW, I asked Vince two years ago the day when I saw Jacquel in a boot before the season if Matt was doing a bit more individual work on D to help contain the dribble and he said no...ever since he had been there it has always been a LOT of shell work...team D. Matt credits Rapheal and Dakota as being good students of film in their improvement on D...all in time outside practice, but during the season

 

[tjreese]

. That is incorrect was having problems with his shot way before he got to purdue. Lost confidence in his shot tried to fix it on his own because he is a perfectionist created bad habits now I have and the guy who is working with my son on his shot knows exactly what’s going on with his shot. No hitch anymore he just needs to now get plenty of shots up and he has. He does plenty of other things on the court that impact the game than him shooting shots. My son now knows what his issue is and he is working on getting it better. He use to shoot very well his 1st 3 years in HS he somehow felt something was wrong with his shooting he tried to figure it out in his on and just could not get it right. So now the guy he is working with has figured out what the problem is now my son is working Dailey to get it better. He’ll be fine for sure

no question the issues were there before Purdue...and no question everyone here...well all the Purdue fans want Nojel to reach his goals. You are not the first parent of a son playing ball, nor the wife of a coach...nor the coach that hears a 1000 things that could or should have been done...or the first parent of a player I have discussed basketball with. Our happy moments increase as Nojel's happy moments increase and I would like to think that nobody thinks Nojel is just sitting around and not wanting to put the work in to reach the goals he has. Shoot ...almost all the players on all the teams were willing to pay a price above the average fan

 

[koonjs01]

. That is incorrect was having problems with his shot way before he got to purdue. Lost confidence in his shot tried to fix it on his own because he is a perfectionist created bad habits now I have and the guy who is working with my son on his shot knows exactly what’s going on with his shot. No hitch anymore he just needs to now get plenty of shots up and he has. He does plenty of other things on the court that impact the game than him shooting shots. My son now knows what his issue is and he is working on getting it better. He use to shoot very well his 1st 3 years in HS he somehow felt something was wrong with his shooting he tried to figure it out in his on and just could not get it right. So now the guy he is working with has figured out what the problem is now my son is working Dailey to get it better. He’ll be fine for sure

It's pretty obvious your son has been working very hard. And it's even more obvious that you've raised a really good young man. He's going to be a very good basketball player for Purdue over the next 3 years. I'm looking forward to seeing the both of you at Center Court on Senior Night in 2022.

 

[Bruce1]

I love that Painter is giving him quality minutes. That is going to pay dividends come March!

For sure. He has been reluctant to do that in the past. Nojel is getting really good minutes. If we hit some foul trouble he is ready. As already said love his rebounding.