Painter focused on size and shooting...at the expense of athleticism. It was an issue a year ago, and is a significant issue again this year.
When you see Basil at practice every day then you will be qualified to say why he isn't getting minutes. Athleticism doesn't a make ball player. From what I've seen this year, Basil isn't the same player after the weight gain. I don't believe he stood a chance against Jok. JMO
Is he not showing up for practice?
Why does seemingly all other P5 teams and many lower level conf teams have 4+ Carsen/Basil level athletes on the team that contribute but we haven't in who knows how long? We have all seen the Boilers bested every year to more than one team that out athletes us. Frustrating.
Shut down Jok........good luck with that. But he does have the same game as Hayes so.........well, not so much.
This. Hayes was blowing past Basil, and Hayes is nowhere near as quick as Jok. Peter would have gone for fitty with BS guarding him.
Sometimes it was both of them playing, sometimes it was Vince that was slow to rotate and help until the recover. Sometimes it could be a smaller player to help if they are in position.
Better question...who is responsible for said progression, or, more accurately, lack thereof? Hard to believe a coach/staff could recruit a class that was incredibly highly ranked at the time of the commitments, and four years later, literally have nothing to show for it...even more hard to believe that it is not just accepted, but that it is glossed over, excused and/or ignored.
Not true...Wisconsin, like Purdue, was not incredibly athletic which is precisely why Purdue fared as it did...but, the young guys for Wisconsin, are far more athletic players...so maybe they are making at least some move in that direction...and, a guy like Dekker was incredibly athletic and made a significant difference on those Wisconsin teams.
It makes no difference who surrounds them...Octeus had an impact at both ends, and could be a difference maker at both ends, never mind provided some great leadership...not the case with Thompson...I will concede that he was older and had the benefit of another year of experience, so maybe Thompson develops into a leader like Octeus was, but no way he ever impacts the game at either end as Octeus did, and that had nothing at all to do with who was around him...but everything to do with the fact that he was long and athletic, two things that Thompson lacks and that prevent him from being able to do it.
That one doesn't make sense. Swanigan is both highly skilled and a good athlete.
I believe that if Octeus was on this team, we would only have 1 or 2 losses.
I feel the same way if we had big dog. Just 2 losses or less.
Really difficult to say that "they win it all" seeing as they lost in the first round and would have seen Kentucky in the next had they managed to advance...but, Swanigan on that team was certainly a missing piece and would have made that particular team awful good.
Octeus could get to the basket...he created offense with his rebounding or getting to the basket (PJ does neither)...and while he was not a shooter by any stretch, he could knock down shots on occasion (and, it was not like he hoisted a lot of shots either).
The lack of elite athleticism is the knock on him. The ONLY knock. It is the only reason he is not already in the NBA.
