Questions about next year’s team

[ZAG 4 LIFE]

For the Insiders, is there any chance we lose Kispert? He had somewhat of an ominous post on Instagram tonight with a picture of himself and the caption was “Chapter 3”. In the comments, people were asking if it meant AAU, College, then Pro? Maybe I’m a little scared still from ZN leaving too early but really hope he doesn’t go!

I would guess he means his junior year (chapter 3) is done, year/chapter 4 to follow

[Hoopaholic]

As I've said. My criticism was not about his need to improve in certain areas. My criticism came from saying you would not take him back UNLESS he

As I've said several times now, no coach would say that to him....To say that his return was conditional on ANYTHING to me is not only bad (poor communication) but it's rude.

I would not consider it rude nor poor communication. I would consider it open honest communication and that is owed to anyone who plays or works from someone...that is what leaders do. Provide honest, contextual hard to have discussions and then let the person make their decisions based upon that open honest discussion

[Reborn]

I would not consider it rude nor poor communication. I would consider it open honest communication and that is owed to anyone who plays or works from someone...that is what leaders do. Provide honest, contextual hard to have discussions and then let the person make their decisions based upon that open honest discussion

I couldn't agree with you more about open and honest communication being good. But those qualities do not necessarily make the communication good. There is something called being smart, or intelligent. AND a good communicator must also be smart. I think that part of being a leader is also being smart, and having the kind of intelligence that comes from hard work. I'm talking about the kind of hard work that comes from getting the facts, and not basing my ideas, and communicating those ideas, on personal opinions. I do agree with you that Petrusev has things to work on, and especially his defense. However, to threaten him by telling him that if he does not change and play the kind of defense you want him to, that you don't want him on your team, is not smart communication. To not take into consideration how good HE IS, and how much he has helped your team to be the team in the country, and yes receive THE HONERS HE HAS WON by working hard and become the kind of player that can make the John Wooden final list and win ALL American honors, AND to tell him you don't want him on your team UNLESS.....FILL IN THE BLANKS, IS bad communication and rude in my opinion. Why do I choose the word rude. Because in my opinion, you don't respect all that Petrusive has done, nor do you appreciate all the hard work that he has done in order to be where he is at nationally. I don't recall ANY Zag WHO has accomplished what Petrusev has. What I'm referring to is being a Wooden Finalist and ALL-American in their Sophomore year. Not even Adam Morrison, or Dan Dickau, or Sabonis, Wiltjer, Clark or ANY ZAG ever achieved those honors their Sophomore year.

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

I couldn't agree with you more about open and honest communication being good. But those qualities do not necessarily make the communication good. There is something called being smart, or intelligent. AND a good communicator must also be smart. I think that part of being a leader is also being smart, and having the kind of intelligence that comes from hard work. I'm talking about the kind of hard work that comes from getting the facts, and not basing my ideas, and communicating those ideas, on personal opinions. I do agree with you that Petrusev has things to work on, and especially his defense. However, to threaten him by telling him that if he does not change and play the kind of defense you want him to, that you don't want him on your team, is not smart communication. To not take into consideration how good HE IS, and how much he has helped your team to be the team in the country, and yes receive THE HONERS HE HAS WON by working hard and become the kind of player that can make the John Wooden final list and win ALL American honors, AND to tell him you don't want him on your team UNLESS.....FILL IN THE BLANKS, IS bad communication and rude in my opinion. Why do I choose the word rude. Because in my opinion, you don't respect all that Petrusive has done, nor do you appreciate all the hard work that he has done in order to be where he is at nationally. I don't recall ANY Zag WHO has accomplished what Petrusev has. What I'm referring to is being a Wooden Finalist and ALL-American in their Sophomore year. Not even Adam Morrison, or Dan Dickau, or Sabonis, Wiltjer, Clark or ANY ZAG ever achieved those honors their Sophomore year.

Outstanding post Reborn. I agree w you 100%. Zags not even a top 20 team this season without Petrusev yet so many “fans” here seem happy to push him on out the door. I hope he and Ayayi both return; if they do, I will for sure be posting about Coach Few needing to roll out a platoon of substitutions lineup next season:

Start: Suggs, Ayayi, Kispert, Timme, Petrusev

...platoon in 4 guys together for Uber athletic lineup of:

Suggs, Harris, Strawther, Watson, Ballo.

Whether they regularly sub in together or not, it sure would be fun watching this lineup for stretches next season.
If Ballo is as dominant as we are hoping he will be, it would also be cool to play him as solo big surrounded by elite shooters: Kispert, Strawther, Ayayi and...? (who is next best 3-pt shooter next season)

[Zagcity]

Start: Suggs, Ayayi, Kispert, Timme, Petrusev

...platoon in 4 guys together for Uber athletic lineup of:

Suggs, Harris, Strawther, Watson, Ballo.

Sounds, Spooky good to me

[Reborn]

Outstanding post Reborn. I agree w you 100%. Zags not even a top 20 team this season without Petrusev yet so many “fans” here seem happy to push him on out the door. I hope he and Ayayi both return; if they do, I will for sure be posting about Coach Few needing to roll out a platoon of substitutions lineup next season:

Start: Suggs, Ayayi, Kispert, Timme, Petrusev

...platoon in 4 guys together for Uber athletic lineup of:

Suggs, Harris, Strawther, Watson, Ballo.

Whether they regularly sub in together or not, it sure would be fun watching this lineup for stretches next season.
If Ballo is as dominant as we are hoping he will be, it would also be cool to play him as solo big surrounded by elite shooters: Kispert, Strawther, Ayayi and...? (who is next best 3-pt shooter next season)

and Harris or a grad transfer. I've seen some video of Harris and he appears to be a good 3 point shooter.

Go Zags!!!

[JPtheBeasta]

Outstanding post Reborn. I agree w you 100%. Zags not even a top 20 team this season without Petrusev yet so many “fans” here seem happy to push him on out the door. I hope he and Ayayi both return; if they do, I will for sure be posting about Coach Few needing to roll out a platoon of substitutions lineup next season:

Start: Suggs, Ayayi, Kispert, Timme, Petrusev

...platoon in 4 guys together for Uber athletic lineup of:

Suggs, Harris, Strawther, Watson, Ballo.

Whether they regularly sub in together or not, it sure would be fun watching this lineup for stretches next season.
If Ballo is as dominant as we are hoping he will be, it would also be cool to play him as solo big surrounded by elite shooters: Kispert, Strawther, Ayayi and...? (who is next best 3-pt shooter next season)

To be fair, he’s seemingly had one foot out the door already by entering the draft portal last year.

I don’t think a very good argument could be made that the Zags would have been better without him this year. It is an interesting discussion about whether they would be next year. I, for one, am not mentally pushing him out the door but it seems that he was wanted to move since last year. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised now if he stayed, given the unfinished business and amazing team mates he will have next year.

[jazzdelmar]

Clumsy analogy, but take Karno-Zbo. Both were superior players to Petro and Timme (frosh year). If Karno had not returned post back surgery and Zbo had started how would Zags have fared? Yes of course can’t do much better than NC game. So if Petro had left last year and Timme had started, what would have been the result?

[JPtheBeasta]

Clumsy analogy, but take Karno-Zbo. Both were superior players to Petro and Timme (frosh year). If Karno had not returned post back surgery and Zbo had started how would Zags have fared? Yes of course can’t do much better than NC game. So if Petro had left last year and Timme had started, what would have been the result?

Timme started out slow and looked outmatched early in the season. Someone around here* <cough, cough> started questioning the veracity of his high-school ranking at that time. He seemed to come on in the second half(?), last third(?) of the season. I have been much more critical of Petrusev than any other Zag I can remember, but I still think that the Zags would have been nowhere near as successful in the preseason without Petrusev. This team was held together with strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, I give Petrusev a lot of credit for helping hold it together, warts and all.

I think that Collins was similarly not ready for prime time early on-- I remember him getting pushed under the basket on free throw box outs, and getting into a lot of foul trouble (this could be inaccurate, but is what I recall). By the end of the year, he was vital to the team and was definitely starter quality and was arguably the best player on the floor. Timme showed flashes of that but lacks the athleticism that makes it a total no-brainer. I recall Few calling Collins the 6th starter on multiple occasions. That said a lot to me then, and still does.

*Rhymes with Dazzjelmar, if I recall

[jazzdelmar]

Timme started out slow and looked outmatched early in the season. Someone around here* <cough, cough> started questioning the veracity of his high-school ranking at that time. He seemed to come on in the second half(?), last third(?) of the season. I have been much more critical of Petrusev than any other Zag I can remember, but I still think that the Zags would have been nowhere near as successful in the preseason without Petrusev. This team was held together with strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, I give Petrusev a lot of credit for helping hold it together, warts and all.

I think that Collins was similarly not ready for prime time early on-- I remember him getting pushed under the basket on free throw box outs, and getting into a lot of foul trouble (this could be inaccurate, but is what I recall). By the end of the year, he was vital to the team and was definitely starter quality and was arguably the best player on the floor. Timme showed flashes of that but lacks the athleticism that makes it a total no-brainer. I recall Few calling Collins the 6th starter on multiple occasions. That said a lot to me then, and still does.

*Rhymes with Dazzjelmar, if I recall

Agree with all, and concede my skepticism on Timme early, when he played like a frightened doe. But he came on with opportunity and so would have Zbo.

[JPtheBeasta]

Agree with all, and concede my skepticism on Timme early, when he played like a frightened doe. But he came on with opportunity and so would have Zbo.

Totally agree. In another season, it wouldn't have taken the basketball world until March to find out how good Zbo was. As an aside, I think it is neat how strong of a connection he has with GU after only one season. I suppose that making it to the NC game makes that bond with his teammates stronger.

[OntZags]

Whether they regularly sub in together or not, it sure would be fun watching this lineup for stretches next season.
If Ballo is as dominant as we are hoping he will be, it would also be cool to play him as solo big surrounded by elite shooters: Kispert, Strawther, Ayayi and...? (who is next best 3-pt shooter next season)

Strawther is a great scorer but - from what I've seen - his 3 pt shooting still has lots of work to go. He strikes me as much closer to Watson in that area than elite. I expect Harris & possibly Suggs to come out as better 3 pt shooters than Strawther.

If there is a concern for next years' squad - aside from experience - 3pt shooting is likely to be one of them. 2021 will be very unlikely to shoot top 10 nationally like 2020 did. I'm sure Fewie is on the market right now looking to help that address those two areas with 1 (or 2?) stones.

But that's just to be nitpicky. 2021 is one of the most exciting teams in GU history.

[ZagsGoZags]

I read this board a lot, sorry,
but
who is zbo? zach collins, ballo?

[JPtheBeasta]

I read this board a lot, sorry,
but
who is zbo? zach collins, ballo?

Collins. I’m not sure of the etymology.

[Markburn1]

Collins. I’m not sure of the etymology.

I believe it's Jazzology. Heh

[jazzdelmar]

I believe it's Jazzology. Heh

Self-described. Great kid.

[Markburn1]

Self-described. Great kid.

Would have loved to see more of him in a Zag uni.