another loss for bulls

[smazza]

This may be a stupid question, but does anyone know what McHugh mattis' plans are after this season?  Is he going to try and work out for an NBA/NBAD team or have any consideration for a late draft round?  I think, similar to Sol jones, he is a raw athletic talent who is a little thin and unpolishished offensively, but with nba trainers and coaches, maybe he has a chance or someone will take a shot, anyone know?  NBA comparison can be a Hakim Warrick/Trevor Ariza type player.  

Your nuts Herman, and severely deter your credibility by comparing Mattis to any of those players.  Hakim is 6-11 with a great wing span, same with Sojo.  Mattis is around 6-5 170lbs, and gets called for traveling more than actually dribble penetrating.

Mattis is so far off the NBA it isn't even funny, the kid would have had a shot if he had 5+ more inches and could have played exclusively inside ala SoJo, and for get the NBAD- no way.   Mattis is a good enough athlete to make a healthy living overseas playing hoops where they let guys freelance on the court and teams will enjoy his high flying dunks, and amazing blocks.  The NBA and Mattis- not a chance!

Au contraire, boys, earlier in the year, i was maligned for offering up the fact that our basketball team did not have enough "well-rounded athletes" i.e. pro prospects, and all YOU pundits and soothsayers ASSURED me that McHugh - who's had a great year, was a NBA prospect, would be better than Sojo, etc.  You can look that one up, boys and girls.

Proof's in the pudding, some of us saw it when it was just a bunch of ingredients spread all over the kitchen counter, others, still can't see it when it's baked, burned, and about to be thrown out.....

Tampajo you were right, but the bigger problem is all the well-rounded athletes were either injured (Howard, Curry, Cann), sitting out (Verdejo, and Holmes), or hadn't made it to USF yet- Nique Jones.  Anyone that says Mattis is an NBA'er needs their head examined...the guy is so limited it isn't even funny, no jump shot, no range, no hands....he's a specialty guy that's good at d, and a good blocker, problem is he's 6-5 170lbs and the NBA only takes specialty guys like that when they're 6-11 225lbs ala SoJo.

There are a lot of versatility returning next year but most need to either get healthy, get eligible, or needed experience and more coaching (Bozeman- he has a slow release but I saw last night he's condensed his shot so it seems he's taking well to the coaching, you can tell he's a college coach's son, he'll be good just needs a little work).   Next year in Holmes, Cann, Bozeman, Verdejo, Curry, and Nique Jones you've got guys that are complete perimeter players with very good outside shooting strokes- think that to start the season only one of those guys was available and he was a true-true freshman, our only outside stroke was Buckley, and everyone knew that.

usf needs a new coach that can bring in real big east talent

we stink up the big east again with the players sbien raves about

[Bullpride08]

If this team had Aris Williams, and Curry it would have helped tremedously--unless you think that having Richardson is a legit back-up center.  The only guys to me that are not Big East caliber talent are Richardson, and Mattis- people go, whaaa, Mattis...that's right Mattis he's got some great facets to his game, but he's a liability in many areas, he's short, awful FT shooter, and can't shoot outside of 7 feet from the rim, and thus really small to be playing PF, can't dribble really to save his life, is very skinny, and has marginal hands inside.   He's really a smallish one dimensional player, like a slightly taller version of Marlyn Bryant, and plays PF by necessity and because he'd only be a BIGGER liability at SF/swing.  

The rest of the players are capable of playing and starting in the BE they're just either injured, coming off injury, or just new guys or freshmen.  Cann's return is extremely promising, he showed a very nice shot, good FT's, and good range, also in the Depaul game he showed nice hands grabbing two tall passes away from Depaul defenders- better hands than Mattis has.  If he can fully recover by next year he could prove to be somewhat of the player I saw as a junior in HS, who at the time was top 25 in the nation.

Get some experience and good solid college coaching behind Bozeman, Cann, Curry, Nique Jones, Holmes, and Howard and they will all be very good solid BE players.

Bien,

I usually I agree with your assessment of players but this I can't.

I've heard it since last year.

1st: If we had Howard, Cann this team might be in MSG (last year)

2nd: When we get the reinforcements this team will be MSG caliber (KG, Varejo)

3rd: Wait til Howard gets back for a true PG, he should help right away and we should steal some wins and possibly make it to MSG

These guys are very solid players, but the BE is unrelenting, it's like the SEC in football. You just can't put together a team of solid guys and expect to win.

I do like the fact that we will have more 4 year players next year with expirience to help fill roles and solidfy the unity aspect. I just don't believe in my heart that this team has the talent to compete in the BE.

Joe, those aren't excuses above those are facts.  Howard and Cann are playing on knees that are about 80%, if that healthy, but Howard LEADS THE BE IN ASSISTS!  He is helping.

The chemistry has not gelled as expected.  Gransberry has risen, but for some reason Verdejo has folded after an amazing start, because of a lack of confidence and trouble finding his role.  

There is still more amunition to come, and what many say are the best talents on the team in Curry, and Holmes...unfortunately they're not available this year.

Freakish things cannot be overlooked.  In a perfect world Cann, and Howard sit the bench all year and get completely healthy, but now unfortunately people measure their skills based on guys that are not truly fully recovered...no one forced them, and they're healed just not 100% back to their old selves, it just takes awhile.

[flsportsfan83]

Does SBien work for the USF SID?

[Bullpride08]

Yes, they are talentend, but they aren't BIg East talent. Buckley, as a senior wouldn't see the court on most BE teams. Howard is coming off knee surgery and is a freshman technically, so he does have time to grow.

Only KG and maybe Mattis would be starters on most BE teams. Just a reality of the situation, I think people make more of the talent here than it really is.

I completely disagree.

Howard, Bozeman, Saaka are all freshmen!  Jesus is a sophmore!

And they are all getting significant minutes.

Mattis, Buck & KG are all upper classmen.

Give those 3 experience and they will be excellent BE caliber players.  You will see.  That I am certain.  I am not certain who the coach will be, but I know those guys, along with Dante/Holmes are all going to tremendous players for us, and they will get us back on track regardless of who the coach is.

I can see them being solid, but we were talking about how BE ready Mattis and Buckley were going to be 2 years ago. The BE is a league of great players. Solid players make it very hard to win the league with.

Joe, no offense but what do you expect of these players?  Mattis, despite being a role player is one of the BE leaders in block shots, and rebounds, and Buckley is in the top 10 in scoring.  That's a good BE player.  Kentrel Gransberry leads the league in rebounds.

It's all about gelling, and everyone becoming complete players.  Howard would be the assist leader, and assist to turnover leader in the BE if he had enough games.  And that's at around 80%, and not fully conditioned- you've got to like where Howard is going with that.

[Bullpride08]

Does SBien work for the USF SID?

No, I just weigh things appropriately and keep away from the knee jerk reactions.  I am a huge hoops fan, been going to USF hoops games since 1981, so I can appreciate the good with the bad, as others have a skewed view of reality at USF.

[Joe]

I'm not knee jerk reacting. I have rarely made excuses or bitched about the coaching and the players the last few years. I am stating from what I've seen, this team has a talent deficiency that is going to be exposed over the next few seasons. The young guys we have are going to be solid players.

However, solid doesn't work in a dog eat dog league like the BE. Look at Syracuse/UConn/Nova, they have all the talent in the world, yet they are a bubble teams or out of the tourney all together.

Forgive me for stating an opinion that is adverse to our future. I just don't see it that way, especially after hearing the same things about Buckley (when he transferred from Purdue he was going to take us to the next level) and Mattis (who was a top JC recruit if I remember correctly)

Had this been the Old CUSA I think we'd be a solid team with a bright future. the BE does not afford us that opportunity right now.

[Velcro]

I'm not knee jerk reacting. I have rarely made excuses or bitched about the coaching and the players the last few years. I am stating from what I've seen, this team has a talent deficiency that is going to be exposed over the next few seasons. The young guys we have are going to be solid players.

However, solid doesn't work in a dog eat dog league like the BE. Look at Syracuse/UConn/Nova, they have all the talent in the world, yet they are a bubble teams or out of the tourney all together.

Forgive me for stating an opinion that is adverse to our future. I just don't see it that way, especially after hearing the same things about Buckley (when he transferred from Purdue he was going to take us to the next level) and Mattis (who was a top JC recruit if I remember correctly)

Had this been the Old CUSA I think we'd be a solid team with a bright future. the BE does not afford us that opportunity right now.

That is exactly why it is so freaking tough to build.  We weren't even a great CUSA team, and we were dropped into the toughest conference there is where the UConns and Cuse's of the world have a tough time.  

I believe Howard will be a first team all-Big East PG by the time he graduates.  

[Sitting_BULL]

I think the only real problem we have is, we lose more games than we win!

(just a sad attempt at humor) Sorry  ;D

[AndytheBull]

I think the only real problem we have is, we lose more games than we win!

(just a sad attempt at humor) Sorry  ;D

And the reason for that is: the other team scores more points than we do.

(my sad, pathetic attempt at humor)

[Herman_Momart]

Bien, It was an honest question I was asking.  I guess I should have rephrased it a little better, but i wanted to know if anyone knew what his plans were after this year.  I heard on this board about nba consideration and i was seeing if there was any truth to it.  i will admit the Hakim Warrick comparison was off, talent wise, being warrick was a predicted lottery pick, but the style of game is somewhat similar.  both very unpolished offensively, jump out of the gym, and rely on their raw athletic ability more than anything else.  I wasnt looking to gain or lose credibility for the comment, i was wondering if anyone knew what Mchughs plans were.