Mens basketball 2015-16

[ucfpengbuck]

I know football season is less than 3 weeks but I watched on youtube most of the games from the Bahamas.
Not sure if the opposition were pros or college age but they were better athletes than they were as a team.   YSU will not see some of the lacking D team wise as they did.  Just saying the Horizon league is > than the Bahama teams.

Really worried about rebounding and our back court.   The team will need to rebound the ball as whole and not rely on the front court players.  They didn't hit the boards well in the Bahamas and the ft shooting was bad. Btw the fiba rules were a little different but the officiating was poor if not bias.

The guards were Francisco Santiago and Cameron Morse.  Santiago did not seem natural as a point guard.  The term game manger that they use about a football QB seems more suited.  He did seem to hit his open shots so I'll give him that.  In my mind I need to get over that YSU's starting PG is a transfer from Wheeling Jesuit ?
Morse played more of the 2 guard and he played OK. Seems athletic and  he should get more consistent with experience.   Latin Davis is a frosh and he is a natural PG.   With experience he will be a good player and showed some real promise.  I think he will be a typical Freshman who will be up and down his 1st year but hopefully more ups because the Penguins will need him.

The strength of the team seems to be the swing position.  Jorden Andrews looked unbelievable!!!  The 1st  game he got in foul trouble on some nickel/dime calls but man can this guy shoot it.  He also passed the ball extremely well and has a high basketball IQ.  Jerry stole one from Louisiana and hopefully he won't be most likely to transfer.  I say this since we had some top talent transfer out of the program as documented on this message board.   I need to temper my excitement about Andrews but he might be the best shooter to wear the red & white since Dave Ziegler.          Matt Donlan is another new comer that can play both the 3 or 4 and he stroked it well from 3 and rebounded the ball well  Matt showed some of the most toughness I saw in the 3 games.  Nice pickup and seemed to be the 6th man but will be hard to keep out of the lineup.       Brett Frantz is another new player from the JC ranks and he is more of 2 guard who shot the ball better as the tourney went along.  Should be OK off the bench and provide some outside shooting.

Big Men.   Bobby Hain  will be a double double guy all season and as all you know he will be our go to guy.  In my opinion Bobby is a better basketball play than an athlete.  He will most likely get paid over seas for years to come.  I would like to see him at least a few time develop some sort of a mean streak. 
7-0 foot newcomer Jorden Kaufman I'm going to give an incomplete.  I really did not get a read on what a brings but it needs to be better than what he showed in those 3 games.
Sydney Umude was a little up and down in the tourney.  He is the opposite of Bobby where he's  a better athlete than a basketball player at this point.  YSU needs him to step as an enforcer at the power forward position.
RS freshman Bryce Nickels did not do anything that got me excited.  He's 6-9 and very long but needs to get stronger. X-factor guy at best/shot blocker.
Devin Haygood another frosh might need to red shirt unless we're short of bodies.  He's 6-7 and only 175 lbs.  Needs another 25 before he's ready to pound in the Horizon.

Overall I'm not too optimistic.   YSU lost a lot from last years squad in both points and experience and that team was near the bottom of the conference.  Can the new guys make an impact ?   
I really enjoyed watching Jorden Andrews and if the Bahamas were a microcosm then he will worth the price of admission.  Might be a little over zealous of the freshman.

[IAA Fan]

Great analysis ucfpengbuck. I am more excited now that I was before. The big factor is how much the team has changed, at least I thought we had much more speed, but less passing than we are used to seeing, especially in conference. Then again, we were all over those guys, I watched game 3.

[ucfpengbuck]

I'm excited too but reality leads me to believe that this program has had too much transition.   Maybe the chemistry will work to their benefit.   In college b-ball a strong back court is important and this could be their Achilles heel.  Jeff Covington is not walking through the door.

[Wick250]

The harsh reality is that we just do not have the funds to commit to winning in football AND basketball.  I am pleased with the renaissance (hopefully) of the football program and the resurgence of the women's basketball team (a realm where we are not hopelessly outspent by our league opponents.)  For those of you that are strongly attached to men's basketball, I sympathize with your disappointment.  But it will not change much in the foreseeable future.

[ysufan0505]

Another disappointing season coming up... Let's stick to football.

[ysuguins4]

At least JS will be gone after this season.