oversigning or what?

[Jaysker12]

Vivid, IMHO its only apt to see flashes in a player and project them for further development when they're a freshman. I used to play baseball in high school. I had "flashes" of looking like a good ball player. Any player can have a good moment in a game but Zach has not shown that he can give us consistent production or impact on either end of the floor.

[mredle]

Some random comments:
Zach Hanson has not had a particularly productive season this year. Some have suggested he needs more minutes. At the end of the day minutes are earned. It is really the last motivator a coach has. Zach hasn't earned many more minutes this year. The type of post players that Zach and Geoff are requires that they be a force inside. They have to be physical. They can't be weak - that's what we have Will for (apologies to Will lovers). The fact that Geoff did not play at the end of the Butler game speaks to this. Mac protects his players pretty well publicly and when he says that Will plays the pick and roll better than Geoff that is technically true in one respect. But let me give you my translation of what I think he was saying to Geoff. A Creighton post player can't let a 5'10" guard take him off the pick and go to the hoop and score. Geoff is a smart player, lesson learned. Zach needs to try to impose his will when he plays and do so consistently. Those people that claim Zach has bad hands are wrong. I recall a number of plays this year where Zach went up in a crowd and grabbed a pass (often from Devon). Not an easy thing to do. If anything I think Zach is fighting intimidation from the competition. I think he is questioning whether he belongs at this level. He does. He has the skill set. He just needs to quit thinking about this being one of the top conferences in the country with tough hard nosed centers and just play the damn game with a hard nosed attitude.

Since I took a shot at Will, let me explain what I mean. Will's stat production is not a reflection of what he does against his defensive assignment as much as it is a reflection of his ability to leave his man and make a hustle play against someone else's man. Not a bad thing. But head on against an opponent he is physically weak, which is why I cringed (along with others) when he was in the game in the last couple of minutes and especially when Jones got the ball. To those of you who are so infatuated with Will's PER rating let me suggest a different stat I wish we'd keep. I would call it the "And one given" statistic. The number of fouls committed by a CU player in which the opponent scores, is fouled and is awarded a foul shot. My biased estimation is that Will undoubtedly leads the team in this category (I suspect Avery is number 2).

Last comment on Geoff, and this is pure speculation, I believe that Geoff will return next year because I think he loves playing the game and he want's to prove to his critics and himself that he is not the stiff they accused him of being. He is finally healthy and I think he wants to show what he is capable of.

It has been suggested that there have been more post touches because our perimeter shooting has been poor. I submit that may be causing players to be willing to give up the ball more than they were. Case in point, Avery Dingman, who no longer shoots anything outside the paint if there is a defensive player in the same area code. But that's not the end of the story. I would suggest the coaches wanted more post touches at the beginning of the year BECAUSE they thought we would be a good perimeter shooting team. Think about it. If you have post players that are offensive threats to score they will attract defensive help. That results in other players being open. The difference is that Geoff has been scoring the ball. When they shut down the power post, that opens up outside shooting ala Austin against Butler, it also makes the pick and roll more effective. See Will and Devon v. Marquette (Geoff and Zach have also shown an ability to run the play effectively).

Last thing about IZ and Austin and their shooting. At the end of the pre-conference both players were trying to carry their team by creating their own shots. In my estimation, that is not who they were as players. They are players that are effective because they take what the defense gives them.

[Chicagojayfan]

Vivid, IMHO its only apt to see flashes in a player and project them for further development when they're a freshman. I used to play baseball in high school. I had "flashes" of looking like a good ball player. Any player can have a good moment in a game but Zach has not shown that he can give us consistent production or impact on either end of the floor.

I get that people don't want to be overly enthusiastic about player development, but big men develop slower and all development is based on physical potential.

Believe me, I've been as tough on him as anyone, but Hanson has the physical attributes to be a player in the post in the big east. He's not a superstar, but he's tall enough, physical enough, quick on his feet enough and potentially good enough offensively (good enough touch) to be a quality post player. It's not like he's a 6-7, 210lb MVC center who we are hoping to work up to play in the Big East.

We should remember he's just a soph. who didn't have a RS year. I thought he'd be further ahead than this right now, but we should be patient. If anyone remembers Groselle last year, there was only one game last year where he even remotely looked like he'd become a player for us (Butler, 8 pts/4 rebounds). Hanson has definitely looked better than that up to this point, and as I keep noting. Mac, Merfeld and Sellers have a history of getting good performances out of their big men over time.

[vivid_dude]

Vivid, IMHO its only apt to see flashes in a player and project them for further development when they're a freshman. I used to play baseball in high school. I had "flashes" of looking like a good ball player. Any player can have a good moment in a game but Zach has not shown that he can give us consistent production or impact on either end of the floor.

I can't disagree too much. The "evidence" doesn't support my contention that he'll become something much better than he is. But yet I still feel that way. He's young. He's physically gifted. He's had some promising performances. Something could click with the kid. I maintain hope.

[taa71458]

Problem with Zach is he can't hold on to the damn ball. He'd be so different if he did that. Is it nerves? Can he just not catch? Is this something the coaches can fix or is it an instinct he just doesn't have?

[vivid_dude]

Problem with Zach is he can't hold on to the damn ball. He'd be so different if he did that. Is it nerves? Can he just not catch? Is this something the coaches can fix or is it an instinct he just doesn't have?

I actually don't see that with Zach. I agree with mredle in that he has good hands. I know there was that one game where #ZachHansonCan'tCatch was trending on Twitter because it was so memorably bad - but overall, in his 1.5+ years, I don't consider hands a weakness. Maybe I'm wrong. Just my perception.

[jfan]

Right now he plays without confidence. That problem can affect catching the ball, shooting the ball, and a lack of confidence can even hurt defense by making a player tentative. I don't recall Zach having a problem catching the ball last year. The last game I don't remember him playing in the first half and when he did play in the second half, he didn't play well for the short period of time he was in the game. If it is just confidence, there is a possibility of better play if the confidence issue can be fixed. If ability is the issue (and I personally don't think that ability is the issue), then he may have reached his ceiling.

[Chicagojayfan]

Problem with Zach is he can't hold on to the damn ball. He'd be so different if he did that. Is it nerves? Can he just not catch? Is this something the coaches can fix or is it an instinct he just doesn't have?

I actually don't see that with Zach. I agree with mredle in that he has good hands. I know there was that one game where #ZachHansonCan'tCatch was trending on Twitter because it was so memorably bad - but overall, in his 1.5+ years, I don't consider hands a weakness. Maybe I'm wrong. Just my perception.

I don't think he has naturally bad hands, but his hands have been atrocious this year. He's leading the team in turnovers per 40 minutes in conference play at 4.7 per game.. ahead of Brooks at 4.1, and that's not even counting the bobbled catches he makes where he doesn't end up turning it over. He was MUCH better last year at 1.3 total/1.0 in conference play (shots this year per 40 10.0/11.4. last year 12/14.0... so all of this is with him taking fewer shots a game). If a basketball player can get the yips.. he's got them this year.

[gtmoBlue]

Right now he plays without confidence. That problem can affect catching the ball, shooting the ball, and a lack of confidence can even hurt defense by making a player tentative. I don't recall Zach having a problem catching the ball last year. The last game I don't remember him playing in the first half and when he did play in the second half, he didn't play well for the short period of time he was in the game. If it is just confidence, there is a possibility of better play if the confidence issue can be fixed. If ability is the issue (and I personally don't think that ability is the issue), then he may have reached his ceiling.

.

Excellent assessment. Lack of/lost confidence affects a players entire game. IMO such lost confidence, over an extended period "bleeds" into the team's mindset and performance - causing a string of missed opportunities, mental errors, and on the court lapses - which result in end of game folding, last second losses, and thus reinforces a continued confidence erosion (Evansville syndrome). The team psychologist and Tony Robbins can break this syndrome.

[cu8493]

Its not only catching the ball, but being mentally and physically strong enough to finish the bunnies and not getting the ball knocked our of his hands on layups and dunk attempts. I think the fact that he got 5 or 6 dunks/layups blocked in the course of a few games made him more tentative, leading to trying to hit little two and three foot shots - and leaving those short more times than not. Because he is only 6'9" and he is not a leaper, he needs to get much, much stronger and learn to finish through contact. His size and strength would be fine in the MVC. It is lacking in the Big East - in my opinion.