2015 SF Chris Clarke

[bluejayfan00]

WHY isn't anyone coming to Creighton late...PRESTON MURPHEY? Nebraska's HAVING NO PDROBLEMS SIGNING, IT SEEMS.

I mean, Nebraska also has two elite recruiters. Doesn't hurt.

[vivid_dude]

Nebraska had almost no one on their roster with the amount of turnover and defections they were going through.

We have one open scholarship with our entire starting five (tentatively) returning. Do you expect us to be signing a bunch of 2019 recruits and transfers right now?

This.

Kids want to play right away. If you’re a 2019 Top 150 guy or transfer and see our roster, there aren’t a ton of minutes to find over the next two years. I am hopeful and optimistic we will have strong 2020 and 2021 classes based on my perception that Creighton will be good those years, and minutes will quickly become available.

[bluejayb13]

Nebraska had almost no one on their roster with the amount of turnover and defections they were going through.

We have one open scholarship with our entire starting five (tentatively) returning. Do you expect us to be signing a bunch of 2019 recruits and transfers right now?

This.

Kids want to play right away. If you’re a 2019 Top 150 guy or transfer and see our roster, there aren’t a ton of minutes to find over the next two years. I am hopeful and optimistic we will have strong 2020 and 2021 classes based on my perception that Creighton will be good those years, and minutes will quickly become available.

I think us not signing any player that can come in and be an immediate difference maker and provide an element this team is lacking can be viewed as a disappointment. It is too late in the game to really do much about it, but this team is far from perfect and there should be minutes available for anyone willing and able to take them.

[REALITY]

Nebraska had almost no one on their roster with the amount of turnover and defections they were going through.

We have one open scholarship with our entire starting five (tentatively) returning. Do you expect us to be signing a bunch of 2019 recruits and transfers right now?

This.

Kids want to play right away. If you’re a 2019 Top 150 guy or transfer and see our roster, there aren’t a ton of minutes to find over the next two years. I am hopeful and optimistic we will have strong 2020 and 2021 classes based on my perception that Creighton will be good those years, and minutes will quickly become available.

Few if any top 150 kids think they're going to be on the bench for the majority of a game. Unless they're a late bloomer, they've probably started on their HS varsity team since their freshman year and started on their AAU team for two or three (maybe four, if their program isn't stacked) seasons, as well. To add to this, People naturally tend to overestimate their own abilities and underestimate everyone else's.
You also can't tell me with a straight face that if we landed a major conference-caliber true 4 (for our system) that they wouldn't play 80+% of the minutes at that spot. The idea that a combination of Mahoney/Jefferson/Ballock and Martin is sufficient for what we want to do schematically is comical. Ballock and Mahoney are too small for the spot when matched up with a high major 4. Jefferson is closer size-wise plus is an aggressive rebounder, but needs to be consistent with his jumper. All 3 of those guys would (and should) be almost exclusively playing the wing minutes if we had a true 4 on our roster. Moving to Martin, he has a history of being streaky from behind the arc to add to being a not great perimeter defender one on one if matched up with more of a wing (but to be fair to him, it's the knee injuries - he doesn't have the mobility that he had two seasons ago before the ACL). Enaruna would have been able to check all of those boxes and that's why we recruited him. Unfortunately the staff forgot to make any preparations in case we didn't get him.

[go_jays]

"Unfortunately the staff forgot to make any preparations in case we didn't get him."

So, Troll... You know this how... Just curious.

[RedMcManus]

“Ballock and Mahoney are too small when matched up against a major conference 4”. Accurate regarding Mitch. Mahoney is 6’5” with a 7’0” wingspan and weighs 240/250. Very good post defender, does not give an inch once he establishes defensive position. He matches up very well against any major conference 4. He also can drop 3’s at a plus 35% rate.

[Jet915]

“Ballock and Mahoney are too small when matched up against a major conference 4”. Accurate regarding Mitch. Mahoney is 6’5” with a 7’0” wingspan and weighs 240/250. Very good post defender, does not give an inch once he establishes defensive position. He matches up very well against any major conference 4. He also can drop 3’s at a plus 35% rate.

I agree, but is he still on the team? Is he gonna play? Does anyone know? Mahoney might be our biggest addition next year if he's still on the team....

[REALITY]

"Unfortunately the staff forgot to make any preparations in case we didn't get him."

So, Troll... You know this how... Just curious.

Here you go again with the "troll." You have yet to actually back up that point. To you, new to the board and not 100% with the coaching staff's decision making = troll? Must be a lot of trolls on this board then...

I don't "know this 100%" but I believe this is the case because they had stopped recruiting guys like Zane Meeks and David Skogman and haven't made any offers to other '19 PFs for quite a while. As far as I know, we only were on 2 grad transfers who fit the mold, but were out of the picture on Pierce fairly early and Seattle transfer Matej Kavas committed to Nebraska on his first visit, before we could get really involved.

[REALITY]

“Ballock and Mahoney are too small when matched up against a major conference 4”. Accurate regarding Mitch. Mahoney is 6’5” with a 7’0” wingspan and weighs 240/250. Very good post defender, does not give an inch once he establishes defensive position. He matches up very well against any major conference 4. He also can drop 3’s at a plus 35% rate.

Even with the 7'0 wingspan, at 6'5 he's giving up several inches to BE peers. This is more on a concern with rebounding than post defense. It's not an issue if he can go get boards like Jefferson, but if he can't sky like him then he's going to be in a similar position as Mitch if we're using the same rebounding principles as we did last year.
But it's encouraging to hear that he's solid in the low block. Is that an observation from his OVC games or from CU practices? If it's the latter that's a good sign.

[Chicagojayfan]

“Ballock and Mahoney are too small when matched up against a major conference 4”. Accurate regarding Mitch. Mahoney is 6’5” with a 7’0” wingspan and weighs 240/250. Very good post defender, does not give an inch once he establishes defensive position. He matches up very well against any major conference 4. He also can drop 3’s at a plus 35% rate.

Even with the 7'0 wingspan, at 6'5 he's giving up several inches to BE peers. This is more on a concern with rebounding than post defense. It's not an issue if he can go get boards like Jefferson, but if he can't sky like him then he's going to be in a similar position as Mitch if we're using the same rebounding principles as we did last year.
But it's encouraging to hear that he's solid in the low block. Is that an observation from his OVC games or from CU practices? If it's the latter that's a good sign.

Here's a guy who played the 4 in the BE and who got drafted-

6' 6 1/4 height
218 lbs
6' 9" 1/4 reach

Optimally, sure I'd like a guy at least 6-7 or 6-8 at the 4, but provided he blocks out and plays D in the post with his bulk, we will also have (hopefully) Martin and Epperson on the floor for height (not to mention Bishop). We have to remember we got 2nd in the conference with a front court that had Wragge at 6-7 (likely shorter) and Doug with the stats above. Artino off the bench was 6-11, but only got 13 minutes a game (although I argue he was better than many think), Groselle was 7', but never played that year, Hanson 6-9, also didn't play.

There's good and bad about slotting him in there, but that strength in the post will help a great deal, and he'd be a very difficult guy for most taller 4's to cover out on the wing ---- would also help a great deal if we figure out ways to get Bishop with either Martin or Epperson so that we can mix and match depending on the opponent's rotation.