Cajuns MBB Sign Portland Transfer!

[Cajunsmike]

Hardy is done, no extra year for basketball. You can think of freshman signee Michael Thomas as the Hardy replacement, just a little more leaning to the PG side of the combo guard label.

Au is Hardy’s replacement in my view. PJ was starting at the end of the year and I expect Au to challenge for a starting role.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Au is Hardy’s replacement in my view. PJ was starting at the end of the year and I expect Au to challenge for a starting role.

He was starting because Russell was forced into a point guard because of injuries. Wilson starts, and we now have supposedly alternatives when he rests or gets a little banged up.

[Hatch]

Au is Hardy’s replacement in my view. PJ was starting at the end of the year and I expect Au to challenge for a starting role.

I see where you are coming from with Au. I guess I'm looking at Au filling a role that we didn't have on the team last year after Cadwell went down. A shooting guard that has the size to play on the wing if he needs to. I still think Russell and Wilson start in the back court with either Cadwell or Julien at the 3 spot. Au could challenge there as well but I learned my lesson a couple years ago when I said that Jeremey Hayes could challenge Russell as a starter. Although Au definitely has good credentials sometimes with the JUCO guys you just have to wait and see how they adjust to the speed of D1 play. I guess I have always considered Michael Thomas as Hardy's replacement since we knew Hardy was the lone scholarship senior and Thomas the lone signee since before last season started.

[Benchwarmer]

Theo Akwuba's Freshman & Sophomore highlights at Portland

[zephyr]

Plans are for him to contribute on the defensive end mostly. That is why his stats were not impressive. Difficult to see how big men contribute defensively other than blocked shots. Many times they alter shots into misses which don't reflect the contribution in stats. Offense is a ? mark although I have been told he can finish around the rim. Despite the game moving to the three point line for all positions, I don't see him doing that. More of an old school post player which often has a hard time finding the right spot in college basketball today. I bet his free throw shooting is an improvement need as well as his perimeter shot. He simply needs to take few of those and to pass the ball out when it goes into the post. From what I understand, plans are for him to be the first big off the bench. If he has high energy, he can spark the team along with Trajan Wesley who often provides a spark as well.

I take a different opinion of the low post in today's game than you do Mike. There is always room in the offensive game for a guy who is a low post threat, however, it doesn't appear that this kid will be that on offense. However, he can still set picks, pass to cutters and obviously hit the boards. Defensively is where his main contributions will likely come from anyhow and we need that type of player. He can hopefully be a rim protector, interior defender and rebounder.

[Cajunsmike]

I take a different opinion of the low post in today's game than you do Mike. There is always room in the offensive game for a guy who is a low post threat, however, it doesn't appear that this kid will be that on offense. However, he can still set picks, pass to cutters and obviously hit the boards. Defensively is where his main contributions will likely come from anyhow and we need that type of player. He can hopefully be a rim protector, interior defender and rebounder.

You and I see the same role for Theo (easier to spell his first name than his last name). In his radio interview last week, Coach Morris indicated the same view.

[zephyr]

https://www.jucorecruiting.com/2020-...nkings-top-100

#51 ranked JUCO player in the nation.

Interesting that Monroe got the #7 JUCO player.

[zephyr]

Au is Hardy's replacement in my view. PJ was starting at the end of the year and I expect Au to challenge for a starting role.

I can't see many ways this kid sniffs starting. Between Russell, Wilson and Wesley I don't see much of that opportunity. Hopefully he is a solid shooter who can come in off the bench and give us a scoring pop.

Health is obviously the determining factor here but I could see the starting 5 being:

Wilson
Russell
Julien
Johnson
Smith or Dou

[Rainman66]

I hope he is good enough to push the starters to get better and provide really good quality depth so these guys can get some rest. It would be refreshing to see the team be 9 - 10 deep.

Russell is a very good scorer, but he is a black hole with the ball. Any semblance of ball movement stops when he gets it. I thought the team was at it's worst when he is forced to play PG. Wilson, Wesley and a newcomer will hopefully make that a non-issue this season.

[Cajunsmike]

I can't see many ways this kid sniffs starting. Between Russell, Wilson and Wesley I don't see much of that opportunity. Hopefully he is a solid shooter who can come in off the bench and give us a scoring pop.

Health is obviously the determining factor here but I could see the starting 5 being:

Wilson
Russell
Julien
Johnson
Smith or Dou

Smith is likely not eligible first semester so it will be Dou early on for the starting lineup. Way thay Au starts is that Julien takes a little longer than hoped to get back to 100 percent. If he is OK when season starts zephyr is probably right in his predicted lineup.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I can't see many ways this kid sniffs starting. Between Russell, Wilson and Wesley I don't see much of that opportunity. Hopefully he is a solid shooter who can come in off the bench and give us a scoring pop.

Health is obviously the determining factor here but I could see the starting 5 being:

Wilson
Russell
Julien
Johnson
Smith or Dou

We didn’t win many Div I games with that lineup.

[zephyr]

Smith is likely not eligible first semester so it will be Dou early on for the starting lineup. Way thay Au starts is that Julien takes a little longer than hoped to get back to 100 percent. If he is OK when season starts zephyr is probably right in his predicted lineup.

And why would Smith not be eligible?