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| 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation https://www.ramblermania.net:443/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3016 |
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| Author: | ToledoRambler [ Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
I’m bored…. and sad… because of stupid COVID. Let’s talk about this team and try to get excited as possible. Let me know your thoughts of my team evaluation. CAMERON KRUTWIG Strengths: The 6‘8“ senior center is the lifeblood of Loyola. He is a true center who has the best down-low footwork in college basketball. Even one-on-one with a taller counterpart against him, Krutwig can find a way to slide around opponents and get to the basket with ease. He’s also one of the country’s best passing big men, and dishes with pinpoint accuracy in the lane. Expect a double-double when he’s on the floor (whether it be in points and rebounds, or points and ASSISTS). Trying to force foul him out of a game is not an option - he’s appeared in every Rambler game in his career and has been the casualty of 5 strikes just once in 3 years. Weaknesses: Double teams may stop the bleeding as long as you’re mindful of his ability to dish to a cutting guard. Also, your best chance at stopping him is giving him room at the top of the key and daring him to shoot a midrange jumper. He often begins his work on offense by catching the ball just beyond the foul line. From there he checks through his three priorities. First, he looks for a pass to a cutter. If that’s not immediately there, he will size you up and try to get around you. If he doesn’t like what he sees, he is usually wide open to take the 18-footer. Let him take that! It’s a better option than him maneuvering around you down low and scoring, drawing a foul, or both. LUCAS WILLIAMSON Strengths: The good news is, he hasn’t improved rapidly from his freshmen year. The bad news is - he was a huge part on defense for the Ramblers’ 2018 Final Four run, and he can shut down a team’s top scorer at any position but center. He’s capable of 20-point games, but also capable of 4 point games. He is not an amazing 3 point shooter, but his sweet spot is 3-point shots in the far corners. He’s more inclined to fire and hit from there than he is anywhere at the top of the arc. Weaknesses: If you want to throw him off of his game, have your main scorer prioritize running him ragged on defense more than trying to get his own shots. Bruising Williamson up on multiple screens in a possession to might wear Lucas out. AHER UGUAK Strengths: Athletic and tenacious defensively. Uguak is another Rambler that can stifle an offense. His long arms and ability to stay with players will drive opposing teams’ top scorers crazy. Weaknesses: The good news - he’s not a consistent scorer. The Ramblers offense is predicated on moving the ball around the wing and passing up good shots for great shots with the extra pass. Uguak, however, shoots threes at a 16% clip, and never looks confident taking them. Despite this, he still catches passes on the wing frequently. Play tight on him, and he may blow by you with his speed .... give him room to shoot, and there’s an 84% chance you’ll have an opportunity to rebound and steal a possession. If you don’t give him room and he flies by you ... take the foul. He shoots at a modest 60% from the line. TATE HALL Strengths: Another Rambler besides Krutwig almost guaranteed to get 15 points per game. At 43% from three, he’s dangerous in the Porter Moser offense. He also has an impeccable ability to drive to the rim for his size. He is not an excitable player and keeps his cool on the court. He was asked to do more last year than he was probably capable of, but this year he should have less ball handling responsibility, and should be more comfortable in a 3 point shooting role. Weaknesses: Two things that can be used against him. 1) free throw shooting. He shoots less than 60% from the line. He should never be given easy baskets. 2) long periods of zero offensive production. Take your best defender and frustrate him early. For as many 20-point games as Hall had last season, there are as many games where he simply disappeared offensively for an entire half. KEITH CLEMONS Strengths: Coming in several games late last year after an injury before the season started, Clemons shored things up at the point guard position for a Loyola. Another 45% three-point shooter for the Ramblers. He’s a true point guard who is looking to pass first. Driving is not his forte, but it doesn’t need to be as long as he can get the ball up and down the floor for LU— which he does efficiently with only 1.3 turnovers per game. When people think about Loyola’s guards they might think of Loyola great Clayton Custer. But interestingly enough, Clemons put up very similar numbers last year to Custer’s senior season. In addition to running the offense, Clemons gives the Ramblers about 12 points per game. Weaknesses (kind of): You’d be hard pressed to figure out how to “stop” Clemons. He doesn’t do anything flashy, but has managed to almost go unnoticed with the amount he produces, even to some Rambler fans. Clemons is going to find a way to do the little things to win. With that being said - he’s not incapable of coming out of nowhere to beat you. Clemons put up 28 points in their final game last year. Everyone else was struggling so he took it upon himself to lead. He will sit back and distribute this year unless he absolutely has to. MARQUIS KENNEDY Strengths: On 8 of the 10 MVC teams this year, this kid would be a starter. On this years’ Loyola team, that’s still up in the air. He’s familiar with the point guard position and bringing the ball up - but there’s no question about it - his talent is slashing to the rim. He averaged 9 points per game last year off the bench playing about 20 minutes per game. His quick first step and ability to elevate at the rim make him extremely tough to guard. He’s not terrible from three (38%), but his money is earned driving the lane. Weaknesses: How to stop him? He’s got the slashing ability of 2018 final four member Marques Townes, but not the same strong build to sustain contact. Also, rarely does he drive the lane for a basket and not end up laying on the baseline floor. His mantra? Get up to the rim first, worry about where he lands later. If he sustains some hard fouls driving, he may be less inclined to try it again. He also is prone to flying though the air without a concrete plan and turning the ball over. BRADEN NORRIS Strengths: Interested in what Norris brings to Loyola? So are their fans! Another 40%+ three point shooter. The point guard is a coach’s son who proved his abilities in the Horizon League. Norris, as the floor general, does not turn the ball over. At only 6’, he may be a bit of a defensive liability, but he should fit into the Ramblers offensive perfectly - nobody likes comparisons but —- think Clayton Custer. Norris and Clemons will be splitting time at the 1 position and the Blers’ will have consistency for 40 straight minutes at the position. COOPER KAIFES Strengths: Threes. Look out. Just ... a ton of long threes. Sharpshooter. EASILY another 40+% three-point shooter for the Ramblers this season. Weakness Coming off a season-long injury, it’s questionable what kind of shape he will be in or how long it will take him to get back to form this year. He may be slower on defense, which might be able to be exploited. He was not stellar at D two years ago, but things change. FRANK AGUNANNE Strengths: The true backup to Krutwig at center, Big Frank’s physical build alone is intimidating. At 6’9’’and 245 pounds, he can clog up the middle and can rebound. His development has been stunted by lack of necessity, as Krutwig has averaged over 30 minutes per game for the past two years with no missed game time. You don’t see a big drop off from Krutwig with Frank, in terms of the Ramblers speed, until about three or four minutes into his shift. Frank has been able to prove that he can provide Loyola with a solid 5 to 7 minutes off the bench, which with a healthy Krutwig, is all that is needed of him. Weaknesses: His major weakness may be stamina, however, it’s tough to tell because of his limited playing time. One definite issue from the small sample size of his work is fouls. Frank is prone to picking up fouls down low. He’s also had some issue shuffling his feet when he first gets the ball as well, but has gotten better over two years. TOM WELCH Strengths: Another possible backup to Krutwig, Welch brings some height to the Rambler lineup, and was used multiple times at the center position in the 2019-2020 season. He averaged about as many minutes as Frank at that position but has a completely different skill set. One of the most impressive things about Welch last year was his ability to get himself in position to take charges. A former soccer goalie, he’s very good with his footwork. High school tape indicates he has the ability to shoot from the outside, however, that opportunity never really arose last season. We might get to see that this year. Weaknesses: One of the biggest issues with Welch has nothing to do with his ability, but rather, where exactly he fits into Porter Moser’s plan to use him. He may be used as a backup to Krutwig, or could see minutes subbing in for Uguak at the 4-spot. PAXSON WOJCIK Strengths: Wojcik played sparing minutes for the Ramblers in the 2019 2020 campaign. Another coach’s son, he has solid fundamentals, but seemed to suffer from first year jitters. He’s a gamer and Porter Moser, in a pre-season interview, noted that he has looked very good defensively. Weaknesses: With a very full roster, Wojcik might not see meaningful, contributing minutes until next year due to the lengthy list of guards and wings in front of him. If the Ramblers take care of lesser opponents early, he may see some steady playing time for the end of games. BAYLOR HEBB Strengths: The 6‘2“ freshman’s high school tape shows a fast guard who can shoot from the outside, but Hebb will probably end up having to wait his turn, put on some pounds, and hit the weight room. Hebb may see some minutes depending on how good he looks in practice. All signs say that he’s had a great off-season and he may surprise people and work into the rotation. HEAD COACH PORTER MOSER Moser has picked up 73 wins in 3 years, winning 70% of his games. Many considered him a one-hit wonder coming off his final four run, but 2 subsequent 20 win seasons and a loaded senior class for 2020-2021 have put him in position to prove the nay sayers wrong this year. Moser started Loyola with no talent and floundered in the bottom of the Horizon and Missouri Valley to begin his career. He then struck gold with his first major recruit, Milton Doyle, who he was able to use to legitimize the program in the MVC. He then was able to capitalize off the transfer market, bringing in Clayton Custer, Marquis Townes, and Aundre Jackson to help lead Loyola to its winningest season ever. He’s a high energy coach, and players buy in to his philosophy. Weaknesses: This season Moser faces a new test. Porter will have to figure out how to plug and play multiple talented players in and out of his lineup to achieve maximum productivity. He’s never had the problem of an “abundance of talent” in his coaching career. Also - Porter does not always in the games he’s supposed to win. In his tenure, even in the Final Four Year, Porter always seems to have one “clunker” of a game out of conference, and one “clunker” of a game in-conference, where the Ramblers take a beat down. Last year it was an inexcusable loss to Coppin State at home, and a 29-point beat down by Indiana State. The year before Maryland held Loyola to 41 total points and Missouri State doubled them up in a 770-35 trouncing. With the condensed COVID season, Porter cannot afford the same type of hiccups that have plagued him in recent years. RAMBLERS AS A TEAM Team Strengths ⁃ DEPTH Loyola has 9 players capable of starting on most other mid-major teams. The only position Loyola lacks depth at is center, but senior Cam Krutwig is yet to miss a contest and can provide 32 minutes per game. - THE NEW COVID RE-TOOLED CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Loyola was picked #2 in the Missouri Valley Conference pre-season poll this year. Northern Iowa brings back the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and a few other contributors that swayed pollsters voting. BUT -- UNI Coach Jacobson relied HEAVILY on his starters last year, with all 5 averaging around or over 30 minutes per game. In the wake of COVID-19, the MVC has re-tooled their schedule to have 9 “back-to-back” play one day then play the very next day, schedule that allows very little recuperating time for teams. This type of schedule heavily favors the Ramblers, who should be able to play hockey-style “shift” basketball, which if strategically played right, will favor Loyola in back-to-back games each week. OVER THE COVID HUMP Loyola was sadly hit hard by the COVID bug before the beginning of the season, with an estimated 15 players contracting the virus. Happy to report Moser stated everyone is through the worst of it and there are no complications as of yet. Hopefully this experience has made the Ramblers value the importance of social distancing, and they will not have to worry anymore like many other teams. ⁃ SPEED The Ramblers not only have fast athletes (especially with Kennedy’s ability to explode to the rim) their depth should allow them to play high tempo for 40 straight minutes. Loyola was 15-2 when they scored 65 or more points last year. They are going to want to get out and run. They have the horses to do it. ⁃ DEFENSE Loyola has two of the best defenders in the MVC Uguak and Williamson. If their opponent has a guard they depend on for points, Loyola has the tools to frustrate him and shut him down. Team Weaknesses ⁃ FREE THROW SHOOTING Loyola brings everyone back this year, and that’s great, except that last year‘s team shot 407 for 626 from the line in 32 games, keeping 219 points off the scoreboard. Shooting 65% from the line as a team again will lose them close games. ⁃ REBOUNDING Loyola does not get many second chance points. It’s by design, as Moser’s game plan is always to get the best look possible and get back on D. They will again be at the bottom of the league for rebounds. If the Ramblers are not hitting their outside shots, their opportunities to score will be limited. Keeping Loyola in the high 50s or low 60s greatly enhances an opponent’s chances of knocking them off. Concerns KEEPING EVERYONE HAPPY With Depth comes the problem of keeping everyone happy. Loyola has an abundance of talent and a plethora of athletes that want to prove their ability. The problem? There might not be enough minutes to keep everyone happy. To complicate things, the NCAA’s granting of an extra year of eligibility to everyone means that, technically, Loyola’s super seniors (Krutwig, Hall, Clemons, Williamson, Uguak, Hall) could all come back for another year. Players waiting their turn (Kennedy, AGUNANNE, Welch, Wojcik) may not want to wait around another year to see significant playing time. Keeping everyone happy may be a tough task. GETTING ENOUGH GAMES IN COVID has ruined the ability for Porter Moser to schedule games. Even if he could – they would probably get cancelled. The hope is to get as many games as possible. They’re going to play an NCAA tournament (They need the money), but how hard is it going to be for mid-majors to make the tournament? It appears the Ramblers are not going to have the luxury of building a non-con schedule to make them eligible (in the mind of the committee) for an at-large bid. What’s everyone’s thoughts? |
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| Author: | swellafelon [ Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
Thanks for the EXCELLENT preview Toledo! |
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| Author: | Blers42 [ Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:34 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
Nice write up Toledo! I know we’re all itching for some Basketball. |
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| Author: | bonnici [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 10:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
Have watched two early games and we still have issues on the offensive boards. The lack of second chances hurts us, especially when we are down by double-digits. This lack of offensive rebounding has been an issue for the past 5 years, including the 2018 Final Four run (was not noticed as much since LU's shooting % was high). A little surprised at the rotation in the Wisconsin game last night. More minutes should be given to Clemons and Kennedy in the backcourt. I realize that Norris is a solid passer and floor general but cannot create on his own and lacks the strength to play against top tier teams. Same goes for Hebb, while he does show flashes of quickness and confidence, he has to build up his body to compete at this level. Is Franklin Agunanne hurt as I have not seen his name in the box score and he did not play at UIC or Wisconsin. Love to see Porter let Clemons and Kennedy push the ball to create open looks for Hall and Kaifes. When we get down in a game, we have trouble scoring points quick. I hope Porter will open it up a little more. |
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| Author: | natetheskate [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 10:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
BIg Frank is down...but not for the count..I think it was a knee procedure?. We really dont try to offensive rebound...the chances of getting offensive rebounds with our personnel are kind of slim.....Cam gets some that come right back to him when he misses a shot....and if Ugak or anyone else who happens to be there and in position they may stay ...if not already in position they skidadle to get back and get in defensive position and prevent transition baskets and to prevent shooters from getting set up for good looks at 3......It is a sound strategy. It allows us to have an organized defensive attack.....In the end we give up few transition points and get fast break points off steals cuz we are organized on defense ..as well as helping us defensively rebound |
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| Author: | ToledoRambler [ Wed Dec 16, 2020 11:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2020-2021 Loyola Ramblers Team Evaluation |
Porter could be criticized for the lack of rebounding ... if not for the fact that his guys execute what he wants SO WELL transitioning. If you only watch Loyola games and nothing else, you probably take what he does for granted. Put on any random game on tv during the week and you’ll be amazed at how many easy fast break transition points are given up. It’s a RARITY that we ever do that. It’s not a stat that I know is kept, but I guarantee we lead the country over the past 5 years in points given up on the fast break. |
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