2003-04 roster

DEM · Post by **DEM** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 2:39 pm

Not at all. How many good players in college are over 6-9 anyway? I'll take a 6-9 skilled player over a 7 ft cluts any day of the wk.

PreacherPugh · Post by **PreacherPugh** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 10:45 pm

I'd take a 6-9 guy who had 240 pounds over your athletic 6-9er. Our 6-9 202 pound big man doesn't sound to fantastic to me.

Post by jj » Mon Apr 07, 2003 7:20 am

That's the whole ridiculous "If he's tall and heavy, he must be good" argument. Preacher, I noticed that when you read DEM's "Skilled 6'9" comment, you somehow took that to mean "Athletic 6'9"". Those are two completely different things. Athletic doesn't mean squat. It means you can run and jump. It doesn't mean that you can put the ball in the hole, or that you can do anything but amaze people with your vertical.

I'll put it this way: Give me a 6'9 guy who can play basketball and I don't give two shakes of the lickin' stick whether he's 240, 275, or 220. If you have skills you have skills. Height, weight, and 'being athletic' have nothing to do with it.

Carmelo Anthony: 6'8" 220 pounds

Rudy Ruettiger · Post by **Rudy Ruettiger** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:17 am

I'll take a Shawnta Rogers any day

LS71 · Post by **LS71** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 9:51 am

InnervisionsUMASS wrote:is anyone else a little worried that our tallest players are at 6'9"???

Tell it to Harper Williams, Lou Roe, Wil Herndon, Donta Bright, Dana Dingle, Tony Barbee, Tyrone Weeks, etc..

George Carlin said it best..."Ya Gotta Wanna"!

Old Cage · Post by **Old Cage** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 9:59 am

Hey, Springfield - Nice picture of your house!

DrG · Post by **DrG** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:52 am

LS71 wrote: Tell it to Harper Williams, Lou Roe, Wil Herndon, Donta Bright, Dana Dingle, Tony Barbee, Tyrone Weeks, etc..

Amen to that. We had a massive front line last year and how far did it get us (after the 4-0 start)? Rebounding, for example, is at least as much a function of instinct and athleticism as it is size. There were games this year when I thought AA was the only one who knew how to rebound, and he was the smallest player on the court.

LS71 · Post by **LS71** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:57 am

Old Cage wrote:Hey, Springfield - Nice picture of your house!

If only...

FRDreams · Post by **FRDreams** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 11:02 am

I agree rebounding is as much heart, and instincts as it is height. From what I hear Freeman, and Briggs may only be 6'9'' but they are aggressive and want the ball. These kids need to start playing with some desire and once they do and start outrebounding, hustling, and out-defending their opponents on the regular basis they will see wins as a result and this team will start heading in the right direction. As far as signing a big man, the well is pretty much dry. I have been on a million recruiting sites and you need to go the bottom of the barrell to find a big man who is not going to an ACC team or the NBA.

TBird · Post by **TBird** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:01 pm

PreacherPugh wrote:I'd take a 6-9 guy who had 240 pounds over your athletic 6-9er. Our 6-9 202 pound big man doesn't sound to fantastic to me.

No way. Lou Roe 6'7" 200 lbs. As I recall, he ate lots of bigger guys (e.g. Corliss Williamson) for lunch.

Post by jj » Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:36 pm

And that 6'7" was pretty generous to start out with. Ol' TV Lou was actually closer to 6'5"- and he still kicked everyone else's ass!

InnervisionsUMASS · Post by **InnervisionsUMASS** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:59 pm

there are obviously exceptions, no one is saying anything bad about lou, but until it is proven to me that this team can do it, i will be worried... we saw some hope and life in gabe, but thats all we saw............ remember that

LS71 · Post by **LS71** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 1:37 pm

InnervisionsUMASS wrote:we saw some hope and life in gabe, but thats all we saw............ remember that

It's unfair to lay the lack of rebounding on one player's shoulders. Especially a player who essentially sat out two seasons before playing again last year. He can do it...but he can't do it alone!
IMHO, Gabe hit the wall about 3/4's of the way through the season. Next season I expect him to be in better condition...and he'll have more help up front.

FRDreams · Post by **FRDreams** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:18 pm

Gabe needs to add some weight to his frame. That is without question. With Lee on the floor with as the lone big man did not help matters either. Rogers was never a rebounding force in his two years and brand as we all know underachieved on the boards this hurt Lee's numbers on the boards. Playing Temple for example with a huge front line, easily boxed out Gabe and forced the guards and forwards to grab boards. With big guys like Freeman and Briggs on the court at the same time, Lee can play off people and use his athletic ability to grab more boards. Lappas has a lot more to work with this upcoming year, hopefully these guys can show some improvment over the year and get a few more boards and W's.

philosopher · Post by **philosopher** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 6:19 pm

The Illini were consistently in the dance and consistentely undersized. Their frontcourt was usually dominated by players 6'8" who could run, jump, pass, shoot, rebound, and boxout. Before anyone starts to hyperventilate because the Minutemen do not have a player over 6'9 who weighs 240, take the time to remember who played center during the years Erving was in Amherst, as well as the other forwards already mentioned. I will be happy if Freeman and Briggs fulfill the "upsides" and clog up the paint while sweeping the boards.

Instead of wishing for a 7 footer, I'm wishing for consistently good outside shooting that will open the middle up for the big guys and the slashers. IMHO, had we had such consistently good outside shooting, Micah Brand would not have been the object of so much venom during his junior and senior years.

UMassHoops.com

2003-04 roster

6'9 or taller