KAEO LuWane Pipkins (PG-2015)

[umass2001]

Perhaps UMass2001 and UMass87 are the same Russion trollbot.

Nope as I have said before I think Pipkins will start at PG next year and am excited about that. Very much in the boat of him being a good PG.

It doesn't make you cool to just run around online forums calling people trolls for disagreeing with you. That approach didn't work for Hilary, what makes you think your mileage would vary.

[UMass87]

Perhaps UMass2001 and UMass87 are the same Russion trollbot.

Perhaps you're just a tool.

"not acceptable" probably is a hyperbolic but this is the weakest A10 in recent memory (with essentially two teams, URI and SBU, in the top third of D1 college basketball) so Pip my well look good compared to them but they are not great (with the exception of Jaylen Adams, who has had quite a few pretty bad games, and Dowtin). So, why are the A10 teams so weak this year? Is it because they all have good D1 point guards? For the most part, success in D1 ball requires good point guard play. You may think leading a team to the middle third of D1 basketball is "acceptable" for UMass basketball. I don't (although I have zero problem with it this year - I think they've overachieved). The fact is that Pip is playing pg because MM needs him to play not because it's where he would be playing if UMass had a point guard.

[TheOFFSeason]

^ Let's stick to the facts. You didn't say Pipkins isn't a great point guard, or even that he isn't a good point guard, you said Pipkins "simply is not an acceptable D1 point guard today", which is such a preposterous statement to make.

As I said before, Pipkins' astronomically high usage rate (higher than Chaz's usage rate ever was) is going to inflate his TO PG numbers. But, Pipkins' TO% is better than all of these A10 starting PGs:
Jaylen Adams
Johnny Williams
Chartouny
Livingston
Stukes
Crutcher
CJ Anderson

And it's just barely above Gudmundsson, Powell & Gilyard.

The only starting A10 PG's with a meaningfully lower TO% than Pipkins are Dowtin, Newkirk and Castro... but yeah, keep telling people Pipkins isn't a capable D1 point guard.

Stats and usage rates etc won’t make him a pg no matter what the numbers say...he just is not a pg, in private he will say it and the staff will say it. He has been forced to be the primary ball handler and has done an ok job but being a pg is a mindset. He could average 10 assists a game and that wouldn’t make him a pg...if you have the ball as the primary ball handler you are going to get assists. Chaz comes to mind with that but Chaz looked for his opportunities first and then the team. He didn’t make others better.
Here is just one example of Pip not being a pg: every time he has the ball and he’s coming down on a semi-break (3 on 2, 4 on 3) and Pierre runs to the corner Pip never drives it right at the guy who is between him and CP to make him come to him so he can get CP that open 3 that he’s great at.
A second example is he doesn’t recognize mismatches or hot hands and make sure they get the ball.
I am a big Pip fan and he has done really well being coachable this year which has allowed us to be over .500 at this point in the year.
Last thing is his defense, he plays 2 guards,even if they are bigger, way better than he plays pgs and that has a lot to do with the fact he doesn’t think like they do.

He will not be playing pg next year...both Clergot and Wood are ready to play.

[NilesGold]

^ And that's fine, I have no problem with that assessment, Pipkins doesn't do all of the things you ideally want your PG to do. And yet, he's still better at being a PG than a lot of dudes in D1 who are PGs because he makes up for it by being really good in other areas.

[DEM]

He will not be playing pg next year...both Clergot and Wood are ready to play.

Thanks, that answers the question I was asking. So Clergeot is more a pure point guard?

[UMass87]

... in private he will say it and the staff will say it. He has been forced to be the primary ball handler ...

And this says a lot about who he is and who MM is and all of it good. I think the same is true of CJ. Both have them are doing yeomen's work.

[JBUMass2011]

This team is 9-8 because of Pipkins. His improvement and play has been nothing short of outstanding. This team is exceeding expectations. If you replace Pipkins with any other A10 Pg I am not sure we are 9-8. Sure he turns it over too much and isnt prototypical pg but what A10 PGs replace him and get us to 9-8? Maybe Adams, Livingston, idk. But I’m not trading Pipkins. I agree he will move off the ball next year with Keon and wood but not a D1 pg lol, who cares the kid is ballin.

[Not Trigger]

Who gives a shit if Pip Is or is not a "point guard". He is by far the best player on this team, he just broke the school's scoring record and the team is over-achieving. MM, like many coaches is moving towards inter-changeable parts and away from traditional positions anyway. Pip's a helluva good basketball player and at this rate is well on his way to becoming one of the all-time UMass greats.

[minutefanjsf]

I hope we are moving more towards interchangeable parts. That was my original point in this. I want to see how Pip dies when he is playing off the ball and has a teammate that can get him the ball.

[NilesGold]

I agree he will move off the ball next year with Keon and wood but not a D1 pg lol, who cares the kid is ballin.

I bet he's still going to have the ball in his hands quite a bit. He's become very good at creating and finishing his own shot.

[minutefanjsf]

I hope we are moving more towards interchangeable parts. That was my original point in this. I want to see how Pip dies when he is playing off the ball and has a teammate that can get him the ball.

oops does not dies......

[69MG]

Who gives a shit if Pip Is or is not a "point guard". He is by far the best player on this team, he just broke the school's scoring record and the team is over-achieving. MM, like many coaches is moving towards inter-changeable parts and away from traditional positions anyway. Pip's a helluva good basketball player and at this rate is well on his way to becoming one of the all-time UMass greats.

EXACTLY!!!!!! Leave the guy alone and just be glad he is playing so well this year.

[baseline47]

I haven't been able to go to many games at the Mullins Center this season, but I did attend the Providence and LaSalle games. Pipkins!! Holy Shit, how did he get so good???!! The kid is worth the price of price of admission. I can't believe how well he's shooting it. Last season when he pulled up for a jumper, I'd mumble, "No, no. No!" This season, I'm yelling, "yes, Yes, YES!" Hey, hey hey, can Pipkins make the all A10 team!?! First one since Chaz?!?!

I'm no eldonabe, but it seems to me that our coach is making changes at halftime. Seems to me we are, more often then not, "winning" the second half. And, how come the teams is hitting its free throw this season? Coaching?

Sigh, can't go to today's St. Joseph's game either. Go UMass!!!

[Berkman]

It is on NBCSN so just record it and watch it later.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I say it because I was at the game and I know what I saw.

Ok, Cady.