Custer minutes

Rural

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Feb 3, 2010
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Pretty sure we are going to need Edozie in some games and definitely come March. Georges improved foot speed and McKay have reduced some foul problems, but we will still have them eventually. Imagine if we do wind up with Kentucky at some point? Going to need his size.


This is where the "deep bench" is coming into play.

Finally, this year we are in control of "foul problems" instead of them controlling us.
 

tec71

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Apr 11, 2006
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Fred hasn't historically rotated more than 6-7 men, and this year isn't any different. I think we do have more depth--Thomas and Edozie would be acceptable B12 players if we needed them--but, for several reasons, Fred is not likely to play any more than the current set:

-30 to 35 minutes per night isn't too much on 19-22 year olds at the absolute peak physical condition of their lives
-you might as well have your best out there, and the starters plus McKay and some Nader really are playing the best of anybody at the moment

Depth due to fatigue is not an issue in the college game I think especially with the relatively slow pace of the game. Even teams that use the whole shot clock don't seem to fatigue the defenders because it seems most of the time they throw the ball around the perimeter for 20 seconds or more, then get serious for 10-15 seconds. This is particularly true when your games are all on tv and you have four television time outs per half plus coach's time outs to use. Depth due to foul trouble is helped dramatically y when you have people who can play multiple positions and are skilled around the court, rather than have one back up point, one back up wing, and one back up center etc. For example if your bigs can't handle the ball up the court, or outside of 15 feet, and your wings are just shooters without handles, that puts you in a much more difficult position. If you had to declare a position substitute and say play Custer when Monte gets in foul trouble, then that's a bit of a drop off. If Naz gets in foul trouble if we had to play Thomas that's a big drop off right now, but instead last night it appeared they went with Jameel and slide Niang to 4, and Hogue/Nader to 3 or something like that. As a total team that's not nearly the drop off (if it's any drop at all) as it would be just to straight up sub Thomas for Naz.
 

tec71

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Our biggest margin of victory has been 6 points. Those aren't the margins needed to see the 9-12 spots play. He will get time this season. Just not if we are losing by 2 with 4 minutes left.

This is one of the things we seemed to struggle with (and I think CFH has talked in the media about it), that being the ability to take a 10-12 point lead and make it 20-24, rather than letter the team work back to 4 pt lead. That's what it's going to take to get some of them more playing time.
 

BWRhasnoAC

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Only complaint I have about minutes is Daniel never seeing the floor. I want to see McKay and him out there at the same time. Daniel can contribute.
 

Rhoadhoused

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Apr 27, 2010
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Matt Thomas is nowhere near as good as expected and still a team player and still has plenty of time to improve.

Gotta be better than 30% from 3 when you're recruited to shoot 3s.
 

swarthmoreCY

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Aug 9, 2008
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Here nor there
Long played 17 minutes and scored 2 points total in conference play as a freshman. Shows how players can improve and get more playing time under Fred.
Comparing Thomas to a completely different player and situation does not help. His career and trajectory is not like Naz's.
He is a role player 1.5 years in, which is okay, we need that. Hopefully he develops into more. You know he is working hard enough to do so and is a great Cyclone.
 
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andymhallman

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Only complaint I have about minutes is Daniel never seeing the floor. I want to see McKay and him out there at the same time. Daniel can contribute.

I want to see Daniel given a chance, too, but if Nader keeps having games like he's done at West Virginia and vs. K-State, it's hard to sit him, and you can't sit McKay either. I have no doubt that Edozie would get 10-15 minutes per game had he been on the 2013 team when we had Percy Gibson and Anthony Booker to back up Ejim and Niang.

We foul very little, which is great because it keeps us out of foul trouble and the other team off the free throw line, but sometimes it seems we overdo it and don't play as physical as we could. I would have liked to see Edozie play against Baylor's physical front line, and if he had fouled out of the game, then so be it. Baylor was much more likely to beat us on the glass and from the arc than at the charity stripe.

Texas seems like the next logical team where we might need Edozie since the Longhorns excel at rebounding. They outrebounded Kentucky, for what it's worth.
 

jahfg

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Apr 19, 2006
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Where are people getting the idea that Custer isn't big enough right now? He looks much thicker than he did in high school and he's stockier than Monte. He's big enough to play, just needs to adjust to this level. I'm not worried about him at all.

Thomas really struggled on D last night. I don't know what some of you were watching. He has a role. He plays it pretty well, and he will probably have a couple more big games and/or hit some big shots for us. Has he lived up to his Top 50-60 ranking? No, but he's still a good player that contributes.

Players' draft stock can rise significantly in March (Mitch McGary anyone?). I would not be surprised to see Morris as one of those guys this year. I still think he has a year left, but the option could definitely be there. He's a special talent at this level.
 

HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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Everyone please refer to the official 2015 whoopin' boy flow chart:

1. Did BDJ have a good game? If No proceed to A. If yes proceed to 2.
2. Did Thomas have a good game? If No proceed to B. If yes proceed to 3.
3. Did Edozie get lots of minutes? If No proceed to C. If yes proceed to D.

A. BDJ is your whoopin' boy, sprinkle in how a high fg%, high assists average player is a hero baller
B. Thomas is your whoopin' boy
C. Whar EDOZIE???!!!
D. The team has no heart
 

Luth4Cy

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Sep 19, 2012
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Wish Edozie played about three minutes near the beginning of each half to rough up the other teams bigs. That's my only complaint about Fred's coaching this season.

Custer's time will probably come, just not this season. Iowa State is becoming a place where good recruits will have to wait for their time to come and it's a good problem to have.
 

Rhoadhoused

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Apr 27, 2010
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Where are people getting the idea that Custer isn't big enough right now? He looks much thicker than he did in high school and he's stockier than Monte. He's big enough to play, just needs to adjust to this level. I'm not worried about him at all.

Thomas really struggled on D last night. I don't know what some of you were watching. He has a role. He plays it pretty well, and he will probably have a couple more big games and/or hit some big shots for us. Has he lived up to his Top 50-60 ranking? No, but he's still a good player that contributes.

Players' draft stock can rise significantly in March (Mitch McGary anyone?). I would not be surprised to see Morris as one of those guys this year. I still think he has a year left, but the option could definitely be there. He's a special talent at this level.

Some of those guys should watch Custer in warmups. That kid is legit jacked for his weight. It's more of just a frame widening thing. He will get bigger but it isn't like he's a skinny kid with no muscle and a long way to go.

There's a reason he has such great body control and could score so well in high school.
 
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whippetranch

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Feb 9, 2013
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Custer should have been redshirted. We didnt need him at all this year and he was coming off being very sick. This was a complete wasted year of elgibility. The Greek needed to be red shirted as well but I can understand why that didn't happen.

No need to redshirt when you will have a potentially home-sick international center and a guard who won't provide minutes as a junior or senior unless he is all-conference. You must assume Fred will continue to draw better frosh and transfer recruits each year. sDW got lost in the fray and that kid had serious talent.

This is is just reality and not a bad problem to have. Let them play and earn exp. redshirt really doesn't buy you much though I could make case either way for the Greek.
 

whippetranch

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Feb 9, 2013
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That Naz Long kid didn't play much as a freshman, I think it has worked out well for him.

As for Thomas, he is still thinking too much. He just needs to catch and shoot. One of these days he will start draining 3s.

Agreed. Somebody in the College of Engineering really needs to make one of those MiB mind eraser pens and use it on Matt. Thinking way too much. He needs a little bit of BDJ to his game but is probably afraid of losing minutes.
 

Sigmapolis

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Agreed. Somebody in the College of Engineering really needs to make one of those MiB mind eraser pens and use it on Matt. Thinking way too much. He needs a little bit of BDJ to his game but is probably afraid of losing minutes.

I was hoping more a Scott Christopherson (yes, both white boys from Wisconsin), but this line would be nice to have that great of pure shooter from range again:

SEASONTEAMMINFGM-FGAFG%3PM-3PA3P%FTM-FTAFT%REBASTBLKSTLPFTOPTS
2011-12ISU31.94.0-9.1.4372.0-4.3.4562.7-3.0.9033.02.30.10.51.11.912.6

SC is, by percentages, the best shooter from three-point range in Iowa State history. That would be sweet to have again.