It's time to get ready for the Big Sky season again with some overviews of each team this month, and then eventually we'll get into more detailed looks at everything. We'll start with Eastern Washington, led by head coach Jim Hayford who got a contract extension in the offseason.
What They Lost: It looked like they might return everyone, but they did have a couple defections. The biggest was big man Martin Seiferth, who returned to Germany to play pro basketball. Seiferth was a solid rebounder, especially on the offensive glass where he grabbed 11.8% of offensive rebounds, a solid mark. He was also a good shot blocker, ranking in the top 125 nationally in block rate. He was capable on offense of getting putbacks and easy buckets as well. He was an outlier for EWU in that he was a plodder in an offense that wanted to run, but he gave them good production.
Forward Thomas Reuter is also not on the roster, though I am not sure what happened to him. In his two years, Reuter was a guy that could probably be described as a jack of all trades, master of none.
Who Returns: As judged by the minimal losses, EWU returns a lot of guys and a lot of talent, as they've been one of the youngest teams in the Big Sky the past two seasons. The most important among them is Tyler Harvey, who led the conference in scoring last year and is one of the most prolific shooters in the country. Forward Venky Jois didn't quite live up to his great freshman year, but is still an all-conference candidate as a guy that can do it all well - including rebound, block shots, pass the ball, and score inside.
A couple other notables are Parker Kelly and Ognjen Miljkovic. Kelly is still mostly a shooter at this point, but he is a very good one, making 36% of his threes on a lot of attempts, as well as being excellent at the foul line. Miljkovic had an up and down freshman year, but his talent is obvious. Though he needs to be a little more efficient scoring, the tools are there for him to be a big time player. Drew Brandon is a guy I haven't mentioned yet, but he is a nightly triple-double threat.
Newcomers: Their first signee was guard Will Ferris, who could push for time with his shooting ability, though a redshirt year seems possible. Sir Washington was a redshirt last year, and has good athletic ability as a two-guard.
Bogdan Bliznyuk continues the Eagles tradition of talented foreign big men (he is originally from Ukraine, though he appears to have lived in the USA most of his life), following guys like Jois and Miljkovic as versatile frontcourt players that get playing time right away. He can shoot outside as well, and should be a nice contributor.
Another newcomer is forward Kyle Reid, who was a highly rated JUCO forward out of California, averaging 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last year. He will join Bilznyuk to help make up for any loss of Seiferth, as the Eagles should have a deep and talented frontcourt.
General Outlook: There is no doubt that the Eagles are one of the most talented teams in the Big Sky, and should lead the conference in scoring. The only problem could be finding minutes for all the talent. Four of their five starters return and will be upperclassmen, they return some experience on the bench, and they have talented newcomers to fill in the gaps. As we'll see as we go through the teams, there will be a lot of bunching at the top, but EWU is a team within that bunch that could legitimately win the Big Sky, or finish fifth. They will be fun this year.
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Showing posts with label Martin Seiferth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Seiferth. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Jim Hayford's Quotes on EWU Players
On Eastern Washington's website, one of my favorite things is that on each player's page, there is a quote from head coach Jim Hayford. It's usually a one or two sentence blurb on the player, and can give a good indication of how the coaching staff views them or what their role might be this season. I thought it might be interesting to post those quotes here, along with a few takeaways.
F Ognjen Miljkovic (Fr) - “Ognjen joins us after two years at one of the top high school programs in California at Bishop Montgomery High School. It is the same program from where we recruited Tyler Harvey from. We feel he is the type of player that will fit very well in our system. He is a big man who can shoot the three-point shot, but he has multiple offensive skills. Ognjen had a number of options of schools he could have chosen from, and we are excited he selected Eastern Washington.”
G Tyler Harvey (So) - “Tyler Harvey was the surprise of last year’s team. Now he will come in as a redshirt sophomore with three years of experience in the program and needs to validate the end of his freshman season. Tyler can shoot the ball from outside, he can score off the drive, and he is very respected by all his teammates. He is an outstanding young man that we are building our basketball program on.”
G Daniel Hill (So) - “Daniel Hill gives us depth in the backcourt, and he is an outstanding teammate. We look for Daniel to be a point guard in our system who gives us great shots and is able to lead our team while he is on the floor.”
F Danny Powell (Fr) - “Danny Powell redshirted last year as a freshman in our system. He is extremely talented and is capable of scoring inside and outside, off the dribble, facing the basket and with his back to the basket. I think he will bring us versatility in three positions. We are looking forward to Danny having an outstanding freshman season.”
G Parker Kelly (Jr) - “Parker is a team captain and he has the most experience of all of the players in the program. Both seasons Parker has been able to shoot over 40 percent from three-point-range. He had some very strong games at the conclusion of the conference season where he was scoring over 20 points. We need Parker to rebound more this year, and as his all-around game develops, he should have an outstanding junior year.”
G Sir Washington (Fr) - “Sir is a quality young man and a dynamic player. Sir will fit in well with our other young players to give us a foundation of five-year players in our program. This year he will concentrate on academic success and building physical strength.”
F Martin Seiferth (Jr) - “Martin returns as the leading field goal percentage shooter in the Big Sky, a top shot blocker and a top rebounder. As he is able to do those things consistently, he will prove to be a top big man in the Big Sky Conference. We are looking for Martin to have a consistent season as a frontcourt player for the Eagles.”
F Thomas Reuter (So) - “Thomas gained great experience last year. He had quality playing time as a freshman, and he had some standout games. The key for Thomas this year is to develop consistency. He can shoot the ball from the outside better than he did a year ago, and he will rebound better at his position. He has acclimated to a new country and to the U.S. college game. I expect him to have a much improved sophomore season.”
F Frederick Jorg (So) - “This year we will redshirt Fredrick Jörg. Fred has outstanding potential, and is committed to being the very best he can be. By redshirting him, it adds a year between Martin and him. That will be very helpful to our program, and to Fred his junior and senior years in terms of playing opportunity.”
G Drew Brandon (Jr) - “Drew comes to Eastern as one of the top junior college point guards on the West Coast. He came from a very successful program at Sierra College with an outstanding coach. What impresses us the most is that Drew is a three-dimensional player, meaning he can shoot the ball, he can drive the ball and he can pass the ball. Drew gives us great size at the point guard position.”
F Garrett Moon (Jr) - “Garrett redshirted last year in our program. He gives us great versatility and athleticism off the bench. Garrett is a defensive stopper, and he is a very capable rebounder. Garrett is well-liked by his teammates, and is respected for the hard work he brings every day.”
F Felix Von Hofe (Fr) - “Felix is a great shooter and solid all-around player. He has competed at the highest level for his country and is the most acclaimed international recruit we have signed. He is an excellent student and will be a great addition to our campus community.”
F Venky Jois (So) - “Venky returns as the Big Sky freshman of the year, a top rebounder in the conference, and an overall average of double digit scoring as a freshman. Venky taking the next step as a player is one of the key ingredients for us to take that next step as a team. He is a man of outstanding character. He is a team captain as a sophomore. I expect him to lead us to the next level of success in our program.”
Some thoughts:
- It should jump out at you how young the Eagles are. They have no seniors on the roster and only four juniors. They should be improved from last year, but still expect some growing pains. I expect that we will see them grow a lot as the year goes on, and be seen as a top four team heading into next season, similar to Northern Colorado this year.
- When Daniel Hill arrived, I thought he would be the PG of the future for the Eagles. However, he didn't really separate himself last year when he got the chance, and I suspect Drew Brandon will be the Eagles PG. In Hayford's system, the PG always has the chance to put up big numbers, so look for Brandon to do some nice things this season.
- Last year, Frederick Jorg was raw. He is big and fairly mobile for someone his size, but he needed to improve his skills. Unfortunately, there weren't many extra minutes to go around. That makes the decision to redshirt him a good one.
- There will be some strong shot blockers in the Big Sky this year, with two of the better ones residing in Cheney. Venky Jois (66 blocks) and Martin Seiferth (68 blocks) are both solid. After averaging 12 and 9 last year as a freshman, it will be very interesting to see what Jois can do for an encore.
- With guys like Danny Powell, Felix Von Hofe, and Ognjen Miljkovic, there will be no shortage of guys that can play the three or four spots alongside Jois and Seiferth. None of these guys are household names yet, but they will all make an impact by the team they are done. Any team in the conference would be thrilled with a stable of young, athletic forwards like the Eagles have, not even counting in the fact that all are freshman (Powell with a redshirt).
- I worry about their backcourt depth. Parker Kelly is a nice player, but he might be a little too one-dimensional to be a good starter on a really good team. He is a great shooter, but might be more suited for a role off the bench. That puts a lot of pressure on Tyler Harvey, though if Harvey can continue and build on what he did at the end of last season, he will be a really good player.
Any thoughts on EWU? Where do you peg them this season?
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F Ognjen Miljkovic (Fr) - “Ognjen joins us after two years at one of the top high school programs in California at Bishop Montgomery High School. It is the same program from where we recruited Tyler Harvey from. We feel he is the type of player that will fit very well in our system. He is a big man who can shoot the three-point shot, but he has multiple offensive skills. Ognjen had a number of options of schools he could have chosen from, and we are excited he selected Eastern Washington.”
G Tyler Harvey (So) - “Tyler Harvey was the surprise of last year’s team. Now he will come in as a redshirt sophomore with three years of experience in the program and needs to validate the end of his freshman season. Tyler can shoot the ball from outside, he can score off the drive, and he is very respected by all his teammates. He is an outstanding young man that we are building our basketball program on.”
G Daniel Hill (So) - “Daniel Hill gives us depth in the backcourt, and he is an outstanding teammate. We look for Daniel to be a point guard in our system who gives us great shots and is able to lead our team while he is on the floor.”
F Danny Powell (Fr) - “Danny Powell redshirted last year as a freshman in our system. He is extremely talented and is capable of scoring inside and outside, off the dribble, facing the basket and with his back to the basket. I think he will bring us versatility in three positions. We are looking forward to Danny having an outstanding freshman season.”
G Parker Kelly (Jr) - “Parker is a team captain and he has the most experience of all of the players in the program. Both seasons Parker has been able to shoot over 40 percent from three-point-range. He had some very strong games at the conclusion of the conference season where he was scoring over 20 points. We need Parker to rebound more this year, and as his all-around game develops, he should have an outstanding junior year.”
G Sir Washington (Fr) - “Sir is a quality young man and a dynamic player. Sir will fit in well with our other young players to give us a foundation of five-year players in our program. This year he will concentrate on academic success and building physical strength.”
F Martin Seiferth (Jr) - “Martin returns as the leading field goal percentage shooter in the Big Sky, a top shot blocker and a top rebounder. As he is able to do those things consistently, he will prove to be a top big man in the Big Sky Conference. We are looking for Martin to have a consistent season as a frontcourt player for the Eagles.”
F Thomas Reuter (So) - “Thomas gained great experience last year. He had quality playing time as a freshman, and he had some standout games. The key for Thomas this year is to develop consistency. He can shoot the ball from the outside better than he did a year ago, and he will rebound better at his position. He has acclimated to a new country and to the U.S. college game. I expect him to have a much improved sophomore season.”
F Frederick Jorg (So) - “This year we will redshirt Fredrick Jörg. Fred has outstanding potential, and is committed to being the very best he can be. By redshirting him, it adds a year between Martin and him. That will be very helpful to our program, and to Fred his junior and senior years in terms of playing opportunity.”
G Drew Brandon (Jr) - “Drew comes to Eastern as one of the top junior college point guards on the West Coast. He came from a very successful program at Sierra College with an outstanding coach. What impresses us the most is that Drew is a three-dimensional player, meaning he can shoot the ball, he can drive the ball and he can pass the ball. Drew gives us great size at the point guard position.”
F Garrett Moon (Jr) - “Garrett redshirted last year in our program. He gives us great versatility and athleticism off the bench. Garrett is a defensive stopper, and he is a very capable rebounder. Garrett is well-liked by his teammates, and is respected for the hard work he brings every day.”
F Felix Von Hofe (Fr) - “Felix is a great shooter and solid all-around player. He has competed at the highest level for his country and is the most acclaimed international recruit we have signed. He is an excellent student and will be a great addition to our campus community.”
F Venky Jois (So) - “Venky returns as the Big Sky freshman of the year, a top rebounder in the conference, and an overall average of double digit scoring as a freshman. Venky taking the next step as a player is one of the key ingredients for us to take that next step as a team. He is a man of outstanding character. He is a team captain as a sophomore. I expect him to lead us to the next level of success in our program.”
Some thoughts:
- It should jump out at you how young the Eagles are. They have no seniors on the roster and only four juniors. They should be improved from last year, but still expect some growing pains. I expect that we will see them grow a lot as the year goes on, and be seen as a top four team heading into next season, similar to Northern Colorado this year.
- When Daniel Hill arrived, I thought he would be the PG of the future for the Eagles. However, he didn't really separate himself last year when he got the chance, and I suspect Drew Brandon will be the Eagles PG. In Hayford's system, the PG always has the chance to put up big numbers, so look for Brandon to do some nice things this season.
- Last year, Frederick Jorg was raw. He is big and fairly mobile for someone his size, but he needed to improve his skills. Unfortunately, there weren't many extra minutes to go around. That makes the decision to redshirt him a good one.
- There will be some strong shot blockers in the Big Sky this year, with two of the better ones residing in Cheney. Venky Jois (66 blocks) and Martin Seiferth (68 blocks) are both solid. After averaging 12 and 9 last year as a freshman, it will be very interesting to see what Jois can do for an encore.
- With guys like Danny Powell, Felix Von Hofe, and Ognjen Miljkovic, there will be no shortage of guys that can play the three or four spots alongside Jois and Seiferth. None of these guys are household names yet, but they will all make an impact by the team they are done. Any team in the conference would be thrilled with a stable of young, athletic forwards like the Eagles have, not even counting in the fact that all are freshman (Powell with a redshirt).
- I worry about their backcourt depth. Parker Kelly is a nice player, but he might be a little too one-dimensional to be a good starter on a really good team. He is a great shooter, but might be more suited for a role off the bench. That puts a lot of pressure on Tyler Harvey, though if Harvey can continue and build on what he did at the end of last season, he will be a really good player.
Any thoughts on EWU? Where do you peg them this season?
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Eastern Washington's Struggles Continue As They Drop to 0-4
By most, Eastern Washington was picked to finish in the top half of the Big Sky conference. They may yet get there, but things are off to a poor start, as a loss to Utah Valley on Tuesday dropped the Eagles to 0-4.
For a half, it looked like they were on their way to their first win of the year, as they led 43-32 and looked to have things going well on both ends. However, their offense struggled to find consistency in the second half, and (more importantly) they couldn’t get a stop, eventually losing 86-83. The Eagles missed their first ten shots of the second half, which dropped them into a deficit that they could not come back from.
There were plenty of solid individual efforts from EWU players. Venky Jois had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and he continues to look like one of the best freshmen in the conference. Martin Seiferth was solid with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks. However, those guys aren’t getting the ball enough for how good they have been. The Eagles were an astounding 11/42 from downtown, including these performances:
Justin Crogsile: 1/11
Collin Chiverton: 3/9
Kevin Winford: 2/8
Jeffrey Forbes: 3/8
I understand these guys have the green light, but they have to be a little bit smarter about when they pull the trigger, especially when the big guys are playing so well (Jois and Seiferth were a combined 11/15 from the field). Crogsile has been the most egregious offender… he has launched 44 threes in four games despite the fact that he is a 30% three-point shooter.
It sounds as if all of this is not lost on Jim Hayford. “We have to be able to handle freedom in our offense a little bit better,” said Hayford. “You want shooters to have confidence that the next one is going in, but we could have used a little bit better discretion.”
I still do think they will be fine. Individually, they are one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they will figure this stuff out. But they have to start playing more as one unit rather than a group of guys, and things need to pick up defensively. If these things happen, they have the personnel to be a very good team.
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For a half, it looked like they were on their way to their first win of the year, as they led 43-32 and looked to have things going well on both ends. However, their offense struggled to find consistency in the second half, and (more importantly) they couldn’t get a stop, eventually losing 86-83. The Eagles missed their first ten shots of the second half, which dropped them into a deficit that they could not come back from.
There were plenty of solid individual efforts from EWU players. Venky Jois had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and he continues to look like one of the best freshmen in the conference. Martin Seiferth was solid with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks. However, those guys aren’t getting the ball enough for how good they have been. The Eagles were an astounding 11/42 from downtown, including these performances:
Justin Crogsile: 1/11
Collin Chiverton: 3/9
Kevin Winford: 2/8
Jeffrey Forbes: 3/8
I understand these guys have the green light, but they have to be a little bit smarter about when they pull the trigger, especially when the big guys are playing so well (Jois and Seiferth were a combined 11/15 from the field). Crogsile has been the most egregious offender… he has launched 44 threes in four games despite the fact that he is a 30% three-point shooter.
It sounds as if all of this is not lost on Jim Hayford. “We have to be able to handle freedom in our offense a little bit better,” said Hayford. “You want shooters to have confidence that the next one is going in, but we could have used a little bit better discretion.”
I still do think they will be fine. Individually, they are one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they will figure this stuff out. But they have to start playing more as one unit rather than a group of guys, and things need to pick up defensively. If these things happen, they have the personnel to be a very good team.
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Martin Seiferth is the Big Sky POTW
Martin Seiferth was named the Big Sky Player of the Week, winning the first weekly award of the season. In two games he averaged 14.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks, a stellar start to the year.
He mostly won this award on the basis of his play on Monday, when he had a line of 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a loss to CS Northridge. The seven blocks were a school record.
Seiferth is a sophomore who transferred to Eastern Washington from Oregon.
Of the other candidates, Jackson Stevenett of Southern Utah also would have been a good choice, as he scored an effficient 29 points in a loss to Gonzaga. However, no arguing the choice of Seiferth, as he had one of the best stat lines we might see all year.
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He mostly won this award on the basis of his play on Monday, when he had a line of 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a loss to CS Northridge. The seven blocks were a school record.
Seiferth is a sophomore who transferred to Eastern Washington from Oregon.
Of the other candidates, Jackson Stevenett of Southern Utah also would have been a good choice, as he scored an effficient 29 points in a loss to Gonzaga. However, no arguing the choice of Seiferth, as he had one of the best stat lines we might see all year.
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Big Teams Teams Go 0-3 on Monday Night
It was a rough night for the Big Sky.
Three teams played, and while it was not a shock that they all may lose, there were not really even any moral victories on this night.
Portland State played a solid Oregon team and got off to a rough start in Eugene. A sloppy first half had them down by as many as 20 points midway through the first half, and they trailed 51-33 at the break.
"I think we were a little shell shocked from their pressure and quickness," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving. "We didn't handle it very well. We had 10 turnovers in the first nine minutes but after that we settled down. But you can't put yourself in that situation.
"It was a combination of bad shots and turnovers giving them 51 points (in the first half)."
Oregon was pressuring hard right from the get go, and PSU was playing into their hands with a lot of bad passes and turnovers. Of course, it's tough to stop them on the other end when the opponent is shooting 7/10 from downtown, which is how Oregon started the game. However, even when PSU was able to get into their half-court offense, they did too much standing around, which is how you get 6 assists compared to 15 turnovers on the night.
PSU settled down in the second half, making the final score a respectable 80-69. Renado Parker and Gary Winston each had 15 points to lead the Vikings. The second half should give them something to build on.
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It was a homecoming of sorts for Jack Murphy playing at UNLV, but the Lumberjacks were not treated nicely. They were already thin, with starter Gaellen Bewernick having tweaked his ankle against Oregon, and things didn't really get much better. Stallon Saldivar did not play in the second half with an injury, and Ephraim Ekanem reportedly hurt his hand as well.
The lack of depth, combined with a second game in three days, mixed with a UNLV team that is pretty darn athletic and talented made for a long evening for NAU. UNLV won 92-54. http://www.goviks.com/news/2012/11/12/MBB_1112124702.aspx scored 16 for NAU to lead the team, getting to the free throw line 10 times.
Here was the heigh of NAU's starting lineup:
Ephraim Ekanem - 6'7''
Michael Dunn - 6'0''
Gabe Rogers - 6'2''
Stallon Saldivar - 6'0''
DeWayne Russell - 5'11''
Fortunately for the Lumberjacks, there are no teams like UNLV in the Big Sky.
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Eastern Washington had arguably the most winnable game of the night in the conference, but they came out flat against CS Northridge, losing 96-79.
They turned the ball over a whopping 22 times, which simply can't happen for them. They were 7/21 from downtown, and it will be tough for them to win a lot of games if they shoot 33% from downtown.
Justin Crogsile had a seemingly nice stat line with 18 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, but he did it on 6/18 shooting (2/8 from downtown) and had 9 turnovers. There was a sequence where he carelessly threw the ball away, and then jogged back down the court only to watch the Matadors knock down a three. It seemed to be that way a lot all night for EWU, and I didn't like their body language in this game. They may have been tired from playing their second game in three days. The Matadors had a whopping 23 offensive rebounds in the game, which is simply not acceptable.
It should be noted that big man Martin Seiferth was a star for EWU on this night. He scored 27 points, had 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks for the Eagles. He was outstanding, but unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of help in this game.
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I am in a "Big Sky West Challenge" with Mountain West Connection and Big West Confidential... and safe to say, things are off to an ugly start.
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Three teams played, and while it was not a shock that they all may lose, there were not really even any moral victories on this night.
Portland State played a solid Oregon team and got off to a rough start in Eugene. A sloppy first half had them down by as many as 20 points midway through the first half, and they trailed 51-33 at the break.
"I think we were a little shell shocked from their pressure and quickness," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving. "We didn't handle it very well. We had 10 turnovers in the first nine minutes but after that we settled down. But you can't put yourself in that situation.
"It was a combination of bad shots and turnovers giving them 51 points (in the first half)."
Oregon was pressuring hard right from the get go, and PSU was playing into their hands with a lot of bad passes and turnovers. Of course, it's tough to stop them on the other end when the opponent is shooting 7/10 from downtown, which is how Oregon started the game. However, even when PSU was able to get into their half-court offense, they did too much standing around, which is how you get 6 assists compared to 15 turnovers on the night.
PSU settled down in the second half, making the final score a respectable 80-69. Renado Parker and Gary Winston each had 15 points to lead the Vikings. The second half should give them something to build on.
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It was a homecoming of sorts for Jack Murphy playing at UNLV, but the Lumberjacks were not treated nicely. They were already thin, with starter Gaellen Bewernick having tweaked his ankle against Oregon, and things didn't really get much better. Stallon Saldivar did not play in the second half with an injury, and Ephraim Ekanem reportedly hurt his hand as well.
The lack of depth, combined with a second game in three days, mixed with a UNLV team that is pretty darn athletic and talented made for a long evening for NAU. UNLV won 92-54. http://www.goviks.com/news/2012/11/12/MBB_1112124702.aspx scored 16 for NAU to lead the team, getting to the free throw line 10 times.
Here was the heigh of NAU's starting lineup:
Ephraim Ekanem - 6'7''
Michael Dunn - 6'0''
Gabe Rogers - 6'2''
Stallon Saldivar - 6'0''
DeWayne Russell - 5'11''
Fortunately for the Lumberjacks, there are no teams like UNLV in the Big Sky.
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Eastern Washington had arguably the most winnable game of the night in the conference, but they came out flat against CS Northridge, losing 96-79.
They turned the ball over a whopping 22 times, which simply can't happen for them. They were 7/21 from downtown, and it will be tough for them to win a lot of games if they shoot 33% from downtown.
Justin Crogsile had a seemingly nice stat line with 18 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, but he did it on 6/18 shooting (2/8 from downtown) and had 9 turnovers. There was a sequence where he carelessly threw the ball away, and then jogged back down the court only to watch the Matadors knock down a three. It seemed to be that way a lot all night for EWU, and I didn't like their body language in this game. They may have been tired from playing their second game in three days. The Matadors had a whopping 23 offensive rebounds in the game, which is simply not acceptable.
It should be noted that big man Martin Seiferth was a star for EWU on this night. He scored 27 points, had 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks for the Eagles. He was outstanding, but unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of help in this game.
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I am in a "Big Sky West Challenge" with Mountain West Connection and Big West Confidential... and safe to say, things are off to an ugly start.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Eastern Washington Gets Ready For Canada Trip
The trip comes at a good time for the Eagles, because they will be breaking in a ton of new guys. There are six newcomers - five freshman and one newcomers - as well as three guys who redshirted last year. The trip should be a good opportunity to gain some experience, as well as a chance for Hayford to begin fleshing out the makeup of the roster. With all of the newcomers, they are as tough to predict as any team in the Big Sky, and I suspect that even the coaching staff is waiting to see how a rotation plays out.
If I had to guess as of today, I think things would look something like thi:
Starting Lineup
G Justin Crogsile
G Jeffrey Forbes
F Collin Chiverton
F Venky Jois
C Martin Seiferth
Really, the only thing we know for sure is that Collin Chiverton will be in the starting lineup. He could lead the league in scoring, and Coach Hayford said he is fully recovered from a foot injury that bothered him all of last season. Jeffrey Forbes started last year which makes him a good bet to start again, but they have a lot of depth there. Justin Crogsile played a lot of minutes for St. Joseph's in his first two years, and my guess is he would have the inside track on the point guard spot, though that could depend on how ready Forbes is to be able to handle the primary ballhandler responsibilities.
Of course, they could start three guards and go with a small ball lineup, though I'm not sure how likely that is. Parker Kelly was a big-time player for them last year, and provides a bunch of range. Kevin Winford had a little bit of a disappointing year last year, but he can put up points in a hurry. Freshman Daniel Hill comes to the program with a lot of high praise, but it will be tough for him to secure a ton of time in a crowded, veteran backcourt. Ivan Dorsey went to junior college with Collin Chiverton, so obviously that familiarity will help him. There are a lot of good options back there.
In the frontcourt, things are a bit more unsettled thanks to a lot of graduations. Jordan Hickert has the most experience at EWU, but I'm not sure he brings enough to the table to play more than 15 minutes per night, as he is a three-point specialist but only an average rebounder. Martin Seiferth has drawn praise, and should be in the mix after sitting out a year after a transfer from Oregon. Venky Jois is just a hunch, as he appears to be an athletic big man that should be ready to play.
Another option is Danny Powell, who put up big time numbers in high school. He can score inside and outside, and he shot 46% from downtown as a junior. It wouldn't be a shock to see him get a lot of minutes. Jaylen Henry played a bit last year, but I am not sure he is a great fit in Hayford's offense. Frederick Jorg (Germany) and Thomas Reuter (Germany) are tough to project also, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least one of those guys redshirted.
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