CAAHoops: Random Summer Nuggets

[districtballer]

Mike Litos, CAAHoops.com (and VCU fan) blog writer put up a new post in which he announces that he has started interviewing CAA coaches in preparation for next seasons Blue Ribbon Yearbook (the most comprehensive preseason guide out there). He has already interviewed UNCW's Buzz Peterson and VCU's Shaka Smart and gave us a couple of quick hitters to get us to go out and buy the book.

Smart, on his first season:

“I like that we got better as a group, and most of our players got better individually. If you go strictly by numbers, we had a terrific year. Every CAA game we won was by double digits, and every loss except Northeastern was by three points, five points, they were all close. We were right there.”

Smart, on Brad Burgess:

“He’s the number one guy that can benefit from consistency. He has a good understanding and his body is better–he’s actually grown to 6-6 in shoes. Even (Brad) admits he needs to be more assertive and get his shots, or at least opportunities.”

Smart, on Ed Nixon:

“He was our best player in ball screen situations. We want him to work on handling the ball so he can have it in his hands (more often).”

http://www.caahoops.com/

 

[Sethjax]

It's gonna be Brad's year. Coach Smart keeps raving about this guy and his size and what he's doing w/ his body. To have a 3 who can be as versatile as Brad for the next two years is also going to do wonders for Reco and i imagine he will become a great mentor.
Upper classmen is what wins college games in my opinion and to have our major core with 8 deep of Seniors and Juniors is huge. Brad seems like he's been around forever and he's only a junior. So excited.

 

[MozingoWasFilthy]

Actually, we're a 4-2-2-4 group. 4 srs, 2 jrs, 2 sophs, 4 frosh.

Srs - Rozzell, Nixon, Rodriguez, Skeen
Jrs - Veal, Burgess
-------------------------------------------------
So - Theus, Daniels
Fr - Haley, Reddic, McCarter, Brandenberg


Youngsters will need to contribute........especially the young bigs.

 

[districtballer]

Actually, we're a 4-2-2-4 group. 4 srs, 2 jrs, 2 sophs, 4 frosh.

Srs - Rozzell, Nixon, Rodriguez, Skeen
Jrs - Veal, Burgess
-------------------------------------------------
So - Theus, Daniels
Fr - Haley, Reddic, McCarter, Brandenberg


Youngsters will need to contribute........especially the young bigs.

Agreed. Veal needs to be a contributor from the get-go with Skeen in the frontcourt. We will also need one of Haley, McCarter, or Reddic to also be able to contribute by the CAA schedule. That's easier said than done. Reddic in particular has the game to do it, but it does take a while for freshmen to get used to the speed and physicality of the D1 game.