Zeke Nnaji

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YoDeFoe
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

Sam Vecenie and Cole Zwicker offered some commentary on Zeke Nnaji on Sam's 11/15/19 Game Theory podcast... some notes:

* Sam is very intrigued, calls him the "hot name" as a potential OAD
* Notes that Arizona is hyping up him hard
* Tweener as a 6'10" or so guy with only a +2 or 3 wingspan
* Compares Zeke to Tyler Hansbrough - in the way that he has great lateral quickness, finds ways to carve out space, thick frame, not a good defender near the basket as a five man (doesn't recognize when to provide help from the weakside quickly enough), great touch around the basket
* "I think he is an NBA player"
* A preseason All American fav for next season if he comes back
* Concerns about where he fits in the NBA
* Zwicker: Very coordinated but is he explosive?
* More of a five offensively but a four defensively (same concern I have)
* Very good moving in space for his size, good agility and fluidity
* Can he handle the ball? Can he straight line slash and attack the basket?
* Has shooting upside with his touch so you could project he'll get a three point shot
* Can guard away from the basket and switch across to guards with his lateral quickness, feet, fluidity
* Great motor, plays hard
* Doesn't have the passing acumen yet but is very comfortable accepting the pass away from the basket and "doesn't shit his pants"
* Right now you're drafting him for offense but he doesn't look ready to play defense in the NBA
* Does not believe he's the best prospect at Arizona - third best
* "Nico was ridiculous against Illinois - he was UNBELIEVABLE"

Anyways... similar stuff to what I've described above where the NBA is going to wonder if Zeke can play defense in the NBA with his "limited" +2-3" wingspan but could draft him on offensive upside.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by ChooChooCat »

You're my hero YDF. You're right and so are Sam and Cole. FWIW you could argue that Christian Koloko is a better pro PROSPECT than Nnaji. Either way Nnaji is a 1st rounder and with another year could be a lotto guy by showing more range on that jumper and improved D.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by goslingswagg »

ChooChooCat wrote:You're my hero YDF. You're right and so are Sam and Cole. FWIW you could argue that Christian Koloko is a better pro PROSPECT than Nnaji. Either way Nnaji is a 1st rounder and with another year could be a lotto guy by showing more range on that jumper and improved D.
I love how high the staff is on Koloko, gives me a lot of hope that next year will still be a good year.

I think the NBA is starting to value the "move" bigs much more than they have in the past, which is why I think Nnaji is a mid first round guy this year. He won't block a ton of shots, but honestly, that's not a huge deal. The best big defenders in the league are guys that are mobile and switchable in the PnR, and that is where Zeke thrives. Bigger issue for him I think is rebounding, which he needs to continue to improve upon. Great thing with him is that I still think he can put on another 20 pounds, which should help him a lot as a rebounder long term.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

YoDeFoe wrote:Sam Vecenie and Cole Zwicker offered some commentary on Zeke Nnaji on Sam's 11/15/19 Game Theory podcast... some notes:

* Sam is very intrigued, calls him the "hot name" as a potential OAD
* Notes that Arizona is hyping up him hard
* Tweener as a 6'10" or so guy with only a +2 or 3 wingspan
* Compares Zeke to Tyler Hansbrough - in the way that he has great lateral quickness, finds ways to carve out space, thick frame, not a good defender near the basket as a five man (doesn't recognize when to provide help from the weakside quickly enough), great touch around the basket
* "I think he is an NBA player"
* A preseason All American fav for next season if he comes back
* Concerns about where he fits in the NBA
* Zwicker: Very coordinated but is he explosive?
* More of a five offensively but a four defensively (same concern I have)
* Very good moving in space for his size, good agility and fluidity
* Can he handle the ball? Can he straight line slash and attack the basket?
* Has shooting upside with his touch so you could project he'll get a three point shot
* Can guard away from the basket and switch across to guards with his lateral quickness, feet, fluidity
* Great motor, plays hard
* Doesn't have the passing acumen yet but is very comfortable accepting the pass away from the basket and "doesn't shit his pants"
* Right now you're drafting him for offense but he doesn't look ready to play defense in the NBA
* Does not believe he's the best prospect at Arizona - third best
* "Nico was ridiculous against Illinois - he was UNBELIEVABLE"

Anyways... similar stuff to what I've described above where the NBA is going to wonder if Zeke can play defense in the NBA with his "limited" +2-3" wingspan but could draft him on offensive upside.
Great notes. Zeke would be a good one to test the waters.

The thing about him on D is you can see the tools. He has very good lateral mobility for his size. He needs to get stronger and better at rotations, but he has the sort of quickness and movement you can't teach a guy his size.

Being a better rebounder and banger matters for him. If you see him as a big guy, he has insane lateral mobility. As a 3, his biggest defensive advantage is gone.

If he was a true 4/5 who can sort of protect the rim, he's a lottery guy based on mobility and offensive skill.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by azcat49 »

Every time I think he should come back so he could be a lottery pick for sure I think of the Bama QB who WILL have to come back just to show he won’t be Bo Jackson with that devastating injury.

Gets yours Zeke (and all the guys). Kind of interesting that I heard he really wants to be a OAD. Just surprised me because I figured he might be like Markanen who originally planned for two years of development. Of course they both took off early so good for them
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by baycat93 »

Markannen is an interesting comparison in that he had an elite skill (shooting). I think Zeke is probably or could be a better defender but I don't think Zeke has that one elite skill to assure a lottery pick. Comes down to does he want to find that skill in college or pros.

On a side note: how good would Markannen looked if he had Nico!
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by RondaeShimmy »

two weeks in a row for Zeke
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by RaisingArizona »

Zeke won the three point shooting contest at the AI classic. He will in all likelihood perform very, very well shooting jumpers in pre draft workouts. I think he has a really good offensive game for a stretch 5 or traditional 4. I do acknowledge that he’s perhaps short on the defensive end and lacks perhaps some explosion as a rim runner. As to the latter he’s so damn dexterous, flexible and strong that he should be an adequate finisher in those scenarios. I still think he goes lottery this year.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

baycat93 wrote:Markannen is an interesting comparison in that he had an elite skill (shooting). I think Zeke is probably or could be a better defender but I don't think Zeke has that one elite skill to assure a lottery pick. Comes down to does he want to find that skill in college or pros.

On a side note: how good would Markannen looked if he had Nico!
Lauri's elite perimeter skill was ideal in projecting him as an NBA four rather than a five, thereby negating the "must have" need for rim protection and rebounding (and the wingspan and bounce needed to excel there). We love Zeke's efficiency and intelligence at the college level, but what does that scoring look like playing the five spot in the NBA against a bunch of guys with 7'5" wingspans?

For Zeke to stay on the court in the NBA as a smaller wingspan guy, he needs to have either the defense and rebounding (a la Aron Baynes, or a poor man's Tim Duncan) or the perimeter skill to offset what he lacks in rim protection (a la Mo Wagner). If he can do a little of both (Julius Randle) or a lot of both (Al Horford), all the better for him.

I think he's a first rounder this year (teams will love him in interviews) but would be a lottery pick if he stayed and showed more in either of those two areas. My deeper concern is Zeke getting minutes and creating a long term NBA career. If he goes this year (and I think he will) then he'll need to develop those two weaknesses quickly or risk being buried in an NBA depth chart. As you said, Baycat, it's up to Zeke if he wants to take the chance of developing in the NBA.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by goslingswagg »

YdF - I actually really like Horford as a best case scenario comp for Zeke...I think that makes a lot of sense for him. Vecenie loves the comp to Hansborough, but I think Zeke is more coordinated and quicker, and also has shown better outside shooting potential than Hansborough.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

RaisingArizona wrote:Zeke won the three point shooting contest at the AI classic. He will in all likelihood perform very, very well shooting jumpers in pre draft workouts. I think he has a really good offensive game for a stretch 5 or traditional 4. I do acknowledge that he’s perhaps short on the defensive end and lacks perhaps some explosion as a rim runner. As to the latter he’s so damn dexterous, flexible and strong that he should be an adequate finisher in those scenarios. I still think he goes lottery this year.
Forgot about that... I wonder if we'll see that wrinkle of his game some this season. Not that we have a dearth of shooters but for Zeke's scouting tape at least.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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I have a basketball boner that could flip a Volkswagen.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Chicat wrote: I have a basketball boner that could flip a Volkswagen.
My favorite part of the video...

Is the set decorated by push lights :D
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by RaisingArizona »

I really hate the Hansbrough comp to be honest. Psycho T was all about the motor. One of the great motors in modern sports history. He was also a bit of a bull in a china shop. Zeke, while he doesn’t loaf it, doesn’t have that kind of motor. What he does have is a preternatural combination of body control and touch.

To me there are two plays so far this season that embody what I am talking about.

The first was I believe in either the Illinois or SJSU game. Zeke one hands an errant alley oop, repositions the ball in that one hand, cocks the ball back so he can get proper touch and lays it in. That was an extremely difficult play that he made look easy.

The other was that play against NMSU when he got stuck with a bad angle in the paint but kept his pivot foot, pivoted back into the lane and took an off balanced shot that shouldn’t have gone in but just died on the rim on account of his touch.

The latter play is why I think he’ll be successful scoring over long players. His touch affords him a much wider margin for error than most players.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Main Event »

NBA draft stock watch: Wiseman intel, risers and fallers
Zeke Nnaji | PF | Arizona | No. 25
Few players have boosted their stocks as rapidly as the Arizona freshman has boosted his, as he looks like a potential one-and-done first-round pick through four games. So far for Arizona, he's averaging over 20 PPG while shooting a ridiculous 84% from the field.

Although not freakishly long with a 6-foot-11 ½ wingspan, Nnaji is a physical specimen at just a hair under 7 feet, with outstanding agility and a shredded frame. He puts his tools to good use on the defensive end, where he has looked outstanding guarding away from the rim either in hedge-and-recover situations or in ball-screen switches. Although not a prolific shot-blocker, he does alter quite a few shots around the rim and covers up any length limitations with his nonstop energy. In practices, he raises the level of competition in every drill with his intensity and physicality.

Offensively, Nnaji doesn't have a clear skill set, as he isn't exactly a ball handler, playmaker or stretch threat. He's also more agile and fluid than freakishly explosive at the rim, but he's always around the ball on the offensive glass and has great touch from the elbows -- with potential to space the floor as he continues to improve. At 237 pounds, he's simply too physical for most collegiate bigs, doing some damage with rip-throughs and attacks from short range. His efficiency is bound to come back down to earth once conference play hits, but Nnaji's energy level gives him a chance to impact the game offensively.

In a draft that's light on big men, Nnaji figures to continue winning over NBA scouts. -- Schmitz
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/ ... rs-fallers" target="_blank
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

Nice little article on Zeke from Pascoe here:

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildca ... aa4c8.html" target="_blank

Notes that Eric Bossi of Rivals moved Nnaji to five star status (#22 in the national rankings) after seeing him practice with Team USA this past summer. Josh Gershon of 247 is noted as being mildly embarassed to have been slow on the uptake on Nnaji, but that "it's hard sometimes to catch up to a kid that’s on such an extreme trajectory."

Notes that Nnaji began adding a ton of strength in his HS senior year after getting on a Chris Round's training regimen (love hearing that we're getting to guys early.. wish we'd do more of the terminology coaching early as well).

More in there... give it a read.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by prh »

YoDeFoe wrote:Nice little article on Zeke from Pascoe here:

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildca ... aa4c8.html" target="_blank

Notes that Eric Bossi of Rivals moved Nnaji to five star status (#22 in the national rankings) after seeing him practice with Team USA this past summer. Josh Gershon of 247 is noted as being mildly embarassed to have been slow on the uptake on Nnaji, but that "it's hard sometimes to catch up to a kid that’s on such an extreme trajectory."

Notes that Nnaji began adding a ton of strength in his HS senior year after getting on a Chris Round's training regimen (love hearing that we're getting to guys early.. wish we'd do more of the terminology coaching early as well).

More in there... give it a read.
One of my thoughts when Terry committed, was to get him on the program, and that he might shoot up in the rankings just like Zeke. Whatcha think YDF?
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

prh wrote:
YoDeFoe wrote:Nice little article on Zeke from Pascoe here:

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildca ... aa4c8.html" target="_blank

Notes that Eric Bossi of Rivals moved Nnaji to five star status (#22 in the national rankings) after seeing him practice with Team USA this past summer. Josh Gershon of 247 is noted as being mildly embarassed to have been slow on the uptake on Nnaji, but that "it's hard sometimes to catch up to a kid that’s on such an extreme trajectory."

Notes that Nnaji began adding a ton of strength in his HS senior year after getting on a Chris Round's training regimen (love hearing that we're getting to guys early.. wish we'd do more of the terminology coaching early as well).

More in there... give it a read.
One of my thoughts when Terry committed, was to get him on the program, and that he might shoot up in the rankings just like Zeke. Whatcha think YDF?
I'm not YDF, but I don't think Terry has the raw athleticism to separate like Zeke has. Terry's biggest limitation isn't his size or skill, it's that he's not a very explosive athlete.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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prh wrote:One of my thoughts when Terry committed, was to get him on the program, and that he might shoot up in the rankings just like Zeke. Whatcha think YDF?
He could certainly use the added weight haha - the kid is 6'6" but only about 190lbs. The nice part is that he knows it. When Terry chose Arizona he noted his need to bulk up and highlighted Arizona's strength and conditioning program.

As far as rising up the rankings... he's been on a tear over the past 18 months. Terry was unranked in March 2018... ranked just inside the top 100 last summer and then shot up to 35th ranked by the end of the summer 2018. Josh Gershon at 247 has him as a five star now ("he's been deserving for a while") grouped up with guys like DJ Stewart (Duke), Devin Askew (UK), and Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech). So yeah, similar to Zeke in that he's risen really quickly (but maybe getting a little extra credit for it).

“You gotta remember Zeke (Nnaji) is a four-star,” Miller said. “A lot of people didn’t have him in the top-50, even top-100 for a long time, so I’ll give Dalen similar credit.”

Eric Bossi of 247 has liked Terry for a while due to the mix of height, length, and court vision. 247's Corey Evans calls Terry one of the best defenders in America due to his size, motor, and willingness to guard. Terry benefits over Zeke here in how he's been perceived due to Terry's early growth spurt mixed with his guard skills.

I wonder if Terry's stock will continue to rise... people are calling him 6'7" / 6'8" now with a 7' wingspan and noting how hard he plays. That's a tough combo. And then the intangibles, beyond just the court vision:

"Plays like a dog on both ends of the court."

"The straw that stirs the drink."

"All those national camps and all of these events that he plays in, he’s like the centerpiece. He’s like the social director."

There's real potential for Terry to get extra press in this final high school season - Hillcrest is top twenty five nationally and lost Kyree Walker, the returning leading scorer and their other ball handler, right before the season. Terry will now have the keys to the offense with a ton of tools in the frontcourt and on the wings (including future NCAA stars Puff Johnson, Keon Edwards, Sadraque Nganga, and Michael Foster Jr.). The team should make waves in high school basketball with an elite travel ball schedule currently underway (5-0 this far) and the spotlight could vault Terry higher in the rankings for recruiting sites who aren't already on him (e.g. ESPN's bitch ass).

Lastly, and this is fun, Terry is being coached by a collection of incredible guards (some of the best in NCAA history). Mike Bibby is his head coach at Hillcrest this season, Tony Miller (former Marquette PG and USC assistant coach) is his outside trainer, and Nick Johnson (yeah, Bunnies) is his mentor. Arizona has been telling Terry to think of himself like the next Nick Johnson or Josh Green. We've got a real gem coming in with Dalen Terry.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Do Nick is out of basketball? To bad. Seems like his career just never got to the level he and we all hoped for.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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However, Terry’s trip to Colorado Springs wasn’t just about recruiting. Playing in front of big-name college coaches such as Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Matt Painter, Tony Bennett and Miller, he also saw it as an opportunity to make a name for himself. A chance to show those coaches, including Arizona assistant Murphy, and scouts what he could do.

According to a coach who attended the minicamp, Terry accomplished all that and more.

“He didn’t disappoint,” the coach said. “His scoring ability was unreal. He could score off the dribble, outside on the perimeter, he could go iso, his floater-game was pretty ridiculous. His creativity with the ball was pretty impressive, and I just think his demeanor, his confidence and the charisma he brought every single day really stood out to me as someone that’s going to do well at the next level.”


Dalen Terry is some Josh Green / Nico Mannion combo and I'm fucking here for it.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

azcat49 wrote:Do Nick is out of basketball? To bad. Seems like his career just never got to the level he and we all hoped for.
Terry met Nick at one of Nick's camps when he first went to the NBA - they've stayed in touch ever since. Not saying Nick is out of the game - he's playing overseas right now.

(I'm mildly sorry for derailing a Zeke thread to talk about my future favorite Wildcat, Dalen Terry)
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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game - 5

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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His miss was questionable. Lob pass that was contested and I thought never controlled. 5 shots on the last 3 halves. Like Miller said, that’s not enough
Last edited by azcat49 on Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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azcat49 wrote:His miss was questionable. Lob pass that was contested and I thought never controlled. 5 shouts on the last 3 halves. Like Zmiller said, that’s not enough
I agree -- it's basically youthful November, freshman, lazy offense against an opponent you're not respecting enough to adhere to the rigors of your own game plan. Along with a dose of an experienced senior who has a ball-stopping, dribbling-around, let-see-where-I-end-up problem that's proving very, very slow to correct. When done right, this offense should end up scoring either as a result of Zeke getting a touch, or Zeke himself scoring.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Bench smith.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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CalStateTempe wrote:Bench smith.
CSM:

But a quick shot, it’s never changed in the last 200 years, or (will in) the next 200, A quick shot of basketball has got to be a good one. If you take too many quick ones by the wrong guys, where they don’t go in, all of a sudden the game feels funny and guess what that same group, it’s really hard to give your heart and soul as a unit on defense when you’re really not playing as a unit on offense. And, that is definitely the lesson we learned. Now, now it’s up to us to learn from it and carry it into the next game, but if we play the style that we played tonight there’s going to be some games where we (don’t) look great. There’s going to be some games where we have some really poor halves or stretches because we weren’t a smart basketball team tonight
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

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Unless you get a great shot in transition, and I mean a great, wide open , in rhythm shot, the ball absolutely needs to go into the post. From there, the post (Zeke, or even Jeter) either creates a high percentage shot OR gets doubled, which creates a great, open perimeter shot. Our perimeter players MUST understand that they won’t get perimeter shots created on their own. Great perimeter shots happen because the ball first goes into the post.

This goes back to the Lute days: Kerr, Salim, etc... great shooters get open looks because the ball went inside to Anthony Cook or Channing Frye. Play inside- out and the shots will come for everyone.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by ByJoveByJingle »

Nico can create and make 3 point opportunities on his own. Everyone else is catch and shoot. Don’t care if it’s coming back out from the post or from moving the defense around to create open shots.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by dovecanyoncat »

Baker has an elbow pullup J that we've seen. Hazzard and Baker can make their own shot opportunities on the perimeter. Hazzard mostly with speed of release. Baker with good anticipation.
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game - 6

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game - 9

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by goslingswagg »

I thought Zeke struggled in that tournament....clearly he's a good player (as evidenced by his numbers appearing to be pretty solid even in the tourney), but his turnovers/offensive fouls are a significant issue, and I thought his defense was poor throughout.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by ByJoveByJingle »

goslingswagg wrote:I thought Zeke struggled in that tournament....clearly he's a good player (as evidenced by his numbers appearing to be pretty solid even in the tourney), but his turnovers/offensive fouls are a significant issue, and I thought his defense was poor throughout.
His defense reminds me of an overenthusiastic puppy. Hopefully it will mature during the course of the season. Not worried about offensive fouls or even turnovers, really. That seemed to be a blip on the radar. I guess we will find out as he will continue to be doubled.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by MountainCat »

Miller worked him over this past week and showing him why he is not a one-and-done ;)

I predict Zeke will break out this week and the beast once again against Baylor. He wasn't bad the past three games, just that his timing was off due to nerves and the learned experience of non-enthusiastic crowd supported road games.

No more...

I say 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 1 turnover..
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

goslingswagg wrote:I thought Zeke struggled in that tournament....clearly he's a good player (as evidenced by his numbers appearing to be pretty solid even in the tourney), but his turnovers/offensive fouls are a significant issue, and I thought his defense was poor throughout.
I think it's good for Zeke to face some adversity. Things almost went too well. Reality checking him to see the areas he needs to improve on is a good experience.

You can see the talent and that won't change. Some challenges will make him learn and grow.
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Alieberman
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Alieberman »

goslingswagg wrote:I thought Zeke struggled in that tournament....clearly he's a good player (as evidenced by his numbers appearing to be pretty solid even in the tourney), but his turnovers/offensive fouls are a significant issue, and I thought his defense was poor throughout.
It was only a matter of time before teams started gameplanning for him. I don't think it is a coincidence that Jeter had a very strong tournament, while teams turned all their attention to Zeke.

Pick your poison with this team.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by YoDeFoe »

Alieberman wrote:
goslingswagg wrote:I thought Zeke struggled in that tournament....clearly he's a good player (as evidenced by his numbers appearing to be pretty solid even in the tourney), but his turnovers/offensive fouls are a significant issue, and I thought his defense was poor throughout.
It was only a matter of time before teams started gameplanning for him. I don't think it is a coincidence that Jeter had a very strong tournament, while teams turned all their attention to Zeke.

Pick your poison with this team.
Agreed. Zeke needs to continue to work on his passing out of the double team and Jeter needs to work on catching the ball and going up strong with it immediately (I know, Chase, you love that pump fake). I'd expect Miller is working on that this week. Looking forward to seeing the chemistry develop between those two.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Jefe »

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by azgreg »

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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Alieberman »

4 time freshmen of the week.

Anyone even close to that in the league?
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by azgreg »

Alieberman wrote:4 time freshmen of the week.

Anyone even close to that in the league?
Isaiah Stewart of Washington has 4 including 3 in a row.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Beachcat97 »

It's a good FOY race, but I think Stewart is probably leading at this point.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Alieberman »

Beachcat97 wrote:It's a good FOY race, but I think Stewart is probably leading at this point.
His stats are virtually the same as Nnaji on the worst team in the league.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Beachcat97 »

Alieberman wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:It's a good FOY race, but I think Stewart is probably leading at this point.
His stats are virtually the same as Nnaji on the worst team in the league.
The next three weeks will be pivotal. Hopefully Zeke is heating up.
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Re: Zeke Nnaji

Post by Bordercat »

Isaiah Stewart is overrated.
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