Left Coast Pirates - Season Preview

[LeftCoastPirates]

So we decided to give it another go. But on a part time basis at this point.

Maybe 5-6 episodes for the season as we hit various checkpoints on the schedule.

We will try and pack as much content as we can into each episode and therefore they will probably run a little longer than in the past. Sorry if they doesn’t appeal to some.

For the season preview we covered

• NIL Impact to budgets / roster changes / levels of expectation and excitement
• Kadary leaving for SJU
• Profile all the newcomers (and there are a lot)
• Breakdown the non-conference schedule
• Analyze some Sha sound bites
• And give our predictions on how things might shake out.

Hope you enjoy.

https://on.soundcloud.com/4KPDyyxzvGrzq85n9

 

[catholicman]

Thank you!!!

 

[HallLine69]

So we decided to give it another go. But on a part time basis at this point.

Maybe 5-6 episodes for the season as we hit various checkpoints on the schedule.

We will try and pack as much content as we can into each episode and therefore they will probably run a little longer than in the past. Sorry if they doesn’t appeal to some.

For the season preview we covered

• NIL Impact to budgets / roster changes / levels of expectation and excitement
• Kadary leaving for SJU
• Profile all the newcomers (and there are a lot)
• Breakdown the non-conference schedule
• Analyze some Sha sound bites
• And give our predictions on how things might shake out.

Hope you enjoy.

https://on.soundcloud.com/4KPDyyxzvGrzq85n9

Great to hear you're back!

 

[MichiganStoleTitle]

Great to have you back—only wish it were more frequent!

 

[cams555]

Well I know how I will be procrastinating at work today.

 

[Uncle Hectors Crab Farm]

Tommy K!! Wolves!!

 

[SOBO1]

Love it! Starting a Hall ball podcast is on my bucket list, so hopefully I can fill the gaps in between your episodes.

 

[Piratz]

Welcome back! Nice to have some SHU content.

FWIW I think Davis ended up with a lot more than that from Ole Miss.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

Welcome back! Nice to have some SHU content.

FWIW I think Davis ended up with a lot more than that from Ole Miss.

Wouldn’t shock me at all.

5th year senior that does a little bit of everything. Mature leader to add to your roster. Easily a number two scoring option. Plays hard nose defense and hustles nonstop.

I just don’t want to believe a guy like Davis is pushing $750,000-$1,000,000 type of a pay day. Because to me that means we can never even have the type of roster we had last year. Just way too expensive.

No way we could afford 3 seniors like Kadary, Davis, and Dawes in today’s NIL world.

 

[HallBall02]

Good to hear you guys again. Also agree with Jenkins starting…even more so now with him being our best offensive player in secret scrimmages

 

[cams555]

Little rusty this time around, but still the best SHU podcast. Cant wait for the next one.

 

[Psi_Chi_85]

The opening play by play calls always gave me chills! Glad you guys are back.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

Little rusty this time around, but still the best SHU podcast. Cant wait for the next one.

Lol. I’ll take it!!!

Like I said to start the episode. Tough to even do this episode with so much unknown about all the players.

Hopefully watching a few games will give us something more to work with and help shake off the rust.

More importantly. Hope to be in a better spot than how last year’s squad started things off.

 

[SOBO1]

Wouldn’t shock me at all.

5th year senior that does a little bit of everything. Mature leader to add to your roster. Easily a number two scoring option. Plays hard nose defense and hustles nonstop.

I just don’t want to believe a guy like Davis is pushing $750,000-$1,000,000 type of a pay day. Because to me that means we can never even have the type of roster we had last year. Just way too expensive.

No way we could afford 3 seniors like Kadary, Davis, and Dawes in today’s NIL world.

I haven’t listened to your episode yet but Davis signed for $900K at Ole Miss per his agent - Noah Reisenfeld.

A couple things to note - (1) the $900K is exactly on par with the Athletic article/opendorse data. (2) I have no reason to believe his agent would be lying, but I think it’s possible he’s putting an inflated number out there to attract new clients.

What number did you quote on your podcast?

 

[SOBO1]

just don’t want to believe a guy like Davis is pushing $750,000-$1,000,000 type of a pay day. Because to me that means we can never even have the type of roster we had last year. Just way too expensive.

No way we could afford 3 seniors like Kadary, Davis, and Dawes in today’s NIL world.

That’s why I have been saying this season is our first season of feeling the impact of NIL and free agency. Last season we had an artificial sense of security because we were able to retain players out of our price range due to a set of rules that are no longer in place (i.e. KR, DD, AD weren’t allowed to transfer).

On paper that was close to a $3M roster in today’s value. Our NIL situation could improve in the future but you are correct we could never afford that roster with today’s rules.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

I haven’t listened to your episode yet but Davis signed for $900K at Ole Miss per his agent - Noah Reisenfeld.

A couple things to note - (1) the $900K is exactly on par with the Athletic article/opendorse data. (2) I have no reason to believe his agent would be lying, but I think it’s possible he’s putting an inflated number out there to attract new clients.

What number did you quote on your podcast?

I believe one of the rumors we stated was $500k or more.

Probably most likely somewhere between that and the $900k stated by his agent.

Either way, I just don’t see us being able to afford two players like Davis and Richmond and having anything left to field a competent roster.

Letting Sha bring in a bunch of guys with something to prove at a discounted rate and having faith that he can mold them into his image defensively is really the only viable plan at this point.

I don’t believe it’s impossible to put a team on the court that will fight and claw on that end of the floor. I think we all are curious and have doubt that you can also find enough offense with this strategy.

 

[Hall84]

Great to have you guys back. Really enjoyed the episode. Heck, even the intro with all of the exciting radio calls got me all pumped up! Let's go Pirates!!!

 

[hallwins]

I believe one of the rumors we stated was $500k or more.

Probably most likely somewhere between that and the $900k stated by his agent.

Either way, I just don’t see us being able to afford two players like Davis and Richmond and having anything left to field a competent roster.

Letting Sha bring in a bunch of guys with something to prove at a discounted rate and having faith that he can mold them into his image defensively is really the only viable plan at this point.

I don’t believe it’s impossible to put a team on the court that will fight and claw on that end of the floor. I think we all are curious and have doubt that you can also find enough offense with this strategy.

Getting two years out of our good players should be the new goal.

 

[SHU_Pirate1]

Welcome back and thank you!🙏Always appreciated the work you've done.

 

[radecicco]

Great work, guys.

 

[PJVegas]

Great News!

 

[Fishjam]

Good to hear you return. So hard to predict what we will see from this completely new and unknown group of players.

Have to disagree with your take that Addae-Wusu may come off the bench. This team is short on players with Big East experience and who play how Sha demands with physicality and toughness. Dylan has all of those things and has to be an example for the new guys. He has a lot of weaknesses but I expect him to be a team leader, starter and perhaps be a guy who handles PG duties while the newcomers adjust.

The only other definite starter is likely Toumi as our only healthy big guy. The other 3 are up in the air. Coleman, Chaunce, Garwey, Middleton, Aligbe & Harmon are all in the mix and I think it could change game to game.

I agree with you that Chaunce is likely to start. He is a 3-level scorer and we will need his scoring and ability to create his own shot.

My gut says Chaunce, Coleman and Middleton will join Dylan and Toumi as starters tomorrow. However, earlier this week Coleman and Middleton were still battling injuries so it's anyone's guess. Thankfully we finally get to see this team for the first time tomorrow. Could be a tough, ugly game against a good defensive Bashir Mason team that won the MAAC Tourney last year.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

Good to hear you return. So hard to predict what we will see from this completely new and unknown group of players.

Have to disagree with your take that Addae-Wusu may come off the bench. This team is short on players with Big East experience and who play how Sha demands with physicality and toughness. Dylan has all of those things and has to be an example for the new guys. He has a lot of weaknesses but I expect him to be a team leader, starter and perhaps be a guy who handles PG duties while the newcomers adjust.

The only other definite starter is likely Toumi as our only healthy big guy. The other 3 are up in the air. Coleman, Chaunce, Garwey, Middleton, Aligbe & Harmon are all in the mix and I think it could change game to game.

I agree with you that Chaunce is likely to start. He is a 3-level scorer and we will need his scoring and ability to create his own shot.

My gut says Chaunce, Coleman and Middleton will join Dylan and Toumi as starters tomorrow. However, earlier this week Coleman and Middleton were still battling injuries so it's anyone's guess. Thankfully we finally get to see this team for the first time tomorrow. Could be a tough, ugly game against a good defensive Bashir Mason team that won the MAAC Tourney last year.

We actually did say that Dylan is going to start. We were just having some fun with that segment and throwing out some other hypothetical lineups and the rationale as to why they could work.

But Sha is going to want his defensive minded senior leader out there to set the tone on that side of the ball. So I do agree with you that he starts.

Based on reports that Jenkins was our leading scorer in both closed door scrimmages, that would lead me to believe he is a starter. Need the experienced scoring option.

I expect when Coleman is healthy to see him starting along side Prince and Toumi.

Could Middleton be an interchangeable piece. Of course. Does he have to be an important piece for us to be success. absolutely!! So does Dual and Harmon.

We need to beat teams with waves of energy and everyone contributing. That also needs to be Tubek and someone at the 5.

My biggest concern with this team is that they will have to go with smaller lineups, but don’t shoot the three ball well enough to make you pay with those pieces on the floor.

Hope they prove me wrong.

 

[HALL85]

With this roster, I could see Sha go with three man platoons at the 1-2-3. Jenkins/Wusu/Coleman subbed by Dual/Harmon/Middleton. Try to get some chemistry with the guys handling the ball.

Then rotate Prince, Toumi and then others at the 4/5. Could even see him go small and expanding minutes with the first six for a few minutes.

 

[LeftCoastPirates]

I guess the only thing I would add is that the early non-conference isn’t going to really provide an answer as to what rotation we will need for BE play.

You can historically get away with going smaller at the 4 and 5 against the lower D1 schools.

Bediako was a godsend for this team last year. He gave us post size, a shot blocking presence, and rebounding. I am not sure who fills that void yet.

I don’t think Toumi’s game models that and Prince is just too small at 6’6”. Even Sha at media day said he needs more rebounding out of Yacine.

So the front court is what concerns me most.

 

[HALL85]

I guess the only thing I would add is that the early non-conference isn’t going to really provide an answer as to what rotation we will need for BE play.

You can historically get away with going smaller at the 4 and 5 against the lower D1 schools.

Bediako was a godsend for this team last year. He gave us post size, a shot blocking presence, and rebounding. I am not sure who fills that void yet.

I don’t think Toumi’s game models that and Prince is just too small at 6’6”. Even Sha at media day said he needs more rebounding out of Yacine.

So the front court is what concerns me most.

Expecting Toumi to turn into a rebounder strikes me as a stretch…Trey Jackson 2.0.

Really need Manny, Gus and Godswill to go after it in the boards and play post defense.

 

[Seton75]

Expecting Toumi to turn into a rebounder strikes me as a stretch…Trey Jackson 2.0.

Really need Manny, Gus and Godswill to go after it in the boards and play post defense.

While I am not sure he becomes a bg rebounder, I see none of Trey Jackson in the little I have seen of Toumi. Much more of a guy who can handle and move, less of a shooter.

 

[HALL85]

While I am not sure he becomes a bg rebounder, I see none of Trey Jackson in the little I have seen of Toumi. Much more of a guy who can handle and move, less of a shooter.

Yes, I wasn’t trying to compare their overall games, just on rebounding. I’m expecting more from Toumi offensively as well as ball handling .

 

[Fishjam]

Yes, I wasn’t trying to compare their overall games, just on rebounding. I’m expecting more from Toumi offensively as well as ball handling .

Obviously it's a far cry from the Big East but Toumi was a good defensive rebounder at Evansville at 23.8% - 77th in the country.

The problem with Yacine as mostly a point-forward offensively is he's a non-existent offensive rebounder. How that works out with Sha remains to be seen. He's a player that will initiate offense from the elbows. Sha usually has a big who sets screens and then gets to the weak side dunking position on the block for feeds and offensive rebounds. Who will fill that role that Bediako did remains to be seen. Aligbe & Gus are candidates but have their shortcomings and don't know if you can play them for long stretches together with Toumi.

We shall see tonight how it looks.