Mike Nzei....Sorting out the myths

[hall_fan]

Mike Nzei is a PF not a wing! not a SF idk where that came from he is a solid 6'8 6'9 with a great motor and will surprise people next year.

Go look at his numbers in the summer team Africa vs, Team USA where he went up against JAHLIL OKAFOR and look at his numbers......he went off

Kid has potential

 

[Flnj86]

Mike Nzei had 16 pts and 14 Rebs vs Team USA (Jahil Okafor and dunked over Myles Turner).

 

[hall_fan]

exactly that is unbelievable and yes it was one game. However those are lottery picks this year that he went toe to toe with and outplayed some of them

 

[Vegas pj]

Please, one game does not make or break a player. It's like saying Bobby G beat Florida. Big deal. One game. (No disrespect to MN, just responded to a myth.)

 

[hall_fan]

Exactly I was just stating that look at the potential he has shown, and he hasnt even played a game yet

 

[hallgrad80]

Haven't we learned that just because you're a superstar in the summer or in practice doesn't always translate into the same results in actual games. Let's wait to see how he does against D-1 competition before we anoint him and more importantly its unfair to the player to place those expectations on him.

 

[SHUPirate08]

It is an excellent sign. However, I don't know about him being a legit 6'8-6'9. I think he is more 6'7.

 

[Seton75]

I don't know his size and would guess 6'7. He plays hard non stop and has great athleticism. I say he is a serious contributor from day one.

 

[halltheway]

Sounds like a gem..need his athleticism.

 

[Piratz]

Originally posted by Seton75:
I don't know his size and would guess 6'7. He plays hard non stop and has great athleticism. I say he is a serious contributor from day one.

+1

 

[SOBO1]

Really excited to see him play next year. We have the players, we just need to get our chemistry right. The selflessness of the Villanova players is why they are so successful.

 

[Halldan1]

Originally posted by hall_fan:
Mike Nzei is a PF not a wing! not a SF idk where that came from he is a solid 6'8 6'9 with a great motor and will surprise people next year.

Go look at his numbers in the summer team Africa vs, Team USA where he went up against JAHLIL OKAFOR and look at his numbers......he went off

Kid has potential

Not sure who ever said he was a SF. I guess maybe somewhere it might have been hinted. Or maybe it was my comment that Nzei is a PF in a small forward's body. He's about 6-7, not 6-8 or 6-9 and very skinny (not solid).

Mike has a Delgado motor with way more athleticism.

His wrist injury this season did not allow him to practice once school started and that will hinder his immediate progress as Nzei needs to work on his skill set.

The staff loves his potential and believes in time he can be an outstanding Big East player. But it will take time.

 

[williaza01]

This is all you need to know. This is the problem. We will not miraculously better next year by any measure. The message has already been sent out to slow enthusiasm for what was being talked about here as our "ace in the hole".

The fact we have to rely on a under recruited (but still probably a very good player...down the road) who hasn't played in a year and coming off a injury to be some huge missing piece to a coach who will be here in his 6th year is a complete disaster.

Originally posted by Halldan1:

Originally posted by hall_fan:
Mike Nzei is a PF not a wing! not a SF idk where that came from he is a solid 6'8 6'9 with a great motor and will surprise people next year.

Go look at his numbers in the summer team Africa vs, Team USA where he went up against JAHLIL OKAFOR and look at his numbers......he went off

Kid has potential

Not sure who ever said he was a SF. I guess maybe somewhere it might have been hinted. Or maybe it was my comment that Nzei is a PF in a small forward's body. He's about 6-7, not 6-8 or 6-9 and very skinny (not solid).

Mike has a Delgado motor with way more athleticism.

His wrist injury this season did not allow him to practice once school started and that will hinder his immediate progress as Nzei needs to work on his skill set.

The staff loves his potential and believes in time he can be an outstanding Big East player. But it will take time.[/B]

 

[Pirate64]

Willard: " It will take Mike Nzei a season or two to learn our system. He's first year player and he's going to have lapses. But he's working hard. "

 

[Piratz]

Originally posted by SOBO1:
Really excited to see him play next year. We have the players, we just need to get our chemistry right. The selflessness of the Villanova players is why they are so successful.

It's all about buy-in. They don't come at you with mega size or anything like that, they're just tenacious on both sides of the floor because of that buy-in.

That's Jay Wright. Gets them "all-in" and develops players because of it.

 

[hallgrad80]

How many " down the road" players can you have as that description defines so many of the players Willard brings in. From all the CBA players, to Ajou to Soffer to Ish to Anthony to Manga and others . Every team has those player but the successful don't have large numbers of them.What Willard has not done with any semblance of consistency is bring in enough players who are ready to contribute from day 1 except for the 2014 class.

 

[JuniorJinx]

Originally posted by Flnj86:
Mike Nzei had 16 pts and 14 Rebs vs Team USA (Jahil Okafor and dunked over Myles Turner).

Anyone remember when Mike Davis outplayed Greg Oden when he was in high school? That was fun.

 

[Piratz]

Originally posted by hallgrad80:
How many " down the road" players can you have as that description defines so many of the players Willard brings in. From all the CBA players, to Ajou to Soffer to Ish to Anthony to Manga and others . Every team has those player but the successful don't have large numbers of them.What Willard has not done with any semblance of consistency is bring in enough players who are ready to contribute from day 1 except for the 2014 class.

I'm going to assume that the key players return next season and that Nzei is a contributor from Day 1. But we have a quirky roster.

PG = Whitehead
SG = Gibbs
SF = ???
PF = Rodriguez
C = Delgado

Rotation players = Carrington (G), Nzei (PF), Anthony (C), Singh (SF)
Bench players = Sanogo (F), Ajou (C), Soffer (G)

 

[williaza01]

And this the #1 (and IMO the only problem) this is at best a barely above average BE team and most likely and mid to right below mid pack roster and in year 6 that is insane.

Year 6 with absolutely zero solid years behind him i meant.

Originally posted by Piratz:

Originally posted by hallgrad80:
How many " down the road" players can you have as that description defines so many of the players Willard brings in. From all the CBA players, to Ajou to Soffer to Ish to Anthony to Manga and others . Every team has those player but the successful don't have large numbers of them.What Willard has not done with any semblance of consistency is bring in enough players who are ready to contribute from day 1 except for the 2014 class.

I'm going to assume that the key players return next season and that Nzei is a contributor from Day 1. But we have a quirky roster.

PG = Whitehead
SG = Gibbs
SF = ???
PF = Rodriguez
C = Delgado

Rotation players = Carrington (G), Nzei (PF), Anthony (C), Singh (SF)
Bench players = Sanogo (F), Ajou (C), Soffer (G)

 

[hallgrad80]

Piratz
I pretty much agree with your analysis but I would do it this way
Contributors from the start of next season.

Whitehead
Gibbs,
Desi
Angel
Carrington
Anthony

Players we haven't seen enough of to know what we'll get from them.
Singh
Nzei

Bench players limited minutes
Ajou
Soffer
Ish

That roster leaves you with little depth and only goes 7 deep in terms of what you can expect and that means you have to hope that Ish has progressed where he can give you solid minutes and that Sing and Nzei can give you enough minutes to rest the 7 players in your regular rotation.

 

[Shuathelete]

God I hate the term high motor.

 

[BostonBlackie]

Anyone see signs of a complex system around here?

 

[Seton75]

80 I don't think any of the guys you mention were seriously seen as contributors right away. So I don't buy them as examples in a thread about Nzei who enters the program with far more potential. Half of the kids kw has recruited never belonged in the BE. Nzei belongs.

 

[hallgrad80]

75
You may be right about Nzei and I hope you are cause we need to find talent that can contribute next year.