Pan-Am Games - Pick Your Favorite Roster...

[scoscox]

Yea, horrible timing to represent in the pan-am games this year with so many foreign trips. Xavier's trip definitely overlaps, so it's unlikely we'll contribute anyone

[CoachK]

Not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that Kevin Willard is going to be one of the assistants. So you would think a couple of Seton Hall guys in the mix.

[gtmoBlue]

Not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that Kevin Willard is going to be one of the assistants. So you would think a couple of Seton Hall guys in the mix.

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I don't think Willard is going to miss 4-5 days of the Hall's Trip to Italy. Someone else will be assisting.
Plus he can't be in 2 places for pretrip practices, etc. SH has to be his top priority.

[Angry Dan]

Willard is a great coach, totally capable of being in two places at the same time. Plus he can go to his left, he can go to his right. He’s amphibious!

[GumbyDamnit!]

I do find it interesting that it seems a challenge to choose a single player from VU’s roster out of a top 12, yet many believe they are the favorite to win the league. Is that respect for Jay, seeming to be able to take 5 warm bodies and compete for a conference title every year or annually underrating Nova’s returning talent?

If I’m constructing a team of current BE players and Samuels, Gillespie and Bey aren’t even mentioned once, then the talent is clearly not recognized. But like what happens every year the veterans in the program take big steps forward as they assume greater responsibility. I expect no different and people will be saying things like: “you know ________ (Gillespie, Samuels) is a lot better than I thought last year, when overshadowed by the Nova veterans. Dude(s) can play.”

[gtmoBlue]

You must've shaved this Sunday morning Gumby, skin's still a bit thin. I don't expect the homers on this board to be able to appreciate much that is not pertaining to their team. Bey and Jerry RE are my boys and I luv the new Poppin Fresh already and he hasn't played a game.

Fortunately Coach Cooley is a great evaluator of talent. He will have Nova guys on the Panam Team. With 6 teams traveling overseas his team may be predominantly Nova players?

Have another Gin Gimlet Gumby, Nova always gets its' props.

[scoscox]

I do find it interesting that it seems a challenge to choose a single player from VU’s roster out of a top 12, yet many believe they are the favorite to win the league. Is that respect for Jay, seeming to be able to take 5 warm bodies and compete for a conference title every year or annually underrating Nova’s returning talent?

If I’m constructing a team of current BE players and Samuels, Gillespie and Bey aren’t even mentioned once, then the talent is clearly not recognized. But like what happens every year the veterans in the program take big steps forward as they assume greater responsibility. I expect no different and people will be saying things like: “you know ________ (Gillespie, Samuels) is a lot better than I thought last year, when overshadowed by the Nova veterans. Dude(s) can play.”

The reason you’re being picked first is 1. YOur freshmen class and 2. Jay wright. I think you have good players coming back but I don’t think any of them are the best returner at their position

Not to mention I think you’re position as preseason favorite is tenuous at best

[FriarJ]

Samuels is a lock in my eyes and probably Gillespie as well.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I do find it interesting that it seems a challenge to choose a single player from VU’s roster out of a top 12, yet many believe they are the favorite to win the league. Is that respect for Jay, seeming to be able to take 5 warm bodies and compete for a conference title every year or annually underrating Nova’s returning talent?

If I’m constructing a team of current BE players and Samuels, Gillespie and Bey aren’t even mentioned once, then the talent is clearly not recognized. But like what happens every year the veterans in the program take big steps forward as they assume greater responsibility. I expect no different and people will be saying things like: “you know ________ (Gillespie, Samuels) is a lot better than I thought last year, when overshadowed by the Nova veterans. Dude(s) can play.”

The reason you’re being picked first is 1. YOur freshmen class and 2. Jay wright. I think you have good players coming back but I don’t think any of them are the best returner at their position

Not to mention I think you’re position as preseason favorite is tenuous at best

My comments are not based on some insecurity or thin skin. It's more an observation based on clear trends. Honestly each off-season on the HLOH has seen it's fair share of thinking that Nova has lost too much and the returning talent will struggle to fill the gaps.

Year 1: Nova wins the league and loses their leading scorer. HLOH Pundits: "Nova's gonna take a step back. Losing James Bell is going to be a killer."
Yr 2: Nova wins the league again and loses 3 starters. Pundits: "3 starters are a lot different than just 1. Nova's gonna take a step back."
Yr 3: Nova wins league and NC. Loses 2 key starters. HLOH: "Arch and Ochefu were huge for Nova. Can't see them being able to replace those guys."
Year 4: Nova wins league again. Loses Hart & Jenkins. HLOH: "Hart and Big shot Jenkins just can't be replaced as easily as years past."
Year 5: Nova wins NC. 4 players go to the NBA. HLOH: "OK, this is when the talent loss finally catches up to Nova."
Year 6: Nova wins the league again. Loses 2 top starters. HLOH: "This year is different. Unless their freshmen class meets expectations they're going to struggle."

No one will debate that JW is anything less than a tremendous coach. But my comment speaks more to the returning talent on Nova's roster that is being underrated IMO. It's not just about Jay. Individual players step up every year and end up being 2-3 of the top 10 players in the league without fail. By year's end after Gillespie is hitting a ton of 3's at 42%+; Samuel's is a physical specimen who can hit the 3 and drive/dunk over opponents; Bey is a matchup nightmare who does a little of everything well and makes very few mistakes; Swider and/or Slater start to blossom; and a Frosh or two make impacts. So to my point, doesn't seem to be a lot of respect to Nova's returning talent, to carve out one spot on the Pan Am team. And that is the mistake you'll eventually come to realize sometime around mid-December.

[scoscox]

Certainly a post that someone who is insecure and thin-skinned would write. People are still picking you first in the preseason so clearly they have respect for your talent and your program. The reality is that the league is very good. Look at the positions of your returning guys around the league and tell me who you would take. At guard you have Markus howard, James akinjo, Myles Powell, kamar Baldwin, Markus zegarowski, ty shon Alexander, Mitch ballock, Paul scruggs, Myles Cale, etc. where are you putting Collin Gillespie among those guys? I’m not sure I’d take him over any of them. At forward without the Hausers you have more of a case for bey and samuels but you still have alpha diallo, naji Marshall, Paul reed, josh Leblanc, etc that you could take in front of them. In previous years nova has always had guys returning that were clearly the class of the league at their positions (Mikal bridges and Jalen Brunson last year, josh hart and kris Jenkins before that, arcidiacano before them, etc). That’s not the case this year