Do you guys not realize how good Big Z really is?
- Thread starter Mike-McD
- Start date
Something to watch out for is that over his time playing in Europe he has been injury prone and missed a lot of playing time in segments in other words they happen often but not for long. Also he rarely played the five position in Europe. His brother who is an inch shorter played the five probably because he doesn't have the outside shot
If Saturday is any indication of what he is capable of night in and night out, then Ivisic should play at least 20 minutes a game.
None of our other bigs come close to his skill set.
If Cal starts his best 5, Ivisic needs to start.
Best five:
G Sheppard
G Dillingham
G Reeves
F Mitchell
F Ivisic
An argument could be made for Wagner over Dillingham. I could go with either one, but Dillingham gives us 5 ridiculously good shooters out there at the same time. Talk about hard to guard.
None of our other bigs come close to his skill set.
If Cal starts his best 5, Ivisic needs to start.
Best five:
G Sheppard
G Dillingham
G Reeves
F Mitchell
F Ivisic
An argument could be made for Wagner over Dillingham. I could go with either one, but Dillingham gives us 5 ridiculously good shooters out there at the same time. Talk about hard to guard.
Played pro ball, 20 years old. I don’t think that performance was a fluke. Not saying anyone should expect him to walk out next game and cut 4 straight again, but I also don’t think that’s the last time we see him cook.
The coaches know what they have. They are being a bit coy I think, as they should be with how this situation went. The cats out of the bag though. This isn’t the only game he’s played, the scouting report has already been distributed to anyone who didn’t already know. Teams know they need to be preparing, but go ahead and try to focus in on him and we’ll have 3 guys go for 20+
The coaches know what they have. They are being a bit coy I think, as they should be with how this situation went. The cats out of the bag though. This isn’t the only game he’s played, the scouting report has already been distributed to anyone who didn’t already know. Teams know they need to be preparing, but go ahead and try to focus in on him and we’ll have 3 guys go for 20+
It's still funny but yes, Saturday got me big excited. I'm hoping for another few games of consistency before I get too high on him. My fear is, BECAUSE he played so well, he and/or everyone around him will unintentionally pressure him to show out and he gets sloppy like that break away turn over in the 2nd half that should have been a dunk for him. Just play your game big Z and the ball will find you.
Let Big Z get used to college, don't give him "Unicorn" status quite yet.
I mean Unicorns are mythical creatures of the imagination.
Seriously, this guy made a statement with what he can do.
I was not expecting 3 threes from a 7 foot, "runs like a deer", style post player.
I mean Unicorns are mythical creatures of the imagination.
Seriously, this guy made a statement with what he can do.
I was not expecting 3 threes from a 7 foot, "runs like a deer", style post player.
You deduced all of this from 16 minutes of play… against Georgia? It probably took you longer than 16 minutes to write this post.
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One must remember he has been practicing with the team longer than the other two bigs. But after watching a couple. of his league games, a couple of months ago, I was not that surprised by him going off. The team he played on had a couple of older players who hogged the ball and wanted most of the shots. When he did get the ball he did good things with it.
Love the way he came in and made an immediately limpact, no one could have scripted it that well. Starting out almost perfectly will have some wanting that every game, especially some on this site.
I sat next to a D1 coach at a major high school event, major schools from across the nation, and ask him what was the first thing he looked for in a recruit. His answer surprised me, really good feet. He said,"everything starts there, you know they have abilities or we wouldn't be here. Especially big men, then hands, he said, "if they have those two abilities we can teach the rest".
I watched a lot of film on Big Z and was really impressed with his feet. Go look at the film against Georgia and watch his feet and how he readies them while receiving a pass before a 3, and then look at the spin move on the missed dunk. He just needs playing time and a little patience for us to get completely acclimated.
I sat next to a D1 coach at a major high school event, major schools from across the nation, and ask him what was the first thing he looked for in a recruit. His answer surprised me, really good feet. He said,"everything starts there, you know they have abilities or we wouldn't be here. Especially big men, then hands, he said, "if they have those two abilities we can teach the rest".
I watched a lot of film on Big Z and was really impressed with his feet. Go look at the film against Georgia and watch his feet and how he readies them while receiving a pass before a 3, and then look at the spin move on the missed dunk. He just needs playing time and a little patience for us to get completely acclimated.
The way he handles the ball is almost so nonchalant that I worried he was a bit too confident. But he plays almost as if he's toying with people. Like imagining an NBA all-star against a high school team.
My biggest worry is that he's so confident and may lack a little attitude control in tough situations. The rim pull and the elbow were hopefully not mini-red flags. But then again, maybe we need a little attitude from our big men.
One of the dudes on the field of 68 said he talked to some pro scouts this summer and the knock on him was that he was injury prone; stayed hurt a lot. Praying this isn't the case, because I thought he was going to be our healthiest big man.
Wishful thinking, but there are two or three here that spend most of their days looking for the "stats" that show how bad Cal apparently is (I'm looking at you, ukjennings....).
I enjoyed the shooting display and the blocked shots, but let’s face it. A lot of people can shoot and block shots. Ok, Maybe not 7’2” guys can shoot like that, but you know what I mean.
The play that got me extremely excited was that spin move and missed dunk.
That was some serious athletic ability.
The play that got me extremely excited was that spin move and missed dunk.
That was some serious athletic ability.
But Wagner gives us 4 lights out shooters and Wagner's driving and finishing ability, which has looked pretty good lately. I like your lineup but with Wagner instead of Dillingham. Let them experience Dilly's speed after they get winded a little.
How did you find that old video of me?Z when he gets to play against 6'8" SEC centers
Europe has a system the US used to run. AAU has ruined US players. We just have a better talent pool basically.
It’s pretty shocking he didn’t get a first round guarantee last year, but I’m sure glad he’s here now!
I went freaking crazy when he threw that pass to Reeves and hit him dead in the chest with it. He did some great things, but that pass amazed me for a guy his size. Z is free and I like it
Nah, the threes were nice, but the behind the back pass was done with conviction and confidence, not an ounce of doubt. He knows what he's doing on the court and it's obvious.
Also much less of a douchebag.
He's got a nice little bit of edge to him, sorta like Herro and Boogie did. He doesn't take any crap from the opponents. That flagrant was a message and he knew what he was doing and he knew it would cost him and he didn't care.
I’d like to see Z pump iron until March and then put that elbow in Dickenson’s nose.
He does seem to have a “mean streak”. Maybe this was developed by playing against grown men in a pro league?
I probably should have worded that better. Haha He's an awesome kid and I love that he has a little edge when needed. I'm glad he's nothing like Dickinson.
I agree, but worry that he could get a reputation among SEC referees.
So anxious to see how he does in his first hostile environment road game. Hoping to see him show us that first game was no fluke at all. (I think he will!)
Looked like a man among boys. And yeah, the spin move....fluid and effortless...think he's done that a few times. I think all of us were thinking, what if we had this from day one? I know I was. And the post game interview had me wondering about the "UK approved" english literacy test that was rumored to have held up his admission...seriously? Was there any truth to that? I know the NCAA was a problem, but you gotta wonder about that one..smh. Eh...whatever. Z is free...and what a debut! There's questions, but seriously looked legit to me.
As much as I love Dillingham, I'm still going Wagner. I trust his consistency. There's a reason why he keeps winning SEC Freshman of the Week. But, happy we have both for major minutes a game!
I loved what I saw. Now he has to do it while being a part of the scouting reports. Gonna be interesting to see how defenses are going to play him. He's a unique player to guard.
My favorite play was when he blocked their inbound passing their backcourt, turned around and caught his own block and passed it ahead to his guard. Had me out of my seat and yelling. Just an awesome one man play to show how quick and smooth he is for someone his size. Maybe not as showy as the behind the back pass for a 3 but I sure liked that block in the backcourt a lot.
I watched the game twice. Then I watched Z’s highlights on YouTube. That’s how much I enjoyed his performance. But it’s one game. It’s one game against a team who didn’t know he existed. Let’s chill a bit. I’m optimistic too, but let’s see if he can repeat some of what we saw and do it consistently.
But he will definitely be a net positive
But he will definitely be a net positive
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