MVCfans.com

Johnson has his second week of sweeping both the POW and NOW awards this year with a pair of double/doubles to start the conference season including 30 pts/15 rbs vs ISUb . He's having some juco moments with some up and down foul shooting and occasional turnovers , but he plays hard and has a unique skill set for a 6'9 guy in our league. I'm sure he will start to be the focus of most defenses, so we'll see how he adjusts as conference season progresses. Rousseau has had subpar last few games so he has to make some adjustments; kind of what you expect from jucos as teams learn what they can and can't do and then game plan for them. Rhodes our 3rd juco has quietly had a decent start to his career; rebounds better than his frame would suggest and starting to find his way offensively. Still playing ahead of Kendrix to most Bear fans chagrin; brings some of the same size and skills to the wing , less explosive but perhaps more predictable in effort. With a bench including Kendrix/Dixon/Ruder/Kreklow and 6'11 McCullough, Bears able to bring in some serious bench help.

BEARZ77 wrote:Johnson has his second week of sweeping both the POW and NOW awards this year with a pair of double/doubles to start the conference season including 30 pts/15 rbs vs ISUb . He's having some juco moments with some up and down foul shooting and occasional turnovers , but he plays hard and has a unique skill set for a 6'9 guy in our league. I'm sure he will start to be the focus of most defenses, so we'll see how he adjusts as conference season progresses. Rousseau has had subpar last few games so he has to make some adjustments; kind of what you expect from jucos as teams learn what they can and can't do and then game plan for them. Rhodes our 3rd juco has quietly had a decent start to his career; rebounds better than his frame would suggest and starting to find his way offensively. Still playing ahead of Kendrix to most Bear fans chagrin; brings some of the same size and skills to the wing , less explosive but perhaps more predictable in effort. With a bench including Kendrix/Dixon/Ruder/Kreklow and 6'11 McCullough, Bears able to bring in some serious bench help.

Haven't Kendrix, Ruder, Dixon, and McCullough been starters in years past?

Yes but, I think everyone on the team has started in the past More evidence Lusk doesn't know what to do.

Wufan wrote:

BEARZ77 wrote:Johnson has his second week of sweeping both the POW and NOW awards this year with a pair of double/doubles to start the conference season including 30 pts/15 rbs vs ISUb . He's having some juco moments with some up and down foul shooting and occasional turnovers , but he plays hard and has a unique skill set for a 6'9 guy in our league. I'm sure he will start to be the focus of most defenses, so we'll see how he adjusts as conference season progresses. Rousseau has had subpar last few games so he has to make some adjustments; kind of what you expect from jucos as teams learn what they can and can't do and then game plan for them. Rhodes our 3rd juco has quietly had a decent start to his career; rebounds better than his frame would suggest and starting to find his way offensively. Still playing ahead of Kendrix to most Bear fans chagrin; brings some of the same size and skills to the wing , less explosive but perhaps more predictable in effort. With a bench including Kendrix/Dixon/Ruder/Kreklow and 6'11 McCullough, Bears able to bring in some serious bench help.

Haven't Kendrix, Ruder, Dixon, and McCullough been starters in years past?

That is true. This Bears team is really deep.

glm38 wrote:

Wufan wrote:

BEARZ77 wrote:Johnson has his second week of sweeping both the POW and NOW awards this year with a pair of double/doubles to start the conference season including 30 pts/15 rbs vs ISUb . He's having some juco moments with some up and down foul shooting and occasional turnovers , but he plays hard and has a unique skill set for a 6'9 guy in our league. I'm sure he will start to be the focus of most defenses, so we'll see how he adjusts as conference season progresses. Rousseau has had subpar last few games so he has to make some adjustments; kind of what you expect from jucos as teams learn what they can and can't do and then game plan for them. Rhodes our 3rd juco has quietly had a decent start to his career; rebounds better than his frame would suggest and starting to find his way offensively. Still playing ahead of Kendrix to most Bear fans chagrin; brings some of the same size and skills to the wing , less explosive but perhaps more predictable in effort. With a bench including Kendrix/Dixon/Ruder/Kreklow and 6'11 McCullough, Bears able to bring in some serious bench help.

Haven't Kendrix, Ruder, Dixon, and McCullough been starters in years past?

That is true. This Bears team is really deep.

Or you guys have rightfully recruited over players....a good sign of progress

Little bit of all that involved. Clearly we have more talent so some roles have diminished, some have had injury issues change their roles[ Ruder/McCullough] Kendrix tends to live in Lusk's doghouse for sins real or imagined, and Dixon probably should start and can at times be the forgotten guy on this deep team. But it's a nice dilemma to have if you didn't have a sometimes confused, indecisive and impatient person making the decisions about deployment of all those assets. We lose a little in graduation[Miller/McCullough/Martin] and possibly Ruder, but have a top 100-150 recruit in Boogie Williams on rs, have a solid juco 6'8 forward signed and HS pg and 6'10 post as well, so things look solid for a couple years.

SIU's Thik Bol is second in blocked shots, third in rebounding and fourth in FG % in the League and probably should have his name posted too.

underdawg wrote:SIU's Thik Bol is second in blocked shots, third in rebounding and fourth in FG % in the League and probably should have his name posted too.

Most years, I think he would be in the conversation. He should be a part of the Newcomer team but Willis, Johnson and Jackson are going to dominate the Newcomer of the year conversation (for good reason).

Willis - Leading scorer/rebounder/FG% on leagues best team

Johnson - Leading Scorer/Rebounder on one of the most improved (and top 3) teams

Jackson - Leading Scorer/FG% on the other big surprise team.

So far in league play, Jackson is shooting 30 points lower than his season average and has totaled 13 points and 10 fouls in 3 games. And that includes 2 home games and a game against Drake. He's going to have to figure that out soon if he wants to stay in the conversation.

Jackson's gonna have to adjust for sure if he wants to stay in the conversation. He's been buried in fouls and double teams; I'm sure with time he'll adjust but that needs to happen ASAP for both him and the team.