UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

[jman2004]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

I got blasted last year when I said it, but who would you rather have back for this year's team, Stout or McKowen? I think its obvious which one we could use on the court.

Each team is different. That question holds no weight in this discussion because it's in reference to LAST YEAR'S players. You're right, we've got posts this year that helped ease Stout's absence whereas we don't have a healthy point guard to ease Brooks'.

But that's last year going into this year. Things change. JJ isn't even a true point guard. If anything, I think we'll benefit from getting a true point guard in to run the show.

He'll be missed, but not as much as Coleman.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

We will have plenty of guards, but not many with PG experience. KA will be coming back after a year off, when he wasn't even able to practice much. Moran seems like a great talent, but he will still be a freshman and trying to run our system. His best attribute may be in defensive intensity and, if he can bring that, he may make up for the loss of JJ. Haak is the other option and I love the intensity he plays with, he too, may pick up where JJ leaves off.

Brown will be Brown. There will be games he is hitting everything and games he will clank shots. I hope he improves defensively next year as much as he has this year. It will not make him a "lock-down" defender by any means, but he will be more than sufficient to deal with a teams second scoring option from the guard spot.

Reed needs his confidence up. Hopefully, Tuesday's game will have the one bright spot of getting him into a groove. He could still be a big X-factor this year and that would be great heading into next year, but he needs work defensively to be a big time player.

Dunham has been solid all year and I think has learned a lot. I would love to see him assert himself more offensively and in getting rebounds. If he does that, he could very well be Most Improved in the Valley next year.

Montgomery has been nice all year and works hard on defense. His offense has been hot and cold and I could really see him being given a redshirt year next year.

All in all a very nice guard court, but none that have shown the ability to go 36+ minutes a night all out on both ends of the court.

As for the posts, if Jordan continues to improve as much as he has from last year to this and as much as he has during this season alone, he could become the most dominant player in the league next year. We have seen spurts of it this year on both offense and defense, the aggression is starting to boil and come out of him.

Koch has been much more impressive and consistent all year. I don't see any reason why he won't continue to improve as much next year.

O'Rear has seen limited time this year and part of that has been due to his knee. But he has seen quality minutes of late and has shown glimpses of bringing a level of energy and physicallity that mimics EC.

Barz is the unknown. I believe he brings a long, athletic body to the post the likes we haven't had since a Steve Phyfe type player. If he is able to bulk up enough to hold his ground in the post-wars of Division I basketball, he will be another weapon to turn to.

Sure, we'll miss the barreling out of control from the top of the arc for charges and the screams and scowls. We'll miss the on one night, off another, I'm going to hop around and pose after I get a dunk when we're down 20 or mope because things aren't going my way schizophrenia.

I will miss the great vision on passes out of double teams, the banging of bodies and not backing down from other Valley big men, and the seemingly rubber arm extension on rebounds that EC brings when he is on. It's just that when he's off, he's way off and he tends to pull the team down with him. When he's on he brings a lift, but he does even more when he doesn't try to do too much.

[jman2004]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

You're starting to cross the line into "illogical". All you did there was prove my point. We have guards with experience. Plenty of them. They might not be great at this point in time, but we have plenty with experience. We don't have an excess of posts with experience (we have Jordan and Koch).

You sure are going to a lot of trouble to convince us that we WON'T miss Coleman next year. He may not be your favorite player. I get it. I can read between the lines. But understand that he's the only player in the NATION to lead his respective team in five different offensive categories. All in only 23 minutes a game.

Coleman is a very very very special player and will be missed greatly. End of story.

[jman2004]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

O'Rear has seen limited time this year and part of that has been due to his knee. But he has seen quality minutes of late and has shown glimpses of bringing a level of energy and physicallity that mimics EC.

And I don't mean to be nit-picky, but O'Rear and Coleman really shouldn't even be used in the same sentence at this point in their respective careers.

[GonzoCat]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Seriously Khan, what did EC do, steal your girl?

I would rank only Jason Reese ahead of Eric Coleman as a player for UNI, and even that is pretty debatable. Jason was better in his senior year, but Eric has done it for 4 years. However I don't consider them in the same generation even though they are less than 20 years apart. They are only in the same generation if you draw the generation line right before JR and right after EC.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

I don't have anything personal against EC. He's a tremendous player and has done a lot for this University.

What I have a problem with is people elevating one player above everyone else and expecting them to win the game by themselves or putting all of the focus or attention on one player and to heck with anyone else.

I don't think that fits with our style of play and I don't think it works for Eric except in the reverse, if he has a bad game he brings everyone down with him far more than his having a good game elevates everyone. He's best when other good players around him are doing well as well and he can do his thing without trying to force too much.

As for players in the last 20 years that I would put up there with Coleman and Reese, and Jacobson, there are plenty. Jason Daisy, Randy Blocker, Troy Muilenberg, Erik Crawford never got the same accolades becasue he did things to make everyone else better. As far as numbers go, David Gruber posted numbers nearly the same as Coleman but with one fewer year of play, but I doubt anyone wants to put him on the all-time great list. Robbie Sieverding lost a season and scored nearly as much, Cam Johnson and Grant Stout both played sparingly as freshman before putting together great soph to sr runs. Dale Turner, Cedrick McCullough, Mo Newby and Darian DeVries all also great players that could be placed on that list with good arguments.

I will cheer loud on senior night in thanking ALL of our seniors. Coleman has put in a very solid and memorable four years, Josten emerged from a walk-on to a vital cog in the machine and Viet has battled through injuries and made himself an important contributor. Heck, even Joe Green deserves applause for being willing to lace em up again and provide another big body to battle in practices.

[panther91]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Jason Reese was a man in the paint and shot about 75% from the free throw line. He is the best we have ever had at establishing position on the block.

One more name from the early 80's ... how many points would Randy Kraayenbrink have had if there would have been a three point line.

[BCPanther]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Top 10 Panthers in the DI Era- (IMO)

1. Jason Reese
2. Randy Blocker
3. Jason Daisy
4. Ben Jacobson
5. Randy Kraayenbrink
6. Cam Johnson
7. Grant Stout
8. Robbie Sieverding
9. Erik Crawford
10. Eric Coleman

Honerable Mention- Dale Turner, Joe Breckenridge, Cedric McCullough, Steve Phyfe, Chris Burdine, John Little, David Gruber, Matt Schneiderman, Brooks McKowen, Troy Muilenberg

[UNIChippewa]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Based on that list, I think my all-time UNI team would be;

Backcourt;
Jason Daisy
Ben Jacobson
With Sieverding, Cam Johnson, and John Little off the bench

Frontcourt;
Eric Coleman
Jason Reese
With Stout coming off the bench

Swing player;
Randy Blocker, that guy was great!

Wow....imagine having all those guys together. That would be a great team.

[jman2004]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

What do we have against Coleman? Seriously, I know we're all entitled to our own opinion, but when you list players like Grant Stout and Robbie Sieverding above him (good players but really?) I think it requires a little bit of explaining.

Brett, for the record, your top 4 would be spot on with mine. But I'd have Coleman #5.

[run&blade]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Why all the love for Cam Johnson? I seem to recall rumors he wasn't well liked his freshman year and that is why he redshirted the following year.

Not a big fan.

He wasn't that good, when a team is horrible somebody has to score the points.

I gotta laough I haven't heard that name in like 15 years.

[FerociousCat]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

I got blasted last year when I said it, but who would you rather have back for this year's team, Stout or McKowen? I think its obvious which one we could use on the court.

If KA was healthy, who would you choose?
I'll take Stout in a landslide. But since KA is not healthy...sorry you got BLASTED last year.

Cam Johnson has to be one of most debatable UNI players...some love him, some can't stand him.
I'll take Turner, Benny, Blocker, Reese, & Coleman as my starters.

[jman2004]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Why all the love for Cam Johnson? I seem to recall rumors he wasn't well liked his freshman year and that is why he redshirted the following year.

Not a big fan.

He wasn't that good, when a team is horrible somebody has to score the points.

Totally agree with you! I think maybe this discussion has gotten to a point where we're trying to think of as many former players as we can JUST to keep Coleman out of anyone's top 5.

[panther91]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Cam Johnson's senior year he was a stud. The team was a top 4 Valley team and lost in the finals to SIU by 3-5 points. 99% sure he is the only Tournament MVP ever on a losing team.

Pretty hard to compare guards with post players. Personally I would take Stout over EC ... more versatile on offense, better free throw shooter, better shot blocker, similar rebounder, seemed to be slightly more consistent.

[BCPanther]

Re: UNI @ Creighton (EC's last shot at the Blue Jays)

Its just my opinion.

I put Robbie Sieverding up there because he is the 7th all time leading scorer and he had nothing around him in the guard court to get him shots, it was all him.

I put Cam Johnson up there because he played and Randy Blocker took this team to their first Valley title game in 1994 and he is also a top 10 scorer all time.

Grant Stout is the schools all time shot blocker and contributed on all three of the tournament teams.

Erik Crawford is there because he is the defender that made the tournament teams go. I felt he was the glue that made that team work.

IMO, you could make a case for Coleman being 6th, but not any higher than that. I just feel that he is #10. Its MY opinion...