Redshirt-freshman Myles Johnson is ready for some hoops
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
Johnson looks like a complete different person than when he came in. Good for him on taking advantage of the engineering program, and following the plan set out by Dave Van Dyke.
He is a big that I would not consider a project. He has shown this offseason to be a very dedicated player. Some boys are projects because they need to lose weight. Johnson checked that box and has done well for himself. Good for the lad.
clearly he has worked his ass off - he completely transformed himself in a year. can't wait to see his skills
He redshirted on a team that won three regular season games. I doubt that there is a definition of a project, but this is close.
A project is someone who you take a risk on who you assume will not have an impact on day 1. Johnson will play 10-15 this year and will help his team.
Every HS recruit outside of the Top 40-50 is a project....some develop later, some max out in HS and don't improve much beyond that. Every big in the country that isn't a project is likely a 1 and done or max 2 years and out......
Day 1, he was on a redshirt. Bingo, project.
Will he play 10-15 minutes? Maybe, and I hope that's good. Will he help the team? Almost certainly. But the "help the team" standard you've laid out is so vague and subject to broad interpretation that it doesn't mean much.
We can all agree, though, that we hope the year got him more D1 ready and he can be effective. We'll see.
Good point. Certain players a redshirt is useful for. If you need to lose weight, and your major is actually something that demands a lot of attention, it is the right call.
By help the team, I am saying Johnson will score 5 points a game, and grab 3 rebounds. The fifth spot is going to be by committee, and based on matchups. Also, when small ball is used, I think Johnson will be the person to play. I also do not think he will foul much as he is a smart kid that knows how to improve himself. Again, having a good head on your shoulders and a support system account for a lot. I believe his free throws will be in the .670-.700 % range.
He's a talented big that was still recovering from a knee injury at the end of high school and the redshirt made sense for him. This staff develops players. Eugene could have used a redshirt, look how much he improved after a year. I'm also pretty sure if Myles wasn't seen as a major part of the team going forward he wouldn't have been the team spokesman at the ceremony for the practice facility.
Not sure why people get so offended by optimism.
Not sure why people get so offended by optimism.
You realize, I’m sure, that Eugene would not have improved near as much if that year was not spent battling in real games against real B1G opponents. And, even before that improvement, he contributed. And any contribution would be sufficient for a team that won a little as RU did.
On Johnson, let’s put it another way. If he was a four star with major talent and many big time offers to match, but also a bit overweight and majoring in physics, do you really think he would have redshirted for a team that won 3 regular season league games?
When a team chooses to redshirt a player who needs work, lots of reasons are always given. But the biggest is that the player needed work before stepping on the floor in a real game. Eugene didn’t. It seems Johnson did.
Let’s hope. And as long as we can agree that this post is rank speculation about a player who has been here a year and never stepped foot on a court in a game, I’m with you.
Isn't it amazing? Some folks can't resist throwing a wet blanket over anything positive or hopeful.
Willis meant to say three regular season CONFERENCE games. Crediting us with just three regular season wins overall makes it sound way, way worse. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe it was not. The Shadow knows.
Big men usually take longer to develop--as do heavyweight boxers. Case in point, Frank Kaminsky, three years in the NBA; 11 PPG each of the last two years. At Wisconsin:
Freshman year, started zero games. 1.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG. Soph year-started two games. 4.2 PPG 1.8 RPG Junior year, started every game. 14 PPG 6 RPG. Senior year, started every game. 19 PPG 8 RPG.
Not saying Johnson is the next Kaminsky, just that big guys take longer to develop. Even Kaminsky. After his first two seasons, who would have thunk he would be an NBA regular?
TL
Big men usually take longer to develop--as do heavyweight boxers. Case in point, Frank Kaminsky, three years in the NBA; 11 PPG each of the last two years. At Wisconsin:
Freshman year, started zero games. 1.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG. Soph year-started two games. 4.2 PPG 1.8 RPG Junior year, started every game. 14 PPG 6 RPG. Senior year, started every game. 19 PPG 8 RPG.
Not saying Johnson is the next Kaminsky, just that big guys take longer to develop. Even Kaminsky. After his first two seasons, who would have thunk he would be an NBA regular?
TL
Eugene averaged 2/mpg and 2/rpg as a freshman playing every game. Sure, he contributed as a freshman just as well as I'm sure Myles could have. Eugene needed work but there weren't enough players to play to redshirt the kid. The head coach had said as much, but you ignore that to make a point and feel good. Multiple people have commented on how Myles looked in practice by the end of the year.
I look forward to seeing how much he does to improve this 3 wins (in-conference) team.
Heard some very promising things about Johnson in practice, including his ability to pass. I hope he can be productive and average 5 pts, 3 rbs and 1 assist per game, and play some tough, smart D.
I am very excited for this season!
