Souf Mensah - 2017 Tape
- Thread starter RU-Choppin-Ohio
- Start date
Can't wait to see our offense with a truly legit point guard. He seems to be a tough kid with a great handle and a BIG body for a guard. He can penetrate and dish so we will need shooters off the wing and hoping we can add to Thiam.
He starts with Sanders and Thiam at the 3. Sanders then concentrates on getting the ball on the move and finishing.
He'll get into lane and find Freeman to finish or Thiam to shot. He won't force up shots like Johnson or Sanders.
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I may be wrong, but I think Mike Williams will be our starting 2 guard and ABSOLUTELY deserves it
Exactly. He's not necessarily a shooter; he's a strong, true PG with a great handle. That will free up Sanders to use his athleticism and will help spread the floor. Like you said above, Pikiell, Knight and Hobbs know point guards. I think this is a smart pickup that will pay quick dividends.
I am glad there are not so many negatives as in the past about Souf. I have faith in Coach that Souf can help us.
Starting lineup will be (hunch, with and without a Johnson replacement)
1. Sanders
2. New Player or Williams
3. Williams or Laurent
4. Freeman
5. Sa
1. Sanders
2. New Player or Williams
3. Williams or Laurent
4. Freeman
5. Sa
I am taking a step back. on this one. Will he contribute, yes. A juco point guard starting in the big ten? I am thinking not so fast.
I am certainly no expert, but he simply does not get most of those looks in BIG 10 play. I think he will be a competent 12 to 15 minute a game pass first back up point guard.
I have always liked his game. I still see though that he is not nearly anywhere near the best to come out of JUCO, and there will always be that transition. The program is in a better spot with a saavy pg. Still, Sanders can be that player and putting him off the ball would not be the best for his development.
Also, thinking Souf will make defenses that much harder to guard the team is part fallacy. With that percentage from 3pt mark, teams will back off him a little.
I know the coaches think he is a great kid, and I am sure he will take their advice to heart. Every piece. If so, he will be a contributor and his presence will help the team a lot.
Also, thinking Souf will make defenses that much harder to guard the team is part fallacy. With that percentage from 3pt mark, teams will back off him a little.
I know the coaches think he is a great kid, and I am sure he will take their advice to heart. Every piece. If so, he will be a contributor and his presence will help the team a lot.
I am anxious to hear Pikiell's comments about Mensah when he signs in the coming weeks. Then Pikiell can officially comment on him as a player and what he envision for him on the team.
Everything from the experts is opinion and speculation. No one knows, even though some people comment like they do. Time will tell.
Everything from the experts is opinion and speculation. No one knows, even though some people comment like they do. Time will tell.
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I don't think Sa is capable of being a starter or can be relied on to give starter type minutes. Hope I'm wrong.
The difference is that he can go left and shoot with his left hand. I don't like how he hangs in the air and has that sort of hitch before he releases his jump shot. No way he gets that off against longer players at this level even when he creates separation. That slow release is going to cancel his jumper out unless he is all alone.
I don't know if it will all translate to B1G competition, but I see alot of things to like about his game:
1. Nice mid-range jumper
2. Excels at dribble penetration, and knows how to "finish"
3. Smart passer with on-court awareness
4. Definitely quick enough for B1G
5. Solid "handle," though he might need to correct that high dribble
6. Seems to have some swagger to his game, without being out of control
7. Though on the short side (6-0 or 6-1), he is built very well and seems to have good strength
Definitely a kid that will help. How much depends on how well his game translates to playing much better competition.
1. Nice mid-range jumper
2. Excels at dribble penetration, and knows how to "finish"
3. Smart passer with on-court awareness
4. Definitely quick enough for B1G
5. Solid "handle," though he might need to correct that high dribble
6. Seems to have some swagger to his game, without being out of control
7. Though on the short side (6-0 or 6-1), he is built very well and seems to have good strength
Definitely a kid that will help. How much depends on how well his game translates to playing much better competition.
I think there is more hope than expectation in that prediction.
One interesting note when RU broke camp Laurent and Sa were pretty high up in the rotation. Interesting to see a coach's interpretation of players before and after games start.
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...o_pdf/2016-17/box_score/stats_20161112aaa.pdf
At that competition he crosses over and creates tons of space for a uncontested 15 footer. In the b1G he does that and he may not have time to get even a shot off. Also if he drives off a screen (not tight) like that he is going to have company. that'll get fixed quick though.
I don't think (or I know) that Souf is a starter at this level....I like the enthusiasm regarding the positive aspects on the tape, but no one here can identify any of the competition to know whether it's legitimate or comparable to other JUCO's on the schedule.
The right thing to do is not make outlandish statements like "the staff knows PG's and he's a starter", when there is no supporting evidence that it's remotely close to being the case.
I actually believe that Souf will arrive, work hard, attempt to earn minutes, but he is right now a 4th/5th guard behind Sanders/Williams/Baker and the likelihood that another guard (whether a 5th year transfer/JUCO/freshman not yet named) is slotted at the 4th guard position with Souf.
The positives are, he has a B1G ready frame, can drive to the basket and shows some ability to make plays/passes off the dribble....the stats dictate that if a guard does not show an ability to take and make open shots, teams will play off of Souf and clog the passing lanes, expecting a pass to be made, vs him taking and making a potentially open shot.
The best way to forecast scoring from a JUCO is to cut it in half at a Power 5 level....if a player averages 18PPG, give him 9 to 10PPG, with a couple of big games closer to 16 to 18 and some off games with 4 to 5 PPG.
If the shooting percentage is not good from 3 point range, one can improve with harder work, but that usually means that shot attempts are taken, when the shot clock is running down or are contested.....there isn't enough full game/situational play to know whether the shooting percentages are caused by any one thing.
I tried to caution people down on Mike Williams after last year, that he would improve drastically with another guard on the court other than Sanders (Nigel Johnson and improved play (sanders) and a system in the off-season (coaching staff).
We need to stop being afraid of thinking bigger for our recruits, but my expectations on improvement at the guard position/shooting/passing/defense/transition play, lies much more with Geo Baker, vs expecting Souf to be a consistent contributor in B1G competition. I expect Souf to do fine in the OOC and Baker to learn and get his feet wet.....By the time the B1G calendar gets here next winter, I expect Baker to improve his play and Souf to have a tougher time.
Souf will earn minutes by being a tough/determined defender....stay in front of guards on defense....take a charge.....get deflections in passing lanes....get rebounds....impact the game the way Mike Williams does at all 5 levels (shooting/passing/rebounding/defense etc)....The staff has 4 different paths for both Souf and Baker to impact the roster and I expect RU to be even better defensively, if Souf can buy-in and become a nuisance and tough defender.....if he does that, he'll play 12-18 minutes each night, even without scoring a point....
If Souf isn't dialed in defensively, he'll be bolted to the bench most nights....if he doesn't get loose balls, rebounds, an occasional steal....then he doesn't impact RU's fortunes....Baker and Souf will make RU better on the defending the 3 and other areas.
The right thing to do is not make outlandish statements like "the staff knows PG's and he's a starter", when there is no supporting evidence that it's remotely close to being the case.
I actually believe that Souf will arrive, work hard, attempt to earn minutes, but he is right now a 4th/5th guard behind Sanders/Williams/Baker and the likelihood that another guard (whether a 5th year transfer/JUCO/freshman not yet named) is slotted at the 4th guard position with Souf.
The positives are, he has a B1G ready frame, can drive to the basket and shows some ability to make plays/passes off the dribble....the stats dictate that if a guard does not show an ability to take and make open shots, teams will play off of Souf and clog the passing lanes, expecting a pass to be made, vs him taking and making a potentially open shot.
The best way to forecast scoring from a JUCO is to cut it in half at a Power 5 level....if a player averages 18PPG, give him 9 to 10PPG, with a couple of big games closer to 16 to 18 and some off games with 4 to 5 PPG.
If the shooting percentage is not good from 3 point range, one can improve with harder work, but that usually means that shot attempts are taken, when the shot clock is running down or are contested.....there isn't enough full game/situational play to know whether the shooting percentages are caused by any one thing.
I tried to caution people down on Mike Williams after last year, that he would improve drastically with another guard on the court other than Sanders (Nigel Johnson and improved play (sanders) and a system in the off-season (coaching staff).
We need to stop being afraid of thinking bigger for our recruits, but my expectations on improvement at the guard position/shooting/passing/defense/transition play, lies much more with Geo Baker, vs expecting Souf to be a consistent contributor in B1G competition. I expect Souf to do fine in the OOC and Baker to learn and get his feet wet.....By the time the B1G calendar gets here next winter, I expect Baker to improve his play and Souf to have a tougher time.
Souf will earn minutes by being a tough/determined defender....stay in front of guards on defense....take a charge.....get deflections in passing lanes....get rebounds....impact the game the way Mike Williams does at all 5 levels (shooting/passing/rebounding/defense etc)....The staff has 4 different paths for both Souf and Baker to impact the roster and I expect RU to be even better defensively, if Souf can buy-in and become a nuisance and tough defender.....if he does that, he'll play 12-18 minutes each night, even without scoring a point....
If Souf isn't dialed in defensively, he'll be bolted to the bench most nights....if he doesn't get loose balls, rebounds, an occasional steal....then he doesn't impact RU's fortunes....Baker and Souf will make RU better on the defending the 3 and other areas.
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Anyone know what Souf's reputation is on defense? With his quickness and sturdy build he would seem to have the skills to be a tough defender
