The Future

[T-Mac]

Those stats mean nothing to me. I've been watching basketball my entire life, I don't need shooting percentages to dictate who had the better season.

Batten is more gifted offensively as a freshmen and more polished off the ball. You can't compare the two scenarios they played in. To assume that Batten is going to ascend to this level that Bazemore never reached is absurd. Give the kid a chance before you hand his jersey from the TED.

15-20 shots, I needed a good laugh.

Ok, if you don't base your opinion off of statistics, facts, and concrete measurables when comparing two players, what do you base your opinion off of?

Also, why are you laughing about Bazemore taking 15-20 shots per game? In his last five games he took 20, 20, 23, 18, and 15 shots. Again, those are statistics/facts. Are you laughing at facts because you consider them less significant than your opinion?

[T-Mac]

Clueless b/c I'm usually right?

You should have just stopped here. My abs hurt after reading this. :-)

[T-Mac]

Batten will be a better ball handler, if he is not already. He is more physical..even seems to actually like contact. He doesn't take as many, but he is a better 3pt and a far better FT shooter. It is true Baze is an excellent defender, and Batten is impatient and not yet polished in this regard. However, I think that can be fixed. Batten, imo, has better raw skills and physical ability than Baze, right now. He just needs to learn to play D.
Whether this translates to becoming great is unknown. There are too many variables; such as injury, physical vs chronological age (has he already peaked physically or will he continue to develop?) outside influences, academics, etc.
I will say again, between Batten, Ross and Key; as well new recruits, we are ok for sometime to come. Everyone is so worried about Bazemore, they are forgetting that our only inside presence was Cooper. If Pim and Ross don't step up (I happen to think they will) , and we don't get some strong bigs as recruits, VCU and Drexel leave us in the dust.

Agreed. [/Razer Ramen patented triple post]

[PG#11]

Ok, if you don't base your opinion off of statistics, facts, and concrete measurables when comparing two players, what do you base your opinion off of?

Also, why are you laughing about Bazemore taking 15-20 shots per game? In his last five games he took 20, 20, 23, 18, and 15 shots. Again, those are statistics/facts. Are you laughing at facts because you consider them less significant than your opinion?

Noone is going "give" Batten 20 shots like you suggested. This isn't NBA 2k12. Things are earned over time. Baze's athletic ability alone allows for him to get those 15-20, considering the fact that the entire defense is draped on him from the moment he crosses halfcourt.

As far as the stats you are referring to. These are two completely different equations. By your reasoning VMI is loaded with players better than Batten right now. I prefer to evaluate/compare based on what I see in person and not what ESPN says on their website.

[Hassell4Prez]

That mountainmam monarch post was hilarious.

Also, pg I dont know what you miss in batten. The one thing he can improve on is blaines specialty

He's a leader. He's a finisher.

Why do you keep bringing up some sort of physical condition? It's completely unbased and he keeps being subbed out bc blaine has bad sub patterns. Not some made up condition you should really stop spouting off about unfounded things like that

Batten is a star and will be the leader of our team for 3 years

[T-Mac]

Noone is going "give" Batten 20 shots like you suggested. This isn't NBA 2k12. Things are earned over time. Baze's athletic ability alone allows for him to get those 15-20, considering the fact that the entire defense is draped on him from the moment he crosses halfcourt.

As far as the stats you are referring to. These are two completely different equations. By your reasoning VMI is loaded with players better than Batten right now. I prefer to evaluate/compare based on what I see in person and not what ESPN says on their website.

Haha...you have some reading comprehension issues. I never suggested that Batten should get 15-20 shots per game next year. I said that IF (capitalized, bolded, underlined, and italicized so you'll read this word this time) he were to get that many shots, he would put up much better stats than Bazemore did this year. He's a much more fluid and polished offensive player--even as a freshman--than Bazemore is as a Senior. He'll likely be even better next year. If that's the case, I can definitely see him stepping into Bazemore's role on the team as the go-to guy on offense.

As for not wanting to compare Bazemore and Batten in their freshmen seasons, I guess you have a great argument if not for the fact that both players play in the same offense, both teams had virtually identical records (21-10, 12-6 vs. 20-13, 13-5), and both teams scored virtually the same number of points per game (66 vs. 67). Ignoring facts is the easiest way to make a ridiculous opinion more credible.

[PG#11]

That 08 team had Lee, Hassell, Carter, Finney, James, Neely, Adams as a senior and Bazemore. That team won the CIT.

This 12 team basically had Bazemore. Batten is very promising, but he could never squeeze off 20 shots a game. If he did, his percentages would take a nose dive, you have no idea if he can even stay on the court for more than 20 minutes. These assumptions are crazy.

[PG#11]

That mountainmam monarch post was hilarious.

Also, pg I dont know what you miss in batten. The one thing he can improve on is blaines specialty

He's a leader. He's a finisher.

Why do you keep bringing up some sort of physical condition? It's completely unbased and he keeps being subbed out bc blaine has bad sub patterns. Not some made up condition you should really stop spouting off about unfounded things like that

Batten is a star and will be the leader of our team for 3 years

I'm not missing anything. He's a very good, promising player. Let's wait and watch him develop before we say crazy things like he's going to be a better player than Bazemore.

As far as his conditioning goes, it appears to me that something is holding him back to some extent, maybe it's BT. Though I doubt that, he's under alot of pressure to win, trust me he would run Batten out there 35 minutes if he felt it was the best, most sustainable way to win.

[Mac]

Hey Hassell, I love your posts baby but just one thing about this argument. Blaine himself keeps bringing up that Batten has some conditioning issues. Just talked about it on the last coaches show. I would think the coach would get him in shape but what do I know. Think I've read Batten has some Asthma issues, that could be it right there.

Carry on with the arguing now fellas ! http://boards.caazone.com/images/icons/icon12.png

[T-Mac]

That 08 team had Lee, Hassell, Carter, Finney, James, Neely, Adams as a senior and Bazemore. That team won the CIT.

This 12 team basically had Bazemore. Batten is very promising, but he could never squeeze off 20 shots a game. If he did, his percentages would take a nose dive, you have no idea if he can even stay on the court for more than 20 minutes. These assumptions are crazy.

You've made it very clear that you have a real problem separating what players did later in their career from what they did early in their career. You named off a bunch of big names. Unfortunately, Gerald Lee was the only player that was an established threat at that point in their career. Hassell averaged fewer minutes and points as a Sophomore than Batten did as a Freshman. Carter averaged three more minutes per game, and offered just as much offense as a Sophomore as Batten did as a Freshman. Finney played 10 more minutes per game as a Sophomore than Batten did as a Freshman and scored exactly two more points per game. James played 12 more minutes per game as a Sophomore than Batten as a Freshman, but scored less, had fewer steals, more turnovers, shot a much lower percentage, and only led Batten in assists. Neely played just as many minutes and produced less across the board as a Junior than Batten did as a Freshman. Adams played three more minutes per game and barely bested Batten in Forward favorable stats (Rebounds, Blocks).

Again, I realize that you're against statistics and facts, but nobody else in their right mind so readily dismisses them. Your argument is somewhat embarrassing when it's so easily disproved.

Batten played over 20 minutes in fifteen games this year. Is it crazy to assume that he can stay on the court for more than 20 minutes? I can't believe I'm even asked to contemplate something so obvious.