Most improved player from last year

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

I am going with Cambridge. Very athletic can play SG or SF stroke improved and was coming on at end of year. Has size to be a strong defender at SG. Main competition is Freasman Powell.

[steeleagle 2,945]

17 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

I am going with Cambridge. Very athletic can play SG or SF stroke improved and was coming on at end of year. Has size to be a strong defender at SG. Main competition is Freasman Powell.

I am going w/ Jaylin Williams. I think he showed real raw talent, and I think with another year and practice, I think he becomes more comfortable and takes off as a critical cog for the Auburn frontline.

[gravejd 3,270]

It’s hard to see how he doesn’t just break out and go crazy next season. He showed some real flashes of incredible playmaking ability. And I thought he had some nice plays on defense as well. Very athletic and good hustle is a great combination and he has it. 
 

I also expect to see a lot out of flanigan. He surprised me last season with a couple of his good games. Just needed a bit more time to figure out how to fully control his body in the lane. Has a nice shot and plays like a coaches son. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

3 hours ago, steeleagle said:

I am going w/ Jaylin Williams. I think he showed real raw talent, and I think with another year and practice, I think he becomes more comfortable and takes off as a critical cog for the Auburn frontline.

I can see Williams also but I opted for Cambridge because of the position and opportunity to play. We will have Moore, Williams, Franklin, and Thor splitting time at PF so even if Williams is improved a lot there is a lot of competition at that position. at SF it is really just Flanigan and Cambridge and at SG Johnson, Turbo, Powell, and Cambridge. Unless Johnson has found his stroke he is a defensive liability at SG, Turbo is undersized and Powell who I expect great things of in the future is a freshman coming off an injury.  While Williams had a couple of good games Cambridge had a couple of breakout games where he scored both from three and driving to the lane while pulling down some key rebounds and blocking shots. Cambridge has the size and athleticism to become a really good defender at the SG position assuming he has bought into the Pearl system. Pearl really emphasizes defense a lot of people talk about the offensive improvement of players under Pearl but watch how much better players get defensively under Pearl fro year to year.

The good news is we have a lot of players who I expect will be better this year Stretch, Turbo, Franklin, Flanigan, Cambridge. I am hoping Johnson has found his stroke and worked on his defense also if not I don't expect seeing him get much PT. The one area I worry the most about is SF as we have lost an elite NBA talented player each of the last two years.

With Stretch, Cardwell, and Thor we will have the most length and depth at center we have had in years. With Thor, Moore, Williams, and Frankiln we have a lot of talent at PF, while we have a drop off at SF both Flanigan and Cambridge are very good hard nosed players that will provide boards, and some scoring but will not be the defender or ball facilitators we have gotten used to at SF in last 3 years, SG will be interesting I think Cambridge will step up and as season goes on so will Powell and I am also hoping Turbo steps up. PG we will have Cooper who I expect great things of but I am worried who will play when he sits can Turbo pick up some of the slack and same with Powell who is a very good ball handler. It will be a different year but the thing about Pearl he adjusts to the talent he has. I trust pearl to find a way to take advantage of our strengths and to minimize our weaknesses. As the young guys adjust to speed of the college game I could see this team developing into a really strong rebounding and  defensive team with shot blockers at SG, SF, PF, and C.

 

[steeleagle 2,945]

20 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

I can see Williams also but I opted for Cambridge because of the position and opportunity to play. We will have Moore, Williams, Franklin, and Thor splitting time at PF so even if Williams is improved a lot there is a lot of competition at that position. at SF it is really just Flanigan and Cambridge and at SG Johnson, Turbo, Powell, and Cambridge. Unless Johnson has found his stroke he is a defensive liability at SG, Turbo is undersized and Powell who I expect great things of in the future is a freshman coming off an injury.  While Williams had a couple of good games Cambridge had a couple of breakout games where he scored both from three and driving to the lane while pulling down some key rebounds and blocking shots. Cambridge has the size and athleticism to become a really good defender at the SG position assuming he has bought into the Pearl system. Pearl really emphasizes defense a lot of people talk about the offensive improvement of players under Pearl but watch how much better players get defensively under Pearl fro year to year.

The good news is we have a lot of players who I expect will be better this year Stretch, Turbo, Franklin, Flanigan, Cambridge. I am hoping Johnson has found his stroke and worked on his defense also if not I don't expect seeing him get much PT. The one area I worry the most about is SF as we have lost an elite NBA talented player each of the last two years.

With Stretch, Cardwell, and Thor we will have the most length and depth at center we have had in years. With Thor, Moore, Williams, and Frankiln we have a lot of talent at PF, while we have a drop off at SF both Flanigan and Cambridge are very good hard nosed players that will provide boards, and some scoring but will not be the defender or ball facilitators we have gotten used to at SF in last 3 years, SG will be interesting I think Cambridge will step up and as season goes on so will Powell and I am also hoping Turbo steps up. PG we will have Cooper who I expect great things of but I am worried who will play when he sits can Turbo pick up some of the slack and same with Powell who is a very good ball handler. It will be a different year but the thing about Pearl he adjusts to the talent he has. I trust pearl to find a way to take advantage of our strengths and to minimize our weaknesses. As the young guys adjust to speed of the college game I could see this team developing into a really strong rebounding and  defensive team with shot blockers at SG, SF, PF, and C.

 

I do agree that the most needed improved position will be at SF and SG, with a quality shooter. Without someone hitting those outside shots consistently, the defense will sag the middle and play straight up on our guards. 

We've got to have scoring from those positions and ability to hit the 3.

[Rednilla 5,389]

On 9/20/2020 at 11:07 AM, steeleagle said:

I do agree that the most needed improved position will be at SF and SG, with a quality shooter. Without someone hitting those outside shots consistently, the defense will sag the middle and play straight up on our guards. 

We've got to have scoring from those positions and ability to hit the 3.

Isn't Powell supposed to be a sharpshooter from downtown?

[Maverick.AU 13,279]

 

[TexasTiger 12,831]

On 10/11/2020 at 4:20 PM, Rednilla said:

Isn't Powell supposed to be a sharpshooter from downtown?

The suburbs.

[Tiger 8,819]

2 hours ago, Maverick.AU said:

 

Nothing regarding player development under Bruce would shock me tbh. I would love for Jamal to emerge as a SEC caliber SG.

 

NOBODY saw Samir or J'Von's development turning out the way it did. He has shown that he can turn unknowns into all-conference caliber players. He turns 4 stars into lottery picks. It feels so nice knowing we have a stellar recruiter and developer leading our program.

[jared52 4,354]

Johnson starting would be a HUGE improvement for him. He and Turbo totally disappeared in SEC play so this would mean he made huge strides in the offseason, which I hope is the case. It's day one of practice so it's way too early to know though.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

I hope that is true about his shooting but he was also a defensive liability last year. I really want to hear that Powell and Cambridge are looking good. I like their size at SG so they can match up well from a defensive standpoint against bigger SG's from other teams.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

On 10/15/2020 at 7:24 PM, AuburnNTexas said:

I hope that is true about his shooting but he was also a defensive liability last year. I really want to hear that Powell and Cambridge are looking good. I like their size at SG so they can match up well from a defensive standpoint against bigger SG's from other teams.

I feel like Cambridge will start at the 3, but I could be wrong. Off top I'd figure it be him at the 3, Jaylin at the 4 and Stretch at the 5

I could be forgetting someone, but Flanagan seems like someone you really want at that 6th man to play matchup in case of Jamal getting beat on D. and a good Jamal gives you really high end spacing. Idk I feel like whoever starts at 2 Nov. 25th may not be the same person as on Jan. 25th.

[gr82be 14,423]

On 9/19/2020 at 10:09 AM, steeleagle said:

I am going w/ Jaylin Williams. I think he showed real raw talent, and I think with another year and practice, I think he becomes more comfortable and takes off as a critical cog for the Auburn frontline.

Jaylin Williams has launched into different ‘go mode’ since returning to practice.

By Giana Han

Devan Cambridge isn’t quite sure what happened to Jaylin Williams between the abrupt end to the 2019-2020 season and the team’s return to campus.

The two are roommates, so Cambridge has gotten an in-depth look into Williams' thought processes. But he doesn’t know what happened to Jaylin during the break forced by COVID-19.

“Now this year — for like the last two months, month-and-a-half — he’s been killing,” Cambridge said. “I don’t know what got to him. I mean, I talk to him all the time, but like he’s just been in a different, like, go mode.”

Williams came onto the scene late last season. He made his college debut against CSUN on November 15. However, for the next seven games, he played less than five minutes a game and scored five points or less.

Williams watched from the bench as the other freshmen hit the floor. Cambridge, Allen Flanigan and Tyrell Jones were the first when they debuted against Georgia Southern. Flanigan was the only one averaging over 10 minutes per game, and he was the first to earn a start.

Then, in the South Carolina game on January 22, Cambridge officially left his mark on the team. He scored 26 points with six made three-pointers. Cambridge went from averaging 9.6 minutes a game to averaging 16.5 minutes after that game. Meanwhile, Williams averaged 2.3 minutes per game through January and didn’t play from January 15 until February 19.

Waiting for his time took a toll. Cambridge listened as Williams started to have doubts.

"I think he felt a little down — not down, but like he felt like, ‘Am I not good? Why am I not playing?’ " Cambridge said. “He felt that.”

Coach Bruce Pearl always told the freshmen to “stay right, stay ready,” so Cambridge repeated that back to Williams. He reinforced Williams' work habits, telling him to stay in the gym and keep working.

Williams finally got his chance, and he took advantage of it. When he returned to the floor on February 19 against Georgia, he went hard and snagged six rebounds and two steals. He played 16 minutes and then came out again three days later against Tennessee. He scored a career-high eight points that day and also made three steals and two rebounds.

From then on, until the rest of the season, Williams played at least 10 minutes a game. He showed off his athleticism with jaw-dropping dunks and continued to be a presence on the boards.

Even so, Cambridge, who sees Williams in practice, only described it as Williams proving himself “a little bit.” His improvement was cut short when COVID-19 cancelled the rest of the NCAA season.

But when he walked back onto the court, it was like the break never happened. Jamal Johnson said Williams picked up right where he left off. And then, a few weeks later, Williams took it to the next level. Pearl noticed, enough to give him an individual shoutout.

“I’m gonna give a little props to one of my players,” Pearl said. “Jaylin Williams just the last couple of weeks I think has really come on and has played and stepped up a little bit and created a little bit of separation for himself.”

Williams said during the time off, he worked on his all-around game, motivated by his desire for more minutes on the court. He practiced ball-handling, rebounding and making plays. Once he got more work in with Auburn’s strength coach and conditioning coach, he was able to strengthen his “bad knees” and make his ankles more flexible. As a result, Williams returned as a more athletic, more skilled ball player.

When asked just how much Williams has improved, Flanigan laughed a little. He’s “a lot more athletic.” He’s been doing a whole list of things well, according to Flanigan, like playing all over the rim, challenging people vertically and keeping players in front of him on defense. He’s been scoring, rebounding and creating opportunities for others, Cambridge added. He’s also been leading, which is an extremely important skill on a team filled with youth.

“Y’all know we’re a young team,” Williams said. “We have to have a leader somewhere, and I’m trying to fit that role.”

When they practice, it seems like Williams can’t lose. Cambridge said his win percentage is very high. He’s been reminding Johnson a bit of Chuma Okeke — “a left-handed version.” Once the season arrives and Williams faces opponents other than his teammates, he’s going to be a match-up problem, Johnson said. He plays the four, but he can do more than your average forward.

“He’s 6-8 but he can put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the 3 and he’s really athletic,” Johnson said. “So, I mean, whoever’s guarding him is going to be hard for the opposing team because of his dual-threat with shooting, dribbling, passing, posting up, finishing.”

For Pearl, who has a team full of unknowns with five freshmen and seven sophomores, Williams' improvement is encouraging.

“I’m just excited about where he’s at, as well,” Pearl said.

[bigbird 60,501]

1 hour ago, gr82be said:

"...because of his dual-threat with shooting, dribbling, passing, posting up, finishing.”

Dual? 😂

[gr82be 14,423]

11 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Dual? 😂

I didn't even catch that lol. Would be something though if he does remind us of Chuma from time to time with his play. Your post in the other thread about the Gonzaga game is dead on. At least we know watching a Bruce coached team that we have a chance to win any game, the guys will be prepared and they will get better through development as individual players as well as a team. Something we all know is missing in football right now. 

[Rednilla 5,389]

2 hours ago, gr82be said:

Would be something though if he does remind us of Chuma from time to time with his play.

If he plays at anything close to the level Chuma did, then I think we'll be pretty dynamic top to bottom. I'm expecting Coop to be a slightly taller Jared Harper, and I think Powell is going to be the sniper, with Thor coming on as the inside/outside threat. If we get that last one from Williams, as well, with the stellar play we saw from Cambridge down the stretch last year and the outstanding defense from Flanigan, this team could come together to be something pretty special by the time the season is through. 

[jared52 4,354]

7 hours ago, Rednilla said:

If he plays at anything close to the level Chuma did, then I think we'll be pretty dynamic top to bottom. I'm expecting Coop to be a slightly taller Jared Harper, and I think Powell is going to be the sniper, with Thor coming on as the inside/outside threat. If we get that last one from Williams, as well, with the stellar play we saw from Cambridge down the stretch last year and the outstanding defense from Flanigan, this team could come together to be something pretty special by the time the season is through. 

Coop won’t be hitting those logo 3s. That’s what made Jared different. He might have the handles and get to the rim like Jared (we can hope) but those daggers were deadly. 
 

A consistent collegiate shooter is my concern this year, but there are more guys who can shoot for sure. And looking at what Bruce did with Anfernee has me confident he will help a lot of guys improve that part of their game. 

[Rednilla 5,389]

On 10/30/2020 at 6:24 PM, jared52 said:

Coop won’t be hitting those logo 3s. That’s what made Jared different. He might have the handles and get to the rim like Jared (we can hope) but those daggers were deadly. 

Yeah, I'm sure you're right. But that's who Bruce compared Coop to when he first saw him in 9th grade, so I dunno.

[Grumps 3,704]

On 10/30/2020 at 6:24 PM, jared52 said:

Coop won’t be hitting those logo 3s. That’s what made Jared different. He might have the handles and get to the rim like Jared (we can hope) but those daggers were deadly. 
 

A consistent collegiate shooter is my concern this year, but there are more guys who can shoot for sure. And looking at what Bruce did with Anfernee has me confident he will help a lot of guys improve that part of their game. 

Was Jared hitting those 3's in high school? Cooper may be improving his shooting right now!

[jared52 4,354]

2 hours ago, Grumps said:

Was Jared hitting those 3's in high school? Cooper may be improving his shooting right now!

No, but expecting him to hit those 3s this season, which your comment seemed to be about, isn’t realistic. 

[Tiger 8,819]

I know Bruce has praised Johnson for raising his level of play in the off-season but to be honest what this team needs is Turbo to have been that guy making the biggest strides

[jared52 4,354]

My hope is Stretch looks less uncoordinated and can become a McLemore-esque rim protector. I’d love a guy who can play with his back to the basket as well but I’m an old school Post guy who still uses the hook shot in church league. 

[Rednilla 5,389]

On 11/1/2020 at 9:40 AM, jared52 said:

No, but expecting him to hit those 3s this season, which your comment seemed to be about, isn’t realistic. 

That was my comment, actually, and I conceded the point.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

I think we will have more outside shooters than last year. I think Cooper can hit the three not quite at the Harper Level but be good. Powell who I have heard is practicing a lot at PG as backup for Cooper. Cambridge was coming on last year and has added a lot of muscle which makes shooting more effortless if good muscle, Johnson and from what I have read Thor can shoot the three. I have not heard enough about the other freshman to say if any can add to our outside game. We will be very young but also very long.  

If we can stay competitive and not get blown out early when we play some really good teams like Gonzaga and Baylor this team could develop into a really good team by end of year. This may not be the best team ever at Auburn because I don't know if we have a superstar type go to player but this may be the best team across the board where every player looks like they are talented. It will be interesting to see how many of these young men Bruce can work into the playing rotation. Ideally he will be able to rotate more by units with each unit having its own strength.