2024 Recruiting

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Have you not watched his film?
Finally got around to watching some video with Bethea's perimeter shot. My critique is he appears to hold the ball at his waist when he starts to rise from the floor and sorta releases the ball from maybe face-high. If I'm right, he's likely to eat some leather with that form.

When I was a little kid and saw my first NBA (Knicks) game at the old MSG in NYC, there were still a few old time players who put up "set shots" from outside, delivered with either one or both hands from the chest.

Unlike them, Bethea has a jump shot but ... that low release sorta had a push/set shot quality to it. Then again, that impression is from watching him take just a handful of jumpers. I could be all wrong.
 
Finally got around to watching some video with Bethea's perimeter shot. My critique is he appears to hold the ball at his waist when he starts to rise from the floor and sorta releases the ball from maybe face-high. If I'm right, he's likely to eat some leather with that form.

When I was a little kid and saw my first NBA (Knicks) game at the old MSG in NYC, there were still a few old time players who put up "set shots" from outside, delivered with either one or both hands from the chest.

Unlike them, Bethea has a jump shot but ... that low release sorta had a push/set shot quality to it. Then again, that impression is from watching him take just a handful of jumpers. I could be all wrong.
It's a very long release with a lot of wasted motion. Closeouts are going to give him issues but his form is fairly correctible. Reminds me a bit of Zay in his earlier years at Miami. There's good lift given his athleticism.
 
Never heard of any player, in any sport, being top 150 or 200 in a statistical category and being labeled as good in that statistic. You say Sam was a pretty good rim protector. The other guy said Sam was a good rim protector. I think Sam was adequate at best. Was an okay shot blocker. Last thing I want to do is come across as disparaging or unappreciative of Sam's time at Miami. I'll just end it by saying my definition of "good" is probably just a little higher than some of you. GO CANES!!!
By that logic we didn't have a single good scorer on the team last year. Wong finished at 16.1 for 164th in the country. I'll agree to disagree on your definition of what's good.
 
It's a very long release with a lot of wasted motion. Closeouts are going to give him issues but his form is fairly correctible. Reminds me a bit of Zay in his earlier years at Miami. There's good lift given his athleticism.
He is QUICK and already has the Jack McLinton "step back" move to get him more space to get his shot off. Agree about the wasted motion and long release.

Optimally, I'd like to see him release the ball from a higher point than he does now. He is, though, 6'4 or so and that helps too.
 
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Never heard of any player, in any sport, being top 150 or 200 in a statistical category and being labeled as good in that statistic. You say Sam was a pretty good rim protector. The other guy said Sam was a good rim protector. I think Sam was adequate at best. Was an okay shot blocker. Last thing I want to do is come across as disparaging or unappreciative of Sam's time at Miami. I'll just end it by saying my definition of "good" is probably just a little higher than some of you. GO CANES!!!

Yes, being top 150-200 in a category in college basketball absolutely makes you good in that category. Being top ~150 puts you in the ~97th percentile. It's even more impressive when you consider that Sam played in the ACC as well as deep into March, so he played against much better competition than the average player he's being compared against.

If you think blocks per game is a more meaningful statistic...well you might want to modernize your understanding of college basketball numbers...
 
By that logic we didn't have a single good scorer on the team last year. Wong finished at 16.1 for 164th in the country. I'll agree to disagree on your definition of what's good.
A lot of people just don't realize how many college basketball players there are.
 
Yes, being top 150-200 in a category in college basketball absolutely makes you good in that category. Being top ~150 puts you in the ~97th percentile. It's even more impressive when you consider that Sam played in the ACC as well as deep into March, so he played against much better competition than the average player he's being compared against.

If you think blocks per game is a more meaningful statistic...well you might want to modernize your understanding of college basketball numbers...
By that logic we didn't have a single good scorer on the team last year. Wong finished at 16.1 for 164th in the country. I'll agree to disagree on your definition of what's good.

Y'all do realize there are guards who averaged more blocked shots than Sam did his senior year, right? I mean, statistically his best year blocking shots wasn't better than some guards. Don't know too many people who'd call a 6'10" guy a very good shot blocker when he's averaging less than 6'3" guards.

Again, I'm not saying he was a terrible shot blocker. I'm just saying he was bad early in his career, but improved his last 2 seasons and was okay. Became an adequate, serviceable shot blocker. Just wouldn't say he was very good at it.
 
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Y'all do realize there are guards who averaged more blocked shots than Sam did his senior year, right? I mean, statistically his best year blocking shots wasn't better than some guards. Don't know too many people who'd call a 6'10" guy a good or very good shot blocker when he's averaging less than 6'3" guards.
No one is arguing he was a great rim protector when he started here. The argument is he was a good (not great) rim protector by the time he left.

If you don't think a 97th percentile shot blocker is good, there's not much more to say. The mere existence of a 98th percentile shot-blocking guard doesn't mean that a 97th percentile shot-blocking big isn't good.
 
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On the first dunk he almost has his entire arm in the rim. Up to his elbow Like a Vince Carter dunk.
This kid is legit. Yes his jump shot needs some work, like 99% of high school players. But his athleticism at 6’4” is amazing. I hope we have a lot of success his freshman season because he is 1 and done. I also hope our NIL deal is great because this young man has options other than going to college, OT Elite, G-League.
 
No one is arguing he was a great rim protector when he started here. The argument is he was a good (not great) rim protector by the time he left.

If you don't think a 97th percentile shot blocker is good, there's not much more to say. The mere existence of a 98th percentile shot-blocking guard doesn't mean that a 97th percentile shot-blocking big isn't good.
I’m curious. When saying he’s top 98% percentile is that including all levels of college basketball, or just D-I? Power 5? ACC? What does it entail? When I go thru the stat sheets and see a guard averaging more than a big man that’s not a good sign. Can you imagine calling your SG a good 3-point shooter but he's not top 100 and you got big men shooting at a better clip? Numbers aside, good thing I saw Sam play throughout his 6 years here. I trust my eyes, because my eyes tell me he went from being a bad shot blocker to an average one. That's not a slight on him. Just going off what I saw. I'd like to think if Sam was indeed a good shot blocker, with the way he shoots the ball he'd be in the NBA not in Australia. Good shot blocking ability usually translates across the board, from one level to the next. I doubt good shot blockers average 0.8 in Australia's NBL.

Bottom line, to me a 6'10" guy barely averaging over a block a game in his 6th year doesn't equate to being good at it.
 
On the first dunk he almost has his entire arm in the rim. Up to his elbow Like a Vince Carter dunk.
This kid is legit. Yes his jump shot needs some work, like 99% of high school players. But his athleticism at 6’4” is amazing. I hope we have a lot of success his freshman season because he is 1 and done. I also hope our NIL deal is great because this young man has options other than going to college, OT Elite, G-League.
This kid is very impressive. The more and more I watch, the more and more I like. Some are saying he may be the 2nd best player in the entire class. Coach L got him a good one!
 
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At this rate, he might be a one and done. Honestly, I am fine with that. That is good for him and the program.
I wonder after they get a commitment from a big, do they try to go all in on VJ Edgecombe.
It definitely doesn't hurt to try!

Jalil is coming in as a 1 and done if all goes well for him. I'm afraid the VJ ship has sailed on from Miami. Hope I'm wrong, but don't even think he has an official visit set up with us.
 
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Young man is a beast! He has insane athletic ability, a jump shot that is miles ahead of Wong’s out of high school, and has great vision too. Those assists were filthy, as were some of his dunks.

Mario should let Coach L mentor him. I’m sure he’d learn a few things from him (not X and O’s related) that could help him become a much better overall HC.
 
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