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@InsideTheArc: JUCO PF Ivan Uceda has committed to Miami. Was visiting this weekend.
Think they go JUCO again for one more player to balance out roster
But lets get onto Ivan. These games were also at a tip off classic so they were early in the season so he has almost had a full year to improve.
He is definitely a solid pick up. But don't expect a starter from him. He will be a guy who comes in for 2 years and gives quality minutes playing defense and finishing down low. He will be a very solid role player for this team in the future at the very least. But then again has shown an ability to get the most out of his players.
But lets get onto Ivan. These games were also at a tip off classic so they were early in the season so he has almost had a full year to improve.
He is definitely a solid pick up. But don't expect a starter from him. He will be a guy who comes in for 2 years and gives quality minutes playing defense and finishing down low. He will be a very solid role player for this team in the future at the very least. But then again has shown an ability to get the most out of his players.
I responded on the other board (ha) but I wanted to offer a bit of a reply to this as well. Looking at his game log, and which games you watched that are available on Youtube (which I admittedly, did not watch) - those were not only early in the year, but he had missed four games, presumably due to injury, and those were his first two back. Later in the year, he became a starter with much more consistent production and I imagine he looked like a different player. I would think some of what you noticed - lack of physicality in rebounding and defense, and tentative shot blocking - might also have been him adjusting to the refs and style of basketball in this country. I just can't see how someone who averaged 12.4 rebounds per game as a starter (17 games) and had 8 games of 15 rebounds or more (including games of 19, 18 and 17) isn't a good rebounder unless those games came against children. In terms of shot-blocking, he doesn't appear to be a major shot-blocker, but did have a couple of games where he nabbed 3.
As a starter later in the year, he appeared to be a much more assertive, confident player. I wouldn't expect him to start right away next year - if Kelly plays well, he will start at the 4 next to Jekiri as a senior, most likely, and we may have a graduate transfer in the mix too. Cruz Uceda can play both the 4 and the 5 off the bench and I expect us to use that versatility to give different looks. There's absolutely no reason to believe he wouldn't start consistently his senior year - he'll be next to Jekiri (presumably), and there's no reason to believe that Sherman or anyone else would have developed ahead of him by that point. If we get a blowaway transfer or 2015 kid, obviously, we can revisit this, but he almost has to start just by virtue of the roster composition.
2014-15 Roster: (This will not include Elder or Griffin)
PG: Lecomte (So.), Rodriguez (Rd. Jr.) and Newton (Fr.)
SG: Burnett (So.), McClellan (Rd. Jr.) and Palmer (Fr.)
SF: Reed (So.)
PF: Kelly (Sr.) and Sherman (So.)
C: Jekiri (Jr.) and Uceda (Jr.)*
*Uceda at Center for now*
With 2 open scholarships, I would take (as Josh stated) a graduate transfer if we need the depth but if not go young and grab a HS Senior at Center. We could use the spacing with 2 Juniors at the position. With the other open ship I would take a SF/PF.
I'd like to see him play some this year. I just saw a different type player than what is being said about him from most reports.
2014-15 Roster: (This will not include Elder or Griffin)
PG: Lecomte (So.), Rodriguez (Rd. Jr.) and Newton (Fr.)
SG: Burnett (So.), McClellan (Rd. Jr.) and Palmer (Fr.)
SF: Reed (So.)
PF: Kelly (Sr.) and Sherman (Fr.)
C: Jekiri (Jr.) and Uceda (Jr.)*
*Uceda at Center for now*
With 2 open scholarships, I would take (as Josh stated) a graduate transfer if we need the depth but if not go young and grab a HS Senior at Center. We could use the spacing with 2 Juniors at the position. With the other open ship I would take a SF/PF.
Sherman would be a FR.
I'd like to see him play some this year. I just saw a different type player than what is being said about him from most reports.
Absolutely. Not saying what you saw is wrong or invalid, but just wanted to provide some more context. It looks like he made a big leap in production as the year progressed, and so I expect that the "scouting report" would likely be very different.
I'd like to see him play some this year. I just saw a different type player than what is being said about him from most reports. That player is someone I think will make a very good addition to this team. But I do hope that that injury did plau a factor in those games.
Of course Josh I agree. After looking at his stats and seeing his consistency on the boards I have definitely changed my opinion in that regard. But seeing his 3 point shooting percentage makes me feel a lot different than others when its comes to him being a 3 point threat.