Not my sole reason or a reason at all really. Watching Irvin and knowing Matthews skill and the things he’s improved this year, he will be better.
I certainly want you to be correct. And if you’re involved with the program or have seen multiple practices, I’ll feel more confident in Matthews’s offensive ability for next year. It just seems like it’s the norm for JB and/or insider types to hype players during their redshirt years. We’ll see. I’m glad to have Matthews and hope he’s great.
I expect Matthews to be a better rebounder/defender than Irvin. On the offensive side, I don’t think CM (at least initially) will be as good of a ball handler/distributor as Irvin, but I do think he will be a better finisher and provide a lot in terms of back door cuts and transition opportunities. If CM can be a 33%+ shooter from beyond the arc, I will take that.
Agreed. Duncan’s d and rebounding is Wayyyy better last few games but overall zaks d is key. We have s ton of offense still with the other four. His d really helps.
That said I’d be ok if his minutes were 28-30. More for Duncan and even x.
This is so huge for next year’s prospects, because it’s more of an indirect reflection of just how promising Mo/DJ/MAAR/X (kind of)/Duncan’s collective offensive potential is. Clearly, losing Walton could be a huge adjustment for the team (I keep thinking of IU losing Yogi), but for the first few months of this season, we were all holding our breath, hoping that CM could instantly provide offense. Now, it at least seems, that will be a luxury in addition to the defensive/rebounding/athleticism upgrade that he will already bring.
Agree 100%.
I’m sure it’s tough for him. For three years, he’s been one of the top options on the team, maybe even the go-to guy. I’m sure he’s had NBA aspirations along the way, too. Now, not only is he personally struggling badly, but the team has shown it can play great on offense with him being almost a complete non-factor. Tough, but if he’s a team first guy, he needs to play within himself and focus on defense and rebounding for us.
I don’t know. Irvin can’t make outside shots now at all. Even if Mathews is just as bad of a shooter, he’s way more athletic and won’t get blocked at the rim nearly as much. And even now, Irvin’s passing has become terrible too.
I think Irvin will have at least two more huge games for us.
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Zak was pretty good against Wisconsin and Rutgers, going for a combined 34 points, 5-11 from 3s, 11 rebounds, 6 assists (against 3 TOs). Two recent big wins that we may not have had without his good play. His defense, especially the flexibility, is valuable even when his offense is not on. Just because he’s not as good as we’d hoped he’d be doesn’t mean he’s not valuable, as long as he defers on offense, particularly when he’s not hitting shots.
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Agreed. Hundred percent
The difference is, Matthews has already shown that he was a stud defender at Kentucky.
What does Brady Hoke have to do with the fact that Zak Irvin is shooting 38.3% from the field and 25.8% from 3 in conference play? You’re reaching. He has been terrible.
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And even with those huge games, his percentages and efficiency numbers are atrocious. Says a lot.
I read through the Purdue blog’s gamethread and there were numerous comments about how bad of a liability Irvin is for us, and that was with him only taking 8 shots.
Maybe we beat OSU, MSU, and Minnesota if Irvin wasn’t so bad offensively 6 for 31 (2 of 14 from three).
He also showed he’s a terrible 3-point shooter and awful foul shooter. What’s your point?
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It’s only reaching if you can’t follow the simple comparison, which, unsurprisingly you can’t.
There is absolutely no reason to be hostile there…
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He’s a sophomore who had one year of college ball in limited minutes. He can improve that. Zak is a senior who has shot at a 30% clip for 2 straight seasons. This is who he is.
Not hostile. Just honestly can’t comprehend how he can’t follow the simple comparison. During the Hoke years, Gardner was the whipping boy of choice. Many fans were openly calling for highly touted, but unproven Shane Morris, thinking the QB play could not possible be worse. That went well.
Charles Mathews is more proven than Shane Morris, but he only averaged 10 mpg at UK (less down the stretch). He’ll probably be a good defender, but he very well could be worse on offense.