Is there anything more Gabe can possibly do to deserve a start?

[ddiction]

Breaking my lengthy message board silence to post this...

Points: Gabe 8.4, Woody 7.8
Rebounds: Gabe 5.8, Woody 5.8
Assists: Gabe 0.3, Woody 0.6
Steals: Gabe 0.3, Woody 0.4
Blocks: Gabe 2.3, Woody 0.4
Turnovers: Gabe 1.0, Woody 1.7
FG%: Gabe 58.5%, Woody 48.1%
FT%: Gabe 80.6%, Woody 63.0%

Minutes: Gabe 17.8, Woody 21.0

Gabe is beating Woody in nearly every single stat, and he's doing it in less minutes. Furthermore, when Woody shoots, he either takes it inside where he gets blocked frequently, or he takes a jumper far away from the hoop with a man in his face, ensuring that if he misses, nobody will be in position for an offensive rebound. When Gabe is in, there is the potential for an electrifying dunk to get the crowd and the team pumped up. When Woody is in, the team has that same potential but only because Aaron White usually plays at the same time.

Gabe has been clearly the better center for at least the past two years (look it up if you want, last year's numbers were more of the same). I can only conclude that Fran made a deal with Woodbury to guarantee him a starting job back when he was trying to pull him away from Roy Williams. There just isn't any other explanation that makes sense to me.

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

Let Woody start,but play Gabe more minutes. Agreed, sad that Woody doesn't appear to be reaching the potential of his HS projections.

 

[hawkjunkie]

Start Gabe in the 2nd half. Same with Jok. We are getting killed the first few minutes of the 2nd half. Time to stop the bleeding. Any other ideas??

 

[drew003]

I think Woody is better for half court execution. Woody can at least score one on one occasionally.

Oleasani is more like the Center version of White, a really active garbage man.

For this team to have any half court success, we are going to have to find a way to consistently post Woody and Utoff. They both struggle holding their position and finishing, but we can't attack the rim off the dribble so it's our only choice.

Oleasani is the superior player in every other respect, but we struggle in the half court so much that we have to try and rely on Woody.

 

[linus19]

I was sitting behind some drunk obnoxious UNI fans last night (who thought they were funnier than they were, but whatever), and they were heckeling him from the upper deck all night. At first I wanted to tell them to shut up because they were driving me crazy (mainly because they yelled a comment after nearly every play), but after Woodbury got blocked I almost felt like joining in. If that kid was a four star, 2 and 1/2 were given out of pity. And Gabe is probably the best player on the team at this point, so yes, start his over Woodbury, and give he 1/3 of Woodbury's minutes on top of that.

 

[1st]

I think the OP was right on target. Fran promised Woody he'd start every game for 4 years to get him to sign. That hasn't worked out too well!

 

[g11]

I think Woody is better for half court execution. Woody can at least score one on one occasionally.

This is true to some extent, but the team just constantly ignores Woody posting up asking for the ball. I'm not sure what the deal is, but with the way this team matches up in the paint they shouldn't go through the scoring droughts we see.

 

[Seth53]

He can give Woody a moped for Christmas.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Woody is the shortest 7 footer I've ever seen play. He plays like he's 6'7. I think he has some positives to his game sure. But if that's what a 4 star 7 foot center looks like in his 3rd year then there aren't very many good ones... If Fran doesn't shake up the lineup some after this game then he's getting close to being as stubborn as Ferentz.

I think they need to play Gabe, Jok and Uhl more. I don't care who starts so much as who plays more. I've seen enough of Clemmons and JO to have them not play as much.

 

[ibahawkeye]

Maybe... But it's hard for me to get too worked up about the playing time between at the 5 spot when the guard play is the issue.

Starting or playing Gabe more probably doesn't have a big impact.

 

[ottoman89]

I agree. After his two blocked dunk attempts and horrid help Defense. I've absolutely grown annoyed with him. He's got the occasional one-on-one post move to score but his mid range jumpers, horrendous blocked layup and dunk attempts are absolutely embarrassing.

A few times last night I found myself screaming at him based on his help Defense, guards drove right in and he was so late and slow to get over.

He doesn't deserve to start, he deserves a bench ROLE.