Watched some tape on both of these guys they both can shoot the 3 ball really well. Both would probably play the 4 spot in our system. Which is interesting, I would think the staff would be looking for more 5’s than 4’s at this point.
I can’t speak for Baked, but my post was meant to find out more about these guys, not to criticize the staff. I just thought it was interesting to see them evaluating some guys that would play the 4, considering we have Chaney, Bailey, and Gabe that currently play that position. I’m wondering if that means they think Chaney could give them some minutes at the 5 spot if needed if they really liked one of these guys and offered.
TBH, I really liked what I saw in both of these guys highlight tapes, I love stretch 4’s. That’s one of the reasons I really didn’t want to see Hazen go. The last stretch 4 we had was Coty Clarke and he still to this date has been the best 4 that has played for CMA here at Arkansas.
You forgot Henderson. My comment was more in the lines of the staff looking at Cooper, then just before CMA goes to see him, two new interior guys shows up. To me that doesn’t look like a good sign, but as RD said Mike is just recruiting.
I would prefer Cooper. To me his size and skill set is a unique aspect.
that hankton guy is definitely a small forward and to me he looks like a starter in our offense i really like how fluid his game is he’s the type of small forward I think we’ve been missing 6’8 athletic and can shoot. I thought we had that in brachen but he left so I would be all for this guy coming on board and from what I saw I wouldn’t be surprised if he started at the three for us. Depending on the Garland situation we may still be able to sign a grad transfer big as well
Think he was trying to say Powell was better than Clarke. I gotta disagree with that. Although Powell scored more than Clarke, Clarke was the better overall player IMO. Clarke got a couple 10 day contracts and logged some NBA minutes and Powell never sniffed the NBA.
4: Chaney, Henderson, Phillips (stretch 4), Bailey, Gabe
5: Gafford
If you take either one of those guys, you have another guy similar to Phillips and another guy similar to Chaney. You don’t have another big for Gafford. Cooper has the size and he can hit shots from outside. His size makes him the better prospect.
I highly doubt Henderson plays anything other than the 5 at Arkansas. Maybe at another school he’d play the 4. But, with his current skillset he’ll be a 5 here. I also wouldn’t be shocked if Chaney played some at the 5 position and did something similar to what Trey Thompson did and played at both spots. You have to remember at Arkansas the 4 spot is essentially a SF. Harris, Clarke, Williams, Gabe, and Bailey, all of these guys were listed as SF’s coming out of high school and all have exclusively played at the 4 spot. PF/C usually end up playing the 5 spot at Arkansas. Portis was a traditional PF and he played all his minutes at the 5 spot at Arkansas.
And you need to remember Gafford has to improve. Playing against PF’s won’t help him. Practicing against a 6’10 player with a 7’5 wingspan will make him develop more than practicing against a 6’8 Henderson or Chaney, especially with the fact Cooper can shoot threes and handle the ball. It’ll force Gafford to improve both in the block offensively and defending away from the basket.
These two guys won’t do anything that the current team can’t already do.
You take the best player regardless of position I rather be really strong in one or two areas than questionable at 5 quality depth is what wins not just depth as we learned last year with a roster full of fours that didn’t produce much. Plus it’s not a given any of those guys especially Jordan Phillips, considering he just had surgery, game will transfer well from high school to this league so why not make practice as competitive as possible. And for the record I never see Jordan Phillips playing the four he is a guard/small forward
You take the best player regardless of position I rather be really strong in one or two areas than questionable at 5 quality depth is what wins not just depth as we learned last year with a roster full of fours that didn’t produce much. Plus it’s not a given any of those guys especially Jordan Phillips, considering he just had surgery, game will transfer well from high school to this league so why not make practice as competitive as possible. And for the record I never see Jordan Phillips playing the four he is a guard/small forward
Under normal circumstances I would agree with you but considering what Gafford played against last year in practice and he improved I don’t think he needs to play against another 6"11 to get better. He will no doubt be invited to a big man camp this summer, God willing, and improve there and here on campus
The only big Gafford practiced against last year was Trey Thompson at 6’9, non-athletic, and his wingspan wasn’t that great. I’m sure Henderson is longer than Trey is and way more athletic, Henderson and Chaney both are more in line with the players Gafford would be going against in the NBA than guys like Cook, Thompson, and Thomas. If he improved with those guys, he’ll improve just fine with Henderson and Chaney.
Why do people keep listing holmes like this? He wasn’t put on scholarship was he? I mean no offense, but nobody would know who he was if we didn’t blow out our nonconference opponents early in the year last year, so to be counting him as much of a contributor in the guard rotation and I think that’s a little… Optimistic at best.
I think we should also think about getting a more traditional 5 ( in terms of size of being over 6’9 Not necessarily skill type) to groom as a replacement since we can be fairly sure Gafford is going to be gone next year