Help Wanted: 4 position

[nwahogfan1]

Please tell me that we will have help next season at the 4 position.  They wouldn't have to excel at the 4 but rather be consistent with production.

.. We need a big banger at the 4 who can get us 8+ RPG, tough inside defense and some put backs.  Doesn't have to shoot the 3 ball.

[onebadrubi]

Thomas has a nice jumper. That's his best shot actually, because he sure can't hit a layup. Cook has some craftiness around the rim, but he doesn't need to shoot it beyond that.

Thomas damn near air balled one from the free throw line.  So no I don't think his jumper is all that good

[ErieHog]

.. We need a big banger at the 4 who can get us 8+ RPG, tough inside defense and some put backs.  Doesn't have to shoot the 3 ball.

Given the minutes played by Thomas, that's about his current rebounding rate given a full spread of starter's minutes, and his defense is pretty decent.

He's got a way to go offensively, and doesn't trust his shot, but its not like that productivity isn't there.

[HogAllMighty]

I'll take a Nicky Davis type right about now.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

We have about 7 tight ends on the football team. Surely one of them can offer more than dustin Thomas.

Joe dean Davenport played some quality minutes for Nolan along with matt jones for heath.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Dustin Thomas looks like Bruno Mars....that's gotta be worth a couple points right 
I expect both Arlando Cook and Adrio Bailey to surpass Thomas going into next season

[The_Iceman]

Dustin Thomas looks like Bruno Mars....that's gotta be worth a couple points right 
I expect both Arlando Cook and Adrio Bailey to surpass Thomas going into next season

I honestly just don't see it with Cook. No explosiveness, can't shoot, not a great rebounder or finisher. At least Thomas has some moves. I think Bailey will emerge over Cook, and challenge Thomas for #1 PF.

[ErieHog]

We have about 7 tight ends on the football team. Surely one of them can offer more than dustin Thomas.

Joe dean Davenport played some quality minutes for Nolan along with matt jones for heath.

No, not 'surely'-- that's the same type of non-thinking that says  'Well, it can't get any worse than it is now'-- well, yes it can.  It can get a lot worse.

[hview]

Bell was a pretty good basketball player, before he decided to pursue football in college.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

I honestly just don't see it with Cook. No explosiveness, can't shoot, not a great rebounder or finisher. At least Thomas has some moves. I think Bailey will emerge over Cook, and challenge Thomas for #1 PF.

Does he though? He holds his own defensively, but is a big liability on offense

[ErieHog]

Does he though? He holds his own defensively, but is a big liability on offense

He shows polished footwork, even if the finishing isn't there yet;  he has good awareness of how to pass out of a triple threat position, but his recognition lags-- that is the kind of thing that comes with reps and time.   

He's been clocking between the 7th and 8th most minutes on the floor for this team, from game to game--  he'd definitely be 8th if Tray had figured out how not to pick up fast cheap fouls earlier.   

[razorhead94]

I honestly just don't see it with Cook. No explosiveness, can't shoot, not a great rebounder or finisher. At least Thomas has some moves. I think Bailey will emerge over Cook, and challenge Thomas for #1 PF.

You mean moves on how to double dribble in open court with no one around him?  I just don't see the Thomas fascination.  He can play defense and rebound and it stops there.  Cook does have explosiveness and actually has a jump shot.  I would almost consider him a 3/4 combo wing/forward.

[Sportster365]

I'm hoping Gafford can come in and be as impactful as a freshman as Portis. It very possible these days, we see many first year players adjusting to the college game much faster than in the past.

Cook and Thomas both have potential but both lack aggression or a tenacity to attack the basket, scoring or rebounding.

[The_Iceman]

I'm hoping Gafford can come in and be as impactful as a freshman as Portis. It very possible these days, we see many first year players adjusting to the college game much faster than in the past.

Cook and Thomas both have potential but both lack aggression or a tenacity to attack the basket, scoring or rebounding.

Gafford's impact will be different from Portis. Portis was more of an offensive threat, while Gafford is a defensive threat. Gafford should replace Kingsley pretty well, but he will actually be better finishing around the rim than Moses.

https://twitter.com/Ben__Creighton/status/840451428011261954

(Btw, #3 is Desi Sills)

[onebadrubi]

I'm hoping Gafford can come in and be as impactful as a freshman as Portis. It very possible these days, we see many first year players adjusting to the college game much faster than in the past.

Cook and Thomas both have potential but both lack aggression or a tenacity to attack the basket, scoring or rebounding.

Not to put any pressure on him or anything,  but he HAS too for this team to have success in the out of conference schedule next year.

[HogAllMighty]

You mean moves on how to double dribble in open court with no one around him?  I just don't see the Thomas fascination.  He can play defense and rebound and it stops there.  Cook does have explosiveness and actually has a jump shot.  I would almost consider him a 3/4 combo wing/forward.

If I'm not mistaken wasn't Thomas a 4 star boarderline 5 star recruit for Colorado?

[HogBreath]

Coty Clarke calls bs on this.

Clarke was a 4?

[HogBreath]

If I'm not mistaken wasn't Thomas a 4 star boarderline 5 star recruit for Colorado?

You are mistaken.  And it's borderline, you're not renting rooms here, lol.

[Youngsta71701]

You are mistaken.  And it's borderline, you're not renting rooms here, lol.

Looks like he was a high 3 star coming out of high school according to most recruiting services. He played his 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons Colorado before transferring to Arkansas.

http://www.espn.com/colleges/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/38/class/2013
https://colorado.rivals.com/commitments/basketball/2013
http://247sports.com/Player/Dustin-Thomas-24116

[Exit Pursued by a Boar]

We have about 7 tight ends on the football team. Surely one of them can offer more than dustin Thomas.

Joe dean Davenport played some quality minutes for Nolan along with matt jones for heath.

Way back in the day we had a guy named Robert? Brannon who played both football and basketball. I think he was a DE, but he played PF on the court.

EFBAB

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Way back in the day we had a guy named Robert? Brannon who played both football and basketball. I think he was a DE, but he played PF on the court.

EFBAB

Yes, I've posted about Brannon before.  He was basically a goon in basketball, and I use that term in the most loving and complimentary way possible.  But you did not run into one of his screens and emerge unscathed.

We need someone like him.

[ErieHog]

Clarke was a 4?.

We used him a lot of different ways;  in some of our 3 forward sets, he did a lot of the things more expected of a traditional 5,  but there were very large elements of his game that were 4ish

[HogBreath]

We used him a lot of different ways;  in some of our 3 forward sets, he did a lot of the things more expected of a traditional 5,  but there were very large elements of his game that were 4ish

Talented guy with a unique skillset for sure.  Pretty good at about every phase of the game.  I always thought of him as more of a big 3.

[AlmaHog2011]

Dont mind Cook except he gets his shot blocked half the time. Learn to use a pump fake.

Just weak around the basket. Expect some improvements next year. We need a 4 that can atleast dunk the ball. Never in my life can I remember a worse 4 situation than we have now.
My hope is Gafford can play the 4 and Thompson can get in better shape and play a lot of minutes next season.