2020 Recruiting: Ismael Massoud (Wake Forest transfer)

[Stainmaster]

 

[uchusky32]

Stain, you know anything about this kid. Didn't watch Wake games. And I know, young whippersnapper, that I could google but this is the yard!

 

[navery12]

Stain, you know anything about this kid. Didn't watch Wake games. And I know, young whippersnapper, that I could google but this is the yard!

He played with Bouk and Springs in HS, solid player in limited minutes as a freshman last year and shot 40% from 3

 

[Fatroony5]

@Storrs South was all over this right after DM got fired. Watched a few games of his, kid can really fill it up. Little surprised he didn’t get more run towards the end of the season for them (didn’t really watch Wake so maybe someone can fill us in on why). Very intrigued by this.

 

[UconnU]

Kid can REALLY stretch the floor. Lights out 3 point shooter.

 

[the Q]

6-8 200 pounds

He can be a stretchy 4ish. Definitely would need a little more bulk though.

His per 40s and bpm were all solid or better (and better bpm than martin’s frosh year at uri). And he was In the ACC...

...But it was in 12mpg.

There’s some risk. But his size and shooting are a good fit for the roster. Especially if he gets a waiver.

Obviously this kid wouldn’t be a normal priority A.

But this late in the game and he was at one time a top 100 kid. With size and shooting. Unless Hurley thinks he’s landing fats, or sanogo. I’m not sure how many better guys are out there that we have a shot at.

 

[kansashusky]

I thought we wanted a power forward. This kid’s game is nothing like Sanogo or Mac. Need big help, not another wing.

 

[navery12]

I thought we wanted a power forward. This kid’s game is nothing like Sanogo or Mac. Need big help, not another wing.

I think it all depends how you define "power forward", whether it's in the older example or in the modern stretch 4. I would take Sanogo and Mac for the long term benefit but feel like a big man is the least of our needs next year

 

[bendm]

I thought we wanted a power forward. This kid’s game is nothing like Sanogo or Mac. Need big help, not another wing.

sanogo and mac qualify as best available but if hurley wants an akok replacement then he's looking at stretch PFs

 

[the Q]

I think it all depends how you define "power forward", whether it's in the older example or in the modern stretch 4. I would take Sanogo and Mac for the long term benefit but feel like a big man is the least of our needs next year

I’m not sure there’s much of a debate that stretch 4 is the biggest need for the 20-21 roster.

Third ball handler is a hole, but a tough spot to fill with this open spot.

Shooter anywhere could be helpful.

 

[the Q]

sanogo and mac qualify as best available but if hurley wants an akok replacement then he's looking at stretch PFs

You take those guys because of their long term value for sure. But there’s already 4 centers on the roster for 20-21.

 

[Get a Job]

You take those guys because of their long term value for sure. But there’s already 4 centers on the roster for 20-21.

Just to play devil's advocate: One center stinks, one is way undersized, two have never played a college game, and one of those two is an eighteen year old that has never played against good competition.

 

[navery12]

I’m not sure there’s much of a debate that stretch 4 is the biggest need for the 20-21 roster.

Third ball handler is a hole, but a tough spot to fill with this open spot.

Shooter anywhere could be helpful.

I've argued ball handler (El Amin) over stretch 4 but that's really just a preference and admittedly a toss-up. I'm excluding Mac and Sanogo from my analysis because those are long term plays and with a strong roster I have no issue using a 13th scholarship to get a great player a year early.

My point was if we're talking strictly 2020 there's not a lot of minutes for a traditional big compared to a stretch 4/ball handler. Carlton and Javonte Brown Ferguson are strictly a 5, Whaley and Springs are 4/5's who are much closer to 5's. Even if we play big half the time that's 60 minutes between those 4 and I think that's basically covered already

 

[superjohn]

Who are the 4 centers that we already have?

 

[navery12]

Who are the 4 centers that we already have?

Whaley, Carlton, Brown Ferguson, Springs

 

[superjohn]

Whaley, Carlton, Brown Ferguson, Springs

I'm sold on Whaley having turned himself into an undersized center and our starting center but when did Springs become a center?

 

[navery12]

I'm sold on Whaley having turned himself into an undersized center and our starting center but when did Springs become a center?

He's the one I'm willing to at least commit to playing a 5-10 minutes at the 4, especially if Whaley is the 5 with him. But for me a 6'10 guy with limited range outside 10-15' is more C than PF to me. At least when so many Big East teams will run a 6'5 guard at the 4

If I'm wrong and Springs is Akok where defenses respect him from 3 I take back everything I've said but I thought he was more mid-range than stretch 4

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I have to ask, if he were that good wouldn't he play more than 12mpg and well...score more than 5 points a game? I know Rome wasn't built in a day but does this kind of production for a mediocre team help us get better?

To paraphrase Brad Pitt in Moneyball, "if he's a scorer then why doesn't he score?"

 

[Stainmaster]

I have to ask, if he were that good wouldn't he play more than 12mpg and well...score more than 5 points a game? I know Rome wasn't built in a day but does this kind of production for a mediocre team help us get better?

To paraphrase Brad Pitt in Moneyball, "if he's a scorer then why doesn't he score?"

Not all freshmen are instant-impact guys. Especially not those in difficult conferences playing for clearly overmatched coaches.

 

[navery12]

I have to ask, if he were that good wouldn't he play more than 12mpg and well...score more than 5 points a game? I know Rome wasn't built in a day but does this kind of production for a mediocre team help us get better?

To paraphrase Brad Pitt in Moneyball, "if he's a scorer then why doesn't he score?"

Isaiah Whaley played 1 more MPG than Massoud freshman year. Should we have dismissed him as an impact player?

 

[superjohn]

He's the one I'm willing to at least commit to playing a 5-10 minutes at the 4, especially if Whaley is the 5 with him. But for me a 6'10 guy with limited range outside 10-15' is more C than PF to me. At least when so many Big East teams will run a 6'5 guard at the 4

If I'm wrong and Springs is Akok where defenses respect him from 3 I take back everything I've said but I thought he was more mid-range than stretch 4

He didn't look like a center the couple of times I saw him play but maybe that's changed. Who would be our power forwards if we have 4 centers?

 

[bendm]

Who would be our power forwards if we have 4 centers?

therein lies the problem with the roster if akok isnt back for conference play. without a true PF it would have to be a combination of polley, martin, springs, and whaley. maybe AJ too but Hurley says he's gonna be a PG in the nba.

 

[navery12]

He didn't look like a center the couple of times I saw him play but maybe that's changed. Who would be our power forwards if we have 4 centers?

For me personally I'd split it somewhere like Martin (15), Polley (10), Jackson (5), Springs (5), Whaley (5). Maybe Springs 10 and take 5 from Polley or Martin if we're facing a particularly big team

 

[superjohn]

therein lies the problem with the roster if akok isnt back for conference play. without a true PF it would have to be a combination of polley, martin, springs, and whaley, maybe AJ too but Hurley says he's gonna be a PG in the nba.

Yep. Andre isn't a power forward, that would be wasting his talents. We just don't know on Akok, Polley, and Martin.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

If Polley is at all ready at the season start then I think he gets the bulk of the minutes at the 4. He can shoot from deep, he's a smart defender, and it appeared the rebounding light lit up in that last game.

Even if Akok is ready mid season he will be slowed, and limited in minutes, and even last year when healthy was better as a 5 than a 4.