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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Official Exhibition Game 1 Thread: Wright St.
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FearLeon
10/21/2025 1:29 PM
M.D.W.S.T wrote:expand_more
It.
Is.
A.
Scrimmage.
Need we play the Allen Iverson clip? We talkin' 'bout a scrimmage? We ain't talkin' about a real game. We talkin' about a scrimmage.
It’s just a timed practice, but holy Santa Claus shit is Sheldon bad.

1-7 from 3. Picking right up where he left off last season on a 12/60 tear.
Thanks for looking this up. I knew it was bad...but my god...12-60.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I don't understand how Sheldon is starting. If Sheldon is not hitting at least 33% of his 3's then where is his value on this team?

And also what does this say about Conners right now? I'm at a loss on this one.
Last Edited: 10/21/2025 1:30:50 PM by FearLeon
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FearLeon
10/21/2025 1:32 PM
Ted Thompson wrote:expand_more
Concerning that in Year 2 Evans can't get minutes in first exhibition game.
Careful Ted. We aren't allowed to discuss Evans development in year two on this board.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
10/21/2025 1:55 PM
Sheldon is a 35% three point shooter over ~200 attempts in his career. That's fine. The problem is, his shot volume suggests he's an elite three point shooter. And he's not, outside of a stretch his sophomore year.

Put it this way: his career 3p% is the same as Elmore James. If James took 10 3PA per 100 possessions, we'd all lose our minds.
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GraffZ06
10/21/2025 2:17 PM
But also agree we shan't panic over a random scrimmage.
Obligatory (and true) preface to all analysis.

Also troubling nugget, Simmons fouling out in just 22 minutes of play and Breath nearly fouling out in 17 minutes of play. Third troubling item, JP with 0 assists.


Coaches agreed before the game there were no foul outs. If this were a real game both would have likely played LESS. This is what happens when you show up overweight and out of shape (Simmons) and the other team gets physical with you. They were also inside Simmons AND Hadaways heads. Both constantly talking to refs at every dead ball, complaining after every no call. Then trying to act hard going after the WSU guys. They got schooled.

At least Hadaway got away with being a punk to draw the T when he tried to walk into/through the WSU players huddle during the on floor timeout for blood. I was watching the WSU bench then saw him flail as the WSU guy pushed him and then the T. Then he pulled the absurd "I'm gonna do push-ups on the court" act. Maybe figure out how to not give up 18 offensive rebounds before you tout how tough you are.

[Quote=Andrew Ruck]
Looking at the box score, Boals sure seemed to play to win. Overall seems like it was a 24-25 season type game...winnable mediocre at best opponent and we can't get over the hump with bad outside shooting, bigs foul trouble, and limited successful ball distribution from the guards.[/OUTER_QUOTE]

It felt like we played to win too. Thats what's most sad. This felt exactly like a week day road MAC game in January. Head scratching and generally awful.
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M.D.W.S.T
10/21/2025 2:19 PM
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
Sheldon is a 35% three point shooter over ~200 attempts in his career. That's fine. The problem is, his shot volume suggests he's an elite three point shooter. And he's not, outside of a stretch his sophomore year.

Put it this way: his career 3p% is the same as Elmore James. If James took 10 3PA per 100 possessions, we'd all lose our minds.
The glaring problem is he is still shooting like he has a green light. He was a bad shooter last season, and it got worse as the season went on. That 12/60 # is from January forward. And then in this game... 7 attempts. He's been trying to shoot himself out a 'slump' for two years and he's only shooting us in foot.
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GraffZ06
10/21/2025 2:25 PM
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
Seems like Simmons and Pavs should be running pick and rolls and be 1 and 1a, with Elliot the ideal option for secondary actions. He can be very good catching passes as guys are closing out with his quickness and athleticism. All three of those guys get to the line and make free throws.
That would require Simmons leaving the paint to go set a ball screen. Something he was pretty reluctant to do last night.

WSU even left him wide open at the free throw line once and he passed up the shot to instead turn his back and try to dribble down his defender. Believe (cant recall exactly) that possession ended in a turnover or blocked shot instead.
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GraffZ06
10/21/2025 2:29 PM
FearLeon wrote:expand_more
Didn’t see the game, but listened to it. As for “walking bucket” aka Jesse Burris…he was 0-3 from the field in his debut. Not concerned though as I did hear for months that walking bucket averaged 52 points per game in an Ohio Summer League.
Burris shot looked really good in warm ups. Good form, easy stroke, made most he took. He didnt make any in the game but he also didnt play much amd it was very sporadic off the bench.

Combine that with WSU playing some really good defense and our general lack of...any plan at all on offense, and he didnt get many open or in rhythm shots.

His problem is going to be on defense. Unsure he can play enough to get enough minutes for his shooting to matter.
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GraffZ06
10/21/2025 2:34 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
I think Elliott is one of our best players, but I don’t like the fit alongside Pavs as a starter. The beauty in the team that beat Virginia was not just Preston/BVP, but how well all those pieces worked. I think there’s a lot to like on this roster, I just hope Boals puts together the right combos because I’m not sure last nights starting 5 is it.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Could not agree more.
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GraffZ06
10/21/2025 2:46 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
This game could have swung wildly in either direction if one of these teams could make a free throw. How on Earth do we have two teams of scholarship basketball players who can't go 60% from the line in a neutral site exhibition game with only 2500 people in the building?[/quote]

Or generally any shot at all. But yes this. It was an ugly ugly game by both teams. Felt like early October. Nowhere to go but up.

Would agree that Simmons looks heavy. If you want to be a 4, it would help if you're closer to 225 than 250.


250? I told my buddy last night I thought Simmons was 6'7 230, not 6'6 265. Charles Barkley at the end of his career had nothing on Simmons.

[Quote=shabamon]
Ajay Sheldon cannot be a starting shooting guard. The one or two hustle plays a game are not enough overcome 1-7 from three, especially at his size. He got crossed hard late for a step back dagger. If we want to be a three-guard lineup, give those minutes to Conners who I thought was supposed to be the volume shooter. Or start investing in Burris.


100%. We're just too small and cant rebound well enough with Pavs, Sheldon and Elliott at the same time. And they don't shoot the 3 well enough to make up for it. I've been saying it since last year when I dare say I thought Elliott should be our starting PG.

Then there's Sheldon's D. He's not athletic enough to guard guys off the dribble. He tries hard but he ends up having to turn his hips and run because he cant slide his feet and stay in front. WSU did a good job of recognizing that last night and exploited it with a hard one dribble jab step and pull back. Guess who was guarding Callaghan on both of his step back dagger 3s? Yep.
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bobcatsquared
10/21/2025 4:51 PM
I'm guessing OUr coaches had/have some doubts about Evans, which is why they brought in Simmons and Breath. However, imagine this roster next year without Hadaway, Breath and Simmons (although he might have 1 more year in Athens?). Who will be our frontcourt players other than Kuany?

The second-half 12-minute media timeout followed a WSU foul on Connors driving to the basket. An Ohio asst. coach was pleading with a ref during the timeout for his call to be a shooting foul. I, on the other hand, having watched both teams miss more foul shot attempts than makes, was glad the ref called it a non-shooting foul, giving Ohio the possession instead of 2 free throws. That's how bad it was.

The highlight of the doubleheader was watching an otherwise dejected look on SBH's face turn to euphoria when the jumbotron showed Sheldon's sister, WNBA player Jaycee Sheldon, in the stands.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
10/21/2025 5:25 PM
GraffZ06 wrote:expand_more
I think Elliott is one of our best players, but I don’t like the fit alongside Pavs as a starter. The beauty in the team that beat Virginia was not just Preston/BVP, but how well all those pieces worked. I think there’s a lot to like on this roster, I just hope Boals puts together the right combos because I’m not sure last nights starting 5 is it.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Could not agree more.
Not clear to me what the options are here. You can stagger their minutes as much as possible, but it's not like we're flush with ball handling guards. They have to play together a ton basically no matter how you slice it.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
10/21/2025 7:11 PM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
I'm guessing OUr coaches had/have some doubts about Evans, which is why they brought in Simmons and Breath. However, imagine this roster next year without Hadaway, Breath and Simmons (although he might have 1 more year in Athens?). Who will be our frontcourt players other than Kuany?

The second-half 12-minute media timeout followed a WSU foul on Connors driving to the basket. An Ohio asst. coach was pleading with a ref during the timeout for his call to be a shooting foul. I, on the other hand, having watched both teams miss more foul shot attempts than makes, was glad the ref called it a non-shooting foul, giving Ohio the possession instead of 2 free throws. That's how bad it was.

The highlight of the doubleheader was watching an otherwise dejected look on SBH's face turn to euphoria when the jumbotron showed Sheldon's sister, WNBA player Jaycee Sheldon, in the stands.
Pavs gone next year, too?
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bobcatsquared
10/21/2025 7:27 PM
I believe this is his final year. But it's hard to nail down remaining eligibility any more in current climate. I heard he had bigger programs offering him bigger $$ to transfer but wanted to remain in Athens for another year playing for Boals.
Last Edited: 10/21/2025 7:28:15 PM by bobcatsquared
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Ohio69
10/22/2025 10:58 AM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
However, imagine this roster next year without Hadaway, Breath and Simmons (although he might have 1 more year in Athens?). Who will be our frontcourt players other than Kuany?
Whoever we can afford.... Man I hate having to type that....
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FJC31
10/22/2025 1:57 PM
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
I think Elliott is one of our best players, but I don’t like the fit alongside Pavs as a starter. The beauty in the team that beat Virginia was not just Preston/BVP, but how well all those pieces worked. I think there’s a lot to like on this roster, I just hope Boals puts together the right combos because I’m not sure last nights starting 5 is it.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Could not agree more.
Not clear to me what the options are here. You can stagger their minutes as much as possible, but it's not like we're flush with ball handling guards. They have to play together a ton basically no matter how you slice it.
I've always been an advocate of going bigger with this group -- Hadaway, Simmons, and Breath with Conners and Pavs as the starting 5. This grouping also has its shortcomings, but let Elliot be the direct sub for Pavs the way Sears was for Preston.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
10/22/2025 5:04 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
I think Elliott is one of our best players, but I don’t like the fit alongside Pavs as a starter. The beauty in the team that beat Virginia was not just Preston/BVP, but how well all those pieces worked. I think there’s a lot to like on this roster, I just hope Boals puts together the right combos because I’m not sure last nights starting 5 is it.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Could not agree more.
Not clear to me what the options are here. You can stagger their minutes as much as possible, but it's not like we're flush with ball handling guards. They have to play together a ton basically no matter how you slice it.
I've always been an advocate of going bigger with this group -- Hadaway, Simmons, and Breath with Conners and Pavs as the starting 5. This grouping also has its shortcomings, but let Elliot be the direct sub for Pavs the way Sears was for Preston.
I suspect we'll invariably see a bunch of these combinations get some run. But I only think that big roster works offensively if Simmons is allowed to shoot way more threes than he has historically. Otherwise the spacing is gonna be very bad, and you don't even make up for it with playmakers. Basically only Pavs can create off the dribble amongst that group, and he weighs 135 pounds or whatever.
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FJC31
10/23/2025 9:47 AM
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
I think Elliott is one of our best players, but I don’t like the fit alongside Pavs as a starter. The beauty in the team that beat Virginia was not just Preston/BVP, but how well all those pieces worked. I think there’s a lot to like on this roster, I just hope Boals puts together the right combos because I’m not sure last nights starting 5 is it.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Could not agree more.
Not clear to me what the options are here. You can stagger their minutes as much as possible, but it's not like we're flush with ball handling guards. They have to play together a ton basically no matter how you slice it.
I've always been an advocate of going bigger with this group -- Hadaway, Simmons, and Breath with Conners and Pavs as the starting 5. This grouping also has its shortcomings, but let Elliot be the direct sub for Pavs the way Sears was for Preston.
I suspect we'll invariably see a bunch of these combinations get some run. But I only think that big roster works offensively if Simmons is allowed to shoot way more threes than he has historically. Otherwise the spacing is gonna be very bad, and you don't even make up for it with playmakers. Basically only Pavs can create off the dribble amongst that group, and he weighs 135 pounds or whatever.
Likely. I anticipate Boals playing through various combos during non-conference to determine what works.

I agree with you on the overall spacing issue. Which is why it was bewildering to see Sheldon start and log so many minutes - he's not helping with that if he isn't hitting his shots. You almost have to hope JJ Kelly's size and overall athleticism emerges as the season goes on to start at the 3.

I'd be much more keen on Breath coming off the bench if we had a bigger wing.
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