One and Done Adds to the Game
It's possible that Cam Thomas will never play in a higher profile basketball game than tonight's loss to Michigan. College basketball is a mess with most of the best players leaving after one year, but the one and done system has evened the playing field considerably, lifting the profiles of less naturally gifted players.
I'm sure Cam Thomas will make a boatload of money in the NBA and may be fortunate to eventually play for one of the few teams that compete for championships. On the other hand, Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown performed well on a big stage and are part of a team in the best sense of the word.
Win-win...
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:08 AM ^
Cam is gifted - but basketball is still a TEAM sport after all!
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:10 AM ^
Cam looked like he needed a breather in the 2nd Half. Guess they didnt have a guy named Chaundee Brown on their bench to provide that depth...
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:17 AM ^
He played 40 minutes. His coach never gave him a chance to sit down for a few, catch his breath, and get some tips on... oh I dunno...shot selection... passing the ball now and then...maybe coming off a pick or two to try to shake a defender.
Their top 3 guys average 34+ minutes per game and another guy who averages 27. They have no bench to speak of.
Exactly - Their bench players come in and foul out
While some of us were scratching our heads at Juwan's weird guys rotation on Saturday, Will Wade was playing his best players the whole way in a game they were up by 10+ most of the second half. Chaundee and Wade worked together to wear him down.
Nailed it. Michigan played as a team on both sides of the floor. LSU, with all their NBA talent, couldn't match it and it showed down the stretch. That felt like the difference in the game.
Indy Pete, I usually agree with you—and I adore how well Howard has forged a TEAM that plays together—but don't forget that every once in a while a transcendent talent can lead a group of lesser talent to wins.
But Cam is a gifted shooter who apparently raises no one else. (And in another thread, it seems he's not liked for that.)
Meanwhile, not only does Howard have this team playing as a team, any one of the top 6-7 players can lead the team in any game.
P.S. I'm making a wild guess that your handle means you're in Indiana. Have you been able to get into the Big Ten or NCAA tournament?
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:11 AM ^
How much of a pay cut will he endure when he goes pro???
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:15 AM ^
Well, can't Will Wade continue as his agent? If so, maybe he could even get a raise!
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:18 AM ^
“Do you think Shaq got rich playing in Orlando?”
“No, he got rich playing in college. Everybody knows that.”
Classic movie. +1 for the Baseketball quote.
March 23rd, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
Username/avatar check out.
One of my all-time favorite movies. So many great cameos, subtle gags, and one-liners.
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:34 AM ^
Cam Thomas is a mid second round player--very one-dimentional
March 23rd, 2021 at 12:48 AM ^
True, but that one dimension is getting buckets, which is exactly what the NBA thrives on. He could very well make a huge living being the spark plug off the bench.
The guy right now feels like he comps out to Monta Ellis, who was known for being a prolific scorer while offering little else. Not to say he can't round out his game more as time goes on, like Zach LaVine, who has taken the jump from empty calorie guy to All-Star, but it's rare to make that transition and he's not the uber athlete LaVine is. Still, I think a team in the mid-first will probably take a shot at that sort of ability and try to add on everything else (playmaking, a consistent 3 point shot, defense) in a system that isn't LSU's.
He's a talented scorer and I think we all sort of forget that the later part of the lottery/mid-round is full of guys who are either elite one-dimensional players or jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none types. Like, Tyler Herro and Romeo Langford went #13 and 14 a couple years ago and they were known in college as great scorers and not a ton else. Teams will take shots on those guys, even if I agree they are likely to top out, at best, as solid rotation guys.
Speaking of 1-and-dones, USC's Evan Mobley is 6'11 and moves like a point guard. His brother isn't too shabby, either. If they get past Oregon, Gonzaga is going to have a load on their hands. That kid looked amazing against Kansas.
Yeah they exploded what was left of my bracket within the first few minutes of that game. Dominant.
That is only bracket where I am close to being accurate. I felt like that was a weak Kansas team and that USC was talented. I did have UVA going to the sweet 16 however.
We're going to have a one and done next year and we likely have a two and done this year.
I love it as long as we blend the one and dones with guys that stick around for 3-4 years.
TWill, Barnes, Collins and Bufkin will be starting/contributing on the sixth and seventh straight Sweet 16 teams.
Cam looks like a slightly better Deshaun Thomas. He's good, but don't want the Pistons to draft him in the lottery.