I really like his motor and his footwork on defense. Are we really going to have a player who commits to blocking out for rebounds? Doesn't look like the quickest player on the court, but great for his size. The kid knows where he should be and gets there. Same for some of his drop-steps on offense. Great Spring pickup.

This leaves us two. Hoping that tomorrow's visit goes well. Looks like we're going to be able to field a team after all.

I don't put a lot of stock into highlights, but I do like how he moves off the ball. Good reads. Getting stretch fours this time of year isn't exactly an easy preposition, but Dambrot and co. seem to be feasting on late bloomers. Round out the class with one each of Verhoeven and Ballantyne and Patton and Jackson and I'll be a happy fan. 

I'd still like to get a grad transfer next year to help even out the classes. Hopefully he turns out more Blackman then Abrahamson.

Last edited by WashPaRick (4/16/2017 8:34 pm)

Looks like a D-II player to me. Slow.

rittersdiner wrote:

Looks like a D-II player to me. Slow.

 
Watch out for the broken glass.

Not every player jumps out of the gym.  Looks like he is a grinder, something DU has lacked for a long long time.  Boxes out, plays tight defense, passes the ball!  Nice grab.

Role player. Nothing wrong with having a guy who though limited, does a few things well. Rickey Lopes was successful being that type of player. Tends to work best when you have a coach that knows what he's doing, and can put his pieces in the proper place. That said, some posters are overhyping these late pickups. We need some bodies, and Dambrot is looking for some diamonds in the rough. If he can get one better than average starter, plus one solid role player out of these guys, he's done a great job. The fall signing period is when we'll begin to have an idea of how well Dambrot will recruit here. I think he's a good enough coach that we can still have decent results (16-20 win seasons), even with him bringing in MAC level players. However, he'll need to start bringing in players that have better offers than these guys if he's going to compete with the top of the league.
You know, a lot of us felt that Ferry was an idiot for not playing Robinson. Well, we're going to find out how true that was this fall. The backcourt is fairly solid. The play of Robinson, and James will determine whether this will be a typical first season for a coach taking over a losing team (8-9 wins), or if we might be a modest surprise (14-16 wins). No depth at all though. Any injuries will kill all hope for this year.

rittersdiner wrote:

currentstudent wrote:

rittersdiner wrote:

Really? Look at the highlights again. He's a light 6-8 but doesn't seem to run court well. Even his dunks are barely above rim.. No spring to his jump. Shoots very well, which would be matchup problem. Look at the hops in Williams highlights and compare that with with this guy. Bench player at best.

I wouldn't jump on him that quick. He will not be a scorer but he looks like we will be a character kid who can defend and shoot the 3. Not thrilled with him but we do need bodies. Bad side---this kid isn't to athletic. Good side -- He plays smart basketball and we are trying to fill a roster in April and we have already picked up great talent in this late stage recruiting process. 
 

I'm not saying he doesn't belong in D-I. But here, he is a bench player, much needed right now. In D-II, he's a starter.
 

Pretty much agree with this. The transfers are the best players we've picked up, but they won't help this year.
 

Same old Debbie Downers.  The thing to remember is that one of the biggest strengths of Coach D is his ability to coach kids up.  He looks at the raw materials, makes his own measurements and knows how to make the pieces fit.  Looking at this kid I would say he has a better skill set going in to DU than Darius Lewis had after 4 years under Ferry.  

Amen to Towson and CLK.  See more effort D, nimble footwork and box-outs in 3 or 4 minutes from this kid than any big in past 5 years.  A find.

And keep in mind, at this point we only have 9 eligible players at all for next year. And that includes an injury questionable JRob and a part-time Taylor. So I say welcome aboard to all our new commits, we need everyone.

Dukes2012 wrote:

CLK wrote:

Same old Debbie Downers.  The thing to remember is that one of the biggest strengths of Coach D is his ability to coach kids up.  He looks at the raw materials, makes his own measurements and knows how to make the pieces fit.  Looking at this kid I would say he has a better skill set going in to DU than Darius Lewis had after 4 years under Ferry.  

I seriously do not understand some people on this board. This kid has not even put on a Duquesne jersey yet, and already some of these cranks are burying him. Lets compare him to powell since they are the same size and same position.  Powell has a clear advantage in explosiveness and athleticism, but other than that Kratholm appears to be better in every other aspect of the game... defense, shooting, rebounding, passing, dribbling.  
 

You guys make great points. It makes a lot of sense to compare him to Lewis and Powell because he will be playing in similar positions.

I agree with CLK, this kid is obviously quicker, more skilled, and has better hands and finishing ability than d lew. That's not a know on Lewis, just the truth. The only thing d lew had on this kid is 2 inches.

In regards to Powell, 2012 your right the new guy is not as athletically explosive, and I can't say I have seen us recruiting or offering anyone else as athletically explosive as Powell either (besides maybe IMike), but very few guys out there are. The reason a guy with that elite athleticism falls to a school like Duquesne is because there are severe limitations to other aspects of his game. For Powell, that was a consistent defensive motor. Passing and ball handling skills, and a consistent jumper from 15 feet and in. Powell didn't really have any of that. Give me the guy who is fundamentally sound.

Dambrot wants to play intelligent team basketball with an emphasis on defense. CLK also mentioned Dambrot is known for coaching guys up and developing them which we know is true. If this kid can play defense, is fundamentally sound, and is willing to buy into whatever role the staff has in mind for him, he can absolutely be a successful recruit.

Not every player on great teams is a star. You need guys who know and can execute their roles in a way that is most beneficial to the team as a whole, and for some players, that means being a rotational depth guy.

That being said, athleticism isn't everything. How athletic are Nowitzki or Porzingis? They are not, but are excellent technichians of the game and play team, winning basketball. Tim Duncan, "the big fundamental", was never confused to be a freak athlete. It's not always all about the sizzle, and besides athleticism for Powell, he looks like a better player coming in than each of those guys.

You'll hear me complain if we are going after multiple undersized guys. But give me size, technical ability, and fundamental skill sets and I think that is the type of dough that Dambrot can mold into success.

See San Antonio Spurs