Could Zoubek be the Final Piece to this team?

[cspan37421]

We're going to the NCAA Finals against Kansas and Koubek is going to score the first 5 points for us.

Koubek, Zoubek, ... it won't matter. We'll win it all.

[OldSchool]

I will first blend in a response to someone who said something like Brian does not have a back-to-the-basket game like "Shelden or Hansbrough." He is not anywhere near as proficient as them, but, IF HE GETS THE DAMN THING AS HE MAKES A MOVE TO SPACE AND CREATES A TAD OF SEPARATION FROM THE DEFENDER, HE WILL HURT PEOPLE!! If Montana treated Clark as if he was (I'm blocking here), there would have been no CATCH.

You're just not being realistic here. As I said in my post you quoted, "Zoubek does not yet have the basketball skills to set up on the block against a quality big man and then make a nifty move or series of moves, without traveling, and score." If Big Z sets himself up in the post, with a quality big man like Osby, Booker, Lawal, Hickson, McFarland, etc., on his back, then feeding him with an entry pass and trying to have him score over that defender that is a VERY LOW percentage play for us.

If Zoubek finds himself on a mismatch in the low post against a guard, then yes, by all means, zip that entry pass in there and let him go up (preferably without bringing the ball down) and score.

However, I'm very high on Z's potential - I'd like to see him give us 15 mins a game this year down the stretch, and next year I expect him to be a key player for us. And by senior year, if he is blessed enough to avoid injuries, I think we'll see the kind of post moves where Z can score one-on-one against the better centers in the league, and he will be a monster.

[cbfx3]

I have a feeling that Zoubek is going to really become a force for us.. He will be averaging a solid double double by his senior year. Take it to the bank

[CDu]

My only tweak is that, if K is gonna use the kid, then it is up to the other guys to treat him like a star and adapt their tempos, instincts, and whatever else they have to, to deliver him the ball in a manner that, if his bones are well enough aligned that particularly day, will allow him to hurt people inside the defense with easy attempts off the pass. Any team benefits offensively when that happens.

And I disagree with you on this point. Treating Zoubek like a star will only set the team back. His back to the basket game isn't up to par, either. Against good post defenders, he's losing the battle. The team is most effective in the tempo at which they've been playing. They shouldn't change their style to adapt to the guy who is arguably the least prepared to contribute regularly.

Right now, unless the matchup is right (like against St John's), Zoubek isn't going to play major minutes. He's going to play spot minutes. In those minutes, the team is best suited to play their game. I think it is up to Zoubek to adjust to the team, not for the team to adjust to Zoubek. I think that what you're suggesting isn't the best thing for the team this year, and it may not even be the best thing for Zoubek this year.