BTN's Brent Yarina: My All-Big Ten Most Improved Team (Austin Hollins - Minnesota)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Yarina:

G: Austin Hollins, Minnesota. Previously a guard who could do a little bit of everything but nothing very well, Hollins has turned into an all-around player who is an elite rebounding guard. Take a look at his averages this season under Richard Pitino: 13.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.9 blocks. Each one of those figures, save for steals, represents a career-high. In other words, Hollins, while still an inconsistent shooter, is a true two-way threat.

http://btn.com/2013/12/23/yarina-my-all-big-ten-most-improved-team/

Go Gophers!!
 

Super impressed with Austin this year.

Like most people i though Dre Hollins would improve the most under the new regime. But Austin has embraced a senior leadership role. His demeanor has totally changed. Last year he would have been one of the last gophers i would want on my side in a dark alley, this year he would be one of the first. I am thuroughly amazed at his rebounding this year.




BleedGopher said:
per Yarina:

G: Austin Hollins, Minnesota. Previously a guard who could do a little bit of everything but nothing very well, Hollins has turned into an all-around player who is an elite rebounding guard. Take a look at his averages this season under Richard Pitino: 13.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.9 blocks. Each one of those figures, save for steals, represents a career-high. In other words, Hollins, while still an inconsistent shooter, is a true two-way threat.

http://btn.com/2013/12/23/yarina-my-all-big-ten-most-improved-team/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
 

As I mentioned in another thread...Austin Hollins has a better chance at playing in the NBA than either Rodney Williams or Trevor Mbakwe had. Austin has the pedigree and more importantly the all-around fundamental basketball skills that neither Williams nor Mbakwe have. I don't see Hollins as a starter in the NBA, but he can play a niche' role coming off the bench. This will be especially true if Austin continues to improve his outside shot. Will he make the NBA? It's a toss up. However, he is one of the most fundamentally sound players the U of MN has put out in the past 10 years.
 

Hope he can start to shoot the rock better - that would help his NBA hopes and the Gopher's NCAA dreams...
 

Austin and the next level

While I agree that Austin is one of the most fundamentally sound players, i disagree in that the NBA even cares about being funamental. They care about length, quickness, potential. Skills are a nice throw in after the fact :p. These two main questions when it comes to the NBA are:

1. Does a player have an NBA skill?
2. Can they guard a position.

I believe Austin can guard some NBA sg's. Does he have another NBA skill? Not shooting, not ball handling. Unless his defense is next calilber I am not sure he does. He could potentially sneak in somewhere but his long range shooting has to improve (35%). He looks a bit like Jeremy Lamb with his length.


tinyarch said:
As I mentioned in another thread...Austin Hollins has a better chance at playing in the NBA than either Rodney Williams or Trevor Mbakwe had. Austin has the pedigree and more importantly the all-around fundamental basketball skills that neither Williams nor Mbakwe have. I don't see Hollins as a starter in the NBA, but he can play a niche' role coming off the bench. This will be especially true if Austin continues to improve his outside shot. Will he make the NBA? It's a toss up. However, he is one of the most fundamentally sound players the U of MN has put out in the past 10 years.
Click to expand...
 


Makes you wonder how good Rodney Williams would have been in Pitino's system. I think his scoring numbers would have been up and not just from easy layups. IMO he would have displayed a midrange game getting looks in rhythm.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
Makes you wonder how good Rodney Williams would have been in Pitino's system. I think his scoring numbers would have been up and not just from easy layups. IMO he would have displayed a midrange game getting looks in rhythm.
Click to expand...

I bet he wouldn't be scared to death of missing a shot with Rich Pit as his coach.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Yarina:

G: Austin Hollins, Minnesota. Previously a guard who could do a little bit of everything but nothing very well, Hollins has turned into an all-around player who is an elite rebounding guard. Take a look at his averages this season under Richard Pitino: 13.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.9 blocks. Each one of those figures, save for steals, represents a career-high. In other words, Hollins, while still an inconsistent shooter, is a true two-way threat.

http://btn.com/2013/12/23/yarina-my-all-big-ten-most-improved-team/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

On one of their shows earlier in the week Tim what's his name listed Dre Mathieu as his new comer of the year over some pretty high profile freshmen. For what it is worth.
 




Atl Gopher said:
On one of their shows earlier in the week Tim what's his name listed Dre Mathieu as his new comer of the year over some pretty high profile freshmen. For what it is worth.
Click to expand...

Mathieu's been great for us, but it would be hard for me to put him above Rayvonte Rice as far as newcomers go. Illinois' would be severely offensively challanged if they didn' bring in Rayvonte.

As far as newcomers go, my top 5 would be:

1.Rayvonte Rice
2.Deandre Mathieu
3.Terran Petteway
4.Noah Vonleh
5.Jarrod Uthoff

HM Malik Smith

You could make the argument for Petteway over Mathieu, but I think Mathieu has had a bigger impact.
 


Austin H

tinyarch said:
As I mentioned in another thread...Austin Hollins has a better chance at playing in the NBA than either Rodney Williams or Trevor Mbakwe had. Austin has the pedigree and more importantly the all-around fundamental basketball skills that neither Williams nor Mbakwe have. I don't see Hollins as a starter in the NBA, but he can play a niche' role coming off the bench. This will be especially true if Austin continues to improve his outside shot. Will he make the NBA? It's a toss up. However, he is one of the most fundamentally sound players the U of MN has put out in the past 10 years.
Click to expand...

I've felt this way for the last 2 years. I'm glad to see I'm not the only person that appreciates this guy. I think your comments are spot on.
 

DeathClutch said:
Mathieu's been great for us, but it would be hard for me to put him above Rayvonte Rice as far as newcomers go. Illinois' would be severely offensively challanged if they didn' bring in Rayvonte.

As far as newcomers go, my top 5 would be:

1.Rayvonte Rice
2.Deandre Mathieu
3.Terran Petteway
4.Noah Vonleh
5.Jarrod Uthoff

HM Malik Smith

You could make the argument for Petteway over Mathieu, but I think Mathieu has had a bigger impact.
Click to expand...

Unless you have actually played the position of point guard, one has no clue of the importance of that position. I did, and I do.
 



DeathClutch said:
Mathieu's been great for us, but it would be hard for me to put him above Rayvonte Rice as far as newcomers go. Illinois' would be severely offensively challanged if they didn' bring in Rayvonte.

As far as newcomers go, my top 5 would be:

1.Rayvonte Rice
2.Deandre Mathieu
3.Terran Petteway
4.Noah Vonleh
5.Jarrod Uthoff

HM Malik Smith

You could make the argument for Petteway over Mathieu, but I think Mathieu has had a bigger impact.
Click to expand...
Does Uthoff count as a newcomer?
 



bemidjigopher said:
Didn't he play for Wisconsin and isn't he the guy Bo made a big stink about when he transfered to Iowa and the national media tore the grinch a new asshole?
Click to expand...

Yes he is, but he hadn't played a minute of college basketball pryor to this year. Even if he had, he transfered so he is "new" to Iowa.
 

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