Caleb Burgess may be the key

[Captain]

Watching the season to this point I have come to the conclusion that Caleb Burgess may be the most important cog in the machine. The coach in the post game said when Burgess is good, he is one of the best point guards in the league.
He needs to bring his A game every day,
Arguably he is ahead of Desure at the same point in their careers. Buie missed half of his sophomore year with the knee injury.
Buie became a great point guard as a junior and found his offense as a senior. Burgess is showing offense more and more each game.
He is the team's only A level ball handler. I think he needs to continue to get to the hoop and try and finish more and dish a little less. get fouled and make some free throws. His 3 point shooting seems better lately as well.
I like what I have been seeing and think as he goes, we will go. If he improves so will we.

[triplec2195]

This is a no brainer and how his importance can't be overstated. I like the penetrating and get easy points off the glass but no I don't think he should dish less maybe make better decisions on his passes. If we were a better three point shooting team they would have to pay much more attention to Cramer who now only gets token attention beyond the arc. They really only have to defend Ray and Coburn out there.

[daHUPride]

Agree with you both - Captain and Triple - Burgess is a very important part of the HU puzzle - especially with the lack of consistency of our key 3; the exodus of SC; and the instability of roster (because of injuries; COVID and personal absences)

I like CB size and his improvement to date - and his potential to get even better.

[stuball888]

Caleb is a soph he will grow into the role hopefully just like Desure did Remember we lost Elmo who was supposed to start and give Caleb a chance to eventually slide into the starters role Elmo was an upperclassman who had two years at the juco level Now Caleb was trusted into the starting role with no true backup That a lit of pressure for a soph

[EvanJ]

Arguably he is ahead of Desure at the same point in their careers. Buie missed half of his sophomore year with the knee injury.
Buie became a great point guard as a junior and found his offense as a senior.

Buie played eight games, which was few enough to get a medical redshirt and play four seasons after that. He was listed in the CAA statistics as a senior in his last two seasons. In his second full season in 2017-2018, Kenny Wormley was the starting point guard for 13 games until Buie took over. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 assists. He tied JWF for the most assists with 100, but Buie missed one game, so his average was higher than JWF's. Comparing Burgess to Buie's second full season in 2017-2018, Burgess is averaging more points per game and assists per game, but Buie averaged more points per minute and assists per minute, and Buie shot better.

[triplec2195]

Arguably he is ahead of Desure at the same point in their careers. Buie missed half of his sophomore year with the knee injury.
Buie became a great point guard as a junior and found his offense as a senior.

Buie played eight games, which was few enough to get a medical redshirt and play four seasons after that. He was listed in the CAA statistics as a senior in his last two seasons. In his second full season in 2017-2018, Kenny Wormley was the starting point guard for 13 games until Buie took over. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 assists. He tied JWF for the most assists with 100, but Buie missed one game, so his average was higher than JWF's. Comparing Burgess to Buie's second full season in 2017-2018, Burgess is averaging more points per game and assists per game, but Buie averaged more points per minute and assists per minute, and Buie shot better.

Burgess deserves a lot of credit here because he's been steadily improving game after game and the numbers you reference really could change dramatically if he continues to progress in a steady pattern as the season goes on.

[Captain]

Yes I think with the main 3 players you know what you have and the range of performance from day to day.
Everybody else is a work in progress. Cramer has a big upside with some holes in his game. Green is finding his way. The expectations were high and let's hope he can calm down and let the game come to him.
Burgess is key of course because the ball is in his hands and if he can distribute to Coburn and Ray like Buie did and pick and roll with Kante, that's great.
I see an offensive ability here that will open up the whole floor. If he can drive and dish, drive and score, hit 30% from 3 the whole team will thrive.
Lately it looks like this is happening. This may reflect Speedy's influence.

[Polito]

Oh heck yeah, I've been beating this drum for awhile - huge fan since recruiting, and big belief in him and his growth track here - he is a top shelf PG, and will become truly excellent in time - he is ahead of most, and already one of the best in the league - his assist numbers will only grow as better shooters enter the fold - he makes some great passes, is really starting to run the O and set up his teammates well, is doing a better job driving to the basket to finish, kick out, or draw contact, and as I've said from the start is the only top ball handler on this club.

And to my prior comments on this, he (the PG spot in general) in this system MUST score - it's not enough to throw up 6pts a game - this team needs production from the 1, and he is evolving that - if he can put up 12-15 most games this year, that's a huge boost.

HU goes as the 1 goes. The system is entirely dependent upon that single position. It is the fuel for all HU does, esp on O.

The problem thus far this year is that one of the primary net results of top PG play is great looks, and this team can't shoot. Give him guys who can actually hit shots, and he will run circles around the competition, and can facilitate a champ team. He isn't going to manufacture it, that's for the star seasoned leaders to step up and do, but he can absolutely add top value as the floor general of one.

Very excited to have him, and to see his ongoing development!

[RollPride15]

Burgess's clear development is also a reminder to be patient with our other freshman...I have high hopes that Masic and Green will figure it out, especially given the bizarre and truncated practice schedule they've had to deal with due to the pandemic.

[cactus]

100% agree. Even more than recent years past, the PG is key to this offense, since Ray and Coburn are not as great as getting off their own shot as JWF and Pemberton, and they don't have any other high volume scorers (especially with teams taking away Kante as much as possible). As mentioned above, Burgess is also their best ball handler and also their best defender. Having Carlos next year to share the load will be nice to see, especially if some or all of the seniors come back.

[Polito]

And on queue, young fella hits a big time 3 to seal the W against Towson today - didn't score a ton, and he really really needs to learn to finish around the basket, but he's making an impact every single game.

AND 9 assists - as I've been harping, if his guys can hit their looks he'll avg 8-10 assists a game - keep going and keep growing CB!

[triplec2195]

And on queue, young fella hits a big time 3 to seal the W against Towson today - didn't score a ton, and he really really needs to learn to finish around the basket, but he's making an impact every single game.

AND 9 assists - as I've been harping, if his guys can hit their looks he'll avg 8-10 assists a game - keep going and keep growing CB!

With you here and improving every game but did miss a key front end of a one and one. I hate when guards miss FT's just a pet peeve.

[stuball888]

We have been spoiled by Buies and Pembas foul shooting. I remember back in the day when foul shooting was a weakness of Hofstra. As good a player Stokes was he was not a great foul shooter. I think he was somewhere south of 70%.

[EvanJ]

We have been spoiled by Buies and Pembas foul shooting. I remember back in the day when foul shooting was a weakness of Hofstra. As good a player Stokes was he was not a great foul shooter. I think he was somewhere south of 70%.

In 2005-2006 when we got snubbed, we shot free throws poorly:

Carlos Rivera: 97/129 = .752
Antoine Agudio: 87/122 = .713
Aurimas Kieza: 50/83 = .602
Loren Stokes; 81/136 = .596
Adrian Uter: 55/108 = .509
Bench: 71/103 = .689
Total: 441/681 = .648 (11th of 12 in the CAA, the CAA was 4,814/7,079 = .680

The CAA is now 1,522/2,107 = .722, which is up .042 from 2005-2006. Division I shot .691 in 2005-2006 and .703 so far this season, so Division I is up .012, and the CAA went from below average in 2005-2006 to third of 31 conferences now.

He and Tyson Walker are two CAA sophomores averaging at least 5 assists. If the statistics end this way, it will be the second time in three seasons that the CAA had two sophomores or freshmen average over 5 assists. In 2018-2019, UNCW freshman Kai Toews averaged 7.7, and freshman Camren Wynter averaged 5.4. In the ten seasons before that, the most assists by a freshman or sophomore was exactly 5 by Drexel's Kurk Lee in 2016-2017.

[Polito]

Ugh, don't even bring these memories back up lol - HU was absolutely HORRID from the line certain years in the past - physically hurt to watch at times!

Kudos to KC and TC today for knocking em down when it mattered most.

[triplec2195]

It's obvious that Cramer is putting in the time as mentioned by Farrelly. His game has not only gotten a boost from beyond the arc but he looks more comfortable at the FT line. This along with Caleb getting more comfortable running the team is going to pay big dividends in the very near future.

[Captain]

Way to close the deal today Caleb. More and more solid every game.

[Polito]

Really becoming something as just a Soph - now one of the best PG's in the league, very very bright future - needs to get more consistent, has total clunker games mixed in with tremendous ones, but he'll develop through that.

Really like that he is becoming more and more confident, very evident, shoes no fear, taking bigger shots now, and starting to play with a bit of an edge as his confidence grows. Dig that, he's got that 'dog' in him, should continue to show out as he gets more seasoned.

[stuball888]

Like I said before let him grow into the role just like Desure did

[Polito]

CB owes a big time game today. Time to ball out and lead this team to the win.