Ahmad Rand

[SRT4driver]

Milwaukee’s Ahmad Rand is one of the top shot blockers in the country as he is fifth in total blocks (27) and 16th in blocks per game (2.5). As a team, the Panthers are 15th in the nation in blocks per game (5.7).

horizonleague.org/news/2022/12/7/mens-basketball-hlmbb-weekly-notebook-december-7.aspx



I really enjoy watching this guy play, easily my favorite Panther since Matt Tiby! I hope he continues doing the right things to continue being a great teammate and earn even more playing time. This team has high level athletes, and are unbeatable when they play unselfish, cohesive, team basketball!

Block and Dunk tracker here (I wish someone tracked alley-oop dunks): barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Milwaukee

[tyrunner0097]

I like both him and Jalen. They both have their own effective toughness on defense.

[Cactus Panther]

Based on Bart Lundy's post game comments yesterday, Rands' biggest obstacle may be himself. Bart said he was just going through the motions in the first half before asserting himself in the second half. We need him to be ready for entire games in HL conference play.

Rand has not been all that great against the better competition, but we can see the potential is there.

[PantherU]

To me Rand's problem IS the shot-blocking. He knows it's his calling card, so he's taking too many risks and jumping out of his shoes for the highlight-reel block instead of choosing to alter the shot from the floor. It's A) causing him to get too many early fouls and B) makes him way too susceptible to the shot fake. Luckily for him the shot fake is something of a lost art, but eventually teams are going to get wise and start faking him out and taking him off the dribble.

Part of the issue is he's playing the five when he should really be playing the 4 with Bol at the 5, but Coach Lundy can't do that because the team is so thin on the front line.

We need Jalen Johnson to start throwing his weight around. For him confidence is everything. If he can figure out how to play Bully Ball, we could really wreck people. Defensively every front line player has their faults, but the three of them are all playable for stretches. I just would like all of them to work on those problems (Bol's defensive lapses, Rand's all-or-nothing block D, Johnson's lack of confidence in the post) as we hit the final stretch of the non-conference season so we're not so dependent on Rand and he can stay on the court for longer stretches during the conference season.

Ideally Coach Lundy would have been here a year ago and they could have bulked up Vin Baker Jr. to be like a mid-major version of his old man, but c'est la vie, we're stuck with what PBS left us.

Similarly, I would sit Ahmad Rand in front of a TV and show him old Ben Wallace clips at Virginia Union. Even in college Wallace was a master at picking his spots for the big highlight reel block.

[Petes]

He plays the 5 because he can’t really space the floor. I think that’s the main reasoning for it.

[PantherU]

Dec 12, 2022 21:45:31 GMT -6 Petes said:

He plays the 5 because he can’t really space the floor. I think that’s the main reasoning for it.

I'm talking about the defensive end specifically.

[pantherfan21]

Dec 12, 2022 18:22:32 GMT -6 PantherU said:

To me Rand's problem IS the shot-blocking. He knows it's his calling card, so he's taking too many risks and jumping out of his shoes for the highlight-reel block instead of choosing to alter the shot from the floor. It's A) causing him to get too many early fouls and B) makes him way too susceptible to the shot fake. Luckily for him the shot fake is something of a lost art, but eventually teams are going to get wise and start faking him out and taking him off the dribble.

Part of the issue is he's playing the five when he should really be playing the 4 with Bol at the 5, but Coach Lundy can't do that because the team is so thin on the front line.

We need Jalen Johnson to start throwing his weight around. For him confidence is everything. If he can figure out how to play Bully Ball, we could really wreck people. Defensively every front line player has their faults, but the three of them are all playable for stretches. I just would like all of them to work on those problems (Bol's defensive lapses, Rand's all-or-nothing block D, Johnson's lack of confidence in the post) as we hit the final stretch of the non-conference season so we're not so dependent on Rand and he can stay on the court for longer stretches during the conference season.

Ideally Coach Lundy would have been here a year ago and they could have bulked up Vin Baker Jr. to be like a mid-major version of his old man, but c'est la vie, we're stuck with what PBS left us.

Similarly, I would sit Ahmad Rand in front of a TV and show him old Ben Wallace clips at Virginia Union. Even in college Wallace was a master at picking his spots for the big highlight reel block.

This.

[ghostofdylan]

A guy behind me at the last game was screaming, "Don't leave your feet! Build a wall!!!" But that's really his talent. I'm worried about taking that away from him.

[Petes]

Would be very interesting to see the defensive efficiency with him on the court vs him off the court. Wonder if he’s has a little too much whiteside in him. Does JJ being on the floor at the 5 playing better positioning make the defense better?

[Deleted]

Keep going Ahmad Rand!!!