Is Baker's Season Over?
Thursday, October 23 2008 by Ben
This and this appear to think so.
If so, it's a major blow to the season and Baker, too. I agree that Calvin probably wasn't on anyone's dream squad of ACC point guards, but still, here's a guy that's been in Leitao's program for two years already (one red-shirted owing to his transfer). He knows the offensive and defensive sets that Leitao runs, but most importantly he's experienced.
I've always thought that the "experience" factor in professional sports is overrated. In MLB, the NFL, and the NBA, majority of players are in their 20s-30s. Those players are old enough to understand how to come out and play well. (Sadly, I'm often proven wrong about this notion, bear with me.) Intimidation is generally minimized across teams.
Not so in college. The game is orchestrated by young men; most of whom can't legally enjoy a beer after the game. As a result, an additional year of experience is huge. The fact that Baker has chewing gum on the bedpost indicates that perhaps he's been here before and would know how to weather a bad storm or two, especially on the road. If anything, he'd know how to deal with Leitao's acerbic demeanor after a tough loss.
It's hard to do that in street clothes. After a while, teammates tune out those not playing. They don't give heed to those not in the trenches with them. It's a natural reaction, but it certainly diminishes Baker's ability to have an impact on the court.
Besides, Baker's already put in the time as a non-medical red-shirt. He deserves his shot after playing against Sean Singletary in practice. What a downer to watch him sit another season. Life just isn't fair.
Needless to say, Sammy, you're up.
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In our final installment, we'll tackle the last four games on the schedule: Miami, Wake Forest, at Clemson, and Maryland. Last year's Wake Forest team was a great story. Dino Gaudio filled in admirably for the late Skip Prosser and should be commended
Think may hurt more than most people think. Sammy is still basically a freshman, after missing most of late season.
Baker was going to start for us, at least early in the season. On a team with a lot of young guys, and not a lot of ballhandlers, Baker was going to be a steady presence on the ball.
I was not a huge fan of Baker, his ball handling wasn't great, and his shot selection was poor at times. But he was going to be the best PG we had.