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Stephen F. Austin Basketball

Ty Charles' status, other news and notes from SFA basketball

June 26, 2017
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William R. Johnson Coliseum was silent. It was the morning after a road loss to Sam Houston State back in February as I sat alongside Stephen F. Austin assistant coach Wade Mason. The white noise of fans and cool air in the building made for a sleepy atmosphere as the former Tulane guard explained everything from basketball philosophy to his experience growing up on the streets of New Orleans.

"You know, we're in the race," he said, referring to the battle for the Southland Conference title. "In my mind, that puts us three years ahead of where we should be."

Expectations were high when head coach Kyle Keller was hired the previous April. Armed with veteran talent and an exceptional staff, his predecessor, Brad Underwood, had turned SFA from a feel-good story to league bully in just three years. When Keller made his official coaching debut at Kentucky, expectations had only swelled. Few recognized exactly how raw his team was. Talented, for the most part, but as green as the pine trees scattered across campus.

By the time I sat down with Coach Mason, the SFA fan base was a bit dejected. A tough loss in a hostile environment to a team the Lumberjacks had virtually owned for the better part of a decade was demoralizing for most. Still, there wasn't a hint of anxiety on Mason's face. "It's a process," he said. "We're ahead of schedule."

The season would end with a missed opportunity to claim the title when SFA was upset by Northwestern State at home in the final week. But a year more experienced, reloaded with fresh talent, and entering the fall semester as the heavy Southland Conference favorites, the Lumberjacks are looking to regain their seat on the national stage.

A year early in most cases, perhaps, if you were to ask Wade Mason. Just on schedule, though, with the recruiting pedigree of Keller's staff. As June turns to July, here is the latest from William R. Johnson Coliseum:

Ty Charles will be spending the summer rehabbing -


The player many call the Lumberjacks' emotional leader has battled the injury bug almost constantly since he broke onto the scene as a freshman. Now entering his senior year, after a campaign that saw recurring shoulder issues, a broken hand, and a turned ankle, Charles will be spending the summer and much of the fall rehabbing from surgery, sources have told The Sawmill.

The shoulder, which has caused issues since that freshman year, was monitored closely after the season and definitive recovery was in doubt. Charles elected to have the surgery, one that will cost him the majority of offseason workouts, but one that will hopefully put to bed the nagging problems that have often limited the otherwise potentially dominant small forward.

Sources expect Charles to be practice-ready by mid October. That would give him a few weeks to work into team drills and become accustomed to playing with newcomers before SFA opens the season at Longwood on November 11th.

Offense is going to change significantly in 2017-18 -

After a few months to review the product a year ago, SFA will be altering their offensive scheme. Basic principles will likely remain, but the emphasis on post-to-post scoring, using a high-low set, will no longer be the basic package. It will likely be mixed in with other looks, but according head coach Kyle Keller, the current roster has strengths that would go untapped if that again becomes the focus.

"I think with our current team, that would not maximize our best players," Keller told The Sawmill.

Read between the lines: post-to-post was seen as the best option on a slower team that lacked play from a true point guard. The 2017-18 version of this team has freshman Cameron Mack, the probable starter (at least by mid-season), John Comeaux, and a more experienced Aaron Augustin.

Speed and shooting is the big emphasis for this new team. It's amazing what adding a few player-makers can do.

Led by TJ Holyfield, the team is "light years" ahead of where they were this time last year -

Keller is not shy about the progress he has seen from the team this offseason. "They're faster, smarter," and "better," he says. Of the newcomers, only Comeaux is already on campus, but the growth from the returning players has been exceptional.

TJ Holyfield appears to lead that group. "Our best player," Keller says. "A real dude." Others in the program have described him as the hardest working, the team leader, dominant.

Ivan Canete, who shot lights out in the early portion of the season before going cold late, has retooled his shot this offseason and appears to be back on track. Kevon Harris, who is anticipated to to play a bigger role this season as a sophomore, has high expectations from the staff.

There is obviously a long way to go until meaningful games are played. As this team hits the mid-way point of the summer, though, it is obvious, even without the new blood expected to arrive soon, that they have taken a few steps forward.

The schedule is beginning to take form -

To be clear, nothing has been formally announced. That said, here is a random *wink* list of DI schools that have basketball programs:

Longwood, Missouri, LSU, Mississippi State, Florida A&M, North Dakota State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Rice.

The 2017-18 roster is almost certainly set -

I don't like being wrong and, when I am, I typically wait until the last second possible to admit it. So here goes: when I declared as Fact that at least one more 2017-18 contributor would join this team before the season, it was a bit premature. The Lumberjacks had their eyes set on completing this team with a graduate transfer, and for a multitude of reasons, will likely not head down that path this year.

For starters, scholarship counts were an issue. Early in the spring, it was possible to make difficult changes to make room for an addition. As the summer has now arrived and players are making plans, other movement is very much unlikely.

Technically, graduate transfers have up until the second week of class to enroll. This program has no intention of waiting that long with a full scholarship count.

The current roster was always good enough to win, even if improvement could have been made with a true center. That current roster will almost definitely be the roster when this team tips off in four months.

Keller's staff continues to do what they do best: recruit -

Yesterday made the tenth 2018 visit of this offseason for high school recruits. With three spots open, and up to four summer signings likely, the staff of Keller, Mason, Jeremy Cox, and Desmond Haymon are hot on the trail of several talented future pieces.

Each one of the players behind those ten visits will be profiled on the site over the next two weeks - so make sure you visit frequently.

Don't leave any questions unanswered -

Have any questions for our staff? Be sure to hit us up on Twitter at @SFASawmill:




And finally:
Us too, Cecily. Us too.

Ty Charles' status, other news and notes from SFA basketball

27,266 Views | 59 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by SFA Jack Fanatic
TallTexan
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I'd like to see what Keller can do on the recruiting side when we make it back to the tourney.

We have enough talent to run the Southland, but I want to beat Notre Dame and UCLA.
sfa17
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#RetoolReclaim. November needs to get here soon. . Can't wait for the recruits profile.
RedRiverLa
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I don't see any mention of Gilmore. I thought he was a big piece last year - what about the up coming year?
No-look
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Gilmore should be huge!
SFA Jack Fanatic
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Which of Ty's shoulders went under the knife? Was it the shooting arm? Either way, I'm sure he'll have his legs, lungs, and body in great shape this Fall, with his shooting touch and ball handling coming along later.

Call me crazy, but I'll be expecting a good, if not great, year from Samuli this season. He showed signs of being a very smooth, solid player, both before and after this foot problems. And Nathan Bain's potential contributions will be somewhat of a mystery for a while, but he has great athleticism that I believe will turn into a valuable resource off the bench.

All in all, our depth should be tremendous for a mid-major team. Hope Coach K can keep everyone happy with playing time.
nacluth
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What's the starting five looking like? At least that's what my way too early thoughts are. I like the depth I'm hearing about. I keep putting my lineup together, and keep coming up with 7 guys. No one wants to be a bench player; they all want to be starters!
Ryan
Kinnaird Guitars
No-look
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nacluth said:

What's the starting five looking like? At least that's what my way too early thoughts are. I like the depth I'm hearing about. I keep putting my lineup together, and keep coming up with 7 guys. No one wants to be a bench player; they all want to be starters!
coaches will figure it out. Can we start seven? Lol. With the tempo that's that's being talked about everybody will see the court a lot. This team will be DEEP!
SFA Jack Fanatic
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nacluth said:

What's the starting five looking like? At least that's what my way too early thoughts are. I like the depth I'm hearing about. I keep putting my lineup together, and keep coming up with 7 guys. No one wants to be a bench player; they all want to be starters!
Who are your seven, Ryan?
No-look
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Starting lineup will probably vary from game to game. Here's a scenario

Mack
Bogues
Gilmore
TJ
TY if healthy

Comeoux, Kevon, Canete could also be inserted in the starting five. Who am I forgetting? Line ups may vary according to opponents.
PurpleOut
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Staff
It's a great problem to have.

I could see Comeaux or Augustin starting to open the season, more seasoned players at a critical position. Kevon is the 6th man type of player that I love, but he's deserving of consideration for a starting role too.
nacluth
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It's the bigs I have issues with TJ, Gilmore, Harris, and Nieminen. I want them all. Mack, Ty, and Canete (though I would see Canete off the bench more likely). I have no idea about Bogues, Comeaux, Bain, Augustin. Will they step up?

Is Fisher this year?
Ryan
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INiedrauer
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Staff
Yeah, I don't have much for a starting lineup. I hate a scenario where Kevon isn't on the court for at least 25 minutes per game, but maybe he's better off as the 6th man. Maybe that's what Bogues ends up becoming. I'm sure it will vary somewhat from game to game.

To answer someone's question about Leon, he's a little banged up in his own right so not a whole lot to see right now. Nothing to be real worried about though.
-
Isaac Niedrauer
@INiedrauer


PurpleOut
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INiedrauer said:

Yeah, I don't have much for a starting lineup. I hate a scenario where Kevon isn't on the court for at least 25 minutes per game, but maybe he's better off as the 6th man. Maybe that's what Bogues ends up becoming. I'm sure it will vary somewhat from game to game.
Yeah but doesn't mean he can't still average that many minutes off the bench. That's almost exactly what Geffrard averaged two years as the 6th man. Different teams obviously.
No-look
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INiedrauer said:

Yeah, I don't have much for a starting lineup. I hate a scenario where Kevon isn't on the court for at least 25 minutes per game, but maybe he's better off as the 6th man. Maybe that's what Bogues ends up becoming. I'm sure it will vary somewhat from game to game.

To answer someone's question about Leon, he's a little banged up in his own right so not a whole lot to see right now. Nothing to be real worried about though.
Hope Leon is ok. Is it normal to have the injuries that we have had lately in college basketball?
SFA Jack Fanatic
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PurpleOut said:

It's a great problem to have.

I could see Comeaux or Augustin starting to open the season, more seasoned players at a critical position. Kevon is the 6th man type of player that I love, but he's deserving of consideration for a starting role too.
I can't see Augustin starting in any situation, unless he miraculously learns to shoot straight by November.
PurpleOut
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Staff
He was asked to do much more than he probably should have last year as a true freshman. His shot wasn't great, but when was the last time we had a good shooting PG? Not saying he should be the starter, but could easily see the season starting that way. He has more experience with this team than the other options and he was still 3rd on the team in assists in limited minutes last year.
SFA Jack Fanatic
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PurpleOut said:

He was asked to do much more than he probably should have last year as a true freshman. His shot wasn't great, but when was the last time we had a good shooting PG? Not saying he should be the starter, but could easily see the season starting that way. He has more experience with this team than the other options and he was still 3rd on the team in assists in limited minutes last year.
Good points. It's really hard to pick either of the potential starting guards at this point since most of us have not seen Mack, Bogues, or Comeaux in anything other than cherry-picked videos.
INiedrauer
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edstile said:

PurpleOut said:

It's a great problem to have.

I could see Comeaux or Augustin starting to open the season, more seasoned players at a critical position. Kevon is the 6th man type of player that I love, but he's deserving of consideration for a starting role too.
I can't see Augustin starting in any situation, unless he miraculously learns to shoot straight by November.
Trey Pinkney couldn't either. A good point guard with a solid supporting cast hopefully doesn't need to.

But all that said, I have almost no doubt that Mack will be starting by conference season. That seems to the vibe. A coach agreed last weekend that he's probably the most talented point guard at SFA since Silas. If Comeaux starts against Longwood, I'll be surprised. If he does to open the league schedule, Mack is probably injured.
-
Isaac Niedrauer
@INiedrauer


SFA Jack Fanatic
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INiedrauer said:

edstile said:

PurpleOut said:

It's a great problem to have.

I could see Comeaux or Augustin starting to open the season, more seasoned players at a critical position. Kevon is the 6th man type of player that I love, but he's deserving of consideration for a starting role too.
I can't see Augustin starting in any situation, unless he miraculously learns to shoot straight by November.
Trey Pinkney couldn't either. A good point guard with a solid supporting cast hopefully doesn't need to.

But all that said, I have almost no doubt that Mack will be starting by conference season. That seems to the vibe. A coach agreed last weekend that he's probably the most talented point guard at SFA since Silas. If Comeaux starts against Longwood, I'll be surprised. If he does to open the league schedule, Mack is probably injured.
The most talented PG since James Silas? I like the sound of that! It's good to get your inside scoops on these things, Isaac.
sfa17
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i feel like the first few starting lineups will not have any new players. Something like
PG: Augustine
G: Ty (Bogues OR Harris , if Ty is injured)
G: Ivan
PF:Gilmore
C: TJ
Gazette1
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Josh Huntley is transferring to Midwestern State.
No-look
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I look for Bogues to lead team in scoring this year. Seems he just has a natural ability to score. Team may average eighty or better. Im thinking our guard play this year will elevate everyone's game.
Gazette1
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I look for us to be much more potent on offense and very aggressive on defense. We will have more depth, more athleticism and we'll be a lot faster. Guard play was a negative last year. We were inexperienced and had players that were forced to play out of position. I am concerned that some of those recruits are not yet on campus. They need those extra semesters of schooling as well. We'll start a lot of different lineups. Who starts is pretty much insignificant,
No-look
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Looking forward to the profile of the visiting players. Also would love to see a profile of the new recruits coming in.
Gazette1
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I had lunch with Danny Kaspar and Buddy Lowery today. Danny likes SFA's recruits a lot, especially Bogues and Comeau.
ejasper12
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Hmmm..thats funny.
Texas State was recruiting Mack his junior year...
ejasper12
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Nine Freshman went to the draft and Mack played against at least 3 of them.
PG are born, not created. That's been his position since the 4th grade.
He's had to prove himself all these years, to be continued @ SFA where he is proud ti be a Jack.
See You in November
No-look
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ejasper12 said:

Nine Freshman went to the draft and Mack played against at least 3 of them.
PG are born, not created. That's been his position since the 4th grade.
He's had to prove himself all these years, to be continued @ SFA where he is proud ti be a Jack.
See You in November
Mack will be great at SFA. One of the best point guards in the state. This years team looks like (on paper) a team that will have great chemistry. Guard play always play such a vital role in how far a team can go. With the guards, shooters and returning players that we have things really look good for the Jacks.
Gazette1
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I don't think Danny realized that we had signed Cameron Mack. He said that they had really liked Bogues and Comeaux. He had nothing negative to say about Mack. He just seemed unaware about either of our freshmen signings. I think Texas State had some interest in Mack but they were never heavily recruiting him. The conversation we had had shifted away from basketball when I mentioned Mack. He had to think for a while to even remember who Mack was. Danny doesn't like to spend vacations talking about basketball. He is almost honest to the point of a fault. Danny is a realist. He doesn't sugarcoat or exaggerate. He does not spend time keeping up with our program. He takes care of his business. When he loses a recruit he moves on.
ejasper12
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That's not a problem. I like the other recruits as well.
Cam chose SFA.
See you in November!
Gazette1
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Ditto!
PurpleOut
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Staff
Danny signed Isaiah Gurley from McLennan, so he probably saw Shannon a lot.
SFA Jack Fanatic
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PurpleOut said:

Danny signed Isaiah Gurley from McLennan, so he probably saw Shannon a lot.

Gurley looked great in McLennan videos. A very good outside shooter, and his stats were about the same as Shannon's. Wish we could have gotten him, too, but I guess we had no room for another guard.
Gazette1
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Gurley is more of a spot up shooter. Bogues is more athletic and is more of a scorer and a good defensive player. Danny didn't talk much about his recruits in our visit. You never really know how they will fit in although I love the way they look on paper. I won't get too excited until I see them here enrolled in school. I was really excited about Deshaun Francis last year and he never became eligible. It really hurt our program. We were also one scholarship player short because of him not qualifying. Has anyone heard what is going on with Walkup. I haven't heard anything as of late.
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