Semaj = John Wall

[XUdenver]

At least according to this write up... (don't recall having seen this posted previously)

http://nbadraft.net/players/semaj-christon

[GoMuskies]

If we suck this year and basically waste two years of Semaj I am not going to be pleased.

[Milhouse]

I'm still saying he'll put up damn near Trey Burke numbers this year.

Though Burke was a much better jump shooter.

[XUFan09]

If we suck this year and basically waste two years of Semaj I am not going to be pleased.

Ditto.

[gladdenguy]

I think about that everyday Go. I love Semaj but I don't wanna remember his 2 years with no NCAA tourney wins.

[GIMMFD]

Hmm I actually like the John Wall comparisons, I think Wall is a helluva point guard, Semaj is good, and I think we will achieve good things this year, we have a pretty solid team, let's just see how the season plays out right?

[paulxu]

John Wall played one year for Ky. They went 29-2 and then won the SEC tournament.
Their loses were to the Gamecocks (WTF?) and Tenn who was ranked.
They avenged the loss to Tenn in the SEC tournament with a 75-45 beatdown.
They made it to the Elite 8, and lost there to Thuggy Bear.

I'll take that this year; 29-2, win BE tourney, and then one more than Wall to the Final Four.
If we've only got Semaj for one more year, Reynolds will have to explode and get the FF this year.

[Always Learning]

Was anyone else on the UK team with John, or did he do it all by his own?
Think Oscar did all those wonderful things by himself?
Labron won 2 in a row all by himseld.

Semaj is but one and we will be better because his teammates will be better.

[Milhouse]

Was anyone else on the UK team with John, or did he do it all by his own?
Think Oscar did all those wonderful things by himself?
Labron won 2 in a row all by himseld.

Semaj is but one and we will be better because his teammates will be better.

DeMarcus Cousins was also on that UK team. He averaged 15 and 10 while Wall averaged almost 17 and 7.

so no he didn't do it all by himself by ANY means.

[Juice]

DeMarcus Cousins was also on that UK team. He averaged 15 and 10 while Wall averaged almost 17 and 7.

so no he didn't do it all by himself by ANY means.

And Terrance Jones, Eric Bledsoe, Patrick Patterson, etc. The team was stacked.

[PMI]

I don't see any way we will suck this year, guys, unless some really bad injury issues come up. Semaj is going to be very, very good, and he will have a lot more help than last year. Plus, there is a lot of experience returning. There are some question marks, and the road should be tougher, but I don't think the floor for this team is anywhere remotely near where it was last year. And still, as frustrating as last year was, we were mediocre free throw shooting away from making the tournament. I don't know exactly how good we will be at the end of the year, but I definitely think Xavier will return to its normal self this year after last year's aberration.

John Wall is one of the quickest human beings I've ever seen in person, in any sport. Having been on such shitty Wizards teams, and not having much of a jumper, I think people tend to overlook how special a player he is. He's not a superstar yet, but he is capable of doing some things that just about nobody else can. Once he harnesses it all, look out. I do like the comparison though. I'm not saying Semaj is John Wall at this point, but there are some similarities. It's hard to compare them as college players, as, quite frankly, they play different positions. But as prospects, there are similarities. Semaj is not quite the prospect Wall was in my opinion, but if he stays on the same ascent he's been on the last couple of years, I wouldn't put anything past him.

[GoMuskies]

I don't see any way we will suck this year

I certainly don't expect that to be the case, but there are a lot of question marks/unknowns. Having Semaj is a great place to start, though, because he's about as sure a thing as there is in colllege basketball this year.

[PMI]

I certainly don't expect that to be the case, but there are a lot of question marks/unknowns. Having Semaj is a great place to start, though, because he's about as sure a thing as there is in colllege basketball this year.

Yea, I worry about Martin/SF position in general. Lots of guys are either new or need to elevate their roles, so it might not be realistic to expect them to tear through November and December. But I think the roster is night and day better, and I think we won't have to worry about wearing down at the end of games as was the infuriating habit of last year's team. Last year was torturous, but the line between us being a tournament team and what we were was actually thinner than the record suggested.

[Milhouse]

Just having another guard that can actually create his own shot will take so much pressure off of Semaj. I loved Redford but he was so dependent on Semaj sitting him up and of course a liability on the defensive end. Myles will be a great 6th man...something we didn't have last year.

[blueblob06]

Labron won 2 in a row all by himseld.

There are so many things wrong with this sentence.

[paulxu]

Just to clarify...I never said Wall won anything at Kentucky by himself.
I was only pointing out what that "team" did the one year he played there.
I would love to have a similar result if Semaj only has one year left with us.
He is surrounded by good teammates this year.
As to Wall being the quickest player...he is damn quick. And in some article yesterday they noted:


Brandon Randolph may have been the fastest high school player in the country last season. He needs some time to master the half court game before he can run the show, but his speed, scoring prowess and passing skills should open things up for Christon.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cbask/news/news.aspx?id=4614537

[nuts4xu]

I don't see any way we will suck this year


I have no doubt we will return to form, and take our rightful spot among college basktball's elite.

Can't wait for the season to start!

[letskeepitreal]

I like Semaj and XU Basketball but to compare him to John Wall? Isn't this kind of a stretch? Semaj is good and will likely go early but a lottery pick? He better be able to nail the 3 if he wants to get there

[GoMuskies]

John Wall couldn't shoot to save his life at Kentucky.

[paulxu]

On the A10 board, a VCU poster put up this CP3 camp roster. I thought Semaj was going there?
Maybe there was a second page of roster names and he just didn't show it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BRRARknCMAAjd-t.jpg

[GoMuskies]

Perhaps Semaj dunked on CP3 at the camp and CP3 is now attempting to systematically destroy all evidence that Semaj was ever there.

[paulxu]

It also shows PJ Hairston from UNC, and I'm guessing he's not in attendance.

[LadyMuskie]

There are so many things wrong with this sentence.

Hey! His name is always learning. Clearly, English is one of those things he's still learning, or hasn't even begun to learn because he's focusing on other things at the moment. English is hard.

[Xavier]

I like Semaj and XU Basketball but to compare him to John Wall? Isn't this kind of a stretch? Semaj is good and will likely go early but a lottery pick? He better be able to nail the 3 if he wants to get there

NBAdraft.net has him projected as the 6th overall pick. (Which, I believe would be Xaviers highest overall pick?)

[THRILLHOUSE]

NBAdraft.net has him projected as the 6th overall pick. (Which, I believe would be Xaviers highest overall pick?)

Correct. Brian Grant is X's highest overall pick at #8 by Sacramento in 1994.

[More Cowbell]

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=semaj-christon&p1=john-wall

Pretty similar. Could you imagine Semaj's stat line if he played with +5 players who were drafted?

[Milhouse]

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=semaj-christon&p1=john-wall

Pretty similar. Could you imagine Semaj's stat line if he played with +5 players who were drafted?

Didn't realize Wall averaged 4+ turnovers a game. That's been one of Semaj's weaknesses. Hopefully look for him to turn that around.

[A10fan]

You have to look at some of the turnovers and figure who's fault it really was. I can't count how many times last year one of our bigs fumbled a nice feed or let the ball go through their hands. The TO is technically given to Semaj but the reality is that the ball should have/could have been caught. He did get out of control at times but I'd rather have him aggressive and attacking as opposed to staying outside.

[drudy23]

Semaj is a stud and potential first rounder...but he's not John Wall.

[More Cowbell]

Semaj is a stud and potential first rounder...but he's not John Wall.

We will not know that until Semaj is in the NBA. He certainly does not have the hype. From a skill/athletic standpoint, they have similar qualities.

[PMI]

I hope people are comparing Semaj to John Wall at UK, not in the NBA. Obviously the scouts will compare them based on them as prospects. In any case, John Wall was a highly elite prospect, and a clear-cut top overall pick. Like I said before, his quickness is extremely rare, in any sport, and he's an elite athlete. So I don't think it's right to compare them in the sense that you would say Semaj is as good as Wall, but I do think it's fair to acknowledge similarities in their games. I think the reason it's a reasonable comparison is because they pretty much share the same strengths and weaknesses. Both are lightning quick and can shake guards with their handle. Both have excellent abilities to distribute. Both are similar in length, body type and athletic skill sets. Both need to cut down on turnovers (which comes with the territory of being able to play as quickly as they can) and both could stand to make big strides with their outside shooting. Both are also extremely competitive. Where you draw the line, in my opinion, is that John Wall excels just a little more in some of these areas, at least at this point. Semaj is about as quick as the college game has right now, I would think, but John Wall is on a totally different planet with his explosiveness and handle. And he's just insanely fast with the ball in his hands. In fact, based on everything I've read and heard, he's the fastest they've ever measured, baseline to baseline, while dribbling. If you haven't seen him in person, it's hard to appreciate just how gifted he is.

I think Semaj is a lottery pick. I really do. I think he's going to be one of the best guards in the country and as a prospect, I think he's elite, even in this loaded class. But John Wall was the guy that all 30 teams were going to take with that #1 pick, unless they traded it. If Semaj proves this year to be a John Wall-level prospect come draft time, we'll probably have just enjoyed one of our best seasons ever.

[Milhouse]

Chad Ford had Semaj at #23 on his big board.

It's one of the most loaded drafts in recent history. Wonder if he doesn't have a great year that he might stick around one more?

That said I'm hoping he's a lottery pick because that probably means we had a pretty damn good year.

I truly think that Trey Burke is a better Comparison than John Wall too.

Granted both had Insane amounts of talent surrounding them.