(01-25-2022 09:20 PM)pantone1935 Wrote: [quote='Big Red' pid='18033442' dateline='1643161628']
Key Stat: 2 of 14 from 3PT.
Thornton - 0-3
Hankerson - 0-3
Crump - 1-2
Kueth - 1-3
Kon - 0-1
Williams - 0-2
What is weird about this stat is Crump and Kueth are the ones who made one! Speaking of Kueth, he seems to have a lot of potential. But, then again, I thought the same thing about Gairges Daow.
GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny. I initially thought highly of Daow too. But it was probably midway through his 2nd year where I was like....okay...he's a friendly Dennis Rodman who shoots too much and really isn't all that good and isn't going to get any better.
But yeah, I felt Kueth was better last year at times. Or maybe, I was still patient and figured he'd get better.
I remember watching video of both Kueth and Makuoi and really liking them. Obvious caveats aside with it being very little video and it being a "highlight" video, obviously it was going to make them look good. But Kueth, iirc, was a scorer in JUCO who played up to his strengths with his outside shot but he also would attack the basket. Makuoi looked way more athletic on tape. Honestly, I've seen a few flashes of Makuoi looking more athletic lately than I've ever seen. It's like he was either battling an injury last year or something else (maybe confidence...coaching changes...etc). I don't recall if he had covid but that could have slowed him down in coming back from it too.
But at times this year, he just looks more confident. I always thought he was way better (or should be) than Okanu but Okanu just outworks guys on the floor so I liked him better. This is probably why Makuoi always started over Okanu (plus the extra inches). He probably shows better in practice than he does in games (until more recently and only in flashes). Although, he was a non-factor tonight but he kinda had his hands full. He's also a terrible, Crump-level free throw shooter but...just like the other weirdness you pointed out, he was 2 for 2 from the line tonight.
As for Ohio, let me just say, I didn't come away impressed. Sure, they can push around and bully a team like NIU. Good for them. But that doesn't impress me much. Maybe they just shot poorly tonight. I don't know and I'm not really in the mood to look it up.
Before the game, I mentioned they had 3 guys to worry about. Well, for whatever reason, NIU shut down Carter. But the other 2 carried the team. No one else did much of anything.
It'll be interesting to see how good they are next year when Sears doesn't have Vander Plas and Carter. Towns is 6'9" and I liked how he played tonight. But he plays a vastly different game than VP and/or Carter. Those two guys really control the inside.