Breakfast scrimmage
First off, we will miss Howard a lot. Could create his own offense, was capable of knocking down 20, had three years ahead of him.
Ward- Took him a couple of periods to warm up. Missed a lot of open looks early, but was canning them in the later periods. Did a nice job of getting to the hole and playing the point.
Whittington- Not really expecting much from him this year. Looked lost at times, and was very passive on offense. Often kicked out when he had a two foot jump hook waiting for him. Carter was frustrated with him in that regard. Will be fine for spelling Stain and Flen at the 4 and 5, but it may take him awhile before he brings quality minutes.
Flen- A lot like last season at this time. Trying to find a perimeter game to complement his interior game. Caught fire a bit in the later periods.
Hutchenson- Clearly the most improved player on the team. Kept his body under control on drives. Went straight up rather than trying to go over people. Showed a much better touch both in the paint and from the perimeter. Showed he can create his own shot. Played like a guy who knows he's a weapon, rather than a cog in the wheel.
MD- Like Hutch he has shown growth both offensively, defensively, and in running the offense. Too bad he didn't redshirt his first year, because he's figured out the game at this level. Shot well from deep and got the hole pretty much at will.
Stain- Definitely in better shape. Looking quite stylish with the new do and glasses. A bit more agressive in his offensive footwork. Will be solid, and will have those eye popping games again. Just not sure he's grown enough to consistently take people inside every night.
Mo Conteh- May win a few games for us. Is in great shape, plays within himself, money down low and on putbacks, and a solid rebounder.
Pokley- Is going to have to show he can knock down shots consistently. Good defender, knows the offense, not afraid to shoot. The question is, is a practice player or will it translate to game day.
Brown- The most important guy on the court in my opinion. If we're to overcome the loss of Howard, it's Brown who has to step up. Looked tentative today. Looking for a role. While Ward will get a long leash and can afford to go 0-6, Brown will not have that luxury. Hawk has got to give Brown the green light to shoot the three and go to the hole, and he's got to give him a long enough leash to build his confidence. Showed spurts where you could see his talent.
Dean- Was launching some strange shots. Might play himself right out of the rotation if he doesn't play with a little more intelligence. Has a nice baseline jumper with a soft touch. Should probably stick to his strengths and let the guards lunch the 19 footers from the top of the key.
Horerdemann- Nice, solid, won't hurt you kind of freshmen. Probably won't produce a whole lot either, but is capable of running the offense and staying in front of his man. Has a D-1 body and plays within himself. Has a nice little floater in the paint and is capable of getting to the hole.
Ritchie- Will quickly become a fan favorite. Reminds me of Steve McNeese who played for Akron. Didn't look like a D-1 basketball player, but when the game was over he'd buried 30 and you wondered why you couldn't stop him. Was money on most of his open 3's, and showed a nice set of hands on defense. Got out on the break well, and did a nice job of setting up teammates. Should give us some quality minutes off the bench, and is one of those players who could simply go off for a bunch of points. Could also go 0-8.
This team should have some good depth, will be able to attack people from both the outside and in the paint. They still may struggle against gimmick zones, but MD may be able to make teams pay for that. Would help if Whittington developed a little quicker as Stain will need to be spelled regularly and Flen can't necessarily move to the 5 all the time.
To me the key is David Brown. He's capable of big things. At the start of last season I thought he was perhaps the best player on the court. Got to the hole easily, and was burying threes. I'm a little concerned that he might play tentative to avoid injury.
(This post was last modified: 10-22-2011 11:26 AM by Chipdip.)
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