Back at it again after the 70-55 loss to Memphis. Disclaimer: I'm a diehard fan so takes may be a tad harsh. Here's my analysis:
Sean East: Man... he really looked like the guy for the first 12 minutes of the game. He completely disappeared once Memphis started their run that would never end. They put Caleb Mills on him and he was effectively taken out of the game. He seemed content not bringing the ball up and then once he was denied the ball once just giving up on the possession. He needs to stay aggressive.
Noah Carter: He played about as bad of a game as he possibly could have. There's no way around it. He missed several uncontested/lightly contested layups right at the rim which is completely inexcusable from your 'team leader'. He really didn't step up as a leader and his frustrations showed on the court which can't happen from a guy like him.
Caleb Grill: I'm going to say I'm concerned about his shooting now but I'm willing to give it another week though to let that play out. Most of his shots looked good but were just short. His body transformation is widely known and I think he needs to adjust more to his added strength. His defense and rebounding even though he struggles offensively has been encouraging.
Zeus Carralero: This is not a power 5 basketball player. He should not get any minutes. He was absolutely terrible on both ends of the floor. Play Butler and Pierce over him.
Nick Honor: His physical limitations really hinder his offensive ability. He is just too short and not quick enough to be effective from anywhere but the three point line. He did not look good.
Tamar Bates: I'm a tad confused why we didn't see more of him. He's clearly the best offensive weapon on this team so I was confused as to why he saw extended periods of time on the bench. His shot looked off but he is at least capable of getting to the rim and making some tough shots.
Aidan Shaw: I think he stood his ground last night. He needs to learn to play without fouling but I think Vanover returning will open things up for him more. He's not meant to guard the opponent's center. His offensive bag is extremely limited right now but on the other end he was effective and I think Vanover coming back will open up his opportunities further.
Kaleb Brown: Stop. No more of this. Him and Zeus playing the 4 and 5 in the same lineup almost resulted in my phone going through the TV.
John Tonje: Still clearly hindered by injury. Not going into what he did for that reason.
The Freshmen: People may disagree with my analysis here and I'd get it but here it is. Robinson looked solid but I'd like to see him try to get by his man. Defensively he stood his ground for the most part. Yes, he was blown by a couple of times but what else do you expect when he's guarding a guy from the Class of 2018. Trent Pierce is concerning. The staff raved about him prior to the season but the kid looks nervous out there. I understand it's his first two collegiate games and obviously he'll only get better. I'm just looking at what he's done so far though, not what he'll do in the future. Jordan Butler barely played but I would've liked to see more. Let's see what he's got.
Coaching: This part is new but I think necessary. It wasn't good. He got out-coached by Slick Rick and Gates didn't seem to have a response. I think he's still figuring this team out but he'll need to hurry that process up.
Overall, it was obviously a very VERY bad game. They had a veteran team that is expected to make the tournament on the ropes in the first half and then completely fell apart. Was anything encouraging? Yes. I actually think the defense from this team was encouraging. I still HATE how the man in the weak side corner is ALWAYS open for a three any time the ballhandler steps foot inside the three point line but the on-ball defense was encouraging for the most part and there was some rim protection even without Vanover. The offense was terrible and this team needs to find it's stroke FAST. For a team that wants to lead the country in attempts from three, they should consider making more. Crazy concept I know.
Outlook: I'm not terribly concerned about the loss. I really didn't expect a win in this one. I am concerned with how they lost. They need to find a way to rebound from this with a trip to Minnesota coming up. We'll see but I think the doom and gloom takes are a bit premature. Last year's team either won or got blown out. Let's let this team try to figure it out and see what happens.
M I Z
Sean East: Man... he really looked like the guy for the first 12 minutes of the game. He completely disappeared once Memphis started their run that would never end. They put Caleb Mills on him and he was effectively taken out of the game. He seemed content not bringing the ball up and then once he was denied the ball once just giving up on the possession. He needs to stay aggressive.
Noah Carter: He played about as bad of a game as he possibly could have. There's no way around it. He missed several uncontested/lightly contested layups right at the rim which is completely inexcusable from your 'team leader'. He really didn't step up as a leader and his frustrations showed on the court which can't happen from a guy like him.
Caleb Grill: I'm going to say I'm concerned about his shooting now but I'm willing to give it another week though to let that play out. Most of his shots looked good but were just short. His body transformation is widely known and I think he needs to adjust more to his added strength. His defense and rebounding even though he struggles offensively has been encouraging.
Zeus Carralero: This is not a power 5 basketball player. He should not get any minutes. He was absolutely terrible on both ends of the floor. Play Butler and Pierce over him.
Nick Honor: His physical limitations really hinder his offensive ability. He is just too short and not quick enough to be effective from anywhere but the three point line. He did not look good.
Tamar Bates: I'm a tad confused why we didn't see more of him. He's clearly the best offensive weapon on this team so I was confused as to why he saw extended periods of time on the bench. His shot looked off but he is at least capable of getting to the rim and making some tough shots.
Aidan Shaw: I think he stood his ground last night. He needs to learn to play without fouling but I think Vanover returning will open things up for him more. He's not meant to guard the opponent's center. His offensive bag is extremely limited right now but on the other end he was effective and I think Vanover coming back will open up his opportunities further.
Kaleb Brown: Stop. No more of this. Him and Zeus playing the 4 and 5 in the same lineup almost resulted in my phone going through the TV.
John Tonje: Still clearly hindered by injury. Not going into what he did for that reason.
The Freshmen: People may disagree with my analysis here and I'd get it but here it is. Robinson looked solid but I'd like to see him try to get by his man. Defensively he stood his ground for the most part. Yes, he was blown by a couple of times but what else do you expect when he's guarding a guy from the Class of 2018. Trent Pierce is concerning. The staff raved about him prior to the season but the kid looks nervous out there. I understand it's his first two collegiate games and obviously he'll only get better. I'm just looking at what he's done so far though, not what he'll do in the future. Jordan Butler barely played but I would've liked to see more. Let's see what he's got.
Coaching: This part is new but I think necessary. It wasn't good. He got out-coached by Slick Rick and Gates didn't seem to have a response. I think he's still figuring this team out but he'll need to hurry that process up.
Overall, it was obviously a very VERY bad game. They had a veteran team that is expected to make the tournament on the ropes in the first half and then completely fell apart. Was anything encouraging? Yes. I actually think the defense from this team was encouraging. I still HATE how the man in the weak side corner is ALWAYS open for a three any time the ballhandler steps foot inside the three point line but the on-ball defense was encouraging for the most part and there was some rim protection even without Vanover. The offense was terrible and this team needs to find it's stroke FAST. For a team that wants to lead the country in attempts from three, they should consider making more. Crazy concept I know.
Outlook: I'm not terribly concerned about the loss. I really didn't expect a win in this one. I am concerned with how they lost. They need to find a way to rebound from this with a trip to Minnesota coming up. We'll see but I think the doom and gloom takes are a bit premature. Last year's team either won or got blown out. Let's let this team try to figure it out and see what happens.
M I Z
