-I get the idea behind starting Tonje - he needed some extra minutes after seeing limited action in the first two games and Zeus probably needed a reset after his last outing. On paper, playing that small should've given Mizzou an advantage on the fast break and helped with its switch-everything defense. It didn't really turn out that way, though. They scored zero points off turnovers and SIUE took advantage of its mismatches.
-Jordan Butler had some really good minutes, especially on the defensive end. It seemed like he was always in the right spots and his height made it challenging for the Cougars inside. Also got after on the boards. He's got the highest plus/minues of the night so far. If you can imagine him being five inches taller, I think the team's going to expect something similar from Connor Vanover when he returns.
-Midway through the first half, Tonje, Noah Carter and Sean East were the only players who'd scored. That's not sustainable. It's kind of weird to say, but I think this team is really missing DeAndre Gholston - just that guy who can clear out for while he gets you an iso bucket when the offense gets bogged down. Maybe somebody can be that person on this team, but that guy hasn't emerged yet. This team is otherwise going to live and die by the 3. Gates went with a three-PG lineup just to get an extra creator out there (Ant Robinson continues to impress).
-Sean East took over the game late in the half (though, not in the way Gholston used to as I mentioned above). It seems like he's kind of hesitant to accept he's the No. 1 guy - he keeps waiting for someone else to go on a run. On one possession, he had to shout "Shoot it Noah!" after he got Carter a halfway-decent look in the corner. He's gotta embrace his role a little more.
-Loved the ball movement on that possession in the last minute that led to Carter getting to the free throw line. They gotta keep playing loose like that and make SIUE really spend some energy defending. Mizzou's played so tight tonight - that was the first time they looked really loose. (You also saw Nick Honor get a lot more aggressive. He hasn't been the same guy so far this year, but he might've flipped a switch with that last 3.)
-Jordan Butler had some really good minutes, especially on the defensive end. It seemed like he was always in the right spots and his height made it challenging for the Cougars inside. Also got after on the boards. He's got the highest plus/minues of the night so far. If you can imagine him being five inches taller, I think the team's going to expect something similar from Connor Vanover when he returns.
-Midway through the first half, Tonje, Noah Carter and Sean East were the only players who'd scored. That's not sustainable. It's kind of weird to say, but I think this team is really missing DeAndre Gholston - just that guy who can clear out for while he gets you an iso bucket when the offense gets bogged down. Maybe somebody can be that person on this team, but that guy hasn't emerged yet. This team is otherwise going to live and die by the 3. Gates went with a three-PG lineup just to get an extra creator out there (Ant Robinson continues to impress).
-Sean East took over the game late in the half (though, not in the way Gholston used to as I mentioned above). It seems like he's kind of hesitant to accept he's the No. 1 guy - he keeps waiting for someone else to go on a run. On one possession, he had to shout "Shoot it Noah!" after he got Carter a halfway-decent look in the corner. He's gotta embrace his role a little more.
-Loved the ball movement on that possession in the last minute that led to Carter getting to the free throw line. They gotta keep playing loose like that and make SIUE really spend some energy defending. Mizzou's played so tight tonight - that was the first time they looked really loose. (You also saw Nick Honor get a lot more aggressive. He hasn't been the same guy so far this year, but he might've flipped a switch with that last 3.)
