Thanks for taking the time to write this up.Went to West Liberty yesterday, sat in a camp chair near the half court line with Jimmy. Got there an hour and a half early, set the chairs down and went to the Bluebird Cafe for lunch. Good place to eat. Got back in the gym just before the game started.....
First of all, I was really impressed with Ryan Kriener. He has no hesitation at all and will be a factor on offense and defense this season. I don't know how they will keep him out of the starting lineup. He is very active on Offense, and as a last resort will nail a three, almost every time. He has many moves in the paint and will be very difficult to stop. Watch out for him flying down the court for a slam. He and Tyler will provide thrills all season. Ryan reminds me a bit of Aaron White, especially his on court awareness. He is always around the ball, and quite versatile in the paint.....
Jordan played very well, despite being covered by UNI's McCloud. Bohannon brought the ball downcourt quickly and usually found Kriener. Jordan's stats are a little low because he is working on a soft shot in the paint. Might be better to use the square behind the rim. He ran the team efficiently all day. To end the game Dom nailed a gunslinger low three, followed by JBo racing downcourt to launch a game-ending three. Visions of things to come, perhaps.....
Tyler was unstoppable whenever he decided to take it to the rim, making changes in midair to make the shot, one way or another. Seemed to be working on a jump shot as well......
Dom looked good, rebounding and also looked more comfortable on offense, seemed to be getting back in the groove. We will need his experience. Not certain how many minutes he will get with a loaded lineup, but he will get some necessary time on the floor.....
Isaiah looked good. His style of play makes him look a bit slow, but he paces himself, always in position, picking up speed when needed. Casual efficient style. He should be starting......
Nicholas was Nicholas, as good as ever, working on a game in the paint, playing D, getting rebounds and all around excellent play. Nicolas should be starting, but I personally like him coming off the bench. He is very efficient and makes his presence felt immediately. I believe he analyses the game on the bench and knows exactly how to help, bolstered by his natural ability and basketball savvy......
Daily looked good, looking more relaxed handling the ball. He is taller than I thought and will provide assistance throughout the season. Not certain how many minutes he will get but he will be on the floor.....
Didn't watch the game in the other gym, but Jimmy stopped to look in the doorway, and liked what he saw with Nunge scoring inside. Said he reminded him of Zeller and Kevin McHale.....
Jimmy knows his basketball and is a walking encyclopedia, so I take his observations to heart.....
Ton of fun and a good way to spend a July Sunday......
Ryan really impressed me......
Cat is very savvy. He and JBo work together nicely. Jordan's savvy is unquestioned......
Good things coming, Lads.....
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Thanks for taking the time to write this up.
There is also the possibility you just made it all up.I couldn't keep it to myself any longer.....
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There is also the possibility you just made it all up.
I couldn't keep it to myself any longer.....
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I think the one thing we could be overlooking is it was likely defense that kept Kriener off the floor last year. He's going to need to improve on that end if he's going to be our primary 5. I think this team has plenty of capable scorers.I've been all over the place trying to predict a starting frontcourt but I think you may be on to something with your statement on the difficulty of keeping Kriener out of the starting lineup. I think the team would benefit the most with Cook playing mostly at the 4 and IMO Kriener is our best option at handling the bulk of the minutes at the 5. Wagner will be a solid contributor but the height isn't there, Garza needs a year or so to adjust, and Pemsl, like Cook, should primarily be a 4. This all may be due to PTL hysteria but I love what I've been seeing from Ryan.
I think the one thing we could be overlooking is it was likely defense that kept Kriener off the floor last year. He's going to need to improve on that end if he's going to be our primary 5. I think this team has plenty of capable scorers.
Taking note "Do not tell any national security information to the DUKE."
Thanks for the insight. Of course we know from past years that points racked up during these summer games often don't pan out in the B1G........... but we can hope and dream though.
I've been all over the place trying to predict a starting frontcourt but I think you may be on to something with your statement on the difficulty of keeping Kriener out of the starting lineup. I think the team would benefit the most with Cook playing mostly at the 4 and IMO Kriener is our best option at handling the bulk of the minutes at the 5. Wagner will be a solid contributor but the height isn't there, Garza needs a year or so to adjust, and Pemsl, like Cook, should primarily be a 4. This all may be due to PTL hysteria but I love what I've been seeing from Ryan.
I'd throw Wagner and Uhl on there as well. Those are our "plus" defenders. Even those guys can improve some. Moss certainly could improve some of his positioning IMO.Perhaps the entire team other than Baer, Moss and Williams need to improve on D.....
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I'd throw Wagner and Uhl on there as well. Those are our "plus" defenders. Even those guys can improve some. Moss certainly could improve some of his positioning IMO.
I guess my point is this. Last year Fran felt most comfortable putting Wagner out there for D, and letting Cook guard the other teams 5, which he clearly wasn't best suited for. In essence he chose one "plus" defender (Wagner) and one "plus" offensive player (Cook) as opposed to two "plus" offensive players (Cook/ Pemsl or Cook/Kriener).
So if Kriener can't improve enough on D, it may be tough for him to get the nod alongside Cook. Now Cook could improve on D as well and a potential Baer in the starting lineup certainly helps with defense.
I'd throw Wagner and Uhl on there as well. Those are our "plus" defenders. Even those guys can improve some. Moss certainly could improve some of his positioning IMO.
I guess my point is this. Last year Fran felt most comfortable putting Wagner out there for D, and letting Cook guard the other teams 5, which he clearly wasn't best suited for. In essence he chose one "plus" defender (Wagner) and one "plus" offensive player (Cook) as opposed to two "plus" offensive players (Cook/ Pemsl or Cook/Kriener).
So if Kriener can't improve enough on D, it may be tough for him to get the nod alongside Cook. Now Cook could improve on D as well and a potential Baer in the starting lineup certainly helps with defense.
I think the one thing we could be overlooking is it was likely defense that kept Kriener off the floor last year. He's going to need to improve on that end if he's going to be our primary 5. I think this team has plenty of capable scorers.
This idea that Nunge/Garza will step in right away and play is foolish. We don't know what their learning curve will be like at all. They could get it from day one or they may never get it. We need to see them get real minutes, in real games before we assess.