I only say this because it hasn't really been discussed but Gaten's ankle injury is making a big difference for this team. I thought against MSU was one of Matt's better games. He is as close as we have to creating his own shot off the bounce. This injury has made him nearly as limited as Bawinkle. I know the 3-pointer is a big part of his game at baseline but he had been doing a good job of using the dribble enough to create mid-range jumpshots for himself or dish to his teammates. Plus I am sure the ankle affects his shot.
I bet if we had a better option Matt would have sat out the last two games or at least played very limited minutes.
This is not an excuse for Lickliter because it is partly Lick's fault that we are this thin in the backcourt but when you evaluate the overall progress of this team you need to consider this. I actually think that if Gaten's were healthy and played a similar game that he played against MSU the game would have been very close. I thought Fuller could play well against Michigan, he just needs some outside help.
I bet if we had a better option Matt would have sat out the last two games or at least played very limited minutes.
This is not an excuse for Lickliter because it is partly Lick's fault that we are this thin in the backcourt but when you evaluate the overall progress of this team you need to consider this. I actually think that if Gaten's were healthy and played a similar game that he played against MSU the game would have been very close. I thought Fuller could play well against Michigan, he just needs some outside help.
