Pat Shoulders invited Archie to come speak in Evansville. AT and Todd Leary were among the visitors. Sitting a few feet from me was Khristian Lander. He had t leave for a minute for a phone call. I hope it was another coach and he told him he was with Archie.
Archie went through each player and mentioned they had a meeting with the team today.
Hunter - Archie said everyone wants to know about Jerome. He called his issue something that the experts found difficult to explain. The good news is that Archie said he has been cleared. He said he will be watched and is starting over from scratch.
Green and Davis - He said these two are going to be asked to do more offensively. He called them the best offensive players on the team. Davis has been shooting out to 12 feet and hitting free throws as well as anyone. He said they have been trying to keep Green under control for three years but they are going to give him more freedom. He said Green should be happy to hear that.
Durham and Smith - Archie said they plan to use Al some at the point. He called Durham and Smith smart players that are going to be asked to do some different things. He said Smith could be a leading defender in the B1G. He talked about using his athleticism. What he said abut these two sounded how he described challenging Juwan before his junior year. Hope it works out as well.
Brunk - He really likes his work ethic and presence in the locker room. He said we are going to really like watching him play..
TJD and Franklin - TJD was one of the first kids he watched after getting the job. He mentioned how hard it is for big men to come from high school where they play against smaller kids and suddenly have to face bigger and more experienced players. Archie talked about Franklin and how he has improved and will play this year.
Anderson and Hunter - Archie called Damezi one of the best shooters on the team. He said Anderson and Hunter have the biggest opportunity to have a breakout year since they have no place to go but up. He talked about Hunters ability to shoot 3s and to score inside. He seemed excited abut Hunter.
Phinisee and Thompson - He didn't realize how strong Rob was when he recruited him. He spoke of how Thompson wanted to help the team and notredshirtwas responsible for beating Wisconsin with his key 20 minutes he played against Happ.
He answered a question about Romeo. He said if Romeo had played in an era like Cheaney, he could have set records and been among the best to ever play. Romeo has been back to campus several times and sleeps on Phinisee's coach instead of getting a hotel room.
Archie told a few funny stories, people made fun of Pat Shoulders and we got pictures with Archie. I hope Lander had a good time!