I know it's early and the 2 games against the canadian team and whoever the heck Bellarmine is aren't a huge indicator of things to come, I do have some thoughts and concerns after a long offseason as we head into regular season play...
1. Max Biefeldt should not be starting for a team ranked 15th in the country. There is some value there being experienced especially as we head into big ten play. And after the dismissal of all of our front court players I like the move to bring in Biefeldt in all honesty. Bottom line here though is he's not good enough to start for a team that has high expectations. Crean is going with 2 bigs (could you imagine Bryant and Hanner down there??) which I and many others did cry for all of last season, and no doubt he needs to play both give Bryant breathers and play alongside him at times, but he is not starter quality IMO.
2. I am not seeing the improvement I expected from JBJ. Maybe the knee injury delayed the progress but I was expecting a big jump from JBJ in his sophomore season but it appears he hasn't gotten much better with his handle or driving to the rim, two of his most obvious weaknesses. I hope he proves me wrong.
3. If he's not shooting or if he's missing 3's Zeisloft needs to sit. He provides very little beyond the 3 point shot. Don't get me started on his defense.
4. Juwan Morgan is going to contribute a lot. Maybe not flashy offensive numbers but his defense, in particular his help side, looks to be a big plus for this team. If he can defend at a high level and rebound he will prove to be a big addition.
5. Speaking of defense, Troy Williams has improved on that end.
6. I can't think of a better 1-2 punch in the conference than Yogi and Troy. Troy has his moments, especially in games that become track meets but he's a special talent with his unbelievable athleticism. And we all know how good Yogi is. Trimble and Stone are another duo that can rival these two as are Eron Harris and Valentine from MSU. Help me if I'm forgetting another one.
7. If there's a better college point guard right now than Yogi Ferrell I'd like to meet him.
8. Colin Hartman's best attribute is his facilitating. When he pump fakes and drives he makes some pretty nice passes for open 3's or even finishes at the rim. I'm not a big Hartman guy and I do think he needs to play less than last year, but his ability to distribute can cause matchup problems as a stretch 4 or even a 3 man.
9. Stop it already, Ryan Burton does not belong on the floor during meaningful minutes. I wouldn't be concerned that he played in the first half of both games if it wasn't Crean and we hadn't seen this before.
10. I love Bryant's intensity. A lot of guys his size are lazy and nonchalant out there but he seems to be a guy that will never be lacking on intensity. You have to love that out of your McDonalds AA freshman center.
1. Max Biefeldt should not be starting for a team ranked 15th in the country. There is some value there being experienced especially as we head into big ten play. And after the dismissal of all of our front court players I like the move to bring in Biefeldt in all honesty. Bottom line here though is he's not good enough to start for a team that has high expectations. Crean is going with 2 bigs (could you imagine Bryant and Hanner down there??) which I and many others did cry for all of last season, and no doubt he needs to play both give Bryant breathers and play alongside him at times, but he is not starter quality IMO.
2. I am not seeing the improvement I expected from JBJ. Maybe the knee injury delayed the progress but I was expecting a big jump from JBJ in his sophomore season but it appears he hasn't gotten much better with his handle or driving to the rim, two of his most obvious weaknesses. I hope he proves me wrong.
3. If he's not shooting or if he's missing 3's Zeisloft needs to sit. He provides very little beyond the 3 point shot. Don't get me started on his defense.
4. Juwan Morgan is going to contribute a lot. Maybe not flashy offensive numbers but his defense, in particular his help side, looks to be a big plus for this team. If he can defend at a high level and rebound he will prove to be a big addition.
5. Speaking of defense, Troy Williams has improved on that end.
6. I can't think of a better 1-2 punch in the conference than Yogi and Troy. Troy has his moments, especially in games that become track meets but he's a special talent with his unbelievable athleticism. And we all know how good Yogi is. Trimble and Stone are another duo that can rival these two as are Eron Harris and Valentine from MSU. Help me if I'm forgetting another one.
7. If there's a better college point guard right now than Yogi Ferrell I'd like to meet him.
8. Colin Hartman's best attribute is his facilitating. When he pump fakes and drives he makes some pretty nice passes for open 3's or even finishes at the rim. I'm not a big Hartman guy and I do think he needs to play less than last year, but his ability to distribute can cause matchup problems as a stretch 4 or even a 3 man.
9. Stop it already, Ryan Burton does not belong on the floor during meaningful minutes. I wouldn't be concerned that he played in the first half of both games if it wasn't Crean and we hadn't seen this before.
10. I love Bryant's intensity. A lot of guys his size are lazy and nonchalant out there but he seems to be a guy that will never be lacking on intensity. You have to love that out of your McDonalds AA freshman center.
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