At this stage of the OOC games completed and with only 3 more left before conference play begins, I feel the team has begun to develop an identity. Our guards are the strength with regards to scoring and assisting on plays; our forwards are rebounding well enough and actually responsible for many of the team’s blocks; and the center position is capable enough to make a difference in some of our future games. Depth continues to be a strong suit for this club. Injuries have claimed Montana (6 games) Kell (1 game) and Pope (3/4’s of a game). Without those 3 players performing game after game, our season will be good, but not great. We can get by with the rest of the squad against many teams but not really challenge top end programs without Pope, Kell and Montana. Having said this, here is what I see thus far individually…
Watson – best player on the team with loads of courage, grit and ability to make plays consistently. Helps make the rest of the team better. Point scoring guard who is the difference maker on this team.
Kell – In that WSU game, he was really at his best both defensively and offensively before getting hurt. If his play can reach that level again, he will be a real difference maker in many of the close games we may encounter. Never underestimate his rebounding effectiveness for this team.
Hemsley – Always strong to the rim (not always finishing), outside jumper totally missing from his scoring repertoire (last half of last season and this year thus far) but really works the defensive end hard and will still contribute nightly to this team’s success. His foul shooting also is a concern especially in close games.
Mitchell – Strong rebounder, potentially big time scorer, works hard on his defensive assignments but can get lost on back cuts and is a turnover machine when handling the ball dribbling full court. His ceiling is very high and we will be riding both his strengths and weaknesses throughout his freshman year. Excellent foul shooter which really helps us win.
Rooks – Wonderful against other slow big men by clogging the middle, making it tough to get around or through, rebounds well enough in traffic and will score occasionally to make a difference. A non-factor against athletic and quick opponents which will limit his time on the court but he will play important minutes this year. This center can actually make some foul shots which again is a difference maker.
McDaniels – Too thin for major minutes and his jumper needs loads of work for him to see more court time. His potential to rebound and defend can be seen at times, so his future would appear bright as he learns how best to use his wiry frame in traffic. Sometimes moves to quickly and would be better off is he allows the game to come to him (same as Mitchell).
Norain – Getting more time and in pre-game makes all of 3 point practice shots…totally different when the game begins. Not really quick but has some talent going forward. Quick 4’s or 5’s make him look a bit slow at times. Still, he is an important player on this team who will see 15 minutes or more in many of our games going forward.
Gil-Caesar – Can’t shoot in game situations but you see his athleticism and wonder what is happening to this player? He too is a turnover machine and gets beat by back door cuts. He tries hard on both ends of the court but seems to be out of sorts with the rest of his teammates. Don’t see him getting lots of playing time moving forward unless injuries to others gives him minutes that otherwise he would not normally see.
Schakel – Pure shooter who can be taken out of games by defenders who stay attached to him out on the perimeter. He works hard and looks like he wants to do more than just shoot 3’s. He has real potential to make a difference in several games later this year and beyond especially against teams who decide to play zone against us. Gives it his all when on the floor or in the huddle and will be a four year strong contributor to this program. Needs a bit more body strength as well.
Pope – Always thought he would be “Durrant” like coming in (way too much pressure on him to make that comparison) but he simply doesn’t shoot the ball that well. Misses loads of shots that a pure shooter would be making. Is still a bit thin, especially when backing in, he can be pushed off of his spot which alters his shooting stroke. But, as a senior captain, his defense has been wonderful, shot blocking key and rebounding strongly which makes him the second most valuable player on the team if he were to miss significant time to any injury. We have no real substitute for this player and what he does for this team.
Montana – Sorry to say, he has been injury riddled since coming to the team. May be the best pure shooter when healthy, even a strong rebounder as players and coaches claim, but his continued absence has marginalized his indeed strong upside. Time will tell if he really does contribute this year and how? Who’s minutes will be lost if he does return to full strength is an interesting aside.
I have strong faith in the Dutcher era, due to his recent recruiting successes, up style of offense and continued emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. These Aztecs are different from what we have witnessed in the last 3-5 years, with scorers almost at every position but not always with the defensive intensity we have grown accustomed to seeing game in and game out. Dutcher also doesn’t make the traditional “Fisher era” 16 minute time out mass substitution which allows starters a longer run if they are being successful. The substitution pattern appears to be game action flow and using both man to man and zone can continue to make a difference going forward.
Finally, I took the time to review in length how I see things now and moving forward but would love to hear from everyone how they see things presently and beyond. This is a team that is fun to watch and should be successful moving forward! Thanks for reading this winded blast!
even though they won last week. Jesus this stuff is a joke. I think Oregon will beat Boise if they play but Boise would beat UA. WE might end up in Hawaii playing
