MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: Desert_Eagle on October 28, 2006, 12:39:55 AM

Title: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: Desert_Eagle on October 28, 2006, 12:39:55 AM
Haunted Hoops was a great time this year, a little long, but watching an adorable little girl in a bunny costume play with and hug the Golden Eagle for a good portion of halftime made the length worth it.

Anyway, I'll begin with my overall reactions to the team as a whole:

Speed/Athleticism - I cannot believe how fast/athletic we are overall as a team. We ran the floor really well for most of the game and looked much improved on rebounds on both sides of the ball. I was really impressed.

Intensity - These guys were going 100% the whole game. It got really physical at times and guys were even talking trash to each other. And its always fun to see Jerel react to the refs, especially when its a scrimmage. When Crean said that our goal this year was to be the hardest working team on hardwood, he wasn't joking. I just hope the guys don't kill each other in practice and stay healthy long enough to unleash on our opponents.

As far as individual performances, these are the ones that impressed me the most:

The Big Men - All the big guys really stuck out as far as improvement. Ousmane looked really good on both sides of the ball and has really improved since last year. He seemed to always be in position and was really good about staying in his lane on fast breaks, which lead to a bunch of points. He even worked it inside a bit and caught all his passes, an early sign that his hands are improved. On D, he played and moved well and had a big block on Jerel in the first half. Kinsella also looked good and seemed to make the biggest impression on the offensive side of the ball. He played well inside and had a few great shots on the perimeter. Jamil did best on the defensive side of the ball, but rebounded well on both sides. I was also really impressed with Fitz's aggressiveness and court vision. He had a few passes inside to Ousmane that were awesome.

Culliban - He is incredibly athletic, a beast on defense and finished well on offense. Most notably, he was pitted against DJ and guarded him very well, which included a few nice steals for fast break points. He will be an excellent player off the bench this year and I hope he gets more time than just letting DJ rest for a few minutes each game.

Blackledge - Although incredibly skinny for his size, he is a freak athletically. Best memory from the scrimmage was the Trend's put back dunk over a few guys. I hope that Crean redshirts him this year because if he puts on some weight, he could be unbelievable.

Disappointments:

Hayward - I know that he's a freshman and he just had the burden of being reviewed by the Clearinghouse lifted off his shoulders, but he just didn't seem in place all night. Again, I understand that he basically just started practicing, and believe me when I say that I'm a huge fan of his, but he really didn't show me much. When on the court, he really didn't move well without the ball and I was surprised to find that he really can't drive to the basket. He also seemed a little afraid to move with the ball. But on the positive side, you can see his talent when he shoots. Although he didn't make many shots, his mechanics and shooting stroke are great. I have no doubt that by the end of the season, he'll be making a significant contribution.

DJ - Of course he's an amazing player, but it seemed to be a bit of an off night for him. He didn't handle the ball as well as I'm accustomed and he also missed a bunch of shots. Really, it wasn't a huge deal, but I was a little surprised.

Well that's all I have. If you guys want me to clarify/elaborate on anything, let me know! Its going to be a great year! GO MU!
Title: Re: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: rocky_warrior on October 28, 2006, 01:12:50 AM
From all reports - MM and HH - all the big men have drastically improved.  If they can continue improving through practice and non-conference this could be a VERY good BE season for the Warriors (err, uh, GEs).  The possible the exception being Burke - any specific thoughts after seeing him?

Hayward still being a bit behind doesn't surprise me, and I'm not worried about DJ yet (unless he's letting things go to his head).

I said this in an earlier post - Blackledge intrigues me.  My opinion now is to NOT redshirt him simply because be brings a different dimension to this team's "big" men (and no...I don't mean 2 dimensional - ha).  Sounds like he could provide energy and spark off the bench at the 4 spot - maybe a few blocks thrown in.  Then again, maybe not redshirting him is a "selfish" motive simply because he doesn't have the bulk for the BE.

Very interesting...thanks for the thoughts.
Title: Re: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: Big Papi on October 28, 2006, 09:25:36 AM
It is great to hear that Barro has improved tremendously.  My two concerns with Barro are his free throw shooting and fouls.

Kinsella sounds like he will help the team quite a bit this year.  His shooting touch should force Hibbert and Gray out of the paint and create more room on our drives.

If Lott can play solid defense and board he will make an impact on this team.

It is good to hear that Fitz battled on the boards fairly well.  With reports that Hayward is one of our better rebounders, our 4 position will not be as big of a liability on the defensive end as much as I originally feared.  Now, if we are able to play pressure attacking defense, we could turn it into a strength especially if Fitz and Hayward can consistently hit their shots.

Since Hayward missed all that practice time, I don't think we will see Hayward's true impact until we are well into the conference schedule.  He is probably thinking too much on the court right now and that would definitely hinder his true impact.

By all accounts it sounds like Cubillan is a heck of a player.  I was initially disappointed by his commitment as I viewed him as an undersized 2 guard but hopefully he will erase all my doubts during the course of the season.

Disappointing to hear that Burke struggled.

Looks like Acker will adequately fill Dom's shoes when Dom eventually leaves.  If we do in fact lose Dom after this year, I think McNeal and Matthews are the real deal and just as talented.  We will not stumble as much as we did when Wade left.

I think this is the year where MU makes a statement that we have arrived as an upper echelon program for the long haul.  Another good recruiting class coming in next year.  Nick Williams the year after that and lots of big time posts from the 08 class giving us attention.  Here is to our continued success.   :)
Title: Re: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: MU2000 on October 28, 2006, 10:12:21 AM
This group is TOUGH!  I loved the game, though there were some obvious disappointments.  Not to make excuses, but it's early.
Overall, the teams speed, athleticism, and AGGRESSION was nothing short of impressive.  TC has these boys pushing it, and if we can stay healthy...it could be a magical year.  GO MARQUETTE!!!
Title: Re: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: rocky_warrior on October 28, 2006, 01:01:07 PM
For another one - Murf posted a recap over on the Rivals (http://marquette.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=442&mid=81873052&sid=987&tid=81873052&style=1) board. 

I've already asked him to join MUScoop (in fact, he registered for an account, but didn't active it). Maybe you guys should put some peer pressure on him. :)
Title: Re: Reactions from Haunted Hoops Scrimmage
Post by: Desert_Eagle on October 28, 2006, 03:38:15 PM
I forgot to mention Acker, who I was actually very impressed with. Although he is small, he is incredibly quick and is a slasher in every sense of the word. His ability to get down the court and to the basket was a big highlight of the game and not only did he finish on some drives despite his size, he also has great court vision which lead to a few really nice kick-out passes. I can't wait to see him on the floor next year.