I think there are pluses and minuses to take away from last nights game.
On the positive side:
I saw guys trying, and playing hard.
I saw a nice first half out of Frank.
Marek has a high basketball IQ.
Battle is a very very good player.
Brissett and Sidibe seem coachable, unlike Taurean Thompson, and I expect a quicker learning curve.
Concerns:
Frank was inconsistent, and not as strong in the second half.
Good teams will make someone other than Battle score.
Chukwu and Sidibe provide shot blocking abilities and can probably hold their own against weaker or more finesse type teams, they'll struggle against the more physical teams.
Marek has got to get stronger because his IQ and energy are needed.
I know Gino has been playing on a bad ankle, but we need more production out of him.
Iona didn't use the press too often but when they did we had to burn timeouts and played carelessly with the ball.
That said, they're super young. I think the potential is there, but it's going to take some time. In all fairness to these players we need to remember how young and inexperienced they are. I said it months ago, to expect a NCAA bid is IMO totally unrealistic.