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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2365074, member: 289"] ([I]No "Upside/Downside or "Net Points" until it counts[/I].) I watched the game on the ACC Technical Difficulties Network via Watch ESPN. I saw enough of it to come up with these impressions: CENTERS- Chukwu looked better. The refs seem to assume he is going to foul and just blow their whistles. But Paschal moved well and blocked 6 shots and grabbed 6 rebounds in 18 minutes, (as he should vs.this team, which had no size at all). He had a very nice back-to-the basket move to a hook shot that went in, (against a guy most of a foot shorter than him). But clearly, Sidibie is the man in the paint. He was active, well-positioned and smooth at both ends of the court. he did have five turnovers, mostly miscommunication with his new teammates. He blocked 6 shots and had 8 rebounds in 20 minutes and scored 10 points on 3 for 4 from the field and 4 for 5 from the foul line. He just looked like he knew what he was doing out there and did it with no wasted motion. FORWARDS: Brissett dominated with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He joined his teammates in clanging jumps hots early but then calmed down, started going to the basket and alter hit a couple of threes and looked good doing it. Moyer hustled his way to 10 rebounds but shot poorly (2 for 7 and missed both threes). I think he'll be more of a "glue guy" than a scorer. Dolezai was a wonder on the press with 5 steals. He's got very quick hands attached to long arms. He could contribute more offensively, (3 shot attempts in 20 minutes) and lacks the strength to score when there is contact. He knows what is going on out there. GUARDS: Frank Howard had a big game. He hit his first three and I didn't realize it was him. he shot poorly after that, (5 for 13) but hit 4 of 5 free throws for 15 points. He had 6 turnovers but 3 steals and 8 rebounds. He seemed like more than a "game manager". Tyus Battle was 0 for 4 from outside but 6 for 9 inside the arc and 8 for 9 from the foul line to lead the team with 20 points. He looked comfortable as the #1 option and had 5 assists to boot. he had only 1 rebounds, bringing into some question the idea of having him play small forward. Howard Washington hit three treys and scored 11 points but had only 2 assists in 25 minutes. People compare him to Tyler Ennis but he has a bit of a showman to him, with some no-look and cross-court passes. But he didn't turn the ball over. Geno Thorpe and Braedon Bayer didn't play due to ankle injuries. Jim seemed frustrated with Geno's injury in the post game presser: it's not getting better, despite resting it. He said that x-rays and scans have shown no damage but it remains sore. he said that that was why they got another guard, (Washington). Geno has a big role to play for us this season and Bayer could make a contribution as the team's best outside shooter so I hope they will be back soon- but not too soon, against these teams. Any assessment of this game has to acknowledge that this game was a against a Division II team that had no size whatsoever. But we looked like a good defensive team anyway. As Jim said in the presser, it wasn't just the size. We played very aggressively and were in good position. We blocked 16 shots, (sometimes more than one guy was there to block them) and 10 steals. SNHU went 10 minutes in the first half without scoring. I think with this line-up we should press for 40 minutes but there were the usual disclaimers: we don't have the depth to do that, (we never seem to), ACC guards will break the press and get easy lay-ups, the press may have looked effective but it wasn't really as good as you thought, etc...All i know is that we were doing nothing until we went to the press and then we completely took over. Offensively, I think we can be at least adequate with Battle, Brissett, Thorpe, (who scored 15.1 for USF), and whatever we can get from Sidibie, Howard, Washington and Dolezai. Is anybody still upset that Brissett and Sidibie weren't in the top 100 when we recruited them? [/QUOTE]

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