Cooney. Probably that's all that needs to be said... We've known he had it in him, and that patience has paid off. What surprised me the most was the one where he came around the screen and got the shot up right away and nailed it. That was Rautins-esque. The crazy thing is, we've got 3 full years ahead of us with this guy. If he gets a NC before he's through, will Gerry have a challenger to his legacy on his hands?
Xmas. Another guy who've we've always thought he had this type of play in him. Difference here is a lot of us thought he'd never quite get there. It's still early, and it was a weak opponent, but it's still a positive sign.
Gbinije. There was a lot of handwringing preseason, and I think rightfully so, about this guys potential, but man did he come through. I'm not sure he did anything great (aside from maybe some great passes), but I think he did a lot of things very well. He's clearly a very important player for us if Ennis will have some Freshman up and downs.
Ennis. In the first half of the last exhibition I thought this kid had a chance to be a 1 and done. In this game he looked like a 4 year player who was thrown into the deep end a bit too soon. Then of course you look at the box score and see the other things he did even while having a bad game, and it's clear this kids ceiling is pretty d@mn high. He's a Freshman, and he'll have ups and downs. If all of his downs include 8 rebounds and a 7-2 assist to TO ratio, this team will be more than fine.
Fair. He's forcing it a bit. His game has always been to let things come to him. When you're the star, that's not really part of the deal, so he'll have some struggles making that adjustment. I saw a little KrisJo in his game with all the travels and charges. He'll need to dial it back a bit to become the star we all expect him to be. Still, that being said. He had a really nice stroke on his shots, and made some great moves I've never seen him make before.
BJ Johnson. Thought he was a stud based on the Canada games. Before he's done here, he will be a star, I have no question about that. It won't be this year, however. I see some KrisJo in him as well, but it's the freshman year KrisJo who clearly had the game, but wasn't there yet in his head. BJ was clearly thinking too much out there when he had the ball. This isn't his year, and that's ok. This is his year to work through the jitters, and really start to become something for next season. Who knows, maybe he gets ahead of schedule, and contributes this year. Either way, he'l be a stud at some point.
Roberson. He looks good. Has the potential to bring a mid range game to the floor, which will be killer when we face a zone. He's probably our 8th man this year. Liked his game overall.
BMK. Loved his put back dunk. It was a level of athleticism that I've never seen him show in a game. Other than that, this kid is a rock. Love having him on the team.
Other thoughts.
-Patterson wasn't in much. He's young and plays a little loose. I think he's got a bright future.
-Thought that Bonner tipped his hand a little bit regarding Grant and his suspension. Talked about discussing it with JB, and how JB wouldn't say anything about it. Then towards the end of the game, with the camera on Grant, Bonner says 'don't worry orange fans, you'll see a lot of Grant this year' or something to that effect. Sounds like JB told him what the deal was and that Grant would only be out 1 game.
-I think this team is loaded. JB can tamp down expectations all he wants, but this team has a NC ceiling. Last year's team was not great until Mid March. Prior to that they were great at times and average at times. They were a 5th place team in the BE last year. This team can absolutely meet or exceed their accomplishments.
Xmas. Another guy who've we've always thought he had this type of play in him. Difference here is a lot of us thought he'd never quite get there. It's still early, and it was a weak opponent, but it's still a positive sign.
Gbinije. There was a lot of handwringing preseason, and I think rightfully so, about this guys potential, but man did he come through. I'm not sure he did anything great (aside from maybe some great passes), but I think he did a lot of things very well. He's clearly a very important player for us if Ennis will have some Freshman up and downs.
Ennis. In the first half of the last exhibition I thought this kid had a chance to be a 1 and done. In this game he looked like a 4 year player who was thrown into the deep end a bit too soon. Then of course you look at the box score and see the other things he did even while having a bad game, and it's clear this kids ceiling is pretty d@mn high. He's a Freshman, and he'll have ups and downs. If all of his downs include 8 rebounds and a 7-2 assist to TO ratio, this team will be more than fine.
Fair. He's forcing it a bit. His game has always been to let things come to him. When you're the star, that's not really part of the deal, so he'll have some struggles making that adjustment. I saw a little KrisJo in his game with all the travels and charges. He'll need to dial it back a bit to become the star we all expect him to be. Still, that being said. He had a really nice stroke on his shots, and made some great moves I've never seen him make before.
BJ Johnson. Thought he was a stud based on the Canada games. Before he's done here, he will be a star, I have no question about that. It won't be this year, however. I see some KrisJo in him as well, but it's the freshman year KrisJo who clearly had the game, but wasn't there yet in his head. BJ was clearly thinking too much out there when he had the ball. This isn't his year, and that's ok. This is his year to work through the jitters, and really start to become something for next season. Who knows, maybe he gets ahead of schedule, and contributes this year. Either way, he'l be a stud at some point.
Roberson. He looks good. Has the potential to bring a mid range game to the floor, which will be killer when we face a zone. He's probably our 8th man this year. Liked his game overall.
BMK. Loved his put back dunk. It was a level of athleticism that I've never seen him show in a game. Other than that, this kid is a rock. Love having him on the team.
Other thoughts.
-Patterson wasn't in much. He's young and plays a little loose. I think he's got a bright future.
-Thought that Bonner tipped his hand a little bit regarding Grant and his suspension. Talked about discussing it with JB, and how JB wouldn't say anything about it. Then towards the end of the game, with the camera on Grant, Bonner says 'don't worry orange fans, you'll see a lot of Grant this year' or something to that effect. Sounds like JB told him what the deal was and that Grant would only be out 1 game.
-I think this team is loaded. JB can tamp down expectations all he wants, but this team has a NC ceiling. Last year's team was not great until Mid March. Prior to that they were great at times and average at times. They were a 5th place team in the BE last year. This team can absolutely meet or exceed their accomplishments.
