Interesting game, which is to say that I'm still not sure exactly what this team is and I'm not sure we should be bragging about beating a disaster of a g'town program at home, but ... it's better than the alternative. A few thoughts:
JB has done a solid job using his bench thus far
Everyone hates that JB sticks with 7/7.5 every year and so far he hasn't done that. Nine guys played at least 8 mins today and they all contributed in some form or fashion. Not quite sure why Brown isn't in the mix more, but otherwise, JB has played his guys. Thought the two times he put Torrence in were both good subs, JBA continues to bring energy and hustle/defense, and Hima had a key 8 min stretch. Still an uneven performance from Bell/Williams/Taylor but getting them reps makes sense and hopefully pays off.
Mintz was a difference-maker
Edwards is the best player on this team and Girard will continue to put up points, but Mintz not only getting his but also finding teammates would be an outstanding development. Drew a ton of fouls on G'town, broke their defense down non-stop and played well defensively -- not just the five steals but getting over screens up top all game long. That was a really nice effort.
Edwards is expanding his offensive game
Obviously a good game for Edwards who has the potential to put together a really special season when you look at the rebound and block totals. But his low-post spin and jump hook against Wahab was a beautiful post move. He also hit two short jumpers. The one criticism I've had of him the past year+ has been that he is much better at catch-and-finish plays than actually creating something. But he's done a nice job of creating some buckets the last few games. If he can control the fouls (big if), he could have a really big year offensively too.
Taylor/Williams/Bell remain question marks for me
JBA is going to hustle, defend and feed the post. Edwards does his thing, Girard will be frustrating at times but will also score and is our only consistent shooting threat at this point even with his struggles, Mintz can break defenders down and create, Hima is a big body and decent backup center, Torrence plays under control, is probably our best defensive guard and has shown more ability to score a bit this year as well. I feel like Taylor/Williams/Bell are still very much trying to figure out what they are and how they fit. It will be the key to what our season looks like down the road. Bell is frustrating because his energy and defense are so inconsistent and that three hasn't been falling. But, to be fair, he's come a long way since the exhibitions and the first three regular season games. He's a confident offensive player who is at least doing a little more inside the arc these days. Taylor is sort of the opposite -- he's not real frustrating but I'm not sure how confident he is in his game. Had a nice steal today but was otherwise pretty invisible out there and for a guy who's logged quite a few minutes, he hasn't yielded much in the way of scoring. He's a solid player but not overly productive. Benny, what can you say. I actually thought today he was a very effective player in the second half -- cutting to the basket, finishing plays, looking for his offense, active on defense. But he just struggles to do any of that consistently. Not sure who emerges out of this crew (and I'd actually like to see more of Brown), but at least one, preferably two need to bring some consistent production.
Overall: a work in progress
I remain in the camp that an NCAA bid or even a real run at the bubble feels unlikely. But I will say that this team looks far better than they did in the first few weeks of the season. JBA has been key, Edwards is expanding his game, Mintz is maturing and Bell/Williams have had some moments at times. Girard has struggled but still contributes. Torrence has been really good in relatively short stints off the bench. Hima is a decent backup big. There are some parts here, so hopefully they continue to play well the next five and can build of that. Will be interesting to watch, at least, which I wouldn't have said a few weeks ago.
JB has done a solid job using his bench thus far
Everyone hates that JB sticks with 7/7.5 every year and so far he hasn't done that. Nine guys played at least 8 mins today and they all contributed in some form or fashion. Not quite sure why Brown isn't in the mix more, but otherwise, JB has played his guys. Thought the two times he put Torrence in were both good subs, JBA continues to bring energy and hustle/defense, and Hima had a key 8 min stretch. Still an uneven performance from Bell/Williams/Taylor but getting them reps makes sense and hopefully pays off.
Mintz was a difference-maker
Edwards is the best player on this team and Girard will continue to put up points, but Mintz not only getting his but also finding teammates would be an outstanding development. Drew a ton of fouls on G'town, broke their defense down non-stop and played well defensively -- not just the five steals but getting over screens up top all game long. That was a really nice effort.
Edwards is expanding his offensive game
Obviously a good game for Edwards who has the potential to put together a really special season when you look at the rebound and block totals. But his low-post spin and jump hook against Wahab was a beautiful post move. He also hit two short jumpers. The one criticism I've had of him the past year+ has been that he is much better at catch-and-finish plays than actually creating something. But he's done a nice job of creating some buckets the last few games. If he can control the fouls (big if), he could have a really big year offensively too.
Taylor/Williams/Bell remain question marks for me
JBA is going to hustle, defend and feed the post. Edwards does his thing, Girard will be frustrating at times but will also score and is our only consistent shooting threat at this point even with his struggles, Mintz can break defenders down and create, Hima is a big body and decent backup center, Torrence plays under control, is probably our best defensive guard and has shown more ability to score a bit this year as well. I feel like Taylor/Williams/Bell are still very much trying to figure out what they are and how they fit. It will be the key to what our season looks like down the road. Bell is frustrating because his energy and defense are so inconsistent and that three hasn't been falling. But, to be fair, he's come a long way since the exhibitions and the first three regular season games. He's a confident offensive player who is at least doing a little more inside the arc these days. Taylor is sort of the opposite -- he's not real frustrating but I'm not sure how confident he is in his game. Had a nice steal today but was otherwise pretty invisible out there and for a guy who's logged quite a few minutes, he hasn't yielded much in the way of scoring. He's a solid player but not overly productive. Benny, what can you say. I actually thought today he was a very effective player in the second half -- cutting to the basket, finishing plays, looking for his offense, active on defense. But he just struggles to do any of that consistently. Not sure who emerges out of this crew (and I'd actually like to see more of Brown), but at least one, preferably two need to bring some consistent production.
Overall: a work in progress
I remain in the camp that an NCAA bid or even a real run at the bubble feels unlikely. But I will say that this team looks far better than they did in the first few weeks of the season. JBA has been key, Edwards is expanding his game, Mintz is maturing and Bell/Williams have had some moments at times. Girard has struggled but still contributes. Torrence has been really good in relatively short stints off the bench. Hima is a decent backup big. There are some parts here, so hopefully they continue to play well the next five and can build of that. Will be interesting to watch, at least, which I wouldn't have said a few weeks ago.
