SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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I'm not going to do an Upside or Downside for an exhibition game - or Net Points, etc. Just some observations on individual players, alphabetically and a couple of general comments.
Chris Bell - It's between him and Justin Taylor to be our primary outside threat. There will probably be Chris Bell games and Justin Taylor games. This was a Justin Taylor game. Bell finally hit a three in the second half but was 1 for 7 from the field, had 3 points, 1 rebound and 4 fouls.
Maliq Brown - He did his usual thing of scoring in the paint using either hand and getting around people who thought they had him defended. He scored 10 points in 6 minutes. He had one rebound. He played the 5 briefly but in both the zone and man for man. He didn't handle the ball much but didn't have to.
Peter Carey - Hustled, got a couple of baskets off of feeds from the guards. 5 fouls in 8 minutes suggest we'd better not rely on him for big production.
Quadir Copeland - Easily the best player on the court. Super-active on both ends, making steals, great passes, driving lay-ups, getting rebounds and loose balls. 12 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and four steals. He may be our best point guard, even i he won't start, because he looks to get the ball to others. He's tall with long arms and can excel in any defense. But... 0 for 2 from three.
Kyle Cuffe - Hit three threes and had 4 rebounds despite being our shortest player. He likes to position himself at the top of the key for a long rebound. He looked more muscular than in those high school tapes. He had a couple of break-aways in the first half. I was surprised that he didn't dunk the firs tone. He tried to dunk the second one but had it blocked from behind and the ball wedged itself between the basket and the backboard. He's a good player but maybe a different one than the high school tapes showed.
Mounir Hima sat out due to an 'owie'. No indication he won't be available for New Hampshire.
Naheem McLeod - I'm just going to call him '7-4'. He knows how to use his body. In the past our big men sometimes struggled against shorter players and JB used to say that happens a lot and that they'd actually be better against guys their size - and quickness. Naheem used his 7-4 to dominate shorter players. He's smooth, calm and realizes when he doesn't need to jump to strop somebody or to score. He doesn't bring the ball down, (you are as tall as where you're holding the ball). He goes right up with it. He plays within himself and there's plenty of him. He had 8 points on 4 for 5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and an assist in 15 minutes.
Judah Mintz also sat out with an owie and he's expected to be ready for New Hampshire as well. We'll have to wait to see what a mix of him and Starling...and Copeland and Westry and Cuffe will look like.
William Patterson did not play. He'll probably redshirt.
JJ Starling was the starting point guard and did well, driving and dishing and playing good defense. He can make spectacular lay-ups and passes. He played all 40 minutes and filled the stat line with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and block. Essentially he and Copeland both played like point guard and both were excellent. And neither will be our starting point guard. If neither Taylor or bell or hitting, we may got with having three points guards on the floor at the same time.
Justin Taylor put on a show with four treys in the first half. Then it dried up for him in the second half, although he had 3 rebs and an assist.
Chance Westry, who could be a fourth point guard, is out indefinitely with an injury. He must be squirming in his seat.
It was the case of a bigger, more talented team using those advantages to get out to a 22 point first half lead and then coasting through the second half. Fortunately, Daemon, an excellent three point shooting team, didn't get hot, although they did get it down to a 12 point margin. I thought we did a good job of staying on their shooters for the most part and keeping in front of people in the MTM. We kept up a fast pace and looked to get the ball downcourt before Daemon could get their half court defense set up, which I think will be important. We were 8 for 25 from three, half of that from Taylor in the first half. We can hit from there but not enough to bend the other team's defense out of shape to cover it. The players seemed to be having a good time and to enjoy playing together, which is also important. I hope there are enough balls for everybody.
Benny Williams had good and bad. His first shot was short. 2021-22 short. But then he went to pull up jumpers, jab steps, fade aways and one shot made while crossing the key. I didn't know he could do that. But his second half was not impressive with bobbles and fouls. But he had 11 pints, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks to go with his three turnovers. He'll be in the mix but he won't be the spoon.
Chris Bell - It's between him and Justin Taylor to be our primary outside threat. There will probably be Chris Bell games and Justin Taylor games. This was a Justin Taylor game. Bell finally hit a three in the second half but was 1 for 7 from the field, had 3 points, 1 rebound and 4 fouls.
Maliq Brown - He did his usual thing of scoring in the paint using either hand and getting around people who thought they had him defended. He scored 10 points in 6 minutes. He had one rebound. He played the 5 briefly but in both the zone and man for man. He didn't handle the ball much but didn't have to.
Peter Carey - Hustled, got a couple of baskets off of feeds from the guards. 5 fouls in 8 minutes suggest we'd better not rely on him for big production.
Quadir Copeland - Easily the best player on the court. Super-active on both ends, making steals, great passes, driving lay-ups, getting rebounds and loose balls. 12 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and four steals. He may be our best point guard, even i he won't start, because he looks to get the ball to others. He's tall with long arms and can excel in any defense. But... 0 for 2 from three.
Kyle Cuffe - Hit three threes and had 4 rebounds despite being our shortest player. He likes to position himself at the top of the key for a long rebound. He looked more muscular than in those high school tapes. He had a couple of break-aways in the first half. I was surprised that he didn't dunk the firs tone. He tried to dunk the second one but had it blocked from behind and the ball wedged itself between the basket and the backboard. He's a good player but maybe a different one than the high school tapes showed.
Mounir Hima sat out due to an 'owie'. No indication he won't be available for New Hampshire.
Naheem McLeod - I'm just going to call him '7-4'. He knows how to use his body. In the past our big men sometimes struggled against shorter players and JB used to say that happens a lot and that they'd actually be better against guys their size - and quickness. Naheem used his 7-4 to dominate shorter players. He's smooth, calm and realizes when he doesn't need to jump to strop somebody or to score. He doesn't bring the ball down, (you are as tall as where you're holding the ball). He goes right up with it. He plays within himself and there's plenty of him. He had 8 points on 4 for 5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and an assist in 15 minutes.
Judah Mintz also sat out with an owie and he's expected to be ready for New Hampshire as well. We'll have to wait to see what a mix of him and Starling...and Copeland and Westry and Cuffe will look like.
William Patterson did not play. He'll probably redshirt.
JJ Starling was the starting point guard and did well, driving and dishing and playing good defense. He can make spectacular lay-ups and passes. He played all 40 minutes and filled the stat line with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and block. Essentially he and Copeland both played like point guard and both were excellent. And neither will be our starting point guard. If neither Taylor or bell or hitting, we may got with having three points guards on the floor at the same time.
Justin Taylor put on a show with four treys in the first half. Then it dried up for him in the second half, although he had 3 rebs and an assist.
Chance Westry, who could be a fourth point guard, is out indefinitely with an injury. He must be squirming in his seat.
It was the case of a bigger, more talented team using those advantages to get out to a 22 point first half lead and then coasting through the second half. Fortunately, Daemon, an excellent three point shooting team, didn't get hot, although they did get it down to a 12 point margin. I thought we did a good job of staying on their shooters for the most part and keeping in front of people in the MTM. We kept up a fast pace and looked to get the ball downcourt before Daemon could get their half court defense set up, which I think will be important. We were 8 for 25 from three, half of that from Taylor in the first half. We can hit from there but not enough to bend the other team's defense out of shape to cover it. The players seemed to be having a good time and to enjoy playing together, which is also important. I hope there are enough balls for everybody.
Benny Williams had good and bad. His first shot was short. 2021-22 short. But then he went to pull up jumpers, jab steps, fade aways and one shot made while crossing the key. I didn't know he could do that. But his second half was not impressive with bobbles and fouls. But he had 11 pints, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks to go with his three turnovers. He'll be in the mix but he won't be the spoon.