i hope KO is working with him on his ball-handling. we really need a backup 2 guard, and NG can fit the bill if he works on his handle.
this season will be very difficult with only 2 true ballhandlers (SN/RB). we really need a third.
I could be completely wrong, but I would venture a guess in saying that George Blaney is responsible for giving Giff a little bit of confidence while JC was out... He has been a different guy since JC's suspension and JC actually used him for nearly the entire game last night (and only berated him once by my count for a tap out rebound that unfortunately happened to go right to a streaking Cincy player for a layup)Giffey's confidence has really grown recently - even 3 games ago, I think he doesn't ball-fake, and just makes that pass instead of looking for his own shot. Good to see him nailing his shot, and hustling all over on offense and defense.
we actually could use Ryan Olander at this pointBoth Giffey and Roscoe have had two straight solid games. Lots of hustle, energy and good results. Really liked Niels plaing to the crowd and raising his arms after one of his hoops last night.
We're finding out who can and who cannot handle BE teams. Ryan Olander picked poor timing to hurt his heel, but I think he still finds minutes. After all, he did start in the Final Four last year and has improved.
I think DD ends up being the odd man out. Even though he has banged home some threes as of late, he's gotten lost several times on defense and doesn't have the strength to play 20 minutes a game.
what with his brother, Tyler, still nursing a bad heel...He's coming along ' will make us better in the long run ... We know what Roscoe Smith is capable of and i'm just waiting on him to meet expectations ... Remember how Kemba used to set up the SF's using the high ball screen leaving them open for a 3, we could use that (especially DD) and I think Boatright could provide that BUT unlike Kemba he probably will not receive the keys this soon ...
Sidenote: Does anybody else think that Coombs-McDaniel would EAT in the Big East besides me? Just wondering.
Great post...I was going to write the same thing.I could be completely wrong, but I would venture a guess in saying that George Blaney is responsible for giving Giff a little bit of confidence while JC was out... He has been a different guy since JC's suspension and JC actually used him for nearly the entire game last night (and only berated him once by my count for a tap out rebound that unfortunately happened to go right to a streaking Cincy player for a layup)
This game was terrific for Niels and it took place with a guard set so it wasn't a fluke. I like the progression I'm seeing in him. He is the consummate JC player in that he takes the criticism of JC and works on getting his play to perfection. I agree he hesitates somewhat but as the game progressed he played within the flow of the game. That shot at the end of the game demonstrated the kid is not hesitant to do things. Hopefully UConn gets RB back soon. In whatever way the RB saga turns out I expect NG to be getting more minutes at the expense of DD who can take the course NG did last season and work on the things JC is demanding.Yes, we are extremely vulnerable to pressure defense against our PG. I agree that we need a third and that as of now, that is not JL or anyone else. I think that NG could do more than he is in the ballhandling and distribution area if he felt like he had the go ahead to try to make plays. He catches the ball on the perimeter and usually passes it back to Shabazz right away without even looking to make a pass. He is the best on the team at making entry passes and I think that he could expand his freedom of movement to include trying to drive the ball when opportunities arise. I would like to see JC run plays for NG at times and tell him to score the ball. He is very reluctant to try to do anything where he could make a mistake. I believe that he could do a better job of driving and dishing the ball or making pullup jumpers at a good percentage if he would just relax and play. He does need to watch out and not try to make the too difficult/too fancy/too high risk pass that he has tried and failed to make in the past (like a few times last year, but hardly at all this year).
I agree. Blaney tends to find someone who is not seeing many minutes and give him a shot. He has done this several times before. This time I was wondering if it would be Giffey or Daniels. Giffey has really responded well.I could be completely wrong, but I would venture a guess in saying that George Blaney is responsible for giving Giff a little bit of confidence while JC was out... He has been a different guy since JC's suspension and JC actually used him for nearly the entire game last night (and only berated him once by my count for a tap out rebound that unfortunately happened to go right to a streaking Cincy player for a layup)
he actually tries to box out, so that's probably why... he looks to get position on the weak side and doesn't just try and jump over everyone... i distinctly remember one particular play where he almost had an offensive rebound after getting good position in the cincy game and the ball just bounced unfortunately and it got kicked aroundBlaney has always liked Giffey, IMO.
The most interest thing to me about Giffey is, he's really outstanding at getting offensive rebounds. Which is a strange quality coming from a wing.