Practice rocks! I am two seats up, nearly center court. My neck and my mental processing ability are strained from trying to keep up with the non-stop drills and movement of 11 players (no Terris Reed), coaches yelling and schooling, support staff facilitating, all the players in constant motion, knowing where to be, what they're running, the pace nearly at game speed for the whole 75 minutes. Lots of real time scrimmaging.
SJ looks real good, dynamic, everything we know plus working on mid and short range push shots and also quick drives in the lane.
Singare had a nice highlight, behind the back to Stewart on a fast break which drew the first roar from the crowd. Looks better then last year, stronger, more skilled as a non-scoring big man both offensively and defensively. Gets out on the break.
Stewart looks smooth, confident, puts it on the deck more. Shooting 3's maybe not his strongest point, but we'll see come November what his percentage is, and where his points are coming from. Very athletic and strong, very skilled at the wing. Let's see how Hurley uses him.
McNeeley looks steady, shoots the ball well, drives well, fits right in with whatever 5 players are on the floor. Not seeing any weaknesses, looking forward to watching him play come November.
J Ross looks good, very good. Much stronger and confident, shooting the ball well, driving, his length, hops, and athleticism more advanced than last season. Every part of his game looks good, he would be starting most places. Today he stood out, his ball handling, his team play, his focus. We'll see if Hurley finds him minutes, he is worthy. Made like 3 spot-up 3's in a row on the break.
Karaban out there doing Karaban things. Looks stronger, shoots 3's at a high percentage, plenty of them, getting to the hoop more though too. Alex is solid, importantly, perhaps our best team player
Abraham does not stand out as a scorer, but he stands out as a basketball player. Very athletic, tough, team player, helps make both the offense and defense run better. Again, we'll see how Hurley uses him.
Aidan Mahaney looks good, has some polish to his game. Very court-aware, I was impressed by how low he dribbles during the early drills. Tight handle for sure. Great follow thru on his 3's, fingertips a thing of beauty. Passes very well, penetrates, doesn't get too deep. Smart player for sure.
Nowell will play plenty, he has the ball in his hands, and initiates a lot of offense. On defense he is keeping up with Hassan and his effort is enormous as he guards his opponents. Really solid with the ball, shoots very well, facilitates very well, what more can I say.
Hassan is better than last year, more of a focal point for the offense. Strong on his drives, got caught once or twice maybe trying to do too much (or was it just good defense), has the ball in his hands a lot, initiates, penetrates, passing a strength also. Tough on D, looks very confident out there.
Solo playing the 2 guard, not the point. Driving well, gets his 3's, looks very good out there. Crafty scorer sometimes with his athleticism, sometimes just physical going to the hoop.
After a defensive rebound, everyone looking for Diarra, Mahaney, or Nowell. They have the highest ball usage.
Hurley addressed the crowd for 5 minutes or so, said they're all working really hard for a three-peat. 3000 plus in attendance.
