JerseyAlum
St. Anthony's Fan; UConn tennis alum
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2024
- Messages
- 330
- Reaction Score
- 626
Yeah, it's funny sometimes you see Diarra with Ball getting bodied by guards, but other times we see Liam bringing the ball up alone or AK doing the same (I think 1x or 2x in the Gonzaga game)
Liam - can create his own shot with Euro step gaining a foot or two to the hoop for the harm or the kickout, or moves well enough for a rhythm 3. Most importantly, we saw Liam running the O on occasion. BBIQ is there and for a frosh that is huge, but he has some growth/potential to realize.
AK - kind of ditto with more BBIQ at this point (older) experience running the O and facilitating, but underappreciated defense at the 4/3/5 position and selfless. Maybe sometimes too in love with distance 3s.
Haas - never gonna be Tristen, but has flashes of being an offensive threat to drive and dish or drive for 2 and the harm or hit a 3 (I think of our 3pt shooters, he has the lowest pct but can be clutch). Defenses know he is not Tristen-dangerous which puts more pressure on the other players (AK and Liam mainly).
It's interesting to see the Ball/Stewart/Ross minutes flux: Ball is our starting 2 right now, and while his lack of defense has been well documented, his shooting is coming along not just from deep but some pull up. Stewart played for AK, but even with AK back, Stewart has the offense for 3s, pull ups, drives, and can handle the ball. Ross is perhaps our best defender (debatable with AK) but sometimes is his own undoing with early fouls on reach ins.
Most interesting was Singare coming in for Johnson - he immediately fouled then was clean for a bit but a bunch of us at MSG thought the first foul was nerves - he was walling up the player, and reached around with both hands for the obvious foul. But good to see him get some minutes and given no 5 fouled out vs Gonzaga, things at that position are definitely getting better (and we hope Samson does too).