This strikes me as a team that, for now, is playing to the level of its competition. I am really curious to see how things go from here. 68 points at home against a bad Pepperdine team is unimpressive, but we have enough parts to have a respectable offfense.
Leach is not going to create a lot off the dribble. But I love him as a shooter. His stroke is very natural and he seems to have some moxie.
I am hopeful we can run offensive sets through BB and Nick, with Berry and Leach working off screens and occasional cuts.
Nick is a very intense competitor. He is crazy driven. He is playing smart too.
Ty will be a different player in a few weeks. He came back sooner than expected. I don’t think he trusts his knee yet.
Mullins is our best defender. He had a big role in shutting down Todorivic. I think that if our offense evolves, he will find some traction as a slasher/cutter.
Great to see CCC empty the bench. Fitzmorris is a whirling dervish of arms and legs. It’s entertaining if not effective.
The most comedic point of the game was when that big center from Mali, who probably speaks 19 languages, scored on a long fast break outlet after a missed shot.
Ran into Wilbon and Revsine after the game. Wilbon is optimistic about this team.
EDIT: on the final possession last night, we had KJ, Ciarivino, FitzMorris, Smith and Hurlburt on the floor. I felt like I was watching Little Hungry’s middle school team. After 15 or 20 seconds of a Chinese fire drill, Ciarivino saw the shot clock winding down, and did a nice dribble drive penetration into the paint, where he kicked it out to KJ in the corner for a wide open three. Unfortunately, KJ’s shot rimmed out. But for me, KJ and Ciarivno working together to create a good opportunity was a glimpse of the future.
