Here you go:
1. UD Arena and the home team fans are just amazing. Pre-game entertainment is rock concert quality. The Arena is first class in every way. The place was deafening when the Flyers made their late 2nd half run. The cheerleaders are SEC quality.
2. Our seats were close to the action. Where I could see the physicality of the game. Holy Cow! I thought at times I was watching a hockey match. At other times an NFL game. Lots and lots of hand and hip checking. Grabbing and bumping and leaning too. A real eye opener for me.
3. I'm not sure why Collins was so high on Nicholson and Hunger going into the season. Flyers did a great job of doubling the ballhandler on the Nicholson picks out top knowing that our big guy could not effectively roll to the basket to score. Hard to execute an alley oop when the ball handler has 2 guys on him. Hunger plays small for as big as he is. Just the opposite of what Pardon use to do for us.
4. The freshmen have amazing composure. If Ciaravino can add 15 lbs. of muscle, the sky's the limit. He can hit the three and take it to the rim with authority. If Mullins had the freshman's confidence and aggressiveness he could be a double digit scorer. The skills are there. The mindset is not. Sadly, the Denver transfer seems content to play the complimentary role. I hope Collins is demanding more from him. This team needs him to be an offensive threat other teams have to defend.
5. Brooks looked healthy in warmups. But even then you could see he needs a few full go sparring matches to get his game back. He is one very strong, well built dude.
6. You can't beat Dayton on the road with Ty Berry posting a goose egg on the scoreboard. Nicholson having no impact on the game. And Barnhizer MIA. Cats did well to make the game as close as they did.
7. Dayton's guards and wings were a little quicker and a little more physical. That was the difference in the game IMO. Their full court pressure defense was very disruptive to the Cats offense even when we avoided the turnover. Their second half offensive surge was fueled by their defense. I was consistently disappointed we couldn't make the Flyers pay for overplaying the ball by going vertical on them.
8. Nick Martinelli is the best, most complete Wildcat basketball player I have seen in the 47 years of my NU hoops fandom. He had answers for everything Dayton threw at him. Nothing even slowed him down. Sorry Barney. There's a new sheriff in town. A BIG POY caliber player with an NBA future and still room to improve. I would be surprised if we saw him back in purple next year.
9. Collins is still a live firecracker on the bench. Some short fused zebra is going to T him up this year.
10. Like Collins said, this was a great measuring stick game for the Cats. I'm anxious to see how far CCC and his staff can take this team in the preseason. Lots of reasons we have to expect significant improvement.
GOUNUII
1. UD Arena and the home team fans are just amazing. Pre-game entertainment is rock concert quality. The Arena is first class in every way. The place was deafening when the Flyers made their late 2nd half run. The cheerleaders are SEC quality.
2. Our seats were close to the action. Where I could see the physicality of the game. Holy Cow! I thought at times I was watching a hockey match. At other times an NFL game. Lots and lots of hand and hip checking. Grabbing and bumping and leaning too. A real eye opener for me.
3. I'm not sure why Collins was so high on Nicholson and Hunger going into the season. Flyers did a great job of doubling the ballhandler on the Nicholson picks out top knowing that our big guy could not effectively roll to the basket to score. Hard to execute an alley oop when the ball handler has 2 guys on him. Hunger plays small for as big as he is. Just the opposite of what Pardon use to do for us.
4. The freshmen have amazing composure. If Ciaravino can add 15 lbs. of muscle, the sky's the limit. He can hit the three and take it to the rim with authority. If Mullins had the freshman's confidence and aggressiveness he could be a double digit scorer. The skills are there. The mindset is not. Sadly, the Denver transfer seems content to play the complimentary role. I hope Collins is demanding more from him. This team needs him to be an offensive threat other teams have to defend.
5. Brooks looked healthy in warmups. But even then you could see he needs a few full go sparring matches to get his game back. He is one very strong, well built dude.
6. You can't beat Dayton on the road with Ty Berry posting a goose egg on the scoreboard. Nicholson having no impact on the game. And Barnhizer MIA. Cats did well to make the game as close as they did.
7. Dayton's guards and wings were a little quicker and a little more physical. That was the difference in the game IMO. Their full court pressure defense was very disruptive to the Cats offense even when we avoided the turnover. Their second half offensive surge was fueled by their defense. I was consistently disappointed we couldn't make the Flyers pay for overplaying the ball by going vertical on them.
8. Nick Martinelli is the best, most complete Wildcat basketball player I have seen in the 47 years of my NU hoops fandom. He had answers for everything Dayton threw at him. Nothing even slowed him down. Sorry Barney. There's a new sheriff in town. A BIG POY caliber player with an NBA future and still room to improve. I would be surprised if we saw him back in purple next year.
9. Collins is still a live firecracker on the bench. Some short fused zebra is going to T him up this year.
10. Like Collins said, this was a great measuring stick game for the Cats. I'm anxious to see how far CCC and his staff can take this team in the preseason. Lots of reasons we have to expect significant improvement.
GOUNUII
