this would have probably been a lot more concise had I been able to write it down last night but it was way past the kids bedtime so I started that battle as soon as I got home instead so here we are!
things that stuck out to me
Ace-- good to see him out and about, dribbling and taking a few shots. Also noticed several times between periods he had various players aside and appeared to be offering some tips/advice on something he saw while they were playing. Doing the things that a true Floor General does and we know that this describes Ace 110%.
MBJ-- as others have said his conditioning seems well beyond where he was last season. He has the body and the tools to pretty much have his way out there, curious to see where his production will slot in this season and hoping for a huge sophomore jump
DeLoach-- good clean looks inside the three point line were few and far in between and this dude was a big reason for a lot of that. Too many trees in this forest of Rams and I think we are going to just absolutely smother a few teams because of it
Tsohonis-- took him a while to get things going it seemed, I was hoping to see more of his patented floater but only saw it twice as far as I recall. Hoping the exhibition and tune-up games get him feeling more comfortable because we are gonna need him to score the ball!
VINCE-- you will see me use this description for one other player later on but he was just effortlessly out there making all sorts of high level plays with and without the ball. I think if we again get exactly what we got out of him last season that would be just fine but it certainly feels and looks like he is poised to raise the bar on an All-conference Third Team season which is an exciting prospect
KeShawn-- I love Curry Magic. He has been the lock screen wallpaper on my phone for at least two years so it made me very happy to see him out there last night arguably the most explosive and athletic dude on the court. Like someone else said in this thread I hope that our murderer's row on the defensive end results in truckloads of easy fast break points for him.
Hendo-- Would have loved to have seen a little more run from him in the scrimmage but understood those minutes were precious. He did shine bright in the 3 point contest though to the delight of his teammates.
Big Haas-- This is my other effortlessly dominant performance. Still a human wrecking ball on defense but all sorts of slick moves and putbacks around the hoop. I wasn't paying much attention to the scoreboard for a big part of the game and after an especially impressive slam I checked the scoreboard and was kind of shocked that he had so smoothly and efficiently put up those numbers. I am ready to see Bones vs Haas in the NBA in 2022!
Jayden Nunn-- I could see why Coach has spoken so highly of him, another freshman PG that by all estimates is ready to step in to rock and roll day 1. He was getting pressed really hard when bringing the ball up many times and basically always broke the trap and got free (this also applies to Tso but more impressive and surprising to see out of a true freshman I suppose)
Nick Kern-- Such a fun player to watch, he is going to be a fan favorite in no time. Plays with such joyfulness you can EASILY see how much fun he is having out there while scoring at all levels AND playing defense with skills that would typically come in a package several inches shorter than him? Sign me up for as much of this young man as we can get!
Josh Bank$-- Didn't get to show off his three point stroke as much as I had hoped last night but makes up for it with nifty finishes around the rim. Always moving and working, I expect him to make a nice Sophomore jump along with MBJ.
Cadillac Stock-- Appears to have trimmed down a bit as well but still enough size to bang with virtually any big that we will come across. Very adept at finding his spots, still has a smooth midrange game, and got multiple bags of tricks to get the ball in the hoop down low. Several plays where he would fake out not one, not two, but three defenders to score at the rim. I think being his second season in the program is going to pay dividends.
Jimmy Nichols-- First off, I am not buying that he is 6'8" dude looks distinctly bigger than that. Rare to see someone with his size have the smooth shot and move as fluidly as he does. One more sequoia in the forest that the opposing team will have to navigate on their way to the hoop.
