This game called Basketball

Apparently SU plays a sport called Basketball and is pretty good at it. So I watched on OAA last night. Here are my thoughts:

JB
This team has to be a nightmare for him. Nine deep. The "SU Fs" are true Frosh. We dont have Zone players. The pieces dont fit his style at all. He will have to coach differently and do much more coaching than he is used to. Otherwise we will be on the bubble again.

AO
He looks to be in better shape. He is still a big time threat on O. His only question is on D. I like him a lot better in Man than in Zone. And he will do better on the boards in man as well.

RJ
IMO he needs to be getting PT. This team has plenty of O weapons, we need help on D. And RJ provides that. The guy is a good fit on O as he seems to be our best finisher. On D he can rebound and he can block shots. Overall he may be a bigger factor than AO. Sure AO is much better on O, but with RJ we are much better on D, whether we play Man or Zone. AO is a better player but RJ is a better fit for this team. I would like to see a 24-16 split in PT with these two. Having AO only play 24 mins keeps him fresh. RJ playing 16 mins allows for us to utilize his shot blocking on D. And please no RJ as a F in the Zone. It just wont work. If he is to play any PF it needs to be Man D. And it should be against bigger teams where he will do well. Also moving him to PF hurts depth at C.

SW
He was active around the rim on O. Which is a good sign. I can see him getting a few mins here or there. I prefer he RS and fully develop. BTW did you see him dribble during his FTs? He was basically touching the ground.

KO
He is a nice role player to have. The only problem is we have no depth at F so he will get more PT than he should and may even start. As the year goes on we will see less of KO.

KJ
He looks to have skills but he had issues with ball handling last night. Hopefully this is just first game nerves. As the year goes on I think he will eat up more and more of KOs mins.

PH
Here is a guy who just plain and simple doesnt fit this team. His best position is G but we have too many bodies there. He is a good rebounder for a guy his height but struggles against taller players. This is a huge concern since he will be our PF at times. Even UCSLA with their smaller players were able to board against PH. The guy is a force at G, but worries me at F. He did show he could knock down the 3 which is good. Well as long as he doesnt fall in love with it. I have a feeling he will. JB needs to keep on top of him. Also PH has to already hold the record for most times stripped going to the basket. How can a guy as strong as him not be able to finish? It makes no sense that he is either stripped or fouled. We never see an And 1. As to D he is much better off playing man, which is supposed to be his specialty. While he is better at man, his man skills are very over rated. He is supposedly a shut down defender. But last year he didnt show it and was beat a few times last night as well. PH has the potential to be a force. It is up to JB to use him find a niche for PH and to keep him in check.

MJ
I like this kids game. If he can add some strength he can play F in the Zone. But right now he may be better off as a G. Kid looks to have the best 3 pt shot on the team. I can see him getting a few mins here and there at the 2/3.

ED
I am not sure if it was the injury or his personality that held him back. I remember watching him play in HS and he played a lot like yesterday. Does he feel like this is JFs team and is just letting the game come to him? Or is the injury holding him back? I was worried that ED wouldnt be able to play as many mins this year but he played quite a bit last night. I also worry that he will be sore for the second game in Sat/Mon splits. He is still our second best 3pt shooter even with the injury. And he is the best at getting to the hole. Although he struggled to finish last night. If we need a big shot he is the guy I want taking it, although he may never see the ball with PH and JF on the floor.

AR
I was disappointed with his play last night. He played the way he has in the past. Which conflicts with the practice reports we all here. AR is a nice role player. A good player to have on your team. But unless he is a different player in practice than he is in games, the people with a crush on him are waaaay off. He is a guy who should be getting 16 mins a game. Unless he is hot. He is the type of guy who will go 2 for 8 one game, then 5 for 8, followed by another 2 for 8. Sure .375 from 3 is good but it is inconsistent. He can be great one game but is a black hole the other two. Also he isnt a good ball handler and struggles big time in Man D. He needs to be in the Zone, which doesnt fit the rest of the team.

JF
When he plays within himself he is one of the best Gs in America. When he tries to do too much he hurts the team. JB needs to stay on top of him. If JB allows free reign, JF will frustrate everyone in Orangeland. I am not sure if the dribbling into crowds, off balance 3s early in the shot clock, and dumb passes stem from him being bored, or if he just thinks he is capable of more than what he is. If he shows maturity and leadership this year, SU will make a run in the NCAAs. If he doesnt, then the NIT is a reality. Also the floater needs to go. GMac had a better floater. JF needs to realize his job is to get others points and only take points when they present themselves. If he tries to be a scorer, it will cause headaches. His desire to be "the man" may distract him from being a winner.