I went to the open practice today at Haas. Before I get into observations of the team, I want to mention that the event was somewhat disappointing. It didn't seem well organized. There was a published schedule, which they were unable to keep to because the event was scheduled to begin before the women's practice ended. So we were late getting into the gym, and instead of a longer, Q-and-A session with Wyking, we got some more informal remarks from Wyking in the hallway. Also, there were "refreshments", which turned out to be not-very-cold soda and water, Doritos and chips, and some Halloween candy, which did include Skittles (go Marshawn!). I was also disappointed that there was no scrimmage, or 5-on-5 full-court play. There were probably about 100-200 fans there, if I had to guess. It just came off as small-time, not what you would expect for a power conference event for season ticket holders / donors.
Wyking's remarks were very similar to what he said at the Olympic Club last week. He was particularly complimentary of Kingsley Okoroh, who is back at practice after what Wyking kind of jokingly referred to as a "phantom" injury. He said the King has looked great, and has been a great addition to practices. He was also complimentary of Marcus Lee, indicating he's incredibly athletic, and can really guard, 1 through 5. He talked a lot about Don Coleman and his ability to score, and how he will be leaned upon for scoring this year. He acknowledged that with 6 freshmen on the roster, it is really difficult to know what you will have "when the arena smells like popcorn and the lights come on." He said the kids are all giving great effort, and that the team will be very varied defensively. He said the goal will be like a football team that mixes up defenses to keep the opposing offense off-guard and uncomfortable. Although we are young this year, he feels the future is bright, as the six freshmen grow and mature, and new players are added to the mix. He said the players are all great kids, on and off the court, and will be good representatives for the university.
I did not see Deschon Winston or Jules Erving (I don't believe they were in the building), and Justice Sueing was there, but must have some injury, as he did not participate in any team drills or practice, but did some agility work off to the side by himself or with an assistant (it didn't seem to be anything serious, as he seemed to be moving fine). I did notice Matt Bradley on the sidelines watching practice with some other recruits that I did not recognize. Bradley did get out and stand at center court with the team at one point while Wyking spoke.
Some notes regarding the players:
Last year, I was not a big Don Coleman fan. I love his tenacity and aggressiveness, and he showed flashes, but he was way too inefficient and inconsistent last year in my opinion. I was skeptical of Wyking's remarks that he'll be a primary scorer. But he was a very pleasant surprise for me at today's practice. First of all, he looked very confident and composed (maybe that is because he is now one of the more experienced players on the team), and I was even really impressed with his outside shooting, which looked better to me than last year. I definitely came away feeling better about what to expect from Coleman this year.
Marcus Lee was also as advertised. He's a great athlete, and as a senior, also looked very solid all around. I think he will be a really good defensive player, and he'll get a lot of offense based on rebounds, put-backs, dump-offs, etc. I didn't really see enough to know whether his offensive game extends away from the basket, but even if it doesn't, he'll be a major contributor.
Kingsley actually looked a little rusty to me today, but he's only recently been back at practice. I didn't necessarily see any noticeable big improvements today, but he was a good player last year, and if he makes any strides this year (and Wyking seems to believe he will), he will be another good player for us.
Cole Welle looked like he will contribute to me this year. He was solid in drills, and he is very vocal and a bit of team leader, encouraging other players to communicate or focus during the drills. I really like his attitude, work ethic and demeanor.
Roman Davis seemed to have a tough day, and I wondered if he was under the weather a bit. He seemed really winded to me at times, always seemed to be last or near last in the running drills, which doesn't seem to fit, given his natural athleticism. I wondered if maybe the air quality issues have affected him more than some of the others? In addition, his shooting also seemed off, and I didn't really see any improvement there, and that is an area where he really needs to improve from last year.
Regarding the freshmen JHD stood out to me. He is very explosive, moves really well, got up-and-down quickly in the full court drills. He also did well in the defensive drills, and I think he will fit in well with Wykings preferred style of play. Unfortunately, his shooting and offensive skills seem to be a work in progress, but I think he will thrive in the open court.
My take on Darius McNeill was somewhat mixed (and part of that is because I probably had higher expectations for him coming in). He's 6'3" with good length, and has really good athleticism. Like JHD, he seems to be a great fit for Wyking's system, and his defense technique looked good. He just didn't look as polished on the offensive end as I had hoped. Also, the practice didn't really give a good indication as to what kind of a playmaker he will be. I love his potential long term, but I have a feeling his transition to the college game may take a little longer than I was hoping.
Austin McCullough was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me. No one thing really stood out, but he was just solid in all areas, and he seems to be a bit of a "sneaky" athlete. Also seems like a very hard worker, and a high basketball IQ.
Grant Anticevich is another player with good long-term potential, but didn't seem as ready to contribute early as I had hoped. He is very thin, and really needs a good year of strength and conditioning to bulk up. He also seemed maybe a little more hesitant at times. His shooting form looks good, but today he was inconsistent (when I was watching, anyway). His length will be an asset in Wyking's system, and like McCullough, I think he is a savvy player, but physically, and from a speed-of-play perspective, I think it'll be a transition for him.
Finally, I was very impressed with Paris Austin, and really wish he could play this year (and I think he would play a lot if he were eligible). Like the other veterans (Lee, Okoroh and Coleman), he just looked more confident, smoother, and he seems to have the shooting/scoring skills that our team could really use this year. But I am looking forward to seeing him in the mix next year.
The coaches were fun to watch. I thought Wyking was a little more laid back, and O'Toole, Walker and Theo were more involved in running the practice. O'Toole is hysterical - he is extremely animated, and he loves to use the pad to beat the crap of guys to help them learn to play through contact. It is just fun to watch. Walker and Theo are also very hands-on, and seem like good instructors.
I had very mixed feelings coming away from the practice, and I agree with what Wyking and others have said. This year will probably be really tough. We have some nice pieces, but we will be relying heavily on guys with little experience. Outside shooting is a real question mark, and there are some depth issues. If Lee or Okoroh have to miss any significant time, we'll have issues inside. And obviously, it is really hard to get a gauge on consistency from a single practice. But my gut says there will be a lot of ups-and-downs this year. Long-term (and especially with the additions of Bradley, Gordon, Kelly and hopefully 1 or 2 other bigs), things look more encouraging.
Wyking's remarks were very similar to what he said at the Olympic Club last week. He was particularly complimentary of Kingsley Okoroh, who is back at practice after what Wyking kind of jokingly referred to as a "phantom" injury. He said the King has looked great, and has been a great addition to practices. He was also complimentary of Marcus Lee, indicating he's incredibly athletic, and can really guard, 1 through 5. He talked a lot about Don Coleman and his ability to score, and how he will be leaned upon for scoring this year. He acknowledged that with 6 freshmen on the roster, it is really difficult to know what you will have "when the arena smells like popcorn and the lights come on." He said the kids are all giving great effort, and that the team will be very varied defensively. He said the goal will be like a football team that mixes up defenses to keep the opposing offense off-guard and uncomfortable. Although we are young this year, he feels the future is bright, as the six freshmen grow and mature, and new players are added to the mix. He said the players are all great kids, on and off the court, and will be good representatives for the university.
I did not see Deschon Winston or Jules Erving (I don't believe they were in the building), and Justice Sueing was there, but must have some injury, as he did not participate in any team drills or practice, but did some agility work off to the side by himself or with an assistant (it didn't seem to be anything serious, as he seemed to be moving fine). I did notice Matt Bradley on the sidelines watching practice with some other recruits that I did not recognize. Bradley did get out and stand at center court with the team at one point while Wyking spoke.
Some notes regarding the players:
Last year, I was not a big Don Coleman fan. I love his tenacity and aggressiveness, and he showed flashes, but he was way too inefficient and inconsistent last year in my opinion. I was skeptical of Wyking's remarks that he'll be a primary scorer. But he was a very pleasant surprise for me at today's practice. First of all, he looked very confident and composed (maybe that is because he is now one of the more experienced players on the team), and I was even really impressed with his outside shooting, which looked better to me than last year. I definitely came away feeling better about what to expect from Coleman this year.
Marcus Lee was also as advertised. He's a great athlete, and as a senior, also looked very solid all around. I think he will be a really good defensive player, and he'll get a lot of offense based on rebounds, put-backs, dump-offs, etc. I didn't really see enough to know whether his offensive game extends away from the basket, but even if it doesn't, he'll be a major contributor.
Kingsley actually looked a little rusty to me today, but he's only recently been back at practice. I didn't necessarily see any noticeable big improvements today, but he was a good player last year, and if he makes any strides this year (and Wyking seems to believe he will), he will be another good player for us.
Cole Welle looked like he will contribute to me this year. He was solid in drills, and he is very vocal and a bit of team leader, encouraging other players to communicate or focus during the drills. I really like his attitude, work ethic and demeanor.
Roman Davis seemed to have a tough day, and I wondered if he was under the weather a bit. He seemed really winded to me at times, always seemed to be last or near last in the running drills, which doesn't seem to fit, given his natural athleticism. I wondered if maybe the air quality issues have affected him more than some of the others? In addition, his shooting also seemed off, and I didn't really see any improvement there, and that is an area where he really needs to improve from last year.
Regarding the freshmen JHD stood out to me. He is very explosive, moves really well, got up-and-down quickly in the full court drills. He also did well in the defensive drills, and I think he will fit in well with Wykings preferred style of play. Unfortunately, his shooting and offensive skills seem to be a work in progress, but I think he will thrive in the open court.
My take on Darius McNeill was somewhat mixed (and part of that is because I probably had higher expectations for him coming in). He's 6'3" with good length, and has really good athleticism. Like JHD, he seems to be a great fit for Wyking's system, and his defense technique looked good. He just didn't look as polished on the offensive end as I had hoped. Also, the practice didn't really give a good indication as to what kind of a playmaker he will be. I love his potential long term, but I have a feeling his transition to the college game may take a little longer than I was hoping.
Austin McCullough was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me. No one thing really stood out, but he was just solid in all areas, and he seems to be a bit of a "sneaky" athlete. Also seems like a very hard worker, and a high basketball IQ.
Grant Anticevich is another player with good long-term potential, but didn't seem as ready to contribute early as I had hoped. He is very thin, and really needs a good year of strength and conditioning to bulk up. He also seemed maybe a little more hesitant at times. His shooting form looks good, but today he was inconsistent (when I was watching, anyway). His length will be an asset in Wyking's system, and like McCullough, I think he is a savvy player, but physically, and from a speed-of-play perspective, I think it'll be a transition for him.
Finally, I was very impressed with Paris Austin, and really wish he could play this year (and I think he would play a lot if he were eligible). Like the other veterans (Lee, Okoroh and Coleman), he just looked more confident, smoother, and he seems to have the shooting/scoring skills that our team could really use this year. But I am looking forward to seeing him in the mix next year.
The coaches were fun to watch. I thought Wyking was a little more laid back, and O'Toole, Walker and Theo were more involved in running the practice. O'Toole is hysterical - he is extremely animated, and he loves to use the pad to beat the crap of guys to help them learn to play through contact. It is just fun to watch. Walker and Theo are also very hands-on, and seem like good instructors.
I had very mixed feelings coming away from the practice, and I agree with what Wyking and others have said. This year will probably be really tough. We have some nice pieces, but we will be relying heavily on guys with little experience. Outside shooting is a real question mark, and there are some depth issues. If Lee or Okoroh have to miss any significant time, we'll have issues inside. And obviously, it is really hard to get a gauge on consistency from a single practice. But my gut says there will be a lot of ups-and-downs this year. Long-term (and especially with the additions of Bradley, Gordon, Kelly and hopefully 1 or 2 other bigs), things look more encouraging.
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