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Howard and end of non-conference play

M

martymoose

Moderator
Staff member
Thank goodness the non-conference games are done. Howard is a really, really, bad team. From watching their performance tonight, I think it's bad coaching. Poor ball movement and overall poor offensive sets (or lack of) was brutal to watch.

9-4. Best non-conference record since hoops started back up.

What does everyone think? I think that we are better than I expected thus far. Sure, wins against the likes of Howard, UC Davis, and PLU are easy to come by, and we were blown out against the top 25 teams that we've played this year. However, I really think that our team defense is coming together. The offense has it's two worst enemies (tree throw shooting and three point shooting), but things are starting to gel a bit. Guys are starting to get the feel for each other, and I think that our passing is starting to look pretty good. Dupree and Sommer in the game at the same time is starting to mold nicely.

We really need to come out focused on the 28th to beat Montana. A 2-0 BSC start would be great heading onto the road in Flagstaff...

Thoughts?
 
PSU can compete with any team that has the same lack of height. Scott Morrison would start on 3/4 of the teams in D-1, but they need another big-bodied forward. Without that, they can't handle any teams who do have it. (case in point the 4 losses) Depending on how Sommer can step up his scoring to where it was last year, they could definitely win the Big Sky. Also, Juma needs to learn how to score off the dribble. His lack of consistency makes it impossible to stay close against teams with more talent.
 
Regarding Juma...

It seems to me that he's moving with the ball more. Well, compared to last year anyways. Not sure if Bone talked to him or what the deal is. I noticed it during the UW game that he was putting the ball on the floor more to try to open up a shot for himself. UW was a horrible game for him, but I've seemed to notice it since then.

Regarding another big-bodied forward...

How big were we when we won the regular season of the BSC a couple years back? Not that big. Huff and Thomas seem to be the 'hustle' players scraping inside. I think we can give up some height if we scrap inside. PSU has not shown me this on a consistant basis. Case in point is how bad we were outrebounded in the first half against UC Davis. Adjustments were made, but we can't have that happen...
 
When we won the Big Sky, we had Morrison and Seamus Boxley, who was 6'9" and played the post VERY well. Right now, after Morrison, or next "big" is Kyle Coston at 6'8" (but skinny and lanky) or Julius Thomas at 6'6" (but plays like he is 6'9"). When we won the BSC, we also had Antone Jarell who hustled and played bigger than he was, and Blake Walker, who was a 6'6" guard who went inside consistently. We were MUCH bigger a couple years back when we won.

On to this year.

Morrison is a stud. Opposing teams dial in on him, which is why it takes a while for him to get into a rhythm. UC Davis had a constant double- and sometimes triple-team on him. I just really hope he starts playing more than 20 minutes a game. It seems that once he gets into a rhythm and scoring, coach takes him out.

Sommer started out the year focused on getting the ball to others. I think he has figured out the right balance between passing and scoring himself. 7-10 pts a night from him is what I would like to see.

Juma can't move with the ball well at all. Any time he starts to dribble, he doesn't look very good. He is definitely a catch and shoot player, and a great defender with his 14' wingspan. I really hope he doesn't have another shooting night like he did at Washington. If so, we could be in trouble.

Unless Paul Hafford is in the game. Last year, I saw him in the exhibition game, and I was floored with how well he could shoot. He struggled early this year, but it looks like he has found his shot. This guy could be our leading scorer by the time the year is over.

Dupree Lucas. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this guy. From talking with people close to the team, I get the feeling that he has a lot of raw, instinctive talent. The problem early was that the rest of the team did not have that instinct. Now that the team is melding together well, 'Pree is being an impact player every game. I just wish he would cut that bob off the top of his head. If an opposing player came into the Stott with that on his head, he would hear about it from me all game long.

Freshmen. I am VERY impressed with our freshman class. Julius Thomas is playing like a Junior. Jenkins is raw, but given a couple years in the system and he will be a good PG. Kyle Coston is the next Scott Morrison, in my opinion. He needs to put on some muscle weight, which will come with age. He can dribble better than Juma, he can shoot outside, and he can play down low both on offense and defense. Early comparisons were with him and Tyler Hollist. Hollist was a tall guard, and I think that Coston will be a good forward with a little more weight.

I think that we are a much better team than was expected before the season, both by myself and the coaches and media polls. As long as Morrison keeps playing well, Sommer keeps control of the game (both with ball control and scoring when needed), Juma and Hafford keep shooting well, and our freshman continue to contribute to the team, we might have a shot at winning the Big Sky again.
 
Coston will never be Scott Morrison. He's not a center. His range and natural talents would make him a good small forward if he can put on a little weight. Julius Thomas reminds me of Alando Tucker's first season for the University of Wisconsin. He can jump out of the gym and rebound and guard with the taller guys. He will have to play power forward until he can make his jumper consistent. If they can beat Montana, that would show they are for real. Also watch out for NAU again.
 
By "next Scott Morrison" I meant that he will be our next star player. If Coston has to play center for us, we are in a world of hurt.
 
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