Some thoughts in advance of tonight's game with Dickinson State, the last home game until the Dec. 12 matchup with Utah Valley:
--Gary Chivichyan was brought in to shoot, and that he has done: he's 7 for 10 from the arc, including the one exhibition game he played in. But he showed a broader range of skills in Friday night's win over Great Falls -- 5 rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal with no turnovers in 15 minutes of play. He gives the Bengals a nice energy boost off the bench.
--Clint Nwosuh is struggling mightily -- he's made one of his last 15 field goal attempts. But he, like Chivichyan and Ali Faruq-Bey, was recruited as a shooter and I don't expect him to stop shooting. The good news about this year's Bengal team is they have three or four guys who can shoot you right back into a game -- like Faruq-Bey did Friday night against Great Falls. (We won't go into that part about, well you know, how they can shoot you right of a game, too...).
--7-foot Novak Topalovic has taken only 6 shots in three games so far, but you have to give him credit for discretion -- he's made four, including a picturesque jump hook Friday night. The door is barely cracked on this young's man's potential. But potential is such a dangerous word...
--Justin Smith is a helluva an athlete. He came into ISU as one its best athletes, and now that's he's fully healthy again, watching him run and jump is an awesome sight. Even more awesome was watching him square up with confidence and hit a big three-pointer at a key juncture of the Great Falls game. The biggest improvement most players make is from their first to their second seasons -- Justin is right on schedule.
--As is Geno Luzcando, who followed his 22-point effort against Westminster with a 12-point (all in the second-half), 8 rebound, three assist, three steal game against Great Falls. Nobody has quicker hands on defense than Geno. Now he's starting to show maturity on the offensive side. He still has to overcome his foul tendencies (12 in three games, including two DQs) and turnover issues (four against Great Falls), but Geno looks like an entirely different player from his freshman year.
--As a team, ISU has to figure out how to hold onto the basketball. 55 turnovers in three games, including 20 against Great Falls, is going to lose you a lot of basketball games. Great Falls took 18 more shots than the Bengals on Friday night, thanks to 18 offensive rebounds and 20 ISU turnovers. The problem is spread up and down the ISU roster. The Bengal coaching staff is going to have to figure out how to continue to press the offensive pace without coughing up the basketball on almost a third of their possessions.
--Game time is 7 p.m. at Reed Gym tonight, come on out and watch the continuing evolution of the Bengals.
--Gary Chivichyan was brought in to shoot, and that he has done: he's 7 for 10 from the arc, including the one exhibition game he played in. But he showed a broader range of skills in Friday night's win over Great Falls -- 5 rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal with no turnovers in 15 minutes of play. He gives the Bengals a nice energy boost off the bench.
--Clint Nwosuh is struggling mightily -- he's made one of his last 15 field goal attempts. But he, like Chivichyan and Ali Faruq-Bey, was recruited as a shooter and I don't expect him to stop shooting. The good news about this year's Bengal team is they have three or four guys who can shoot you right back into a game -- like Faruq-Bey did Friday night against Great Falls. (We won't go into that part about, well you know, how they can shoot you right of a game, too...).
--7-foot Novak Topalovic has taken only 6 shots in three games so far, but you have to give him credit for discretion -- he's made four, including a picturesque jump hook Friday night. The door is barely cracked on this young's man's potential. But potential is such a dangerous word...
--Justin Smith is a helluva an athlete. He came into ISU as one its best athletes, and now that's he's fully healthy again, watching him run and jump is an awesome sight. Even more awesome was watching him square up with confidence and hit a big three-pointer at a key juncture of the Great Falls game. The biggest improvement most players make is from their first to their second seasons -- Justin is right on schedule.
--As is Geno Luzcando, who followed his 22-point effort against Westminster with a 12-point (all in the second-half), 8 rebound, three assist, three steal game against Great Falls. Nobody has quicker hands on defense than Geno. Now he's starting to show maturity on the offensive side. He still has to overcome his foul tendencies (12 in three games, including two DQs) and turnover issues (four against Great Falls), but Geno looks like an entirely different player from his freshman year.
--As a team, ISU has to figure out how to hold onto the basketball. 55 turnovers in three games, including 20 against Great Falls, is going to lose you a lot of basketball games. Great Falls took 18 more shots than the Bengals on Friday night, thanks to 18 offensive rebounds and 20 ISU turnovers. The problem is spread up and down the ISU roster. The Bengal coaching staff is going to have to figure out how to continue to press the offensive pace without coughing up the basketball on almost a third of their possessions.
--Game time is 7 p.m. at Reed Gym tonight, come on out and watch the continuing evolution of the Bengals.
