http://www.bigskyfans.com/2007/11/02/psu-basketball-vs-wou
Final Score: 93-58
PSU was disgustingly better at every position except center. That said, when Morrison forced his offense, he was effective. I think he maybe had seven points, and even blocked the 7′3″ center’s shot a couple times.
Tyrell Mara dominated his position defensively. He didn’t score, but his presence was clearly felt. He’ll probably end up on the other teams’ top scorers all year, unless they are centers.
Deonte Huff and Dupree Lucas were their regular exciting selves. Lucas probably had around 20 points, and was able to hit almost every shot he took. Huff wasn’t hitting outside shots, and he missed a few highlight-reel dunks, but he made a few steals, collected a few boards and threw down one good dunk.
Dominguez was the key to the Viking offense. When he was in, everything moved very smoothly, and he created shots for everyone on the floor. However, he was in foul trouble all game, and when he was off the floor the offense was stagnant. If he can’t stay on the court during the conference season, the Viks go from legit contenders for the NCAA bid to competing for a bid to the conference tournament.
Julius Thomas backed up Morrison at center. He filled in with tenacity on defense and on the boards, and was able to cover a couple seven footers reasonably well. His shooting didn’t look great, but he won’t need to score much to help the team. This likely won’t be his role during the regular season when J.R. Moore is available.
Kyle Coston backed up Mara at the 4. As expected, he looked physically overmatched against heavier players, and was ineffective most of the game. He knocked down a few jumpers late.
There was a rotation of players which included Huff, Lucas, and Coston at the 3.
Andre Murray backed up Lucas. He had a great shooting touch and passed the ball well too. However he drew Coach Bone’s criticism for unwise decision making at times. He should receive playing time all year, and is ready to score off the bench like PSU needs.
Mickey Polis backed up Dominguez. He gave great effort, made a few long jumpers, and looked pretty good on defense. However, his ball-handling and distribution were consistently lacking, and that doesn’t bode well if Dominguez is off the floor.
Brian Curtis also saw some time and passed the ball well. He probably won’t see any time in meaningful games, as he is the 5th guard in the rotation.
Alex Tiefenthaler and Justynn Hammond aren’t eligible until January. J.R. Moore didn’t see action due to a minor knee injury.
There are plenty of reasons to believe this team can compete for the NCAA bid in March. However, it’s going to depend on the seniors, and Dominguez’s presence on the court. With 3 players who are among the best in the Big Sky at their position, there is no reason to believe this team shouldn’t be there at crunch time.
