With the NIT championship trophy now on the Pirate ship, some early reflections:
Dre is a warrior. big time player. plays tough in the paint. not given enough credit for his defense. when the Pirates needed a basket, it was often the reversal for the Dre post up - money!
Al Amir - as the year progressed and he started to take it to the rack, he got to the line where he was automatic. In the new game of basketball, free throws and treys make for wins. he was key, especially when he got to the line.
Dylan - every team needs at least one of his kind. he defends everyone from the 1 to the 5. He helped make the defensive rotations solid as the season wore on because he could switch off on bigs and with his strength could defend them. Hustle all the time. And for a while has hitting threes - gravy.
Bediako - a rock. so strong. good hands. plays within the flow on offense. great screener. relentless on the boards. defends. always with a positive attitude. And a throwback studying Classics.
Kadary - so special. Few players can take over a game - he can - ask UConn. Makes everyone else better. One of my all time favorites. Sees the game in slow mo. Old school when hoops was a game of free throws and shots at the rack.
EHE - has come around after a slow start. Although I love JB, after EHE got healthy never felt like we were playing with a sub.
Coleman - he's got game. Perfect situation to develop around the vets.
Sanders - the last several games seemed so much more confident. he can shoot with range. so happy to see him produce lately.
the non-rotation guys - every good team has guys that don't play much. They can be a problem. It appeared that Tubek, Nganga, Brown et al were always supportive of the team and weren't sulkers. Tubek has a BE body. Hopefully he stays and develops further.
But this year I most appreciated the maturity shown by this team. They played for each other, a sign of maturity. After the first 9 games, it didn't seem like there were any players who were playing for their own numbers. It was then that they became a real team. Seasons are not defined by their status at the beginning of the year - a reason why I loathe pre-season polls. Good teams evolve and grow as the season progresses. (Note to NCAA). This team usually didn't try to do things they weren't able to do. If you know as a team that you're not a good three point shooting team, you be selective on those shots, even if it negatively affects the holy grail of metrics. Another sign of maturity is the lack of overt showmanship when playing - no in your face jawing, no flashy signs after a made three, just straight forward ballin. I just love that about this team.
The Hall should have been selected for the NCAA Tourney. They weren't. Too many people around the country live by the glory of the big state schools. That includes the ill informed ADs and Commissioners who sit on the selection committee. In the end, it's their tourney and they can invite anyone they want. Even our board minimizes the capabilities of some schools because of their name. To quote an old school playground line: "Ball don't lie." The Hall team was the truth.
Dre is a warrior. big time player. plays tough in the paint. not given enough credit for his defense. when the Pirates needed a basket, it was often the reversal for the Dre post up - money!
Al Amir - as the year progressed and he started to take it to the rack, he got to the line where he was automatic. In the new game of basketball, free throws and treys make for wins. he was key, especially when he got to the line.
Dylan - every team needs at least one of his kind. he defends everyone from the 1 to the 5. He helped make the defensive rotations solid as the season wore on because he could switch off on bigs and with his strength could defend them. Hustle all the time. And for a while has hitting threes - gravy.
Bediako - a rock. so strong. good hands. plays within the flow on offense. great screener. relentless on the boards. defends. always with a positive attitude. And a throwback studying Classics.
Kadary - so special. Few players can take over a game - he can - ask UConn. Makes everyone else better. One of my all time favorites. Sees the game in slow mo. Old school when hoops was a game of free throws and shots at the rack.
EHE - has come around after a slow start. Although I love JB, after EHE got healthy never felt like we were playing with a sub.
Coleman - he's got game. Perfect situation to develop around the vets.
Sanders - the last several games seemed so much more confident. he can shoot with range. so happy to see him produce lately.
the non-rotation guys - every good team has guys that don't play much. They can be a problem. It appeared that Tubek, Nganga, Brown et al were always supportive of the team and weren't sulkers. Tubek has a BE body. Hopefully he stays and develops further.
But this year I most appreciated the maturity shown by this team. They played for each other, a sign of maturity. After the first 9 games, it didn't seem like there were any players who were playing for their own numbers. It was then that they became a real team. Seasons are not defined by their status at the beginning of the year - a reason why I loathe pre-season polls. Good teams evolve and grow as the season progresses. (Note to NCAA). This team usually didn't try to do things they weren't able to do. If you know as a team that you're not a good three point shooting team, you be selective on those shots, even if it negatively affects the holy grail of metrics. Another sign of maturity is the lack of overt showmanship when playing - no in your face jawing, no flashy signs after a made three, just straight forward ballin. I just love that about this team.
The Hall should have been selected for the NCAA Tourney. They weren't. Too many people around the country live by the glory of the big state schools. That includes the ill informed ADs and Commissioners who sit on the selection committee. In the end, it's their tourney and they can invite anyone they want. Even our board minimizes the capabilities of some schools because of their name. To quote an old school playground line: "Ball don't lie." The Hall team was the truth.
