1. Sayeed Pridgett has a breakout year. His athleticism and handle are extraordinary. But the former high school point guard will not play that position for us. Is he a two? A three? Once he finds his role at the collegiate level, he could be a star. And most great leaps happen between the freshman and sophomore year.
2. Karl Nicholas is as good as I think he is. I believe he will be the freshman of the year in the Big Sky.
3. We shoot three's above 40%. (For comparisons: Four Division One teams shot above 50% last year; Weber was at 40.8%; we were at 35.5%) As I've said ad nauseam, three-point shooting has changed the game. It's no longer an optional toy, but a key weapon in any offense. The possibilities are all over the court for us, from newcomers like Dorsey, Bevins and Falls, to returnees like Rorie, who might get more open looks with help at the point, or Moorehead, who came into the program a much better shooter than he showed last year, or Oguine, simply by having worked on his game. I admit, 40% is asking a lot (that would put us roughly in the top 80 teams in the country), but you give me that, and this team is lights out.
4. At least one of the other newcomers emerges to make key contributions--Akoh, Espe, or the big that doesn't redshirt, Kramer or Besovic. We need rebounding, cause "ya ain't scorin' if ya ain't got the damned ball!"
5. Finally, Travis DeCuire matures in his coaching role. I am a huge DeCuire fan--he's seemingly created a positive culture around this program, hired brilliantly, recruited at least as well as any coach in the history of the school, and demonstrated a firm grasp of x's and o's, as well you might expect of a Mike Montgomery student, especially on defense. I am not a fan of the shrieking ranting pacing sideline coach, the ex-player who forgets that he's an ex-player, and tries to manipulate the action from the sidelines as if he's still a point guard on the court. I want the emphasis to be on the team, and I want the team to have fun and play free and loose on the court, not seeking instruction on every possession from the sidelines. Above all, I believe DeCuire has recruited a great group of players here. Once he's coached 'em up, let 'em play.
The wait is almost over!
2. Karl Nicholas is as good as I think he is. I believe he will be the freshman of the year in the Big Sky.
3. We shoot three's above 40%. (For comparisons: Four Division One teams shot above 50% last year; Weber was at 40.8%; we were at 35.5%) As I've said ad nauseam, three-point shooting has changed the game. It's no longer an optional toy, but a key weapon in any offense. The possibilities are all over the court for us, from newcomers like Dorsey, Bevins and Falls, to returnees like Rorie, who might get more open looks with help at the point, or Moorehead, who came into the program a much better shooter than he showed last year, or Oguine, simply by having worked on his game. I admit, 40% is asking a lot (that would put us roughly in the top 80 teams in the country), but you give me that, and this team is lights out.
4. At least one of the other newcomers emerges to make key contributions--Akoh, Espe, or the big that doesn't redshirt, Kramer or Besovic. We need rebounding, cause "ya ain't scorin' if ya ain't got the damned ball!"
5. Finally, Travis DeCuire matures in his coaching role. I am a huge DeCuire fan--he's seemingly created a positive culture around this program, hired brilliantly, recruited at least as well as any coach in the history of the school, and demonstrated a firm grasp of x's and o's, as well you might expect of a Mike Montgomery student, especially on defense. I am not a fan of the shrieking ranting pacing sideline coach, the ex-player who forgets that he's an ex-player, and tries to manipulate the action from the sidelines as if he's still a point guard on the court. I want the emphasis to be on the team, and I want the team to have fun and play free and loose on the court, not seeking instruction on every possession from the sidelines. Above all, I believe DeCuire has recruited a great group of players here. Once he's coached 'em up, let 'em play.
The wait is almost over!
