Just met the newcomers today. They were all personable and easy to talk with. Owens and Carter Hollinger physically aren't your typical Big Sky Freshmen. They are both very athletic. Cannot wait to see this group perform on the court. Gaskin is good sized for a guard. He wants to play and will be applying for eligibility this season. Also met Steadman, we definitely could use him this season, but it won't happen. He already reminds me of former Big Sky players, Wiley and Bolomboy.
I also heard many great things about Mack Anderson's progress over the season. For those who are disappointed in very little weight gain, I did have a few give me great insight regarding that, which nobody here has come up with. Anderson's body build isn't the type that can accommodate a lot of weight gain in a quick manner. He would be risking injury problems with rapid weight gain. His muscle mass, weight gain, etc will have to be done slowly. I spoke to former GRIZ bigs who put on too much weight way too soon, which caused nagging injuries.
Point guard is up for grabs. The team has the challenge of bonding and getting to know each other's games. That is hard for a coach to gauge turning the preseason, practices, etc. I thoroughly expect DeCuire to experiment a lot with lineups in out of conference play. I do know, all the young guys will be in the mix to show what they can contribute. Speaking of which, I think these young guys are the main reason why Jordan Gregory was chosen as a grad assistant. He can relate to them well, and can guide their development as well as anyone can. I am stoked and excited to have Jordan Gregory on as part of this staff. I think he will be a terrific coach, with time. He is very excited for the opportunity as well.
With all that said, let's be patient with this year's team. They are very talented, with great potential. The adjustment to college ball will take some time for them individually and as a group. When they do put it all together, their domain will be at the top of the Big Sky.