mtgrizrule
Well-known member
Due to my work schedule, I have not been able to catch the games against Whitworth and Boise State in person. This weekend I subscribed to gogriz.com and watch the games on demand (I had no problems with it by the way).
Here are my general observations of the team based on watching those game very quickly.
How many times have we heard analysts and commentators refer to great guard play being a big key for post season success? I sure hope that proves to be true this season for the next 5 seasons. If so, I love the GRIZ chances. I also love the versatility of this years GRIZ. Dunn, Wright, Oguinne, and Bradshaw all can play either 1 or 2. Gfeller and Moorehead are interchangeable at SG with a big line up or SF in a more conventional lineup, and are both great perimeter shooters and solid defenders.
Wright, Dunn (commenting on him based on last year and expected progress in the off season), and Oguinne are all quick, can hit the 3 consistently, athletic, consistently get to the paint, break down opposing defenses, and play shut down aggressive defense. They all can take over a game with setting up teammates or scoring. Meanwhile Bradshaw is solid in every regard, takes good care of the ball, and is a much better defender than many of us will give him credit for. Through 2 games Wright and Oguinne have each willingly and aggressively taken the ball to the hole with confidence. Wright has a rare, yet natural instinct to find holes in an opposing defense. It appears to me he immediately knows if the defense is one that can be penetrated or if an open 3 will be the best option. To add to that awareness, he is quick with the ball in his hands. I can see why Travis wants the ball in his hands a lot. Oguinne has a natural ability to take over the game when called upon (I see a lot of Damian Lillard in him) and absolutely hates to lose or see his team struggle. I was amazed at his maturity and desire against a rather good Boise State team. His mindset is that he is the best player on the court and he will not be denied. There are many talented freshman guards in the nation, but it is rare for one to take that mindset from the get go. Most have a "wait their turn" mind set. Oguinne has the mindset of "the time is now". This kid is not afraid of the bright spotlights. Nicer yet, he is not a selfish player either. He can willingly distribute the ball and is consistently a defensive menace (Will Cherry) as well. He strikes me as a player that will do any and everything for his team.
Between the scrimmages and the games, I can see DeCuire has a rare luxury in the fact that he has 2, soon to be 3 point guards that are shut down defenders. He does not have to worry about foul trouble and can have Dunn, Wright, and Oguinne play aggressive on both ends every second. There is not and will not be any significant drop off in offensive or defensive production if any of them are saddled with foul trouble or injury. In a pinch Bradshaw can run the point offensively as well, even though he is better as a SG, or Breunig can run the offense as a point forward. Even if the offense struggles, this GRIZ team can apply aggressive pressure to opposing guards every defensive possession.
As for offense, the ability of the GRIZ guards to penetrate a defense will create many open opportunities in the paint for dish offs, and open 3's. The GRIZ have plenty of players who are very capable 3 point shooters, but the likes of Gfeller and Moorehead have to absolutely love what penetrating guards can do for their games. We all know what Gfeller is capable of from 3. Moorehead is also that kind of shooter. Boise State is lucky that Gfeller struggled to find consistency from 3. He took 9 3's, most of which were wide open looks for him. I fully expect Gfeller to average no less than 7 to 8 3 point attempts per game and average around 3.5 makes per game. Scary part is, there were more opportunities left on the floor for Gfeller and Moorehead. I challenge anyone to watch those games again, those guys were left wide open when defenses collapsed and focused on Breunig when he got the ball.
When Dunn returns, expect our guard play to even improve more, being he will add a 3rd dynamic quick and versatile guard. 1 of those guards guards on the court at a time is a challenge for opponents, let alone playing 2 or even all 3 together!!! That is just this year, starting next season we add Ahmad Rorie to this equation. At his worse, he is equal to his counter parts.
Onto the 3 through 5. Offensively, I am not worried. The GRIZ have plenty of fire power from the guards. Offensively, Breunig has plenty of help to spread the points around. Defensively, I am a little concerned though. Breunig somehow has a propensity to draw unnecessary whistles from the officials. He is a key defender for the GRIZ, when the officials let him play (post season officiating might be an advantage for him). Breunig can be Mr. Everything offensively, he is terrific scoring in the post, can handle the ball well, and has improved his perimeter game (we will see that as the season progresses). Fortunately Krslovic is one of the better post defenders in the conference, but is not shot blocking presence. Boehning and Dejong are too inexperienced to know what to expect from either, and chances are very likely they will be inconsistent at this stage as players. Jack Lopez is truly a combo SG or SF. He willingly bangs with bigs,but like Michael Weisner, the post is not where he belongs. He is there out of necessity.
I am concerned the GRIZ will not match up very well with teams with good size or better inside. Fortunately the GRIZ guards are athletic and present mismatches for opponents, so them being consistently good may force opposing coaches to go with smaller line ups. Right now, it looks to me that Bruenig and Krslovic will be playing many minutes. The development of Boehning and or DeJong is paramount for this team, regardless of how well Breunig stays out of foul trouble. With the roster as is, I fully expect Travis to go many minutes with only 1 post player offensively and interchange the roles of Breunig and Krslovic often on both ends of the court. As the season progresses, I hope to see us get a solid 10 minutes per game to develop Boehning and DeJong. Fortunately, not many teams are deep in the post.
GRIZ NATION, regardless of who the GRIZ get for the post/paint, enjoy the talent they are accumulating at guard. This group of guards Travis has and will be adding to is truly special and rare for a small to mid major program. This group of guards can hang with any group of guards in the nation, health permitting and as they develop. This will be a very fun GRIZ team to watch on both ends of the court. I am so stoked to see how far this team can go and how long it takes for them to be make a run in the top 25 to 30 in the nation. This year's schedule will certainly be the challenge they need to develop this season moving forward. I won't be surprised if our guards are a challenge for the Gonzaga's and Kansas's of the world. That is not me saying we are ready to beat those teams, but I feel they can and will hold their own against their guards.
Here are my general observations of the team based on watching those game very quickly.
How many times have we heard analysts and commentators refer to great guard play being a big key for post season success? I sure hope that proves to be true this season for the next 5 seasons. If so, I love the GRIZ chances. I also love the versatility of this years GRIZ. Dunn, Wright, Oguinne, and Bradshaw all can play either 1 or 2. Gfeller and Moorehead are interchangeable at SG with a big line up or SF in a more conventional lineup, and are both great perimeter shooters and solid defenders.
Wright, Dunn (commenting on him based on last year and expected progress in the off season), and Oguinne are all quick, can hit the 3 consistently, athletic, consistently get to the paint, break down opposing defenses, and play shut down aggressive defense. They all can take over a game with setting up teammates or scoring. Meanwhile Bradshaw is solid in every regard, takes good care of the ball, and is a much better defender than many of us will give him credit for. Through 2 games Wright and Oguinne have each willingly and aggressively taken the ball to the hole with confidence. Wright has a rare, yet natural instinct to find holes in an opposing defense. It appears to me he immediately knows if the defense is one that can be penetrated or if an open 3 will be the best option. To add to that awareness, he is quick with the ball in his hands. I can see why Travis wants the ball in his hands a lot. Oguinne has a natural ability to take over the game when called upon (I see a lot of Damian Lillard in him) and absolutely hates to lose or see his team struggle. I was amazed at his maturity and desire against a rather good Boise State team. His mindset is that he is the best player on the court and he will not be denied. There are many talented freshman guards in the nation, but it is rare for one to take that mindset from the get go. Most have a "wait their turn" mind set. Oguinne has the mindset of "the time is now". This kid is not afraid of the bright spotlights. Nicer yet, he is not a selfish player either. He can willingly distribute the ball and is consistently a defensive menace (Will Cherry) as well. He strikes me as a player that will do any and everything for his team.
Between the scrimmages and the games, I can see DeCuire has a rare luxury in the fact that he has 2, soon to be 3 point guards that are shut down defenders. He does not have to worry about foul trouble and can have Dunn, Wright, and Oguinne play aggressive on both ends every second. There is not and will not be any significant drop off in offensive or defensive production if any of them are saddled with foul trouble or injury. In a pinch Bradshaw can run the point offensively as well, even though he is better as a SG, or Breunig can run the offense as a point forward. Even if the offense struggles, this GRIZ team can apply aggressive pressure to opposing guards every defensive possession.
As for offense, the ability of the GRIZ guards to penetrate a defense will create many open opportunities in the paint for dish offs, and open 3's. The GRIZ have plenty of players who are very capable 3 point shooters, but the likes of Gfeller and Moorehead have to absolutely love what penetrating guards can do for their games. We all know what Gfeller is capable of from 3. Moorehead is also that kind of shooter. Boise State is lucky that Gfeller struggled to find consistency from 3. He took 9 3's, most of which were wide open looks for him. I fully expect Gfeller to average no less than 7 to 8 3 point attempts per game and average around 3.5 makes per game. Scary part is, there were more opportunities left on the floor for Gfeller and Moorehead. I challenge anyone to watch those games again, those guys were left wide open when defenses collapsed and focused on Breunig when he got the ball.
When Dunn returns, expect our guard play to even improve more, being he will add a 3rd dynamic quick and versatile guard. 1 of those guards guards on the court at a time is a challenge for opponents, let alone playing 2 or even all 3 together!!! That is just this year, starting next season we add Ahmad Rorie to this equation. At his worse, he is equal to his counter parts.
Onto the 3 through 5. Offensively, I am not worried. The GRIZ have plenty of fire power from the guards. Offensively, Breunig has plenty of help to spread the points around. Defensively, I am a little concerned though. Breunig somehow has a propensity to draw unnecessary whistles from the officials. He is a key defender for the GRIZ, when the officials let him play (post season officiating might be an advantage for him). Breunig can be Mr. Everything offensively, he is terrific scoring in the post, can handle the ball well, and has improved his perimeter game (we will see that as the season progresses). Fortunately Krslovic is one of the better post defenders in the conference, but is not shot blocking presence. Boehning and Dejong are too inexperienced to know what to expect from either, and chances are very likely they will be inconsistent at this stage as players. Jack Lopez is truly a combo SG or SF. He willingly bangs with bigs,but like Michael Weisner, the post is not where he belongs. He is there out of necessity.
I am concerned the GRIZ will not match up very well with teams with good size or better inside. Fortunately the GRIZ guards are athletic and present mismatches for opponents, so them being consistently good may force opposing coaches to go with smaller line ups. Right now, it looks to me that Bruenig and Krslovic will be playing many minutes. The development of Boehning and or DeJong is paramount for this team, regardless of how well Breunig stays out of foul trouble. With the roster as is, I fully expect Travis to go many minutes with only 1 post player offensively and interchange the roles of Breunig and Krslovic often on both ends of the court. As the season progresses, I hope to see us get a solid 10 minutes per game to develop Boehning and DeJong. Fortunately, not many teams are deep in the post.
GRIZ NATION, regardless of who the GRIZ get for the post/paint, enjoy the talent they are accumulating at guard. This group of guards Travis has and will be adding to is truly special and rare for a small to mid major program. This group of guards can hang with any group of guards in the nation, health permitting and as they develop. This will be a very fun GRIZ team to watch on both ends of the court. I am so stoked to see how far this team can go and how long it takes for them to be make a run in the top 25 to 30 in the nation. This year's schedule will certainly be the challenge they need to develop this season moving forward. I won't be surprised if our guards are a challenge for the Gonzaga's and Kansas's of the world. That is not me saying we are ready to beat those teams, but I feel they can and will hold their own against their guards.
