1. hasquet. needs to grow his hair back. but maybe he is sick.
2. mcgillis. more a matter of our expectations than anything he's done. at woeful oregon state he was a sixth man--with one exceptional game at cal--and maybe that should be his role here. september, we were talking improved perimiter defense, thundering put-back dunks, athleticism like we hadn't seen at montana in years. truth be, he would not start at portland state.
3. elgin-taylor. we need strong senior leadership at the most important position on the team, and what do we get? a suspension.
4. michael taylor. exceptional high school player, co-big sky freshman of the year two years ago with a redshirt year under his belt for added maturity but so far little more than a spotty role player.
5. qvale. how this kid impressed me when i saw him at pacific last year. raw, but with evident athleticism and exquisite timing on blocking shots, yet almost more lost this year, with no offensive post game whatever. under the tutelage of tinks, i'd expect him to be farther along than he is.
6. bill evans. really thought this veteran coach was going to be a stabilizing influence who might bring a real defensive mind-set to the team, but that was not evident, at least at portland.
the pleasant surprises...
1. johnson. not a point guard but a real talent. just wish he were a freshman.
2. sharp. damned right he'd start for me. right now. at least based on the portland state game. kid battles.
3. selvig. real potential, far more than i thought based on a few high school reports that some of the native americans he played against were better than he. not at the collegiate level. selvig has the size and the basketball instincts that you just can't teach. i'd have him in my starting lineup right now.
4. recruiting. you can neve know, but cherry and woods both seem like the kinds of players we really need in this program, kids possibly thought to be beyond our reach. with them, digs and ward, we might have the foundation for a pretty good team down the road.
finally, the biggie--tinks. based on watching him in one game--and one game only--my impression is that he's far too collegial. he's the one that needs to step up, and assume command of this program. it's the hallmark of any great college coach that he's the boss out there, no questions asked, a la knight, wooden, heathcote, montgomery, krysko. yet at the very moment in the portland game that heathcote would have lit into his team with a thunder that would have reverberated off the walls of a near empty gym, tinks was out at mid-court, huddling during a time out for what seemed an eternity with the other coaches, prompting someone in my party to ask, "where's the coach?"
it's a question that's been ringing in my head ever since.
2. mcgillis. more a matter of our expectations than anything he's done. at woeful oregon state he was a sixth man--with one exceptional game at cal--and maybe that should be his role here. september, we were talking improved perimiter defense, thundering put-back dunks, athleticism like we hadn't seen at montana in years. truth be, he would not start at portland state.
3. elgin-taylor. we need strong senior leadership at the most important position on the team, and what do we get? a suspension.
4. michael taylor. exceptional high school player, co-big sky freshman of the year two years ago with a redshirt year under his belt for added maturity but so far little more than a spotty role player.
5. qvale. how this kid impressed me when i saw him at pacific last year. raw, but with evident athleticism and exquisite timing on blocking shots, yet almost more lost this year, with no offensive post game whatever. under the tutelage of tinks, i'd expect him to be farther along than he is.
6. bill evans. really thought this veteran coach was going to be a stabilizing influence who might bring a real defensive mind-set to the team, but that was not evident, at least at portland.
the pleasant surprises...
1. johnson. not a point guard but a real talent. just wish he were a freshman.
2. sharp. damned right he'd start for me. right now. at least based on the portland state game. kid battles.
3. selvig. real potential, far more than i thought based on a few high school reports that some of the native americans he played against were better than he. not at the collegiate level. selvig has the size and the basketball instincts that you just can't teach. i'd have him in my starting lineup right now.
4. recruiting. you can neve know, but cherry and woods both seem like the kinds of players we really need in this program, kids possibly thought to be beyond our reach. with them, digs and ward, we might have the foundation for a pretty good team down the road.
finally, the biggie--tinks. based on watching him in one game--and one game only--my impression is that he's far too collegial. he's the one that needs to step up, and assume command of this program. it's the hallmark of any great college coach that he's the boss out there, no questions asked, a la knight, wooden, heathcote, montgomery, krysko. yet at the very moment in the portland game that heathcote would have lit into his team with a thunder that would have reverberated off the walls of a near empty gym, tinks was out at mid-court, huddling during a time out for what seemed an eternity with the other coaches, prompting someone in my party to ask, "where's the coach?"
it's a question that's been ringing in my head ever since.
