went over to berkeley tonight to watch mack (mcclymonds) take on de lasalle, the football power that looks like a football team even when they play basketball. imagine the griz offensive line as your frontcourt players, and there you have de lasalle--versus a mack team that was quick-quick-quick but much smaller and not nearly as wide. still, mack was the undefeated defending california state high school champion, and you expected their full-court pressure would eventually cause de lasalle to wilt.
nope. mack lost big tonight, simply unable to cope with that big frontcourt. as for our recruit, will cherry, i can tell you that this kid is a wonderful player, a cat-quick super leaper and a tenacious defender who creates havoc all over the court. where i'm a huge advocate of a redshirt year for just about any player, i'd say cherry is the exception, a kid that can step in right now and compensate immediately for some of our current team's athletic deficiencies. i mean, if you're talking perimiter defense, this kid brings it. he only scored seven points tonight in a low-scoring defensive battle, but he created turnovers, boarded and stole the ball. he was everywhere.
so why did we get him?
well, he is not a point guard. he does not play the point for mack, and i don't know if he can step into that position for us. he's more a wing player in a 6'1" body. if he were a football player, we'd designate him an "athlete". if he were 6'5", we wouldn't have been able to recruit him. nor does he have a great shot. quick shot, yes, but not your picturesque shooter, a la staudacher. he was oh for three on treys and while he's capable of getting hot from out there, he didn't look very good tonight. probably i jinxed him, as i do the griz every time i see them play.
still, with his hustle and his athleticism, he's going to be a huge crowd favorite, and a real plus for griz basketball. i'm glad we got him. put him on the same court with a.j., selvig, qvale and mathias ward, and the griz are going to have some weapons next year.
nope. mack lost big tonight, simply unable to cope with that big frontcourt. as for our recruit, will cherry, i can tell you that this kid is a wonderful player, a cat-quick super leaper and a tenacious defender who creates havoc all over the court. where i'm a huge advocate of a redshirt year for just about any player, i'd say cherry is the exception, a kid that can step in right now and compensate immediately for some of our current team's athletic deficiencies. i mean, if you're talking perimiter defense, this kid brings it. he only scored seven points tonight in a low-scoring defensive battle, but he created turnovers, boarded and stole the ball. he was everywhere.
so why did we get him?
well, he is not a point guard. he does not play the point for mack, and i don't know if he can step into that position for us. he's more a wing player in a 6'1" body. if he were a football player, we'd designate him an "athlete". if he were 6'5", we wouldn't have been able to recruit him. nor does he have a great shot. quick shot, yes, but not your picturesque shooter, a la staudacher. he was oh for three on treys and while he's capable of getting hot from out there, he didn't look very good tonight. probably i jinxed him, as i do the griz every time i see them play.
still, with his hustle and his athleticism, he's going to be a huge crowd favorite, and a real plus for griz basketball. i'm glad we got him. put him on the same court with a.j., selvig, qvale and mathias ward, and the griz are going to have some weapons next year.
