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Thanks Hoops for the big time recap. I watched the game on ESPN3 and here are my thoughts.
Mackey was great and hit some huge (and deep) 3’s to keep the game from getting embarrassing. Felt a little bad for him at times that he didn’t have more experience around him. Tried to do too much a couple times but couldn’t blame him.
Really impressed by Price. He was not shy at all, and even the shots he missed were in and out and mostly on line. Really happy with him.
Chuku was chucking. He was practically unguarded on his 8 3’s (why would they guard him since it was effectively a turnover to let him shoot) and the majority of his misses were not close, unlike Price. Still very excited about him, but he needs to make plays near the bucket while he works on his J (in practice!).
Kempton was solid. He has a good body but does not have the athleticism or strength yet to play against a BCS frontline. With more strength over the years, he could become a very good player.
Whitfield showed some flashes. He loves to pass and share the ball. However there was one sequence where he was the open guy on an out of bounds play and was going half speed. He clearly didn’t want the ball. The in-bounder tried to throw it to someone else since Shane didn’t want it, and it got intercepted and taken the other way for a lay-up. I would have yanked him for it. The up and under where he got fouled was pretty. He definitely has the tools, but he was lacking intensity and confidence.
Simelton showed flashes. He’ll be good but he needs more experience. I think his minutes will increase through the year. Made a couple bonehead plays, but that is to be expected.
Baltimore and Devon Carter didn’t play at all. Surprised Baltimore has fallen that far on the depth chart. Not sure if DC is healthy. Stefan has been injured so we will give him a break, but he played a minor role and didn’t look great. He just hasn’t really expanded his game since he got here and is pretty slow.
Schaefer was consistent as always. I know some don’t love him, but you got to give the guy credit. He maximizes his talent, always plays hard, and is consistent. It’s not sexy, but he is one of my favorite guys on this team. He’ll continue to play.
To be totally frank, I’m not a Goldsborough fan. I don’t think he showed much last year, but I was impressed last night. He got limited minutes and clearly he has been passed on the depth chart by Kempton, Chuku, and maybe even Whitfield. That said, he made a couple plays last night, and didn’t foul, take giant swats on defense, or turn the ball over which were my complaints from last year. It will be interesting to see what role he carves out for himself and how much he has improved.
I do think AD would have helped with his hustle and experience. Hope he gets back soon.
All in all, I agree with the above posters that this freshman class has the potential to be very special. It will be fun to watch this team grow throughout the year, and with expectations in check, I think it will be great to see. Overall, there were some guys that exceeded expectations and some that didn’t quite get there, but all in all it was a pretty good first night. It’s an exciting time in this program.