vivid_dude wrote:Great atmosphere for an exhibition game. It's tough to fully appreciate how everyone played in-person, so I re-watched. Here is how I saw things with the necessary caveat that it was one game, and everything below is likely an overreaction.
- The team looked quicker, overall. I noticed it at the game, but then really noticed it on the re-watch. Great fluidity to the offense.
- Davis and McAndrew belonged. Sometimes freshmen look solid early in the year, but it's against cupcake competition. Purdue isn't that. Very encouraging start to their Creighton careers. Will Jackson surpass McBuckets as the #1 Bluejay of all time? At this point, I have to say yes.
- I liked what I saw from Neal. Bouncy. Athletic. Great on-the-ball defense. A better ball handler than I would have guessed. He's the type of player CU hasn't had in a while, and I like the fit.
- Pop's shooting was great. That'll come and go, so I was more encouraged by his ability to finish around the rim with floaters. This is one of my perceived weaknesses on the team - individual shot creation. Pop showed some things.
- Jasen Green didn't have a good game. The effort seemed to be there, but he could not secure rebounds that he will need and his guy scored at will. Struggled with his shot too. Do we want him hoisting 3-4 three's per game? Not sure at this point, but leaning "no." Again, one game.
- Despite CU losing 49% of scoring with Trey and Baylor, I'm wondering if we will miss their rebounding more. Kalk, again, did his job on his man. In the past, that led to Trey/Baylor scooping up a lot of rebounds. I didn't see our guys going for the ball as aggressively or as effectively as our legends did. Maybe that's why they were legends.
- Ashworth is clearly a different guy than the player who debuted last season. Confident. Quicker. More assertive. If he gets back to 42% 3-point shooting shooting Steve, with volume, look out.
- Traudt, Miller, Fred, Knox each had moments - some good and some not-so-good.
- Love that it was mostly the back-ups who finished out the game. For those last four minutes, as Purdue kept cutting it to 4 or 5, with the lineup we had on the floor, I thought the game could get away from us. Never did.
- There are plenty of college basketball players better at the game than Kalk right now. But you'll never convince me that there is a more VALUABLE player to his team than Ryan Kalkbrenner is to Creighton University all across the NCAA.
- Weaknesses to be on the lookout for as we head into the regular season: defending other physical guards with Pop/Ash; rebounding; shot creation (although this one game tempered that fear a bit)
I agree with most of this, but how many games will there be where both Pop and Ashworth shoot that well from three together? McAndrew will have to get significant minutes IMO to shoot threes, and Zugic will hopefully also prove to be a three point threat. Rebounding - this is why Kalkbrenner and Neal and Green have to play a lot of minutes together, as they are the only three really good rebounders we have. I have cautious optimism overall until I see us against top notch pressure defense as I see how this team can be game planned and struggle against tough defenses.
