* You certainly can't read much into this game. South Carolina State is a very bad team. They weren't particularly adept at offense, defense, or rebounding. Quite frankly one of the least effective all around teams I have ever seen come into the JPJ. Would love to give all the credit to the ol' pack line, but this team was significantly over matched at every spot on the floor and not well coached.
* Loved the pre-game video. Really made me feel nostalgic. Not a fan of the substitute PA guy. Hope there wasn't a permanent switch, the other guy brings more energy. Lord knows someone in that building needs to.
* Was sad to see Sammy not in uniform. He came out early on with a heavily taped ankle and took a few shots, but ultimately decided he was not ready. I don't expect you will see him tomorrow night either. Just a shame, with his history, would have loved for him to be in uniform for the opener of his final campaign.
* That meant more playing time for Jontel, and he made the most of it. Played with "controlled aggression" on both sides of the ball. Finished well, was smart with the ball, continued to be the emotional leader of the team. Sometimes I wonder why other guys don't share his enthusiasm. I thought it was a really strong performance from Jontel.
* Outside of finishing issues, I thought Mike played well. He was all over the boards, looked to set up other guys on every touch, even worked hard on defense. Those shots he missed will most certainly fall with regularity on most nights. Was glad to see a well rounded game elsewhere. Even yesterday, it is remarkably obvious how much more things open up on offense with him on the floor. Curious how that ankle is feeling today. We need him all season.
* KT and Mike both looked quicker to me. In KT's case, his lateral quickness may be due to increased confidence as much as it is the physical change in his body. The team in general really did look to be in great shape.
* Malcolm Brogdon is as advertised. First two minutes or so it was obvious he was a little shell shocked. Just in body language, you know, not exactly sure how he should stand even during a dead ball. I noticed only because I had floor seats and was literally right next to him. As the game progressed, he looked more and more comfortable and did some nice things. Physically, he looks the part from day 1. His jump shot is smooth and effortless. I can certainly see his ability to take some lead guard reps, but the jury is still out on how he will defend ACC point guards if asked to do so. Regardless, he will have a significant role on this team.
* James Johnson came out to a great applause. Kind of a reward for putting in the extra year of work. He had an up and down performance, showed a few flashes of that athleticism and some decent touch from the line, but also got beat baseline twice (NEVER supposed to happen in the pack-line) and looked a little uncomfortable out there at times. You could tell his teeth weren't completely sunk into the game itself as he was trying to process a lot of things. He has got all kinds of ability, if we can get him mentally prepared, he could help for sure.
* Akil will be the first 4 off the bench. He looked strong and active, with an entirely different level of confidence. His finishing is improved. He drained his two free throws, and the form on his shot really does look a lot better than a season ago. Hopefully fans will start to realize that not all recruiting classes can be judged on "stars" from recruiting services.
* Joe Harris is a big boy. First time I've ever stood next to him, and he is just bigger than you think. Made more sense to me why he played so much 4 last year. Shot was looking extra silky in warmups. Ended with a great stat line at 13 pts, 6 boards, and 4 assists. I just love this kid one of my favorite players in some time.
* The big news after the game was that the plan is to redshirt Jesperson. I already heard one moron say he "must not be that good". Bottom line is the kid is not physically ready and with the limited minutes available on the wing this season, why waste a year of eligibility on a couple minutes a game. If Paul really commits to this, and works his tail off, it really could be one of the best decisions he will ever make.
* Darion Atkins, the other freshman, violated team rules and is suspended for 3 games. I do NOT think this will be a recurring problem for this young man.
* I sure wish more people would have came to support the team. I know it's a bad opponent, but the boys have put in too much work to not get acknowledged the first time out. I won't spend a lot of time on that, because most of you know how I feel, no reason to beat the horse.
* The dance team is the strongest group of talent in that department than we have had in some time. There were new faces yesterday that really upped the ante. And I'm not even talking girls that just look good from a distance. These actually were doing quite well for themselves from up close. Really excited about this development.
* My score prediction from below I had us winning this game by 34. We won by 37. Not too bad.
Overall, I left the game with no altered expectations. I thought there was plenty to like, but more so to do with how guys are developing individually than the results of the game. The competition level was just far too low to render any type of opinion on how it will all translate to wins and losses. Finishing obviously was a problem, there were a lot of looks in tight that should have gone down, but when you win by 40 and shoot nearly 50% even when you aren't finishing well, its tough to be too upset. I thought the starting 5 moved the ball well and took quality shots. Again, poor defense tends to help that, but there wasn't as much stagnation and guys waiting for someone to make a play. Mike would get a touch and things would open up. Defensively, the execution was solid and guys are obviously more comfortable in the pack-line. I don't mean for everything to be positive, but there just wasn't a whole lot to complain about. I suspect when the competition ramps up, I will start whining a bit more. Wahoowa.
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