SkyMason21 wrote:Florida vs Kentucky-
Best game I've seen from Patric Young, played like he was the most physically imposing player on the court all game. Out muscled every UK player (like he should) on D and blocked plenty of shots.
Scottie Wilbekin has been everything Florida was missing at the point guard position last year. Finally have a true playmaker instead of an undersized scorer there. Pressured the ball like you expect a Florida guard too, and is way younger than I thought (19 year old junior pg). Definitely gonna keep an eye on him.
Erik Murphy is an interesting stretch 4, not great strength but enough were he wouldn't be as bad as Novak as a full time 4.
Noel needs a lot of work offensively but his length is a huge difference maker for UK. Alters/blocks plenty of shots and gets into the passing lanes. I still think his body makes him more of a 4 than a 5 and he bites to hard on pump fakes, but I like the kid more than I did at the start of the season.
The rest (Goodwin, Poythress, and Cauley-Stien). Goodwin just is out of control to often for me to enjoy watching him play. Poythress just seems to disappear for stretches like Jones did last year but you can still see the potential. Cauley-Stien is just raw. Not gonna knock him or Noel for their struggles in the post since both Young and Murphy were just so much bigger physically that they shouldn't have been able to consistently get position down low.
Hope Noel is ok.
Michigan vs Michigan State -
Not much for me to say anymore on the Michigan side. The Burke-McGary pick&roll is looking better, especially when McGary is making his jump shots. Glen Robinson's fear/inability to dribble the ball kills him in games like this where open spot up jumpers, and transition scores are harder to come by.
I'm glad Branden Dawson doesn't seem to have missed a step since his ACL surgery. Really needs to fix his shot (from everywhere). Love his rebounding and defense.
Gary Harris is alil skinny and needs more strength to fight through screens. But he's more aggressive/effective defensively than I thought he'd be.
Need to watch Denzel Valentine more. 6-5 former pg turned shooting guard. Rebounded really well this game, and rebounds well overall for a guard (4 boards in 21 mins per game).
What a great win for Sparty last night... YES!!!
To their pro prospects: Neither of those guys is pro ready just yet and from all of them the lone star potential propably has Harris. He is the best freshman in the Big Ten and is playing all year on a bum shoulder which basically limits him to be more of a shooter than a driver. When he adds strength next year and gets healthy, watch out. Incredibly tough mentally and a great defender.
Dawson's size, strength and athletisism are all well above average even by NBA standards. Due to him rehabbing a torn ACL in the summer his game hasnt developed as much as you would like. His problems right now are ball handling and long range shooting (midrange is coming around) but he would do very well honing these skills for another year. He might enter early only because of the injury scare last year and because he is a father for 3 years now.
Payne has an issue with his lungs (small lung capacity) but should be a very good rotation big in the pros if he can handle the 82 game season. Good shot blocker, extremely athletic and a deadly shooter from midrange and even from three this year. Needs some more muscle mass aswell.
Valentine is a very interesting player. Not really put into a position yet but just a very natural leader and ballhandler. Does everything on the court without wowing you with athletisism or speed. Incredible passer and a great mindset, once he is done in East Lansing I could see him being a true Spartan great.