Agree almost 100% with Chanson. We won handily against a good team even though we were not really in sync offensively. By the end of the game we were meshing much better, a very good sign. NMSU however was also not right and was hurting from the absence of their guards. The next matchup will be epic.
Here's some things I think each player needs to work on, because I think individually those things add up to almost all of our offensive challenges.
Boum -- Picks up the ball at inopportune times when there is nowhere to pass it. I don't understand why as he is probably the best ballhandler on the team. It completely stalls out the offensive tempo. Like Chanson said, needs to relax and let the game come to him. Could have had a huge night if he did.
Lathon -- Very solid point, would be nice if we was more creative offensively, but hard to criticize much.
Hawkins -- Still raw. Will see spot minutes, but you can see flashes of the player he will become. Mainly needs play time.
Edwards -- Gets lazy on passing. Take care of the damn ball and he would be a very complete player.
Williams -- not much to criticize.
Odigie -- Tried to force some things early. He too needs to let it come in the flow of things. Young player who was THE MAN last year and needed to force things no longer does. You have a team now, trust them.
Verhoeven -- Like Hawkins, very raw but you can see the talent waiting to mature. Will also see limited time this year.
Vila -- I really like this kid. I really believe part of the offensive struggles of the team as a whole is due to him adapting from Euro game to US game. Our players aren't going where he instinctively thinks they will and vice versa. I will probably make a separate post later today on this because I think it's interesting (and critical for us). His ability to adapt his game may honestly be the glue that makes the difference between a good team and a great one this year.
Terry -- Not much to criticize here. His coaching skills are evident in the Xs and Os as well as the development you can see in players. I would have liked to see Stroud and Tarke, but he obviously has a plan. Will Stroud redshirt?
If we continue to work out the kinks this could be a very special team. We haven't had this level of talent and depth in years. Barbee, Sadler, and Gillispie might have arguably had teams with more talent on the starting five, but I honestly don't know if our bench has been this deep since the mid-80s. And Kaden Archie hasn't played a minute yet. If Terry sticks around and can continue to recruit at this level we could be a perennial powerhouse.
