So, RU has played 7 games, right? Where is RU as a team? What do I see? Is there hope? Here are my ruminations, but in no particular order, kind of stray and randomly written:
3. Sanders is really good, and is going to get a lot better. Best point guard RU has had in a LONG time ... already.
4. Freeman and Williams are RU's 2nd and 3rd best players, their performance in the Wake Forest game notwithstanding. RU absolutely NEEDS Williams to shoot, and to make shots, or they will not be able to beat anyone. Sure, on occasion, Daniels will light it up offensively. And Goode is a nice role player. But neither can do all the things Williams has the potential to do. And despite Freeman's poor game (he forced things - and looked like he got a little hurt also), he IS a difference-maker for RU.
5. RU NEEDS Lewis to be solid and productive. He was truly awful until the Wake Forest game. He was very solid against Wake Forest. Yes, he let #2 score too much. But if he can produce 6-8 points and 6 rebounds per game, RU is a much better team. I think Lewis had only 1 or 2 TOTAL rebounds in the prior 3 games combined, so the game against Wake Forest was nice to see. And he needs to produce and play minutes, since Diallo is still so raw (both offensively and defensively).
6. RU's inability to hit shots is the primary cause of the team's propensity the last few games to fall into one on one play ... out of frustration and desperation.
7. Jordan was absolutely STEAMING and PISSED at his team in the post game interview after the Wake Forest game. As calm as he usually is, you could just hear his anger both at not winning, and at the lack of execution by the players in the end game. He specifically called out Williams and Laurent - though in a reasonably nice way (i.e. he offered a "critique" of the 2 key plays, and you can read in between the lines). For example, he stated that on Wake's last basket, that "Jon" was young, and would learn that you cannot let the offensive player drive so close to the basket, and that the defender had to play off the offensive player just a little, to prevent the easy drive. And he specifically said that when Williams would get "more experienced" he would be aware of the time on the clock, and that he had time to dribble in a couple of steps for an easier shot. I point these comments out for several reasons. First, I noticed that the end play with Williams was a really good design: Sanders triggered (as RU's best passer), and Williams made a really nice cut (off a screen?), and got the ball in a very good position. BUT ... I also noticed that had Williams taken just 2 dribbles straight towards the basket, he would have had a much easier foul line jump shot wide open. I also noticed that on the play on which Wake scored towards the end, Jordan had subbed Laurent in for Grier, specifically to play defense (I presume to get a taller player on the Wake WF). So it was that much more disappointing that Laurent allowed the easy dribble drive to the baseline.
8. There was no way Sanders charged on that made basket that would have given RU a 2-point lead.
9. RU does NOT have a true go-to offensive player to take over the game in the crunch. Sanders is juts not yet a consistent enough SHOOTER to accomplish this. Freeman has not yet earned those stripes either. Williams is also not a consistent enough shooter. This hurts RU down the stretch in close games.
10. RU's FT shooting is pretty bad, and has already cost RU 2 games (Wake and St. Johns). And it is not just Foreman and Diallo. But Lewis, Freeman and WIlliams all miss critically important FT's (as did Sanders against St. Johns - though I think that game was just an anomaly for him).
11. Goode is very, very fundamentally sound. But he is very limited due to his lack of athleticism. He will play, and contribute, but necessarily has to be limited in his playing time. He simply cannot create his own shot (that reverse lay-up notwithstanding). His shooting release also looks a little slow, meaning he has to be really wide open to shoot. And his lack of lateral quickness limits what he can do defensively, especially in a man to man defense.
12. Diallo and Laurent have a chance to be very valuable for RU over the next 4 years (but neither will be stars, I do not think). But fans need to be patient, since they are both so raw.
13. Daniels is what he is: Athletic, occasionally dominant offensively against certain match-ups, occasionally gets steals in bunches, but very lackadaisical with his passes and defense, and makes poor decisions way too often. A worthwhile, but frustrating bench player.
It is disappointing that RU could not find a way to win the St. Johns and Wake Forest games. RU also DID have a chance even in the Creighton game. The Clemson game was simply awful ... perhaps the team was just totally exhausted.
I have no idea how many games RU will be able to win - or not - this season. So I am not even going to look at that as the season progresses.
I AM going to look to see the progress of individual players, especially Sanders, Williams, Laurent, Freeman, Foreman and Diallo. I AM going to look to see defensive progress. I AM going to look to see how RU's offense develops: Is RU getting good shots, but just missing, or is RU forcing things and throwing up wild shots too often.
- Jordan is still groping for the right combinations on the floor, but I think we just MIGHT have seen the way it is going to be for much of the season, in the game against Wake Forest:
PG: Sanders (duh!), Daniels
2G: Williams, Goode
WF: Grier, Laurent [though I could see Laurent starting at some point]
PF: Freeman, Foreman [I think Foreman is much better suited to the PF position, at his size]
C: Lewis, Diallo
2. RU's defense was truly awful to date this season, though it looked markedly better against Wake Forest. Is that because Wake Forest sucks, or because Jordan finally switched roles, especially at WF and PF? It did help that Lewis finally played a good game, his 1st of the year.2G: Williams, Goode
WF: Grier, Laurent [though I could see Laurent starting at some point]
PF: Freeman, Foreman [I think Foreman is much better suited to the PF position, at his size]
C: Lewis, Diallo
3. Sanders is really good, and is going to get a lot better. Best point guard RU has had in a LONG time ... already.
4. Freeman and Williams are RU's 2nd and 3rd best players, their performance in the Wake Forest game notwithstanding. RU absolutely NEEDS Williams to shoot, and to make shots, or they will not be able to beat anyone. Sure, on occasion, Daniels will light it up offensively. And Goode is a nice role player. But neither can do all the things Williams has the potential to do. And despite Freeman's poor game (he forced things - and looked like he got a little hurt also), he IS a difference-maker for RU.
5. RU NEEDS Lewis to be solid and productive. He was truly awful until the Wake Forest game. He was very solid against Wake Forest. Yes, he let #2 score too much. But if he can produce 6-8 points and 6 rebounds per game, RU is a much better team. I think Lewis had only 1 or 2 TOTAL rebounds in the prior 3 games combined, so the game against Wake Forest was nice to see. And he needs to produce and play minutes, since Diallo is still so raw (both offensively and defensively).
6. RU's inability to hit shots is the primary cause of the team's propensity the last few games to fall into one on one play ... out of frustration and desperation.
7. Jordan was absolutely STEAMING and PISSED at his team in the post game interview after the Wake Forest game. As calm as he usually is, you could just hear his anger both at not winning, and at the lack of execution by the players in the end game. He specifically called out Williams and Laurent - though in a reasonably nice way (i.e. he offered a "critique" of the 2 key plays, and you can read in between the lines). For example, he stated that on Wake's last basket, that "Jon" was young, and would learn that you cannot let the offensive player drive so close to the basket, and that the defender had to play off the offensive player just a little, to prevent the easy drive. And he specifically said that when Williams would get "more experienced" he would be aware of the time on the clock, and that he had time to dribble in a couple of steps for an easier shot. I point these comments out for several reasons. First, I noticed that the end play with Williams was a really good design: Sanders triggered (as RU's best passer), and Williams made a really nice cut (off a screen?), and got the ball in a very good position. BUT ... I also noticed that had Williams taken just 2 dribbles straight towards the basket, he would have had a much easier foul line jump shot wide open. I also noticed that on the play on which Wake scored towards the end, Jordan had subbed Laurent in for Grier, specifically to play defense (I presume to get a taller player on the Wake WF). So it was that much more disappointing that Laurent allowed the easy dribble drive to the baseline.
8. There was no way Sanders charged on that made basket that would have given RU a 2-point lead.
9. RU does NOT have a true go-to offensive player to take over the game in the crunch. Sanders is juts not yet a consistent enough SHOOTER to accomplish this. Freeman has not yet earned those stripes either. Williams is also not a consistent enough shooter. This hurts RU down the stretch in close games.
10. RU's FT shooting is pretty bad, and has already cost RU 2 games (Wake and St. Johns). And it is not just Foreman and Diallo. But Lewis, Freeman and WIlliams all miss critically important FT's (as did Sanders against St. Johns - though I think that game was just an anomaly for him).
11. Goode is very, very fundamentally sound. But he is very limited due to his lack of athleticism. He will play, and contribute, but necessarily has to be limited in his playing time. He simply cannot create his own shot (that reverse lay-up notwithstanding). His shooting release also looks a little slow, meaning he has to be really wide open to shoot. And his lack of lateral quickness limits what he can do defensively, especially in a man to man defense.
12. Diallo and Laurent have a chance to be very valuable for RU over the next 4 years (but neither will be stars, I do not think). But fans need to be patient, since they are both so raw.
13. Daniels is what he is: Athletic, occasionally dominant offensively against certain match-ups, occasionally gets steals in bunches, but very lackadaisical with his passes and defense, and makes poor decisions way too often. A worthwhile, but frustrating bench player.
I have no idea how many games RU will be able to win - or not - this season. So I am not even going to look at that as the season progresses.
I AM going to look to see the progress of individual players, especially Sanders, Williams, Laurent, Freeman, Foreman and Diallo. I AM going to look to see defensive progress. I AM going to look to see how RU's offense develops: Is RU getting good shots, but just missing, or is RU forcing things and throwing up wild shots too often.
