Any report from the bball scrimmage or did I just miss it?
Dick making empty promises again.
I went and can copy/paste some texts I sent. The tl;dr is I’m more excited than I have been in a while. There are multiple shooters, multiple scorers, and everyone has clearly stepped forward in some capacity. Pace of play is FAST.
Some context, this was in the sub gym and there were several recruits and their family’s present.
Starting with texts about the freshmen.
Byers is an absolute assassin. During practice Steele was correcting how he ran a slip and said, “you’re shooting 50% from 3, you have to get close to the arc and cause the defender some indecision.” During the scrimmage he went 3-4 from 3 and scored a dunk and a couple layups from breakaways
Skaljac has all the raw talent advertised, but the game is still a bit fast. Got a lot of coaching and didn’t make the same mistake twice, but Byers getting a head start last year is evident during live play.
Adding to this, there’s a reason he won the jersey. He shoots well, he defends hard, he can get his own shot, he can pass. But there were times he did some freshman things - a skip pass in the half court offense that was picked off, dribbling too much with the shot clock winding, etc. But he had a couple plays where all the recruits and parents turned to each other with a little, “whoa.”
Craft is fun to watch. One of the most beautiful shots I’ve seen. Had 3 catch and shoot 3s in transition while moving and hit all 3. Very athletic. Scores at all 3 levels in pretty much every way.
Quick note - somebody said Craft reminded them of some players Miami had gone up against in the past where we’d throw everything we had at them defensively and they’d still find a way to score. I think that’s a pretty accurate assessment. But, he also plays within the offense well.
Craft and Skaljac are capable of getting their own shots if they really want
Cooper is much improved. I was sitting by some recruits and their parents the staff had in and Cooper was turning heads. Scored some really tough baskets
Adding more here too - Cooper looks like he’s taken several steps forward. I might add him to the category of players who can go get their own shot when they want.
Elmer stood out defensively. Probably the best defender on the court. Caused mayhem, trapped, dove for loose balls, got blocks. Was still fine on offense. He’s gotten so much bigger/stronger though. Him and Kotecki look completely different from last year.
Speaking of, Kotecki looks much improved on defense, but still a bit indecisive on offense. It feels like there’s potential there. He moves well and is more athletic this year
It’s easy to forget Kotecki is still only a sophomore big man. He’s now physically built for conference play and has a unique skillset. Just needs to raise the floor on a couple areas of his game, imo. He’s also a leader. Always hustling, always being vocal.
Ipsaro is the steady PG you want. He shot well too
Note - The PG who was a MAC leader in ATO ratio has continued to improve. I think everyone knows he defends well, runs the offense well, and is a leader, so there wasn’t much to add. I take it as a compliment. His shooting has improved some, but it also wasn’t a weakness before.
Potter did some drills, but didn’t play in the scrimmage
Hearing he should be back soon. Has added weight as well.
Woolfolk is levels above Morris. Hard to compare the difference. No glaring weaknesses. Was regularly the first offensive player down the court and got some dunks out of it
He plays solid defense too. I think he’s a sneaky good addition.
Suder could be good. I’d say Bultman was a poor man’s Suder. He defends multiple positions, shoots well, and can post up. Think he’ll spend most time at the 3.
Adding here, Suder seems pretty strong and can post up smaller guards and can drive against bigger defenders. I think he’s a good litmus test for the talent change from this year to last. Last year, he’s definitely a starter.
Steele mentioned on the call when recruiting Luers, they wanted an older player that could be a leader. He fit that role well. Vocal. Everybody loves him. Not sure he’s better than Mabrey offensively, but plays better defense.
I think he’s the right add for what was needed.
Coming out of it, I feel confident the team can compete for a top 4 seed, and I think that’s where they should end up.
Thanks, Jive!
FWIW (not much) I’m anxious to see Luke’s progression in college. I saw him in a spring All star game and thought he tried a little too hard to make the flashy pass and he missed a few driving layups. But it was an all-star game, and his coach was his high school coach.
He’s one guy who will benefit from strength work and weight gain.
Very impressed with his ability to see the court and pass the ball. Reminds me of Eddie Schilling in that regard. Of course, Eddie had Harp to pass the ball to. He seldom missed. But I believe that the roster is full of guys that can fill it up from inside or jumpers/3’s. But he will need to get stronger and learn to play at D1 speed.
Thanks for the insight, Jive. Very excited to get to campus and see a game–Nov 19!
And while not getting ahead of myself, I am even more excited for the '25-'26 season with almost everyone back and more size and talent added. My goal is to see every game that season. Wishful thinking? Probably.
First thing is to live that long.
Thanks Jive. Very nice report.
Crap, now I’m kind of excited. Having low expectations helps prevent disappointment, lol.
Same
Please explain.
He’s being facetious; waiting for you to post the promised report on the scrimmage.
I kid. Not too well, apparently.