I watched the guys at yesterday's practice / scrimmage. Some things I saw...
1. There was a practice segment that stood out to me. Miles put 12 seconds on the shot clock, divided the team up into two squads, and the guys pushed the ball up and down the floor trying to get a shot in under :12. It looked like we can push the ball when we want. This is an athletic team. Lots of baskets made during this segment, some off of individual creativity, and others off of good passing. Even saw some excellent high-low passes, getting the post guys involved. Hard to do with :12 on the clock.
2. Lewis is an intense coach. With how highly regarded Lewis is in Indiana and the surrounding area, can he start to pay recruiting dividends soon? Miles has a great opportunity to earn back some job security this year with this team, but with 2 open scholarships for next season, he'll need to add a quality post and a quality wing. Who are we in on?
Random thoughts on individual players...
3. Duby Okeke was a very important addition to this team. Defensively, he's athletic, so he can hedge the ball screen and recover. Obviously, he'll bring some help side shot-blocking ability. And he didn't look like a "zero" on offense. Saw him power dribble into the lane and hit a 5-foot left-handed jump hook over Jordy or Tanner (can't remember who was defending him). I really like Okeke. Will not score 8-10 like a Leslie Smith, but should really help defensively.
4. James Palmer. I heard from someone who is able to watch some practices that Palmer has scoring ability on par or nearly on par with what Petteway provided. It was just my first time watching Palmer, but I didn't see quite that same ability. Yes, he can score, but Palmer is a step slower than Terran was and doesn't have the same ability to glide and finish. I'm excited for what Palmer brings, but I see him as a 14-15 ppg guy, not an 18-19 ppg guy.
5. Isaiah Roby has so much potential and could develop into a true 5-tool player (shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, rebounding), but he doesn't look comfortable out there yet. I know he struggled badly in the exhibition against Miss State. You can tell that he has spent a lot of time in the weight room. He has filled out and the guy can play above the rim. If he can get comfortable and give Nebraska another scoring threat, that would be so big for this team.
6. The freshmen are good players. Allen will play because he'll be needed to spell Watson. But Akenten has a bright future, too. Has definite "rise and fire" ability, but can also attack off the dribble. Will be interesting to see if Nana redshirts. On previous Nebraska teams, he probably plays. On this year's team, Miles said he is currently #11 or 12 in the rotation.
Hard to evaluate Thor last night. Big question will be whether he's quick enough to play on both ends. He surprised me with his shooting ability. I know it was just a 3-point contest, but Thor hit 10-12 in a row at one point. Good size. Glad Miles took a flier on him, he could develop into a useful role player in time.
7. Copeland and Gill are crucial wildcards to me. Both are coming off of serious injuries. The big questions have to be how those injuries have affected their athleticism, and how long will it take for each player to get back into a playing rhythm. Both players looked healthy to me last night. Both looked full-go. Given that Copeland was a former 5-star player, I think some people might be expecting too much from him. He's not the lead pony on this team. He did drill a sweet corner 3 and also drew a foul off the dribble in the scrimmage. As for Gill, it be interesting to see what his role is 10 days from now when the season starts, and whether that role expands as this team grows.
8. I loved how Jordy developed during conference play last year. He didn't show much last night, but I think he's just getting back up to speed after the clean-up on his knee. He needs to develop a right hand. When he's on the right side of the basket, he sometimes drop steps and has an opportunity to power the ball up and in off the backboard with his right hand, but has a tendency to instead pump fake, step across into the lane and into traffic, and use his left hand to finish in front of the rim.
Excited to see this team grow, but since it's Nebraska basketball, you're always afraid of the viper in the weeds. Hope these guys can stay healthy, make grades, eliminate drama, and just go play.
1. There was a practice segment that stood out to me. Miles put 12 seconds on the shot clock, divided the team up into two squads, and the guys pushed the ball up and down the floor trying to get a shot in under :12. It looked like we can push the ball when we want. This is an athletic team. Lots of baskets made during this segment, some off of individual creativity, and others off of good passing. Even saw some excellent high-low passes, getting the post guys involved. Hard to do with :12 on the clock.
2. Lewis is an intense coach. With how highly regarded Lewis is in Indiana and the surrounding area, can he start to pay recruiting dividends soon? Miles has a great opportunity to earn back some job security this year with this team, but with 2 open scholarships for next season, he'll need to add a quality post and a quality wing. Who are we in on?
Random thoughts on individual players...
3. Duby Okeke was a very important addition to this team. Defensively, he's athletic, so he can hedge the ball screen and recover. Obviously, he'll bring some help side shot-blocking ability. And he didn't look like a "zero" on offense. Saw him power dribble into the lane and hit a 5-foot left-handed jump hook over Jordy or Tanner (can't remember who was defending him). I really like Okeke. Will not score 8-10 like a Leslie Smith, but should really help defensively.
4. James Palmer. I heard from someone who is able to watch some practices that Palmer has scoring ability on par or nearly on par with what Petteway provided. It was just my first time watching Palmer, but I didn't see quite that same ability. Yes, he can score, but Palmer is a step slower than Terran was and doesn't have the same ability to glide and finish. I'm excited for what Palmer brings, but I see him as a 14-15 ppg guy, not an 18-19 ppg guy.
5. Isaiah Roby has so much potential and could develop into a true 5-tool player (shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, rebounding), but he doesn't look comfortable out there yet. I know he struggled badly in the exhibition against Miss State. You can tell that he has spent a lot of time in the weight room. He has filled out and the guy can play above the rim. If he can get comfortable and give Nebraska another scoring threat, that would be so big for this team.
6. The freshmen are good players. Allen will play because he'll be needed to spell Watson. But Akenten has a bright future, too. Has definite "rise and fire" ability, but can also attack off the dribble. Will be interesting to see if Nana redshirts. On previous Nebraska teams, he probably plays. On this year's team, Miles said he is currently #11 or 12 in the rotation.
Hard to evaluate Thor last night. Big question will be whether he's quick enough to play on both ends. He surprised me with his shooting ability. I know it was just a 3-point contest, but Thor hit 10-12 in a row at one point. Good size. Glad Miles took a flier on him, he could develop into a useful role player in time.
7. Copeland and Gill are crucial wildcards to me. Both are coming off of serious injuries. The big questions have to be how those injuries have affected their athleticism, and how long will it take for each player to get back into a playing rhythm. Both players looked healthy to me last night. Both looked full-go. Given that Copeland was a former 5-star player, I think some people might be expecting too much from him. He's not the lead pony on this team. He did drill a sweet corner 3 and also drew a foul off the dribble in the scrimmage. As for Gill, it be interesting to see what his role is 10 days from now when the season starts, and whether that role expands as this team grows.
8. I loved how Jordy developed during conference play last year. He didn't show much last night, but I think he's just getting back up to speed after the clean-up on his knee. He needs to develop a right hand. When he's on the right side of the basket, he sometimes drop steps and has an opportunity to power the ball up and in off the backboard with his right hand, but has a tendency to instead pump fake, step across into the lane and into traffic, and use his left hand to finish in front of the rim.
Excited to see this team grow, but since it's Nebraska basketball, you're always afraid of the viper in the weeds. Hope these guys can stay healthy, make grades, eliminate drama, and just go play.
