1. I can't even describe how well Eli Brooks played defensively--wait a minute, I can, and I will. Toledo's poit guard (Jackson) is very good, and had shown it against high level competition for three seasons, and Eli just flat shut him down--4 of 16 from the floor, more turnovers than assists, and a complete non-factor all night. Eli is there on the catch to stop shooters from immediately coming off screens to shoot. He gets over every screen, and even when he's in trail position on drives, he continues to work and contest shots from the backside. We are ridiculously better on the defensive end when he's in...and he matched Jackson point-for-point on the offensive end. Eli is a classic example of why we should not give up on guys who (a) start their careers slowly, (b) aren't highly rated, and (c) have middling, but not great counting stats. Two years ago, there were folks here and elsewhere who thought Eli "isn't even a MAC player" and were wishing for a transfer. Fortunately, he perserved. We would not have both the elevated floor and ceiling we have without a glue guy like Eli Brooks.
2. We were magnificent on both ends in the first half. We had a few situations on defense where we over-helped off 3 point shooters against a team which was never going to beat us shooting 2s, and fortunately, they missed. In the second half, ironically, we stuck to the game plan better on the defensive end (only 8 3 point attempts allowed for the half), but they made them, and made some tough shots near the basket to boot. We lost some defensive intensity, which is understandable with a 20 point lead against a team which absolutely could not stop us inside or outside; it will, however, give Juwan a teaching point as we get ready for a similar, albeit considerably better, Penn State team on Sunday.
3. It was very, very nce to see our open 3s finally go down. We didn't take nearly as many as we normally do, because we focused, correctly, on getting the ball inside, but we made as many as we normally do on far less attempts. We shoot like that, we're going to be very difficult to beat. It was also nice to see Franz Wagner go 2-2 and Mike Smith dfinally hit one from deep.
4. I have been a vocal rider on the Brandon Johns train, but Jeez, Brandon, if you're going to play some small ball 5, as we're going to need (especially if Austin Davis misses any time), you can't pick and pop or pick and roll if you don't actually pick first. Use your body. While he continues to be aggressive on the offensive glass, those "picks" were weak.
5. Hunter Dickinson...wow. I get that he's going to move up in class rea; soon; that said, his footwork and basketball IQ are pretty elite already.
6. Chaundee Brown is both intense and joyous on the court at the same time. He, like Eli, fits perfectly into a role, and enables our other guys to have spacing on offense and take some gambles on defense. He's a huge addition.
7. For two guys expected to carry the load, Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner played very efficient, controlled and super productive games--30 combined points (16 and 14) on only 15 shots from the floor (and 8 free throws, and tossed in 11 rebounds and 5 assists. When your stars don't need to shoot a ton to contribute a ton, that's a very good sign.
8. Overall, that's a very good win. I would have liked to play NC State, but this year, you play games as you find them, and it was a good mimic for the teams at the start of the Big Ten season. It looks like Oakland was a fluke, not a harbinger, and sometimes, that kind of wake-up call helps. We certainly have played very well since that game.
9. I've seen everyone in the Big Ten on multiple occasions. The league is incredibly tough, and we'll take some lumps, but truthfully, this team can compete with, and beat, anyone in the conference. I'm not saying we'll win the Big Ten. I am saying that we'll be very good.
2. We were magnificent on both ends in the first half. We had a few situations on defense where we over-helped off 3 point shooters against a team which was never going to beat us shooting 2s, and fortunately, they missed. In the second half, ironically, we stuck to the game plan better on the defensive end (only 8 3 point attempts allowed for the half), but they made them, and made some tough shots near the basket to boot. We lost some defensive intensity, which is understandable with a 20 point lead against a team which absolutely could not stop us inside or outside; it will, however, give Juwan a teaching point as we get ready for a similar, albeit considerably better, Penn State team on Sunday.
3. It was very, very nce to see our open 3s finally go down. We didn't take nearly as many as we normally do, because we focused, correctly, on getting the ball inside, but we made as many as we normally do on far less attempts. We shoot like that, we're going to be very difficult to beat. It was also nice to see Franz Wagner go 2-2 and Mike Smith dfinally hit one from deep.
4. I have been a vocal rider on the Brandon Johns train, but Jeez, Brandon, if you're going to play some small ball 5, as we're going to need (especially if Austin Davis misses any time), you can't pick and pop or pick and roll if you don't actually pick first. Use your body. While he continues to be aggressive on the offensive glass, those "picks" were weak.
5. Hunter Dickinson...wow. I get that he's going to move up in class rea; soon; that said, his footwork and basketball IQ are pretty elite already.
6. Chaundee Brown is both intense and joyous on the court at the same time. He, like Eli, fits perfectly into a role, and enables our other guys to have spacing on offense and take some gambles on defense. He's a huge addition.
7. For two guys expected to carry the load, Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner played very efficient, controlled and super productive games--30 combined points (16 and 14) on only 15 shots from the floor (and 8 free throws, and tossed in 11 rebounds and 5 assists. When your stars don't need to shoot a ton to contribute a ton, that's a very good sign.
8. Overall, that's a very good win. I would have liked to play NC State, but this year, you play games as you find them, and it was a good mimic for the teams at the start of the Big Ten season. It looks like Oakland was a fluke, not a harbinger, and sometimes, that kind of wake-up call helps. We certainly have played very well since that game.
9. I've seen everyone in the Big Ten on multiple occasions. The league is incredibly tough, and we'll take some lumps, but truthfully, this team can compete with, and beat, anyone in the conference. I'm not saying we'll win the Big Ten. I am saying that we'll be very good.
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