I was watching the MU-Illinois game the other night on ESPN, and I had an awful lot of thoughts running through my head about the guys on the team, so here they are:
Jason Horton - I don't think there's any question that this kid is a better player this year than he was under the Quin regime. He seems like he's a team guy, he's taking care of the ball and playing some defense. But really, what does he do well? I haven't quite figured it out yet. They said during the broadcast that he averages something like 4 shots per game. So he isn't scoring, but he's not the PG dishing out assists either, that is Stefhon Hannah's role. So overall, I'm not all that sure what to think of him. It would be interesting to see how much better he would be now if he hadn't been subject to Q's influence for 2 years.
Marshall Brown - I can't figure this guy out. When he came to MU, we knew he was a freakish athlete and had the potential to be the best player on the team. He was a dead ringer for Rickey Paulding, both in game and appearance. Seriously, did anyone else notice this? Anyway, he doesn't seem to bring it consistently. He's not a reliable scorer of any kind. He can't hit a 3. I guess he can play some defense, which is what you need in this system. He's just been kind of a disappointment though. I was hoping he could take over a game by this point in his career.
Kalen Grimes - Sometimes I like this guy and sometimes I don't. When he understands his role, and limits himself to putbacks and rebounding, he does fine. When he thinks he's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, that's not ok. This guy has no business shooting a sky hook. He's lost a TON of weight this year, which is a positive, but he's not exactly Arthur Johnson on the offensive end either.
Glen Dandridge - All I heard about when this kid signed with MU is how great of an outside shooter he was. He hasn't shown much of anything ever since he set foot on campus. He has been inconsistent with his outside shot at best. He looks pretty athletic out on the floor, but he doesn't have much game.
Stefhon Hannah - This guy is the MVP of the team. MU is far from a great team, but without this guy, we wouldn't even be respectable. He can shoot, pass and defend. Basically, he's everything you need out of your point guard. I have to admit, I was super skeptical when we signed him. We've been burned by too many JuCo point guards over the years. Rickey Clemons, Randy Pulley, James Douglas...the list goes on and on. Finally we get one that can play. Maybe this is just more proof of Quin Snyder's ineptitude.
Darryl Butterfield - Nobody knew much of anything about this guy when the Tigers signed him, but I LOVE watching him play. He brings so much energy to the floor. He is exactly the type of player they needed under Quin, where often times, nobody brought any energy. I remember back in '03, Justin Gage was this type of guy. Come off the bench, get a few layups, get some rebounds, hustle...only this guy is 10 times the player Gage was. My only complaint is that sometimes he thinks he can shoot from the outside.
Leo Lyons - Bar none, the most improved guy on the team. Last year, you couldn't even make the case that he was a D-1 player. He actually botched a 2-on-none break. 2 on NONE. He airballed freethrows. This year, he looks like he belongs out there. I really think that next year, he'll be a guy we lean on heavily. I like the athleticism he has and the soft touch from the outside. He's still a liability at the free throw line, but his improvement this year has me giddy.
Matt Lawrence - He can shoot 3's well enough, but he can't play defense. He's just too slow. Even my wife noticed this the other night. I still like having him out there. Like I have said before, ironically, he's a rich man's Josh Kroenke.
Keon Lawrence - Nice player from what I can tell. He supposedly has great offensive skills. We haven't seen too much of it yet, but Thomas Gardner struggled during the first part of his freshman year too, and he turned out to be a heck of a scorer.
JT Tiller - He doesn't really play enough to evaluate, but he's an athletic guy who can play some defense. He's good for Mike Anderson's system. Hopefully with guys like Keon Lawrence around him, he won't need to score a lot.
Volkus/Anderson Jr./Watkins - If these guys are out there, it's because someone is in foul trouble. Anything we can get out of them is just gravy, because they're expected to do essentially nothing. Watkins is the only senior on the roster.
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2 comments:
I agree with your comments. I also really like Mike Anderson. He actually teaches and coaches and doesn't just yell for the sake of yelling. You can tell that he has the respect of the players and they really listen to him. I think we'll have a solid season this year, but the Big XII is really up in the air after Oklahoma, Texas A&M and OK State. Time will tell...
Yes, OK State is playing real well right now!!
I love Mike Anderson's attention to defense. It seems that's a part of the game that has fallen in recent years. Not just for Mizzou, but for all of basketball. I like what he's done so far. I too think they will have a solid year, but once he starts getting his players in place, I think the pace will pick up even further.
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