Open practice and scrimmage announced 2024

[Viper]

If my count is correct, Caedin finished with 0 points (on 0 shot attempts), 1 rebound, and he had 5 turnovers in a 24 minute game. I'm willing to chalk it up as an off night but he looked a bit lost at times. He did have two steals and a nice block though.

1 reb in 24 min? Not good. Hasn't Hamilton been hyped as having really progressed since w/MU? His O isn't necessarily needed imo, but D and glass, most definitely needed.

[JTJ3]

Hamiltons defense was really solid.  Moved his feet well and bodied guys up on drives.  Needs to keep working on his conditioning though, the scrimmage was 24 mins but Id say he played only half the time, maybe a little more.  Parham got lots of reps at the 5 as well on that team.

To answer another question from earlier, didnt see much of a change with Al.  He had a couple nice finishes when someone set him up around the rim and he was aggressive defensively, but it felt like the Blue team was playing with 4v5 on offense when Al was playing wing minutes.  Ive got Hamilton and Parham both clearly ahead of him for backup big minutes right now.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Hamiltons defense was really solid.  Moved his feet well and bodied guys up on drives.  Needs to keep working on his conditioning though, the scrimmage was 24 mins but Id say he played only half the time, maybe a little more.  Parham got lots of reps at the 5 as well on that team.

To answer another question from earlier, didnt see much of a change with Al.  He had a couple nice finishes when someone set him up around the rim and he was aggressive defensively, but it felt like the Blue team was playing with 4v5 on offense when Al was playing wing minutes.  Ive got Hamilton and Parham both clearly ahead of him for backup big minutes right now.

Thank you.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Ben Steele's take: Takeaways from Marquette practice: Highlight dunks, flashy freshmen and Sean Jones update

[Milkshakes]

No mention of Gold from those there.  Hamilton not living up to the hype.  And Al behind everyone.   I'm still concerned about minutes at the 5.  Seems really, really thin. 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

No mention of Gold from those there.  Hamilton not living up to the hype.  And Al behind everyone.   I'm still concerned about minutes at the 5.  Seems really, really thin.

It was also a short scrimmage and the season is 3 months away. 

[MUfan12]

It was also a short scrimmage and the season is 3 months away.

No kidding. I know we're starved for MU news/content, but these things are hardly ever indicators of how things will go.

I remember people writing off Jimmy after he had a bad scrimmage.

[Hards Alumni]

You guys remember the summer of Dexter Akanno?

[GOO]

I'm no talent evaluator. So take the following for what it's worth, just some random guys thoughts who is unqualified to reallly have much weight given to anything said (no Dunning-Kruger effect in my mind here). 

But since so little is posted I figured I'd contribute. One exception that I consider valid is that Owens who as a new guy is clearly going to be a player. If I didn't know he was a frosh, I'd have thought he was a vet. Lots of tools.

It seemed sloppy, but that is to be expected in August and a scrimmage. They settled in a bit as it went on. But they play fast. Really, really fast. Athletic and long. If anything stands out to me it is the speed.

Gold seems like more of a leader. He seems to be taking on that roll more.  Missed a bunch of threes. Hopefully they fall for him this year. Shot looked good, maybe less flat. But a certain resolve and more serious, more I belong, which was different last year.  Stepping up mentally.

Owens is a player. Fits right in and seems in the flow, knows where to be, good feel. Can do it all and played some quality minutes at point.  Will he be a  point at times, I don't know as he wasn't pressured in the back court. But I can see Kam doing what Kolek did at times and playing a 2 rolll with Owen's at point.

Ross, Stevie, Kam, are all what you'd expect. High level players. Can handle the ball, pass, play D etc.  Ross with the highlight dunks of course. Explosive.

Lowery and Norman, hard to say. They can clearly play and handle the ball etc. I'm sure one or both will emerge as the season goes on. Others may have paid more attention to them.

Parham will help. Maybe a little tentative still on where to be, but that is to be expected at this point. But appears he can shoot and move well. He is solid and won't get pushed around easily. Played some 5.

I couldn't get a read on Hamilton. The game is played so fast. He is a big and can move and looks like another big who will be able to pass.  I think he will be more of a defensive player this year.  But appears to have the ability to shoot out to 3 based upon warmups. 

Any thought on Joplin? Hit a nice 3, moves well. Not sure that I paid much attention to him.  He is also not a flashy player so doesn't necessarily pop out even if he is doing everything right.

The pace was really fast so it makes it harder to evaluate, at least for me.

Less screening and pick and roll, and more drive and kick or passing to rotations. Maybe just the time of year, not sure.  Defense could be better this year than last. Will depend on part on the 5 and ability of the 5 to correct mistakes.  More athletic and long and active. If we play this fast on offense, expect the lineup to go deeper.

[tower912]

You guys remember the summer of Dexter Akanno?

This summer, he transferred to Utah St.

[BCHoopster]

Looking at the roster, MU has 10 kids that can play, so decent depth this year.
Bigger upfront, more athletic than last year.  Can they play together, to early to tell. Pick and roll was defended so tough not sure how that will play out. Kam could not get a shot in first half. Stevie more aggressive offensively. Owens best athlete since maybe Earl Tatum.

[Goose]

Thanks for the reports everyone. How was the crowd? I thought it was a decent turn out last season a curious if there was a good crowd last night.

[MUbiz]

Thanks for the reports everyone. How was the crowd? I thought it was a decent turn out last season a curious if there was a good crowd last night.

A friend of mine who went said he figured around 500 showed up.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Looking at the roster, MU has 10 kids that can play, so decent depth this year.
Bigger upfront, more athletic than last year.  Can they play together, to early to tell. Pick and roll was defended so tough not sure how that will play out. Kam could not get a shot in first half. Stevie more aggressive offensively. Owens best athlete since maybe Earl Tatum.

I mean, Dwyane Wade was a damn good athlete.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

TAMU

Are you as excited about the defense as I am?

I'm not sure.  It'll be fun to watch for sure.  Lots of steals and deflections. But last night (and again it was just one scrimmage) some of the good defense looked more like sloppy offense.  Kam also clearly had a mandate to hold back. He had 0 FGAs in the first half.  I'm the second half he went 4/4 from 2 with 2 and 1s. He could score at will but was purposefully not looking for his shot.

The one shot Kame did miss was one of his patented step back corner threes and it was stuffed on a very good block by Ross. That made me excitrd

[GOO]

A friend of mine who went said he figured around 500 showed up.

Good crowd. I was surprised to see people all the way to the top. Seating was limited to one side.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

No mention of Gold from those there.  Hamilton not living up to the hype.  And Al behind everyone.   I'm still concerned about minutes at the 5.  Seems really, really thin.

Gold show some mobility in the first half. He had a very nice drive that resulted in a scoop layup that hit the rim 3 or 4 times before rolling out. He also took a rebound coast to coast.... but got stuffed by a very nice chasedown block by Hamilton (his highlight of the night). That was more good defnese by Caedin then bad offense by Ben.

After that,  he did his usual float to perimeter and shoot off pick and pops. He went 2/7 from three but all but one of the shots looked good. His rebounding was fine, 5 boards in a 24 minute game.  Showed off some nice passing too. Defense looked improved,  but hard to say if that was him or Caedin not wanting to score

[Goose]

I loved Earl Tatum and thought he was an exceptional athlete, but he was no DWade in my book.

[BCHoopster]

I loved Earl Tatum and thought he was an exceptional athlete, but he was no DWade in my book.

Agreed

[Dickthedribbler]

For those who were there, I'm surprised that no one yet commented on the Chase Ross dunk in traffic, I think in the 2nd half. That was the most violent one-handed dunk I've see in a long, long time. I'm shocked he didn't hurt himself. It sure woke up the crowd.

[willie warrior]

Small sample size alert but based on tonight and only tonight:

Buy Stock in:
Owens
Ross
Lowery

Sell Stock in:
Norman
Hamilton

What? No buy stock in Goooolllldbrick?

[MUbiz]

What? No buy stock in Goooolllldbrick?

BG was 35.9% from 3 in 37 games last year - definitely not brick like. 35% is basically the median for 3s in college. Troll better Dung Willie - the best trolls have truth in them.   

[Milkshakes]

For those who were there, I'm surprised that no one yet commented on the Chase Ross dunk in traffic, I think in the 2nd half. That was the most violent one-handed dunk I've see in a long, long time. I'm shocked he didn't hurt himself. It sure woke up the crowd.

I might be most excited about Chase.  If I am right, he was not 100% most of last year due to injury. If he stays healthy I think he is the guy to really step up.   

[GOO]

For those who were there, I'm surprised that no one yet commented on the Chase Ross dunk in traffic, I think in the 2nd half. That was the most violent one-handed dunk I've see in a long, long time. I'm shocked he didn't hurt himself. It sure woke up the crowd.

Oh, it was nasty. Came out of no where. I just assume that anyone remotely interested has seen a video of it. The other one was nice as well.

[MU82]

BG was 35.9% from 3 in 37 games last year - definitely not brick like. 35% is basically the median for 3s in college. Troll better Dung Willie - the best trolls have truth in them.

joyless willie don't need no freakin' truth.