Bishop had another solid game and Stephenson put forth a very solid effort. I really like the way this team is constructed. Stephenson will only get better and the team doesn't need one person to carry them. They actually seem to play very well as a team. Texas Southern isn't the best opponent, but you have to love how UC played the game tonight.
Where was Larry Davis tonight?
UC played pretty well, but they should have. Texas Southern didn't have the horses to play with UC and UC dominated them.
I was impressed with Stephenson. He plays well, still is a little raw, but you can see that talent.
I am a little disappointed with Wright. Not as quick as I thought he would be. I have never seen a guy get into the lane as much as him without a clue as how to put the ball in the hole.
Mick missed a great coaching opportunity. In the second half of the game the Cats got sloppy. He let them keep playing instead of yanking all 5 players.
Gates is a beast.
Dixon is becoming my favorite UC player.
The TV announcers went out of their way to defend Cashmere last night. Apparently they had been reading the message board criticisms of him. Basically their main point was, "the kid missed an entire year, it's going to take a few months for him to return to form." It's a valid point, but on a team where he's getting outplayed by the back-up, he can't live on that excuse for much longer or he'll be riding the pine for 28 minutes a game.
I also love Dion Dixon's intensity. The guy goes 100% every minute he's on the floor and sometimes finds himself out of control because of it. He'll learn to channel the energy more effectively as time goes on.
I'm really interested to see the dynamic Ibrahim Thomas will bring to the team. I can see the Cats facing a lot of zone this year because teams will be very willing to let them chuck threes all day. A player with height who can hit the midrange jumper might just be what the doctor ordered.
All models are wrong. Some of them are useful.
Yes, he had a year off, but there hasn't been any improvement in his game. He can't finish near the rim, or even come close to it, lots of bad passes and poor decisions. If you point guard is doing that......well you get the idea.
Vaughn, Dixon or even Lance could play some PG.
I do get that. But I also think that some of it is an excuse. Don't get me wrong I can imagine the amount of time and effort it takes to come back from an injury. But Cashmere has been playing basketball for quite a while now after surgery and rehab. Granted summer leagues and practices aren't college games, but I thought there would be more explosiveness. He should start to finish on his drives more as he gets more experiences. His defense should come along, or better come along, as he plays more. I do agree with the announcers that it takes time getting used to big time college basketball.
What troubles me a little bit is first step explosiveness. Is that gone or is he being too timid. To me that quickness is always there, it doesn't matter if you are rusty or not. Also I am a little disappointed in his PG play in general. He doesn't strike me as a true PG. It is very difficult to learn how to become a true PG when you get to college.
Stephenson seems like a guy who could be selfish but tries too hard not to be at times.
He's got the talent to take over games and be a monster. I think soon he's going to start doing just that. He's quick for a kid his size, and can beat the defense on just about anybody. His skills are good enough I think he could could play some point guard to, he's an excellent passer. I think he had 11 or 12 assists last night.
Now that the shootout is over and the Cats have racked up two painful losses, UC heads to Birmingham to take on UAB tomorrow night. This is their last chance to put up a decent non-conference win, and if so then UC will have gone 3-2 in their five solid non-conference games. If the Cats regroup and play well, they should be able to pull out the victory.
The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
2014-22 Average Season: 71-91
Seriously its hard for a team to lose 2 games like they did this year. 2 over time losses just dont happen often.
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