Takeaways
1. All due caveats - this was a bad D2 team they played
With #1 out of the way
Positives
1. CV has really scaled back the infamous adventurous dribbling escapades that plagued him in the past. He played in control, made the passes that were there to be made, didn't over-penetrate. He may have finally found it.
2. CV and AG will be good, which we all know.
3. Polley - just looks so smooth out there. He makes really good decisions with the ball, and he is such an efficient scorer we absolutely must find 12-15 shots for him per game. His defense was good. He still is a complete no-show on the glass, however. Gets bounced around too easily and displaced, doesn't have great quickness or strength to go get the ball in a crowd.
4. Whaley/Adams - Again, this was a D2 team, but the things these guys showed that were most important were intantibles - they both played tough, hardnosed defense that will translate at any level, and they played with SWAGGER. I think of both of them as interns at the CV school of defense, toughness, and swagger. If we can get that out of them all year, we are going to be flat out good cuz these guys are our core bench players.
5. Akok - Revelation. He is what we all heard he was. He can shoot, he plays smart, he can board a bit, and he will be a factor on both sides of the floor. What a great missing piece. Feels like we haven't had a guy like this in a decade.
6. Team Defense - Now that we have 2-3 shotblockers back there, Hurley's pressure man scheme looks goooooooooooooood. The outside players cause havoc, and funnel drives to the big guys to swat it away. Looked a lot like UConn of 2002-2009. What a pleasure and asset it is to have personnel that fits your style finally. With Josh, Whaley, Akok, and Wilson patrolling back there we should see some pretty spectacular rim protection this year.
Negatives
1. Gaffney was not good. If we are going to be good this year, we need additional ballhandlers to spell AG. Maybe Bouk can own some of that, and CV/Adams were serviceable today tho not ideal. But Gaffney has to be able to play a solid 15 minutes per game. I don't know how much was the ankle(he didn't look right out there physically) and how much was first game freshman jitters, but he was very tentative, he was stripped of the ball a couple times, and he was pushed around on defense quite a bit and exposed. He needs to heal up and just try to hang out with CV, Adams, and Whaley and hopefully that confidence and swagger rubs off on him.
2. Bouknight didn't play - his status remains up in the air and every game he misses are opportunities for him to get his feet wet and get used to playing on the big stage before the rough part of the schedule comes around. Hopefully the pre-trail diversion is accepted and he can put that mess behind him.
3. Half Court Offense - YEEEEEEEEEEESH. I'll just leave it there.