I'm no Underdog, but I will give this a shot. Obviously, Pitt State is not the best competition, but it was still fun to watch and see what the new guys can do. Keep in mind this was the first game of the year and an exhibition at that, but here are my observations:
Kamau Stokes - Looked good. 4-1 assist to turnover ratio, 1-2 from 3 point range and had a couple nice drives to the basket. Definitely going to be nice to have him back.
Carlbe Erving III - Looked improved. Not the best scorer and he had several turnovers, but he plays harder than anyone on the court. Very much like DJ in this manner. He was very active on the boards as well, finishing with 7 rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time.
Barry Brown - Very good player. He can do it all. Led the team in scoring with 17 points and shot 40% from 3 point range. Also had a 4-1 assist to turnover ratio. Plays great defense and had a couple steals which led to easy buckets.
Brian Patrick - Looked pretty raw and was lost on defense. He will need some time to develop
Wesley Iwundo - Seemed like the same ole' Iwundo. Disappeared and hesitated to shoot. He has the talent, just needs to gain confidence and show that he wants to play at the next level.
Xavier Sneed - Gonna be a great one! He can do it all. Similar body and play style to Iwundo, but he ain't scared to shoot. He finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Very smooth stroke and can knock down the jump shot from anywhere or drive to the basket. He was also very active on defense finishing with 1 steal and 2 blocks in 20 minutes of playing time. I think he is going to be a very consistent and good player for this team.
Dean Wade - Dude can shoot the heck out of the ball and has some great moves. If he can remain confident, I think he can take a huge step forward this year. He had 14 points in 16 minutes including going 4-5 from 3 point range. Didn't play much if even at all in the second half.
DJ Johnson - Looked good. 9 points and 7 rebounds in 16 minutes. Struggled with fouls early on due to his physical play, but he looked like the same dominant DJ as last year down the stretch.
Isaiah Maurice - Very athletic big with a smooth stroke. Can shoot from anywhere including 3 point range. Finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes. Very smooth with the basketball down low. Needs to put on some muscle though. I think he will be in for a rude awakening with the size and strength of the other bigs in the Big 12 but he shows a lot of promise and should be a solid contributor off the bench.
Austin Budke - Same Austin Budke everyone knows and loves. Smart player who is always in the right place. He will be a nice piece for us coming off the bench.
Dante Williams and James Love III - Very raw and will need time to develop. Can definitely help us on defense, but I wouldn't expect much from them offensively. They will provide nice depth if our bigs get into foul trouble.
Kamau Stokes - Looked good. 4-1 assist to turnover ratio, 1-2 from 3 point range and had a couple nice drives to the basket. Definitely going to be nice to have him back.
Carlbe Erving III - Looked improved. Not the best scorer and he had several turnovers, but he plays harder than anyone on the court. Very much like DJ in this manner. He was very active on the boards as well, finishing with 7 rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time.
Barry Brown - Very good player. He can do it all. Led the team in scoring with 17 points and shot 40% from 3 point range. Also had a 4-1 assist to turnover ratio. Plays great defense and had a couple steals which led to easy buckets.
Brian Patrick - Looked pretty raw and was lost on defense. He will need some time to develop
Wesley Iwundo - Seemed like the same ole' Iwundo. Disappeared and hesitated to shoot. He has the talent, just needs to gain confidence and show that he wants to play at the next level.
Xavier Sneed - Gonna be a great one! He can do it all. Similar body and play style to Iwundo, but he ain't scared to shoot. He finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Very smooth stroke and can knock down the jump shot from anywhere or drive to the basket. He was also very active on defense finishing with 1 steal and 2 blocks in 20 minutes of playing time. I think he is going to be a very consistent and good player for this team.
Dean Wade - Dude can shoot the heck out of the ball and has some great moves. If he can remain confident, I think he can take a huge step forward this year. He had 14 points in 16 minutes including going 4-5 from 3 point range. Didn't play much if even at all in the second half.
DJ Johnson - Looked good. 9 points and 7 rebounds in 16 minutes. Struggled with fouls early on due to his physical play, but he looked like the same dominant DJ as last year down the stretch.
Isaiah Maurice - Very athletic big with a smooth stroke. Can shoot from anywhere including 3 point range. Finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes. Very smooth with the basketball down low. Needs to put on some muscle though. I think he will be in for a rude awakening with the size and strength of the other bigs in the Big 12 but he shows a lot of promise and should be a solid contributor off the bench.
Austin Budke - Same Austin Budke everyone knows and loves. Smart player who is always in the right place. He will be a nice piece for us coming off the bench.
Dante Williams and James Love III - Very raw and will need time to develop. Can definitely help us on defense, but I wouldn't expect much from them offensively. They will provide nice depth if our bigs get into foul trouble.
