AD was one of the most gifted players at any level..ever. He was a guard in HS but grew several inches so had guard skills in a big frame. Not many should ever be compared to him but JQ is older, very skilled, similar size but far better strength, at this point in careers. It's not a huge stretch to compare them but gimme AD all day long. That said, JQ looks like a difference maker. I hope we can keep him around for a couple of years but if he stays healthy, next season is likely his last at the college level. Can ya'll imagine having AD for a 2nd season? Wow! I do love the way JQ attacks the rim. We need BG to step up, mature just a tad but be more agressive. Even with the signing of the Croation Sensation, BG can really be a big part of how we do next season. A couple of bigs, BG and JQ, with a bit of an attitude and that get angry at the rim, will be huge for us. The only thing I don't like about most euro bigs is they mostly are not aggressive enough. I haven't seen much of him yet but three bigs that stay mad at the rim sounds good to me.
Looks like Pope is checking all the boxes this time around. Bigger, stronger and faster, and more aggressive, pretty much everywhere. We need a Bledsoe type of combo guard too. Needs a good shot but doesn't have to be great. Just strong, fast and dependable. Rebounds will come from every spot on the team, it looks like to me. Love how the roster is shaping up but really want BG to stay, too.
Everyone worried about guys like BG, Noah and Perry leaving...but they will benefit more than anyone by having better players on the court with them that make the game easier for them. Especially Perry.
He needs to live in the weight room and in the gym this off season with focus on strength and lateral quickness on both sides of the ball. Garrison needs more strength as well as just getting more comfortable. If he adds strength. I think he builds confidence quickly. I think that's what he's missing most. Noah, some of the same...lose the baby fat and work on lateral quickness. He's got the tools to make a big jump next season.
Boy, when I think about the returning pieces, how much they can improve and the transfers that are significant improvements everywhere...man, I get excited about next season...and I haven't even mentioned Chandler, who has the second highest ceiling of all returning players, yet. Again, weight room for him too. Oweh was our best overall player this year but honestly, he's not far above average skill wise. We stepped up pretty much everywhere and it's hard not to get excited about our system with much better skill across the board.
Practices should be fun next year!
