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Reminder: Team Canada (Murray, Wiltjer) streaming at 6pm

Smashcat

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Mar 13, 2012
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EDT on Espn3. Less than an hour away. Maybe one of the folks on this board can provide a link for those who cannot get Espn3.
 
Disclaimer I didn't read one post of this thread.

That said get the heck over it... it is in the past. Damn it hurts I know. When the final buzzard sounded I didn't turn ESPN on for 3 weeks. Look forward to this amazing class we have coming in.. and in a month lets roll!!!!

I'm watching!

So excited to see Murray live!

Wonder if he'll get some minutes? They are playing their NBA guys early.
 
Watched Bhullar play in summer league. Load doesn't touch it.
 
Is Murray only playing in the Pan-am games or is playing for their senior National Team later this summer as well?

Canada is going to be a real threat to everyone except the US in a few years with Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, and Murray. Add a couple more stud Canadian players and they could actually be a threat to the US team.
 
Murray surveys the floor and finds the open man much the same as Ulis.
 
Murray looking good. The DR coach was sending double teams at him, which initially seemed to fluster him a little, but now he's making excellent passes to make the DR pay.

Some other notes:

Wiltjer looks to be the 12th man on this team. That probably does not bode well for his draft prospects.

Brady Heslip can really, really shoot. Probably can't guard his own shadow, but man, he can shoot it.

The DR halfcourt offense should look really, really familiar to any UK fan. Or at least did at first, as they've gotten sloppier as the game has gone on.

And also, it's becoming clear that Murray is the main guy for Canada at point. He didn't start, but he came in at about the 4 minute mark of the 1st quarter and hasn't been taken out yet (as it nears halftime).
 
Solid defense by Murray. Kid has a very high bball IQ.
 
There are some noticeable things about Murray, goes both ways.

I like his defensive BB IQ. He knows when to rotate defensively, pretty well. Has come over to make solid double-teams, and has played good perimeter defense thus-far. I also really like how he plays through screens without fouling the ball handler.

Offensively, he could use some brushing up, but many offensive woes can be attributed to nerves. They don't stand out, easily fixable, it's just been small things like walking into double-teams and such. He's making plays very well, driving the lane when he should, and just trying to make the offensive system flow smoothly. Isn't a ball stopper, hasn't been taking a high volume of shots. Finds the open man very well. All of which are indicators that his offensive BB IQ is very solid, aside from the few woes.

Canadian coach is obviously comfortable with Murray running the point.
 
Canada outscored Dominican Republic 34-20 with Murray running the point. Bye bye Junior Cadougan.
 
Love how he ended the half. Passed to the open man, and the would-be assist rimmed out. Murray attacked the rim, tipped it to the open teammate under the rim, and Cananda came away with points. He ended the half putting on some full court pressure, rather than jogging back down to the other end of the court.
He plays with a lot of energy and swagger. Comes off as a natural leader.


Canada outscored Dominican Republic 34-20 while Murray was in. Bye bye Junior Cadougan.

A +14 plus-minus you say? Talk about some very solid efficiency. He's setting up his teammates well offensively, and defending well.
 
Murray looked pretty good. He played the entire rest of the half after coming off the bench in the first.
 
Sounds like some great impressions of Murray playing with and against older and more experienced players. Keep the updates coming for those of us not able to watch, very appreciated. I really can't wait for this kid to get here and the descriptions above just increase the anticipation. Thanks.
 
Murray is playing a little different role for Canada than he will for us. He is their primary ball handler and is playing with guys that can fill it up like Heslip and a couple of NBA guys in Bennett and Nicholson.

For UK, he will be called on to score more when he has the ball. Even when he is running the point, Cal will want him to attack more.
 
Murray is playing a little different role for Canada than he will for us. He is their primary ball handler and is playing with guys that can fill it up like Heslip and a couple of NBA guys in Bennett and Nicholson.

For UK, he will be called on to score more when he has the ball. Even when he is running the point, Cal will want him to attack more.

While true, we all know his scoring abilities. It's nice seeing him in a role where he doesn't have to be "the man", because that isn't what he's going to be at UK, or in the NBA. We're getting a look at everything else. If he takes over this game and starts scorching the nets, it will be more exciting, but I'm pretty excited just seeing the numerous things that he does well.
 
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I hope this gets posted on that site with UK games because it's coming in lousy for me. Started off great and ever since it's been no audio and the resolution of the first video games for Atari.
 
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Neat little floater in the lane. He's starting to rack up some points.
 
Murray being more aggressive this half. The DR is pressuring pretty much every ball handler as an obvious part of their game plan, but seems really intent on going after Murray. He handled it well the first half, but wasn't really attacking it. Now he is.

The thing that stands out most about Murray is that he's a really, really good ball handler, and a smart player with a good feeling for floor spacing. He might not be Tyler Ulis-level, but he handles like a legit NBA PG- something that's often not true of bigger guys billed as PG's coming out of HS.

UK might have 3 of the 5 best PG's in college basketball next year. Obviously, all of them can't play point, so there are questions about how it will work. But, of the problems you can have, that qualifies as a good one.
 
Murray missed a 3, looked good but rimmed out, then cut to the basket and hit a layup so far. 7"5" 350 pound Sim Bhullar checked in for Canada, I imagine they throw hay on the locker room floor for him to graze on during half.
[roll][roll][roll][laughing][laughing]
 
Murray With a great control spin move to the rim and 1. This guy really seems comfortable taking the ball to the basket with his left hand.
 
Rolled his ankle coming down on the and-1. Canada sat him down, but overall, very solid game for Murray.
 
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