I agree this could be a different team. Coach mentioned how the 30 second shot clock is having him favor a false press on defense and push tempo on offense, much like in the CBI. He also said he has 6 guys he trusts as guards and intimated he had a plan to utilize them all in some capacity.

The versatility and teamwork are the two big elements that make this team so interesting and fun to watch. Every one of the players has the ability to capably help at one or two other positions on the floor, switching off to create mismatches, or helping on defense. We've got five players that can run the point or play shooting guard both very well (White, Richardson, Peterson, Smith, and Turk) and Doyle can play from a 1 to a 3. Ingram, Knuth (was looking forward to seeing him develop more this year), and Adgei can handle playing the 2, 3, or 4. If James plays with the consistency he developed late last year, if Kirby puts up numbers close to what he averaged as a juco freshman, and Rajala can improve a bit defensively, we'll be pretty good. Thomas and Crisman will be hard to replace, not just because of their stats, but because they were glue guys.

I agree with 90% of JCT's post, but Turk definitely has not shown point guard skills to date. In fact, I've never seen him bring the ball upcourt or take more than a handful of dribble at a time. He has always been a great spot up shooter, and last year he converted on a few drives to the basket. But he has a hard time creating his own shot off the dribble, and has never been used at the 1.

I think Ingram is a better ball handler than Turk, unless Turk has improved. (Turk might have, since he is a very hard worker).

Haven't been this excited about a season in...well...forever.

November 13 can't get here soon enough.

Thanks for the report from practice. I was bummed I had to miss it.

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MBB Scholarship Chart

curious if Milton looked like Milton???

I don't think they look much like each other. Maybe a little in the eyes.

You don't have to wait until the 13th. There is the Lewis exhibition game Friday the 6th.

Great idea on the ND alumni trip. Excellent opponent and location for a trip. There are not many other good options. However the early Sunday afternoon (1 pm central) tip the second to last Sunday before Christmas will likely hurt participation. The bus would like have to depart on a Sunday morning around 9:30 am.

The team appears to be bonding, according to Twitter feed photos: