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I’m starting to view D Scott in a whole new light now that he’s not Fitz’ wingman & Marquis Nowell said he is “my guy”. He may be the greatest longform journalist left in this world. He could be our modern day George Plimpton or Frank Deford.
[/font]Does Cooper Beebe need his own thread?[tweet]1524396013926199296[/tweet]?s=20&t=Fo6aGv6a2mqE1OVe8hWuRw[/font]
PLAYERS:
1, Dogbite II: Did not play again. The junior college transfer is still slowly but surely coming back from having some lingering knee issues this summer. He did some fast break drills before the scrimmage so I'm under the impression he could give it a go, so this is just being cautious. He has a nice frame and could be a boost offensively. Not sure what he can do defensively, though, since i haven't really seen him play.
3, Deathbite: The freshman point guard is starting to become my favorite newcomer. There's just something there and it's easy to get on board with his game early. I like how he gets separation to get open, he's looking to find open teammates, and he has moxie to knock down some shots. He hit a clutch 3-pointer near the end of one of the periods. By no means is he perfect. He makes some mistakes, as all young guards will. I just think, right now, he is playing the best of any newcomer by a long shot.
4, D.J. Johnson: Did not play. Johnson did play in the first scrimmage last Saturday, but was held out of this one. It wasn't for any setback. He just didn't play. oscar Weber had mentioned before they were going to ease him back into things so having him healthy and absolutely ready to go in games is more important than an open scrimmage on a random afternoon.
5, The Flush: Did not play. Brown struggled in the scrimmage last week. He looked incredibly nervous. Not sure why he didn't participate, but I don't believe it's a big deal. He was moving around fine and shooting during breaks.
10, Bullnuts: For every good thing he does, there's another one or two things the coaches get after him about. It's interesting. Maurice is not a very demonstrative kid. He doesn't talk much or show much emotion on the court. He's athletic, but very raw. Once it clicks, and it will take a little bit, he could be a nice little complementary piece to this team. He takes coaching pretty well and attempts to run it all correctly on the next possession.
12, Gruntley: Much like I wrote last week, he's a good, physical practice player.
13, Festus: This is the first time I saw the juco walk-on, and it was certainly intriguing. He was pretty active defensively and got his hands up in the passing lanes a lot, and he made a sweet pass over the top of the defense to Big Meat for a quarter-winning score. You can tell he gets after it in practice.
14, Hopper: After being sidelined last week, the senior guard played in this one and really looked pretty good. The game looks slower for Edwards and he's able to see the floor a little better to throw pass and, most importantly, drive. He also finished at the rim a couple of times while also drawing the foul. Yes, it was one scrimmage, but everything I have heard indicates Edwards has elevated his game. The scrimmage proved that to be accurate at the moment. He looked better.
15, xWhomper: Did not play, and did not expect him to play. He's just getting back into shape still.
23, Hollywoods: Not the greatest outing for the freshman in this one. He was pretty fluid and looked very athletic and pretty active in the first one, and looked a little lost in the second scrimmage. He did, however, make an impressive floater over Big Meat in transition. He's another player that's pretty raw and it will take some time for him to get his game up to speed, especially the mental aspect of it.
24, Hunch: Had a nice dunk in transition. He also read a screen really well, slipped it, and got a backdoor layup. It's impressive the local product has put on the muscle he has since being on campus. He played and guarded both wings and big men, which helps having the versatility in practice while he redshirts.
25, Westicles: The senior spent most of the time running the point against Stokes, which turned out to be a pretty solid matchup. Westicles looks pretty comfortable with the ball in his hands. Sometimes he dribbles too much or tries to do too much when he gets ball screens, but at least that area is improved. He definitely looks better than he did a year ago. He hurt his arm on the rim after a dunk, but he should be fine. Wouldn't we all like to say that is even possible??
32, Claws: The kid is talented, but he's adjusting. This was the first time I had seen Wade play since he's been at K-State and there are some flashes there. He has a nice touch from mid range and can be active on the glass and handle it a little. He also finishes above the rim. He just really is adjusting to this level of basketball. I don't think there's any doubt it will click and he will be a big part for this team for years to come, and perhaps a lot even this year, but the hope I'm sure for the staff is that it happens sooner rather than later.
33, Vulture: He didn't standout, and he wasn't bad. It was just a typical, solid overall performance. He plays hard and is really active on the defensive end, which could be very important for this team. I like that role for him way more than him running the point, which was very minimal in this one.
35, Hot Horndogs: Once again, Budke made some plays and hit some shots. He comes to play each time he's on the court. Tough kid, too. He can knock down some shots and makes smart decisions. He also missed an open layup. The good outweighs the bad when he's on the court, though. I would take that over going through the motions constantly.
41, Big Meat: I can't say I was overly impressed, but thinking back, he really didn't do anything that wrong. He has better spacing and court awareness than a year ago. Sometimes the big man should be more selfish. When he has an open look, he needs to take it. He is running the floor well, too.
Now, here's the thing. I know people always ask me for a starting five, and I hate doing it, but what the heck. I haven't seen the team at full strength yet, so here goes nothing...
1: Deathbite. Why? He's not only the healthiest of the two point guards, but I like where he's at right now. He sees the floor well and plays better when the older guys are on the floor next to him.
2: Hopper. Why? Experience. He has played in games and provides stability on both ends to start the season. Add that to his improvement to his game and body and it's an easy fit that the senior is in the lineup.
3: Westicles. Why? Why not? He's started since his freshman year and he's likely the best overall player on the team.
4: Claws. Why? Knock the cob webs off and see what the kid can do. He might struggle a little bit, especially early, but it's the logical fit at the position right now for what Weber's motion offense is looking for.
5: Big Meat. Why? He's the healthiest big man and has played well enough to earn this right now. I also thinks he is better suited starting the season so he can get the feel for the games earlier.