1st time seeing the Cats in person for me this year. My thoughts:
1. Hot Horndogs does not look like a college basketball player. He fails every test my eye could give him.
2. Hurt seems incapable of moving laterally, but I like his moxy
3. Edwards should attack the basket more. He and Westicles IMO could be more aggressive off the dribble.
4. SLU has 0 good players
5. The no lights on in the fan club section of the gym is weird. I don't like it
6. Wade passed more and more eye tests I tested him on as the night progressed. It will be cool to watch him play for us for 4 years
7. I really wanted some popcorn, but the line was too long.
Budke is not a Power 5, D-1 player. Nothing against him, he plays hard and knows what he is doing, he just doesn't have the physical tools to be a D-1 player. He has been great to have to give us a "fill some minutes" guy, but he should be nothing more than a squad man that steals a few minutes when you are in trouble with fouls. I am very annoyed when he comes into the games because, as I understand it, xWhomper has been physically able to play for a while now. I remember oscar saying a month or so ago that he just couldn't get 10-12 minutes/game now so he thinks there is no reason to burn a redshirt for a frosh when that is all he is playing (doesn't seem to be the same rule for Hollywoods). I don't know about Dante's health but, if was able to play then, it is up to oscar and staff to have worked Dante in so he could be ready to help in the conference season. I think we are going to be hurt by Budke playing in the regular rotation in conference while Dante could, if he is healthy and had been played with some consistency over the last month, contribute because of his physical abilities.
Secondly, I know Hollywoods is likely to get oscar'd at the end of the year because he looks like of lost. However, I am tired of watching walk-ons come in at the end of games and then Freeman comes in to play only with that crew. I would think Freeman should get some minutes of games when we are well out in front where he can get used to playing with the regular rotation guys to help develop him rather than putting him into the game when Vulture is playing center (nothing against Vulture or the other walk-ons, just don't see any benefit to ever running him against 6'10" guys). Again, I know oscar will probably push out Freeman at year-end but he has some physical abilities. If you recruited him how about trying to develop him? If he isn't ready (can't play 10-12 minutes) then redshirt him, as well (and, yes, I know it is now too late to redshirt him.
Freeman isn't a big deal, it just annoys me. I think deciding to let Dante rot on the bench and redshirt him for the entire year is going to hurt us in conference. Admittedly, I have never seen Dante play, but his size and physical abilities are D-1, as opposed to Budke. I know that may help oscar extend his tenure because he can make it through this season and will likely not be awful, but Dante would seem to provide the opportunity for the team to be better. Then you just keep recruiting!
All that being said, this team is better than I thought they would be. Wes and Justin have both developed, although both will need to continue to step forward more consistently throughout each game, and the two frosh guards will need to get more comfortable and be more consistent with their outside shots.
