I was able to watch the Merrimack game after the fact and thought I would share a few observations. Finn Sullivan looked rejuvenated after his one game absence. He looked more confident and was an absolute menace on the defensive side of the ball. He had a smile on his face and looked like he was having fun for maybe the first time all season. That is huge for the Cats as he is their spark plug. With the injury to Nick Fiorillo and Kam Gibson on the sidelines, Becker really had to go with the young guys in this game. TJ Hurley was a huge beneficiary and as I mentioned after the Lyndon game, he has to get more minutes. He is a sniper from downtown and can also break down the defense off the dribble. Vermont needs another scoring threat and Hurley is a perfect fit. When he is able to stay on the floor he often makes an impact. He has three straight games in double figures and has shot 9/19 (47%) from three over that same stretch. The breakout is on. Sam Alamutu has seen his role his grow the most due to Fiorillo's injury. Alamutu has been rebounding at a high rate, playing tough defense, and even knocked down his first career three pointer. His shot is still a work in progress but he has looked better each game. Jorge Ochoa has looked good in his first game action of the season. Pressed into duty after Fiorillo's injury he has popped in a few buckets and has a chance to seize this opportunity and earn more minutes. Overall the defense was strong in the Merrimack game and the offense had spurts of effectiveness. Without a strong post presence, the Cats are going to need to be a strong perimeter shooting team and the pieces are there despite the rough start. With these young players emerging, each game becomes an exciting opportunity to see who continues their rise.
A key to this game was the enthusiasm on both offense and defense. The whole team played focused yet with a positive attitude. The ball was moving around from outside to inside quickly... the defense was zeroed in. Much work to do but it looked more like a team with purpose.
ReplyDeleteI agree. There was a different feel to the game for sure.
DeleteI agree with seeing the young guys in. Love TJ’s game and demeanor and I think they should let him, Perry and Sam all the rope in the world to let them grow. The one thing that I really like about Sam’s potential other than being a beast in terms of athleticism and size for his position is he has a nice looking stroke and I think he just needs experience to gain some confidence in it. I think kam being out is a blessing and hope the team grows from here. The only thing I still find alarming is all of the missed buckets near the basket. Other than Dylan guys like robin and veretto are having trouble finishing at the rim and without a post presence they’re going to need to, especially to keep teams honest on defense. If TJ and Deloney and Sullivan can be productive from 3 there will be opportunities off the dribble…
ReplyDeleteThe poor finishing around the rim was odd. The young guys are definitely going to have to be incorporated more going forward. The formula for success is dribble drive and either finish or kick out. That will maximize this team's makeup.
ReplyDeleteLet’s get a W tonight, hope to grind out a win at Colgate, beat Toledo and try to be competitive with a really good Miami team. That should set us up for the rest of the season!
ReplyDeleteFirst part....check.
Delete