Hoops season is nearly upon us so as promised by @MAC1906 without ever consulting me about doing it 
, here are some preseason thoughts.
- If you didn’t get a chance to listen to Frank Martin on the radio yesterday, take a moment to do so. He joined the Heath Cline show on 107.5, and Carey Rich joined a few minutes in. It was probably one of his best radio interviews and he provided some pretty intimate thoughts on what he liked about the team. I felt like he was a little more forthcoming than he normally is preseason.
- During the segment, Frank talked about the depth on the team, and he even went as far to say that currently no one stands out as a possible redshirt. This is no surprise to me. Frank brings guys in to play, not to sit. To add on, I’ve heard some very positive things about several returning players:
1) Frank mentioned Kotsar as a guy that has looked really good in the offseason. He just needs to get his head right offensively and be aggressive. From what I understand Kotsar has put in the work to become better on both ends of the floor. If he can just get out of his own head, he could finish strong.
2) Trey Anderson is a name I’ve heard a few times. I’ve heard his buy-in to what the staff is doing defensively has been great. He’s a guy that needs to become a more consistent shooter, but his work ethic is what is going to get him on the floor. He’s a guy that wants to play tough, hard defense.
3) The last name I’ve heard brought up recently is Leveque. He’s been a big surprise in the way he approaches the game. He’s a guy that can go get rebounds and a guy that can block shots. Hiss offensive game still needs work, but he could be a bigger impact than I originally thought.
4) The athleticism on this team is unlike what we have seen at this school. Bryant and McCreary are both guys that just want to dunk everything. Hannibal is very, very athletic also.
- One thing I picked up last season during the Couisnard situation was how he still came out practicing hard to help the team get better. He is a guy the staff felt last season could be starting by the end of the season (had he gotten eligible). His ability to not only score, but make plays for others could give us that dynamic sidekick we need for Lawson. With Minaya shooting the ball well, and Lawson and Couisnard being able to score, that can really open the floor for guys like Bryant and McCreary. It was something I worried about when we lost Haase. That concern is pretty much gone now. Obviously, it has to translate into games.
- Lots of posts have been made over the starting lineup. Nothing is really set in stone, but the staff doesn’t worry about that stuff according to Frank. This lines up with what I was thinking. We have guys that rotate in and out. Whoever has the hot hand will get the minutes. With this team, it could be different players ever game.
Thanks for reading! I’m researching the schedule now, so be on the lookout for a breakdown of the nonconference schedule soon!
, here are some preseason thoughts.- If you didn’t get a chance to listen to Frank Martin on the radio yesterday, take a moment to do so. He joined the Heath Cline show on 107.5, and Carey Rich joined a few minutes in. It was probably one of his best radio interviews and he provided some pretty intimate thoughts on what he liked about the team. I felt like he was a little more forthcoming than he normally is preseason.
- During the segment, Frank talked about the depth on the team, and he even went as far to say that currently no one stands out as a possible redshirt. This is no surprise to me. Frank brings guys in to play, not to sit. To add on, I’ve heard some very positive things about several returning players:
1) Frank mentioned Kotsar as a guy that has looked really good in the offseason. He just needs to get his head right offensively and be aggressive. From what I understand Kotsar has put in the work to become better on both ends of the floor. If he can just get out of his own head, he could finish strong.
2) Trey Anderson is a name I’ve heard a few times. I’ve heard his buy-in to what the staff is doing defensively has been great. He’s a guy that needs to become a more consistent shooter, but his work ethic is what is going to get him on the floor. He’s a guy that wants to play tough, hard defense.
3) The last name I’ve heard brought up recently is Leveque. He’s been a big surprise in the way he approaches the game. He’s a guy that can go get rebounds and a guy that can block shots. Hiss offensive game still needs work, but he could be a bigger impact than I originally thought.
4) The athleticism on this team is unlike what we have seen at this school. Bryant and McCreary are both guys that just want to dunk everything. Hannibal is very, very athletic also.
- One thing I picked up last season during the Couisnard situation was how he still came out practicing hard to help the team get better. He is a guy the staff felt last season could be starting by the end of the season (had he gotten eligible). His ability to not only score, but make plays for others could give us that dynamic sidekick we need for Lawson. With Minaya shooting the ball well, and Lawson and Couisnard being able to score, that can really open the floor for guys like Bryant and McCreary. It was something I worried about when we lost Haase. That concern is pretty much gone now. Obviously, it has to translate into games.
- Lots of posts have been made over the starting lineup. Nothing is really set in stone, but the staff doesn’t worry about that stuff according to Frank. This lines up with what I was thinking. We have guys that rotate in and out. Whoever has the hot hand will get the minutes. With this team, it could be different players ever game.
Thanks for reading! I’m researching the schedule now, so be on the lookout for a breakdown of the nonconference schedule soon!
