With last night's game in the rear view, lets see how we fared against your must-have list (a good list, btw!)
-Colvin/Heide: [Grade: F] Oof. More of the same with lots of 0's in the final box. Both guys have mysteriously lost their confidence, and by the end of the game were complete afterthoughts.
- Cox/Smith combo: [Grade B-] We ran a lineup with this combo for a few minutes, and it seemed to be clicking. Cox was the first guy to score other than the big 3, and he did some other good things too. Solid D, steady ball handling, and even led a fast break finding Smith on the wing for a transition 3. Not sure why Paint didn't run with this lineup more.
- Smith looking for his shot: [Grade A] Check. In spades.
- Burgess emerge: [Grade C] He had some good (and necessary) PT. Still learning through some freshman mistakes, but I like his fight. He keeps coming back and doesn't hang his head. Good competitor. Will some of the kinks be ironed out by season's end? It's trending that way.
TKR free throws: [Grade D] Shot 1-4 today. Took a step backwards. This has to be remedied or teams may start playing hack-a-Tre if he doesn't improve.
-Caleb blossom: [Grade B] I've been one of his biggest critics this year, but I thought he had a nice game last night. His effort on the glass was particularly solid, and he is playing with more confidence and physicality under the rim. Free throw shooting is improved too, which is nice to see.
All in all, not bad. I think our greatest need at this point is for Heide to become more comfortable in his role at the 4. If that doesn't happen, a TKR - Furst front line is our next best option. I would like to see Harris replace Colvin in the starting lineup. He seems to understand his role better and his confidence is soaring. Also need to get Berg healthy and available for spot play against larger teams, too.
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