Preface: Missouri is, well, they aren’t good.
Having said that, the freshman...all of them...look like they belong and they have great attitudes. Shayok and Jacobson look the be really good additions as well.
If I had to pick one, I’d saying Haliburton is it. I absolutely love this young man’s game. I know people (me included) were a little concerned about how skinny he is, as well as his shot. I am not even close to worried about those things anymore. He is so, so long. I think he is going to be a major problem for opposing back courts. He plays smartly, and can already tell he is a leader on (and off) the court. His attitude, which is awesome, is infectious.
THT, I think, is still trying to find his way offensively, but he plays really fundamental defense, and is really long as well. Fought really hard for rebounds last night, and got the best of his man all night.
Shayok’s D (and again...length) is also great to see. I feel like I don’t really have to sweat it when he goes to the FT line either.
With those 3 guys alone, opposing guards are simply going to have to work really hard to get their offense going. They are, to this point, suffocating, and I love it.
Moving to Jacobson, I can’t say enough about him either. He is just tough. A little undersized at times, but he’s a bulldog. Hustles, makes the right plays, and also looks to have an engaging, leader attitude.
Personally, I wasn’t sure if Griffin would be ready yet. I just thought he may be a little lost early in the season. So far, he is proving me wrong too. He played great last night. He has such a smooth stroke from outside. Not making a lot of open shots yet, but he made enough of them last night to make me think he will only get better there. If he does, he may well be a mismatch problem down the road too.
I do, really, hope that Lewis figures it out though. He is the one guy I’m not quite sure about. I was really hoping they would run some sets to get him open shots, but that didn’t happen, and he forced some that weren’t necessary. I like Lewis. I just want to see him more part of the offense when he’s in there. Perhaps he’s struggling with confidence. He also seems a little lost defensively at times. I just am not sure he knows what his role is on this team. At least not yet.
Conditt also plays well when he’s in there. I do think he’s probably a year away from being a major contributor, but I could very well be wrong there. Young guys with his frame typically look awkward. Like they are still trying to figure their bodies out. I don’t get that feeling with George. He looks to be in control. He needs another 20/25 pounds considering his position (unlike Haliburton), but he also has an infectious, positive attitude.
We do need Lard/Young back in a bad way. Jacobson, I fear, may wear down quickly without them.
Overall, I really like the new guys. All of them. Mostly due to their defensive intensity and overall great attitudes. Leaders.
