Watched the full game today.
For having to play FR for 83 min the defense was pretty solid. as expected without JO and Tad the offense was an adventure. UCLA realized in the second half to blanket Lammers and let anybody but him beat them.
It felt like UCLA was in control most of the game, but never dominating enough to win easily- just leaving the door open and GT almost walked through it.
I like the potential of all 4 FR. If we didn't need to rely on them until they were SO or JR like ND does with their FR then i think they would all be just fine.
Thoughts on Players.
Alvarado - very quiet first half, a couple of fouls, no offense, but solid with the ball and defense was OK. He was arguably the biggest player in the game the last 10 min. Made some big shots, got some steals, ran with the ball well. Like all the FR he was out of position at times, but loved his hustle. He has a reputation as a gamer and you can see it. He wanted to play big late. His 2nd three was ridiculous- he was fading to one side and his release was almost sideways but it went in. Also, 7 rebounds - way to listen to coach.
Moore- Does a good job handling the ball, made good decisions. His shot looks better this year but it doesn't look like he has confidence in it. Plays solid defense. I still think his time goes down as the season wears on.
Haywood - Had a beautiful basket on a nice cut and his first three was a thing of beauty. His last 2 three attempts he was a step and a half too far out with no one close to him - bad situational awareness - but something that is very fixable. His form on his shot is gorgeous, every shot out of his hand looks like it should go in. Needs to be more active on the boards. Still looks tentative, not a bad thing for a FR. Nice long term potential. Another one whose time will diminish, but i could see it rebounding late in the season.
Alston - He reminds me with his game of a bigger Tad. He was a competent 3 shooter at Leheigh, but most of his film showed him being really good at getting into the lane and hitting 8 ft. That was his best offense today. Got to the line doing that. Way too loose with the ball though and defense is ok.
Lammers - not really much to say. Best player on the team.
AD - Really good defensive player and he look a little taller and thicker. Not much offense but his defense is fun to watch. When he and Lammers are in the game together it is difficult to score inside on GT. Very active guy. He will really benefit from Tad and JO's return as he can simply focus on being a great defensive player and not worry about offense. He had one nice move in the paint where the basket was waived off due to taking one too many steps. He doesn't operate well from high post, needs to be close to the basket.
Wright - He was active and aggressive but had little to show for it. A number of rim outs close in. No defensive rebounds. Love this kids long terms potential. He will look great against some smaller and less athletic teams, but is going to struggle against guys that are bigger or can match his athleticism.
Cole - Not the athlete AD or Wright is, but has some nice offensive skills. Showed good hustle at times. Like Haywood he has a shot that just looks good when it leaves his hand. Looked lost on defense a few times. Had a tough fall - missed 8 days of practice due to a concussion and Walton mentioned he missed practice time in China due to being sick. Hard to get better when you are missing alot of practice.
I'm always disappointed to lose, but i'm not discouraged. There were some positives and there will be plenty of film to go over. If this program was more mature where we didn't need these FR to suck up alot of min we would feel better about them as long term prospects as they all showed signs of being able to contribute long term. Every one that got to play made contributions and got solid min. That will be beneficial down the road.
