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Posted this on the USF game thread:

OK Everybody...Tap the brakes a little. Looks like the SMU Football doom and gloom has floated its way over to the bball board.

First game on the road with three of the five starters new to the line-up and the team. Serious mintues played by 5 players who have never stepped onto the floor as a Mustang (three true freshmen). One of those five is a redshirt and the other played JC.

I'm encouraged by Williams' and McCoy's ability to get to the hole and to handle the ball. Also liked seeing Nyakundi not only shooting, but being active on the defensive end and boards. Sounds like Haynes is raw. I was a Devon Pearson fan. I'm hoping Otis becomes our brass knuckles under the hoop. Good to hear Harp is still all over the floor. I hope he starts shooting more. Confidence gained on the defensive end with create confidence in your offensive game.

People...We had only two tricked up scrimmages before this. We now have good video to watch and an entire week to fix and change. We needed to play bodies and figure out our rotation. We will not see 10 players touching the floor next week.

I found it interesting that TK didn't sniff the floor and Papa didn't start. Nice to see our new guys were held in a higher regard compared to our second year players. Shows we have some competition on the practice courts and that Coach Doh is upgrading.

We are in good shape. We should turn out better than last year. It's one game. Chill out.

PS: Otis can play. Looking forward to watching this for 4 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxZUZ7umRtc

The brakes are tapped.

Just to temper peoples expectations of Otis, I want to make one thing clear. For all his attributes, of which there are a few, he may be the single worst shooter I've ever seen. In high school, he shot nothing but lay-ups and clanked anything outisde of 4 ft. His FT shooting will be one of the remarkable things to watch this year. I bet he misses the rim and clanks a FT off the backboard as many times as he gets one to go down. I believe he may have already shown that ability tonight.

The good news is that McCoy/Williams.Nyakundi are nice additions for the long haul. The bad is that Papa & Malone were MIA. Hell, Papa didn't start and Malone was about 9th in the rotation. Encouraged to see Haynes get some early burn

Remember - coach doh said it would take him 6 years - this is only year 3

I think the "bright spot" may be that the new kids actually seemed to be agressive in getting their shots off. No they didn't hit many but at least the "step-up" in competition didn't so traumatize them that they were lost(I listened on radio and didn't see the game). We've had a few kids in recent years that get lost in games. Quite a stretch for a "bright spot" but let's see how they do after they calm down. As for some of the more experienced players-disappointing. I wouldn't expect the team to reach its potential until Faye gets into the mix.

whoever watched the broadcast, what the hell was Dia doing? Why didnt he start? Matchups?

Did he post up - get in the paint at all? Truly a surprise for the 1st game to me.

PonyDoh wrote:The brakes are tapped.

Just to temper peoples expectations of Otis, I want to make one thing clear. For all his attributes, of which there are a few, he may be the single worst shooter I've ever seen. In high school, he shot nothing but lay-ups and clanked anything outisde of 4 ft. His FT shooting will be one of the remarkable things to watch this year. I bet he misses the rim and clanks a FT off the backboard as many times as he gets one to go down. I believe he may have already shown that ability tonight.

The good news is that McCoy/Williams.Nyakundi are nice additions for the long haul. The bad is that Papa & Malone were MIA. Hell, Papa didn't start and Malone was about 9th in the rotation. Encouraged to see Haynes get some early burn

I agree on Otis not being an offensive juggernaut. I think he will really serve us well on the defensive end, especially with rebounds. We all know that SMU hoops teams of the past haven't been very tough or physical. I think Otis brings the kind of game we really need. I also like his athleticism. He can really become a utility defender. He can guard both the forward and guard positions.

I think we all got a taste of what Paul McCoy will do for the next 4 years. That is going to be fun to watch. Sure wish Williams was younger.