I see that KSTP beat me to the punch with their video highlights. Mine aren't on as high-quality a camera, but I still captured some good moments. First, let me say that the first game was actually quite fun, despite having no (current) Gophers. There were some impressive players for Pulley. Zierdan looked very savvy, but perhaps a bit slight to be a prospect for us. There was a big rangy left-hander who looked like he had a bunch of potential, and a kid with an odd J in his last name from St. Thomas who could really shoot. Other than that, I didn't care that much, because I was there to see Gophers, and I wasn't disappointed. So, here's my rundown of the four people I came to see.
First, Halverson's very athletic. Very. Unfortunately, he can't rebound, which is what we need from a hustle guy. Granted, he was going against some beefy guys, but his court awareness wasn't that great either. Plus, his offensive game is very limited. However, his athleticism means that he could be an energy guy when we need to press or something.
Second, Coleman had a lot of points, but a ton of shots. And they weren't going in. Most of his points were from the stripe, which is fine, we need an aggressive player, and I like his attitude. However, his decision-making was questionable all night. Too often dribbled into double-teams, threw up ill advised shots, and could not BUY a jumper. He'll be okay, but I'd be surprised if he was a big-time contributor this year.
Third, Andre is the real deal athletically. Very, very quick. His shot has a bit of a hitch in it, and he takes too long to get it off. However, he can get around guys, make his own shot, and sink it. Plus, he plays tough D, and looks like he's having fun out there. He's got good court vision, was making good passes, and generally looks like he may be able to help us out of the point guard spot. Again, this is Pulley, so you can't anoint him just yet, but it's easy to see that the kid's athletic, smart, and tough to stay in front of. I'm excited to see him in the maroon and gold.
Fourth, the undisputed star of the night was Oto. That kid was a revelation. His shot is absolutely pure. If he shoots like that for us, we can stop worrying about Blake. And I'm serious. It was that sweet (check the highlights if you don't believe me). Plus, he played physical in the post, blocked several shots, bodied people and was aggressive, AND, showed a very unexpected athleticism. He was able to go by people, get in the lane, and finish. I was very, very impressed, and again, although I know it's Pulley, and D was not always evident, a few things are clear. Oto's a legit 6'8 to 6'9. He's extremely athletic and coordinated. His shooting stroke is a thing of beauty. He's got a nasty streak on D and in rebounding. And he can handle the ball. My anticipation on him went from about 2 to about 10 in no time flat.
The new facility isn't as nice as the S.A. No nice man selling popcorn, the seats are less comfortable, and it's a little out of the way. That said, parking was easy, and it was a good experience. Highly recommended. I'll be back. Plus, there were tons of other cool people there (Trevor, Rodney, and Gopher Lady were all in attendance), even though I didn't have the time to say hi to them.
Anyway, here's the video.
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m1pYsIVtpDY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
First, Halverson's very athletic. Very. Unfortunately, he can't rebound, which is what we need from a hustle guy. Granted, he was going against some beefy guys, but his court awareness wasn't that great either. Plus, his offensive game is very limited. However, his athleticism means that he could be an energy guy when we need to press or something.
Second, Coleman had a lot of points, but a ton of shots. And they weren't going in. Most of his points were from the stripe, which is fine, we need an aggressive player, and I like his attitude. However, his decision-making was questionable all night. Too often dribbled into double-teams, threw up ill advised shots, and could not BUY a jumper. He'll be okay, but I'd be surprised if he was a big-time contributor this year.
Third, Andre is the real deal athletically. Very, very quick. His shot has a bit of a hitch in it, and he takes too long to get it off. However, he can get around guys, make his own shot, and sink it. Plus, he plays tough D, and looks like he's having fun out there. He's got good court vision, was making good passes, and generally looks like he may be able to help us out of the point guard spot. Again, this is Pulley, so you can't anoint him just yet, but it's easy to see that the kid's athletic, smart, and tough to stay in front of. I'm excited to see him in the maroon and gold.
Fourth, the undisputed star of the night was Oto. That kid was a revelation. His shot is absolutely pure. If he shoots like that for us, we can stop worrying about Blake. And I'm serious. It was that sweet (check the highlights if you don't believe me). Plus, he played physical in the post, blocked several shots, bodied people and was aggressive, AND, showed a very unexpected athleticism. He was able to go by people, get in the lane, and finish. I was very, very impressed, and again, although I know it's Pulley, and D was not always evident, a few things are clear. Oto's a legit 6'8 to 6'9. He's extremely athletic and coordinated. His shooting stroke is a thing of beauty. He's got a nasty streak on D and in rebounding. And he can handle the ball. My anticipation on him went from about 2 to about 10 in no time flat.
The new facility isn't as nice as the S.A. No nice man selling popcorn, the seats are less comfortable, and it's a little out of the way. That said, parking was easy, and it was a good experience. Highly recommended. I'll be back. Plus, there were tons of other cool people there (Trevor, Rodney, and Gopher Lady were all in attendance), even though I didn't have the time to say hi to them.
Anyway, here's the video.
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m1pYsIVtpDY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Although he is ~2 inches shorter...