Quick Thoughts on
ISU vs Lake Superior State
CycloneFanatic.com
Jeremy Lind
First of all, is anybody else's jaw still dragging on the ground after watching Taylor light up 6 threes in the first half? That kid can hit it from anywhere. Going back to last week, Taylor had 9 straight three pointers go down. I would make some comparisons but none would do his first half showing any justice.
Secondly, the "scrubs" did pretty well tonight and it was nice to see them get so many minutes in the second half. I liked what I saw from Currie for the most part and I feel he could take over the minutes Brock has been seeing. They both suffer on the defensive end but Currie looks a little more complete for the most part.
Clark didn't look great tonight but overall he played good D and helped create some plays on offense. More than anything he provided a lot of leadership as usual. He'll get in a rhythm but it will take time, hopefully he can keep his chin up and his spirits high. He deserves some leeway and I'm sure all of you would agree that he has earned all of our trust and respect.
The Johnson brothers were fairly quiet tonight but both played solid on defense and looked to create some plays when they had the chance. Corey got a lot of needed minutes late in the game that will help him learn and grow faster than most freshman get a chance to do. Wesley looked solid at times and tried to get open but wasn't able to nearly as much as he wanted. It will come, it just takes time.
I think the key to what happens this season lies in Jessan Gray. A lot of people don't like him for numerous reasons but I see a lot of hope in him. He played solid tonight and really showed what he can do on offense if some plays are created with him in mind. His best talent is on put-backs and getting himself open in the 10-14 foot range. He has a nice stroke to his shot and can really help get Taylor, McIntosh and others get open around the arc. Look for a lot of games to hinge on what Gray is doing on defense and with offensive rebounds/put-backs.
Overall I really liked what I saw in the first half and was impressed that the players kept up the pressure on defense for the most part even though they were able to create on offense. Too often in the past we've seen a team do well at one end and suffer at the other. Tonight was a complete game all around and one that can really help build confidence as the strength of our opponents increases. If we can create on offense, continue to excel at defense and also get back to out-rebounding opponents, we should have a far more successful season that many have been predicting. To me it's just incredible to see the level of effort and unity this team has shown so far. It's a great time to be a Cyclone, there's no doubt about it.
