Here's my quick breakdown - with the caveat that UWGB could be one of the worst teams we've played in years and we really shouldn't draw too much from this game.
Lipsey: Really good start. Just seeing the first 2 threes go down will be huge for his confidence and his shot looked really good. He was in complete control the entire game and dictated the pace and flow. Looked like he picked up right where he left off. The team had only 4 turnovers, Tamin had just the one silly cross-court pass.
Gilbert: Very much exceeded all of my expectations. He's a lot thicker than I expected, he was pretty skinny his first two years, but is big enough to bully into the lane and get shots off. Looked to me to be a real game-changer which his ability to get into the lane and score or distribute. Defense looked good and he looked really engaged and intense (need to keep that up). I expect he's going to be the "go-to" guy as the season goes on to get a bucket when we need one
Milan: Great start - but basically what I expected. 0-2 from inside the arc isn't showing his entire game, I expect to see him more comfortable in the paint going forward, he's a crafty scorer there. His defense looked good enough for now, he's clearly put in work on that end.
Tre King: Wasn't as big of a focus of the offense as I expected, in terms of running plays through him - which is mainly due to the emergence of Gilbert. He's in a "dirty work" role where he takes what's there, lobs, drop offs, put backs, etc. Love the line about TJ challenging him to lead the BigXII in rebounding. That would be huge for the team.
Ward: Love to see Hasan get the start and play so well. He's not going to score much, but he was really active and mostly in good positioning.
Curtis Jones: I thought he was really smooth and solid - he looked like a 5th year senior out there. The outside shot will fall and he's going to be a very key player off the bench, basically making the guard position a 3-headed monster with Lipsey and Gilbert.
Big Rob: He was who he is. He finished well in the lane and missed his FTs.
Watson: Looked bigger and more comfortable, but he'll need the corner 3 to fall if he wants a boost in playing time.
Omaha: Needs some PT to get the game to slow down - he looked like he was "chasing the play" a bit on both ends (leading to the fouls). He shot looked good, those will fall, and he made one good hustle play toward the end - but he needs to bring that energy every minute on the floor. He'll be fine.
Jackson Pav: Looked really good offensively, but still has some work on the defensive end. As I said upthread, hopefully he forces his way into a couple minutes a game against better competition.
Fish: Love his energy, but he's probably 2 years out.
