WKU vs Campbellsville College
The unveiling of the 13-14 model of Topper basketball today at Diddle was more of a contest than expected. Kudos must be given to Campbellsville which sports an athletic, well coached and good shooting team. If anyone had highlight film material it was Campbellsville.
But, on the to Toppers, and for my money, the pleasant surprise was the play of freshman point guard Brandon Price. He displayed characteristics of guard play that has sorely been missing from the WKU arsenal since the departure of OMV. Number 2 is only 5’9″, which may keep him off of the court in some games, but he looked like the real deal to me. Quick off the dribble, nice moves to the bucket, the ability to shoot the three and good hustle defensively. I’ve always thought Keven Kaspar could be a good point guard, but really he is a 2 guard by nature, and I am not sure that Brandon Harris is a point guard by nature either. We are loaded at the two with Trency Jackson waiting in the wings.
I know Harper has said that Brandon Harris would likely start at the point, but he went down today with a foot or ankle injury and was not putting any pressure on the foot leaving the floor. He is such a positive force on the team and is a big part of the Topper personality. I hope he gets back quickly, for him as well as for everyone. He is a winner.
George Fant doesn’t look 100% to me and his free throws were very inconsistent today. He hustles as well as ever, but had trouble making his rim shots go in.
TJ is TJ and will always be TJ, and while I guess Harper keeping him on the floor till the end of the game was good reason, I am not sure you want to risk injury to your best player in an exhibition game.
Dickerson got a couple of threes to go and had a nice drive on a fast break for a 2 and. He is a good basketball player, but his lack of athleticism makes it difficult to keep up with players he is asked to guard, and he isn’t able to create his own shot, nor would you want him to try, it wouldn’t work. He is a straight up shooter and must be open to hit his threes, but then he should be a dependable weapon.
Kaspar is a good 3er for us, but he too has limited athleticism and sort of gets lost in the mix sometimes. But, he is tough, guards well and contributes well without making bonehead mistakes, so he is a valuable asset.
Rostov is much more aggressive in his play, and I see him becoming a real presence in the paint. Regrettably his free throw shooting was off tonight, which is surprising.
The newcomers Adeoye, Price, and the return of Nigel Snipes makes us much deeper from the get go. Adeoye is a player in the paint, and had good success at the line with good effort and a huge presence inside. Snipes did not play much, but he hit a nice three, and I think his ability to guard opponent’s athletic players will be a feather in his cap. He is a smooth operator but needs to become more of a factor.
The freshman guard Hulsey is at 6’5″ the Top’s hope for a tall point guard. He handles the ball well, didn’t shoot much but seems to have a good touch for it. The fact that physically he has all the ingredients to be a special player for the Tops. He will be one to watch.
The addition of Chris Harrison-Docks and Trency Jackson will give a big shot in the arm to this team, and really, we won’t really know who we are until they get in the mix. Their resume’s are impressive, and from my limited observation in practice all I can say is that it is highly likely that these to will be major contributors to the team.
Saumaoro and Lawson did see some action but it was short. They both seem a bit green, but appear to be good players. I suspect Lawson will see a lot of the weight room in the coming years. From the Dunk contest and from video I have seen, Lawson should be a very good center for the Tops in time.
The Toppers are at their best when they press d the opposition. The half court offense seems to be in good shape as they seem to have a good ability to move the ball well and find an open shooter. Less impressive is the ability to get open looks inside. A lot of those were contested today, so it was a little ugly in there at times.
It is difficult to see exactly how this team will do in the early going. Clearly, they have the bodies to be a good team, whether that translates into points is another matter.
Harper is a coach that you are happy to have on your side of the court. He has his way of doing things and should be able to do well this season.
That is the first of many reports on Topper basketball….go Tops!