Well, the second half didn't go quite as well as the first, and Nova fell to USC on Friday night in their first action of the 2019-20 season.
We're not going to overreact to the first game action of a young team in an exhibition game, but we'll share some thoughts and takeaways.
After being a strength in the first half, rebounding became a problem in the second. USC got a lot of extra opportunities, helping to change the tide. The Cats also struggled to score for stretches in the second half. Rust most likely played a factor, and as a result, the Cats shot just 37.3 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from deep. Overall, the defense was OK considering the youth and the fact that it was their first action against an actual opponent, but USC managed to shoot 44.8 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Bad:
One question that emerged is who will be able to go get a bucket for the Cats when they absolutely need one. After a 9-0 run early in the second half gave the Cats an eight-point lead, they could do little to stem the momentum shift. When they struggled to score the ball, no one was able to step up and stem the tide. Saddiq Bey showed flashes of being that guy, but he needs to be more aggressive.
The complete switch on the boards was disappointing. A first half strength turned into a second half weakness, and it had a major impact on the outcome. Certainly a lesson for the young Cats.
At times the spacing got messed up offensively, leading to convoluted and stagnant possessions. Again, much of this can be attributed to a young team/early season, and it will be another lesson for the group.
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree didn't show signs of being the double-double machine he was last year at the AdvoCare Invitational. He was incredibly quiet with two points and five rebounds. We're certainly not writing him off, but the hope was that he would come out and look like he did in Orlando last November, and we didn't get that Friday night.
Cole Swider continued to struggle. After knocking down his first shot of the game, Swider missed his next seven to finish 1-8 (1-7 from three). Swider is young and has plenty of time to get going, but so far his highly-regarded shot hasn't translated to the college game, and that's a concern that wasn't alleviated on Friday.
The Good:
While the defense didn't jump off the page, the lack of complete breakdowns was encouraging. Lapses are expected for young teams, so considering the circumstances the overall defensive performance was encouraging.
Despite the occasional spacing issues, the ball movement was good for the most part. The extra pass was being made and the swing passes were crisp.
JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL. Perhaps the biggest bright spot of the night was the heralded freshman. He led all scorers with 20 points on 10-15 shooting while adding nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. He looked comfortable and showed off a high-level basketball IQ. He clearly looks ready to meet expectations.
Justin Moore didn't have his shot working Friday night, finishing with 8 points on 3-11 shooting. But he looked comfortable running the point. His playmaking skills will need to develop, but he looked ready to be out there and has a solid foundation to build from.
Saddiq Bey looks ready to continue his progression after emerging last season. We'd like to see him be a bit more aggressive, but he finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-11 from the floor and 4-7 from three.
Overall:
It was pretty much what you would expect from a mid-October exhibition game with a young team: a mixed bag. They showed some good things, and the showing from JRE was extremely encouraging. There is also plenty to work on, and consistency is something they're going to have to develop. We'll take much of this with a grain of salt, especially considering the Cats were without Collin Gillespie and Bryan Antoine.
It was great to see the Cats back on the court, and it should be fun to watch these guys develop this season and beyond.
We're not going to overreact to the first game action of a young team in an exhibition game, but we'll share some thoughts and takeaways.
After being a strength in the first half, rebounding became a problem in the second. USC got a lot of extra opportunities, helping to change the tide. The Cats also struggled to score for stretches in the second half. Rust most likely played a factor, and as a result, the Cats shot just 37.3 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from deep. Overall, the defense was OK considering the youth and the fact that it was their first action against an actual opponent, but USC managed to shoot 44.8 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Bad:
One question that emerged is who will be able to go get a bucket for the Cats when they absolutely need one. After a 9-0 run early in the second half gave the Cats an eight-point lead, they could do little to stem the momentum shift. When they struggled to score the ball, no one was able to step up and stem the tide. Saddiq Bey showed flashes of being that guy, but he needs to be more aggressive.
The complete switch on the boards was disappointing. A first half strength turned into a second half weakness, and it had a major impact on the outcome. Certainly a lesson for the young Cats.
At times the spacing got messed up offensively, leading to convoluted and stagnant possessions. Again, much of this can be attributed to a young team/early season, and it will be another lesson for the group.
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree didn't show signs of being the double-double machine he was last year at the AdvoCare Invitational. He was incredibly quiet with two points and five rebounds. We're certainly not writing him off, but the hope was that he would come out and look like he did in Orlando last November, and we didn't get that Friday night.
Cole Swider continued to struggle. After knocking down his first shot of the game, Swider missed his next seven to finish 1-8 (1-7 from three). Swider is young and has plenty of time to get going, but so far his highly-regarded shot hasn't translated to the college game, and that's a concern that wasn't alleviated on Friday.
The Good:
While the defense didn't jump off the page, the lack of complete breakdowns was encouraging. Lapses are expected for young teams, so considering the circumstances the overall defensive performance was encouraging.
Despite the occasional spacing issues, the ball movement was good for the most part. The extra pass was being made and the swing passes were crisp.
JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL. Perhaps the biggest bright spot of the night was the heralded freshman. He led all scorers with 20 points on 10-15 shooting while adding nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. He looked comfortable and showed off a high-level basketball IQ. He clearly looks ready to meet expectations.
Justin Moore didn't have his shot working Friday night, finishing with 8 points on 3-11 shooting. But he looked comfortable running the point. His playmaking skills will need to develop, but he looked ready to be out there and has a solid foundation to build from.
Saddiq Bey looks ready to continue his progression after emerging last season. We'd like to see him be a bit more aggressive, but he finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-11 from the floor and 4-7 from three.
Overall:
It was pretty much what you would expect from a mid-October exhibition game with a young team: a mixed bag. They showed some good things, and the showing from JRE was extremely encouraging. There is also plenty to work on, and consistency is something they're going to have to develop. We'll take much of this with a grain of salt, especially considering the Cats were without Collin Gillespie and Bryan Antoine.
It was great to see the Cats back on the court, and it should be fun to watch these guys develop this season and beyond.
