Jerome – Had a tough game. Struggled with MS’s athletic defenders. A bit sloppy with the ball in the 1st half, did better in the 2nd. Showed better effort getting around screens and closing out on shooters on D. I do like that even though he was having trouble getting his shot off, he found ways to manufacture points at the foul line. I hope this was just a blip on the radar. He had trouble with quick, athletic guards that played tight D last year, too.

PC – Shot it pretty well. Wished he could have been more of a presence on the boards and defending their dribble penetration. Still lets the game come to him which is both good and bad. For a while, their tight D made him disappear – glad he didn’t let that frustrate him and kept working hard to get open.

Theo – Strong and smooth. We would have had 2+ dunks if he could just come to a jump stop in the key and dish instead of running over the defender. He’ll probably be our most consistent performer.

Boykin – Big improvement from last year. Still has the hustle and does the dirty work inside. Looks like he’s more polished and less spastic with his post moves. He also showed better handles which should help if he gets matched up with a bigger, slower guy. Fundamentally sound, but still has trouble blocking off quick guys with hops from the glass.

MSF – When he gets in shape and they learn to play with him, a really nice addition to the team. Didn’t look like the jump from JC to DI phased him. Showed both an outside shot and a really polished jump hook. Doesn’t have the hops or height to swat shots, so he’ll have trouble with athletic wings that attack the basket. Better conditioning will improve his footwork and positioning.

Jorge – Somebody found a jump shot on the offseason. Que bueno! Love his energy and defense. Did a better job of being in control on offense, but still don’t want him running the show for any extended period of time. His midrange game is a work in progress. He’s kind of like controlled chaos – you love it on defense, it makes you a bit nervous on offense.

Seeley – Tough night. Didn’t really distinguish himself on either end of the court…unless you count missing a wide open 3 by several feet. I think he’s pressing. He just needs to slow down, play hard on D and let the game come to him. Otherwise, he’s not going to see much time.

Amoke – He was physical and active while he was in there. Unfortunately, this didn’t translate into much on the stat sheet. Like Seeley, he’ll probably be up and down all year. Still needs to work on finishing around the hoop, might be rushing things. If he can just play tough D and board, he’ll get some time.

Smith – Very pleased with what I saw. Against a tough pressure D with quick guards and athletic wings, he was poised. He showed better quickness than I thought and made some nice passes. The offense ran better in the 1st half while he was in there. He’s insurance against Randle getting in foul trouble – last year, the offense just didn’t run smoothly when Randle was out. This let’s us keep Jorge off the ball where he’s better suited.

Max – Keep eating and pumping weights, buddy. In two years, you’ll dominate 5-10 min per game against backups.

Harper – Probably won’t play Weds. I’d probably keep him shut down until Pac-10 play.

Bak Bak – One word, dude. “Beefcake!!!”

Overall: Murray State looked like a well-coached, veteran team. They had a good gameplan and took advantage initially with a dribble-drive and dish game. I like that we were able to crank up the D to shut that down. Last year, I don’t know that we play good enough defense to build an 18 pt lead. Two years ago, this is a game we lose. I’m actually not too worried that we blew the lead and had to hold on to win. I’d rather have some adversity early and get the guys focused instead of reading their own press clippings. In all honesty, #12 in the country is way overrated. We’re the same team as last year with the same strengths and weaknesses. Great outside shooting, great at the free throw line, and guys that don’t fear the big shot. No proven low-post threat, no shotblocking, weak on the glass, and only average athleticism. MSF is a nice addition, but we need a sustained group effort on defense and on the glass. We built our lead when we had it, lost it when we got lax. The guys need to be reminded of that and I’m sure Monty let them hear it. All in all, not a bad start to hoops season.