Leaderboard

It does make a difference who starts as you don't want to get down early each game and play catch-up all the time. Our problem (through multiple coaches) is that we tend to play to the level of our opponents. Whether we have the lead or not, we're either keeping the game tight or completely falling apart.

One thing to watch in the early season games is how well the offense runs with Watson in as PG vs. BP as PG. Last year I felt that when Tarin Smith was running the point, the whole offense just seemed to run much smoother. It was never a well-oiled machine, but it was definitely more refined with Tarin than with BP at the helm. Tarin was no Tyronne Lue, but he was much closer to being a true PG than anything I have ever seen from BP. Simply because Benny is 5'6" doesn't automatically make him a natural PG, there is so much more involved. This year we have Watson. Watson is a far better PG than Tarin Smith will ever be. I have already seen enough from him to feel confident in that assessment. So the question begs, who should be running our offense from day 1? IMO, there is no question it should be Watson. This is not a bash BP thread. Not at all. I love BP's grit, defense, intensity and activity level as much as everyone. There is no doubt he has a role and plays an important part on this team. But it should not be as the starting PG. And I'm not really even talking about just making shots. I just have never seen any indication that BP has a natural feel and ability and skill for playing the PG position. Truly gifted point guards can change the whole "feel" for the offense. They can make things run smoother and their playmaking ability can create easy shots for their teammates. Easy shots creates easy buckets, which creates confidence, which creates energy, etc. I fully realize that Watson's defensive ability is no where near Benny's. But this is one instance where Miles should put offense before defense, and IMO, do it from day 1 to get this machine up and running smoothly from the very start.

Conni Yori prefers to play a lot more pressure defense than she has been able to the last few years due to depth issues. It will be interesting to watch this aspect develop as the team now has the needed depth. As the younger players develop and the team chemistry continues to improve from players learning their roles this will be huge as we get into the Big Ten.

We are in trouble if we can't make the NIT.

I'm not sure how the guy was able to get the shot off over the 18" outstretched arms of Woodbury

Also visiting along with Hannah Whitish this weekend was Husker recruit Grace Mitchell and her dad from Wellington, Kansas..and Minden's Taylor Kissinger!

Hopefully these points of emphasis last more than a couple of weeks like when they tried to clean up the game a couple years ago.