First, my observations...
Caleb Murphy’s jump shot is MUCH improved and he is emerging as an on-court leader. Murphy’s off-ball and help defense have also improved.
Jamir Chaplin is playing with confidence and has improved his perimeter jump shot. He looks better than he did last season before the Covid break.
Russel Tchewa looks more comfortable/confident than last season and shows more signs of productivity. Can hit an open 15-footer but I don’t expect to see him attempt any in a game unless the clock is about to expire. His hands are huge.
Mark Calleja has always been a hard worker with a deadly jump shot. Not only does it seem odd when he misses, it also seems odd when his shot touches the rim. Calleja is skilled, a good athlete and he knows how to play.
Bayron (pronounced: Byron) Matos has nuclear energy, good touch around the rim, active. Almost always smiling. He’s got good strength, is mobile, an above the rim finisher with decent hands but his skills need refining. Matos is almost always smiling.
Corey Walker Jr. a bit behind teammates as far as conditioning due to lower body injury that plagued him during the summer. USF using him as a space-4 but I think he has some work to do to crack the rotation.
Jake Boggs' jumper is NICE. Has gained 15-pounds since arriving on campus. He is kind of quiet on the floor but he plays with a high IQ and more athleticism than you think he has.
Javon Greene has definitely earned the ‘Left-Hand Assassin’ nickname. He makes shots and much more. The grad transfer is the ‘old man’ of the group and you can tell that he’s a veteran by the way he comports himself on the court.
D.J. Patrick is really fun to watch. He has more explosive athleticism, and makes jump shots at a higher percentage, than Justin Brown. Loved how he went after rebounds and his overall effort level.
Jalyn McCreary is a strong, fairly skilled combo forward who can score on the block and step out to make 17-footers. He can make threes if he is open and has time and space to get his shot off.
Serrel Smith Jr. looks so happy to be back in the Bay Area. He is a capable shooter, can slash and score…he’s got “bucket getter” written all over him. Smith is strong, probably has less body fat than any other player on the team, and goes hard.
Trey Moss is a quick learner. He almost always defends Murphy, and vice versa, in practice which will help Moss in games. His jumper, while not the most aesthetically pleasing, has improved since his high school days and made him more of a threat to score on the perimeter.
Sam Hines Jr. is a slasher, mid-range scorer. His perimeter jumper needs much improvement but I don't get the impression that he was recruited to USF to make long distance jump shots. He is quick off the floor for rebounds/putbacks.
The two things that really stood out to me at the practice were that this team has more shot makers than any Brian Gregory coached team at USF and the players really seem to like each other.
Now, enjoy the video...
Caleb Murphy’s jump shot is MUCH improved and he is emerging as an on-court leader. Murphy’s off-ball and help defense have also improved.
Jamir Chaplin is playing with confidence and has improved his perimeter jump shot. He looks better than he did last season before the Covid break.
Russel Tchewa looks more comfortable/confident than last season and shows more signs of productivity. Can hit an open 15-footer but I don’t expect to see him attempt any in a game unless the clock is about to expire. His hands are huge.
Mark Calleja has always been a hard worker with a deadly jump shot. Not only does it seem odd when he misses, it also seems odd when his shot touches the rim. Calleja is skilled, a good athlete and he knows how to play.
Bayron (pronounced: Byron) Matos has nuclear energy, good touch around the rim, active. Almost always smiling. He’s got good strength, is mobile, an above the rim finisher with decent hands but his skills need refining. Matos is almost always smiling.
Corey Walker Jr. a bit behind teammates as far as conditioning due to lower body injury that plagued him during the summer. USF using him as a space-4 but I think he has some work to do to crack the rotation.
Jake Boggs' jumper is NICE. Has gained 15-pounds since arriving on campus. He is kind of quiet on the floor but he plays with a high IQ and more athleticism than you think he has.
Javon Greene has definitely earned the ‘Left-Hand Assassin’ nickname. He makes shots and much more. The grad transfer is the ‘old man’ of the group and you can tell that he’s a veteran by the way he comports himself on the court.
D.J. Patrick is really fun to watch. He has more explosive athleticism, and makes jump shots at a higher percentage, than Justin Brown. Loved how he went after rebounds and his overall effort level.
Jalyn McCreary is a strong, fairly skilled combo forward who can score on the block and step out to make 17-footers. He can make threes if he is open and has time and space to get his shot off.
Serrel Smith Jr. looks so happy to be back in the Bay Area. He is a capable shooter, can slash and score…he’s got “bucket getter” written all over him. Smith is strong, probably has less body fat than any other player on the team, and goes hard.
Trey Moss is a quick learner. He almost always defends Murphy, and vice versa, in practice which will help Moss in games. His jumper, while not the most aesthetically pleasing, has improved since his high school days and made him more of a threat to score on the perimeter.
Sam Hines Jr. is a slasher, mid-range scorer. His perimeter jumper needs much improvement but I don't get the impression that he was recruited to USF to make long distance jump shots. He is quick off the floor for rebounds/putbacks.
The two things that really stood out to me at the practice were that this team has more shot makers than any Brian Gregory coached team at USF and the players really seem to like each other.
Now, enjoy the video...
