Zags dominate Southern

One note, Gray actually had 7 rebounds and 10 assists (unofficially). In my opinion 10 assists for the future of this particular squad is much more important than 10 rebounds and I was absolutely blown away by his game.

1. steven looks so confident and happy.
2. Monninghoff – wow good start.
3. Why is Stockton seeing PT when Carter should be out there?

Free throw shooting very much improved over last year so far:)))).

Steven….E….MM….KO/Manny….Rob. The Red Baron needs to be on the floor, IMO. Nice game!

Lots to be excited about indeed. Gonna be a great year to be a Zags fan. At the same time, we have to remember that this is only one game against Southern and that all the challenges for the Zags still lie ahead this season. It will be interesting to see who will be able to maintain the high level of play. But from this evening, we can definitely see that the promise is there. It should be quite a ride.

P.S. It’s still Moenninghoff (or Mönninghoff, but not Monninghoff). See the official box score if you don’t believe me: http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2010-2011/gonmb01.html

First, I have to say that I was wrong about Stockton and Keita (and I’m more than happy to say it). Both are ready to contribute, and while I’m not on the Stockton train yet, I have purchased a ticket.

Positives:

-I had no idea Moninghoff could shoot, let alone shoot the lights out. It appears he’s the other deep threat we’ve been looking for.

-Elias Harris exceeded my already lofty expectations. He’s a really special player.

-Steven Gray looks like he will have no problem taking the helm.

-Dower has an amazing touch around the hoop. It’s pretty much automatic.

-Sacre is a beast. While he’s not a huge offensive threat, he requires attention and his toughness/swagger is something this young team needs.

-Stockton is a really interesting pg. He is great at seeing and finding passing lanes and his tenacity is always something you want.

Areas for Improvement

-Carter is still getting used to NCAA ball. In both games he’s shown glimpses with amazing passes, but he isn’t there yet on the offensive end.

-This team needs to establish a defensive identity. Offense will not be a problem, but this team is talented enough to lock opponents down.

-There are too many bad passes being made. Decent teams will eat us alive if this isn’t alleviated.

-Holy God, Craig Ehlo needs to be fired. Not only did he and that other asshat spend minutes mumbling while they attempted to find some stat from last year, Ehlo also managed to make a “joke” about Gray taking money to play at GU and equated Manute Bol’s fight with Pippen to “throwing a spear”. Stay classy.

This game has me extremely excited for this season. The ceiling is already really high.

He put up some great numbers tonight, with 10 points and 9 rebounds (4 offensive!). But he also led the team in two unfortunate areas: 4 TOs and 4 PFs. And I think that three of his fouls were offensive. One particular stretch stands out to me where he committed a turnover on one side of the court and then got called for a foul on the other side. That sort of thing can be a real rally-killer if it happens against a more formidable opponent. I’m still excited to see how much he can contribute to the team this year, and he keeps showing flashes of brilliance. But it seems like consistency might still be the problem for KO — I’ve got a sinking feeling that he’s going to continue to be his own worst enemy for a little while longer.

These two clowns drive me crazy. Oh for a radio feed in Seattle. As it is, I hit the “mute” button a lot! Ehlo says he has a hard time “pronunciating” the two Mathis names. And they represent a Jesuit university’s elite basketball team?

…so where is he? I loved his commentating. He knows the team, knows the announcing isn’t about him, and he’s spot on with his observations. Bring him!