Well, there's certainly no lack of things to improve on, is there? Man alive, that was some sloppy playin'.
After seven months of buildup and anticipation (yes, seven months -- you could look it up, or count on your fingers like I did...April, May, June, July, August, September, October, seven!), Creighton came out looking very rough around the edges in a gutty four-point overtime win.
With experienced players Josh Dotzler and Pierce Hibma out with injuries, the Jays' rotation of players with D1 experience incredibly numbers just 4 -- Anthony Tolliver, Dane Watts, Nick Porter and Nate Funk. Against EA Sports, Watts and Porter had terrible games, and Funk showed the rust of not playing a competitive game since early January. That left Tolliver alone to carry the team on his giant shoulders, and he did just that. 24 points, 8 boards, and an assist for good measure in 37 minutes. Funk, despite the rust, was a fine sidekick when all was said and done, as he finished with 15 points, 4 boards and 5 assists in 40 minutes.
The rest of the 10-man rotation have little or no D1 experience, and it showed. Manny Gakou, showing off his svelte new physique, looked like he might actually be able to contribute solid productive minutes, either spelling the A-train or playing in tandem with him, as he did for stretches against EA. Nick Bahe, as Coach Altman said after the game, hasn't really played for 3 years -- his transfer redshirt last year, and two years on the bench at Kansas -- and the rust is apparent. 4 turnovers against just 2 assists for your starting point guard just won't cut it. Isacc Miles, the true freshman point guard, did some good things but showed his inexperience in places.
Ty Morrison, the prized JuCo transfer, had a decent debut all things considered, but he had what was perhaps the most exciting play of the night with a monster block late in the second half that went six rows deep behind the EA bench. Sure, it was called a "foul", but in my book, its called "awesome". As he gets back in shape after battling Graves Disease most of the early fall, he can/should/will be a force. I heard someone say he reminded them of a more athletic Donnie Johnson. Donnie was a helluva player, so that's saying something there.
My buddy Rob was sitting with me during the game, and we both remarked that this looked very much like a first exhibition game ought to look. Sloppy turnovers, lazy defense, jump shots not falling. Meshing of new players with experiened players, trying to find lineups that work well together, and starting to figure out what you have. If the Jays had come out guns-a-blazin', I would have been concerned. Sure, the fans would have ate it up, quenching seven months of thirst for the new season, but looking long-term, this is EXACTLY the kind of game a coach hopes for in an exhibition opener.
No, I'm serious. A close, competitive game that allows the regulars to get solid minutes, while at the same time being a sloppy game with lots of areas for improvement evident. And particularly an overtime game with two opportunities for game winning plays, one on offense and one on defense. You get the veterans' legs under them, and you get to see how the new guys respond to end-of-game pressure. Especially with the preseason hoopla surrounding this team, getting a scare right out of the gates has to make it easier to get the new guys to concentrate on getting better.
That's exactly what you want, especially if you want a team that's ready for March. Do you want to peak in November, or in February and March? Exactly.
There's six days to UNO, and I would fully expect the defense to be tighter, the shots to fall from more players, and more energy to be present in the building. As Coach Altman is fond of saying, this is a work in progress, the guys have a long ways to go, but I have every confidence they'll get there.
As an aside, how cool was it to see Johnny Mathies and Joe Dabbert again? Even if seeing Johnny in a red jersey (albeit EA Sports, but still) almost made me throw up in my mouth, it was terrific to see these two warriors come back to the Qwest Center for one more go-around. Joe had 10 points in 33 minutes before showing the crowd that his best move is still intact -- he fouled out with a minute left in OT. I kid, man, I kid. And Johnny had 8 points in 27 minutes, and received a HUGE ovation from the crowd when he was introduced as a starter. Seriously, Mathies was a battler in his three years as a Jay, and through everything, the one thing you could never accuse him of is not playing hard. What an absolute warrior he was for the Jays. Nice to see him one more time. Good luck to both Joe and Johnny, and here's hoping they land on a professional team somewhere soon.
***
Hee-Haw Soft Drink Player of the Game:
Anthony Tolliver. The A-Train carried the Jays with 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting, including 7-8 from the line, and pulled down 8 rebounds. For this, he is named the first Hee-Haw POTG of the 06-07 season. I raise a pint glass of Hy-Vee Generic Mountain Dew to you, sir, in celebration of your stellar accomplisments.
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