Sulaimon just knocked down a big 3-pointer!
Sulaimon just knocked down a big 3-pointer!
Bob Green
Turnover forced by Rasheed. Rasheed plays SO hard. He is going to be a very good player. His work ethic and athleticism are there (watching him move his feet on D shows that he has that ability).
Wiggins had his arm out. That should have been an offensive foul.
Just trying to give non-viewers more info on Rasheed. Not only excellent defense to help key the US comeback, but he's played PG much of 2d half. I wouldn't say he has a great handle, but it's plenty good for a combo guard.
It's actually looking like the USA adjusted and figured out their best line-up. This second half has been impressive.
And I think that last foul on Rasheed is a charge in the ACC...
Rasheed's shot has been off tonight, but I think it has to do with nerves. Rasheed is a defensive powerhouse, though. We will have someone who can stick to a player trying to penetrate. That really makes me think he has the potential to do what Nolan did. If he works on his handle, he will be able to do the same things.
What's the score?
That's game...
World Team 84, USA 75. It was an enjoyable game to watch and Rasheed Sulaimon demonstrated solid defensive skills. Shabazz Muhammad is the real deal. April 11th is only four days away. Come on Bazz, come to Duke!
Bob Green
Agreed. Rasheed is going to add several things that we didn't have last year. He is a guy that can shoot, pressure on D and prevent dribble penetration. This is not to mention that if he tightens up his handle enough, he has the foot speed to do some special things. He will fit INTO the offense at the combo spot. We won't have him playing around the offense like we did Austin this year. That could improve our offensive rhythm (not to mention that he causes turnovers that will lead to fast break points that we didn't get against better teams this past year).
Shabazz is just THE MAN! There is nothing that is beyond him.
I like Tony Parker from what I heard from him, but I didn't see him much. He would be a great kid to have, but I am starting to give in to the fact that he is not going to make an impact in his first year. I had held out that he was good enough from his size, but it was from watching him against high school players that were overwhelmed with his strength.
Because the US played so poorly in first 2 quarters, they needed their best pressure D in the last 15 minutes of the game. That meant "going small," with Noel, Muhammad, Anderson, Sulaimon, and a variety of 5th-players, but maybe mostly Archie Goodwin [UK].
That, in turn, meant not much PT in last half for McGary, Parker, or Tarczewski. Nor for Gary Harris [MichSt] or James Robinson [Pitt].
I'd say the US's D-comeback was led by Noel and Sulaimon. Bennett's Tyler Thornton-miracle 3 was the killer, followed by Kyle Anderson [who was exhausted, as was Sulaimon] missing 2 FTs that was sort of the US's last chance. Final score not the major story for EK readers. That would be:
1. Muhammad superb.
2. Sulaimon can play, all over the court: on-ball D, footwork, smarts, length, handle, shot [though not tonight], confidence.
3. Wiggins may re-classify from 2014 to 2013. If Jabari Parker is better than Wiggins, watch out.
4. Tony Parker a bit outclassed this eve, but he's got talent. Really nice interview, well-spoken, and did emphasize his family's role in recruitment decision.
5. Hope Noel doesn't land in Lexington.
Not surprised that the US team lost; this class is very underwhelming outside of Muhammad and Noel. Obviously, I hope Muhammad ends up at Duke. Muhammad is by far the best player in the class, and looks completely different than he did 1.5 years ago, when he had trouble hitting anything outside of 15 feet. Noel was dominated today by Wang, who will be a very high draft pick at some point. Wang has improved immensely since the last time I saw him while playing against Duke, when he only put up 7 pts, 3 rebounds. Noel tries to block every shot taken within 10 feet of him and he's frequently out of position. Noel would be smart to go somewhere besides Kentucky; he doesn't want to constantly be compared to Anthony Davis. Davis is/was much smarter and has a better feel for the game, in my opinion, although Noel has a ton of potential. I have no idea what to think of Kyle Anderson. He's talented, but I probably wouldn't want him running PG for my team. He needs to learn to play off the ball more effectively, because there is no way he runs an NBA offense. Andrew Wiggins is fantastic. I would love to see him play for Duke.
Sulaimon is better than what he showed tonight on offense, but his defense was very good. I'm really excited for him to come next year. I think he's going to play a lot of minutes.
Rasheed will add a lot to this Duke team. He has very good lateral quickness and seems to glide around the court. Still not a finished product but you can see all the potential in this kid. Bazz is on another level. The guy just does not stop. His outside shot needs work to be elite- but he appears to be an excellent free throw shooter and has an amazing array of shots around the hoop. Setting the scoring record in that game is no easy feat- because the other team is actually playing some D. It will be interesting to see what he decides to do. He will clearly play a lot at Duke should he choose to come. Same at KY. So it might come down to who he wants his teammates to be.