After 6 games, I feel like we know a lot more about this team but we're still a work in progress. For these rankings I wanted to look at the big picture and rank the kids based on their overall value so far this season, not a projection on the rest of the year. I also want to say that we don't have any bums, I'll rank down to 11 and I feel good about each of these young men and what they are bringing to the table for the Dores.
Rankings through the first 6 games:
1) Devin McGlockton - I really didn't see this coming. I felt like McGlockton would be solid, and he's been that, but I had no idea how much this guy would actually make this team better. Averaging 14.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 2.2 blocks, Glock has showed up for his boys each and every game.
2) AJ Hoggard - His numbers don't jump out at you as he's averaging 11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, but his 5.1 assists per game along with 1.8 steals per game are pretty phenomenal. With that said, I feel like he's really doing a good job of leading this team each night. AJ has shared the ball, created for his teammates and has also scored when we needed him to. His only weakness so far has been free throw shooting and I think the degree to which he cleans that up will determine what we do this year. Hoggard is shooting 65.2% from the stripe and I believe he needs to get that to 75% by league play or this could be a blind spot for this team.
3) Jason Edwards - I really really like this young man's game. He is so fast and he puts so much pressure on the defense that just being on the floor opens up space for others. His shot selection is going to drive the old white dudes on this board crazy at times, but take a few deep breaths and realize that party of what makes him so good is his unpredictability, so it pretty much "is what it is." His stroke isn't pretty, but his scorer's mentality is. Don't blink though, you might miss something with him.
4) Tyler Nickel - Nickel is 3rd on the team in scoring at 12.7 and he's grabbing 3.5 rpg, but the reason he's at 4 in these rankings is because of his versatility. Nickel is probably a 3 in traditional basketball terms, maybe even a 2, but for Byington, Tyler Nickel is a 4 or 5 and his ability to play down low allows us to play fast and trot a lot of different lineups out there. We are basically playing with 2 bigs so the fact that Nickel can help Glock and Carey steal a few minutes on the bench for rest is highly important. I hope to see him shoot like he did last night more often.
5) Jaylen Carey - Averaging 8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game is pretty darned impressive. He can be maddening at times because you see him flash brilliance, but his body shows up every game. He has made a few mistakes we can chalk up to youth but Carey is a very very important player for us, so hopefully he continues to grind and work hard to improve his game.
6) Grant Huffman - Defense, Energy, and Leadership do not show up on the stats sheet, yet he still fills it up. 4.3 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.8 astpg, and 1.8 steals per game, all very important numbers as he is definitely our best "Glue Guy." I think it took a few games, but most Dore fans are coming around to the idea that if Huffman is on the floor, we have a chance to do well.
7) Tyler Tanner - TT's Electric Factory, night in and night out, it shows up. He may not be counted on for scoring, but he brings the defensive energy every time out, and he moves the ball well on offense. I'm really glad that Byington has put things more on his upperclassmen in Charleston, but as Tanner gets more and more comfortable out there, I believe he will do some fantastic things for us this season.
8) MJ Collins - MJ is here because of his huge 15 point game against Nevada the other night when we needed help scoring. He's a versatile player in Coach B's system which allows us to play fast and long and not miss a beat when the starters are out. Collins is going to find himself wide open a lot in our offense so needs to keep working on his shot and using pump fakes to drive it as well. MJ is a very important piece for us because when he scores, it's like getting free bonus points you didn't expect from a guy who can really defend well on the other end.
9) Chris Manon - HOw in the hell is this guy at the 9 spot? I mean, I love watching him play and I hope we can find more minutes for him. If Manon became a reliable 3 points shooter, he'd be unstoppable. As is, hes a ridiculously good defender, a great slasher, and a guy who just fills up the stat sheet efficiently every time out.
10) JQ Roberts - Keep working, young man. Byington knows what he wants out of JQ and I bet they're grinding to get him ready for later in the year when we'll need him off the bench for foul trouble, etc. I have a feeling that JQ is committed and is going to make some memorable plays for this team this season.
11) Jordan Williams - He keeps getting ranked because of his defensive energy. This kid is wide open every time he touches the court and he does it with a smile on his face. I'm a fan of guys who can grind that hard in practice for only a few tastes of the floor and they bring it every time out anyway.
Beat Drake!
Rankings through the first 6 games:
1) Devin McGlockton - I really didn't see this coming. I felt like McGlockton would be solid, and he's been that, but I had no idea how much this guy would actually make this team better. Averaging 14.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 2.2 blocks, Glock has showed up for his boys each and every game.
2) AJ Hoggard - His numbers don't jump out at you as he's averaging 11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, but his 5.1 assists per game along with 1.8 steals per game are pretty phenomenal. With that said, I feel like he's really doing a good job of leading this team each night. AJ has shared the ball, created for his teammates and has also scored when we needed him to. His only weakness so far has been free throw shooting and I think the degree to which he cleans that up will determine what we do this year. Hoggard is shooting 65.2% from the stripe and I believe he needs to get that to 75% by league play or this could be a blind spot for this team.
3) Jason Edwards - I really really like this young man's game. He is so fast and he puts so much pressure on the defense that just being on the floor opens up space for others. His shot selection is going to drive the old white dudes on this board crazy at times, but take a few deep breaths and realize that party of what makes him so good is his unpredictability, so it pretty much "is what it is." His stroke isn't pretty, but his scorer's mentality is. Don't blink though, you might miss something with him.
4) Tyler Nickel - Nickel is 3rd on the team in scoring at 12.7 and he's grabbing 3.5 rpg, but the reason he's at 4 in these rankings is because of his versatility. Nickel is probably a 3 in traditional basketball terms, maybe even a 2, but for Byington, Tyler Nickel is a 4 or 5 and his ability to play down low allows us to play fast and trot a lot of different lineups out there. We are basically playing with 2 bigs so the fact that Nickel can help Glock and Carey steal a few minutes on the bench for rest is highly important. I hope to see him shoot like he did last night more often.
5) Jaylen Carey - Averaging 8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game is pretty darned impressive. He can be maddening at times because you see him flash brilliance, but his body shows up every game. He has made a few mistakes we can chalk up to youth but Carey is a very very important player for us, so hopefully he continues to grind and work hard to improve his game.
6) Grant Huffman - Defense, Energy, and Leadership do not show up on the stats sheet, yet he still fills it up. 4.3 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.8 astpg, and 1.8 steals per game, all very important numbers as he is definitely our best "Glue Guy." I think it took a few games, but most Dore fans are coming around to the idea that if Huffman is on the floor, we have a chance to do well.
7) Tyler Tanner - TT's Electric Factory, night in and night out, it shows up. He may not be counted on for scoring, but he brings the defensive energy every time out, and he moves the ball well on offense. I'm really glad that Byington has put things more on his upperclassmen in Charleston, but as Tanner gets more and more comfortable out there, I believe he will do some fantastic things for us this season.
8) MJ Collins - MJ is here because of his huge 15 point game against Nevada the other night when we needed help scoring. He's a versatile player in Coach B's system which allows us to play fast and long and not miss a beat when the starters are out. Collins is going to find himself wide open a lot in our offense so needs to keep working on his shot and using pump fakes to drive it as well. MJ is a very important piece for us because when he scores, it's like getting free bonus points you didn't expect from a guy who can really defend well on the other end.
9) Chris Manon - HOw in the hell is this guy at the 9 spot? I mean, I love watching him play and I hope we can find more minutes for him. If Manon became a reliable 3 points shooter, he'd be unstoppable. As is, hes a ridiculously good defender, a great slasher, and a guy who just fills up the stat sheet efficiently every time out.
10) JQ Roberts - Keep working, young man. Byington knows what he wants out of JQ and I bet they're grinding to get him ready for later in the year when we'll need him off the bench for foul trouble, etc. I have a feeling that JQ is committed and is going to make some memorable plays for this team this season.
11) Jordan Williams - He keeps getting ranked because of his defensive energy. This kid is wide open every time he touches the court and he does it with a smile on his face. I'm a fan of guys who can grind that hard in practice for only a few tastes of the floor and they bring it every time out anyway.
Beat Drake!
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