1) MFD and Roberson attacked the boards!!! They made it mission #1. And it made a huge difference. MFD grabbed 7 defensive boards against Dayton and 9 defensive boards last night. If he can provide that kind of effort, our 3 position takes a HUGE step up. If you're a guy that can go 3 for 4 on threes and grab 11 rebounds, you are unique. I was really impressed with his and Roberson's response to our two losses by coming out and attacking the glass. They also played very good D.
2) Every VU fan should fall back in love with Damian Jones. Chris's article sums him up well. If you are nitpicking him, you are just missing so much good stuff. Coach said that in our two losses he had more assists than Baldwin. He told Jones that that just isn't going to work for us. Told him that every time he gets the ball, he needs to think score first. And tonight, that's exactly what he did. Unselfish and coach-able. Even took a few J's that Stallings "wasn't too fond of." But he was doing what he was told and worked his butt off all over the place on offense. Blocked 4 shots and intimidated more than that. He, too, crashed the glass despite often having multiple guys blocking him out. He even had a guy screen him to free up his teammate for an offensive rebound. I have never seen that. But what impresses me the most these days about Jones is his mobility. You saw it on display on a few drives. But what most might have missed were the times he switched onto their guards and consistently shut their drives down with his big time lateral mobility and intensity. He can step slide like Jeffery Taylor out there. Heck, he's one of our best perimeter defenders. NBA scouts will see this as a big, big plus for him.
3) Toye's banked in three epitomizes his best attribute - fearlessness. So aggressive. Unafraid to take a questionable shot. Unafraid to pick up a foul. Attacking mentality. We need that dude inserted into the lineup throughout the game to give our team some fire and aggressiveness, but mainly some fearlessness. Love that dude! Good things happen when he's on the court. The kinds of good things we don't always have without him.
2) Every VU fan should fall back in love with Damian Jones. Chris's article sums him up well. If you are nitpicking him, you are just missing so much good stuff. Coach said that in our two losses he had more assists than Baldwin. He told Jones that that just isn't going to work for us. Told him that every time he gets the ball, he needs to think score first. And tonight, that's exactly what he did. Unselfish and coach-able. Even took a few J's that Stallings "wasn't too fond of." But he was doing what he was told and worked his butt off all over the place on offense. Blocked 4 shots and intimidated more than that. He, too, crashed the glass despite often having multiple guys blocking him out. He even had a guy screen him to free up his teammate for an offensive rebound. I have never seen that. But what impresses me the most these days about Jones is his mobility. You saw it on display on a few drives. But what most might have missed were the times he switched onto their guards and consistently shut their drives down with his big time lateral mobility and intensity. He can step slide like Jeffery Taylor out there. Heck, he's one of our best perimeter defenders. NBA scouts will see this as a big, big plus for him.
3) Toye's banked in three epitomizes his best attribute - fearlessness. So aggressive. Unafraid to take a questionable shot. Unafraid to pick up a foul. Attacking mentality. We need that dude inserted into the lineup throughout the game to give our team some fire and aggressiveness, but mainly some fearlessness. Love that dude! Good things happen when he's on the court. The kinds of good things we don't always have without him.
