Exhibition reactions
Hey hoops fans, apologies for the story about the UH men’s basketball team’s exhibition not being up online this morning. We’re working to get that corrected.
In the meantime, here are some day-after thoughts about the 83-55 win over Chaminade. Overall, an impressive debut for Gib Arnold’s team.
>> Joston Thomas (25 points, 11-for-21 shooting) made quite the first impression to the crowd with his variety of scoring. A couple 3-pointers, a power dunk, and some swooping layups.
>> Bo Barnes (11 points, 3-for-3 on 3-pointers) backed up his sharpshooter reputation with his quick, Brent Barry-esque release.
>> Thomas and Bill Amis (14 points, three blocks) combined for over half of UH’s shot attempts (36 of the 68). It wasn’t by accident; look for more of that.
>> Pretty good crowd (about 3,500) for an exhibition. Starting to expect some big numbers for the season opener on Friday.
>> Hiram Thompson (six assists, no turnovers) did a great job of running the point for Arnold. Freshman Bobby Miles was pressing a little bit off the bench, but it was his first moment in front of a crowd like that.
>> UH was efficient (48.5 percent shooting overall, including 53.8 percent (7-for-13) on 3-pointers and 100 percent (10-for-10) on free throws.
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Day off for the team today. Back at it tomorrow through Friday, when the regular season tips off.
Brian, do you know why Jordan Coleman got such little playing time, entering with only a few minutes left in the game? Overall, I thought the team gave a good debut performance. And even though it was against a DII team, that DII team played us much closer last year. I didn’t know that Joston Thomas was such a versatile player. I was surprised by his ability to take people off the dribble and by his outside shot. Bo Barnes was impressive on both offense and defense and Zane Johnson played well too, showing that he’s not just a spot-up shooter. Looking forward to the season opener.
i did a 19 miler this morning…
Hey Stan,
Jordan is young, but has potential. I think the coaches didn’t want to toss him into a situation he wasn’t ready for. The team isn’t currently very deep with two guys (Salter and Brumfield) still recovering from injuries, so it’s possible we’ll see him out there before too long. He might be a redshirt candidate at this point; we’ll see.
Brian,
How do you see this team on a national stage? Or even within the WAC?
I was surprised by the variety of defenses that were displayed. A good helping man to man, the zones, and the presses were things I didn’t expect so far along. The offensive efficiency with the limited turn overs even with the fast break mentality were signs things are moving in the right direction. Kudos to Coach Arnold and his staff and players for what has been accomplished so far.
When are Salter and Brumfield expected back? I wonder what kind of team montana state is, I hope UH opens with a win.
Will UH be announcing recruit signings on wednesday??
Hey Josh,
I hope to get some kind of update on Salter at practice this afternoon… they were going re-examine him just before the Rainbow Classic. Brumfield is probably still going to take longer; that knee injury really set him back. No timetable for him as of yet that I’m aware of. Signings should be announced on Wednesday or Thursday.
Hey Kaneohe,
I think the team will place higher than their projected last-place finish in the WAC. I voted them fifth in the preseason media poll. Nationally, they’re not on anyone’s radar, and that could work to their advantage for a lot of the season.
Jordan Coleman to me looks like a perfect redshirt canadite. He was the one freshman on UH’s team that looks like he could gain at least 20lbs of muscle.
Brian,
Seems like center is the weak link, especially if Kurtz has to start. Is Salter a shooter as well as a playmaker. We need Chaminade’s small point guard.
Nobody could stay with him.
Hey S.C.,
Coach Arnold was actually pretty pleased with how Doug Kurtz played yesterday. Other than a few chippies he missed inside, Kurtz pleased his coach for the most part. We might see more Vander Joaquim going forward — he played decently with eight points and five boards — but don’t write off Kurtz.
Salter can shoot. But Hiram played pretty well too — a coach will take six assists and no turnovers any day.
Brian,
Does Brumfield have a RS year?
Hey Seasider,
Brumfield does not. He burned his redshirt year at Missouri State prior to going to Big Bend Community College. When he arrived, he had three years to play three seasons.