He needs to be congratulated - he and whoever is donating the NIL money necessary. We have a TEAM, folks. This team covers all the skill bases. If we keep playing defense, cut down on TOs and shoot respectably, we will win games.

I am impressed with Asa fundamentals - he gets the ball inside and keeps the ball high to get off a shot. He doesn't bring the ball down to his waist where it can be stolen. Most bigs cannot do this; they have to gather themselves before going up. Not Asa. Montgomery gives us a ton of depth in the backcourt now. I want to see us pressure opponents on defense more with our depth.

I have extolled Demary's skill and assets for a long time; he's big, athletic, plays defense, drives to the basket, is improving his shot and is a willing passer. Many great attributes.... But he's not a great passer and doesn't handle pressure well. He's gonna get pressured in conference. That aspect of his game needs to come around for us to win big.... I don't like seeing him inbounding the ball. He doesn't make good decisions in those situations.

Dylan James has been a bit of a disappointment. He doesn't often assert himself, and he's not a great finisher inside. He had one great shooting game, but he needs to be a more rounded player.

RJ is totally unselfish and does the dirty work that lets others shine. He's not concerned about stats; he just wants to win. So, his individual numbers aren't big. He is a glue-type player that makes the team go. Every team needs a guy like RJ.

Abson has gone from an all-conference player at App St. to a very solid back-up. Reliable and fundamentally sound, he will be valuable should we get in foul trouble.

Somto is growing before our eyes. He's more surehanded than he was this summer with better footwork. He's clearly been working hard on his game with the staff. It's paying off. Even his FTs look better.