I'm not a voracious Digs reader so apologies if others have made the same observations or comments.
1) David Terrell really, really, really needs to step up. I thought he was a slasher/distributor and would develop his ball handling and shooter, boy was I off. He has made 5 3FG in 42 career games, yes that's a made 3 every 8 games, and is a career 21% 3FG% shooter, even Kevin Henderson is like "damn". He has 76 TO's and 76 Assists in his career, a 1:1 A/TO ratio - not great and he has averaged 1.7 boards his career, not anything spectacular for a 6-4 guard. He is shooting a paltry 35.7% from FT line this year. If I'm an opposing coach, I stay off him 5 feet, dare him to shoot or just foul if he tries to drive.
2) Why does Hebb get 10.7 minutes a game? Cant those minutes go to Bynum or Barnes instead. I am sure those 2 guys can absorb an extra 5 minutes a game each. and will those guys get you more than 1.6 points in 10 minutes? Absolutely. Hebb has taken 1 3FG all year and can't get his own shot. If you split his minutes and amongst those 2 plus Thomas and you are way ahead. We don't have the All-CUSA good guy or hustle award, its about wins and that's it.
3) The 2 headed monster of Kalu/Hamilton is getting 30 minutes a game and delivering 10.1 points and 7.6 boards - that's not bad, if that was a single player, that would be very respectable. Never thought our big guys would NOT be a liability this season and Terrell would.
Good observations TD. A few thoughts below:
1. Terrell's offensive game is, at best, a work in progress at this point. He doesn't seem confident in his outside shot (the stats definitely indicate why), so he tends to turn down open looks. Quite frankly, there are much better options on the floor offensively. Terrell did have his best offensive game against LBSU, where he was efficient and aggressive. Hopefully his offensive game will grow, but I think it will take time. That may actually be a positive for his prospects to remain with UTEP. While his offense is limited, his defense is pretty close to elite on the perimeter, although he does get into a bunch of foul trouble. Also, right now he is the best option to run the team from the PG position, although I have liked what KJ Thomas has shown in flashes. I do think playing Barnes at the point, with Bynum, Camper, Frazier, and Kalu may be the lineup Golding could use primarily, in crunch time, if Bynum's game continues to ascend.
2. Agree on Hebb. I think we will see his minutes, as well as Horton's, begin to shift over to Bynum/Barnes. Bynum is streaky, but he is obviously a very dynamic guy offensively. He has started attacking the basket more, and has looked good with his twisting drives. I do wish he was able to get fouled more often (like Souley), which would make him even more dangerous. At the same time, a scorer like him can become very sought after by high major programs, if his trajectory continues this season.
3. Statistically, the combination of Kalu/Hamilton tells only part of the story in my opinion. Kalu has improved, but is often at a disadvantage as an undersized 5. On the other hand, Hamilton is still a liability defensively, and is often exposed by opposing teams in Golding's switching/hedging defense. I haven't looked up Hamilton's +/- stat, but I bet it isn't very good. Finally, with Golding going with the smaller lineups, these guys would need to be near elite rebounders, which they are far from. I have liked what Elijah Jones has done lately with his court time, and hopefully he continues to stack positive court time. They will need him against longer/athletic teams.
