mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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10-14-18 05:01 PM - Post#262550
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
Watched as well. Luckily the guys were playing hard, so it was easier to take insights away than if they were dogging it through an exhibition.
Harvard's two biggest issues last year (aside from injuries) were the miserable, uncharacteristic three-point shooting in the non-conf and the inability to keep turnovers down due to losing the top three PGs from the year before. When the shooting improved (to a slightly unsustainable level, FWIW), Harvard's non-turnover offensive rating was 136 in Ivy play, which led the league for the second-consecutive year.
But now that Harvard's PG depth chart includes Aiken, Freedman, McCarthy (and frankly Kirkwood), you could tell the dual benefit that should provide beyond the obvious of lower turnover rates. Rio Haskett was a disaster with the ball last year but could have value as a 3-and-D wing. Juzang still had to play point in this game but showed similar value with his strong offensive game when not trying to create for others.
But let's get back to Kirkwood for a second. I remember watching Danilo Djuricic play in a high school tourney for St. Mike's in Canada. They won the gold and Danilo was tournament MVP, but I couldn't help thinking that he really was outshone by the lead guard for Ashbury in the finals who was unstoppable off the dribble. That guy just so happened to be Noah Kirkwood. It was incredibly exciting to see him play yesterday - he's a slightly taller, slightly more built version of Wesley Saunders with a work-in-progress shot that has progressed about as far as Saunders was as, say, a junior.
Chris Lewis wasn't razor sharp but was as advertised. Justin Bassey looked like he picked where he left off, which was a really strong Ivy campaign (aside from the turnovers).
You could walk away from that scrimmage talking yourself into positive feelings about Spencer Freedman, Mason Forbes, Danilo Djuricic, Kale Catchings and Robert Baker as well. Time will tell on those five, and likely there won't be enough playing time to give most of them meaningful rotation minutes.
Let's presume that the reports that Aiken and Towns will be 100% for MIT are correct. My starting lineup would be: Aiken, Bassey, Noah, Towns, Lewis. From there, any of Freedman/McCarthy, Rio/Juzang, Corey, Danilo, Baker and Welsh could see time. And then you have Forbes, Catchings and Perez who all could reasonably make a push.
Which brings me to the point. Barring injuries that make the rotation decisions easier, this might be the toughest coaching year that Amaker has ever had. The ceiling on this talent is very high. The best Harvard team in history was the 13-14 edition that finished 32nd at KenPom. But that was an easy team to coach. Siyani, Wes, Rivard and Curry played the 1-2-3 mins and Casey, Steve and the backup-by-committee of Cummins, Travis and Okolie filled out the 4-5.
This year's Harvard team could play big or small, offensively-minded or defensively-minded, beat you up the floor or bruise you in the half court. Sometimes Amaker struggles in situations with so much choice to have a ton of focus in non-conference games. And with a non-conf schedule that could plausibly include as many as 7 Tier I/II games (including the next five after the MIT opener), the trial and error could lead to an ugly early-season record.
We'll know more after the BC and UConn scrimmages, though maybe not as much as we could if Towns and Aiken don't play.
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