Wufan wrote:If I was a Panther fan (and I am in the non-con and post season), I'd be optimistic about the program in the future. They will good this year, but I certainly haven't seen enough to know how good.
As I said in the "third place" poll thread. The talent at UNI for the freshman (RS and true) class is higher than it's ever been as a group, and I'm not sure it's close.
You mentioned McCloud, Halderman, Rhodes, Ashton, Brown and Lohaus.
McCloud is going to be really, really, good. He's athletically where Washpun was last year at 18 years old. Once he gets a feel for the game it's going to be nuts to see a PG with that skill set in a UNI uniform. He threw a no look, thread the needle, pass in the lane to Haldeman for a lay up in the second half and I'm not sure I've ever seen a Panther throw a pass like that.
Haldeman is the new Matty Bo who was the new Marc Sonnen who was the new Johnny Moran. He's not going to dazzle anyone athletically. He's mostly unremarkable. However, he shoots and he shoots well. He knows what he can and can't do. He is an ideal "Jake system" guy.
Rhose - see Haldeman. He won't break anyone ankles. He'll likely lead very few fast breaks. Likely won't fill a stat sheet. He brings intelligence and poise being a junior and having won a JUCO national title. He's nearly the exact opposite of McCloud in style of play but looks like a solid back up for two years.
Ashton starting was a shock to nearly everyone outside of the program. Him looking as good as he did was a shock to everyone as well I think. He should add a nice "calmness" on the court. Grad transfer that played for a S16 team last season. May have a big game here or there but should be a decent role guy. He and Wyatt are likely very similar players and depending on match ups the starter/rotation could change. Both are just going to do what's asked.
Brown is going to be Jeremy Morgan but *potentially better. If he has J-Mo's work ethic he will win DPOY. I think a RS would be great but you don't get a kid from Texas and redshirt him his first winter in Cedar Falls....
Dahl is a big, big man. He's lost a ton of "baby fat" and looks like a post player now. He's got a ways to go but I see him being better than Eglseder was simply beacuse he has better control of his body and none of the leg/feet issues Jordan did as a kid, thus he'll move better. He's raw and will need a year or two to still develop. It helps that Koch is only a JR this year.
I feel much better about the team than I did before the game. I know it's a D2 exhibition, but to see freshman play like they did was nice. Growing pains will still happen. Lay ups will be missed. TOs will happen. Unexplainable losses will happen. On the flip side of that, Morgan and Ashton are the only two seniors this year. We are set up pretty nicely for a few years.