The men usually scrimmage after the kid camps end at about 10 p.m. and go at it hard for an hour. Entrance is gained by entering at the South/West side of the old Martin Center. Once inside, take a right and follow the signs all the way to the Kennel. It’s free of charge and anyone can attend. There is plenty of seating. I would estimate that about 200 or so spectators attended, so there is plenty of choice seating. It’s a great way to get a glimpse at the newbie’s, as well as some former players.
Teams consist of 5 players, one with shirts, and one with skins. They play for approx 10 minutes and then substitutions are made. There is no scoring, referees, or coaches, so it’s pretty much a free for all. Several “fill-in” players were needed to make the teams. I have no idea who they were.
There were some disappointments as well as pleasant surprises. The disappointments were that a lot of the players we hoped to get a look at were not in attendance. Kyle Wiltjer, Silas Melson and Sabonis were absent. So were Karnowski, Dranginis, Wesley, and McClellan. This really was a bummer as we wanted to see all the new guys in action, as well as get a feel for any improvement with the bigs, Wiltjer and Karnowski.
That being said, let’s get into highlights of what we saw:
Gary Bell- was a DNP. He sat on the sidelines watching, holding a basketball. Oddly enough, I remember this exact scenario last summer, as he was injured then as well. He is not 100% yet from his knee injury/surgery, but expects to be 100% by the start of the season.
Kevin Pangos- All indications are that he is good to go. We watched very carefully. No signs of any residual injury with his ankle or turf toe. No hesitation as he planted, pushed off and cut. As always, he was money from deep. He hit aprox. 5/7 from the NBA three point line and also looked great in his mid-range game, scoring floaters at will and taking it to the hole.
Ryan Edwards- I have to be honest, he looked terrible. Slow down the court and pushed around in the paint. His body language was awful. He was frustrated at his play, as well he should have been. No footwork, no energy, and he missed a lot of forced shots. He could really use a redshirt year. He has soft hands, size, and is money from the free throw line, but he needs some work. I still feel he can become a very good player down the line.
Josh Perkins- Wow. Very skilled and looks D-1 ready. No look passes, behind the back and head. I’d buy a ticket just to watch this guy pass. He is something special. Great handles all around. Athletic and fast, with good breakaway speed and good size. If his shots aren’t falling (he hit about ½ his shots) he can take it strong to the hole, play above the rim and finish.
Alberts- Impressive. Length, size, strong. Good handles, outside deep shooting was on. Athletic and versatile. Very aggressive and confidant. We noticed no signs of any knee injury. He looks D-1 ready and 100% healthy. Can finish above the rim as well.
Former players present:
Sacre & JP Batista- Both players looked ripped. They pounded each other in the paint. They battled for an hour. Sacre looked exhausted as he sat down and hung his head at the end. I was reminded of when Ronny Turiaf half jokingly said he would only come back for his senior year if he didn’t have to bang in the paint with Batista, as it was like going up against a brick wall. They played pretty evenly with Sacre hitting several mid-range face-up shots and Batista scoring mostly off the glass.
Barham & Hart- the usual stuff. Barham banging deep threes and Hart like a wild man in the paint. Hart is taking a break from organized ball for awhile.
Humor- Rob Sacre laughed when my buddy (who is not a huge fan) asked “Socrates” if he could get a photograph. Sacre, ever the easy going guy laughed and said “I wish I was Socrates.” Embarrassing, yet everyone had a good laugh.
JP Batista- We caught up with him outside and asked if he knew if Dranginis was transferring or where he was. He said he had no idea. He also said he comes back to Spokane regularly because he loves the school and people. He has a car he keeps here and also recently bought a house. He seems like a real nice guy and very approachable.
Ok, that’s it, except for the pictures. Oh, one more thing…Get down there and take in a scrimmage! The next camp is July 24-27(Advanced Skills)and then July 28-30(Fundamental Skills Day Camp). The snack bar is even open if you get hungry.
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| Zags in the NBA |
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| Cool Mural outside Zag Locker Room- |
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| I hear you knockin, but you can't come in |
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| Sacre, first on the floor- |
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| Edwards, redshirt in the plans? |
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| Alberts drives |
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| Perkins lines it up |
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| Hart & Barham in the house |
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| Pangos gets a breather |
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Bell:Will he be ready? |
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End of Scrimmage- Sacre exhausted |
6 comments:
The post graduate big men on the floor at that scrimmage are monsters each in his physical prime -- each a little different than the other but about as physical as you are likely to encounter anywhere in the world.
Edwards has a way to go no question. He is not NBA material. Not yet. This kind of exposure is good for him -- lets him know where he is and where he needs to go.
Curious if any of the other players have info on what's up, or not up with Kyle D
I've asked two other former players if something is up and got pretty much the same answer...no idea. I'll be out of town for the next scrims, or I'd ask myself but...anyone going to the scrimmage certainly could ask some of the players.
Thanks for the comment.
Hey Quid!!~ good to see ya!
Many thanks for the post and pics!
I read a tweet by KD. Sed something about a broken nose and surgery.
WRT KD and a broken nose, I did hear about it 3-4 months ago. Didn't hear any details or corroboration but hopefully its all good now.
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