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First impressions, against a D2 team (albeit a good, well coached one) - so keep that it mind. I don't want to say I have low expectations - just no preconceived ones. This is essentially a completely new team. It feels like the year after Hurley left, but even more so - so many new faces, you go in with no expectations and see how it goes. They might be good! It's going to take time to figure it all out, and the more games they play the better. The Bulls are playing the same style as in previous seasons. What they need to figure out is: what is their starting 5, plus next couple guys off the bench; do we have a lock-down defender that we can match up against star guards (like Dontay was); do we have anyone on this team who is a dead-eye outside shooter (that was missing the past couple years); do we have any clutch player(s) you can count on when the game is on the line. Curtis Jones - he looks like the one guy who has a year of working knowledge of the plays and the system. He showed good composure inside today to hit some little floaters and jump shots. Blocker - has a good quick first step past defenders. Foster - he's a smooth, polished player, as he should be at this age. Jo Smith - the site says he's 6'9" but he looked taller. He seemed a head taller than anyone on Daemen. He's spindly but will be effective if he has good touch and positioning underneath. Adams - showed glimpses of being the kind of guy who's physical on D and hard to the basket. Willing to shoot from outside Caesar - the dude is FAST. Literally zoomed past everyone all the way down the court when he chose to. That's an interesting quality to have in the lineup. Powell - good and bad. Hit some shots, finished some layups, and for a while was the guy they had bringing the ball up the court (I had assumed they'd have Curtis doing that). But got called for traveling twice in the first half and had a giveaway on defense right under the basket. Jack - that guy looks interesting. Decent footwork already, works hard, really physical. Not quite totally confident with the ball yet but he's a freshman. When he gets purposeful with his movement (think, Nick Perkins) going to the hoop, and develops that hook shot, he'll be good One of the main problems last year (and probably the year before) was poor shooting percentage. The coaches can draw up whatever play and get someone open, but that doesn't matter at all if they can't hit the shot. Daemen made it a game in the first half because they were hitting 3's and UB wasn't. Whatever they said at halftime corrected that (until the very end) because the Bulls roared out of the gate, shut down the outside shots, and made their trips count, opening up a lead that was never threatened again. After today, considering we haven't seen Chatman yet (and who knows Hardnett's status, he was hurt a lot last year), I would say my starting five would be: Curtis Jones, Foster, Jo Smith, Adams, and I don't know, Blocker. Caesar coming off the bench for Jones; Powell for Foster; Jack for Smith. But as I said to start - very early first impressions, with a small sample size.

I'm tempering expectations this year. This is essentially an entirely new team. Its going to take months for them to develop an identity. I don't even think coach knows who the starters will be and what the rotation will be. Which is fine at this point, but furthers the point that we can't expect this team to hit the ground running. There are gonna be growing pains. We can have all the individual talent and athleticism in the world but the players have to buy in on both ends of the court. Quicker we do that the better. But for now, let us use the non conference to develop and grow. Yes I wanna win games and maybe pull an upset along the way, but I honestly don't know what to expect. Therefore I am I'm just going to hope to grow and develop and really turn the corner come February and make a push for Cleveland. It is what it is at this point, we've had so much turnover on the roster that all we are left with is "if". If this player does this, if we hit some 3s, if we play better D. If. So lets enjoy the ride. Go Bulls!

Feels like 2015 to me. Expectations were low. Let's hope this team will have a similar season.

And... the locker room material has been forwarded.

One of the hardest workers in program history, pushing through terrible injury luck. Wish Summer all the best.