Can't really fault Stew Morrill for wanting to keep those first impressions limited to at least an actual game situation... But that's not going to stop anyone from giving thoughts on everyone's performance!
So... Let's break down each player's performance from Friday's win over Grand Canyon, and hopefully not have to be eating any of these words in a month or two when we have a better feel for everyone. Doing it position-by-position.
POINT GUARDS
Tenale Roland - Among projected starters, Roland is the newest to the show, but still fit in quite nicely! Shot 3-6 from the field and 1-2 from 3-point range for eight points. Not bad for a first rodeo! He also added a Quayle-esque six rebounds, but more of the "in the right position to get the bounce" rather than the "jump way higher than everyone else" kind of boards. Not going to read too much into him only having one assist as he's still learning things. But considering the learning curve, not having a single turnover in 20 minutes of play is very encouraging!
Marcel Davis - If asked to describe Davis' game Friday in one word, saying anything other than "hustle" would be doing it wrong. It seemed like he was going full-speed out there the whole time, and as a result, he made several things happen. The numbers don't stand out a ton, with just two points, two assists, and four rebounds, but Davis made plenty happen with his hustle out there. If he is able to maintain the high of a motor as he adjusts to the college level, he'll be scary good before not too long!
Riley Bradshaw - Bradshaw looked very calm and in control in the limited minutes he got. With such a small sample size, it's tough to say a whole lot else, but he definitely looked like he belonged. Also had an absolutely GORGEOUS assist on a long pass to Jordan Stone (I think) down low.
WINGS
Preston Medlin - Did whatever he wanted to Grand Canyon's defense. He'll dominate once again this season.
Danny Berger - Didn't light it up by any means, but you could tell he was one of the veterans out there this time around. Great at helping make things happen and keeping the team level-headed. It's no wonder he led the team in assist-to-turnover ration last year, and that was while battling mission legs growing pains in the system. Also seemed just a bit more aggressive in a very good way.
Spencer Butterfield - Kind of a quiet game out there with six points in 20 minutes of play, but there were a few times where that relentless motor of his that we've heard about reared his head. More often it seemed like he was trying to minimize risks and play mistake-free, which is ok for someone learning the ropes... But there were also a few times where he seemed to have a mentality of "F-you, I'm making this play and there's nothing you can do about it!"... That mentality is awesome! Butterfield is my bet to make the biggest improvement between the first and second exhibitions.
Marvin Jean - Based on looks alone, Jean's potential is pretty freaking good. Not a big sample size to work with, but there was one fast break where he used his athleticism to gain separation from a defender, caught a tough pass and finished for a layup. Not a lot of USU players in the past could have made that play he like did. Would like to see him get some more minutes in the next exhibition.
Quincy Bair - Speaking of sample size, nobody had less of it than Bair, but for the lone freshman behind four juniors on the wings, that's kind of to be expected. We know he's got great athleticism that he can use to score in a lot of ways and shut down guys defensively, we just probably won't get to see any of it until next year. Don't go doubting that this kid is going to be a stud before not too long though.
BIG MEN
Kyisean Reed - Dude seriously picked off every pass that came his way Friday. He finished with SEVEN steals!! Even though he only made 1-of-6 shot attempts, Reed made plenty else happen. He was a constant threat in rebounding, driving past defenders to get to the basket, blocking shots, and even had two assists. I dare say he's in for a great season.
Jarred Shaw - 15 points and eight rebounds while completely taking away the paint for the opposing team... That pretty much sums up Shaw's game Friday. It was obvious that Stew wanted to pound it down low, and Shaw made that worthwhile. There were a handful of times where he would have been better off passing out of a double-team down there, but he was also drawing fouls frequent enough to justify it. Maybe most important is that he was making free throws!!! I'll take a big man making 7-of-8 from the foul line any freaking day.
Ben Clifford - He definitely looked a year more experienced out there. His two fouls in the second half were both kind of ticky-tack, but despite sitting out a bit because of those, he still managed eight points and five rebounds. Getting that out of any backup on a consistent basis would be fantastic, and I don't put it past Clifford to average those kinds of numbers this year if not better.
Jordan Stone - Stone looked maybe two years more experienced on Friday. A lot of the holes in Stone's game that were prevalent last year seemed largely patched up on Friday. Still not perfect, but how many sophomores ever are? Like Clifford, the foul issues need work, but definitely a big step forward for Stone on Friday.
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