Zona vs. the Buffs: 7 man rotation grades

I’m going to keep this a fairly positive report since I’m so proud of the way our Cats have been playing lately. They are really gutting it out right now with only a 7 man rotation. Our defense was extremely impressive. The energy may have been lacking in the first half, but man did it turn around in the second half.

K_Zim had a good recap last night about the game, so I’m going to jump right into the stats, and break down the numbers of the game.

Team stats:

• FG% was 43.8. With how we have been shooting this year that is actually a fairly good number for us. Just short of the 45% I would like to see us at.
• 18.8% from behind the arc is pathetic. I don’t know what happened with our guys, but that is a horrible number.
• 74.3% from the line is still below what I want to see us at. Of course I am very demanding when it comes to free points, but still a guy can dream right? The one bright side is the fact we got to the line 35 times in the game yesterday. You will win a lot of games with that number.
• Out rebounding Colorado 40-28 is a huge stat. Even being outsized at most positions its great to see us team rebound. I must say the boxing out yesterday was just amazing.
• 12 assists is still lower than I want to see, but at least its something.
• 11-11 in turnovers.

Come join me after the jump for some individual breakdowns:

Jesse Perry: GRADE B+ Jesse gave us a great physical presence today. Gathering 11 rebounds is a great number for Jesse. Add in the fact he had 0 turnovers and it’s a great sign. He still needs to work on being a bit more of a consistent scorer, and down low I wish he could find a way to get his shot a bit higher so he doesn’t get rejected as easily.

Solomon Hill: GRADE A- Solomon really put us on his back yesterday, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. That put back dunk he had really sealed the deal last night. He scored 16 points and had 14 rebounds. That’s impressive from a guy that’s 6’6. The one negative is the fact he went 3-8 from the FT line. Come one Solo got to work on those FT’s, they are free.

Josiah Turner: GRADE B- I felt Josiah got better as the game went on. He really tried to play within the team, and really got in his grove during the second half. However, he only had 6 points and 2 assists. I truly can not figure out why he doesn’t get more assists. He has amazing vision, and great passing skill. That pass he made to Chol under the hoop yesterday was a thing of beauty. I’m starting to think they aren’t giving him all his assists, because I can’t figure out any other reason.

Nick Johnson: GRADE C Nick’s energy is really starting to show up. Plus his 1 block was amazing. Absolutely love watching this kid jump. The down side to his game last night though is the fact he went 1-7 from the floor. He is to good of a player to shoot at that level. On the plus side he did go 6-8 from the line.

Kyle Fogg: GRADE B Kyle is still coming into his own as a leader. He scored 15 last night, but it was on 4-9 shooting. The plus side was his 6-7 from the Line. He does seem to get lost when driving in the lane which is a cause for concern.

Brendon Lavender: GRADE D- I would give him an F however he did get 2 assists, so that saved him. I don’t know what was wrong with Brendon last night, but after his first two shots he looked scared to shoot any more. He ended the game 0-5 from the floor. Hopefully this was just an anomaly and his confidence isn’t shook to much. We really need his shooting to help us in the home stretch.

Angelo Chol: GRADE A- yes I know im giving him a high grade, but that’s because I have expected more of the other players. Going forward after last night Chol’s grading curve is going to raise. But lets give him his due for having 3 good games in a row. Last night his stat line was impressive for a guy playing 12 mins. 2-2 from the field, 4-4 from the line 8 points 2 blocks and 1 rebound. The only negative to me is the 1 rebound, but since we dominated the rebounds I guess everyone else was stealing them from Chol. His blocking ability down low is a thing of beauty. I am glad he is growing up before our eyes.

Sean Miller: GRADE A I don’t usually grade Sean, but the last few games has shown exactly the quality coach he is. His ability to use a small bench, keep guys from fouling out, and still make the right adjustments is genius. What continues to shock me the most is his ability to coach big men. He may have been a guard, but look at the list of big men that have made big jumps in their ability already under him. Just impressive.


Lets hope we can keep this up Saturday, and I can’t wait to chat with you all during the game. As always please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for taking the time to read.