VIP Open Practice 2023

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Attended this event two years ago and was a bit disappointed. They did not really design anything to entertain the fans...just a practice (with a very brief scrimmage) with Ben giving a few remarks at the end. That said, I am going again this year because I am excited that the level of athlete has improved and it will raise my interest in the non-headliner athletes.
 

Swaggerson said:
Attended this event two years ago and was a bit disappointed. They did not really design anything to entertain the fans...just a practice (with a very brief scrimmage) with Ben giving a few remarks at the end. That said, I am going again this year because I am excited that the level of athlete has improved and it will raise my interest in the non-headliner athletes.
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I do recommend that you go. I was able to attend a practice a month back and it was terrific. The level of athleticism/speed has gone up without a doubt.
 



















My take on the practice today...

1) As most of you have heard, Ihnen and Christie didn't participate today. I saw Ihnen icing his right foot, so I'm going to guess a right ankle sprain. He was still doing exercises on the side.
2) My guess is Mike Mitchell is going to lead the team in minutes played. He has a Nate Mason-type game (not saying he's as good). Nice high jump shot. Loves the the mid-range game.
3) Hawkins is quick, but don't expect Mathieu quick. Had some flashy passes, has a slow but consistent shot, prone to turnovers, and played with more emotion than any other player. Really quick hands, and stole the ball a few times. Puts pressure on the defense at all times. He's going to make plays that we jump out of our seats for, good and bad. We definitely haven't had a player like this the last two years. My guess is the 6th man that plays a lot of minutes still.
4) Fox is going to have a decent role on this team. He was aggressive on offense (even hit a three), but seemed a little tentative on defense. Already looks like the best rebounder on the team, and he came flying in for some defensive rebounds during the scrimmage. Has a knack for knowing where the ball is going to go. Still showed some athleticism, which is what I wanted to see. As long as he has no setbacks (knock on wood) expect 12+ minutes a game.
4) Wilson is huge. After watching that scrimmage, I'm glad that we have him on the team as a bench post defender. Runs the court okay, and won't score outside a couple feet, but wow is he an absolute brick wall. Struggled a bit with conditioning.
5) Garcia and Payne looked mostly the same as last year.
6) Carrington really struggled in the early portion of the scrimmage and then turned it on late with a flurry of threes. Looked for his shot, and shot it with confidence, which I didn't see last year. Physically looks better and healthier than last year.
7) Ola-Joseph was mostly a non-factor. Nothing good or bad to say about his play today.
8) It's very clear that Betts didn't eat Battle's lunch last year, but he has potential. Definitely put on some weight. Has really nice shot form and can knock down threes. Seemed to get lost on offense at times. I don't expect a big role from him, at least early in the season. Less than 10 minutes a game is my guess.
9) Outside of Garcia, we don't seem to have a go-to player when a score is needed. That said, the team is significantly more talented and athletic than last year. Need Mitchell to become that number 2 dependable scoring option, with the ability to create his own shot.

After watching the team, I think it's an absolute lock that Mitchell, Carrington, Garcia, and Payne start. Who the 5th ends up being is anyone's guess.
 
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fan of Ray Williams said:
I’ve said it too much, I think Hawkins is the key.
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Hawkins definitely #1 at pg right now. Quick and can push tempo. Payne and Garcia looking their part. Fox has a better shooting touch than I thought and looking healthy. Wilson has kinate hands, but is a large person. JOJ joked afterward about not having to guard Edey this year. Betts did not intimidate Battle into transferring. He seems just ahead of the Lithuanian. Carrington knocked down some well contested 3's during their short scrimmage. I would prefer to see Mitchell as first guard off the bench. He could really thrive in that role. Disappointed ihnen and Christie not in action. Ben very excited about Christie. Ben asked directly about scheduling UST. "No benefit at this time". Assistant coach I talked to is speculating the conference will be split into 4 divisions once expansion is finalized. Had a great time!
 


disappointed with lousy mic Ben used after practice. Couldn’t understand a word he said! Disagree with earlier post about Mitchell getting most minutes…. He will play a lot but Hawkins is by far the best guard out there! Carrington got hot for a time but then missed a lot of shots after his streak. This is not a bottom three or four team…
 



nooram said:
Ben indicated it was a foot strain and that he was more focused on him playing in Saturday's secret scrimmage.
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Do we know who the secret scrimmage is against? I haven't heard anything...
 




gopherguy15 said:
My take on the practice today...

1) As most of you have heard, Ihnen and Christie didn't participate today. I saw Ihnen icing his right foot, so I'm going to guess a right ankle sprain. He was still doing exercises on the side.
2) My guess is Mike Mitchell is going to lead the team in minutes played. He has a Nate Mason-type game (not saying he's as good). Nice high jump shot. Loves the the mid-range game.
3) Hawkins is quick, but don't expect Mathieu quick. Had some flashy passes, has a slow but consistent shot, prone to turnovers, and played with more emotion than any other player. Really quick hands, and stole the ball a few times. Puts pressure on the defense at all times. He's going to make plays that we jump out of our seats for, good and bad. We definitely haven't had a player like this the last two years. My guess is the 6th man that plays a lot of minutes still.
4) Fox is going to have a decent role on this team. He was aggressive on offense (even hit a three), but seemed a little tentative on defense. Already looks like the best rebounder on the team, and he came flying in for some defensive rebounds during the scrimmage. Has a knack for knowing where the ball is going to go. Still showed some athleticism, which is what I wanted to see. As long as he has no setbacks (knock on wood) expect 12+ minutes a game.
4) Wilson is huge. After watching that scrimmage, I'm glad that we have him on the team as a bench post defender. Runs the court okay, and won't score outside a couple feet, but wow is he an absolute brick wall. Struggled a bit with conditioning.
5) Garcia and Payne looked mostly the same as last year.
6) Carrington really struggled in the early portion of the scrimmage and then turned it on late with a flurry of threes. Looked for his shot, and shot it with confidence, which I didn't see last year. Physically looks better and healthier than last year.
7) Ola-Joseph was mostly a non-factor. Nothing good or bad to say about his play today.
8) It's very clear that Betts didn't eat Battle's lunch last year, but he has potential. Definitely put on some weight. Has really nice shot form and can knock down threes. Seemed to get lost on offense at times. I don't expect a big role from him, at least early in the season. Less than 10 minutes a game is my guess.
9) Outside of Garcia, we don't seem to have a go-to player when a score is needed. That said, the team is significantly more talented and athletic than last year. Need Mitchell to become that number 2 dependable scoring option, with the ability to create his own shot.

After watching the team, I think it's an absolute lock that Mitchell, Carrington, Garcia, and Payne start. Who the 5th ends up being is anyone's guess.
Click to expand...
I believe that Payne looked more conditioned than last year. Although JOJ did not have a huge impact during practice he is still a for sure starter. I don't think Mitchell is a lock to start, I think as of now Hawkins is the starter, but personally I like Mitchell better. Maybe Ben sees him as the 6th man for this squad getting significant minutes. I think the starters will end up being Hawkins, Carrington, JOJ, Garcia, and Payne.
 


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