Will do my best.
First impression..Team looked much better physically having been through another offseason w YoYo. Looked like every player has improved his physique in one way or another.
Decent exhi opponent we went against in the ichabods, who forced ku into 19 turnovers. Quite a few d1 transfers, including algee key (sp?) who dropped 20 on ou last season while playing for Bama.
Team defense was pretty darn good, imo. Lots of steals and blocked shots, which we usually turned into easy buckets on the other end (something I was specifically hoping to see improvement with). Really pumped to see our ability to finish those fast breaks.
Offense wasn't spectacular, we settled for too many 3s probably. This was an exhi so lots of minutes went around and probably had something to do with the mediocre offensive performance.
Individual breakdowns (please consider the sample size):
Woodard- believe what you want but there is one significant reason shake chose smu and his name is Jordan Woodard. Shake played w him on his visits and in high school and realized he would have to wait to take over at pg. Jordan has improved in all areas imo. Stronger, quicker, better shot, more confidence and handles...just smooth as can be. This guy could be the finest 4-year pg to ever wear a sooner jersey imo.
Hield - wow are we in for a treat watching this guy this season! Another player who has seemingly improved all aspects of his game. A tireless worker who won't settle until he is the best he can be. A truly complete player who might be ready for the NBA next season. Enjoy it cuz he gone, imo.
Cousins - Cousins had an off night shooting but may have been one of the more impressive players regardless. His ball handling was awesome, and I'm confident he can run the point. Had the play of the night when he posterized some poor ichabod with a ridiculous one-handed flush. The defense and athleticism are still there..just a much more polished product now. Cousins is turning himself into a guy who can make it to the league, IMO.
Lattin - this guy is going to be special, maybe even this season. Much more polished player than I had been led to believe. Ferocious on the glass and ran the court like a thoroughbred. Great hands and touch already, with a better feel for the game than you would anticipate coming from such a poor level of high school ball. He will be an NBA player like his grandpa and mother (wnba) imo.
Spangs - has added some good muscle mass. Got into foul trouble early and often, so he didn't get to play much, which worked out well for Lattin and Bennett. Looked improved on defense and he knocked down a deep 2..expect his offense to be more of a weapon this season. Not worried about his mediocre performance..he led the big12 in rebounding last season for Pete's sake.
Bennett - very poor performance..looked like he had made no improvements. very disappointed after hearing how hard he has been working. Maybe he just had a really bad night...
Booker - continues to prove he is much more than just a spot-up shooter. Has lost a lot of bad weight while adding muscle. The defense he displayed was beyond impressive with at least 2 blocked shots. Another guy who we will be wondering how the rest of the country passed him over. Oh yeah and his shot is still $$.
(I'm going to stop here and add to it later).
