March 17, 2011

[...] Senior guard Steven Gray got out to a blisteringly hot start to the season, then cooled down immensely, and now is averaging only about the same as he did as a junior, except now on only 41% shooting. Gray is a good sized, decently athletic guard, with a good jumpshot and some good defensive abilities, but he can't dribble. This wasn't a problem when he had Matt Bouldin next to him, but with Bouldin graduated and going to Greece, and Demetri Goodson continuing to offer nothing at point guard, Gray suddenly had to become a primary playmaker, ball handler and creator. And with his lack of handles, he just can't do that. Gray's a good passer of the ball, yet without the ability to dribble through much traffic, such a passing skill is inevitably underutilised. Other wing options include German freshman Mathis Monninghoff (who, at this point, offers little more than some hustle and catch-and-shoot abilities), junior college transfer Marquis Carter (who has become a big minutes player for the team, contributing a little bit in all facets of the game, with good efficiency and few mistakes), and Canadian national team member Mangisto Arop (pronounced without the A, and who likes to post up from 25 feet away, which must always be lauded).

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