The next morning is here, and I am still AMP’d! That was a lot of fun to witness, and hopefully a sign of things to come this season. Given this, I wanted to take a few minutes to pen my impressions of opening night.
Devin Carter
I was going to focus on things that might have been missed in the game, but it would have been shameful to start with anything other than the performance of Carter. While his stat line of 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal is impressive, it does not tell the whole story. He apparently told Coach Nate Tomlinson that he was guarding Marquette star Tyler Kolek ;ast night, instead of the planned Jayden Pierre. Then in the second half, he started off Kolek, who scored seven quick points in just over two minutes. Carter responded with a three of his own and went back to guarding Kolek. He then forced into a turnover and a bad shot on the following trip, and Marquette never threatened again.
Every national publication and media site has picked Tyler Kolek as a first team All-American, and deservedly so. If it wasn’t for Zach Edey, he would be getting National Player of the Year attention. Considering all that, where does Devin Carter fall in this conversation. He leads the Big East in defensive rebounding, has become a legitimate threat from the three, and is usually the bench defender on the court. He also is one of only two Big East players under 6’9” among the top 15 in blocked shots (the other being Garwey Dual). I said he would be an All American at the beginning of the year and Carter is making me look brilliant (which is not easy).
Bryce Hopkins
I just wanted to give a quick mention about Bryce. He has gotten criticism this year for his shooting, and he struggled from the from the field again last night. It should not be forgotten that he is still the primary focus of every opponent’s defensive gameplan, or that he has expanded his all-around game. In addition to his 11 points, he also had 9 rebounds (4 offensive), and an assist, a block, and a steal. Also, his defense last night may have been the best since he started wearing the black and white. He guarded multiple players at multiple positions, even as an undersized 5 for brief periods, all with success. Another factor is his ability to draw fouls, not withstanding his 5-10 from the line. When Hopkins is not at his best, he still makes winning plays.
The Bench
Looking at the stat sheet, you might think Marquette’s bench (11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block) was as good or better than that of Providence (seven points, eight assists, and six rebounds). I’m here to tell you that would be the wrong assumption. The Friar bench provided much needed lifts and made big plays at key moments.
First, Garwey Dual proved that a player doesn’t have to score to have a major impact on the game. For the second game in a row, he had 7 assists, last night with zero turnovers. His defense was also a huge factor against Marquette, especially in the second half. His plus/minus for the game was +25 in 23 minutes. This stat can be misleading at times, but not last night. He was on a positive trajectory before his suspension, and appears to be back on track. Dual also made my favorite the pass of the year to date:
Corey Floyd missed both of his three-point attempts, but again provided solid defense and made a terrific play in the first half that was easy to overlook. With just under 12 minutes left in the first half, the Friars had a two-point lead, and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro went in for an emphatic dunk to tie the game. Floyd made sure that didn’t happen, as he matched the much taller Ighodaro and blocked the attempt. He was correctly called for body contact and a foul but sent the message that there would be no easy baskets in Friartown. Ighodaro missed one of the two free throws and Marquette never caught the Friars the rest of the way. He also reinforced this notion on a Chase Ross attempted dunk later in the half.
Rafael Castro has struggled greatly of late, and only played six minutes, but he was strong defensively, grabbed a couple of rebounds, and made a strong move for a solid dunk on a great pass from Dual. He also allowed Coach English to buy time with Josh Oduro in foul trouble. If he continues to provide solid minutes as he did last night, it will help address one of this team’s biggest concerns.
Rich Barron also played sparingly (8 minutes), but had three-pointer, the seventh time in the past eight games he’s had at least one triple. (The one game he didn’t, he had an old-school three-point play). When he goes on the court, he plays like he knows he belongs in the Big East, and nothing like an 18-year-old who was unranked coming out of St. Ignatius High. Like Castro, his contributions lengthen the lineup and give the team protection against foul trouble in conference play.
The Staff
Lastly, I wanted to make a quick note about how enjoyable it is to see this staff during the game. Coach English sets the tone with his communication, and the staff, especially Dennis Felton and Nate Tomlinson, are constantly teaching and explaining to the players on the bench, making sure they understand exactly what is expected of them. I like that there is a lot of positive engagement, as evidenced by the interactions between Coach Felton and Slim and Coach Tomlinson and Dual after their contributions at various points in the game. Coach Felton even took time at the half to interact with a potential recruit, quickly explaining what this team is all about.
P.S. Georgetown lost