I think these bigs really have a chip on their shoulders, they definitely heard the chatter about them being "low ranked" and not as good as level of bigs we've had.
For me, I love how high Manley keeps the ball on his rebounds and how he smacks down on the ball, that's just stuff you just can't teach. Yesterday, that play where Brooks fed him in the low post for the And 1, he ran the floor really well and got right to the low block, established his position with his hands up and ready to receive the pass. I loved seeing the video of him putting in extra work after the game the other day. Hardwork Pays off!!
That leads to my next point, Brooks is a very good passer. We have seen it in his hi- low passes to Luke and most definetly with the one to Sterling on the And 1.
He looked more comfortable yesterday, I think he just needs to slow himself down a bit. The basketball IQ is there.
Everytime I watch Huff I am in awe of how big he is, and he's only a Freshman. His size was very difficult for Tulane yesterday and as he continues to develop it will only get more difficult for every team. And oh baby, the kid brings some serious thunder on those dunks.
Platek is definitely playing like a kid on a mission. After hearing that a coach doubted his ability to play at Carolina and how Coach Williams responded to that Coach, " He doesn't have to play for you, he has to play for me" will surely fire you up, knowing your coach has that confidence in you and basically told the other coach to eat it. The minutes he gives defensively keeps up with the intensity that our first unit brings, and I love the way he moves the ball on the offensive end. You saw it yesterday when he fed the post perfectly, forcing the defender to collapse leading him to be open for a 3 that he knocked down. Roy has said a lot of good things about him on the offensive end in practice, so I expect him to start giving us more on that end soon. Another skill of his that can't be taught is the way he hits the glass and finds someone to box out. On the offensive glass yesterday, he grabbed a board and put it back for an easy score. Having a guard, who is willing to bang down low for rebounds will only benefit us.
I said it another post the flashes of Jalek last game were exactly what he needed for his confidence. He is a very good passer and is taking a little more time because he's trying to learn the offense while also adjusting to the college game. He has a good head on his shoulders and a good mindset of taking things one step at a time. The star potential is there, we will all love it when he breaks out.
I'm loving this team!! Go Heels!!!
