In Reply to: First Thoughts Post Exhibition Game #1 posted by UCLA78 on October 21, 2026 at 22:51:57
Attendance: I agree the attendance was sparse, but I’m not sure if you went to last year’s exhibition game. I made pretty much the exact same point last year. My rant was specifically about the students. I’m honestly disgusted that we can’t fill a student section for a free game on campus. Last night was more of the same. I just don’t understand it.
Eric Dailey Jr.: Yes! I think his experience with USA Basketball has really helped him, and I’m expecting a nice year from him. As a couple of us have already mentioned, though, it all comes down to consistency. Will he still have those games where he completely disappears? If he can minimize those performances, he could be a big piece for us.
Kusturica: I really like him. What excites me most are the intangibles. His rebounding and passing could turn out to be elite, and he shows flashes of being a good defender, particularly when challenging shots. That said, his defensive footwork is a little clumsy, and he can get crossed up pretty easily.
The biggest concern is his shooting. He put up several threes last night, and honestly, none of them looked particularly close. By the end of the game, I was cringing every time he let one fly. I was having Dylan Andrews flashbacks. Ouch!
Still, I thought it was telling that Cronin drew up a play for him during the timeout at the end of the first half. Cronin must see something in practice that gives him confidence in Kusturica's shot. Personally, I would have preferred to see him attack the basket in that situation.
X. Robinson: I loved him. You simply cannot be careless with the ball around this guy because he’ll pick your pocket in a heartbeat. What I really liked, though, is that he can contribute offensively, too. He’s not just a defensive specialist.
Philon: Man, what a find! Much like Kusturica, he has a lot of the intangibles you love to see. Also like Kustu, Philon’s shooting is a question mark at this point. He’s still pretty slight physically, but once he gets stronger, he’s going to be a player. His rebounding is already very good.
Jovic: I wasn’t as impressed as I had hoped to be. Like Tyler, he seems vulnerable when opposing players get deep into the paint. They can score over him pretty easily. He does look like he’ll be harder to push around physically, which is encouraging, but his height remains a concern. Cronin also appeared frustrated with him several times for missing defensive assignments. There’s clearly some work to do on that end.
Booker: I thought he looked good. There’s a noticeable improvement from last season, and even accounting for the fact that this was an exhibition against lesser competition, I think we can expect a better version of Booker this year. The big question is whether that improvement will be enough to handle some of the bigger frontcourts in the Big Ten. I’m not sure, but I do think he’ll be better.
Perry: He needs to be better than he was last night. More specifically, I need to see him do a better job of creating quality shots for his teammates. I didn’t see enough of that. We need him to be more than just a scorer, especially when the offense bogs down.
Overall: I’m optimistic about this team, particularly on the defensive end. I could see us developing into a top-10 defense if everything comes together. The bigger question is whether we’ll have enough consistent offense.
If Dailey has an off night, where does the scoring come from? Kusturica isn’t yet someone I trust to consistently create a quality shot for himself, and Perry still needs to prove he can effectively set up his teammates.
The good news is that we have several capable shooters in Perry, Petty, Anderson, Dailey, and Booker. All five can knock down an open three. The challenge will be creating those opportunities consistently.
One thing I noticed last night was how much the offense seemed to stall when the starting five weren’t on the floor. If you go back and look at the bigger runs, many of them came with the starters playing. That tells me our offensive depth still needs to develop.
Right now, Jovic, Philon, and even Kusturica look more like complementary offensive players than guys who can consistently create their own shots. They’ll get most of their points by cutting to the basket, finishing off good passes, and crashing the offensive glass for putbacks. Fortunately, all three seem to do those things very well. They can still be valuable contributors without having to create offense on their own. Kustu has the additional skill of being a great passer. He set up guys better than anyone else last night, so I can see him with the ball in his hands quite a bit.
I also liked that we shot free throws well. Those points matter, especially in games where the offense isn’t clicking.
Bottom line: I think our defense will keep us competitive against just about anyone. The big question is whether we can generate enough offense consistently, especially when the starters aren’t on the floor or Dailey isn’t scoring. If a few of the younger guys develop their shooting and decision-making, I think this team has a pretty high ceiling. I’m optimistic.