In Reply to: They will be better at the 5 this year than they were last posted by Cachorro on October 30, 2025 at 14:04:17
Mara and Kyle affected the game. Mara, as soon as he came in, changed everything. Kyle often changed how effective the other team was inside. The two current Bruin 5's (three if you count Peoples) don't have the same kind of impact - not anywhere near. In fact one could be hard pressed to know they're even in the game - at least for stretches, sometimes long stretches.
Gathering stats and impacting the game aren't necessarily always the same thing. One can impact the game profoundly without accumulating significant stats and visa versa depending on how and when those stats are accumulated. Impacting a game can win that game, but it can also help facilitate winning by allowing others to do the thing that wins the game.
What is important for a balanced and successful team is to have all five guys on the floor at any given time impacting and affecting play. We used to call it "being a player." Good teams need 5 "players" always out there working in concert.