Seniors' off-season to-do list and prospects for improvement
March 29, 2010 10:42 AM
Davis: IMO, the biggest area in need of improvement, is an attitude adjustment. Now I've said it before and many disagree, but personally, I don't believe that kind of change is possible, he is what he is, a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves and lets it directly impact his game, for better or for worse. When things go his way, his on-court performance tends to build steam into a dominant force. On the flip side, when things don't go his way (calls, shot not falling), he routinely vanished and became a liability in all aspects of the game (passing, defense, shot, hustle, attitude) and on a team with little depth, it was a team killer. His off season will be very interesting, how much he will be willing to work on his handles and strength are key questions and frankly I have low expectations for improvement. If Davis has a good season next year, it will simply be because he's playing on a better team, I don't see his game changing.
Prospects for improvement: Low
Tisdale: A no brainer, he must get stronger, his ability to establish position in the block kills his game. His stroke is sweet, but at 7 feet, we need at least some production from the block when the 10-15 ft shot is taken away. Tisdale became like Davis an all or nothing guy, capable of 15 pts in a half or 0. I've seen some comments from the staff re: confidence that he can get stronger, but I don't see it, the frame is just not there and he's shown little increase in bulk the past 3 years. Another area for improvement where I see more hope would be foot work, this improved some over the season, but he had many a decent move wiped out by traveling.
Prospects for improvement: Medium Low
Dmac: A good first step would be to continue where he left off last season, cutting down weight and increasing definition. He was often a step too slow this year, esp laterally and some conditioning can go a long way, he's done it before and he can do it again. The mental improvements are more of a wild card. He was prone to lapses in effort, turnovers and poor shot selection this year. On one hand, as a guy serious about playing ball for a living, I think he'll be eager to prove something to the doubters. On the other hand, I see a guy so eager to prove something, that he continues to take bad shots in an effort to force the action.
Prospects for improvement: Medium High
AK Illini
Prospects for improvement: Low
Tisdale: A no brainer, he must get stronger, his ability to establish position in the block kills his game. His stroke is sweet, but at 7 feet, we need at least some production from the block when the 10-15 ft shot is taken away. Tisdale became like Davis an all or nothing guy, capable of 15 pts in a half or 0. I've seen some comments from the staff re: confidence that he can get stronger, but I don't see it, the frame is just not there and he's shown little increase in bulk the past 3 years. Another area for improvement where I see more hope would be foot work, this improved some over the season, but he had many a decent move wiped out by traveling.
Prospects for improvement: Medium Low
Dmac: A good first step would be to continue where he left off last season, cutting down weight and increasing definition. He was often a step too slow this year, esp laterally and some conditioning can go a long way, he's done it before and he can do it again. The mental improvements are more of a wild card. He was prone to lapses in effort, turnovers and poor shot selection this year. On one hand, as a guy serious about playing ball for a living, I think he'll be eager to prove something to the doubters. On the other hand, I see a guy so eager to prove something, that he continues to take bad shots in an effort to force the action.
Prospects for improvement: Medium High
AK Illini
Filed under: Illini Basketball
