From the opening tip in Norfolk, it became clear that inside play of forwards Julian Vaughn (senior) & Hollis Thompson (sophomore) will be key once Big East play begins, otherwise there could be issues with the lack depth/experienced size in the low-post with the departure of Greg Monroe for the NBA. Both Vaughn & Thompson struggled from the field, so it'll be important to get the kiddies plenty of minutes before Big East play starts in December.
The Hoyas do however maintain a strong back-court with the return of senior guards Austin Freeman & Chris Wright. I think the play of junior guard Jason Clark will be critical to their success as well. The three played well, though Wright had a few 1st-game jitters as evidenced by a some shaky decision-making during Hoya fast breaks. But the Bowie, MD native came up huge down the stretch & looked very much like a senior, shooting 7-13 from the field, including 4-6 from 3-point land, finishing with 19 points to lead all scorers.
Freshman forward Nate Lubick got plenty of minutes & looked good down-low in relief of Vaughn & Thompson. I'd also like to see more of center Henry Simms (junior) on the court with Vaughn a little more, that way size wouldn't be such an issue with the 3-guard lineup. Nonetheless, the Princeton offense seems to once again be affective in crossing defenses up & I look forward to the start of conference play...
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