A bit of a better distribution of playing time as the Irish cruised to a second exhibition victory. With a sixteen point halftime lead, Coach Brey was able to get everyone on the floor, including walk-ons Tom Kopko and Tim Andree.
In the backcourt, Tory Jackson had a solid 30 minutes. Even though he racked up four fouls, the 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds marked a very good all-around night. His wingman Ben Hansbrough showed a little range and a Kyle McAlarney-esque willingness to let it fly. Even though he shot only 3-9 from beyond the arc, those shots will start falling as the season wears on. Jonathan Peoples started again, but only played 25 minutes. He has to score more than 2 points a night if the Irish want to have any kind of success against D1 competition.
Ty Nash had 11 points and 4 rebounds. He only missed one of the four shots he attempted from the floor and made all five free throw attempts. That is a big improvement from last year that will hopefully continue all season. Luke Harangody finished with a double-double, 17 and 11. If we can win consistently without having to rely on thirty point outbursts from the big man, this team will be a lot better than I predicted.
Off the bench, Tim Abromaitis showed a lot of promise even if he wasn't making any shots. 9 points, 7 boards in only 18 minutes. Remember that, like Ben Hansbrough, Abro hasn't played a real competitive game of basketball in a year. Once he gets used to the flow of the game and his additional playing time, he could be a very special player. It is very possible that Peoples is just holding down the starting spot until Tim is ready to step in. Carleton Scott scored 8 points in 16 minutes and pulled down 4 rebounds as well. Freshman Jack Cooley got into the scorebook at the buzzer, as did Thomas Knight. The other two freshman played five minutes a piece.
Good to see a solid all-around effort in the second preseason game. The next one will count, so hopefully the Irish can start making those three pointers and get this season off on the right foot.
As for today, Go Irish, Beat Midshipmen.
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