Coach Crean was nice enough to let me come up and watch practice on Wednesday. Some thoughts...
Thought the energy from the players and coaches was really good. Coach Crean did a really good job of being hard on the guys but also encouraging them too.
With so many new guys, it's obviously going to take some time for everyone to gel. They were missing a couple guys when I was there, but I could see progress even during the practice I watched.
Don't be surprised if this team ends up being better than last year. The overall talent level was better than I expected and just the overall vibe around the program was really good. Having a "normal" off-season will make a big difference, IMO. It seems like Coach Crean feels really good about this group.
Lastly, I think he knocked it out of the park with the two recent hires. Wade Mason has done a great job hitting the ground running on the recruiting trail. JD Powell will be a huge asset in-house as well with all his experience.
Thought the energy from the players and coaches was really good. Coach Crean did a really good job of being hard on the guys but also encouraging them too.
With so many new guys, it's obviously going to take some time for everyone to gel. They were missing a couple guys when I was there, but I could see progress even during the practice I watched.
Don't be surprised if this team ends up being better than last year. The overall talent level was better than I expected and just the overall vibe around the program was really good. Having a "normal" off-season will make a big difference, IMO. It seems like Coach Crean feels really good about this group.
Lastly, I think he knocked it out of the park with the two recent hires. Wade Mason has done a great job hitting the ground running on the recruiting trail. JD Powell will be a huge asset in-house as well with all his experience.
