Jordan had 8 points, four assists and two steals. Give him the ball Lav.
I agree, Branch brings very little upside. I wonder do the coaches tell the PGs not to penetrate and dish?
I vehemently disagree. He makes some bad decisions with the ball - but I can live with that because the ball moves better with him in the lineup than at any other point in the game. Branch and Jordan also probe the zone, no one else even attempts to do it.
Two of the many things I'd like to see this weekend are Branch getting more PT, and Dom being told to be more aggressive when he gets the ball.
Couldnt agree with you more desco. Branch is the only player to ever use ball fakes and that has any chance of getting anywhere off the dribble. All of our other guards need to be in a triple threat position to have any chance to get by their man.
Agree with you both and I just can't believe posters could say that about Branch. I'm convinced at least half this board has no clue about basketball. Branch is oozing with skill. His vision is probably the best on the team. He has a nice handle, he excels in a fast-paced game, but he is also our best option for moving the ball around in the half court.
The thing that gets me so frustrated with him is his lack of aggressiveness when it comes to penetration. He's a big kid with good coordination, a nice jump stop, and he knows how to seek out contact and get a shot up after. Why the hell doesn't he try to get in the lane more often? Sampson and Sanchez are fare more aggressive trying to penetrate and that is usually ill-advised on their part. Branch has already had a ton of guys drop his passes early on, and he is good for 1-2 lazy passes a game.
This team needs to live in the lane. I think he breaks out against Penn State to the tune of about 15 and 4-5 assists. We are a different team if he can consistently get it together.