Alright, here goes ...
I'm just back from Wake's open-to-media practice this afternoon. I've got one story I want to get up tonight, kind of a theme/overview type, and then I've got content for several others in the days to follow.
But I want to get something up in the meantime, so I'm going to bullet point some general thoughts. Some of them might wind up getting repeated with stories; if so, oh well. I'm trying to juggle a lot of things right now and just want to get *something* posted about today before moving forward on other things.
- Today was the last day of summer practices; they're off for about 2 weeks before coming back for the fall semester. Two of the guys we talked with -- Cam Hildreth and Parker Friedrichsen -- were thrilled to be going home.
- Hildreth talked about his wrist injury not needing surgery, thought that was interesting. I doubt anyone other than staff and teammates has a full grasp of how much pain he was in last year, but he said it hasn't bothered him for a while.
- Talking to Hunter Sallis about his decision to come back was interesting. What exactly he has to improve on has been alluded to and such -- ball-handling and initiating offense -- and there was more of that today. But there was also a little more directness, I think Hildreth mentioned that Sallis will be playing some point guard.
- Also on the agenda for Sallis to improve is leadership/vocality. That's not really who he is ... but it's what WF needs him to be.
- Today was the *first* day that Omaha Biliew could participate in contact stuff and that was just in halfcourt drills. "He moves different" was a Forbes quote, referring to his athleticism and size. Forbes lauded how much he attacked his rehab, which is why he was able to get back today.
Biliew hit a corner-3 and Forbes had everybody on the court clap to show him love, able to finally participate in practice.
- Juke Harris had probably a better summer entering his freshman season than any other incoming freshman has had under Forbes. That's not the largest sample size, given how many transfers have entered, but it does mean he's been as good, possibly better than Friedrichsen was last year.
Not to break my arm patting myself on the back ... but I tried to tell yall as often as I could that Juke wouldn't be coming in and riding the bench for a season. He's 6-7, can score at all three levels, is long and athletic, has some really good basketball IQ, and has a lot of coachable characteristics. I doubt he's a starter, but he's also not on the very end of the bench.
- Speaking of ... I don't know if this team is going to be as deep as it appears now. But the indications -- AT THIS POINT, can't stress that enough -- are that they'll have 11 playable players. Every time today I found myself thinking that Churchill Abass or Marqus Marion would be difficult to find minutes for, they'd do something good.
- They're not going to replace Demetris Nichols on staff, nor are they going to sign a player for the 13th scholarship. So the assistant coaches are Jason Shay, Matt Woodley, BJ McKie and Antanas Kavaliauskas, and director of player relations Darnell Harris (has been in that role for a year, played one season at Northwest Florida for Forbes) will be the team's fifth coach on the floor in practices.
**********
That's all I've got for now. Check in later tonight for an in-depth story and keep checking in the following days for more content.
I'm just back from Wake's open-to-media practice this afternoon. I've got one story I want to get up tonight, kind of a theme/overview type, and then I've got content for several others in the days to follow.
But I want to get something up in the meantime, so I'm going to bullet point some general thoughts. Some of them might wind up getting repeated with stories; if so, oh well. I'm trying to juggle a lot of things right now and just want to get *something* posted about today before moving forward on other things.
- Today was the last day of summer practices; they're off for about 2 weeks before coming back for the fall semester. Two of the guys we talked with -- Cam Hildreth and Parker Friedrichsen -- were thrilled to be going home.
- Hildreth talked about his wrist injury not needing surgery, thought that was interesting. I doubt anyone other than staff and teammates has a full grasp of how much pain he was in last year, but he said it hasn't bothered him for a while.
- Talking to Hunter Sallis about his decision to come back was interesting. What exactly he has to improve on has been alluded to and such -- ball-handling and initiating offense -- and there was more of that today. But there was also a little more directness, I think Hildreth mentioned that Sallis will be playing some point guard.
- Also on the agenda for Sallis to improve is leadership/vocality. That's not really who he is ... but it's what WF needs him to be.
- Today was the *first* day that Omaha Biliew could participate in contact stuff and that was just in halfcourt drills. "He moves different" was a Forbes quote, referring to his athleticism and size. Forbes lauded how much he attacked his rehab, which is why he was able to get back today.
Biliew hit a corner-3 and Forbes had everybody on the court clap to show him love, able to finally participate in practice.
- Juke Harris had probably a better summer entering his freshman season than any other incoming freshman has had under Forbes. That's not the largest sample size, given how many transfers have entered, but it does mean he's been as good, possibly better than Friedrichsen was last year.
Not to break my arm patting myself on the back ... but I tried to tell yall as often as I could that Juke wouldn't be coming in and riding the bench for a season. He's 6-7, can score at all three levels, is long and athletic, has some really good basketball IQ, and has a lot of coachable characteristics. I doubt he's a starter, but he's also not on the very end of the bench.
- Speaking of ... I don't know if this team is going to be as deep as it appears now. But the indications -- AT THIS POINT, can't stress that enough -- are that they'll have 11 playable players. Every time today I found myself thinking that Churchill Abass or Marqus Marion would be difficult to find minutes for, they'd do something good.
- They're not going to replace Demetris Nichols on staff, nor are they going to sign a player for the 13th scholarship. So the assistant coaches are Jason Shay, Matt Woodley, BJ McKie and Antanas Kavaliauskas, and director of player relations Darnell Harris (has been in that role for a year, played one season at Northwest Florida for Forbes) will be the team's fifth coach on the floor in practices.
**********
That's all I've got for now. Check in later tonight for an in-depth story and keep checking in the following days for more content.
