Surprised no write up yet about the game, so I'll start a thread with my own observations.

1) Biggest takeaway by far is that Jameer Nelson Jr. is every bit as good as I thought from what I saw at Kenner.  In fact, his performance was amazingly similar to the Kenner League game I saw in which he didn't do much in the first half, then flipped a switch in the 2nd half to completely take over the game.  Early in the game he had two nice drive and kicks but otherwise basically deferred to his older teammates as the offense stagnated.  Early in the 2nd half, with Hood down maybe around 7 or so, he made a ridiculously explosive drive to the hoop finishing through contact with an acrobatic score over three guys, but the refs called a charge.   That play lit a fire under him and he just completely took over.   Next possession I think he hit a three, then got a steal on the other end with an incredible full court outlet pass to someone (Mazzula?) who threw an alley-oop to Maceo, and then JNJ was off to the races. Within probably 12 minutes or so, he drained 5 threes, scored 20 points, and had a couple of steals, along with alley-oop throw down of his own.  

it was really amazing how quickly he just exploded.  I understand the level of competition, but it was one of the most explosive debuts I've ever seen for a GW freshman (at least if you ignore the first half).  He has a lot of learning to do, but by mid-season, everyone will recognize him as the best player on the floor. 

2)  Maceo Jack had the look of someone who will thrive in JC's system.  We generated lots of open shots for him in spots where he can be effective and his stroke looked smooth and his release was quick.   Defenses, especially in the A-10 will try to key on him and take away those spots so collapsing the defense and kicking out will be critical.  Jack also played solid defense against a small opponent.

3) Toro looked trim and strong. He had 11 and 11 at halftime, and I think finished with around 13 points and 13 boards as we were bombing away in the 2nd half.  Couldn't find a box score so i'm guesisng on the numbers.  Hood basically played 5 guards so there was no one to battle Toro inside, so there's really nothing to be learned from this other than he looked healthy and fit.

4) Mazzula seems to have a more clearly defined role as a defense/glue guy/floor spacer.  He hit a couple of threes early off kick outs from Jameer and Mezzie (I think) and that helped.

5) Mezzie was at his best, though at times also his worst. He stuffed the stat sheet with something like 11 points, 5 boards and 5 assists.  But he also had a number of turnovers and at times held the ball too long inside the zone, bogging down the offense. Early in the game he passed on an open 8 footer to try to feed Toro at the rim with two guys on him and threw it away.  JC talked to him afterwards, and then the next time he went in the game, he calmly sank a 12 foot baseline jumper when the defense backed off him again.  That got him going, and he proceded to dish out some assists and score inside and from the mid-range.  He also had 2-3 times where he got a rebound and led a fast break or took off when Toro got a rebound and caught the quick outlet to lead the fast break (note - on our fast breaks in the first half, we seemed to be looking for 3s in transition rather than take it to the rim, but second half as we pulled away we just started dunking on them).  My gut on Mezzie is that he still sees the game slowly, but with playing time he'll adjust as the season progresses and he will get a little more consistent.  If Amir Harris is eligible, Mezzie likely goes back to the bench as the 6th man.

6) Harris, Battle, and Paar were all sidelined.  The rest of the bench was not terribly impressive so I assume those guys will have a chance tor serious run if they can play (other than Harris, who we know can play and is likely our best defender).    If they are all eligible and healthy, I suspect the starting 5 will be JNJ, Jack, Mazzula, Amir Harris, and Toro.  Battle is allegedly the best shooter so he'll probably play a lot, as will Mezzie.  Javy will get time as a back up big (unless Paar beats him out), and Potter will probably get some minutes as a backup guard.    

7) Langarica played and had mixed results.  He made a couple of plays and hit some shots, but he also got trapped inside the zone more than once.  I suspect like most bench players, he'll have some games where he contributes nicely and others where he struggles.  He was better in the first half tonight, but the starters really dominated the second half with that huge run led by Jameer.

8) Potter played a good amount, but I honestly don't remember him doing much at all.

9) With the 3 wings/forwards sidelined, Ace Stalllings played.  He made some nice defensive plays and grabbed rebounds well above the tiny opponent, but not sure he can do that against an A-10 team's size.   It was a decent debut, but I'd give him the Sam Anyan Exhibition Game Award.

10) Shawn Walker didn't get in until garbage time with the walk ons, so can't evaluate.

Some other overall observations beyond players:
- First half was not pretty.  Team struggled to find rhythm against the zone and they let Hood hit some threes.  They were not particularly effective in the traps in the first half, but they seemed like a team that would slow down the tempo and make their opponents take time to score.
- Also in the first half, the team had, I think 9 turnovers.  Most, I think, came when we would throw it to a forward inside the zone who would hold the ball and get ttrapped, leading to a steal or a bad pass or a shot clock violation.
- Second half, the team totally adjusted.  They actually started off with turnovers and their first  2 possessions, but a few minutes into the second half, the Jameer Jr. explosion got going and we got it rolling for about 12 minutes of dominant basketball.
- JC was positive and upbeat throughout, and the players seemed happy to be playing again.
- Also, throughout the game, the coaches will hold up a board with each player's face and the 5 opponents on the court to remind them which player they are supposed to guard. Never really seen that before.
 
- Because we will rely so heavily on the 3 and because we aren't quite athletic enough to force as many TOs as JC would like Havoc to eventually force, we're going to be a streaky team.  I suspect there will be periods where we score little, but because we rely on the 3, will also score points in bunches in almost every game.  It's an adjustment we as fans will have to get used to, understanding the trade off of this style.

I'm sure we'll take our lumps. but it will be fun watching this team develop with this upbeat coach leading the way.