I lost track of how many times over the last year I've said it, but basketball just isn't very fun to watch when you can't make any shots. Collins' teams have often struggled shooting, last year's team was consistently awful from the field from anyone who wasn't Pardon in the paint, and this year's team has struggled at times as well. Difference with this year's team is, they've also had games where they've shot pretty well, and therefore won or been competitive against more experienced or more talented teams. But knowing that a game isn't over because you're down 8 with 12 minutes to go makes it a much more enjoyable experience all around.
I was despondent after Merrimack and Radford because it felt like running last year back, which would have been a huge issue for the program. But Buie has emerged as a real piece already, and Beran and Young have impressed me as well from where I thought they might be this year. That's a core. It needs more talent. But it's enough to go to the studs in the coming class and show them what they're going to be adding to.