I agree with all your points, GG, and add a few. Omar is not going to face a 7-footer with the agility and outside shooting ability of the Blaze's big guy anytime this year -- and that includes Ogilvy. That guy, Vanderjagt, would be a POY contender in the WCC.and yet, Omar more than held his own, with blocks and great offensive moves of his own.

Ubaka, who made the absolute killer shot tonight after the Gaels has closed to 73-71with a minute left -- an in-your-face 3 with Mickey guarding him closely -- is a great point guard -- again, better than anyone the Gaels are going to face this year. He was a stud at Cal, and has two or three years of pro experience under his belt. The other big scorer for the Blaze -- the guard, no. 43 -- is a big, combo-type similar to Gonzaga's Bouldin. Tha's three all-WCC caliber players on the same team.

I liked everything about our team in this game except our outside shooting. Wayne simply couldn't buy anything all night, ditto for Stindl, Colin and Mickey from the outside. Clint seemed to be showing the lasting effects of his illness, as most of his misses were off the front of the rim. I think it was, collectively, just one of those nights and I don't think we'll have many more of such teamwide funks. Ben Alen is going to be an awesome complementary player to Omar -- there were flashes today of what damage the two of those can do on the court together. Ben is an excellent passer, and the turnaround jumper he made in the key in the first half was a thing of beauty. He can be a moose on the boards, but does seem to let up occasionally. He had one such lapse in the second half -- letting a smaller Blaze player go over him for a rebound and putback -- and RB promptly benched him. I'm crossing my fingers that he turns out to be the Gaels' best-kept secret going into the 09-10 season.

Tim Williams gives glimpses of his potential, busting inside for power dunks, dropping 3-bombs from the outside when the occasion allows, defending and rebounding well. And Trey was just the best player on the floor besides Mickey -- I don't see him going away. As for Mickey, what an effort he turned in. He had to work way too much -- bringing the ball upcourt against constant pressure, guarding one of two tough guards, leading the offense and scoring. Imagine that type of effort with adequate downtime provided by Della and/or Jorden Page, and I foresee an incredible year. The criticism of him after the open practice earlier this year was just way off the mark.

This series of games is a godsend for a team like SMC which needs to figure out who its go-to guys are behind Mickey, Omar and, hopefully, Wayne. The exposure to top-level competition with minimal practice time was the perfect way for Tim and Colin to get ready for the burden they must carry this year. I am very excited about how much better this team will be after a full pre-season of practice. The Ws and Ls from this tour are inconsequential compared to what Randy is learning about his troops and what they are learning about each other. I feel better about our prospects than any time since the day Patty announced he was leaving.