http://www.sbnation.com/users/hornshoops Posts made by hornshoops on SB Nation http://www.burntorangenation.com/2007/12/2/23545/3649 hornshoops Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:16:59 -0000 <p>Going into this game, I was worried that we could get blown out. Playing at UCLA, combined with the fact that we seem to struggle in early season games against traditional powers left me with little to no expectations. I also have been a bit worried about who, besides DJ, was going to pick up the slack after losing Durant. After watching the game tonight, I have a renewed level of excitement about this year's team.</p><p>A couple things really stuck out to me.</p> <p><strong>Damion James</strong> - Wow. He looks like a completely different player than he was last year. Last season, I cringed every time he had the ball further than 5 feet from the rack. Tonight, not only did he knock down mid-range jumpers, but he seemed more comfortable in the open court, and just more confident over all. We knew the tenacity, quickness, and rebounding would be there, but his obvious improvement is the most exciting &nbsp;thing I saw all night.</p><p><strong>Conner Atchley</strong> - What a big 3 pointer! Sometimes it's easy to pick on Conner, but he is playing better than ever, and he also seems more confident (although, he could still improve in that area). With such an undersized team, it is nice to have a big man who can hit an open jumper. Also, did you see him take Kevin Love off the dribble at the start of the game and hit that nice running scoop? (the air ball sky hook was another story though...maybe it was a "tribute" to Lew Alcinder, since it was Conner's first game at Pauley Pavilion) &nbsp;</p><p><strong>Justin Mason</strong> - This guy might be my favorite player on the team. The announcers &nbsp;were calling him the "glue" of our team and I couldn't agree more. He was good at taking a slower defender off the dribble and he just doesn't seem to make mistakes. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why he is the glue of the team, but if you watch the games, it's hard not to see how important his play is.</p><p>I know it's early, and it's just one game, but winning on the road against a team that has been to two straight Final Four's is a great early season accomplishment. Combine the big win with the fact that our role players seem to be showing big improvements over last season, and this should make for an exciting year.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>