https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1469503126931656712?t=XK77EF707ra8BYeFBONJhg&s=19
https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1469507999643451398?t=TQpUBRHvoJnzuQrY8PWABQ&s=19
https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1469513049723842565?t=d4x0OfpxYdIo7Byue2H2Iw&s=19
I watched the whole game. By my count, Bond was 10-17 from the field (I think all 2s, but some long ones) and 10-14 from the free throw line. He should have been 11-15 from the line but a lane violation cost him one.
If my memory is right, 5 of his 7 misses were at the rim - including an alley-oop he probably could make in his sleep but which just slipped a little - and 2 were jumpers. He showed a nice array of moves, although pretty much entirely off the dribble. Don’t think he’s a catch-and-shoot guy at this point - he likes to get in rhythm and work his guy. Great game.
Leon Bond is perfect for the 5 out offense/a slashing offense. I swear to god if we ever run mover blocker again after the 2022 class comes in. I refuse to see Traudt and Bond reduced to being blockers.
Would seriously be the worst offense to run with that kind of talent on the floor.
Please get this info to Williford and up the chain!
I will say a player I think we may regret (maybe) not going for harder is Brice Sensabaugh. He had the dog mentality/not afraid to score aspect that we violently need. You can’t coach that; a player just has it or they don’t. Definitely not afraid to shoot it. Still surprised Tony offered him after sitting through Brice Sensabaugh’s 0-10 3pt shooting game but maybe he admired the fearlessness.
London Johnson scored 37 in his 3rd game but in a blowout loss to Dominican Republic. Really impressed with his outing today (watched) as he was being double and triple teamed each possession and his man faceguarding him. He also look exhausted (3rd game in 3 days). Only 1/4 from 3 but 9/13 from 2 and 16/17 from the freethrow line. He was very much looking to drive as they were constantly trying to trap him on the perimeter
Dude….this guy can’t commit fast enough
Ok, so, irrational take time (and I know he could just overwhelm all those dudes in that game) Bond might be the unexpected contributor from this class next year. Just like everyone thought JAR was gonna come in and play heavy mins and it turned out to be Reece because of his fit, Might it be Bond over Mckneely (Traudts gonna play, no doubt) because Bond will bring something we don’t currently have on the roster…? WING defender, above the rim, rebound, energy plays, etc…I won’t get overly excited about his offensive tools because of the competition but it’s clear his ceiling is very high, as @Hooandtrue said, in a spread offense
Also, Evan is a treasure for WI kids, that dude does an awesome job of covering those kids no matter where they are committed
Yeah Evan is the Wisconsin 247 writer but he also covers the prep high school scene heavily.
My only “concern” is that Bond’s skill set is very similar to Casey Morsell. Bond is a taller, more athletic, longer wing span and more aggressive Morsell (Hence the top 50 ranking and why Eric Bossi loves him) but he’s a horrible fit for mover blocker like Casey. A lot of Casey’s shinning moments through his last season with us were in those 5 out sets. I remember during the Ohio game we went 5-out for a stretch and Reece and Casey were slashing and driving and creating/being put in a more aggressive position and I was like “WHY ARENT WE DOING THIS MORE”.
Bond will never be a catch and shoot player. He will have to be able to hit open 3s which I hope and think he can. We need an offense like 5 out where he is the small ball 4 or 3 and able to use his speed to slash/drive by his mismatch of a bigman guarding him.
His offense isn’t as raw as it was before but still think it needs a redshirt. However if Tony is truly about “defense lets you see the floor” I don’t see how he doesn’t get the most playing time out of the 2022 class, especially with that gapping hole we have at the defensive versatile switchblade role.
Reposted highlights from a while back, but this shows how effective he is slashing when a big man is guarding him. Also shows that he shoots off movements and taking a few dribbles, not coming off a screen. Like Morsell, for as bad a catch and shoot 3pt shooter he is Bond is actually a very good shooter off the bounce or after a few dribbles on a pull up.
I just hope we never see mover blocker against after the 2022 class, and our lack of recruiting true bigs to set those screens gives me some hope but of course we are going to see mover blocker in some iteration even if only more modernized
https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1445570614387900418
Nice high release
I feel like it’s a misapprehension that CTB plays people based on their D. I don’t think it’s wrong so much as imprecise. I think CTB plays people (especially younger players) based on how much progress they’ve made in understanding his defensive scheme. And how hard they work.
I suspect a player who was really good defensively, but didn’t work on really understanding the pack line, would get surprisingly little playing time.
Agree with everything! We have players this year whom have handles and can get to the rim. Last year neither Trey nor Sam could do that so we had to resort to their strengths. This year’s teams strengths seem to be more of a 5 out option, but my fear is that Tony is still a bit slow to adapt. I remember someone on a previous team saying that Tony allowed The national championship team to adapt alot more than their team in the past.
Longer, non-Bond-specific highlights for anyone interested. Not a big fan of the baseline cam, but oh well.
I think Bond seems hard to slot next year on offense. Post skills, not a great shooter yet. Can he face the hoop? Seems a work in progress. We definitely need his athleticism. Esp. On D. My personal view is that what this team needs is a deadeye shooter who can score on the bounce, too, and McKneely just may fit the bill. But also maybe Dunn, too. But also … and hear me out… what about both together? 
Definitely. My view is Tony has done that with the right talent, but I think it might also be worthwhile with lesser talent, too, but Tony leans toward the conservative side of things.
If you are talking about next year, I think the first exercise is to determine who is playing now that is going to sit next year in favor of a freshman. Bennett has played freshmen, but it has been when there are spots open due to graduation or transfer. It is uncommon for a guy in the rotation to get role reduced. Offensive role is irrelevant for a first-year.
That’s a pretty bold statement. It seems like he didn’t even really try to shoot before ~ 6 months ago ago and he’s already shown some real progress. But after Reece, Casey, and also Kihei’s up and down shooting seasons, I should probably take a break from trying to project shooting progression lol
Jerome, Guy, and Kihei are all dudes who came in with established players on the roster and played big minutes quickly, with the first two struggling on defense throughout (Shayok and Thompson transfered only after Guy and Jerome’s first year). Depends on talent and fit. Casey played a ton too, but that obviously was because of a huge roster hole.
I’m really not that worried about next year’s class getting playing time. I know people are frustrated because of this season, but everyone in the 2022 class has more upside and isn’t facing the challenge of adapting to the American game like our current first years are. Maybe one or two won’t play big minutes, but I’d bet money at least two are playing a lot out of the gate. But guess we’ll just have to see.
This seems hyperbolic enough to be bordering on incorrect. Our best players have all played and made material contributions on offense as first years (true first years, except in Dre’s case).
I think the first question is who is coming back…
Don’t think that’s going to happen barring injury. Also don’t honest think his offense is that raw at this point that it’s needed, but can agree to disagree.